by Tamie Dearen
“I know what you mean,” Emily agreed. “After I babysit the twins, I just fall into bed and go straight to sleep. They never stop moving.”
“Well, I really appreciate y’all cooking dinner for me tonight. Hopefully, I won’t pass out and drop my head into my bowl of chili.”
“So are you coming over to Mom and Papa’s house for Sunday night dinner?” asked Spencer.
“I wouldn’t miss it,” Charlie said with a wink. “Sunday dinners are one of the main reasons I moved to New York. What are you cooking?”
“I’m making lasagna.”
“But he makes real lasagna, from scratch,” Emily hastened to explain.
“Really?” Charlie grinned. “I thought lasagna only came from the frozen food section.”
The chili was consumed quickly, with moans of appreciation coming from Charlie. “Ohmygosh! This is so awesome. I haven’t had good chili in forever.”
“It’s especially good when you add the extra onions and cheese and sour cream,” said Emily.
“I know,” Charlie agreed. “I usually skip the onions, but I don’t need to worry about my breath tonight. No one’s getting that close to me any time soon.”
“We should remedy that,” Emily declared. “Do you want to go out dancing Saturday night? I bet Hannah and Claire would go with us.”
“But not Olivia?” Charlie queried.
“Uhmm, she might. But you know... She’s been working a lot of extra shifts and all...”
Charlie gave her sister a measuring look. “Or is it because of the Olivia and Josh thing? Did you find out they really are getting married? Because you can tell me—I’m totally over him.”
Emily hesitated, exchanging glances with Spencer. “No. We still don’t know if they’re going to get married. And, we both think it’s a bad idea.”
“Why is that?”
“Uhmm...” Emily screwed up her face. “Because...”
“Because he doesn’t love her,” declared Spencer. “And he’s a jerk!”
“Spencer,” Emily scolded.
“I don’t care. I’m still mad at him, and it’s his fault.”
“What’s his fault?” asked Charlie.
“Everything!” Spencer declared, clanging the dishes together as he cleared the table.
“Spencer, you’re going to break something,” said Emily. “And ix-nay on the Josh ashing-bay.”
“Why? What did Josh do?” asked Charlie.
Emily put her hand on Spencer’s arm to prevent him from responding. “We just don’t think they should get married. Olivia’s feeling pressured, and they’re not doing it for the right reasons.”
“Well what are the reasons, then?” Charlie asked.
“Just tell her,” Spencer growled. “She’s going to find out eventually. And it’s not like she’s going to tell anyone. Your mom and dad already know.”
Emily hesitated. “Maybe it would be better if you found out from us. But please don’t say anything, and you have to act surprised when Olivia tells you.”
“Tells me what?” Charlie asked, with growing exasperation.
“Olivia’s pregnant!” said Spencer.
Charlie felt a surge of nausea as she struggled to keep her composure. Somehow this was worse than thinking they were just in love with each other. She spoke in an even tone, careful to banish any emotion from her voice. “Then I think they should get married. They obviously love each other, and Josh needs to step up and make a commitment.”
“Josh is willing to make a commitment all right,” Spencer fumed. “But only a short-term commitment.”
“What do you mean? Short-term?” asked Charlie.
“Olivia says they’re not in love. So they’re contemplating getting married for a year,” said Emily.
“But that doesn’t make any sense. Why get married at all? You must have misunderstood.”
“No, there’s some weird custody thing going on with Josh’s parents. Josh thinks they might win custody if he and Olivia don’t get married.”
“That’s ridiculous! The courts wouldn’t take a baby away from the mother and give it to the grandparents. Would they?”
“I think it’s just some cockamamie story Josh concocted to pressure Olivia into this short-term marriage,” Spencer complained.
“That makes more sense. Josh probably loves her, and he’s hoping to pressure her into marriage with the threat of losing the baby. I bet he totally wants to stay married forever.” This explanation made sense to Charlie.
“But Olivia said he offered to pay for medical school if she agreed to stay married for a year.”
