by Tamie Dearen
“Well, I certainly don’t understand why he wouldn’t want me to know. I could have been helping him all this time.” She pushed her lower lip out.
“Perhaps that’s exactly why he didn’t want you to know.”
“You mean, he doesn’t know what’s good for him. Right?”
“I mean, I don’t think he wants you to interfere.”
“But look what a terrible mess he’s in. How’s he ever going to get it sorted out without some help? He has no idea Charlie’s in love with him, and Charlie doesn’t know he’s in love with her.”
Could he discourage her from getting involved without hurting her feelings? He used his sternest tone. “You don’t need to start planning and plotting. You’ve already done enough of that. I’ve got my attorneys looking into the whole custody thing. If we can only arrange it so he doesn’t need to get married quickly, he and Charlie will have plenty of time to sort all of this out.”
“But what if they can’t get it worked out? Josh can’t marry Olivia. Did you see her face during that little tussle tonight? She looked positively exultant, all the way until Charlie mentioned her name. I don’t think she loves Josh at all.”
“I’m afraid I agree with you, but that still doesn’t give you the right to meddle in their affairs.”
“Perhaps I should call Gram and get her advice...” Anne chewed a fingernail. He could see the wheels turning inside her head. And the last thing he needed was to have his grandmother involved in this fiasco between Josh and Charlie.
“No! Do not get my Gram involved in this. Let them sort it all out themselves.”
“But Gram might know just what to do.”
“Absolutely not.”
“But she helped you and me get together. Without Gram, I’d still be in Texas. We’d never have even met, much less gotten married.”
“I’ve admitted I’m eternally indebted to Gram for you, but that doesn’t mean I approve of her type of interference. I think they’ll figure it all out without our help.”
“Okay.”
Warning bells went off in his head. That answer came way too easily. “Anne, I want you to promise me.”
“Promise what?” She batted her lashes.
“That you won’t do anything to try and help things along.”
“Okay. I promise I won’t do anything to try and help things along.”
“Why am I still uneasy about you?”
“I have no idea.”
Steven squeezed his eyes shut, stifling a groan. Before he met Anne, everything in his life was in perfect order; he was a confirmed control freak. But Anne had changed all that. He couldn’t control her, and had to admit he wouldn’t want to. Although it would have been nice if he felt he had a little influence on her decisions, especially her bent toward matchmaking. But any attempt he made to sway her toward his way of thinking was pointless. The term ‘herding cats’ comes to mind. He opened one eye and spied her lying beside him, drumming her fingers on her chin. He’d have to keep a close watch on her. A smile came unbidden to his face. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Chapter Twelve
EMILY PULLED DEREK around the corner and out of the room while everyone was gathering their ski equipment for the day.
“Uhmm, I just thought I ought to tell you there’s been a slight change of plans.”
“We’re not all skiing together today? Or Charlie’s decided to keep skiing instead of boarding?”
“No, not that,” she waved her hand impatiently. “It’s about Charlie and you and Josh and Olivia.”
“What now? Charlie’s decided she doesn’t want me to kiss her anymore? I mean, I haven’t even done it that much. I don’t know why she’s so uptight about it.”
“No, this doesn’t have anything to do with Charlie. Well, it does have to do with her, but she doesn’t know it.”
“What on earth are you talking about?”
“Charlie’s in love with Josh.” The words tumbled out of her mouth.
“Are you kidding me? We just talked about this last night. She swore she didn’t feel that way.”
“Well, the problem is Josh is in love with her, too.”
He ran frustrated fingers through his hair until it was sticking straight up. “You people are insane. I asked him. I point-blank asked him who he was in love with, and he said he loved Olivia.”
“I know. But that’s because he doesn’t know Charlie’s in love with him.”
“I thought my job was to convince Josh and Olivia that Charlie was with me.”
“Well, that was your job, and Charlie needs to think you’re still doing it. But I need for you to help me get Josh and Charlie together.”
He peered at the sky with his hands folded in prayer. “I’m not sure this free ski trip was really worth it.” His breath whistled through his lips. “So what do you want me to do?”
A voice behind Emily made her jump. “What are you two talking about?”
“Hi Mom! Nothing. We were just chatting.”
“Really?” said Anne. “Because it sounded to me like you were plotting about Charlie and Josh.”
“No, we weren’t,” Emily denied.
“I want in,” said Anne. “But you can’t tell Steven.”
Derek’s eyes were wide. “Do all women do this kind of thing? Or only the Best women?”
Grace rounded the corner. “We need to talk in another place. I could hear you in the other room.”
Hannah piped up behind her, “That’s because she was standing around the corner eavesdropping.”
“Are you in on this, too?” Derek asked Grace.
“Well, yes,” Grace answered. “Now that we’re all finally on the same side.”
“You were working against us before?” asked Emily.
Grace looked a little sheepish. “Sorry. But I had already figured out those two were in love. You just weren’t ready to believe it yet.”
“Quick! Everybody scatter!” whispered Hannah before she retreated to the kitchen.
“What’s going on?” asked Josh, striding up to the group. Emily thought he looked like he hadn’t slept well. There were dark circles under his eyes, and he had a decided scowl.
