“Um, yes. Where’s the ICU waiting room?”
“Third floor.” He stood, pointing a gnarled finger to the right. “Elevator’s that way.”
She nodded and took a deep breath. She’d come too far to back out now. Hopefully Luke wasn’t back with his dad—that would be awkward. “Hi everyone, I’m Luke’s…whatever I am. Here’s a cake!”
At the third floor, a helpful sign pointed left to the ICU waiting room. Hands trembling a little against the cake box, she followed it and rounded the corner into a large room full of couches.
And there was Luke, hugging a gorgeous blonde like his life depended on it.
Charlotte’s heart jerked in uneven beats. She gaped for a moment before backing away. Who was that girl? There wasn’t anyone else in the waiting room—just the two of them. Luke didn’t have a sister, and she didn’t resemble him anyway.
No, she resembled every stunning movie-star type Charlotte had ever seen.
Too confused to decide if she was angry or hurt, Charlotte backtracked to the nurses’ station closest to the elevator. “Delivery for the Madison family? I believe they’re in the ICU.”
The nurse checked the card on the box and smiled. “How sweet. I can deliver it to them.”
Swallowing hard, Charlotte nodded and walked briskly back to the elevator.
Chapter Fifteen
Luke
“I’m so tired,” Parker said, coming out of the ICU ward.
Luke stepped out of Zoey’s hug and pointed her toward his brother. She held out her arms, and he leaned in gratefully. “That’s my girl…holding the two of us up, like always.”
“You know it.” She kissed his cheek and pulled away. She looked as tired as Luke—and probably Parker—felt. “I think we need some sleep.”
She’d stayed all night, trading hugs between Luke, Parker, and their mom. If she hadn’t been there, Luke imagined that they’d have collapsed sooner.
“You two go,” Luke said. “I’ll stay here with Mom so she has a way home when she’s ready to leave.”
“Are you sure?” Parker rubbed his eyes. “You’ve been up all night, too.”
“Excuse me?” A nurse stood in the doorway to the waiting room holding a box and a thermos. “Are you the Madison family? This came for you.”
“I’ll take it.” Luke reached for the box. It was heavy, warm, and smelled like a grandma’s kitchen.
“What is that?” Parker stepped closer, sniffing at the box like a hound.
Luke read the note on top of the box and laughed for the first time in hours. He felt rusty all over, and it was good to laugh. “The girl I was out with? Charlotte? This is from the café where she works.” He frowned back the way the nurse had gone. “This had to be hand delivered. I wonder why she didn’t come back.”
“No idea.” Parker was already removing the paper plates and forks tucked in next to the cake. “But we’re going to eat this.”
Zoey smacked his hands away. “It’s Luke’s cake. He takes the first slice.”
“Then I get first coffee!” Parker reached for the thermos. “God, this is the real stuff. Not that crap from the cafeteria.”
Zoey ruffled Parker’s hair. “I’ll go get some cups.”
Luke put a piece of cake on a plate and broke off a corner. “Oh my God. This is almost better than sex.”
Parker shot him, then Zoey, a wicked smile. “Depends on the sex.”
Luke’s eyebrows shot up, and he pointed at his brother. “Stop talking. I mean it.”
Parker opened his mouth to say more, but Zoey punched him in the arm. She was bright red. “You heard him.”
“Besides, I said almost.” Luke took a big bite of cake. Oh my God, so good. They had to put crack in this or something. He’d have to go up to the café tomorrow, if Dad was in a regular room by then, and say thanks in person.
Zoey came back with coffee cups, and they ate quietly, too hungry and tired to talk. Once he was done, Luke reached for his phone to text Charlotte.
The cake was amazing. Did you drop it by? Sorry if I wasn’t around when you came. I’ll come up tomorrow if I can. Maybe we can pick up where we left off?
He hoped she’d say yes—he was ready to try going all-in with someone, see what it was like. A smart, sexy, scrappy someone was even better. He laughed softly, thinking about her chasing those D-bags down outside the café. He’d been glad to help her out, but he had no doubt she wouldn’t have given up without giving those guys hell first. Claw marks and all.
