Love Renewed (Love Trilogy)

by C. S. Janey

  "Sure, sweetie, but remember to stay in the backyard." With that, he ran up to her and hugged her leg, then ran out of the back door.

  Laughing, her mother smiled at Trevin, whose eyes had followed Douglas out of the door. "Isn't he just the cutest kid you've ever seen? He reminds me so much of Charlotte when she was a kid."

  He joined in on her amusement with a chuckle of his own, nodding his head in agreement as Charlotte stood there blushing. "She certainly was that cute and still is." He winked at her.

  Her blush deepening, she shook her head at both of them. "Now I know that you two probably shouldn't be in the same room in the future; that way you can't talk about me like I'm not standing right here." In a childish gesture, she stuck her tongue out and then laughed along with them.

  After leaving the room for a moment, Charlotte returned with the last of the dishes, placing them in the sink where her mother was washing them. Picking up a dish cloth, she was about to start drying off the ones already in the strainer when her mother stopped her.

  "Shoo! I've got a handle on these. You two should go and talk. I'm sure there is a lot both of you need to say. I don't mind getting Douglas into bed as well, if you want to go out that is."

  Before she could respond, Trevin grinned. "Thanks Mrs. Reylin, that's very kind of you."

  Charlotte gaped as her mother winked - winked! - at Trevin, who winked back before grabbing her hand and started pulling her from the room. Realizing she wasn't going to escape his grasp, she yelled back to her mother, "Yeah, thanks mom!"

  The sound of her laughter followed them as they walked away.

  Trevin, thrilled that Anna seems to think him spending time with Charlotte was a good thing, stopped at the front door to put on his shoes. Having left her shoes on when they had come inside earlier, Charlotte put on her jacket again before speaking.

  "I'll be back in a moment, I am going to go say goodnight to Douglas so he doesn't worry," she said, not waiting for him to answer before turning around to head back to the kitchen.

  Glancing up, he watched her walk away.

  Once he had his shoes on, he stood up and slipped back into his jacket as well, waiting for her to return.

  Out of the corner of his eye, a picture caught his eye from where it was sitting, perched on an edge of a table. Walking over, he picked it up, smiling as he realized what it was.

  Charlotte was holding Douglas in her arms, swaddled in the hospital blanket with one arm having escaped. Whoever had taken the picture - which was probably Jack no doubt - had caught her with her eyes closed and her hand cradling his head, her lips pursed as she gave her son a kiss on the cheek. His eyes were as wide open as his mouth, probably preparing to put his hand in his mouth which would have been disappointing considering he was wearing a little mitten.

  "I sent her that picture in an email." Her words came from behind him and he spun around. Charlotte smiled at him, walking over with her hand out; he handed it over. "She printed it out and framed it, which I didn't know she had done until I moved back home. It was always my favorite picture of the day Douglas was born." Placing it back on the table and making sure it was in the same position as before, she glanced up at him. "Are you ready to go?"

  Trevin coughed into his hand, wondering if he had done something wrong by picking up the picture. "Yeah, sure. I mean, I am if you are."

  Walking towards the door, he opened it and stepped back. "Ladies first," he announced, exaggerating the statement by giving her a bow and swooping his arm to point his hand towards the door.

  Laughing at him, they walked out and got into the car.

  Once in and all buckled up, Charlotte looked over at him, worrying her lip with her teeth.

  Seeing it, Trevin sent her a questioning look. "What's wrong?"

  "Nothing! I was just wondering if you had decided where we were going. It's not exactly like we had a plan or something..." She trailed off, blushing at his sudden smirk.

  "I thought you might like to just go have some fun first; the talking can come later."

  Charlotte wasn't sure if she should be worried or not so she just nodded. "Sure, what did you have in mind?"

  Pulling out of the driveway, he chuckled. "You'll see. I thought you would enjoy doing something with me that we've never done before."

  Oh boy, Charlotte thought. I wonder what I've gotten myself into!

