by Cindy Kirk
She could see the three of them sitting on the porch, the leafy green tree in the front yard shading them from the sun. She saw them drinking lemonade and laughing while their son toddled on unsteady steps, holding on to Molly for support.
The image was so strong, so vivid, her heart swelled.
She was in love with Adam. How had that happened? She didn’t want to love him. She’d liked her life the way it was, when it was just her and she was in control.
Having a man be a part of it, especially a permanent part, would change everything.
“In every way that matters,” Adam slung an arm around her shoulders as they stopped and gazed up at the moon, “we’re a good fit.”
“You really believe that?” She hated the wistfulness that crept into her voice.
“I do.” He kissed the top of her head. “And I believe, one of these days, you will, too.”
The bell at the alley door on Sunday morning had Charlotte hurrying down the steps. Through the peep she saw Adam and Treach. Her smile came easy as she pulled the door open.
“Hey, guys.” She motioned them inside. “What brings you by this morning?”
“You mentioned the other night you planned to help Piper move boxes to her new apartment today.” Adam jerked a thumb in the boy’s direction. “Treach and I want to help. Figured you might need some strong men.”
When she hesitated, he shot a pointed glance at her slightly rounded belly. “You’ll be going down steps with heavy boxes. We’re used to that kind of lifting. You and Piper could hurt yourselves.”
Touched by the gesture, Charlotte smiled, then shifted her attention to Treach. “This is so nice of you.”
Adam tried to see the boy through her eyes. Treach was big for fourteen, football-tackle big. His face and neck, like those of many adolescent boys, was dotted with pimples. If Adam had to guess, he’d bet Charlotte noticed none of these things. He felt certain she noticed only the kid’s recent attempt to cut his own hair.
Hair was, after all, her thing. Especially hair that looked as if it’d been hacked off with a rusty knife.
Charlotte’s voice was warm with gratitude. “I really appreciate you coming by to help.”
“Adam’s giving me twenty dollars.” The boy shrugged. “Wasn’t doing anything else this morning.”
“Well, thank you anyway.” Charlotte glanced at Adam. “You caught me at a good time. I was just getting ready to head over there.”
“My truck is in the alley behind Swoon,” Adam told her. “We walked—”
“I told him to text,” Treach interrupted. “That’s what me an’ my friends do.”
“I’m glad you came to fetch me in person.” Charlotte’s fingers lightly stroked Adam’s arm. “It’s good to see you.”
“It’s good to see you.” Leaning over, he brushed her cheek with his lips.
Treach made a gagging sound.
Charlotte laughed, a lighthearted sound that had Adam slinging an arm around her shoulders.
As they crossed from one alley to another, Adam spotted a large group headed down the sidewalk. Jeremy Rakes, one of the group, caught sight of them.
“Hey,” the former mayor called. “Are you and Charlotte joining us for breakfast?”
You and Charlotte. What did it say, Adam wondered, that that sounded so absolutely right in his head?
Since Jeremy had paused, waiting for a response, Adam yelled back. “We’re helping Piper move some boxes.”
He thought that would be that. Instead, Jeremy said something to the others he couldn’t hear.
In a matter of minutes, the entire group swarmed the alley.
“Where are the boxes?” Max asked.
“Second floor. Piper’s apartment.” Adam pointed.
“This shouldn’t take long.” Kyle Kendrick, one of the three developers of Wrigley Road, told his wife.
Eliza Kendrick only nodded. She obviously realized she wouldn’t be much help with a baby in her arms.
“Everyone who’s pregnant, stand back.” Cade grinned at Marigold. “If you’re pregnant with twins, stand back twice as far.”
Marigold laughed. “We’ll grab the table at Muddy Boots and put in the order. Unless you think this will take long?”
“Piper already has someone scheduled to move the heavy pieces tomorrow. These are boxes of household items and clothes.” Charlotte glanced at the pickup bed. “I believe one trip should do it.”
Cade rubbed his chin. “Fifteen minutes to fill the truck.”
The others nodded their agreement.
“If they help, will I still get my twenty?” Treach asked with a frown.
Adam slung an arm around the boy’s neck. “We might have them helping us get the boxes down, but it’ll be you and me taking ’em up.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
“That should do it.” Adam dusted off his hands as he set the last box in the middle of Piper’s new living room.
“Once you get the furniture, your new home will be all set,” Charlotte commented, glancing at Piper.
Piper’s grateful gaze slid from her to Adam, then shifted to Treach. The boy stood with his hands shoved into his pockets. “I don’t know how to thank all of you.”
Charlotte gave Piper a big hug. “Be happy. You deserve it.”
Piper returned the hug, heaved a breath as she took in all the boxes. “Unpacking all these will keep me busy and out of trouble.”
“I’ll stay and help.” Charlotte wasn’t an expert by any means, but she’d moved enough times to be reasonably efficient.
“Thanks for the offer. I really appreciate it. But I prefer to do it myself.” Piper’s tone brooked no argument.
“You sure?”
“Positive.”
When they reached the pickup, Adam handed the boy a twenty and a ten.
“You said twenty.” Treach studied the two bills, his gaze suspicious. “What do I have to do for the extra?”
