Maybe she’d end up somewhere warmer.
And maybe sunshine might make her forget the best man in the world was now behind her and she’d never meet another who could have her heart so completely.
The bus pulled into the terminal and she headed into the station to get a long-distance ticket. She scanned the screens of where they were going but couldn’t focus on the words. The line was short and she told the attendant, “I’d like a one-way ticket.”
A chill rushed in the air that went to her bones as the attendant stared back at her and asked, “Where to?”
This was it. She was out to start her new life. She lifted her chin and said, “Doesn’t matter. The next bus is fine.”
The woman glanced at her attire and said, “The bus to Miami leaves at 12:30.”
She read the clock. It was midnight. Wow. “Miami it is then. Thanks.”
The clerk ran Charlotte’s card and gave Charlotte a ticket. “That way to Gate E.”
She turned to find her bus. This was truly happening. Dreams destroyed, and reality set in. Maybe Jack had been right and she should have left years ago, but now was better than never. And she’d learned her lesson. Charlotte Masters never got what she dreamed of, so she needed to stop trying.
Chapter 16
Jack drove his Mercedes with the top up against the cool fall morning, having already stopped at Charlotte's normal haunts. She wasn't at her father's grave, or Nancy's house, or the store. Not the bench outside the library where they used to sit. She hadn't returned to the hotel last night.
Worried sick, he raced back to the hotel, hoping she’d be there. What she'd said to him last night was impossible-- she’d only enhance his life, not destroy him.
But he checked his room and it was still empty.
Giving Charlotte space had been a horrible mistake. He should have followed her until she’d calmed down.
His heart whispered it couldn’t be over. Not like this. He found the ring he’d bought for her and held it like he might summon her back.
Nothing happened and he shoved it in his pocket.
When he found Charlotte, he’d ask her again. And again—until she said yes.
If he gave up the search, that would prove to her what she thought, that she was what her stepmother had drilled at her for years now.
Love meant being there, no matter what.
As minutes ticked past, he wondered if the Morgans would have a way to find her.
He splashed water on his face and headed downstairs. Most of the half-siblings returned home in the morning on their private jets and life was supposed to go back to normal.
Jack’s normal needed Charlotte. He walked into the room holding the Morgan family private breakfast but he wasn’t sure who to ask for help.
One of them had to have a clue. His shoulders slumped and then his mother pressed her hand on his shoulder. “Jack, you look miserable.”
“Mom. Hi.”
He hugged her.
“What happened?” She looked beautiful now, with makeup on for breakfast and wearing a skirt with a black shirt. “Last night you and Charlotte took off early. Is everything all right?”
He let out a small sigh as he ended the hug. “Charlotte left, and I don’t know where she went. I’ve searched everywhere she normally goes but I can’t find her.”
His mom directed him away from the buffet table to talk more one-on-one. She held his hands and asked, “What happened?”
He dropped his head and told the one person in the world who wouldn’t judge him or Charlotte, “We went to the party engaged and happy, but then we found out Peter and Aurelia are planning on converting Charlotte’s father’s store to some upscale department store.”
Her lips pressed together and his skin heated, hoping his mom would still have all the answers for him like when he’d been a boy. “That store was all Charlotte had left of her father.”
He met her blue eyes that were the same as his as he said, “She had me. She had us.”
Mom smiled. “Charlotte’s been through a lot—to suddenly find out that her legacy is gone, and that you are not just the boy next door? It had to be hard for her and she probably needs time to clear her head.”
He considered this as Lucy wandered over to them and batted her eyes. “Did you find Charlotte?”
He turned toward his little sister who was dressed up in boots and a skirt to her knees with her hair in pigtails to each side. “I couldn’t find her.”
“You will.” She bounced like she had all the confidence in the world.
Hopefully Lucy was right but his shoulders slumped. Money didn’t mean anything. He turned toward his mother again. “You think she’ll want to get married?”
“Charlotte has been in love with you since high school.” His mother nodded but said, “I think you both need to discover what makes you happy.”
“Thanks.” His heart thumped and he wasn’t sure what to do.
Lucy twirled the end of a pigtail. “Can I help?”
Lucy and his mother were usually the ones he wanted to take care of, but he told his sister the quick version of events and concluded, “Charlotte left and I don’t know what to do. I can’t find her.”
Lucy’s eyes twinkled. “As Morgans, we can have a team of detectives track her down.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets and brushed against the ring, widening his eyes at the realization of what he had at his disposal. “You think?”
Lucy took a stack of cards out of her skirt pocket like she had a connection to everyone she’d met at the party. She flipped through her new collection, and then handed him one. “Here's Rafe’s card, but he’s sitting with his wife, our half-sister, over there.”
He glanced in the direction she’d pointed and saw the dark-haired man and blonde woman who’d just finished their French toast. “Thanks.”
All he had to do was ask for help. He crossed the room and towered over their table, clearing his throat. Both strangers smiled up at him. Tension made his shoulders stiff. “Are you Rafe Soliz?”
Rafe stood and gestured to the empty chair beside him. “Jack, right? Sit down. This is my wife, and your half-sister, Elizabeth.”
