“No!” Charlotte deleted it. “I don’t talk that way.”
Aubrey looked confused. “You write it in your books. It’s totally the same as what he sent you.”
“It’s gross when you’re saying it to someone you love, unless you’re in the heat of the moment talking dirty. I think this is cuter.” Charlotte pressed send.
“It’s also you and not Aubrey.” Presley blew Aubrey a kiss.
“Whatever,” Aubrey said. “My way is more direct.”
Her phone vibrated again, and they all huddled together as she opened the text. A gif of a cartoon wolf popped up. It had big dark eyes and was panting, its tongue hanging out of its mouth. They all laughed. Charlotte sighed longingly. She couldn’t wait to be in his arms again.
“Did you just sigh dreamily?” Presley arched a brow.
“Maybe,” Charlotte said, scrolling through gifs to find something cute to send him.
“You’re so different. I noticed last night,” Aubrey said thoughtfully. “But we were talking about such heavy stuff half the time it wasn’t as clear. You’re not just happier, and I don’t want to sound cheesy—”
“Go for the cheese, please,” Charlotte encouraged. “If you see what I feel, then it is cheesy, dreamy, swoony, and hot and bothered at the thought of him.” She clicked on a gif of a woman wearing a low-cut blouse and fanning her face and showed it to the girls.
“Now, that’s cheesy,” Presley said. “I’m so happy for you. You know we worry about you, and that’s the only reason we pushed so hard for you to try to get him to find closure, right?”
“I know,” Charlotte said as she deleted the gif of the woman.
“We want you to follow your heart,” Aubrey added. “You think you’ve found Mr. Right, and we want him to be that for you so badly.”
“I get it, and you guys didn’t say anything I wasn’t already thinking. It’s not like I’m going to give him an ultimatum. I love him, and I want to be with him, even if it means working through this together over a period of time. It’s not like there’s a deadline or we’re running off and getting married tomorrow.”
“But you want to,” Aubrey said in a singsong voice.
With every iota of my being. “Shut up. I need you to take a video of me.” Charlotte handed her the phone.
“A video?” Presley waggled her brows. “Maybe we should go someplace private?”
“Not that kind of video. He sent me that wolf picture. I was going to send a gif, but this is better.” She pushed up the arms of the cute green button-down she wore over her white scoop-neck T-shirt and angled herself toward Aubrey. She leaned back and adjusted the neckline of her T-shirt, exposing the swell of her breasts. Then she shifted her necklaces so the longest rested in her cleavage, and said, “Okay. Ready.”
“Nice,” Aubrey said as she aimed the phone toward Charlotte. “Tell me when.”
“Okay, go.” Charlotte fluttered her lashes seductively and slowly, purposefully fanned herself. “Whew! Just the thought of you lights me up like a volcano.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder and leaned forward “I can’t wait to get caught up in the lava with my big, strong man.” She blew a kiss, and Aubrey clicked off the video.
They all squealed.
“That was perfect!” Presley said.
“You were right, babe,” Aubrey said. “You don’t need the p-word. You’re so freaking adorable!”
“And late!” Charlotte jumped up, scrambling to gather her things. “I have to go.”
She quickly sent the video to Beau with the message, On my way to the airport! Love you! And after too many hugs, I love yous, and promises to call, she ran for her rental car, excited to see her man.
AFTER NICK HAD raked him over the coals last night, Beau hadn’t been sure what to expect from his brother this morning. But Nick and Graham had been waiting for him in the kitchen. He and Nick bristled at first sight, and then Nick had punched him in the arm and said, Get over it. We love you. They had gone with him to collect eggs, and by the time they returned to the inn, they were joking around. The hours passed in slow motion as Beau put the finishing touches on Charlotte’s bedroom while his brothers teased him about playing house and suggested they might buy him a stroller or a minivan for Christmas.
By the time they finally arrived at the airport they were all in good moods, and Beau wasn’t anxious to see his brothers go, but he was excited to see his girl.
