“Another challenge?” Charles grinned. “I like it. Lead on, my dear.”
Alice was always surprised there were locals around town who hadn’t ever visited the bats. Maybe her family was quirkier than most, but when she was a kid they’d packed a picnic at least once a month during the summer and come downtown for the evening display. She loved the nightly ritual and had watched it become a popular tourist attraction.
But Alice still remembered her dad’s secret parking space near the bridge, and guided Charles to it. They parked, then pulled out the stroller and attached Flynn’s infant carrier to the top. Joining the small crowd of people moving toward the bridge, she and Charles walked in comfortable silence. To passersby they were just another family on their way to witness one of the city’s more unique attractions.
They found a spot just off the path near the edge of the bridge, near the place Alice had stood so many times with her parents. The sky was streaked with ribbons of pink and purple as the sun set behind the nearby buildings.
Above the noise of people they could hear a high-pitched chirping. “Bats?” Charles asked.
Alice nodded, then smiled as he tightened the sun cover over Flynn’s car seat.
“He’s safe,” she said gently.
“No use taking chances,” Charles answered, before wrapping an arm around her shoulder.
Just then the sound of fluttering wings filled the air, and a mass of bats flew out from below the bridge, black against the pink-and-purple sky as they streaked across it in an undulating pattern.
She heard Charles suck in a breath as he pulled her closer. “Amazing,” he whispered into her hair, and Alice felt a wash of contentment roll through her.
Everything about this moment was amazing. Never, in all the times she’d been here with her parents, had she ever imagined standing in the same place with her own family. Temporary as it might be, she would remember it forever. The feeling of belonging with Charles was something she’d never be able to replace.
After the bats had flown off for the night, the three of them made their way back to her apartment. Flynn was asleep in his car seat, and she quickly changed him and put him to bed for the night. Charles was waiting by the front door when she came out, his hands stuffed in the front pockets of his jeans.
“That was one of the best evenings out I’ve had in a long time,” he told her.
“You’re lying,” she said with a laugh, “but I appreciate it, anyway.”
“It’s the truth, Alice.” He stepped forward and cupped her cheeks with his hands. “Anything we do together makes it the best.” His mouth brushed lightly against hers, but when she stepped into him, he pulled away.
“I should go.” He shoved his hands into his pockets again. “I’m sure you want some rest while the baby is down.” He backed toward the door, a half smile curving his lips. “If I stay, I’m afraid you won’t get much sleep.”
She should let him leave but couldn’t stand the thought of this night ending. She wanted to lose herself in him again. To continue what they’d started last night and claim as much time with him as she could.
“Sleep is overrated,” she said, and reached for him.
His hand stilled on the doorknob. “You don’t have to do this.”
“I want to, Charles.” She ran her palms up the hard planes of his chest even as his body remained like a statue beneath them. It was difficult for her to take the lead. Being assertive wasn’t part of Alice’s nature, but this man was worth the effort. Being a mother had changed her, and in some ways Charles had changed her, too. Although he didn’t move, she knew he wanted her. Last night had been real and it gave her the confidence to thread her fingers through his hair and pull his face down to hers. “I want you.”
Those three words seemed to release something in him, because the next thing she knew, Alice was in his arms and he was heading for her small bedroom. “Right now, my sole aim in life is to make you happy.” He kissed her, running his tongue across the seam of her lips.
“This is a very good start.”
Chapter Fourteen
The next morning, Charles sat at the small table in Alice’s kitchen, Flynn in his arms. The baby had finished a bottle, let out a huge burp and was now sucking on his fist as he gazed up at Charles.
Alice set a plate with a toasted bagel and half a banana on the table. “Sorry I don’t have anything more.”
“This is great,” Charles told her, and, surprisingly, he meant it. He lived out of hotels more weeks than not and was used to big breakfast buffets or ordering room service. But this quiet morning waking up with Alice and Flynn was the best he’d had in ages. So good, in fact, that he didn’t want it to end.
“I’ve been thinking...” he said, as Alice sat across from him, her long fingers wrapped around a steaming mug of coffee.
“Should I be worried?” she asked with a small smile. That was another thing he loved—the more time he spent with her, the less Alice seemed to feel shy around him. She had a playful, teasing streak that most people in her life didn’t get to see. The fact that he did made Charles ridiculously happy.
“I want to bring Flynn back to London with me.” Charles held the boy closer as he took a bite of bagel.
Alice stared at him a few moments, then asked, “For a visit?”
“Of sorts.” Flynn fussed a bit, so Charles stood and rocked him until he quieted. “Would you like to live across the pond, Flynn, my boy? Romp about Kensington Gardens and visit the London Zoo?” Charles kept his gaze on the baby even as he spoke to Alice. “It’s a brilliant plan, if I do say so myself. My flat has three bedrooms, so I can easily turn one into a nursery. It will be simple enough to have my assistant make the arrangements.”
“Your assistant?”
“I haven’t mentioned her?” He reached for a rattle and held it up for Flynn to grab. “Mary’s been with me for years. She handles all my scheduling and basically runs my life.”
“You need someone to run your life?”