“Yes, but think about it,” Charlie argued. “He figures he’s got a year to convince her to stay married.”
“Oh, that does make sense,” Emily agreed. “Maybe you were totally wrong about him, Spencer. I mean, Olivia was the one who told me she wasn’t in love with Josh. Did Josh ever actually say he didn’t love Olivia?”
“No...” Spencer hesitated. “I guess that’s possible.”
“I feel so much better.” Emily’s face relaxed in a smile.
Charlie mirrored her expression, though she was aching on the inside. How stupid could she be? How could she possibly have feelings for Josh when she’d worked to crush those emotions for two years? Well, she was a big girl, and she simply had to deal with it. She loved Olivia like a sister, and she certainly wasn’t going to let this come between them. Although it hurt to think of Josh and Olivia having a baby together, she couldn’t let herself dwell on it. She wanted Josh to be happy. And if Olivia could make him happy, she wanted them to be together.
She knew it in her head. Now if she could only convince her heart.
CHARLIE WAS LOOKING forward to a night of dancing—it would be a blast. Olivia, Hannah, and Emily were all going, and Spencer insisted on chaperoning. Claire objected to being left behind but, unfortunately, she was still underage. After a week of nannying with the twins, Charlie was ready for something fun. Even better, she had a new dress to wear. She and Emily had gone shopping at her mom’s favorite secondhand store, and both had found fun dresses to wear. Charlie thought hers was a bit risqué, but Emily had insisted she’d fit right in with the New York club scene.
She examined herself in the mirror. She’d applied a bit of makeup—just some mascara, eye shadow and lip-gloss—but the result was striking. Her gold eyes looked exotic, framed by soft brown curls hanging down to the middle of her back. She normally tucked her tresses into a baseball cap or at least confined them in a ponytail. But tonight, they were flowing over her shoulders. She pulled them out of the way to study the back of the dress. It dipped into a low v, highlighting her smooth muscular back. It was a little too low for her taste, and she decided it was a good thing her hair covered most of her bared skin. The soft silk dress, in a gold that matched her eye color, fell several inches short of her knees, and her heels made her exposed legs appear even longer. Satisfied with her inspection, she grabbed a sweater. With the extra coverage, she’d not only be warm when she was outside, but also have the option of donning it to eliminate male attention should she gain more than she wanted.
Steven had offered the use of his limousine for the evening since he and Anne had planned an evening at home. By the time the entire group had collected in the limo, the laughter was irrepressible. Charlie couldn’t help feeling somewhat awkward around Olivia, but she seemed totally unaware. Charlie stole glances at her abdomen, but there was no apparent bulge on her tall, thin frame. She must be very early in her pregnancy. Although she knew Olivia was feeling all kinds of stress and pressure, she couldn’t help feeling a bit of envious of her friend who had captured Josh’s heart and was carrying his baby.
Charlie’s mind was working overtime. Had she made a mistake when she’d rejected Josh two years ago? Was it possible his feelings were genuine? Something more than physical attraction? Something more than the thrill of a challenge? No matter the truth of his past affections, two years of separation would h
ave sabotaged any chance they had.
She suppressed a sigh. No use dwelling on what might have been. Instead, she would encourage Olivia in her feelings for Josh. If Josh was in love with Olivia and they were having a child together, the best possible outcome would be for them to commit fully to each other in a loving marriage. And Charlie would do everything possible to help that happen.
“So Olivia,” Charlie tapped her arm to get her attention. “How do you like working with Josh at the hospital?”
Charlie didn’t miss the roll of her eyes. “It’s fine, I guess. The single nurses and doctors are always falling all over him.” She chuckled. “Not that he ever notices. He’s pretty oblivious most of the time.”
“So how long have you been dating?”
Two red spots appeared on Olivia’s cheeks. “We aren’t really dating. I mean... We’ve always been more friends than anything. He was just around because of Brad dating Grace.”
“But evidently Josh has changed a lot in the last two years. I wouldn’t have believed it, but he seems like pretty good husband material, right?”
