He felt a prick of guilt. “It’s a long time.”
Her calmness was almost tangible. “Yes, it is. But we can talk via Skype, we can email, we can write. It’s not the end of the world. I still have my job and life, I have Kitty to care for while you’re away. I have your family and my family. But most of all, Blue, I have you right here.” She tapped her chest. “I know you’re coming back to me. This is our life, Blue, and we’re going into it with our eyes open. I can’t say it more plainly than this - I will be here for you when you go, I’ll be waiting for you while you’re away, and I’ll be right here when you come home.”
His heart swelled, filled, and he actually had a stupid lump in his bloody throat that he had to swallow past before he could say, “How did I get so bloody lucky? How did you come to fall into my life, Sunflower?”
Her smile was gentle, a glimmer in her eyes that was possibly moisture. “I knocked you over in the hallway. You were naked, I was trying not to look.”
“Best knock-down I’ve ever had.”
“Don’t forget we cried into our Cokes and pizza together, too. Broken hearts and all that crap that actually turned out to be a great time.”
He couldn’t help the small chuckle. “Oh, Sunflower, you do know how to make me laugh.”
Her eyes twinkled.
Before he could say anything further, though, Luke stuck his head between the curtains. “There you two are.”
“Hey.” Blue scowled at him. “We’re enjoying a moment here.”
“Really?” Luke obviously didn’t care. “Because I’m bored shitless. Help me.”
“Do what? Disappear?”
“Good plan, but you’re useless as tits on a bull - and that’s useless - with magic. I thought we could raid the kitchen for more Iced Coffee.”
“Seriously? You can’t do that alone?”
“I’m trying to have a brother moment here, Blue. Help me out, you useless dick.”
Charley burst out laughing.
“Mikki really needs to do something about your foul mouth,” Blue informed him.
“I learned some of this from her.” Luke grinned. “Besides, there’s been a comment from Elspeth that she hasn’t seen you for awhile.”
“Go with him, we should be showing support for Elspeth after her kindness in inviting us.” Charley stood. “I’m going to the loo. I’ll look for you on the floor when I’m done, Blue.”
“I think the rich and famous call it a powder room, don’t they?” Luke queried.
“They might. I call it a loo.”
“Fair enough.”
Blue watched her vanish through the curtains.
Before he could stand up, Luke took her seat. “Wow, you really have it bad for her, don’t you?”
“I thought you wanted Iced Coffee?”
“I do. But before we do that, I’m just now seeing how far this has gone between you and Charley.” Luke’s eyebrows bobbed. “It’s pretty serious, huh?”
Feeling no need to hide the fact, Blue nodded.
“Yeah, it’s pretty plain to see.” Luke leaned back in the chair. “I’m glad. She’s a nice girl.”
“More than nice,” Blue stated. “So much more.”
Luke looked at him for several seconds then nodded. “Yeah, she is. Like my Red is to me.”
“Yep.”
“I hear you, mate.”
They looked at each other.
“Are we having a moment?” Blue asked.
“Yeah. It’s creepy.” Luke stood. “Get off your arse, let’s go find that Iced Coffee. I think Elspeth doctors it with ice cream.”
~*~
Coming out of the bathroom, Charley started to skirt the edges of the huge room. The people fascinated her, the flash of expensive jewellery, the way they all seemed so at ease with the surroundings
Elspeth was a lovely lady, but there was no doubting her richness. She never flaunted it, used her influence for good, but the beautiful house with the elegant furnishings wasn’t something with which Charley was accustomed. She much preferred Blue’s little house which had become her home. The three bedroom, one bathroom house with the heavy wood furniture, his colour-scheme that was blended with some of hers, and their combined items, was home. Kitty rounded it off nicely, and Charley looked forward to her furry little company whenever she returned to the house. She’d definitely be the best company while Blue was away. Just Charley and Kitty.