“What’s funny?” Zoey asked, smiling at him.
Warmth stole through Luke’s chest. “Just thinking about a crazy situation from a few days ago, that’s all.”
“Uh-huh. I want to meet her.” Zoey nudged Parker’s side. “Don’t you?”
“Oh, yeah.” Parker grinned. “I want to meet the girl who’s about to domesticate my brother.”
Luke rolled his eyes. He couldn’t argue with them. Not when he was kind of hoping the “domesticate” part was true. He hadn’t been able to make a relationship work for longer than three months. This time, though, he wanted to try. Luke knew if Michael were here, he’d lecture him about having time for only one focus, but he couldn’t make himself care. Luke needed this. He needed her.
“I’ll bring her by when everything settles down,” he told them. “Now you two go home and get some sleep.”
Zoey rose gracefully from the couch and pulled Parker to his feet. “Good idea.”
After they left, Luke stood and stretched, working the kinks out of his back. He didn’t like sitting still for this long. He was built to move, to drive forward. His joints creaked, and his feet ached to pound a treadmill. Maybe once Mom was ready to go home, Luke could hit the gym for a quick jog.
Restless, he pulled out his phone. It was well past five now. The café closed at two, so Charlotte should be able to answer texts, but she hadn’t responded. Maybe she was studying and hadn’t looked at her messages. Needing to hear her voice, he called her instead.
The phone rang four times before she picked up. “Hello?”
He drew in a breath. Her voice was hurt, cold. What the hell? What could he have possibly done? “Hey. Did you bring us the cake? Because if you did, I’m going to have to kiss you breathless for that.”
A soft snort. “Mr. Bzdyl made it for you. I’m sure he’d appreciate the offer, but I bet the mustache tickles.”
Funny as that sounded, Luke frowned. “Is something wrong? I’m sorry I haven’t texted sooner…”
“It’s not that. It’s what I saw when I came to deliver the cake.” She sighed. “Who’s the blonde, Luke?”
“Blonde?” His forehead wrinkled as he tried to figure out who she meant. There hadn’t been a blonde in the waiting room, except… “Wait, you mean Zoey?”
“Looks like a movie star? The one you were draped over when I came to visit? Yeah, her.”
“Is that why you’re mad?” Luke let out a weak laugh—he couldn’t help it. He was so goddamned relieved. “Zoey is Parker’s girlfriend. I’ve known her since she was in diapers. She’s…she’s like a sister to me.”
And it was true. Any trace of “what if” had trickled away in the last few days. He cared about Zoey, but only as a big brother would.
“Oh.” He could almost hear Charlotte’s embarrassment over the phone. “I’m sorry. I thought…”
“That I had a few girls on the side, and one showed up to comfort me in my time of need?” Luke was still chuckling. So stupid to be laughing right now, but he was punch-drunk from the lack of sleep and glad Charlotte wasn’t mad about anything that mattered. “The only one who’s done that is you. And Mr. Bzdyl, but I’m not counting him.”
“God, I’m so stupid.”
But there was a softness, some hope, in her voice again, and that was all that mattered. “No, you aren’t. I should’ve mentioned her. You ever read Harry Potter?”
“Uh, yeah. What person our age hasn’t?” She sounded confused. “Why?
”
“Zoey’s part veela. You look at her head-on and she kind of dazzles the eye. But that’s really it. She’s Parker’s, through and through, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. They’re a matched set.”
Charlotte laughed. “Okay, good. Because there’s no competing with someone like her.”
I love making her laugh. “Oh, so you’d compete for me?” Luke let his voice drop low, husky. “What tasks would you be willing to perform?”
“You’d have to come over to find out.” She sounded coy. “But you should stay where you are. Your family needs you, and we have time.”
Disappointing, but his family did need him. “Fair enough. If Dad moves to a regular room tomorrow, I’m going to do a few runs up at Snowmass day after. Is Mr. Bzdyl still feeding me for free?”
“Until New Year’s.” She paused. “Although, he really likes you, which makes you family in his book. You might eat free forever.”
