There were four theater-style leather recliners in the living room, the kind with drink holders in the arms. Unfortunately, they were all different colors and looked like he’d picked them out of a dumpster. I might have been okay with them if they’d been complementary colors or black or brown leather. Instead, they were canary yellow, salmon, eggplant purple, and neon green, and there were noticeable scratches where they’d been abused.
I did approve of the TV that dominated one wall. Under it was a gaming system and a pile of video games with a tangle of cords and controllers on top.
The walls were still the contractor white, and the carpet was a dirty brown with stains. Then again, it may have just been filthy.
Caryn walked through the empty dining room and into a modern kitchen. At least it had good-looking cabinets and appliances. In the corner sat a card table with folding chairs to eat at.
She next went to the master bedroom. A mattress lay on the floor with no sheets or pillows. I cringed when I saw the stains. I didn’t even want to think about what had caused them.
Our next stop was one of the other bedrooms. Again, a scuzzy mattress, but this time the carpet had a massive stain that looked suspiciously like barf.
When the video ended, I called Caryn.
“It’s not the Ritz,” Caryn said when she answered.
“It looks like I should just sell it.”
“No. The unit itself is nice, and it’s in a good building. They have a shuttle service that runs on a regular schedule to and from the ski resort. It’s only a five-minute trip. It looks like a party house after the festivities. If you did a little decorating, this would be an ideal vacation spot,” Caryn assured me.
“You want me to put you up in a hotel?” I asked.
“No. I came to ski and don’t plan to hang out in the condo that much. I called, and I can have a bed delivered. Of course, that’s assuming you approve. I presume you want a California king for the master bedroom.”
Since I was six-four, the extra four inches offered by the California king would be a godsend.
“That works. Get whatever you need for your stay, and I’ll look into making the place livable after you leave.”
“I didn’t want to complain because staying here is saving me money, but when I saw the mattress …”
“Yeah, I would have turned around and walked out,” I admitted.
“I’ll get it taken care of. And David?”
“Yes?”
“Thanks. I needed a vacation,” Caryn said.
◊◊◊
I spent the evening with my family. Ashley and Scarlet came over so I could spend time with Allen, Dawson, and Carol. They all needed their daddy time, and I think it was my job to wear them out. Actually, they may have worn me out.
When they finally wound down, Ashley and Scarlet went home, leaving me with Little David and Coby. I scooped them up and took them upstairs to get them changed into their pajamas. Peggy joined me when I was just about done.
“We need to cut the legs off Coby’s crib. He wants to climb out of it, and I’m afraid he’s going to hurt himself,” she shared.
“I’ll talk to Wolf and Tim. I’m sure they have the tools to take care of it.”
The boys snuggled down. Mom had just let Duke back in. He checked to make sure I hadn’t done anything wrong with his playmates and meandered to his crate. Peggy grabbed my hand and led me through the Jack-n-Jill bathroom to her bedroom. She sat on the bed and patted it for me to join her.
“I heard about Brook. Are you okay?”
“Her dad did something boneheaded that caused her parents to realize there were problems in their relationship. They’ve decided to try to work it out and are determined Cincinnati is the place to do that since the new business will be located there.
“I think if they weren’t having problems, Brook might have opted to stay here. Regardless, I totally agree with her decision to go with them,” I said.
“What is she supposed to do?” Peggy asked.
“If it were me, I would offer them support and act as a buffer so neither of them would go too far over the line.”
“I’d never want to go over the line with your mom. She can be scary, and I think you’re the only one that has the guts to stand up to her,” Peggy offered.
“Dad will surprise you sometimes, but he’s learned to pick his battles. I’m still learning that lesson. I don’t fall for her goading quite so often anymore.”
“If you say so,” Peggy said and then leaned against my arm to give me a little shove to show she was teasing.
“Now that Brook is gone, what do you plan to do?” Peggy asked.
“About what?” I asked.
“Do you plan to date anybody?” she asked.
“Not really. I’ll take it slow, take baby steps. I don’t want to start something only to leave at the end of the school year.”
“That’s probably for the best,” Peggy said.
“What about you? Any guys you need me to do a background check on?” I teased.
She just shook her head and then gave me a sideways look with a glint of mischief in her eyes.
“You should remember that you have baby mamas who have needs.”