While Charley could admire the rich, she was more than content with what she had. Plus, she’d seen firsthand that no matter how rich or poor you were, one day you all faced the same when you got to the end of life’s road. You lay in the same bed, looking out at the same sun, knowing the next step you had to take alone. Rich or poor, it levelled the field like nothing else ever could.
Meanwhile she was happy to share life with Blue, however it travelled, having no illusions that it would be all light and sweetness. Life wasn’t like that, it was full of ups and downs, good and bad, but if they could be there for each other, that was what counted. That was life.
By the time she’d traversed the room, there was still no sign of Blue. Wondering if she should just go back to the balcony or join Mr Wells where he was chatting easily to a couple, she hovered.
One of the waitresses appeared at her elbow. “Ms Carter?”
Charley smiled pleasantly at her. “Yes?”
“Your boyfriend has asked you to join him in the library.”
“Really?”
“Those were his words.” The waitress nodded. “f you don’t know where the library is, I can take you to him.”
“Thank you. I’m afraid I’m a little lost here.”
Following the waitress from the room, Charley mentally shook her head. Had Blue and Luke snuck off to the library to enjoy their Iced Coffee? Cheeky buggers. She’d have to give them a little time and then drag them back to the main room. She wondered if Mikki had joined them, but she was sure she’d spotted her with Jason and Izzy.
The library was a large room off the side of another hallway. The waitress opened the door, gave a little dip that took Charley aback, and asked, “Will you be right to find your way to the main room, Ma’am?”
“I’m sure Blue will know the way. Thank you.”
The waitress nodded, waiting until Charley had entered the room before closing the door behind her.
At first the big room seemed empty. Looking around at the dark leather armchairs, the shelves and shelves of books, the side tables with various lamps on them, the big roll-top desk, the paintings on the wall and rich red carpet beneath her white sandals, Charley was in awe. It was the spitting image of all those old movies she’d seen depicting the grand libraries of old.
“Wow.” Turning around, she looked at everything, moving further into the room. “This is amazing. Blue, I could get lost in here for days just browsing through these books.” When there was no answer, she glanced around. “Blue?”
“Not Blue,” a familiar voice said.
Surprised, Charley saw a man push up out of a high-backed chair that was facing away from her. “Gary?” She’d seen him earlier on the far side of the main room, but he’d kept his distance apart from a slight nod of acknowledgement. She certainly hadn’t expected him to be here alone. Hob-knobbing with the rich and famous was more his style.
She didn’t even feel bad about that snarky little thought.
“Indeed.” He straightened his jacket, smoothed his hair. “Charley. You’re looking lovely.”
Now that she seriously doubted because he wasn’t a fan of her yellow-hued wardrobe. “Thank you.” Her gaze darted around uneasily. “I was told that Blue wanted me.”
“Not Blue. Me.”
“Pardon?”
“Blue didn’t ask for you. I did.” Hands in pockets, he posed beside the chair as though certain he was making an impression.
He was, only not the kind he was obviously after. She frowned. “I was told my boyfriend asked me to meet him here. That’s
not you.”
With a sigh, Gary straightened. “Charley, we didn’t part favourably last time. I’m sorry.”
“There’s no need to be.” She took a step back.
“Wait.” He held up a hand. “Please.”
She halted.
“I really want to explain.”
“There’s really no need-”
“Please.” His expression was contrite. “Just hear me out.”
She very much feared if she didn’t, he’d just come looking for her later. Blue would not take that well, she was sure. Better to get it over with here and slip away before her real boyfriend came looking for her.
“I can’t stay long.” She folded her arms. “And I don’t appreciate being lied to, to get me here.”
“I’m sorry. I knew you wouldn’t come if you knew it was me.” He walked towards her slowly. “I behaved abominably, Charley. I can only blame it on stress, but still, it’s not good enough.”
“Okay.” She watched warily as he neared.
Coming to a stop a couple of feet from her, he smiled charmingly. “The times we had were good, though, weren’t they?”
