by Lila Kane
“Do you want a big wedding? Do you want to help plan it or—”
“It’s not my wedding, honey.”
“Yes, but don’t you want—”
“Charlotte.” Her tone turned serious. “I think it’s about time you stopped worrying about everyone else and started thinking about yourself.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, when you were with Mark, you didn’t tell us what was going on because you were worried about us. And even when you broke up with him, we didn’t hear about it until later. You’re trying to take care of everyone else and make sure they’re okay, and it’s not always the best option.” Her voice softened, and she smiled at me. “You need to start letting people help you, and do what’s best for you. Even better, do what you want. What makes your heart happy.”
“Finn makes me happy,” I said.
Mom laughed. “I can see that. So, focus on that. And make your decision based on that.”
I stopped, turning to hug her. “You don’t know how much that helps.”
“Sometimes you have to give yourself permission to do what works for you.”
Swallowing, I nodded. “You’re right.”
Finn touched my back. “Everything okay?”
I took his hand. “Yes. Everything is great. I’m hungry.”
“Good.”
We were seated in the restaurant right away, and the waiter addressed Finn like he knew him personally. Everyone around here probably knew who he was, and they gave us special treatment because of it.
Before our drinks arrived, I stood, waving everyone back down. “I’m going to check and see if Paige is here, that way she knows we’re on the patio.”
Finn glanced behind him and when he saw Shane had heard our conversation, he smiled. “Okay. We’ll wait for you to order.”
The truth was, I wanted a minute alone with Paige. I needed to get it out—my talk with my family last night, my talk with Finn this morning, and Tracy accosting me in the lobby.
Paige arrived only moments later in front of the restaurant.
“Cute shoes,” I told her.
She grinned. “Bought them yesterday. For a date.”
“With who?”
Her smile widened.
“Jake,” I said with laugh.
“Yes. But they’re going to kill my feet so I’m trying to break them in.”
“Good luck with that.”
She leaned in, giving me a brief hug. “You look tired.”
“I’m going to give you the quick version.”
“Okay.”
“Last night, I told my mom and sister and about Finn and the engagement, and they’re happy for me.”
“Good. You deserve to be happy.”
“And Finn wants to get married next week.”
“What?”
“And Tracy screamed at me in the lobby this morning because Mark told her I’m stalking him.”
“Holy shit.” Paige glanced at Shane, who was politely ignoring our conversation. “Are you serious?”
“I know. She’s either completely insane or completely brainwashed.” I swallowed and lowered my voice. “And I feel bad because I know what it’s like to believe Mark. He’s so suave, it’s hard to imagine he’s lying through his teeth. She’s got to be in love with him, or close.”
Paige pressed one hand to her cheek and rubbed. “This is insane.”
I nodded. “I know. They’re waiting for us on the patio.”
“You can give me the details later.”
“Trust me, I will.”
Tracy and I walked into the restaurant again, and a man on his way out bumped into my shoulder.
“Excuse me,” he murmured.
When I glanced up, my whole body froze, air stalling in my lungs.
Mark grinned at me. “Enjoy your lunch.”
Shane gripped my elbow, pulling me back. “Charlotte?”
But Mark was already walking away, stride easy and light like he hadn’t a care in the world.
“We can’t do anything,” I said.
Paige grabbed my other arm. “Are you okay? Was that…?”
I nodded. “He’s leaving. It’s fine. There’s nothing we can do.”
“But—” Paige glanced at Shane like she expected him to go after Mark. “Shouldn’t we—”
“No,” Shane said. “She’s right. Both of you get to the table. I’ll be out there in a minute.”
Taking Paige’s arm, I dragged her through the restaurant. “Don’t tell Finn.”
“But Charlotte, he was here. Don’t you think—”
“Please, Paige. We don’t have anything against him. If we do anything, it really will look like we’re the ones harassing him and then we’ll be in trouble. We might not be able to prove anything later.”
“So, we just let him walk away?”
I opened the patio door, forcing a smile to my lips. “Yes, we just let him walk away.”
“For now,” she mumbled.
“For now,” I echoed.
Finn rose as we neared the table, pulling out my chair. “Where’s Shane?”
I cast a silencing look at Paige. “Phone call. He’ll be out in a minute.”
Finn nodded and helped me into my chair. I took his hand and tried to ignore the anger simmering inside. Mark knew exactly what he was doing. With Tracy, with me, with the restaurant he was leasing.
It was only a matter of time before he made his next move. And in the meantime, he was enjoying watching me squirm.
Paige returned to the apartment with us after lunch and made friends with my sister right away. She didn’t say anything about Mark, and I appreciated it. I’d tell her all about Tracy and the rest later, but right now I didn’t want to worry Jenna and my mom with something I couldn’t do anything about.
I’d have to tell Curtis, though. And probably the detectives, too, so they knew what happened from my point of view.
When my mom found the magazines Leslie had left on the counter, she took the pile to the table and soon her, Jenna, and Paige were picking wedding dresses for me and got lost in making plans. I didn’t say anything about the cabin, but instead went to make coffee and watch as they ooh’ed and ahh’ed over flower girl dresses and locations.