“Uhmm, maybe,” she replied, tilting her head as she peered at Charlie, wrinkling her nose.
“I mean, you have to admit he’s pretty hot, right?” Charlie pushed her point across. Maybe Olivia had spent too much time with Josh to see how good-looking he was. Perhaps, the glamour had worn off. She needed to help her see him through fresh eyes.
Olivia tried to fend off Charlie’s awkward line of questioning. What was she up to? Had Emily and Spencer told her about Josh’s marriage proposal and the reason for it? Why was she trying to get Olivia to admit Josh was attractive? Unless... What if Charlie was in love with Josh? Maybe she was fishing for information. This could be a perfect solution to her problem. What if she could get Charlie to agree to marry Josh before February? Obviously Josh used to find her attractive, even if he’d lost interest in her recently. Yes, this was a perfect opportunity.
“Yes, he’s good-looking,” Olivia agreed. “And you should see him in a swimsuit. Talk about steaming hot!”
“Muscles in all the right places?”
Was that a hungry look on Charlie’s face? “Oh, yeah.” Olivia stretched her smile from ear to ear. “And you’re completely right about him changing over the last two years. He’s not a player at all anymore. He really doesn’t go out to clubs or date anyone. He’s either working at the hospital, volunteering, or exercising.”
“Wow, I’m really impressed. He’s changed more than I ever realized. So you’re saying he really would make a good husband?”
“Absolutely—he’d be a great husband.”
“And you believe he’d be faithful?”
“I have no doubt he’d be faithful.”
“Well, I think the two of you look really good together.”
“You do?” Wait, this was supposed to be about helping Charlie picture herself married to Josh. “That’s funny, because I actually thought you and Josh looked good together.”
“Me and...” Charlie choked. “Oh, no—that was a long time ago. I think he pretty much hates me now. Didn’t you see how he looked at me at the wedding? But it’s okay. I just wanted you to know I want y’all to be happy.”
Olivia flashed a benevolent smile. Charlie didn’t fool her for an instant. She still had feelings for Josh. And if she could rope Charlie into agreeing to the marriage, the ad litem might not even notice the switch. They were both about the same height, and they both had long brown, curly hair. Charlie’s was a little longer, and she had gold eyes, as opposed to her own brown ones. But it just might work.
“Thanks, Charlie. That means so much to me. I hope we can spend more time together, now you’re back in the city. I feel so much more optimistic, now.”
“Great. I wanted you to know I’m backing you. And I didn’t want you to feel awkward about Josh liking me in the past. He’s obviously in love with you now.”
“What a sweet thing to say, Charlie. And don’t worry, Josh will have plenty of opportunity to show his true feelings.” Yes, indeed. She was starting to see a possible way out of her predicament without feeling responsible for Josh losing the custody battle. She pulled out her cell phone and sent a message to Josh.
“What were you talking to Olivia about?” Emily asked Charlie in a low voice. “Remember, no one’s supposed to know about Josh and the baby.”
“No worries—I was just letting her know I didn’t have feelings for Josh anymore. Everyone at the wedding knew about Josh kissing her, so that’s not a secret. I got her to admit he’s really good-looking and great husband material.”
“I guess that’s pretty good.”
“I won’t say anything about the baby. That’s her story to tell, anyway.”
Charlie studied Olivia again. Was her face glowing? That was supposed to happen when you were pregnant, wasn’t it? Olivia looked up from her phone with a dazzling smile. Yes, she seemed to be radiant. It was no wonder Josh had fallen in love with her. She was beautiful and smart, and they both loved medicine and helping people. Charlie bit back the jealousy threatening right below the surface of her altruism. She refused to be selfish. Josh and Olivia’s marriage would be the best thing for them and for the baby. And she would do everything in her power to make it happen.
JOSH HAD ALREADY SHOWERED and was preparing to tumble into bed, exhausted from a stressful day in the emergency room, when he received Olivia’s text.
Please come to Rend 27. Here with my sisters. Need dance partner.