Actually, they’d been pretty bland. “We did only go out a few times.”
“But they were good,” he insisted.
“Mmm.”
His gaze searched her face as though looking for something.
“I really must go-” she began.
“I saw you.”
“Huh?”
“On the motorbike.”
“Oh. Blue’s bike.”
“Yes.” His expression turned disapproving. “You don’t like motorcycles. You always said so.”
“Well, I still don’t, but relationships are give and take. We’re working on it.” Take that little hint.
It was pretty clear that failed. “He forced you onto the bike. I saw you clinging to him like grim death. He didn’t worry about your fears, did he?”
“Blue would never force me,” she replied tightly.
“He’s done a lot of things since he came here.” Gary’s lip curled a little before he remembered he was trying to make a good impression. “He arrived, got between us, broke up our relationship-”
“Whoa, whoa.” Indignantly, she held up a hand to stop his flow of words. “Now just a minute. You’re the one who broke up the relationship. Or rather, you and I broke it off-”
“I never did,” he denied sharply. “That was you. You had your head turned by a handsome soldier. Look, Charley.” His voice softened, empathy creeping into it. “I understand how it must be, a man in uniform coming in, being the hero. But he’ll go soon, find another woman - heck, he probably has one in every port-”
“I’m pretty sure that saying is for sailors, and it’s not always true.”
He waved that away. “But I’m still here.”
“Oh.” She sighed. “Oh, now I get it. Look, I’m sorry but we’re over. It has nothing to do with Blue and everything to do with your attitude.”
“My attitude?” He was astounded. “My attitude?”
“Gary, when we argued, you dropped me off at the house late at night and drove off without making sure I got in safely!”
“You have Wells’s Security monitoring the house. You were safe.”
“What happened to being a gentleman?”
“You wound me up. Honestly, Charley, do you not know how to act when out in prestigious company? Wait, of course not.” He shook his head. “Of course you don’t. But we can rectify that. I can instruct you on-
“How to box your ears?” she interrupted angrily. “I don’t know whether to laugh or smack you into next week.”
His eyes narrowed.
“Gary, we went out several times. You dumped me late at night once, but what really tore it between us was you being so willing to leave that injured cat on the road.”
“Oh for - are we really back to that? Wait. No.” He closed his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Yes, we’re back to that,” she snapped.
“Fine. Look, I apologise. Next time - God forbid that there is a next time - it can go in the boot.”
Her mouth dropped open.
“I’ll make sure there’s a plastic bag we can put it in.”
“Are you going to poke a breathing hole in it?” she asked sarcastically.
“Don’t be tiresome.” He rubbed the back of his neck, changed tack. “Look, I didn’t want this to get nasty. I’m willing to meet you part way, okay? Come on, Charley, we had a good thing you and I. I want you to give me another chance.”
“I’m sorry, but no. We don’t value the same things, and to be truthful…” She hesitated.
“What?” He grabbed her hand tightly. “Come, sweetheart, just tell me and I’ll make sure I do it.”
“Look, this isn’t helping. You need to accept that this is over and-”
“Tell me.”
“If you could let my hand go-”
“Please, Charley.”
“Oh geez, don’t beg.”
“I won’t let you go until you tell me.”
She sighed. “Gary…” When he just looked at her beseechingly, she said, “I don’t want to hurt you, but honestly, there was nothing between us.”
“I know we weren’t intimate, but I can fix that. I know you need to feel loved and I wasn’t showing it in the way you like.”
“Firstly, we weren’t intimate because there was no attraction between us. There still isn’t, if you’re honest.”
“You just need to give it time.”
“You’re not listening to me.”
“No, you’re not listening to me.”
Annoyed, she yanked her hand from his. “Goodbye Gary, and this time don’t come looking for me. It’s over.”
Grabbing her arm, he pulled her to a halt.
Coldly, she looked from his grip to his face.
