One More Chance: A Small Town Love Story
Page 17
“Oh, Charlotte,” he whispered. “What can I do to change your mind?”
“You don’t have to. I already did,” she smiled.
“So, you’re not leaving?” he asked.
“No,” she smiled. “I’m not leaving.” She crawled over him, so she was straddling his waist.
“That’s too bad,” he grinned at her, hooking his thumbs on her hip bones and digging his fingers into her hips as he leaned up to kiss her.
She pushed his chest down, “Too bad?”
“Yeah,” he grinned wider. “I need to buy a house.”
She smiled at him and kissed him lightly. “I happen to know a good real estate agent,” she whispered into his mouth.
“Is she hot?” he asked.
“Oh yeah,” she replied and nipped at his earlobe.
“Does she take alternate forms of payment?”
“What kinds of alternate payments are we talking about?” she asked, trailing her finger down the dip between his pectoral muscles.
“This kind,” Logan said as he grabbed her waist and tossed her on the bed beside him so that he could straddle her. He moved down her body and kissed between her legs, “This kind,” he whispered. Charlotte writhed as the breath of his words sent an intense ripple of pleasure through her body.
“She might make an exception—” Charlotte gasped. She couldn’t finish her sentence. Logan’s lips were on her and she couldn’t seem to form any more words except, “Oh, God.”
They spent the morning lounging in bed, alternating between pleasuring each other and moaning in ecstasy together. It felt easy, right, and good.
“Logan,” Charlotte said, tracing his abs as he absentmindedly stroked her hair.
“Yes, baby.”
“I’ve been thinking,” she said.
“I can tell, I can practically see the steam coming from your ears.”
“I think that I’m going to change the address on that paperwork... to this one.”
“Really?” Logan sat up and pulled her in tightly next to him. She rested her cheek on his chest and could feel his heartbeat thudding against her face.
“I think that there’s a lot of opportunity in Chance Rapids. Lauren and Tabitha are moving there, the economy is picking up, and they need a good realtor up there.”
“Are you sure?” he asked. “I would love it if I could see you every day, Charlotte.”
“I would like that too,” she replied. “And there’s this,” Charlotte rested her hand on the sheets over his package.
Logan smiled. “Should we go home then?” he asked.
“Yes, let’s go home, Logan,” she replied.
And they did go back to Chance Rapids - later that day.
Epilogue
LOGAN BRUSH DIDN’T think of himself as the marrying type. Over the years he had dated some of the most beautiful women in the country, but that beauty always faded away into boredom. He looked over at the lineup of bridesmaids and couldn’t help but smile as he saw the woman who changed everything. Charlotte was beautiful inside and out, but it was their connection that kept their relationship growing – he felt closer to her every day. And for the first time in his life, he could imagine himself standing where Josh was now, waiting for his bride to walk down the aisle.
He studied Josh’s face as the church doors opened and Megan walked in. She was radiant with joy, her bouquet of calla lilies held just below her baby bump. Logan saw the tears spring up in Josh’s eye as he watched his bride walk down the aisle.
Logan knew that he was going to marry Charlotte O’Hare. The last few weeks of his life had been the best. Even better than when he was traveling the world as a hockey player. The Bobcats had won the championship, some of his players were being scouted for the big leagues, his mom just celebrated six months of sobriety, and he and Charlotte had been spending almost every day together, making up for lost time.
As the ceremony continued, Logan watched Charlotte. He had memorized the way that her shoulders sloped into her collarbone, the way that her eyes crinkled when she laughed, and the look in her eyes when she was softening up, letting her businesswoman façade fade and allowing the soft and caring Billie Jo Bunkman to come out and shine. He saw Billie Jo now, her dark hair falling over the strapless lilac-colored bridesmaid dress as she watched Josh and Megan say their vows.
As Josh and Megan kissed and the attendees of the small wedding cheered, he looked over at Charlotte, their eyes met as he knew they would. He winked at her and she smiled back coyly.
