Prologue
Four years ago Charlie at 18 years old, after finishing high school, went on a trip to the city with her friends for a weekend. They left the little country town they grew up in to have fun. The drive took 6 hours but the girls didn't care. They were just glad to get out of Wingham. When they arrived in Sydney they headed to their hotel room to get ready for a night out on the town, drinking, dancing and hookups were on the agenda. The boys in Wingham were just that, boys, and the girls wanted men. They hit up a nightclub and were ready to party all weekend. Charlie met Mason Fisher and they clicked instantly, both looking for the same thing. They headed back to his place and she ended up spending the weekend with Mason. She described it as the best sex of her life. He knew what he was doing and how to please a girl. She was utterly satisfied and so was he.
Mason never allowed a girl to stay the night let alone a weekend, but she was heading back to her small town and he couldn't get enough of her so what was the harm? And his parents were out of town with his younger brothers so he had the house to himself. They had done it all over the house for those two days and he still wanted more but he waved her off when her friends came to pick her up with his phone number and name in case she ever came to town again and wanted a hookup. Charlie knew she wouldn't be back but saved his number anyway.
Six weeks after getting back to her little comfy town, Charlie had a lasting memory of the weekend she spent with Mason. She found out she was pregnant. At no time did she consider not having her baby, she didn't care if she was a single parent or not. She didn't know if she she call Mason or not but decided she was going to do it on her own. They had both agreed it was a no-strings-attached arrangement. She refused to tell her mum who the father of her baby was because it was just a hookup, she did tell her it happened on her trip to Sydney. Charlie's mum or Aunty May as she was known in and around town, told Charlie she would support her no matter what and that is what she did. She was there for all her prenatal appointments and was there at the birth of Faith May Fisher. Faith was born on the 21st of August at 12.03 am. She had striking blue eyes like her father. Dark blonde curly hair like her mum and caramel-coloured skin. She was born on Biripi Country just like her mum and her nan. She was born in Taree and the elders said she was meant for great things.
Mason continued to party, drink and hook up until his parents gave him an ultimatum, shape up or lose the company his father was passing down to him at 26, just like his grandfather and his great-grandfather had done before. The firstborn child at 26, received the company and it was kept in the family and passed down from generation to generation. Mason had two younger brothers who were also going to be part of the board of the company. He had wanted them all to be equal but that wasn't the Fisher way according to his dad. It was to stay the firstborn unless the firstborn didn't want to take the reins. He often thought of Charlie and the weekend he spent with her but she was just some girl he hooked up with. Charlie was one girl who didn't dig her claws in and tried to get what she could from Mason. He didn't have a way to contact her, he had given her his number but she never called. He was ok with that, it was just a hook-up, a great one at that. He wasn't ready for anything else even though his parents were pushing for marriage and kids. He was still young and hadn't found anyone to be with who wasn't after the status that marrying Mason Fisher would get them. He grew up seeing his mum and dad so much in love and that's what he wanted. Maybe that's why he thought of Charlie. She had no idea who he was or his status. She just saw him and not his status. There was no point dwelling on it though, they both were young and after a good time. All he knew was her name Charlie Moore who lived in a small country town, not much to go on even if he wanted to.
Mason was enjoying himself, living his life and working to help his father. He had taken on more projects so his father could lighten his load. He and his brothers were close. He still lived with his parents, but who wouldn't when they each had their separate floor in the house which included a kitchen, 3 bedrooms, lounge room and bathrooms. They also had housekeepers to keep the place clean. If they didn't want to see each other they didn't have to. But every Sunday was a family night where they would meet in the family area and have dinner together. None of them were ever allowed to miss family dinner even his grandparents would join family dinner once a month. Life was good, business was good and Mason couldn't wait to take over the company.
