"Fine, fine. Just forgot to set my alarm clock."
Brad quirked an eyebrow, clearly not believing his excuse.
"Had a rough week at work. I guess I needed the extra Zs. Sorry I'm late though."
"That's okay, Willy. Now let's get those burgers on the grill and get to the eatin'."
Oh, crap. "I'm sorry, man. I knew I was forgetting something...." Will slapped himself in the forehead and found he remained a bit lightheaded from the bottle of wine he and Charlie had shared last night.
Amelia's eyes darted between the two men. "It's okay. I still need some time with the salad. Why don't you two run to the store and pick them up real quick?"
"Great idea." Brad pushed Will back out the door. "You're driving."
Once they'd buckled themselves into their seats, Brad turned to his friend and demanded, "Tell me what's going on."
Will debated telling him about Charlie, but it was still too early. "Nothing's going on. I slept in is all."
Brad rolled his eyes. "Uh-huh. Because it's exactly like you to be a whole hour late. Now are you going to tell me who she is?”
Heat rushed to Will’s cheeks . "Am I really so obvious?"
"You always have been. Now tell me everything.” He relaxed in his seat and turned his full attention toward Will.
"I met her about a week ago. At the dog park. She's a high school English teacher. And I don't know, I just really like her." He felt ridiculous, like a schoolboy revealing a crush to his father.
"Yeah, that all sounds great. How's the…?” He cleared his throat. “You know.”
"Cut straight to the chase much?" Will laughed. Since he knew his friend would be expecting an answer, he added, “We haven’t yet. It’s way too soon, and anyway I think I…"
"Want more. Of course, you do. You've never been the kind to ask for anything less. So when do we get to meet her?"
"What?" Will took his eyes off the road and turned to face Brad. "Don't you think it's a little early for that?”
"No, I know you. You're an all-or-nothing kind of guy. You'll be declaring your love for her soon, I'm sure. Oh, no. You haven't already, have you?"
"Of course not. We're taking things slow, seeing where they end up."
"Whatever. You totally love her. It's okay, man. You always were a hopeless romantic. Just tell me this: is she anything like Ashlee? I'd hate for you get bossed around like that again."
"No," Will said, realizing how very true his statement was. "She's nothing like Ashlee."
"Great, Willy. I'm happy for you. Don't do anything to mess this up, okay?"
"Believe me, I'm trying not to."
By the time they’d returned with the brats and burgers Amelia had one child straddled on her hip and the other tugging on her shirt.
"Oh, thank goodness.” She breathed a sigh of relief. "I was gearing up to give them their dessert first if you didn't get back soon."
"Daddy," the little girls cried, racing over to nag at Brad.
"Where are your hugs for Uncle Willy?" Amelia demanded.
"Uncle Willy!" They wrapped their godfather in big sticky hugs before turning their attention back to Brad.
"All right, let's get these dogs a-grillin'."
His daughters giggled and followed him out to the grill, leaving Will alone with Amelia.
"So," she said, drying her hands on a dish towel. "Tell me about her."
"Jeez. Am I really that obvious?"
"Brad texted me." She smiled. "But, yes, you are. So tell me all about my future sister-in-law already."
He barely flinched at the familial term. Truth be told, he kind of liked it. After all, Brad had always been like a brother to him and Amelia a sister-in-law. He smiled as he thought about how to best describe Charlie. ”She's free-spirited, and fun, and passionate, and... I don't know. I really like her."
"Do you think she's the one?"
"I don't know, but I kind of hope so. Anyway, it's way too soon to tell."
"How long ago did the two of you meet?"
"About a week."
"It's not too soon. I knew I was going to marry Brad four days after meeting him. And you know what? I was right."
Amelia reached over and gave him a huge hug.
He had always longed for what she and Brad shared and sincerely hoped he could find something similar for himself. Finding that with Charlie would be even better. As much as he cherished every second he got to spend with them, he hoped the afternoon would pass quickly so he could stop by and surprise Charlie.
Though still far too soon for the two of them to talk about their relationship status, he'd begun to accept he just might be falling in love—and he suspected she felt the same way whether she was ready to admit it or not.
Charlie's phone rang for the third time that evening. She sighed and switched it to vibrate. Why wouldn't Will just leave her alone? She needed time to think.
They weren't even in a relationship, and already he was smothering her. This had never happened to her before, so, of course, she had no idea what to do. No one had ever pursued her like this before.
Why was Will so committed to making her his?
The phone stopped buzzing, and a missed call notification flashed across the screen. She felt both relieved and disappointed at the same time. How? Why? When would she feel like herself again?
Rugby came over and dropped his leash at her feet.
"I'm sorry, boy. I'm just not up to it today."
Why was she so drained? It was a beautiful Saturday and she'd spent the entire day lazing about her house. She should be bursting with energy rather than lying here too exhausted to even reach over and grab the remote.
She mustered every last drop of strength and seized the remote from the coffee table. If she planned to lie here all night, she might as well have something to keep her occupied. Flipping through the channels, she at last landed on something with John Cusack that caught her eye. Must Love Dogs, said the bottom corner of the TV screen.