“I’d like that, especially if it means seeing you every day.”
“You have a line for every occasion, don’t you?”
He leaned back against the couch, imagining her teasing smile. That image lit him up from end to end. “It’s not a line if I mean it.”
There was a long pause. “Then I’ll see you once your dad is settled.”
“Can’t wait.” Grinning, he ended the call. Between Charlotte, his dad making it through the surgery fine, and his mom’s sort of acceptance of his plan to pursue SBX, the last twenty-four hours had turned out better than he could’ve expected.
Now he just had to put it all into motion.
Chapter Sixteen
Charlotte
“How is Luke’s father?” Mr. Bzdyl asked. “Will we see your young man today?”
Charlotte started to correct him on the “your” part, then decided she didn’t want to. It was too early to call Luke “her” anything, but she liked how it sounded. She was also nursing some tiny butterflies in her stomach, hoping she would see him today. Luke had texted her yesterday to tell her his dad had been moved to a regular room and was doing well. “Probably. He thinks he’ll be able to come over.”
Mr. Bzdyl beamed over the bell peppers he was chopping. “Good. And how about your trip?” He set down his knife, his face sobering. “I know you worry about your mama.”
“She’s doing okay.” She’d spoken to her little sister last night. It sounded like mom was resting, but Emily sounded strained, and Charlotte needed to go home and assess the situation. “But if I could get off at eleven on the twenty-fourth, that would be great. My flight is at three.”
“Done.”
Charlotte nodded in thanks and went out to check on the coffeemaker. Full, good. She poured herself a quick cup, then headed to the front door to turn on the open sign and flip the lock. Cars were already pulling into the lot down at the main lodge. It would be a busy day. Like usual. She was getting used to it, though. She hadn’t been exhausted after her shifts the last few days. She’d even been studying. When she could keep her mind off Luke, that is.
Charlotte’s face grew warm. He was pretty distracting. She’d seen just enough of his muscular chest the other night to stoke a thousand daydreams that would be rated M for Mature if anyone read her mind.
She felt sort of guilty about it, though. She was studying…some. But she could always study more, especially since this was her last-ditch attempt. She also felt bad for being even a little happy when her sister was so worried. Her focus had been so divided since Luke dropped into her life, but pushing him away would be too hard.
Still, she needed to figure out how to make time for everything else.
The morning rush hit, and she didn’t have time to think, but she caught herself watching the door as the hours flew by and lunchtime came. To her disappointment, the party that arrived at noon wasn’t Luke—but the snotty teenaged girl who had complained about her coffee the day she’d met Luke, and a gaggle of her equally snotty friends.
Charlotte held in a groan and walked to the front. “Table for four?”
“Oh, it’s you.” The girl turned to her friends. “This is that bitchy waitress I told you about.” She glanced back at Charlotte, her nose turned up. “Can we sit in someone else’s section? I was hoping you’d be off today.”
“I work here six mornings a week.” Charlotte cocked her head. “So, table, or no table?”
“Come on, Philippa, I’m starving,” one of her friends whined. “Just deal with it.”
With a huff, darling Philippa said, “Fine.”
Fuming, Charlotte led them to a table. She would say it was a rich-kid thing, but her family lived in Scottsdale for God’s sake—and her childhood friends had parents who were general counsels, chief operating officers, partners in consulting firms, or executive engineers like her dad. None of them had acted like the world owed them everything.
The door dinged while Charlotte was taking their orders. She got to Philippa, but the girl was no longer paying attention. Instead, she got up, tossing her hair, and made a beeline for the door. Eyebrows rising, Charlotte turned.
Luke stood in the doorway, Philippa attempting to hang off his arm.
Charlotte snorted. I’ll give darling Philippa credit—she’s persistent.
“You were so amazing at practice the other day,” she was saying as Charlotte walked over. “You’re a god out there. Look, my friends and I are having a party tonight. It’s going to be hot—you should come. The booze will flow like milk and honey.”
“Aren’t you a little young for alcohol?” Charlotte asked. She wanted to clobber this girl with a coffee urn. “And were you going to order, or not?”
