“Ah, you know, I can’t seem to let go of this place.”
Swallowing hard, she looked away from him. “Me neither.”
“Lots of people here like that. A lot of the old-timers could’ve retired a while back, but decided to stay on. Gets in their blood, you know.” He laughed at himself. “Well, it is in your blood.”
She chuckled, but there was a sad edge to it. Then she recalled their devotion to her. “I don’t want all of you staying because of me.”
He ducked his head in embarrassment. “Oh, well, you know, your daddy always asked us to look out for you.”
“I was a kid then, coming and going from the store.” Working, pitching in whenever and wherever she could, she recalled.
“We sorta took it upon ourselves after he passed.”
This time she swiped at a fast falling tear. “Family.”
“The King’s family,” he corrected; his chest seemed to puff up. “Loyal to the core.”
“Maybe that’s a problem.”
“Huh?”
She blew out a hot breath. “Someday this place may not be here.” Sooner than you know, my friend.
“We were afraid that might happen.”
“You all know?”
He took off his hat and scratched his head, and then replaced it. “It’s not a secret. Never has been. But you, these few weeks, breathing new life back in the store, well, it gave us some hope.”
“Hope.” She said that one word. Had she lost it all? Had she given King’s employees false hope and just delayed the inevitable? Was she doing that with Alex, too?
***
“We’re here, sir,” Edward pointed out unnecessarily as he put the car in park.
Alex nodded, but kept staring out of the side window. He took in the window displays. The first one bore the re-creation of Charlie and him dancing intimately at the party. He sucked in a sharp breath, remembering the feel of her in his arms, then and much later. His body tightened. He fought off the wave of desire.
Blowing out a hot breath, he focused on the second window. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Charlie, in her skimpy business attire, was splayed out in her chair behind her desk littered with papers and drawings. He, dressed in a stiff, navy blue suit, stood nearby flipping through a file.
Both figures were obviously overwhelmed by their jobs. The truth of it probably poked at many a couple. How could you work full-time yet keep a marriage going and in two different cities?
He would definitely like the answer to that one.
“This is it.” He yanked on the handle and shoved the door open. “Wish me luck, my friend.”
“Yeah, right,” Edward muttered loud enough for Alex to hear.
In less than twenty minutes, he’d effortlessly met the guard, had been ushered in, and had been whisked up the elevator to the executive’s offices.
As he walked to Charlie’s office, his heart pounded. For a Sunday afternoon, no one occupied the floor. Was she even here? Dolly had relayed that message to Edward.
Her office, holding her essence, was empty. He lingered for a few moments, taking it all in, taking in the part of her he may never see again.
Reluctantly, he turned and retraced his steps. At the receptionist desk, he moved down the aisle toward the stepmother’s old office. Surely she wouldn’t be there? But he heard a noise to his right and stopped at the doorway.
Charlie was there, sitting at the head of the conference table with her palms resting on the rich, cherry wood. Apparently lost in thought, she didn’t know he was there.
Swallowing hard, he tapped on the door. She jerked her head toward him. She pressed a hand to her chest. “Alex, you scared me. I didn’t realize you were coming home today.”
Her eyes remained guarded as he entered the room. “Just for today. Dinner with my grandparents then I’m off to California again tomorrow morning.” He wanted to include her, but reasoned after what he was about to say, she wouldn’t want much to do with him any longer. Something sharp and heavy kicked him in his gut. He clamped down on his growing sense of despair.
She bit her lip. He longed to go to her and kiss away her worry. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t even ease his own mind. Not about this decision.
He came as close as he dared, and then rested a hip on the sleek, wooden table. As he settled down, he noticed how she now gripped the edge of the table, her knuckles turning white. Guilt jabbed him.
“I’ll get this over with as fast as possible,” he said, thinking the quicker he said this, the better.
She paled considerably. “By all means.” He didn’t even see her lips move.
Digging into the inside pocket of his jacket, he withdrew a thick, creamy white business envelope. He gazed at it. Regret tugged at him, yet it had been the only answer he’d come up with in the end.
He hesitated, gripping the paper for a moment longer. Sighing heavily, he slid the envelope across the table. It glided to her. She reached out and stopped it from going over the edge.
“And this is?” He heard the quiver in her voice.
The muscle in his jaw jumped as he clenched his teeth together. God, he didn’t think he’d ever hurt this much again. “King’s.” He dropped the one word into the air like a bomb.
She visibly gulped. “You’ve sold it then?”
“Royale Enterprises sold it. They are no longer the owners of King’s Department Store.”
She clutched the envelope beneath her hand, wrinkling it. “Who is?”
He had to word this just so. “The store was sold, then it was gifted to someone.”
Shock chased across her features. “What are you hiding, Alex? Tell me.”
“I bought the store, Charlotte.”
She seemed to wince at the use of her full name. “You? How? Why?”
He let out a breath, trying to stop his head from spinning. This can’t be happening. “Let’s just say I had some holdings I liquidated.”
Anger flashed in her eyes. “Holdings? Shares? Stocks? What exactly are we talking about?”