Right. Jack still had no idea about most of the half-siblings but to him family helped each other, and Antonio had told him the same. And Elizabeth resembled Lucy a little, in her cheekbones. Charlotte was his family too. He sat down, a bundle of nerves. “Happy to meet you.”
The other night introductions had been some hazy dream but his recalled a detail. “You’re the one that just had a baby.”
Elizabeth smiled at him like she was pleased he’d remembered. “Yes, we have an older son too. When you come to Miami, you’ll meet them both.”
Happy family. Happy life. He hoped one day that Charlotte looked at him the way his half-sister and her husband glanced at each other.
Love wasn’t a fantasy. He folded his hands on the table. “I’m looking forward to it. Rafe, Peter mentioned that you’ve helped the family find people?”
Rafe’s face grew serious when he asked quietly, “Who are you looking for?”
Asking for help from a stranger made his skin jitter, but he needed to find his girl. “Charlotte Masters.”
“Your fiancée?” Elizabeth asked.
A shot rushed through him like he’d been judged but surely that was wrong. He could trust them. Family was family. “We had a… a disagreement, and I was stupid and didn’t follow her.”
Rafe took his phone out of his back pocket and said, “Get a coffee and give me five minutes. Security would have followed her.”
“Thanks.” Hope warmed the chill inside him. He would soon know that Charlotte was safe, and where she’d gone. Rafe jumped out of his seat to walk away. Jack stayed with Elizabeth, and a waiter brought him coffee. “So, I don’t know much about everyone here. What can you tell me about them all?”
Elizabeth sipped her coffee. She had a calming air about her that made him relax when she pointed to the table
next to them. “Many of our half-brothers and sisters are married with children. Peter and Belle just had a baby, too.” She directed his attention to the next table. “Victoria and Colt also have two.” Elizabeth shifted slightly as she nodded at the next table with two couples eating together. “John and Alice had triplets who will be two soon. Matthew married Ashley and she’s pregnant.”
Jack appreciated the rundown. “I know Matthew from his movies.”
She then pointed to the third table over and said, “Luke and Caro were childhood sweethearts but no children-”
“I got it,” Rafe said and rejoined the table.
Good. Jack’s heart raced as he sat straighter and asked, “That fast?”
Rafe grinned and pushed his phone back in his pocket. “Charlotte boarded a bus to Miami. She won’t arrive till tonight, but a security guard is on board and they report that she’s fine.”
This had come from announcing their engagement—the Morgans had family protection, and they’d extended it to Charlotte.
Now he just needed to figure out how to get her to listen.
When she made a decision, sometimes she was pig-headed, like staying in that store at all hours to somehow keep her father’s dreams alive. Surely he'd want her to be happy, not suffer.
Elizabeth said, “Sounds like we're all going home then. You’re welcome to fly and stay with us.”
The Morgans had jets and that would be faster than taking a bus or driving. He could be at the station when she arrived.
Another couple joined them and the dark-haired man with a French accent said, “Ja-ckh is coming to Miami?”
They all stood and Elizabeth explained, “It seems there was a misunderstanding and his fiancée is halfway there.” She linked her arm with his and gestured to the brunette who’d joined them. She murmured quietly, “Natalie makes all her dates with Galen sound hilarious. I’m sure they can help you plan an evening to win Charlotte back.”
So his plan was: fly to Miami, win back Charlotte’s trust, and somehow get his life back on track.
His mother and sister wished him goodbye fast as he explained his plan to them. His mother said she’d pack for him.
If Charlotte loved him, she’d want him there.
If she didn’t, he’d be heading toward a full breakdown. He had to try. He told his new sister, “Thanks for the ride.” In the lobby of the hotel his ex and Charlotte’s stepsister had their heads together. If he didn’t deal with them, they’d continue to show up like a bad penny. Jack held up his finger and untwined his arm from his half- sister’s. “I’ll meet you back here in five minutes.”
Jack strode across the lobby, interrupting the two women he never wanted to see again to stop any future meddling.
Donna, who had once dazzled him with her beauty, now just seemed plain compared to Charlotte, said, “Jack, we wanted to talk to you.”
Two birds with one stone at least. Jack nodded at them both. “Linda and Donna, together, again.”
Linda pressed her hand against his chest. “We are together to make sure that you understood. Donna is the one that wants you, not me.”
Donna nodded and gazed up at him like she saw stars. “It’s true, Jack. I still love you.”
Except he wasn’t a star. He wasn’t for either of these women and he clung to the idea of working it out with Charlotte. “Still isn’t true. Both of you need to stay away from now on. I’m not interested in getting back together or being with anyone other than my fiancée.”
“Mickey said Charlotte left,” Linda said. “It’s okay to seek out someone else while you get back on your feet.”
He wouldn’t be better off with either of these women. Jack glanced at his siblings who were checking out of the hotel. “She’ll be back and I’ll be fine. I hope you each find the guy that’s meant for you.”
He stepped away to leave but Donna said, “You’re wasting your life with Charlotte.”
There the true Donna was—the same woman who’d broken up with him, saying he’d regret it…but he hadn’t. “Even if that’s true, it’s mine to decide.”