Nick embraced him and said, “Don’t forget to give Char my number. You know, in case she needs a real man.”
“You realize you’re an asshole, right?” Beau said with a slap on the back.
Nick shrugged. “An asshole who loves you, man.”
Why did it always cause his throat to thicken when Nick said stuff like that? “I love you, too.” He embraced Graham and said, “Thanks for sticking around.”
“I’d like to see your ugly mug more often.” Graham tugged his MIT hat lower on his forehead and said, “Think about what we said, okay?”
“It’s all I’ve thought about since last night.” Beau glanced at the clock. “Well, almost all.”
“Mr. Lovesick needs to get over to his woman’s gate, and we have sexy stewardesses to hit on.” Nick nodded at Beau. “Give me a holler when you touch down in L.A.”
“Sure thing.” For some reason, Beau was feeling nostalgic, remembering when he’d gone off to college, and Nick had told him not to worry, that he’d take care of Tory for him. He’d kept his word, stopping by her house during those first few weeks when she’d been so sad about Beau leaving. When Nick heard she was going to be at a party, he always made sure to stop by and see if she needed a ride.
As Beau watched his brothers move through security, he realized Nick had tried to take care of him in the same way the weeks after Tory’s death. But Beau hadn’t let him, or anyone else for that matter.
He chewed on those memories as he headed into the gift shop. He bought a bouquet of roses, a Twix, a protein bar, and a bottle of water, because if he knew Charlotte, she was probably too busy writing on the plane to eat. He made his way to the gate, his anticipation ratcheting up as the minutes ticked by. He couldn’t wait to see her, to hold her in his arms and kiss her beautiful lips. They had only two more days until he was leaving for L.A., and he planned to make the very best of each and every minute.
He anxiously scanned the passengers coming through the arrival gate for Charlotte.
“Excuse me! Excuse me!”
He heard her voice before he spotted her pushing through the crowd like a woman on a mission. Her eyes found his, and he rushed forward as she ran toward him and leapt into his arms, wrapping herself around him like a monkey to a tree. He captured her lips, and they made out like they’d been apart for years. He was vaguely aware of the crowd moving around them, while the chaos and the stress of the last two days faded away. His world shifted and settled, and he reveled in their closeness. She was the balm to his guilt, the goodness to all that felt wrong.
She was all that he wanted.
“Two days was too damn long,” he said between kisses. Her eyes glimmered with love, and he couldn’t get enough of it.
“Kiss me,” she pleaded.
He pressed his lips to hers again, pouring all of the longing he’d felt into their connection. Their kisses went on and on, but if they didn’t stop now, he never would. He drew back with a series of softer, more tender kisses. “I’m so glad you’re home.”
Home. The word had taken on a whole new meaning over the past few weeks. She had become his home.
“You know how you call me shortcake?” She didn’t wait for an answer before saying, “I figured out what I want to call you.”
“What’s that?”
“Mine.” She lowered her lips to his.
His heart beat so hard he thought it might pound right out of his chest. When he finally set her on her feet and tucked her against his side, he handed her the flowers.
“They’re so beautiful. Tha
nk you.”
“I’d buy you the world if you wanted it.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the Twix and protein bars. “Hungry?”
She snagged the Twix and said, “Starved. You?”
“Famished.” His gaze coasted heatedly down her body. “But not for food.”
Her cheeks flushed, and the familiar, adorably sexy reaction made his chest feel even fuller. “I missed everything about you. Your voice, your sweet face, the way you’re looking at me right now. I need to get you home so I can show you just how much.”
Her eyes flamed, and she said, “I’d say let’s go find a secluded spot to park, but cops seem to have a homing device for horny couples.”
They kissed as they hurried through retrieving her luggage and drove home, kissing, holding hands, and wanting so much more. When they reached the inn, he opened her door to help her out, and their love took over. He leaned in as she wound her arms around his neck, and their mouths crashed together.
“Inside,” he panted out. “I want to love you until the sun sets, and then I want to watch the sun roll over the hills and make love to you again and again, until those two days apart seem like they happened ages ago.”