He raised an eyebrow. Inwardly, he loved her feistiness. “That’s not important.”
“It is to me—” She stopped herself in mid-sentence, quickly rising from her chair. “No, Alex,” she shook her head, “not that.”
What did she suspect?
“The island house!”
And the island. And the yacht. She knew. He grimaced. “It’s mine to do with what I want.”
“But the papers said it’s the one you love the most.”
No, you are.
She clamped her eyes shut. When she opened them again, her hurt gaze captured his stare. “Turquoise. When you told me it was your favorite color, you were talking about the island water.”
He could only nod at the documents she was grasping in both hands.
“It went for a tidy sum and pushed the amount over the top. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before.”
“No, you can’t. I won’t let you,” she insisted, holding out the envelope to him.
He glanced at it, and then back at her. “Too late. It’s done. Those papers are yours.”
She frowned. “Mine? I don’t understand.”
“That, my dear, is the gift part. I’m giving you back your precious King’s.”
Charlie gets her store. Royale Enterprises gets millions from the sale, safe for now from a takeover. And my grandparents’ peace of mind is back. Everything and everyone I care about is safe and sound.
He halted for a moment, knowing he had to say the next, but not wanting to. He nearly choked on the next words. “It’s part of the divorce settlement.”
Sinking back in the chair, Charlie’s face drained of all color. His heart squeezed in his chest. How in the world could he walk away from her? He had no choice.
“Divorce?!” The questions swam in her eyes but she couldn’t seem to voice any.
“Business,” he said, too sharply, feeling the all too powerful obligation to his famil
y. “I’ll be relocating to California. Two years of developing the biggest and most ambitious Royale Enterprises project ever.” The deal was finalized. His grandfather was thrilled at the news, knowing the company would thrive.
Alex waved a hand to encompass the room. “You’ll be here running your family business. I’ll be there running my family business. There’s no room for a long-distance marriage, Charlie.” This time he couldn’t bear to be harsh with her. His heart ached.
“What about the great-grandchild, Alex? Your grandparents still want that.”
He loved the fight in her. She wasn’t letting go easily. But, he had to, for both of their sakes. “A child needs both parents, Charlie; we both know that. We needed both our parents. We didn’t get that lucky, did we?” He swallowed hard. “I can’t do that to a child - not now, maybe ever.”
“Marriage and,” she bit her lip, “well, it just won’t fit in the business plans, will it? Once, not so long ago, you thought it could.”
“That was before I met you,” he choked out, and then went on, “Family business plans.” Theirs, not mine. I owe that to them.
“Family first, right?” she asked. Her chin quivered.
“If you think about it, Charlie, we’ve both been after the same goal.”
Confusion furrowed her brow.
“You are trying to keep King’s Department Store up and running. Is it for the sake of the store itself?” He shook his head. “I don’t think so. You, my dear, are trying to resurrect a man who died years ago. You’re trying to keep your father alive.”
Stunned wonder washed over her face. “And you?”
“I, well, I’m trying to literally keep my grandparents alive by keeping their dreams intact of Royale Enterprises and all it can become.”
“Holding on—”
“Yes.” He stopped for a moment, and then revealed a secret he’d been guarding for years. “I promised my dying parents I would.”
“What?”
“They survived the plane crash, Charlie, briefly. I’ve never told anyone, except Edward.”
“Not even your grandparents?”
“No, it would have hurt them too much to have them think my parents suffered.”
“But you were only a boy. The burden you had to carry.”
He closed his eyes for a moment, in awe that she could see how difficult it had been. “They begged me to take care of my grandparents.”
“You gave your word.”
“Yes.”
“And no one should break their word. Your word is your honor.”
“You remember.”
“I’ll never forget.” This time she turned away from him, not able to hold his stare.
***
Later, after Alex had walked away and out of her life, Charlie made it back to her office on shaky legs. Her head spun, her middle clenched, and her body grew clammy. Leaning on the desk, she drew in great, big gulps of air.
With tunnel vision, everything narrowed. Charlie stared down at the thick envelope she’d placed on her father’s desk. It was right there in black and white.
She had all she’d ever wanted. King’s Department Store was now hers. So why wasn’t she ecstatic over the fact?
Have you ever gotten all you ever wanted, then, once you had it, you realized you may not want it anymore?
She had no idea how long she was there before she heard Dolly’s voice, and then her stepsisters.
“Honey, are you all right?” The warm, comforting hand of her friend rested on her back. “Eddie called, said to come quick you needed me. Why, me and the girls hustled right over here.”
A smile tugged at her stiff lips. Yes, she could always count on Dolly. Her stomach rolled. She pressed a hand to her middle.
“I’m going to be sick,” she announced as she rushed from the room, out of Peg’s office and to the executive bathrooms. The door banged against the wall as she made it just in time.
Behind her, she heard Priscilla. “Gross. What did you eat anyway?”
“She ain’t been hardly eating at all,” Dolly pointed out.
“I’ll get some wet paper towels for you, Charlie,” Francine offered.