When that was over, Pretty Woman came on, and after that You've Got Mail. She fell asleep somewhere during The Wedding Planner and awoke the next morning to a repeat run of Pretty Woman.
Charlie pushed down hard on the remote's power switch. She'd had more than her fill of romantic comedies. First off, they made her cry. Second, they reminded her too much of Will. Why could she not get the image of him out of her head?
Every romantic hero proved to be exactly like Will—handsome, charming, a little awkward.... Doesn't know how to take no for an answer. She snapped when the phone buzzed yet again. Well, if he couldn't take a hint, she'd tell him right to his face she didn't want anything more to do with him. Never mind if it wasn't exactly the truth.
She clicked over to pick up the call. "What?"
Silence.
"Stop calling. I don't want to see you again," she fumed.
"Charlie, Honey? Are you okay?" Her grandmother's soft voice came through the speaker and shattered her anger.
Chapter 10
"Oh, hi, Grandma. Of course, I'm okay," Charlie sputtered. She hoped her grandmother would ignore her rude greeting. After all, she'd barely managed to snatch any sleep the night before, and was in no mood for a lecture.
"A little frustrated, are ya? So who's the fella?" A chuckle lay hidden beneath her words. Once her grandmother found something amusing, she refused to let it go.
How perfect.
She figured she'd at least try to get out of having to discuss Will with Grandma. "Nobody in particular. Been getting a lot of calls from telemarketers lately."
"Oh, sure you are. Tell me his name."
With a sigh of resignation, she surrendered. “Will Porter.”
"What a nice name, and I'm sure he's a nice man. Why don't you want to see him anymore?"
What could she say to make her grandmother understand? The truth would only hurt her feelings, and despite not wanting to be like her, Charlie loved her grandmother. She pushed a palm against her forehead and si
ghed. "Do we have to talk about this, Grandma?”
"Yes, we do. Seems like you need to get whatever it is off your chest. You've always been so secretive about your relationships with men, and I never understood why. You tell me everything else."
Charlie sank back into the couch cushions and ran a hand through her hair. "I'm sorry, Grandma. It's just weird talking about these things with you."
"Can we at least try? Just this once?"
"Fine." Deep breath. "I'm not answering Will's calls, because he was trying to make things too serious too fast."
Her grandmother stayed silent for a few moments before saying, "I see. And that's a bad thing because?"
"I don't know... I guess I'm not ready for a relationship, especially with some guy I just met."
"How long you known him?"
"Umm, eight or nine days?"
"And you've spent some good time with each other?"
"Yeah, I guess." She was glad her grandmother couldn't see her blush.
"Oh, Honey. He's not some guy you just met. I knew almost immediately that your grandfather was it for me.”
"But how? You were so free-spirited, and Grandpa was so straight-laced. How could you have possibly predicted you'd end up together, especially so early on?"
"It was the way he looked at me, and the way I felt when he looked at me. One glance, and I was a goner."
"I thought you said you fell in love after weeks of trying not to?"
"Well, you understand what I mean.... How do you feel when Will looks at you?"
Charlie closed her eyes and pictured him in her mind. She saw the way his eyes sparkled whenever he glanced in her direction, the way his gaze met hers right before they kissed. It felt.... "Nice, I guess."
"That all, huh?" Her grandmother chuckled on the other end of the line. "Why can't you admit you like him?"
"Okay, so I like him. There. You happy?"
Another chuckle. "Not to me—to yourself. To him."
"I told you, I don't want anything serious."
"And you're worried, with him, things would be serious." She supplied the unspoken part of Charlie's sentence.
Silence.
"Why is that such a bad thing?"
Charlie exhaled into the phone. How could she explain herself without hurting her grandmother’s feelings?
But her grandmother continued to press, "Why is it bad that you want something more out of your relationship with Will?"
"I like my life exactly how it is. I don't want anything to change."
"How would being in a relationship change your life?"
"Because... you... you were so...." Charlie paused. How could she say this nicely? “Grandma, I love you, but in the stories you told me and Mandy, you seemed so fun and free-spirited, and now...."
"You think falling in love changed me?"
"Well, didn't it?"
A long pause filled the distance between them. Charlie worried her grandmother would hang up the phone or to scream at her. Then her voice came, soft but strong.
"Honey, you're right. Falling in love did change me. When I was young, I was constantly on the hunt for my next great adventure, something to fill me with excitement, give me purpose, make me whole. Each adventure became crazier than the next, and each failed to bring me what I was trying so hard to find. When I met your grandpa, everything clicked. And when we had your father and uncles and then you and Mandy came along, I knew for sure I had found it. This is my greatest adventure, my purpose. And I love my life. Falling in love can't change you—not when it's with the right person—but love can help you become the person you always tried to be. It can fill in the gaps, complete your life, make you so much fuller than you ever thought you could be.
"Oh, Honey, why didn't you talk to me about this sooner? I'd hate to think I've been a bad example all these years. If only you'd asked, I would have told you how completely happy my life is. And, hey, I still think I'm plenty fun, thank you very much. Maybe if you came down to Abilene for a visit we could hit the clubs together.”
Charlie let out a sad laugh. "Thanks, Grandma. And, yes, you're plenty fun. But please tell me you’re kidding about the clubs.”
