by Holly Rayner
Evan laughed. It came from deep within him, causing his body to quake. “Well, well, well. And now, she’s off the case?”
“She’s suspended, meaning I’m taking the lead,” Katrina said, her voice excited. “What do you think about that?”
“I think that makes our plan a lot easier,” Evan said. “And I think it means you get a little something extra tonight.”
“And what about something extra monetarily?” Katrina teased. “You know. For later.”
“You’re such a snake, girl,” Evan said, obviously pleased with her. “I’ve already promised you millions, on top of whatever your daddy throws your way. And now you want even more—just because you got lucky? You didn’t arrange for Sean to knock Charlotte up. You couldn’t have known.”
“Sure. But a good spy knows when to act. And I did,” Katrina retorted.
“Good point, my little lawyer, my princess. And now that I’ll finally beat Sean at his own game, with your help, there will be nothing to stop me. I’ll take billions in shares in Lawson Technologies, and I’ll go down in history as one of the biggest tech innovators ever. How about that?”
“Sounds pretty boring, if you ask me,” Katrina giggled. “Except for the money part, of course.”
Evan laughed. Charlotte longed to turn toward them, to witness this evil exchange with her own eyes. The warmth between them informed her, quite certainly, that they’d been planning this for months. Evan had probably been sleeping with Katrina since before it’d begun. The terrors of the plot were long and varied. Charlotte could hardly wrap her mind around them.
“What do you say you finish that milkshake, darling, and we get out of here? I want to celebrate,” Evan said. “And I think you know what that means.”
Katrina giggled. “But we’re still going to meet up on Sunday, right? At the Excelsior?”
“I’ve already had my secretary write it down, babe. Five o’clock, early drinks. And then we’ll see where the night takes us.”
“You’re so hot,” Katrina whispered. Something squeaked, perhaps the milkshake being shoved to the side, as Katrina began to kiss Evan, right there in the center of the diner. The football boys focused upon them, shouting “PDA!” over and over again.
Charlotte took this as her cue to leave—and quickly. Because the diner had been so busy, she hadn’t had the chance to order a single thing. She slinked from her seat and then out of the restaurant, before leaping into a run. She felt her heart jolting against her rib cage. She couldn’t find oxygen for a moment. “Just breathe,” she whispered to herself, leaning against the car. “For the baby.”
But her mind wouldn’t turn off. She leaped into Chelsea’s car, connecting her phone to the hands-free. She didn’t want to wait for Katrina and Evan to leave the diner and spot her, and she squealed her tires, jumping into intense, Friday night traffic.
She felt tears rolling down her cheeks, but she couldn’t focus on her hurt, on how she’d been wronged. Rather, she knew she needed to warn Sean immediately. His attorney, Katrina, was actively losing his case. And Sean needed to know as soon as possible.
“Call Sean Lawson,” Charlotte spoke into the hands-free, her fingers tense on the steering wheel. She listened as the lonely ringing echoed through the vehicle. She hoped, prayed he would pick up. But she knew it was a long shot.
“Hello?” Sean’s voice miraculously appeared in the air around her.
Charlotte smacked the steering wheel with triumph. She wasn’t sure if it was the success of reaching him, or just hearing his sultry, deep voice that pleased her so, but she forced herself back on track in an instant.
“Sean. So glad you picked up. This is urgent.”
“As urgent as yesterday?” Sean laughed. It was clear he hadn’t yet been told she’d been suspended. “I’m telling you. This can all be resolved in a short meeting.”
“You don’t understand,” Charlotte began. Her voice was aching with urgency. She was speaking too fast, her eyes dancing all over the road. She was passing people, suddenly certain she needed to get to Sean, to explain fully, as soon as she could. ”I’m heading to your office. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
“Can you explain a little?” Sean asked, perplexed. “I’m in the middle of something.”
“Forget it. Please. Just for now. I just saw Evan and Katrina together. They’re working together, Sean,” she cried. She felt passion rip through her, and she felt she might begin screaming the words at him. “They’re sleeping with each other, and they’re trying to take you down. They’re taking us all down.” Tears cascaded down her face.