Then he joined his half-siblings who didn’t ask a word about what had just happened. He checked out with them and said, “I’m ready now.”
A few minutes later he was in a limo and on his way to the airport. Now he needed to find the words to tell Charlotte he missed her and how he still wanted her to marry him, because she was worthy of love and happiness.
Or…he was heading to disaster as a hopeless romantic who’d lost the one woman he loved. But there was only one way to find out.
Chapter 17
The direct bus to Miami was mostly lights-out for the few hours during the night. Charlotte sat in her seat and stared out the window, unable to sleep.
Jack would have made the ride tolerable, but he was out of her life now.
And he’d never be on a cheap bus again.
While she’d slept in the back room of her father’s store a few times when things were busy or she wanted a break from Nancy, she’d had the key in her pocket and felt safe. She hadn’t been surrounded by strangers whispering about how expensive drugs were, and where to get a hit.
Jack had taken an overnight bus a few years back when he’d toured colleges—she hadn’t realized how worried she should have been.
Her hair stood on end and she didn’t dare move or breathe wrong to draw attention to herself, or that she was still awake.
At seven, the bus stopped at a gas station and they filed out to use the facilities or buy snacks. The sun being out erased the fear of the night and calmed some of her nerves. She could handle today. Make a plan for what she’d do once she reached Miami. In the store, she grabbed a small water that was overpriced but she figured she’d use it for the rest of the trip and fill it up when she could until they arrived.
Upon boarding, a woman only a few years older than herself pointed to the empty seat beside Charlotte and asked, “You seem like a normal person, mind if I sit here?”
Charlotte peered into a pair of dark brown eyes that had shades of gold in them and hoped she was making the right choice when she scooted toward the window. “It’s fine. I’m Charlotte.”
The woman slumped in the seat. “Nice to meet you. I’m Elaine. Most of the people on the bus scare me.”
“Yeah, I’m keeping my head down,” Charlotte admitted fast.
Jack, thanks to his inheritance, would never be in any situation like this ever again, which was good.
He was a prince among men.
She would never stop thinking of him, or caring.
The bus driver drove forward and the two of them sat quietly for a few minutes while the rest of the bus settled down. Elaine broke the silence. “So why are you going to Miami?”
A memory of Jack driving her home from work, listening to the radio, flashed in her head. Never again would they sing together in his car. “Honestly?”
Elaine shrugged. “We have the time.”
She pressed her hands on the armrests. “I… broke up with my fiancé and want to start over. What about you? Why are you going to Miami?”
Elaine let out a small sigh that was both sad and upset at the same time. “I’m visiting family. My sister lives there with her son. Why did you break up with your guy?”
Jack making her laugh in the toy aisle and tossing balls at each other when Nancy wasn’t looking played in her mind. “He’s wonderful and sweet and deserves better.”
Elaine’s gaze narrowed and her upper lip lifted as she asked, “What?”
Charlotte stilled and for a second she swore she could feel Jack’s protective touch on her back though that was silly…she let her shoulders slump. After her father’s death, she’d lost everything. “He’s pretty perfect. But dreams don’t come true.”
Elaine tilted her head and asked, “So you’re telling me that you’re on a bus because you’re leaving your happiness behind and want to start over and be alone?”
Outside, green trees lined t
he highway, passing in a blur but nothing happened out the window.
Just like her life. A passing blur was all she’d have as she said, “Dreams don’t come true.”
Elaine crossed her legs and adjusted in her seat. “Not if you run from them. Look, I’m going to meet my sister. She met a guy on vacation, and ended up pregnant. She’s super sick now and I’m going to help raise my nephew in case she doesn’t make it.”
Wow. That sounded hard. Charlotte would have hugged her if they were friends, but she patted her arm instead. “I hope she does.”
“It’s not looking good.” Elaine’s face paled as she said, “She didn’t get treatment in time.”
Wow. Elaine had a lot going on. Charlotte’s eyes welled as she remembered her dad and how hard losing him had been. “I’m sorry.”
Elaine shivered. “I don’t know if I’m fit to watch over anyone. I’m a good example of a walking disaster, but if I ever did meet some amazing guy? I’d run into his arms, not away from him.”
One point for Elaine. Absolutely. Maybe Elaine was right and Charlotte needed to work on herself. She was worthy of love. Her dad had loved her. She knew that, and maybe she overreacted about Jack. “I’m sure your nephew and your sister will benefit from you being there.”
If she was worthy of love, she made a hude mistake. Her skin tingled but she only said, “Thanks. I hope you’re right but I was never one of those women who dreamed of being a parent.”
Parents and dreams, she thought sadly. “My dad had a dream that I take over his store for him, to provide a living for my family, but I didn’t succeed.”
Elaine’s expression changed from open to defensive. “Parents often have plans for us that don't work out, mine… never mind, go on.”
What had she been about to say? “You can tell me…”
Elaine’s cheeks blushed as she gazed out the window like she wouldn’t say a word but there must be something about being on a bus with a stranger that led to confessions. “Mine had gambling and drug addictions.”
Wow, nothing like hers then. Her stepfamily had been rotten, but she’d had a roof over her head and food.
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