“You’d be surprised all the trouble I get into down here… So are you going to call Will back?"
"I don't know."
"But you'll think about it?"
"Yes, I'll think about it."
"Good. I love you, Honey."
"Love you too, Grandma. Bye."
Charlie didn't know what to think. She'd always viewed her grandmother as the self-sacrificing housewife; had always imagined she wore pain and longing behind her ever-present smile, but what if she'd been entirely wrong this whole time? What if her grandmother had told the truth, and playing the part of housewife was, in fact, her life's greatest adventure?
If that were the case, Charlie's every reason for avoiding love had been based on a lie. She'd finally be able to succumb to her feelings for Will, and maybe even test the waters with a romantic relationship—her first since college.
Yes, she decided. She would answer the next time he called.
Chapter 11
The phone weighed heavily in Will's hand. He so badly wanted to call Charlie, but his three previous attempts that day had gone unanswered. Three strikes and you're out. He knew the rule well from his ball-playing days in high school. She'd made her desire to keep things casual clear from the get-go, but he thought he'd gleaned something different in her smile, in her gestures. Served him right for trying to understand women.
Still, he hadn't felt this way since he first met Ashlee. He'd closed off his heart for a long time, finally reopening it only to be squashed. He wanted Charlie so badly. He wanted to take her on a proper date, to spend a whole day together discussing their thoughts and dreams. He wanted to spend the night with her, and to see her happy when they woke up together in the new morning's light.
Maybe he'd call one last time. He opened his recent call history and let his index finger hover above her name....
No. He shouldn't. She'd made her position perfectly clear, and he liked her too much to keep bothering her. He locked his phone and jammed it back into his pocket.
Tuck came over and nudged his thigh. At least somebody in the world loves me, he thought as he scratched the dog between his ears.
Nothing hurt worse than taking the risk to open himself back up to love, only to be told he wasn't allowed to have it. As much as he wished he could turn back time a couple weeks and erase the memory of Charlie altogether, he knew things between them would never work.
Perhaps it was better this way.
Or perhaps Charlie wasn't meant to stay in his life. Perhaps she'd come to serve as a catalyst, as a signal he was ready to open himself up again, a reminder he didn't want to spend his entire life alone.
What was the purpose of all his accumulated wealth—the big house, the stylish car, the giant backyard—if he didn't have anyone to share in it? He wanted the wife, the kids, the picket fence, the happily ever after. And he was a good man, darn it, so why couldn't he have these things?
The next several days were obnoxiously normal. Will woke up early to take a jog with Tuck, spent all day in the office, came home to an empty house and an emptier bed. The routine that had once comforted him now served as a cruel reminder of all that was absent from his life. Would his only contribution to the world be his work as an actuary? The possibility sickened him.
He stood in front of his mostly empty fridge, searching for a suitable supper. Nothing. Guess he'd be having cereal tonight. He grabbed the half-eaten box of Frosted Flakes from the cupboard and contemplated punching that stupid grin off Tony the Tiger's face. Instead, he grabbed a large mixing bowl from over the stove, poured the equivalent of two or three normal sized bowls, drowned the flakes in milk, and went to sit in front of the TV.
Thursday. That meant reruns of his favorite show, The Office, would be on. Not only did the cast find endless ways to amuse themselves at
work, but Jim and Pam's love story also pulled at his heart strings—he couldn't help it. Why couldn't he and Charlie be more like that? Out and in the open and completely infatuated with each other.
As it turned out, no one ever made sitcoms about actuaries—and probably for good reason, too.
A knock came at the door. Will paused his DVR and grumbled as he made his way over to the entryway. Probably a Jehovah's Witness or a vacuum salesman. His stomach did an uncomfortable somersault as he realized how much he looked forward to talking to the person standing on the other side. Sure, he could always call Brad, but that would mean being forced to recount the details of Charlie blowing him off, and what he'd let himself become since. Less than a week had gone by, but he was an absolute mess. Why couldn't he go back to being the normal, boring guy he'd been before?
He flung the door open and was greeted by a petite blonde woman carrying a designer suitcase.
"Oh, Snuggle Bear! I've missed you so much." She dropped the suitcase and flew into his arms.
Her touch felt nice, but he was too confused to enjoy it. "Ashlee?" He almost didn't believe it. "What are you doing here?"
"I—I missed you so much. Aren't you happy to see me?" She released him from the hug and stared up at him with teary eyes—teary eyes that glistened, but didn't sparkle. Not like Charlie's.
When he hesitated, she burst into a lengthy explanation.
"Things didn't work out with Axel. And, of course, I realized what a big mistake I made leaving you. I never should have left, Snuggle Bear. You were so good to me, and I should've appreciated you more. Anyway, I'm back now, and we can start over. We can have our happy life together. Everything will be perfect."
She smiled from cheek to cheek and then stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his lips.
The past several days had gone by with zero word from Will. What, just because Charlie didn't pick up that one night, meant he'd never call her again? And he'd seemed so interested in her—had she misread his signals?
The Alaska Sunrise Romances: A 9-Book Sweet Romance Collection Page 25