“What are you talking about, Charlotte?” he asked her, his voice perplexed. “How could this be true?”
“I can’t explain over the phone,” Charlotte stuttered, knowing she sounded irrational. Her foot pressed harder on the pedal, and she revved into the intersection, her eyes staring through her windshield, towards the city. “I’ll be to you in ten minutes. Okay?”
In that moment, a black truck to the left of her ignored its red light and soared into the intersection, cutting into the side of the car. Charlotte began to scream as the car rotated not once, not twice, but three times, before crashing into a telephone pole, nose-first.
Charlotte was vaguely aware of the sound of glass smashing as her face and forehead crashed into the steering wheel, and blood came pouring from her ears. Her brain jostled in her skull, and everything turned to black.
Only ten minutes away, seated in his office, Sean heard the impact of the vehicle. He heard Charlotte scream, and the final smash into the telephone pole.
He stood from his chair, allowing it to spin behind him. He called out to the beautiful blonde, with whom he’d shared one glorious, fateful night:
“Charlotte? Are you there? Charlotte? Are you all right?”
And nobody answered.
Chapter 15
Charlotte heard the beeping, but it seemed far away, like the chiming of a clock when you wake up in a European city. She pressed her lips together, choosing to fall back into sleep for just a little while longer. This wasn’t like her, she knew. She liked to wake up. She liked to run. She liked to see the world. But something within her kept her nestled in her bed, under the waves of slumber.
That is, until the beeping began more insistent. Until she smelled unfamiliar scents and sensed a hard, earnest grip on her left hand. She blinked awake, her eyes searching around her. She saw only white. Then the blurriness snapped into focus, and she felt a sudden, aching knowledge: she was in the hospital. And she didn’t know why.
Beside her, Sean sat, holding her hand. His face was so similar to the one she’d seen in her dreams for ten years that she assumed she must still be dreaming. She gave him that secret smile, the one from all those years ago.
“There’s my girl,” he told her, squeezing her hand. “The blonde I couldn’t quite get to.”
“You had some other stuff to do,” Charlotte said. She could hardly recognize her voice; it came out in a croak. “Like create a billion-dollar company. Or whatever.”
Sean laughed as she closed her eyes again, trying to build her strength. “What are you doing here?” she whispered. “What am I doing here?”
Sean continued to hold her hand, to gaze at her. She could sense it, even with her eyes closed.
“I heard the car accident over the phone,” he said then. “It terrified me. I was calling your name, waiting for you to respond. And then I heard the sirens.”
“That’s sounds pretty dramatic,” Charlotte whispered. “Do I look horrific?”
Sean sounded surprised. “Of course not, baby. You look beautiful. You bumped your head pretty hard, but the doctors said you’ll be just fine.”
Charlotte grinned, even as her head pounded with an angry headache. Did he just call her baby?
“And best of all—Charlotte,” Sean continued, his voice earnest. “The babies are doing absolutely fine.”
Charlotte’s eyes burst open, then. Her
pupils turned toward him, like saucers. “What did you say?”
“I know about the babies, now, Charlotte,” he affirmed. “I understand why you wanted to speak to me alone. And I’m sorry I didn’t hear you. I promise, I won’t ever do that to you again.”
“But you said—babies,” Charlotte stuttered. “Plural babies.”
“Yes,” Sean said, searching her face, confused. “Isn’t that what you—”
“I knew I was pregnant,” Charlotte said, trying to lift herself from her reclined position. “But I hadn’t gone to the doctor yet. Holy—twins? I can hardly take care of myself, let alone two babies.”
“Actually, Charlotte, it’s triplets.” Sean’s face broke into a wide, uneven grin. His five o’clock shadow was now bordering on nine o’clock shadow. He looked gruff, weary, and—above all—deliriously happy.
“Wow,” Charlotte murmured. “I’m not sure how to take this.” She cleared her throat, her eyes dancing. “How am I going to manage three?”
Sean didn’t answer this. Instead, he squeezed her hand, stood beside her; it was clear he wasn’t going anywhere.