“Nothing.” Adam punched the teen’s shoulder. “It’s a tip for good work.”
They dropped Treach off first. The apartment building where he lived with his mother had units on two floors. Charlotte could only imagine how cold—and slippery—the outside steps would be in the winter.
“Thanks, man.” The boy slid out of the passenger seat, then slammed the door. He eyed Charlotte through her open window. “You’re really pretty. What are you doing with this guy?”
His laugh as he jogged to the stairs sounded a lot like a cackle.
“Kids,” Adam said.
Charlotte heard the fondness in the word.
“You like him.” Her comment was more statement than question.
Surprise skittered across Adam’s face. “What’s not to like?”
Charlotte had no doubt lots of men would find plenty of things to criticize about the kid. The crazy thing was, she liked him, too. “He grows on you. Though I need to figure out a way to get my hands on that hair.”
Adam laughed. “I knew that was coming.”
A minute later, Adam pulled the truck into traffic. “Treach is a good kid. He’s just alone too much. He’d gotten harder for his mother to handle. She worried he was falling in with a rough crowd.”
“Is that why you hired him?”
“Partially.” Adam shrugged. “It’s a kind of paying-it-forward thing. If my mother hadn’t met Stan, I could have been that kid. He’s a good worker. Having him work for us is a win-win for him and for us.”
He acted as if what he was doing was no big deal, though she knew few people would even notice a troubled teen. When they stopped at a light, she leaned over and kissed Adam’s cheek.
He grinned. “What was that for?”
“For being you.”
They held hands the rest of the drive to the town square, where the farmers’ market was in full swing. Adam parked behind her building.
He jerked his head in the direction of the square. “Want to check out the goods?”
She looped her
arm through his. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Sometimes it felt to Charlotte as if she’d spent her adult years rushing through life. Today, she didn’t feel the slightest urge to rush.
Piper was safely settled in her new apartment, the salon was running smoothly, and Adam was at her side.
All was right in her world.
At Marigold’s request, Charlotte met with her partner after the last client departed on Monday.
“Hold on a second.” Marigold took a long drink of water from a massive cup, then gestured with it. “Dr. Swanson keeps stressing the importance of staying hydrated. Of course, she’s not the one who needs to pee every fifteen minutes.”
Charlotte chuckled. “I feel that way even now.”
“Just wait until that baby is pressing on your bladder night and day.”
“You’ve got two in there.”
Marigold rubbed her baby mound. “Two coming and one at home. Which is why we need to talk.”
A shiver of unease slithered up Charlotte’s spine.
“We need to figure out what we’re going to do once we have our babies.” Marigold set down her bottle and lifted her hands. “I know with three under the age of one, I’m not going to have a lot of time to focus on marketing. Or even to work a full schedule.”
“You want out?” Charlotte’s heart dropped. There was no way she could buy Marigold out. All her money was invested in their partnership.
She didn’t blame Marigold. When they’d started their negotiations earlier in the year, there hadn’t been a baby in sight for either of them.
“I don’t want out.” Marigold spoke so vehemently that Charlotte believed her. “We do need to look ahead. To figure out how we’re going to meet the demands of our customers, but still have lives outside of the salon. I’m competitive and still driven to make this business a success. That hasn’t changed. But do I want to give up all personal and family life in the process? Absolutely not.”
“Something tells me you already have an idea how this could work.” Marigold’s drive and business savvy were why Charlotte had considered a partnership with her in the first place.
“You know I do, because we’re so much alike.” Marigold lifted the bottle of water and chugged. “When I worked in Chicago, I got to know another stylist at the salon who was up-and-coming. Her name is Gianna Ricci. She’s crazy-talented and a hard worker.”
Charlotte could see where Marigold was going with this, but she wasn’t sure how the puzzle pieces would fall into place. “If she’s in Chicago now and working for the Steffan Oliver Salon, why would she want to move to Good Hope and work here?”
“There was some kind of scandal with a high-placed city official. The family of the official frequents the salon, so it has become awkward.” Marigold shrugged. “I’ve heard she’s looking for a place to land. Eventually, she’ll move on, but if she agrees to come here, she could get us through this rough first year. Maybe longer.”
Charlotte considered. “We’d need to sit down and figure out a commission percentage. I’d also want to meet Gianna before we extend an offer.”
“Of course.” Marigold sat back and folded her hands across her ever-increasing baby mound. “I believe, when all is said and done, having an extra stylist—whether it’s Gia or someone else— will be best for us and our families.”
As she sat beside Adam the next day on the way to the farm, Charlotte’s thoughts kept circling back to her discussion with Marigold. When she’d first thought about getting pregnant, she’d planned to hire a nanny who would come to her home to care for her baby while she worked.
The thought of scaling back her career had never occurred to her. Earning a good salary was necessary in order to afford the nanny and everything else a child would need.
So much had changed since that long-ago plan. Her interactions with both Adam and Stan had her viewing the future through a different lens. They wanted to be involved, and she wanted that, too. Somewhere along this journey, they’d become family.
Like Marigold, Charlotte wanted time to enjoy her child, to watch him grow. And she wanted time with Adam.