“I’ve always loved coming home, but I really love coming home to you.”
They kissed and groped their way into the inn and down the stairs. In the hallway, Beau’s heart thundered against his ribs as he backed her up against the wall, tearing off her green button-down as she pushed at his shirt. He ravenously devoured her neck. She tasted of hope and desire. She was his sweet salvation, his everything.
She arched off the wall, rubbing against him the way she knew drove him crazy.
“Fuck, baby, I need more of you.” He lifted her into his arms, and her legs circled his waist.
“Hurry!”
He pushed the door to her suite open, reclaiming her mouth as he strode toward the bedroom. She pushed her hands into his hair, holding his mouth captive as he lowered them both to the bed. He kissed her jaw, her neck, and she arched back, giving him better access.
“Beau,” she panted out.
He lifted her T-shirt and kissed her belly. He loved her belly, so soft and tender. He imagined it round with their babies and was shocked that the thought didn’t scare him, didn’t make his body go cold. He wanted that with her—a life, a family.
“Beau?” she said again, pushing up to her elbows.
He lifted his gaze and saw her looking around the room. Holy shit. He’d forgotten about her surprise. Tears welled in her eyes, and his heart sank. Shit. He’d overstepped, and now she was upset. He climbed off the bed as she pushed to her feet, her gaze skating over the new white bedside table and the bronze fairy lamp he’d found at an antique store in town.
“A fairy lamp,” she said breathily. Her gaze moved to the fabric roses he’d strung around the bedposts and up to the chandelier and the star medallion he’d made and painted white with gold glitter. A tiny gasp escaped her lips as she took in the small silver and gold stars arcing out from the medallion like they were shooting across the sky.
“Stars,” she said softly. “You made me glittery stars.”
He touched his fingertips to hers, feeling her trembling. “I wanted to surprise you. I hope it’s okay.”
“Okay? This is better than I could have dreamed.” She moved silently around the room, one hand covering her mouth as she gazed at her reflection in the ornately carved full-length white mirror on a stand by the French doors. Then she looked up at the high shelf holding the Hopes and Dreams jars he’d found in a box in her closet, each filled to the brim with notes.
“They’re all there,” he reassured her. “All twenty. I didn’t open them. I just didn’t think your dreams belonged in a box.”
“Neither did I, but I didn’t know where to put them. There’s one for every year since that first time my family made me the dreamscape. I can’t believe you did all of this.” Her gaze moved to the Hopes and Dreams jar she’d made him, sitting beside hers.
“I hope you don’t mind that I put mine with yours.”
“Mind? I want yours with mine.” Charlotte turned with rivers of tears streaming down her cheeks. Her eyes landed on the leather-bound fairy-tale book lying on her hope chest.
“I found that in your grandfather’s desk when we were renovating the study for you.”
“The study?” She gasped. “You renovated it for me?”
“Yes. It’s all pink and white, even brighter than your office down here. I replaced the furniture with white. But don’t worry. I moved your grandfather’s desk and the shelves upstairs until you decide where you want them.”
“Ohmygod,” she said, drawing another rush of tears. She reached for the leather book.
“There are loads of drawings in there that you must have made for your grandfather. Pages and pages drawn in crayon, pencil, and ink, along with letters from you to him. He probably kept every single one of them.”
A tortured sob fell from her lips, and she sank down to the edge, clutching the book to her chest. “I thought they were gone forever.”
He gathered her in his arms, holding her until her sobs eased. He knew what he wanted, and he wasn’t going to take a chance of losing her. “I was thinking, if it’s not too presumptuous, maybe I’d stick around and help make your dreams for the inn come true.”
“Wh-what about L.A.?”
He cradled her face in his hands, brushed away her tears with the pads of his thumbs, and gazed into the eyes of his angel, his princess, his other half. “I’m canceling the trip and turning down the job. I don’t want or need a reality show. I’d like a shot at a real-life fairy tale here with you.”