He’d heard of Rendezvous Twenty-Seven. It was a hopping new club, the type he would have frequented in the old days. But after he’d met Charlie, he’d completely dropped out of the social scene. He swore as he glanced at the bed beckoning to him. He must be getting old. It was ten o’clock on Saturday night. He had to pick up the children in the morning at eleven. He would gladly have skipped dancing and gone straight to bed, but he was trying to do everything possible to make his potential wife happy. He sighed and texted her back.
He pulled on a pair of khakis and a shirt with a tie. He might be overdressed, but he didn’t want to chance being underdressed. He had no idea what Olivia was wearing. Luckily, the club was a short cab ride from his apartment, so he arrived at the club twenty minutes from the time he received Olivia’s text.
He squeezed through the crowd of people, searching for Olivia and her sisters. He scanned the nearby tables, without success. Then he thought he spotted her on the dance floor. But as he moved closer to her, passing between undulating bodies in the strobing lights, he realized the girl he’d seen from behind had longer hair than Olivia. He started to move away, when he noticed the swaying hair revealed a smooth bare back. The silky gold dress dipped down to drape softly across a tight bottom, and the legs extending from the hem of the dress seemed to go on forever.
He paused, allowing himself a moment to enjoy the view. He hadn’t let himself appreciate the beauty of the female form in a long time. He groaned inside, realizing he’d chosen a path for his life that allowed for no physical pleasure to assuage his needs any time in the near future. Only now, enjoying the view of this beautiful girl, did he recognize exactly how unpleasant that was going to be. Better he turn away, rather than stay and torture himself wishing for something that could never happen.
The girl’s dance partner evidently appreciated her form as well. Josh spied the man’s hand sliding gradually downward under her hair from the top of her back. As his fingers reached the small of her back, he attempted to slip beneath the fabric, but the girl quickly grabbed his hand and removed it. He watched as a bit of a struggling ensued, with the girl attempting to extricate herself from him, while he tightened his hold on her. When the guy became bolder still, pawing her with drunken hands while she fought against him, crying out, Josh stepped forward to intervene. Abruptly, the girl’s knee shot up in a violent jab, and the man grabbed himself, sinking to the floor.
Josh reached out and touched her arm. “Hey. Are you okay
?”
She jumped and swirled around, her huge golden eyes wide and wet with tears. “Josh!” she exclaimed, throwing herself into his arms.
“Charlie?” He wrapped her trembling body in his arms without a second thought. He soothed her, murmuring, “It’s okay. You’re okay.” He guided her away from the collapsed figure, and they stood on the dance floor, swaying gently until she calmed down. His senses were heightened as he became aware of her soft form pressed against him, his body responding to the sensations despite his efforts to remain unaffected. The scent of her hair wafted through his nose, clean and fresh, with a hint of vanilla, and he fought to keep his head clear. He continued to calm her with quiet words, rubbing her back gently, his hands deliberately remaining high and far from temptation. But the feel of her smooth bare skin under his fingers was disconcerting to say the least.
“I told Emily this dress was a bad idea,” Charlie muttered. “He kept saying ‘You know you want it, baby!’”
Josh chuckled. “I guess he found out you really didn’t want it.” When her shaking stopped, he made no move to release her, permitting himself one last forbidden moment with Charlie in his arms. He almost gave in to his desire. If he tried to kiss her right now, he knew she wouldn’t stop him. He could sense her body’s response to him. It could be so good. But he needed a wife if he wanted to gain custody of Jace and Chloe. Their lives were more important than his needs. And Olivia was here, waiting for him.
Resolved, he pulled himself away from her, his body complaining at the loss of contact. “Are you here with Olivia?”
Her eyes widened and her face flushed. “Ohmygosh! Yes, she’s right over here.” She weaved her way with rapid steps across the crowded floor, leading him toward the table where Olivia was waiting. She stopped and turned back. “I’m so sorry, Josh. It wasn’t your responsibility to save me from my own stupidity. I shouldn’t have worn this awful dress.”