Charles chuckled but kept watching Flynn. “It’s a busy life, my lovely Alice.”
“And you want to make Flynn a part of it?”
Something in her tone made him glance away from Flynn toward the woman now standing a few feet from him, arms crossed over her pink T-shirt, one toe tapping against the carpet. “You, too, of course,” he answered quickly, wondering if that’s what had made her temper spike. Because there was no denying the mulish set of her jaw.
What had happened to the Alice who had been pliant in his arms all night, or the one who had sweetly cuddled Flynn between the two of them early this morning? Hell, Charles would take almost any mood in place of her anger, especially as it appeared aimed directly at him.
“As I said, there are three bedrooms in the flat. I’ve dropped a few hints to Amanda about loaning you and your stellar research skills to the British Tourism Council for a few months.”
“You’ve talked to my boss?” There was a sharp edge to Alice’s tone that made Charles flinch. Even Flynn seemed to notice the change and began to whimper softly.
Charles rocked the boy more vigorously as he took a step toward Alice. “Just in passing. I thought it best to lay the groundwork—”
“For me to leave my life behind?” Her hazel eyes had gone hard as stone.
“Alice, you keep posing questions that sound more like accusations. I’m doing the best I can here. Being a father is new to me, as is thinking about someone other than myself.”
“By ‘someone,’ you mean Flynn?” she asked, her mouth barely moving as she spoke.
“And you. I understand the two of you are a package deal. If you don’t feel comfortable staying at my place, I can set you up with your own apartment in the neighborhood. It’s a lovely area of London with—”
Flynn let out a sharp cry and Alice moved forward before Charles could react. She scooped the baby out of his arms and held him close. The boy immediately quieted and nuzzled against her shoulder. “It’s a
generous offer,” she said, but her voice sounded hollow.
“I mean it.” Charles knew he was losing ground, but couldn’t figure out why, or how to regain his footing. “I’ve told you before, we’re a team. I’ll make sure you’re comfortable and taken care of. Flynn won’t want for a thing.”
“A team,” she murmured. “I take it your assistant is part of this team, as well?”
He shrugged. “In a manner of speaking. But I’m talking about you and Flynn. The three of us.”
She gave a jerky nod. “When would you want to leave?”
“I have a meeting with the director of the British Tourism Council at the end of next week that I can’t reschedule. If you need more time, I can go over first and get things ready.”
“Can I have a few days to think about it?”
Charles felt himself frowning. “What’s there to think about? Flynn is my son and I want him—both of you—with me. I want to take care of you.” He knew he was mucking this up, that whatever he was saying was pushing her away instead of bringing her closer. He wanted to scoop her into his arms and kiss her until the distance between them disappeared.
“This is new for me, too, Charles. I don’t even have a passport.”
“I have connections that can expedite that process.”
“You have a lot of things,” she said, “but all I have is my baby and my family. I need time.”
He sighed. Of course she did. This was not a rejection. Not outright, anyway. He shouldn’t have assumed she’d be as excited about his plan as he was. But he had, because he thought she’d felt as much for him as he did for her. Maybe that had been just wishful thinking. He was Flynn’s father, but that didn’t mean Alice would want anything more than help with parenting. Yes, they’d shared a few nights of passion, but that could be a new mother needing to scratch an itch, with Charles being the most convenient outlet. The idea created a sick feeling in his chest. Charles had never had to work hard for anything in his life, and certainly not the affections of a woman.
The potential for failing made him want to turn and run, but then he glanced at Alice, who stood on the far side of the small family room, watching him as she cradled Flynn in his arms.
No.
He wasn’t going to take the easy way out this time. Alice and Flynn were too important. If she needed time, he’d give it to her. More importantly, he’d find a way to convince her that he was worth taking a chance on.
“Take the time you need, Alice.” He moved toward her, bent and kissed the top of her forehead. “I need to visit my family in Horseback Hollow before I return to England.” He ruffled Flynn’s hair. “I’ll ring you in a few days, and we’ll discuss our plans then.”
He wasn’t sure he could take another argument, so before she could offer one, he turned and left her apartment. It was time to become the man his father had believed he could be.
* * *
“He walked out on you just like that?” Meredith took a long pull on her beer and shook her head. “No fight? No declaration of love?”
Alice forced herself to laugh even as embarrassment colored her cheeks. “He said he’d call in a few days. He needs to check in with his family.” She glanced at the baby monitor that sat on the coffee table, almost hoping that Flynn would let out a cry so she could have an excuse not to have this conversation. Meredith had called shortly after Charles left, and Alice hadn’t been able to hide her hurt at the way the morning had ended. Her friend had brought over carryout and beer from a local brewpub. While Alice was grateful for the company, she didn’t want to revisit the humiliation of Charles’s earlier offer.
Meredith sniffed. “After demanding that you leave your whole life behind and follow him to England.”
“It’s not much of a life,” Alice said quietly. “He probably thinks he’s doing me a favor. I could still work, and I’m sure I’d have more help with Flynn.”
“But you’d be an ocean away from your parents.”
“I want Flynn to know his father.”
“Alice.” Meredith scooted closer on the sofa and took Alice’s hands in hers. “What do you want for yourself?”