“We were discussing where we wanted to go skiing today,” said Grace. “Do you have a vote?”
“I’ll just follow along,” he muttered. “No one seems to care what I think anyway.”
Emily clamped her lips together to prevent a smile when Grace rolled her eyes.
“Hey Grace, I wondered if you might braid my hair for me?” Anne used her eyes to point upstairs.
“Sure,” said Grace. “And I think Hannah wanted her hair braided. Maybe Emily could braid hers.”
“Great idea,” said Emily.
“Great! Now we have to wait while you all braid your hair.” Josh hung his coat back on the rack, grumbling under his breath.
“We’ll be fast,” Grace assured him as she motioned Hannah and Claire to come up the stairs with her, followed closely by Anne.
Josh stomped away, leaving Derek with Emily. “What am I supposed to do?”
“Just go make sure Charlie doesn’t come upstairs. Do whatever you have to do to keep her down here. We won’t be gone long.”
When Emily reached Grace’s room, Anne was speaking, but she stopped when she saw Emily.
“Let’s see what her sister thinks. I was saying we probably need to use reverse psychology with Charlie. If she kind of thinks we’re picking on Josh, she’ll jump to defend him. You know, if he’s struggling with the kids, and we’re not helping. If Olivia complains about him. Stuff like that.”
Emily nodded. “That’s true. She’s such a softy, she’ll defend almost anybody. But if you try to convince her of something, she’ll fight you on it every time.”
“What about Josh? What’s the best approach for him?” Grace deftly braided Hannah’s hair as she spoke.
“This jealousy thing is working awfully well. Maybe Derek should keep at it. Ow, Grace!
You’re pulling!” Hannah scrunched up her face in pain.
“Actually,” Emily said, “I think that’s a great idea for Charlie, too. She gets so uncomfortable every time he kisses her, and I know good and well she’s comparing his kisses to Josh’s kisses.”
“Really?” Anne asked, braiding her hair behind her head. “How many times has Josh kissed her?”
“Only twice. But they were memorable, according to Charlie.”
“Since she came back to New York?” asked Grace.
Emily shook her head. “No. Two years ago. You remember the night of the first one. It was at your house. Remember when they went into the den while we were all at the dinner table.”
“No way!” laughed Hannah. “So he kissed her in our den? I thought she went in there to yell at him.”
“She did.” Emily chuckled. “But it backfired on her—they’ve just got chemistry.”
“I’m thinking we could also show Josh why he isn’t a good match for Olivia,” Grace said. “You know, she’s not nearly as athletic as Charlie. And it just so happens we were talking last night about leaving the slopes at noon today to go shopping in town.”
“I want to go,” said Claire.
“Me, too,” said Hannah.
“This is a great idea. Josh will think choosing to shop rather than ski is a sacrilege.” Emily chuckled. “And so will Charlie.”
“Have we got a general plan of action?” asked Anne.
Everyone murmured agreement and dispersed, with Grace promising to bring Olivia up to speed on their plans.
Returning downstairs, Emily spotted Derek examining a trail map with Charlie, who was holding Chloe on her hip.
“Where have you been?” asked Spencer. “We’re all ready to go.”
“I forgot to brush my teeth,” said Emily, giving him a kiss. “But I’m ready now. This is gonna be a great day.”
CHARLIE THOUGHT OLIVIA seemed to have turned over a new leaf. She was chatting excitedly with Josh, while hanging onto his arm. Charlie couldn’t hear what she was saying, but Josh seemed less than enthused at their interaction. Perhaps he was simply tired. He was carrying all of his equipment along with Olivia’s. Jace was struggling a bit with walking in his ski boots while carrying his skis and poles, but he stubbornly refused Charlie’s help. She smiled at his proud expression as he strained with the effort.
Charlie managed to catch up with Josh and Olivia, since they were making slower progress.
Olivia said. “Josh, do you want to go shopping with us girls this afternoon? We could use someone to carry all of our purchases.”
“You want me to go with you? And skip an entire afternoon of skiing?” Josh’s expression bordered on revulsion.
“It’s only half a day. I love shopping. You might as well get used to it. We’ll be going shopping all the time after we’re married.”
Charlie pushed past them hurriedly, not wanting to hear any more about their future together as a married couple. She wished them the best, but she certainly didn’t want to think about it. She was almost grateful when Derek joined her, since his company would distract her from the distressing conversation she’d just overheard. But Derek was acting extra affectionate, and she was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with him, even though he was only doing what she’d asked him to do.
He slung his arm over her shoulder and leaned in to kiss her without breaking a stride.
“That’s not necessary,” Charlie hissed.
“Sure it is. They’re walking right behind us. Both of them saw it happen. It was perfect.”
As they rode up the gondola, Derek continued his possessive touching. He kept a hand on her arm or around her shoulder. He kissed her cheek and nuzzled her neck until her face must have been crimson.
“You’re supposed to be enjoying this. You look like I’m torturing you.” He chuckled in her ear.
“I think you’re going a bit overboard,” she complained in a low voice. “This is too much stuff in public for me. I think you can stop for now.”