  "Sounds great," is what she said out loud in response. She just hoped it actually was since this Trevin wasn't the same one she had always known - of that, she was certain.

  She just hadn't decided if that was good or bad.

  It was then that Trevin reached over and held her hand in his. And Charlotte knew right at that moment that she and her heart might be in serious trouble once again.

  Chapter Seven

  “I have a question for you but you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

  The sudden question came out of nowhere, snapping Charlotte out of her reverie as she looked out the window. Turning her head to look at Trevin, she squelched the sudden urge to cross her arms over her chest defensively.

  “I’m listening.”

  “I…err..,” he coughed as if he was unsure what to say, then rushed ahead. “I wanted to ask why you sent me a look of apology earlier when Douglas just shrugged and wouldn’t answer if my staying for dinner was okay with him.”

  “Did I? I didn’t even realize…,” trailing off, Charlotte sighed. “Honestly, I don’t think that is any of your business, but I am actually worried there is something wrong with him. I hate saying that out loud, wrong is just…well, the wrong word. Special is only slightly better.”

  He squeezed her hand, hearing the guilt in her voice for thinking something was wrong with her son. “No judgment here. Why do you believe something is going on with him? He just seemed shy to me.” As much as he wanted to look at her, he kept his eyes on the road.

  “At first, I wasn’t sure. I thought ‘hey, maybe he is just really shy’ but he never looks me in the eyes and he’s not very social. Sometimes he will throw these massive tantrums if things change, like he did when we first arrived back here. I started driving him to the school weeks in advance so when that day arrived, he would not be shocked by the change in routine and throw a fit. I am glad this is such a small town - the teacher was willing to meet with me before so that he would know her and be comfortable on the first day.”

  He said nothing as she paused for a few moments, figuring she wasn’t quite finished yet.

  When she finally continued, her could hear the sadness in her voice. Her smile was sad. “Being used to it by now, I don’t mind the extra work I have to put into things…but I think he needs more help than I can give him. I really like his teacher and she seems to enjoy his company, so I believe he is in good hands while in school at least.”

  “I think you are doing a terrific job from what I can see. I also don’t believe it bad to ask for help if you think you need it. And yes, we do have some awesome schools - I hope to make them even better in the near future.” At that exact moment, he took his hand away from hers, turning into a parking lot.

  It was then that Charlotte realized he had distracted her from watching where they were going, her question about how he hoped to make the schools better forgotten as she noticed that they had arrived at a bar.

  She didn’t recall this bar being here before and looked over at Trevin, gesturing at the building with curiosity.

  “When did this open up?”

  Grinning, he turned off the car after getting lucky enough to find a parking space near the entrance. She was already out of the car before he could walk to her side, so he offered her his arm before answering.

  “This bar opened up six years ago. It is quite the popular place as the only bar in town closed down about a year before this one opened,” he informed her.

  Wrapping her arm around his proffered one, she contemplated the area. The parking lot being halfway full wi
th cars at only nine p.m. punctuated his statement of the bars popularity. “Everybody in town plus their relatives must be here,” she joked, casting him a smile along with her next question.

  “Where is the sign? What is the name of this place anyway?”

  He chuckled, leading her towards the entrance. “The sign had to be recently taken down for repairs and then it was decided that the bar needed a new, up-to-date sign instead so it is on order.”

  When he said nothing further, she stopped walking and prodded him with a poke in the side. “And the name of this place is what? I’m not going inside until you tell me so out with it!”

  “The Glass Slipper,” he drawled, his eyes twinkling with humor.

  “Really? Are you kidding?” Scrutinizing his face, she caught not a glimpse of joking in his face as he shook his head in response. “What a fanciful name. Shall we go inside?”

  “Absolutely,” he replied quickly, urging her through the door and quickly following her.

  Trevin reached for her hand, grasping it in his once again. Squeezing it, he beamed at her, making her wonder why he was suddenly so cheerful. “What do you think?”