She loved him. It was that simple and that complicated.
All these years, she’d never once considered going the way of the traditional, but lately, when she was with Adam, like now, she found herself yearning for more.
“I offered to help Piper today,” she told Adam. “You know, get ready for the big grand opening on Saturday, but she assured me she has it under control.”
Adam slanted a sideways glance. “I’m happy Piper is so organized.”
At her quizzical expression, he continued. “Otherwise, you’d be spending your day off with her, instead of being free to spend it with me.”
“You’ve got something planned.” She studied him, and her tone turned teasing. “Tell me what it is.”
He shook his head, a smile on his lips. “Those baby blues of yours are nearly impossible to resist, but you’re going to have to wait.”
Charlotte tossed her head. “Stan will tell me if I ask.”
“Stan is at Muddy Boots playing cards.”
Reaching over, Charlotte trailed a finger up his forearm. “Are you saying we’re going to be alone?”
Adam captured her hand, brought it to his lips and shot her a wicked grin. “That may play into the surprise.”
“Does telling me to dress casually,” Charlotte gestured with one hand to the cotton pants, simple shirt and sandals she wore, “play into it as well?”
“Indeed, it does.”
A couple of raindrops splattered the windshield. A few more followed, until rain began to fall in earnest. Thunder cracked overhead.
“Was rain in the forecast?” Charlotte liked the rain, as long as she wasn’t in it.
“Only a ten percent chance.” Adam swore under his breath.
“Problem?”
“The rain puts a big kink in my plans.”
She leaned over and kissed his cheek, laid her hand on his thigh. “I feel certain we can find a way to occupy ourselves.”
Charlotte’s clothes were still intact two hours later as they finished off the last of the food in the picnic basket.
“These brownies are excellent.” Charlotte held up her hand and gazed admiringly at the last bite.
“Blooms Bake Shop’s finest. They’re my go-to place for brownies.” Adam's fingers toyed with her hair.
Instead of eating at the table, or even on the sofa, Adam had started a fire in the fireplace, then spread out a tattered quilt on the floor in front of the hearth. While he’d been doing that, Charlotte had lit several candles, a necessity as the power had surged, then it was lights out.
Outside, the rain came down in sheets, and the wind howled.
“I’m glad you called and told your father to stay in town until the storm passed.” Charlotte shivered when the boom that followed a nearby lightning strike shook the house.
“He’s smart. He’d never drive in these conditions, but I wanted to reassure him I have everything under control here.”
She leaned her head against his shoulder. “I’ve never had a picnic inside before.”
“I planned to take you down by the pond and have the picnic there.”
“This is perfect.” She finished off the last of the brownie, wiped her fingers on a napkin, then snuggled back against him. “I can’t imagine anything better than being here with you in front of this roaring fire.”
Flames from a stack of applewood logs danced merrily in the fireplace.
Adam tugged back a corner of the quilt that he must have felt had gotten too close to the flames. “I’m looking into safety gates.”
She shot him a quizzical glance.
“Ones that will baby-proof the fireplace.” He gestured with one hand back toward the steps leading to the second floor. “I’m also researching the best gate for the stairs.”
“Planning ahead.” She kept her tone light, touched by his concern. “I like
it.”
“Stan is investigating the best mattress for the cradle. Apparently, the proper mattress is the key to safety.” Adam smiled. “Planning ahead runs in the family.”
“Looking ahead must be in the air.” Charlotte chuckled. “I’ve been doing some of that myself. Marigold and I met yesterday to discuss bringing in another associate to give us more time at home.”
Surprise flickered in his dark depths. “What do you think of the idea?”
“I’ve always been a fan of working smarter, not harder.” She expelled a breath. “She’s got a woman in mind. We’ll be meeting with her in the next couple of weeks.”
“Our little boy will be here before we know it.”
“I felt him move this morning.” Charlotte’s voice shook with excitement. “At least I think that’s what it was.”
Adam bolted upright. “You did? How? When?”
“Maybe it wasn’t, but books say quickening often feels like butterfly wings. That’s exactly what I felt.”
He hugged her tight. “It’s a miracle.”
How had she not wanted this? Sharing her joy with Adam made this moment doubly special. She’d been so fearful of being vulnerable that she’d nearly missed out on this.
Charlotte wouldn’t make that mistake again. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she held him close and vowed never to let go.
“Are you certain you don’t want to come with me?” Adam brushed the dog hair off his black pants and resisted the urge to glance at his watch.
He and his dad had spent most of Saturday at a symposium in Milwaukee on organic farming. The presentations hadn’t been as helpful as either one had hoped. The networking with other growers had sprouted several ideas, though.
They’d left early so Adam could attend Swoon’s grand opening with Charlotte.
“You go on ahead.” Stan waved a hand, a drink in one hand, the other one stroking Molly’s head. “Me and my girl here, we’re going to relax.”
Molly didn’t even get up as Adam shut the door behind him.
Anticipation over seeing Charlotte filled Adam as he drove into town. Tonight was the grand opening of The Shoppes on Wrigley. Right now, there were three stores. By this time next year, there would be more.