“Can’t you see I’m talking to someone?” Philippa rolled her eyes dramatically, showing off her purple eyeshadow and cat’s-eye eyeliner. “Anyway, Luke, I’d totally love it if you’d join me.”
Luke arched an eyebrow at Charlotte over Philippa’s head, and Charlotte’s stomach fluttered. This was about to become awesome.
He gave Philippa a dose of movie-star smile. “Sorry, but I’m a little old for you. Besides, I already have plans with someone.”
Then he sidestepped the little brat and swooped in to wrap an arm around Charlotte’s waist. He kissed her cheek and said, more loudly than necessary, “How’s my girl?”
Charlotte barely kept from cracking up. “Fine. How’s your dad?”
“Better. I’ll be able to go out tonight. But you’re busy, and we can finalize our plans later. I’ll go find a seat at the bar.”
He winked at her and went to the bar without a backward glance. Philippa watched him go, so Charlotte waved her order pad in front of the girl. “What will you have?”
Philippa shot her a malevolent look. “Just coffee.”
She stalked back to her table, and Charlotte went to put in the order, rolling her eyes. She felt a little sorry for the girl…but not that sorry. Learning when a guy’s not into you was a skill every woman needed. Philippa had that lesson coming.
Evangeline was waiting for her at the pickup station, her eyes gleaming. “Oh my God, that one’s a keeper, girl. He both put that little diva in her place and ensured she’ll never eat here again, all in one sentence. If I weren’t lusting after Kit, I might give Luke a second look.”
“I’ll let him know.” Charlotte grinned at her. “God, that felt good. I never realized how many assholes mistreat servers until I became one.”
“Yeah, national pastime to some people.” Evangeline hefted a tray full of club sandwiches. “Good luck out there.”
“You, too.”
Charlotte had four tables to tend before she could head to the bar, where Luke was lounging on his barstool, watching her every move. “Coffee, sir?”
His gaze could melt all the snow on the mountain. “Please.”
Charlotte flushed. He’s seducing me over coffee, now? And it’s working. Am I pathetic? She filled his cup and pulled the pencil from behind her ear. “What can I get you?”
&nbs
p; He raised an eyebrow. “I seem to remember you saying you weren’t on the menu. Does that still stand?”
“During working hours, yes.” She leaned against the counter, brushing her arm against his. Her insides were playing tag, and even that brief touch sent a thrill up her spine. “After? Depends.”
He trailed a finger along her forearm. “Then I’ll have an egg white omelet and a side of fruit. For now.”
Charlotte stood, arching her back a little bit, and his eyes drifted down to her chest while he still traced her arm. She really wished she didn’t have to work.
Dazed with longing, she said, “I’ll, um, just put it in.” She screwed up her face in embarrassment. Oh, for Christ’s sake. “The order. I’ll put the order in.”
He sat back, smiling. “I know you’re busy. I’ll quit torturing both of us. But, my offer to teach you to snowboard still stands, if you’d like to go.”
“Won’t you be training?”
“I’m working on form today, mostly. I can do that on any run at Snowmass.” He cocked his head. “Want to come?”
The chance of Charlotte making a fool of herself was off the charts. But…the idea wasn’t terrible, especially when she imagined Luke’s arms around her, holding her up. “Oh, what the hell. Sure.”
“Excellent. I’ll eat, then do a few runs and come back around three.”
She nodded, backing away toward the kitchen. “Sounds good.”
“There.” Evangeline zipped up Charlotte’s borrowed jacket. “You look great.”
Charlotte checked out her reflection. Evangeline had dressed her in lavender bibs with a darker purple jacket, all of it made of thin, thermal fabric. The jacket strained across her chest, showing off more than Charlotte had guessed from skiwear.
Evangeline had conceded to a french braid rather than down when Charlotte reminded her of the high possibility of falls. She pulled a purple-and-white cap onto Charlotte’s head, then stepped back to admire her work. “Definitely. He’s going to have trouble concentrating on his board.”
“I sure hope not. Otherwise, I’m going to crash into a tree.”
Crazy Love Page 9