Finn wandered out from the study where he’d been working and joined me in the kitchen.
“Uh oh,” he said, eyeing the table. “They’ve got wedding magazines.”
I smiled up at him. “I could just step back and let them take care of it all. We’ll have our wedding planned out by the end of the weekend.”
He wrapped his arm around my waist. “If it’ll save you stress, that sounds great. And as long as we can plan it for next week, I’m happy.”
Facing him and lowering my voice, I said, “Please don’t mention that to my mom. She’s already dealing with all the rest of this stuff—”
“And she looks like she’s handling it just fine. Your sister, too.”
“I just…I don’t know what the next step is. I don’t want to say anything yet.”
“They leave tomorrow, Charlotte.” Finn frowned. “Tell me if this isn’t what you want. I’ll stop bringing it up.”
Agitated, I scooped coffee grounds into the filter and slid it back into the machine. I flipped the switch to start brewing, glancing to the table when Jenna said something that made Paige and my mom laugh.
They were so happy. All of them. I wanted it to stay like this forever.
Finn leaned in, setting his hands on the counter on each side of me and trapping me against the cabinets. He lowered his head and whispered close to my ear. “I think you want to do the wedding soon, too, and it scares the hell out of you.”
I drew in a long, slow breath as his words jolted me. “Finn.”
“When you say my name like that, I hear what’s behind it.”
Looking up into his eyes, I said, “What’s behind it?”
“A thousand things you’re not telling me.” He touc
hed his lips softly to mine. “All the things that scare you, and the hope, too. That maybe this could work out. You keep it all in, hold it close like a secret.”
My lips moved to form his name again, but instead of saying it, I felt my eyes swim with tears.
“You’re right,” I said quietly.
Finn wrapped his arms around me and I clung to him, burying my face in his shirt. He smelled warm and strong, like someone I could trust, but I still kept holding back.
“I didn’t mean to upset you,” Finn murmured in my ear.
“You didn’t.”
“You’re crying.”
“I’m not.” I squeezed my eyes shut to make the tears vanish. “I have something to tell you.”
He eased back. “What?”
The knock at the door made me jump. I broke away, my heart racing.
Finn squeezed my hand. “It’s probably Shane and Curtis.”
“Here to talk about Tracy?” I asked, guilt heavy in my voice because I hadn’t had the chance to tell Finn about Mark.
I started to the door with him, but he shook his head. “Wait here a minute. Just in case.”
Stopping at the edge of the kitchen, I cast a reassuring glance to my mom and the others. Finn was cautious when he opened the door, but his shoulders relaxed immediately.
My stomach still whirled with nerves when I saw Shane and Curtis even though I’d known they were coming.
Curtis nodded when he saw me. “Charlotte.” He glanced at Finn. “I know you have company, so we’ll be brief. Do you want to talk in another room?”
I reassured Jenna, my mom, and Paige again, and followed Finn into the study. He closed the lid of his laptop before perching against the desk. I kept my space by the door, nervous.
“Shane told me what happened in the lobby. I think it’s wise to keep your distance from Tracy. Can you tell me what she said exactly?”
Fidgeting, I relayed what Tracy had said, every hateful word. Finn’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t say anything.
Curtis only nodded like he heard this kind of thing all the time. “I’d recommend telling the detectives as well, so they know your side of the story.”
“Her side?” Finn asked, straightening. “Because you think there’s going to be another side?”
“I don’t know. But it’s smart to document everything so there’s no question or confusion in the future.” Curtis looked at me again. “I suggest you tell them about Mark, too.”
I winced. “Okay.”
Finn’s gaze caught mine, fire in the depths of it. “What about Mark?”
“It’s nothing,” I murmured. “I just—I ran into him when we were at the restaurant.”
“At the restaurant?” Finn glanced at Shane. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“He was leaving, I was going in,” I said quickly. “I think—no, I’m sure he was watching Tracy earlier, or came later because he just wanted to rile me. He knows exactly what he’s doing.”
“So you thought you’d keep it a secret?”
“I thought I’d tell you when we got back here so it didn’t cause a problem. Finn, he didn’t do anything.”
“How many times are you going to say that before you stop believing it’s true?” Finn asked, pushing away from the desk. He shoved a hand through his hair. “He’s watching you. He’s following you around. He came to Oasis for you. He shouldn’t be here, right?” he asked Curtis. “He doesn’t live in Oasis, does he?”
Curtis shook his head. “No, his residence is off the property.”
I swallowed, trying to stay calm. “Tracy. Like I said, he was probably here because of her. I’m worried about her.”
“She’s a big girl, Charlotte. She can make her own choices.”
“Like I did?” I asked, my words coming out angrier than I meant them to. “Mark manipulated me, and I let him! If he’s lying to Tracy, I wouldn’t be surprised if she has no idea. She wanted you back, Finn, and”—I turned to Curtis instead because Finn wouldn’t look at me—“she wanted him back, and she didn’t get what she wanted. It makes sense that Mark was behind that, too, and he’s trying to turn Tracy against us. Maybe so he’ll have someone to blame it on if something happens. He’s still the same person he used to be. It’s not safe for Tracy to be around him.”
