Questions in Vermont
I finally made it to the Northern Vermont resort town; it had taken three long months to locate Stephanie. I pushed her away and now I needed to put the pieces back together. It was my own insecurity. I convinced myself she would eventually leave me, growing tired of me and the life I lived. I was protecting my heart from being broken, but in doing so I lost my desire to see the sun each day, to even take a breath. Stephanie was my light with wild curls and sparkling blue eyes from the moment I met her. I fought my feelings. I could never escape the memories of that night with her, the touch of her body against my skin, and my cowardice at leaving and sending her back to that ass!
When I finally got another chance after they broke up, I took it. I couldn't remember the last time I had a date with dinner and a movie, but I cherished every moment of that simple first date with Stephanie. We grew more together with each and every day.
There was a waterline break at her apartment building one weekend, instead of going to her parent's house; I asked Stephanie and Rex to come to Haywood to stay. Then one day, Morelli planted that tiny seed of doubt that I let fester.
"You'll never fit into the 'Burg' and everything that it is, Manoso. Stephanie will want it one day, then what?"
That started it. I began to doubt myself, but what was way worse I doubted Stephanie knowing exactly what she wanted and didn't want. It grew in my mind and I started to pull back. That led to me breaking off a date and letting My Babe see a friend of my sister's who stopped to see Lester giving me a friendly kiss. She walked out of Rangeman and I didn't stop her. She avoided me like the plague, but I was still able to monitor through the trackers until one day my men found them in a trash can outside of Tasty Pastry.
She cashed a check from Vinnie's and bought a bus ticket. Only it was two bus tickets and the other was for the little boy with her here in this ski resort town. His mother was a former skip who was found dead two weeks ago in an alley. Her druggie boyfriend confessed to beating when she bought food instead of crack for him. The owner of the rooming house where she had lived described her son to the police, but they have not located him yet.
I'm watching Stephanie through hi-powered binoculars as she works behind the reservation desk at the ski resort. Relief washed over me seeing her. Just being within the vicinity of her, my world felt more in balance. She appeared thinner. The missing little boy was playing in the corner.
"Well, Manoso, you've got the stupidity covered, but do you have the balls to make it right with Stephanie? And find out what is going on here?