With her belly empty at last, Charlie flushed. Gratefully, she grabbed for the damp towels, pressing them to her forehead, face, and then neck. “I have to rinse,” she said.
With her sisters helping her to the sinks and Dolly holding her up from the back, Charlie reached for the faucet. Twisting the cold knob to full blast, she stuck her mouth under it. She swished and then spit. After a few more tries at that, she came up for air.
One sister leaned over to turn off the knob. The other handed over fresh paper towels. Dolly clucked in sympathy.
Charlie caught a glimpse of her reflection. Pale with dark circles under her eyes and hollow cheeks, she barely recognized herself.
“I have definitely gone to the dogs,” she muttered, seeing the dark pools of her eyes. Maybe it was shock. After all, less than two months of marriage and her husband had just left her.
“You’re working too hard.” Priscilla patted her on the forearm.
“She is at that,” Francine agreed.
“Either that or she’s pregnant,” Dolly said offhandedly.
Charlie froze. The others followed suit as they met her shocked gaze in the mirror. With as much effort as she could, she shook her head. “It can’t be.”
“Aren’t you two, ah, close?” Priscilla asked hesitantly.
Her cheeks turned pink, giving her some color at last. “Prissy!”
“Well, are you?” Francine challenged.
“Of course they are.” Dolly tsked them all.
“Dolly, do you have to advertise the fact?” Charlie looked at her with wide, questioning eyes.
“It ain’t no secret, honey. Why, you and Mr. R. got a healthy, real healthy—”
“All right, you don’t have to go there,” Charlie interrupted.
“You’re expecting,” Dolly said with a growing smile, “that’s the only answer.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Is, too,” the girls chimed in.
“Quit, all three of you.” Charlie gulped hard.
“We’ll end this once and for all.” Dolly nodded. “You girls go get a pregnancy test.”
“Us?” they shrieked in unison.
The older woman dug out some money from the bosom of her dress. “Here, take this and run on down to the drugstore. While you’re at it, get a toothbrush and toothpaste, too.”
“I can’t be,” Charlie said over and over again as she paced the small, cramped bathroom, waiting for the girls to return from their errand.
Dolly watched, smiling brightly. “We’ll just see about that, missy.”
Much later, while counting the seconds for the results, Charlie repeated, “I can’t be.”
“It’s time,” Francine announced.
Charlie turned to the stick, and then swallowed hard.
“Well, go ahead and get it. We wanna see, too.” Dolly’s hand nudged her back.
Gingerly, she carried it to the well-lit sink area, avoiding looking directly at the indicator.
As the others crowded close to her, hemming her in, she muttered, “Well, here goes nothing. Or everything.”
Chapter 21
Charlie hadn’t come home last night. Worry had plagued Alex. But he had it on good authority that Dolly was with her. Her friend would comfort her and take good care of her; that he could guarantee.
“But she shouldn’t have to,” he said under his breath.
“Sir?”
He waved off his friend. “Oh, nothing, Edward.” For the first time, he realized his driver wasn’t en route to the airport. “Where are we going?” he asked much too sharply.
“King’s.”
He frowned, his middle dipping. “And why is that?”
Edward shrugged. “Orders, sir.”
“From who? And I thought you were working for me.”
His grin
filled the reflection in the rearview mirror. “Dolly, that’s who from. And, as far as I know, I still work for you.”
Alex shook his head. But then a thought came. “Is it Charlie? Is she all right?”
“Well, it’s not an emergency or anything.” Edward seemed to debate over his answer.
“You’re keeping a secret from me?”
“Not entirely, sir,” he said. “I don’t know a lot, just what Dolly wants to tell me. But, from what she says, it’s for your own good, let me just say that.”
“That is not saying much,” he complained.
He kept silent after that, mulling over the reason for his delay. For all he knew, Charlie might be just as much in the dark about this as he was. Charlie. Just the thought of her had him tied up in knots.
When his grandfather had insisted on Alex having dinner with the all-female King family, he’d had no idea how much his life would be turned upside down. But it had and he welcomed the all too brief time with his wife.
Charlie. The sight of her. Her scent, light and heavenly. Her smile. Those dark, luminous eyes. Her humor. She made him laugh more in the last few weeks than he could ever recall doing in his entire life. He ached for her.
He would never forget her.
“So did you ever ask your grandfather about creating a West Coast division?” Edward asked.
“Are you just trying to make conversation?”
“Beats worrying, doesn’t it?”
“Something like that,” Alex countered, using Charlie’s phrase. He heaved a heavy sigh. “He wasn’t that receptive to the idea. Expenses, overhead, finding quality staff. No, Dallas will always be home base. He and Grandmother are already counting on the sun and fun the next two years.”
“I can’t see them being uprooted from all they’re familiar with, do you?”
No, he couldn’t either. How could two elderly people, cut off from all they were familiar with, leave their hometown after sixty years of marriage and more than forty years of that living in the same home? They loved their home, their friends, their longtime doctors, the clubs they belonged to, and especially the parties his grandmother adored throwing for the people she cared for the most.
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