Charlotte turned to him once more, feeling uncertain. “Why didn’t you react the other day, when I showed you that note?”
Sean frowned, tracing his memory. “When you scribbled something down, right before Lyle came in?” he asked.
“Yes. Exactly then,” Charlotte said. “What happened?”
Sean sighed. “I didn’t even catch what you’d written. Honestly, I just wanted to get out of there. I was fighting my feelings for you every time I saw you. I felt I needed to run to every other corner of the planet to get away from you. But you kept calling me back.”
“You didn’t see it,” Charlotte whispered. “So you’re not heartless after all.”
Sean chuckled. “I wouldn’t ignore a note like that.”
“I’ve been assuming you knew about it. That you’d decided to deny all responsibility to our baby—er, babies—and run away for good. I wanted to hide the pregnancy for as long as possible and continue to work on the case, but my employer eventually discovered it. Because of Katrina and Evan’s plan…” She trailed off, remembering, suddenly, why she’d been out in Chelsea’s car. Her eyes grew wide as the realization trickled back.
“I want to support you,” Sean said, clinging to her hand. “I wouldn’t leave you in a position like that. I hope you know that about me now. When I commit to things—like babies, or companies I start from my college dorm—I commit to them for life.”
Charlotte felt tears glide down her cheeks. She tried to mop them with a shaky finger, but nothing helped. She was a full-blown waterfall. She was lost in the sea of her emotions.
“And it’s not like we could have covered up a triplets pregnancy for very long, anyway,” Sean joked, winking at her. He leaned toward her and kissed her on the forehead before wrapping her in a warm embrace, one that made her feel tucked away, hidden from all the terrors of the world. One that caused her to forget all of her problems, for a moment. One that made her feel loved, cherished, and valued.
She sighed as they broke the hug, yearning for a kiss, but knowing that they were on uncertain ground. She tilted her back and yanked herself up higher, into a seated position, and felt her stomach growl with hunger. “Do they feed anyone around here?” she giggled. “They know I’m officially four people now, don’t they?”
“Let me see if I can grab you a snack,” Sean laughed. “Maybe something from the vending machine that hopefully isn’t too dusty.”
“Whatever they have, Sean. I’ll eat it. Seriously,” Charlotte laughed.
Sean chuckled. “I’ll be right back. I’ll buy the whole machine if I have to.”
Charlotte listened to Sean’s footfalls as he walked down the hallway. She felt her heart ease, her smile broaden with utter contentment. She’d never been taken care of by a man before, and the feeling of it was like coming home. For a moment, she considered calling her father from her hospital bed. But, after the news she’d given him about the pregnancy, she didn’t want to make him worry any more than he already was.
As Sean ambled back, he flung several snack options onto the bed. Charlotte giggled, noting the Chips Ahoy, the Twizzlers, the Snickers, and the three cracker options that piled around her chest and stomach.
“Oh, man. It’s just so hard to choose, isn’t it?” she smiled up at him.
“That’s how I feel. Whatever you don’t like, I’ll happily inhale. I’ve been at the office all day. I didn’t have a single second to grab food.”
“How terrible for you,” Charlotte said, making a faux-pitying expression. “It’s almost as terrible as getting in a car accident and learning you’re pregnant with triplets. And losing your job!” She tugged open the Chips Ahoy package, smirking toward him. “Can I tell you what I heard Evan and Katrina discussing today at the diner, now? I know I didn’t want to do it over the phone—but…” She crunched into a cookie, suddenly placing her hand over her mouth to collect the crumbs. She’d bitten too early, and she began to laugh.
“You didn’t cue that up quite right, did you?” Sean chuckled. He bit a piece off a Twizzler, assessing her. “No. Please don’t go on.” He began stroking her fine, blond hair, and a sense of ease passed through her once more. “I don’t want you to think about Evan or Katrina right now. Those people don’t deserve to be on your mind when you first learn about your triplets. Nor when you’re eating your second cookie.” He teased her, continuing to stroke her head.
“But—it’s serious,” Charlotte insisted. She dropped her snacks, looking up at him. They exchanged that smile once more.