  “I’m not sure,” she confessed, gazing around the room to take it all in. “It seems very lovely. It’s not very loud and I love the fact that it’s neither dark in here…nor do I need to yell for you to hear me speaking.”

  Acknowledging her statement with a nod of his head, he gestured to the bar with his free hand. “Do you want something to drink? The choices range from anything from soda to beer to hard liqueur - your pick, of course.” At her nod, they walked towards the bar and took a seat next to each other on the stools.

  While waiting to order drinks, Charlotte regarded the inside of the bar with a critical eye.

  The Glass Slipper was well lit. There were two pool tables in the back of the bar, currently surrounded by a nice size group of people; the dance floor in the middle with booths on both sides, lining the walls; the bar she sat at being closest to the door. It was not a quaint little place; there had been an obvious amount of money spent to make this place feel classy yet homey and comforting at the same time.

  Gazing around, she found that everyone seemed to be having a good time with lots of laughter and dancing. There wasn’t any smoking inside; there hadn’t been in nearly fifteen years now. Oakford had been one of the first towns to ban smoking in public areas and she was glad for it. Smoking made her feel like she was suffocating.

  “Charlotte, what did you decide to have to drink?” Turning her head, she noticed the bartender giving her a smile alongside Trevin. She felt her face turning red as they had obviously been trying to get her attention for more than a minute.

  Smiling, she said “Sorry, I was really focused on examining the inside of this place. I’ll just have a coke, please.”

  “I’ll have the same thing, Scott. Put it on my tab,” he instructed. Charlotte noticed that the bartender chuckled as he walked off as if he thought Trevin couldn’t be serious.

  She couldn’t resist asking to be let in on the joke. “Why was he laughing?”

  Trevin was about to answer her but he must have seen someone he knew, because his face lit up in a smile as his gaze suddenly became focused on something behind her.

  Curious to know who was approaching, she turned to see who had made Trevin smile like that with their appearance.

  ~*~

  “Trevin! What are you doing here? You don’t usually come in on a Saturday to check up on us!” A male voice said that, coming into view of Charlotte near the end of his statement.

  Finding this statement odd, she glanced over at Trevin but he just laughed at the man, slapping him on the back in greeting. Looking back at the man, she studied him as she waited for an introduction.

  She wasn’t sure what color his hair was as it appeared he had recently gotten a buzz cut. He was wearing a black t-shirt that showed his muscular frame and jeans; he also sported a tattoo on his right upper arm. He seemed to know Trevin pretty well and their greeting of each other definitely indicated they were close friends. Since she didn’t recognize him, she was pretty sure he either lived in a nearby town or had moved here after she had left.

  When Trevin gently touched her arm to get her attention, she pretended that she hadn’t been staring at his friend, but she could see him trying to suppress a smile.

  “Charlotte, I would like you to meet my friend, Ramsey Calhoun. Ramsey, this is Charlotte,” pausing because he was unsure what to say next, he just continued on while shrugging. “…my friend.”

  Ramsey stuck his hand out enthusiastically, gripping her hand firmly and shaking. “It’s nice to meet you, Charlotte. Always great to see new and pretty faces around here,” he complimented her, taking a swig of his beer before releasing her hand.

  “I would say it is nice to meet you too but I don’t really know you well enough yet to make such a statement,” she retorted, which caused Ramsey to chuckle.

  Rolling his eyes in what he knew was a childish manner, Trevin winked at her. “Don’t mind him. Ramsey is always a terrible flirt when he drinks.”

  “I couldn’t tell,” she remarked dryly. “How long have you guys known each other?”

  The men looked at each other, then back at Charlotte, with Ramsey answering, “What is it, Trevin? About eleven years now?”

  “Yep. We met at the University our Junior year during a really boring business class.” They laughed in mutual remembrance, but Trevin’s face sobered as he clarified. “We didn’t really become good friends until…well, after…you know.” He grimaced, casting an apologetic glance to her.