He dropped her arm. “I’m sorry, sweetheart.”
“I’m not your sweetheart, and this is getting creepy. Please accept that it’s over between us. It never really started. I don’t wish to resume a relationship with you. In fact, I’m so far from the kind of woman you want that I have no idea why you went out with me. You obviously wish to impress the rich and important, I’m surprised you didn’t get a girl with good connections to…” Her voice trailed away as Gary glanced to the left.
A fleeting glance, but nevertheless done with a flicker of guilt.
“Are you kidding me?” As realisation slid through her, her jaw dropped in astonishment. “Seriously?”
His eyes flicked back at her. “It’s you I want, Charley.”
“No, you want the ties that I have with Elspeth Arkwell. My friendship with Mikki, who is Elspeth’s niece. You really thought my friendship with Mikki would give me access to Elspeth, and through me, you’d have access.”
“That’s not-”
“Bullshit it’s not. That’s exactly it.”
He started to protest, but when she stabbed her finger under his nose, he shrugged. “So what? It was nothing. To get somewhere in this world you need to have contacts. You have contacts.”
“Far out.” She shook her head in disbelief. “You just contradicted yourself right then.”
“Elspeth Arkwell is a valued client of my firm. I’ve never had contact with her, not being just an employee. Having contact with her, a friendship, that would seal my becoming a junior partner. Can you blame me for seeking to further my career?” He smiled winningly. “Just think, we could have everything. I’d have the partnership, the acknowledgement. We’d finally be moving up in the world. There’s so much promise, Charley, so much we could have.”
“You know what?” she replied. “You’re a dingbat. Money and prestige isn’t everything but you’ll never believe that. So guess what? Believe this. I wouldn’t go out with a money-grasping, power-hungry turd like you again. I can’t believe I went out with you. Find yourself a social climber like yourself and leave me alone.”
&nbs
p; “Charley-”
“No. For the final time, this is goodbye.”
She swung around but hadn’t taken two steps before he sneered, “I see you’re getting your fun with the Wells bloke. Greasing you up good, is he?”
Ignoring him, she continued onwards to the door.
“Like the tough men, don’t you?”
She couldn’t be bothered to reply to the little toad.
“But I’m going to give you a warning, Charley. You walk away from me and I’m going to fix your boyfriend good. By the time I’m finished, he’ll be booted from the Army.”
Her blood went cold. She turned to face him. “What?”
“You heard.”
“You’ve nothing on him.”
“But I can get it. All I have to say is that he threatened me. Harassed me. I’m a good lawyer, I can make things believable.” His face was cold, merciless. “I know a few people who would be my- ” he made quotation marks in the air “‘- witnesses’ in exchange for a few dollars.”
“You’d really do that? Stoop so low?”
Hands in his pocket, Gary eyed her without answering.
Fear spiked through Charley. She’d already seen firsthand his total disregard for an injured animal. That had been terrible. Now here he was cold-bloodedly threatening to destroy an innocent man’s career just to get what he wanted.
“Don’t do this,” she said. “Blue has never done anything to you.”
“He’s got the woman I need to further my career. I’m not throwing away all the time and effort I put into you.”
The door opened. “Charley? What’s this I hear about - oh.”
Her heart fell. Blue. Turning, she smiled brightly. “Let’s go.”
“Is everything okay?” His gaze went over her head to where Gary stood watching them. “Charley?”
“It’s fine. It-”
“Oh, don’t you want your boyfriend to know his choices?” Gary asked.
Blue looked down at her.
“I…” She bit her lip.
“A little choice for you to make, Wells,” Gary continued. “Maybe Charley doesn’t want you to hear it because she’s afraid of the choice you’ll make. Is that it, Charley? Do you not trust him after all? Not trust this wonderful relationship you have with him?”
Blue’s hand came to rest in the small of her back. “What’s going on?”
The Wells Brothers: Blue Page 26