Her lips curved up, but more tears fell. “But what about seeing your family? I really like them, and if we’re together, I’ll want to see more of them, but…”
“But you’re worried I can’t go back this time of year, or that I’ll avoid going out while we’re there.”
She nodded solemnly.
“I’d never put you in that position. It might be hard at first, but nothing would be more difficult than living life without you. I don’t want to run anymore, baby. I want to put down roots, and once you’re done with your book, I was hoping we could go to Pleasant Hill so you can meet the rest of my family.”
Fresh tears slipped from her eyes, and he brushed them away. “I was also thinking we might eventually choose to spend some time there, and some here. I know you won’t want to leave the Chickendales, but I’ll build a chicken coop and we can bring Channing and the crew with us.” That earned a soft laugh. “I’ll build you a beautiful, sunny office, so you always have a place to write, but I think we both need to be around family.”
She set the book on the bed and climbed into his lap, her tears landing on his cheeks like rain. “I want that. I want that so much. I love you.”
“I never imagined wanting to dream again, much less fall in love. You’ve not only changed my world, but you’ve become it. I love you, shortcake, and I never want to spend a single night without you again.”
Chapter Twenty-One
“BE RIGHT BACK,” Charlotte called out from the other room as Beau finished unpacking his bags in the bedroom of his Pleasant Hill home. It was July 4th and they were meeting his family for dinner at his parents’ house. After that they were all going to the fireworks, a Braden family tradition that he’d missed out on for too long. Even Zev was going to make it home for the event.
He heard the side door open and looked out the window, spotting Charlotte hurrying down the stairs to the yard. It had been several weeks since he’d turned down the job in L.A., and one week since Charlotte had finished and turned in her manuscript, which she’d finished writing in her newly renovated study at the inn. Aubrey and Presley had struck a deal allowing Charlotte to finish the book she was writing for LWW’s new Me Time channel, and they’d come up with the title Anything for Love. It was perfect, because he would do anything for her. In exchange for th
e concession, Charlotte agreed to add a fifth book to the contract for her Nice Girls After Dark series, and they’d given her extra time to write the first book in the series, which she was supposed to have written to fulfill her contract. He and Charlotte had been busy working on edgier, more erotic scenes, and she was more than ready. The blow-up dolls were no longer necessary, although they were great conversation starters when friends visited. Okay, it was mostly his cousins and their wives, and of course Cutter, but they were getting there. They were slowly building a life together.
Beau put his suitcase in the closet, warming at the sight of Charlotte’s dresses hanging beside his clothes. They’d arrived at his house only three hours ago, and it already felt more like a home than it ever had. The first thing Charlotte had done was set out notebooks and pens in each of the rooms. Her pink cowgirl boots were by the side door. Nick had offered to let them borrow his horses anytime, and Charlotte had already arranged to ride at sunrise. She was a whole different woman when she wasn’t under a deadline. They sat outside on the terrace at night talking until all hours, sharing even more about their favorite things and their pet peeves. There was nothing about his Twix-eating girl that he didn’t love, and the more he learned about her, the harder and deeper he fell.
Beau followed the scent of Charlotte’s perfume to the door she’d left open. She still wasn’t good at closing or locking doors, but at least he knew she was safe. He’d worked through the repairs on Snow White’s cabin and fixed the barn roof. When Charlotte was ready, they’d move into the cabin. There was no rush to do anything other than enjoy their lives as they renovated the inn. He wasn’t going anywhere.
He closed the door behind him, watching her from the landing as she twirled in her pretty off-the-shoulder blue blouse and skinny jeans, picking wildflowers. He made a mental note to look into planting more gardens. If her relationship with Jillian was any indication, they’d be spending a lot of time in Pleasant Hill. Jillian called Charlotte nearly every day, and they’d become as close as sisters. Even his mother was making a habit of calling on a weekly basis and talking not just with him but with Charlotte. Beau no longer avoided his family’s phone calls. His brothers were right. He’d been alone long enough. He just had to want something more than he needed to hold on to guilt.
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