  Charlotte saw the moment Ramsey realized that she was the Charlotte who had left all those years ago; he had been taking a drink of his beer as Trevin trailed off and choked on his beer.

  Coughing like crazy, Trevin pounded him on the back which had her giggling because it wasn’t like him doing that would help Ramsey as he bent over trying to clear his wind pipe. After a few moments, the worst of it had passed.

  Straightening, his eyes were bloodshot and watery. His voice was hoarse when he finally spoke.

  “Sorry.” His apology was directed at Trevin. “I was caught off guard.”

  At that point, Trevin cracked up laughing. “I figured you would put two and two together when I said her name but I guess not.”

  Ramsey grinned. “You know me, I’m not always that observant. And on that note, I am going to go dance.” With a nod, he walked away and left them alone.

  Trevin turned back to Charlotte.

  “Do you want to dance?”

  Laughing, she shook her head. “You know I don’t know how to dance.”

  Oh, you are such a coward, her mind scolded. It is just a dance.

  Trevin wasn’t having any of her refusals tonight though, as he echoed her own thoughts. “It is just a slow dance; there isn’t much to it.” Extending his arm out, he held his breath, waiting for her to put her hand in his.

  She hesitated, a look of uncertainty crossing her face before placing her hand in his and sliding off the bar stool. His smile was instantaneous and he squeezed her hand as they walked towards the dance floor. People were nodding or waving at Trevin as they walked by; some that didn’t recognize Charlotte looked at her with curiosity, the looks on their faces indicating their desire to figure out who she was.

  If this wasn’t such a small town, I would have to wonder why they look so shocked to see him with me. She didn’t comment out loud though, as Trevin didn’t seem fazed by any of the comments or looks as they walked past.

  Staying near the edge when they reached it, Trevin put his hands on Charlotte's waist, pulling her close to him; she wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his shoulder while they just swayed slowly to a slow country song she had never heard until now.

  “The last time we danced like this was when we were at your Senior prom,” he commented, his mouth right next to her ear making sure she could hear him. “You wore that
dress with the pink, fluffy bottom and low-cut top that made my mouth go dry. You remember?”

  Lifting her head up, pulling away enough to angle and look at him in his face, her mouth open in surprise. “You still recall what my dress looked like from 11 years ago?”

  He grinned wolfishly. “Of course I do, Charlotte. I probably remember more than you think I do…like what happened in the hours after prom because of you wearing that dress.”

  Her face flushing, Trevin chuckled as he pulled her close again and his hand on her neck, stroking there with his thumb and forefinger as he whispered into her ear again.

  “You looked like Cinderella on the night of her ball with the Prince, for sure.”

  It was then that the meaning of the bars name, The Glass Slipper, became crystal clear to her. With a gasp, Charlotte jerked out his arms abruptly, scowling at him.

  “Wait! You are the owner of this bar?” She asked sharply, her voice raised. She put her hands on her hips and crossed her arms over her chest, tapping her foot impatiently.

  And when he finally nodded, she spun on her heel and walked away, leaving Trevin cursing in her wake.

  ~*~

  Charlotte entered the ladies room, knowing that she would have at least a few minutes alone for contemplation in here. Leaning back against the counter, she put her head in her hands, rubbing her temples with her fingers, her eyes closed. She knew she shouldn’t be shocked that the bar was Trevin's. He had obviously been trying to share it with her by bringing her to see it - and he was right, they had never been in a bar together because she had still been too young to go in the past.

  The Glass Slipper, she thought. She had remarked on how fanciful she thought the name was to him just before they had walked inside and she wasn’t wrong. He had deliberately name it that in reference to her - his comment about her looking like Cinderella on prom night; her disappearing from town just over a year later, leaving only memories of her with him like Cinderella had left when she lost her slipper at the ball, the only clue that she had ever been there in the first place.