“Emily said I needed to be more aggressive. She said last night, when I kissed you, it seemed to be a turning point for Olivia.”
“Really?” She cast a doubtful glance at Olivia. “Okay, if Emily said that, I’ll try to go along with it. But don’t do it unless you’re sure she’s watching.”
“She’s looking right now,” said Derek. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her on the lips, a slow lingering kiss. And Charlie felt... mortified. Derek’s lips didn’t rouse any passion in her, even though he was attractive and smart. Was Josh the only man who could spark a fire inside her? Maybe she’d simply built it up in her mind. After all, he’d only kissed her twice, two years ago.
“Try that again.” Charlie closed her eyes, ignoring the fact she was in public, and concentrating on Derek.
“Wow.” Derek pulled back, blinking his eyes in surprise. “That uhmm... That was nice.”
EMILY SMIRKED THE FIRST time Derek kissed Charlie on the gondola. Her humiliated expression and Josh’s stormy one demonstrated the plan progressing well. But something was different about the second kiss. Josh still appeared to be swallowing bile in his throat, but Charlie seemed a bit too enthusiastic. Emily shot a questioning glance to Derek, who answered with a perplexed look and a shrug. Perhaps Charlie had truly given up hope with Josh, and she was letting herself actually become attracted to Derek.
She heard her mom’s voice in her ear. “I think we’re letting things with Derek go a bit too far.”
“Yeah. I saw that. Any suggestions?”
“I only need one lift ride with her,” she said smugly. “And probably one lift ride with Josh toward the end of the morning, after Olivia’s had a chance to work on him a bit.”
“What are you going to say?”
“I’m simply going to point out some things they might not have considered. Nothing that isn’t true.”
“Okay Mom.” Emily chuckled. “But you’d better not let Steven catch you.”
JOSH TRIED TO CONCENTRATE on Olivia’s incessant train of thought. But it was difficult to ignore Charlie and Derek as they once again engaged in a public display of affection. It galled him to no end she’d been so prudish with him, but had evidently loosened up for Derek. If he’d had as many opportunities to kiss her two years ago, he was certain they would have been married within a few months. He was angry at God or fate or whatever had conspired to keep them apart.
“Are you listening?” Olivia asked.
“I’m sorry, I missed that last part. I was trying to remember if Jace had his glove liners.” Actually, he was thinking he didn’t realize Olivia talked so much. They hadn’t actually spent much time alone together, except when they were working at the hospital and discussing patient treatment.
“I was talking about the honeymoon. I was saying I think Vegas would be the perfect place to go. So much stuff to do—shopping and clubs and music shows...”
“I don’t know, Olivia. I’m not much on gambling.” Josh could think of about a million places he’d rather go on a honeymoon than Las Vegas. He didn’t really care for the crowds. He preferred active trips—skiing, sailing, hiking, and such. “What if we went skiing in Stowe?”
“Skiing is okay, but once a year is plenty. You wouldn’t have to gamble in Las Vegas. There are lots of shows to go see, and we can dress up. And if you don’t want to go shopping with me, Brad and Grace could come, and she and I could go shopping while you guys did whatever.”
“Brad and Grace? On our honeymoon?”
She lowered her voice. “Well, it won’t be a real honeymoon. It’s not like we’ll be having sex or anything. I guess maybe in a few years I’ll change my mind. I’m certainly not going to have sex with you when I think you might be thinking about someone else.”
“I wouldn’t think about someone else.”
“I don’t believe you. But it doesn’t matter, because I’d be thinking about someone else.”
“You would?”
“You mean you want permission to date other guys when we go back to New York?”
“Well, sure. I told you there was someone else I liked. But it won’t change anything between us. I’ll still get married to you at the end of January. I’m glad you understand about me not wanting to be a mother. I mean, I love the kids and they’re really cute, but I don’t want to be around them all the time. Will it be okay if I eat dinner with Grace and Brad most of the time? I could be home by the time you put them to bed, and we could watch television together.”
“Uhmm, actually I don’t watch much television.”
“Awesome! That means we can watch all of my shows. Tuesday night is my favorite. Rodeo Drive comes on right before City Slickers. That’s a reality show about people who grew up in New York City who get stuck on a dude ranch together. And Wednesday night is this great Vampire drama, Blood and Blessings. Once you’ve seen a few episodes, you’ll be hooked, like me.”
“Honestly, I go to bed pretty early, since I get up in the morning to work out before I go to the hospital.”
Olivia screwed up her face in distaste. “I forgot you like to exercise. I hate most forms of exercise, except for fun stuff like Jazzercise or Zumba. Maybe we could go to some classes together.”
“Actually, I would need to stay with the kids while you go. I guess if you don’t want to be responsible for watching them by yourself, I’ll need to get some home gym equipment.”
“I’m thinking we’ll need a bigger apartment, too,” she said. “You did promise me my own bedroom, and I’m not going to want a ton of exercise equipment in the living room.”
Josh didn’t respond, as his mind reeled with all the ramifications of his impending marriage to Olivia. He’d been so intent on securing a wife to gain custody of the kids he hadn’t considered what life would be like after the wedding.