Spring had fully sprung in Chance Rapids and the wedding party was met with the bright warmth of the mid-afternoon sun. Crocuses and daffodils lined the street, the last of the snowbanks had finally melted, and the whole town smelled of cedar carried through the air by the meltwater in the rushing Chance Rapids River.
The bridal party walked down to Glacier Park for photographs and the air grew cooler as they neared the freezing river. Logan pulled off his suit jacket and slid it over Charlotte’s shoulders. He hugged her from behind and she nuzzled into his neck, “You looked beautiful up there today,” he said, and he kissed her neck.
“You clean up really well, Lolo Brush.” she turned and ran her eyes up and down his body while reaching for his hand.
The group posed for photos on the covered bridge that spanned the Chance River. The red bridge and white snow-capped peaks were the perfect background for the wedding photos.
He saw Charlotte and Megan whispering to each other and glancing toward the groomsmen. He followed their gaze and knew exactly what they were whispering about because he had seen it too. The connection between Ariel and Freddie.
Charlotte caught up with him and hooked her hand in the crook of his arm, “Do you see what I see,” she whispered.
“Yep,” he whispered back. “And thank God. I hope that this will get his mind off Serena. It’s all he’s been able to talk about this past week, his big date.”
“Ugh,” Charlotte lamented.
“I know,” Logan replied. “Hey, come for a walk with me.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the group.
“We have to get to the reception,” she protested.
“It will just take a minute, it’s more of a detour, really.”
Charlotte stopped resisting his pull and took two quick steps to match his stride. “Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise.” He hoped that she wouldn’t feel the slight tremble in his hand.
She didn’t respond but raised her eyebrows and tilted her head as they rounded the corner onto Main Street.
Charlotte had been extremely busy the past few weeks, and while Logan knew she was a shrewd businesswoman, seeing it in person was another thing. He had to admit that it got him hard watching her in action. She had purchased one of the storefronts on Main Street and had hired Josh to renovate it for the new location of O’Hare Real Estate. She had helped Lauren buy a cute home three doors down from Josh and Megan on Bristlecombe Street and had convinced him to purchase land on Sugar Peaks Way, so he could build his own ‘cabin’.
He submitted the paperwork for a two-acre parcel down the street from Charlotte’s home. She suggested that he stay at her place until his house was built. They both knew that it was too early to officially move in together, so the construction of his house was a great excuse to live together under the guise of a ‘temporary’ arrangement. He wanted to be near her, wake up with her, make her smile, and go to bed with her. He knew that the living arrangement wasn’t temporary and he had the feeling she did too.
She saw the crane in front of her office installing the custom iron sign and squealed. “Is this what you wanted to show me?” she gasped her gaze focused up as the workmen drilled the sign into her building. “It looks amazing,”
“It does look amazing, Char.” He smiled at her enthusiasm. “But that’s not what I wanted to show you.”
Her brow furrowed, “Okay,” she said hesitantly, but let him lead her by the hand to the Sugar P
eaks Café.
This is what I wanted to show you.
Logan had hired the blacksmith to forge an iron bench and it sat finished on the porch of the Sugar Peaks Café.
“That’s a nice bench,” Charlotte replied. She leaned in closer to read the inscription of the bronze plaque, tracing the words with her slender fingers. He couldn’t see her face but saw her back heave. She turned and sat on the bench, her full skirt draping onto the floorboards of the porch. She looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears. “It’s beautiful,” she said.
Behind Charlotte, the inscription read, “Sharon’s Spot.”
“I love you, Charlotte O’Hare,” he said and sat beside her. She buried her face in his shoulder. “I love you, Logan Brush.”
Logan and Billie Jo’s Back Story
THEIR FIRST CHANCE.
Go back in time to 2004 when Usher was on the radio and Charlotte was still Billie Jo.
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Also By A.J. Wynter
Chance Rapids Series
Second Chances
One More Chance
A Fake Chance (Coming July 2019)
Her First Time Series
The Biker’s Virgin
The Mountain Man’s Virgin
The Rancher’s Virgin
The Billionaires of Torver Corporation Series
One Perfect CEO
One Perfect Boss
One Perfect Billionaire
One Perfect Professor
One Perfect Fake Boyfriend
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