The Other Side of Lone Mountain

Chapter Twenty-Seven

They left the mountain and drove directly to the hospital. They arrived to find Vickie in the room with Mark. The kids were staying with Gramma Sarah as the kids now called her. Paul and Mandy walked into the room and both Vickie and Mark gave them a look that said, “We know what you’ve been up to!” They said hello to Vickie and Mark and asked Mark how he was feeling. Both Paul and Mandy noticed that he was looking stronger than he had in days. His hands and feet were still wrapped up but Vickie told them that the bandages would be coming off tomorrow, then he would be starting therapy. The hospital was going to arrange for him to continue his therapy at home once he was released. They stayed about an hour then left but not before telling Vickie that they would pick her and the kids up later to take them to dinner.

Later that evening they arrived at the B & B. Paul excused himself and said he was going to his room to change while Mandy spent time with her mother. As soon as the children heard that Mandy was there, they bolted down the stairs and into the kitchen. Heather ran over to her and hugged her. “Hi Mandy! I’m glad you’re here.”

Tommy tried to push her aside saying, “Come on! It’s my turn!” Mandy shifted Heather to one side and held her other arm out for Tommy. He cuddled into her outstretched arm and hugged her around the waist.

Vickie came down a few minutes later wearing a beautiful classic black sheath with one string of pink pearls. She looked stunning. She was a beautiful woman but the last week or so had begun to take a toll on her. Mandy felt sorry for her. She wanted more than anything to break this case and get some restitution for this beautiful family. Paul came down about five minutes later. He had changed into a nice pair of Navy blue slacks, white turtleneck jersey and an Armani sport coat. He could have easily passed for a movie star walking into the kitchen; he looked so handsome. “Are we ready?” he asked.

The kids jumped up and down and said, “Yes, let’s go!”
The kids teased Paul and Mandy throughout the dinner until finally Vickie told them, “That’s enough now. Next time we’ll leave you two at home. How would you like that? I think you’d better apologize.”

“We’re sorry, Uncle Paul. It’s just that we really like Mandy and hope the two of you become a couple.”

“Heather Mary Scott! I don’t believe you just said that!” exclaimed Vickie. “That will be just quite enough from you young lady!”

“That’s okay, Vickie, said Mandy. “I guess it’s just that they love their Uncle Paul and want to see him happy. So do I.”

They continued the rest of the dinner in a more subdued atmosphere. The kids concentrated on their deserts while the three adults talked about what was going to happen when Mark was ready to be released from the hospital. Paul and Mandy told Vickie about what they had found out so far. Vickie couldn’t believe that someone had actually tried to kill her husband. “But why?” she asked. “Mark has never bothered anyone in his entire life.”

“He just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I wish I had never let him come alone”, said Paul.

“It wasn’t your fault; you couldn’t have known something like this was going to happen. If the two of you were together when it happened, you both would have been lying next to each other right now”, said Vickie.

“She does have a point.” replied Mandy.


After dinner Paul and Mandy dropped Vickie and kids at the Bed and Breakfast then took Mandy home. This time he didn’t go inside. He kissed her, a long tender kiss and then returned to the B & B after telling her that he would talk with her in the morning.