“The most serious thing we can discuss is getting some vitamins into you and helping you get some rest,” Sean said softly. “And as the father of these three future people, I must insist. No talk about Evan and Katrina. For now, let’s focus on you and our babies, okay?”
Charlotte nodded, realizing the stress of even saying Katrina’s name was making her heartbeat go up, which was blatantly obvious with the machine’s beeping. “Okay,” she whispered. “I trust you.”
At that moment, the door burst open, revealing a balding doctor wearing glasses, fluffing his way through her chart. “Good evening, Miss Waters,” he said brightly. He looked at Sean sternly. “And I suppose you’re—Sean Lawson?”
“That’s me,” Sean said. His voice was confident, and he sent his hand out, ready to shake the doctor’s hand. “Good to meet you. How’s my girl?”
The doctor seemed mystified to meet this famous billionaire, and in such strange circumstances. But he soon refocused, turning his attention back to his patient. “Miss Waters, you sure did hit your head tonight, but you’re not in danger of a concussion, and your babies are absolutely fine. I would suggest you make a gynecologist appointment soon, just for another check-up; with three of them in there, you have to be careful.”
“I understand,” Charlotte said, her voice weak. “Thank you.”
“But other than that. I think you’re free to go. Mr. Lawson, if you can drive the poor girl home? Your car has been towed, Miss Waters. The owner of the vehicle has been informed.”
As if on cue, Chelsea burst into the room, arms flailing. Tears rushed down her cheeks as she burst past the doctor and wrapped her arms around her friend. “Oh my God. I told you to borrow my car, not to wreck it! I’m so glad you’re okay.” She held her friend close for several minutes, kissing her cheek before pulling away. Meanwhile, the doctor said a final goodbye to Sean and let himself out.
“What happened?” Chelsea stammered. “You went after that Katrina girl—and then—”
But Sean held up a hand, halting the discussion. “Actually, Chelsea, we think it might be best if Charlotte doesn’t speak about the events leading up to the crash until she’s fully recovered. For the sake of our babies.”
Chelsea’s eyebrows rose high on her forehead. She shifted her weight, looking Sean up and down. Finally, she extended her hand. “And
you must be Sean,” she said. Her voice was territorial, singed with the knowledge that only a best friend can have. “You think you can just come in here, and boss us around?” But a smile had stretched across her face, and it was clear as they shook hands, that she was a fan of Sean’s.
How could you not be? Charlotte asked herself, her heart humming as her best friend and the father of her children met for the first time. Meeting both of them had changed her life forever. And now, it seemed they were a team with a single mission: to keep these three babies healthy and safe.
Of course, thoughts of Katrina and Evan still bubbled in the back of her brain. But she dove into happy chatter, explaining to Chelsea that she was having not one, but three babies—which ultimately made her cry harder. Sean laughed as the friends rejoiced, and kept his hand wrapped around Charlotte’s, a constant reminder of his loyalty and care.
Some time later, the trio realized it was nearly midnight. Charlotte tried to stifle a dramatic yawn, but Chelsea captured the moment, suggesting they all head home soon. Sean helped Charlotte navigate from the hospital bed to the supplied wheelchair, while Chelsea ensured she was comfortable, brushing her hair back so it didn’t tangle in the handles.
“Why are you still crying?” Charlotte asked Chelsea, laughing at her friend’s blubbering tears.
“I don’t know,” Chelsea admitted. “I’m just so glad you’re safe. You’ve had me worried for weeks. Can you please give me a break for a bit?”
Charlotte rolled her eyes playfully. “Sorry for being such a high-maintenance friend,” she said.
Sean interjected. “Actually, Chelsea, I’ve got it from here. You can go home and get some rest. And start planning your life as an aunt to three beautiful babies!” He winked at her, his dark eyes sparkling.
Chelsea wasn’t immune to the billionaire’s charm. She agreed and walked out with Sean and Charlotte, who leaned her head back in the wheelchair until they reached the parking lot. Sean hustled toward his car to drive it to the curbside for her easy entrance, and Chelsea kept Charlotte company at the doors, grinning widely.