“At this point,” Curtis said, “the best thing to do is talk to the detectives and report anything you see or hear.”
“I think I should talk to Tracy,” I said.
Finn whipped to face me. “Are you serious?”
“If she knew what kind of person he is, what he did—what he’s still trying to do—maybe it’ll help. Or at least she’ll stay away from him.”
“You really think she’s going to listen to you?” Finn asked, walking to me. “After what happened this morning? You need to stay away from her.”
“Finn.”
Curtis cleared his throat. “I’m going to have to agree with Mr. Moore. Talk to the detectives and stay out of it.”
I blinked at Curtis, surprised by his words. He’d never given me an order before, always been on my side.
Shane shifted next to me. “Ms. Evans. No one wants to see you hurt. It’s better this way.”
That made my anger simmer down. They were just trying to look out for me. All of them. And Curtis and Shane, at least, could see it from an outside perspective. They weren’t emotionally involved like I was, and it helped keep them impartial.
“I understand,” I whispered. “I’ll call Detective Winters.”
I pulled out my phone and turned for the door, walking away from Finn’s stare and the feeling that something very bad was going to happen. Hopefully the detectives would be able to do something more than I was able to on my own.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“I think I should stay,” my mom said as I helped her pack her clothes that night. “I mean, I don’t have to stay here, but maybe just hang around a few more days. You know, spend more time together. Keep you company.”
I smiled at her. “You don’t need to stay.”
“But…” She frowned. “I don’t like leaving you here with all that’s going on.”
“I’ll be okay, Mom. I promise. I’ll stay in touch. I’ll call you every week.”
I needed to keep in better touch with her, but the truth was, right now I needed to focus on dealing with Mark. It was nice having my family here to distract me for a few days, but the longer they were here the more I started to worry about them being involved in this.
Mark had probably seen me with them, which made me concerned for their safety.
“Are you sure?” she asked.
I nodded, setting a sweater in her suitcase. “I’m sure. I’m going to talk with Finn about visiting you guys soon, though. It’ll be nice to see Derek and show Finn around town.”
Mom smiled. “That would be really nice.”
I said goodnight to her, stopped in Jenna’s room to talk a few minutes, and then walked to the living room. A lone lamp glowed on a table near the couch. I switched it off, then backtracked to the front door to make sure it was locked.
Then I steeled myself for seeing Finn. We’d barely spoken all night. I knew he was mad I hadn’t told him about Mark and he knew I was frustrated with him for not listening to me about Tracy.
I hardly knew the woman but that didn’t mean I wanted her hurt. No one deserved to be treated the way Mark treated me.
My footsteps were quiet down the hallway and I stopped in the doorway when I saw Finn on the bed. He had his laptop on his thighs, but his head was tilted back against the pillows and he was rubbing his hand over his eyes. His shirt was off, but he wore baggy sweat bottoms, and had bare feet.
I walked to the side of the bed and shut the laptop. Finn looked up at me.
“What are you doing?”
“Putting this away,” I said, setting the computer to the side. “So you can relax. You look tired.”
He sighed. “It was a long day. I still have work to
do.”
“Can it wait until tomorrow? Or Monday, even?”
His jaw clenched. I could see he was reining in the words he wanted to say, barely holding in his frustration.
With an acceptable nod, I said, “Okay. I’m sorry.” I handed him back his computer and walked to the dresser to grab my pajamas.
“Charlotte,” Finn said.
“I’m going to change and brush my teeth. Do what you need to do.”
My cell phone rang from my dresser, and I picked it up, automatically nervous.
“Who is it?” Finn asked.
I read the number and my stomach fluttered. “Tracy.”
“Don’t answer it.”
“But—”
“Charlotte.” Finn set aside his laptop and stood.
Ignoring his command, I pressed the answer button on the face of the phone and lifted it to my ear.
Finn gritted his teeth, so I walked to the bathroom to get away from his glare.
“Hello?”
There was silence on the other end.
“Hello?” I said again, stepping in front of the sink. In the mirror, I saw Finn’s reflection where he stood at the doorway. He gestured for me to hang up, or pass the phone over. I kept it tight in my grip.
“I didn’t know,” Tracy said, voice coming out so quiet I could barely hear her.
“What?” My eyes flicked to Finn’s. “Tracy?”
“I shouldn’t have said what I did to you today.” Her voice was almost a whisper.
“Tracy, are you okay?” I faced Finn, my stomach lurching with worry.
“You were right, he’s not who he says he is.”
“Tracy.” I pushed past Finn, ready to do something, ready to be there for her if she needed it. “Are you hurt? I can barely hear you.”
Finn caught my arm, anticipating my next move. “What’s going on?”
“I just called to say I’m sorry,” Tracy said. “And—and—I should’ve listened to you. But…”
Her voice faded away. I pressed my ear even closer to the phone. “Tracy? Where are you? Are you okay?”
“I’m okay,” she murmured. “I—”
Another voice murmured in the background, and I heard more shuffling. Then her voice came back, quick and filled with panic. “I have to go.”