Alice stared at her friend for a moment, finding it difficult to process the deeper meaning of the question. “I told you...”
“You are an amazing mother,” Meredith said softly. “I know that no one believed you could handle raising a baby on your own. We underestimated you. All of us did. Your parents, everyone at work. Me.”
“It’s okay.”
“No. It’s not.” Meredith shook her head. “Although you’ve proved us wrong, Flynn can’t be your whole life.” She held up a hand when Alice would have argued. “The best thing you can do for that baby is to be happy. What is going to make you happy, Alice?”
“Charles,” she whispered, before she could stop herself.
“I knew it,” Meredith shouted, and jumped up from the couch.
“Meredith, quiet. You’ll wake Flynn.”
“It isn’t just for Flynn that you want to follow Charles, is it?” Her friend sank back down, tucked her legs under her. She’d lowered her voice, but her tone was animated.
“It’s not that simple.”
“Why not? You want him. He wants you.”
“He wants me in the same way he wants his assistant. I make his life easier.”
“Is that so bad?”
“I don’t want easy.” Now Alice stood, paced from one side of the room and back. “You all weren’t the only ones who doubted I could handle motherhood. I never thought I could do it on my own. The past year hasn’t been easy, but every difficult moment has been worth it. It’s made me a better person. It’s changed me. I don’t want to go back to depending on someone. If I go with Charles, where does that leave me? Who will I be with him?”
Meredith frowned. “You’ll be Alice. Flynn’s mother.”
“But what if Alice isn’t enough? What if I have to watch him date other women? What if he meets someone he wants to marry, when I’m...”
“In love with him?”
Alice didn’t bother to argue. “I told myself not to let it happen, but I couldn’t help it.”
“Of course not,” Meredith agreed. “He’s Bonnie Lord Charlie. Half the female population is in love with him.”
“You don’t understand.” Alice ran a hand through her hair, thought of the way Charles had fanned the strands across the pillow early this morning. “I love him despite the way the world knows him. I love him for the parts of him that no one else sees. The pieces that he doesn’t even see. He’s a good man, more than most people ever imagine. I know he cares about me, but it isn’t enough. If I’ve just discovered that I’m strong enough to stand on my own, how could I ever be satisfied with half a life?”
Meredith pressed her fingers to her temples. “Then you’re not going to go with him?”
Alice shrugged. “I’m not sure I can let him go.”
“Heartache either way.”
“Heartache seems like a pretty good option at this point.” Alice felt a tear track down her cheek. “It’s full-blown heartbreak that scares me half to death.” And swiping at the tears with her fingertips, she sank into her friend’s comforting embrace.
Chapter Fifteen
“I’ve been wondering when you were going to grace me with your presence, Charles.”
Charles smiled and dropped a kiss on his mother’s soft cheek where she sat in the cozy study of her condo outside of Horseback Hollow. The house was small and relatively casual compared to the sprawling estate where Charles had grown up, but his mother looked as regal as if she were about to take high tea with the queen. Although Josephine May Fortune Chesterfield had spent most of her life in England, she’d adapted to life in this quaint Texas town like she was made for it.
It had been only a few years ago that Josephine had discovered she was the third triplet in a trio that included James Marshall Fortune, head of the powerful Atlanta company JMF Financial, and Jeanne Marie Fortune
Jones, who had raised her brood of children in Horseback Hollow. The British Fortunes had first come to the tiny town for their cousin Sawyer’s wedding to Laurel Redmond, but all of them, except Charles, had eventually returned to find love in Texas.
His mother enjoyed being near her children, grandchildren and extended family. She’d even found the beginning of a new relationship with retired pilot Orlando Mendoza. She’d cut back on her philanthropic duties overseas and spent more time working with local charities now. But even with her busy schedule, Charles knew she always had time to play the family matriarch, a role she embodied with compassion, caring and only the most refined and well-intentioned measure of heavy-handedness.
“So sorry, Mum,” he said, as he dropped into the chair next to her.
“Sit up straight, Charles,” she said quietly.
“Right.” He corrected his posture with a wink. “The state tourism board has kept me quite busy the last couple of weeks.”
Josephine raised one eyebrow. “Is that all?”
“Who told you?” He narrowed his eyes. “Was it Lucie? I made her promise...”
“The question is not which of your siblings mentioned your young lady to me,” his mother said. “I’m wondering why I didn’t hear the news from you.” She held up a hand to stave off his explanation. “More importantly, when do I get to meet this woman and my new grandson?”
“It’s complicated,” he muttered.
“I wouldn’t expect anything else from you.”
He lowered his head into his hands and took a deep breath. Although he’d been worried about his mother discovering the truth about Alice and Flynn, now it felt like a relief. Josephine was the most loving, compassionate person Charles knew, and he would have felt that way even if she hadn’t been the one to change his nappies when he was a babe. He hadn’t realized until now how much he wanted her advice and perspective on the unholy mess that was his current life. “I’m sorry I haven’t said anything to you about the baby.”
“And the baby’s mother? This woman who tracked you down to tell you after the fact that you are a father?”
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