Unplanned Love

by Sharon C. Cooper

  “I’m great. I was just coming to look for you.”

  “Same here. We’ve been summoned to my grandfather’s study.”

  “Both of us?”

  He nodded.

  Steven Jenkins had already congratulated them when they first made the announcement. Charlee wondered what he wanted.

  They started walking, but Charlee slowed, taking in the tons of family photos that lined the walls of the long hallway. The picture that had caught her attention was the one with Liam, his brother Adam, Jada and her family and their parents.

  “I guess we’re going to have to take another photo now that you’ve joined the family,” Liam said. It probably won’t be for a while. Not until Adam gets home again.”

  “He’s in the army, right?”

  “Yes. He was in ROTC while in college before going full-duty into the military.”

  Charlee glanced at a couple of more photos before they continued on to the study. When they got to the door, Liam lifted his hand to knock but stopped when they heard Kingslee’s voice.

  “I didn’t know your dad was here,” he whispered, and started to knock again but Charlee stopped him with a hand on his arm when she realized they were talking about her.

  “When I told my daughter that she’d only be considered for the CEO position if she was married, I had no idea she would actually go out and find a husband. And one of your grandsons at that.”

  Charlee’s heart thudded against her rib cage, and she looked at her husband.

  “Liam’s not a leap before thinking kind of man,” his grandfather said. “He wouldn’t have married your daughter if he didn’t love her. I saw them earlier, and he couldn’t keep his eyes off of her.”

  “Yeah, I’ve seen them together, most recently at the office. I knew they’d had a history, but I didn’t realize it was this serious. Still, I’m concerned that she only married him to get the position.”

  When the conversation went quiet, Liam backed away from her and the door.

  “I can explain,” Charlee hurried to say, her pulse pounding loudly in her ears as panic ricocheted through her. “Yes, he told me that the only way he’d give me the position is if I was married. I swear to you, that’s not why I asked you. I love you so much. I didn’t marry you for a job.”

  Her voice cracked, and her heart broke for fear that she was about to lose the best thing that ever happened to her.

  Liam ran his hand over his mouth and down his chin, studying her. His dark eyes seemed darker and his expression was blank. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

  “Please, baby. You have to believe me.” Tears welled in Charlee’s eyes, but she batted them away. “I…”

  The office door swung open, and Charlee and Liam turned.

  “Oh, good. You’re both here.” Kingslee stood in the doorway not looking too pleased. “I hear congratulations are in order. Get in here,” he said to Charlee, opening the door wider and barely sparing Liam a glance.

  “I'm sorry, you guys,” Mr. Jenkins said. “I didn't realize Kingslee didn't know.”

  “Yes. Imagine my surprise when I walked in here thinking I was invited over for dinner. Instead, I find out that my only daughter has run off and gotten married without me knowing that she was even dating."

  “We wanted to tell everybody at the same time,” Charlee said. “I planned to—”

  “What? You actually planned something?” Kingslee asked, an edge to his voice.

  Charlee felt Liam stiffen next to her, then his hand went to the small of her back. It was nice to know that even though he probably thought she married him under false pretenses, he was there with her.

  “You know what, Dad? I understand if you’re disappointed that we didn’t tell you that—”

  “Does you getting married all of a sudden have anything to do with the CEO position?”

  “Of course not!”

  Anger and hurt battled inside of Charlee. He was getting so good at embarrassing her. First, with Bradley, now with Mr. Jenkins.

  “I would love to have the job that I have worked my butt off for, but I married Liam because I’m in love with him. I love that man more than I love breathing. So the fact that you think so little of me…that you think I’d use him or anyone like that, hurts. I get that you don’t respect me, but—”

  “That’s enough, young lady. If you say that you—”

  “It doesn’t matter what I say. Good to know you think so little of me. I guess that’s why you told my co-worker that I’m lonely. Was it out of pity that you tried to get him to date me?” She swiped at a few tears that fell, horrified that she was crying in front of them. Yet, she needed to tell him how she felt. “Is that the real reason you sent him to New York with me?”

  “You know that’s not true. I’m sorry I jumped to the wrong conclusion about you marrying Liam. After the conversation we had weeks ago about the CEO position, I had to ask. I wanted to make sure you didn’t get married for the wrong reasons.”

  “Well, now you know. You’ll have my letter of resignation on your desk in the morning.” She turned abruptly and headed for the door, but Liam stopped her when his arm caught her around the waist.

  “Hold up,” he said quietly, pulling her against him and wiping tears from her face with the pad of his thumb. “Stop crying, okay?” The tenderness in his eyes almost made her cry harder, and Charlee didn’t think she could ever love him more than she did in that moment. He could have easily believed that she had married him for the wrong reasons. He didn’t. He trusted her, believed in their love for each other.

  “Charlee,” her father said. “Don’t leave like this. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “Actually, before we leave, there are some things that need to be straightened out,” Liam said, his arm still around Charlee. “Mr. Kingslee, I’ve been in love with your daughter for a couple of years. Yes, we got married suddenly, but it wasn’t without me being sure of my intentions. I overheard my grandfather telling you that I don’t usually rush into anything. It’s true. However, when you know you’ve found the right person, you go for it. Which I did.”

  He looked at Charlee, and she fell in love with him all over again. Considering their history, it meant everything that he believed she married him for love and not a job.

  Kingslee’s gaze bounced between her and Liam, while pride showed in Mr. Jenkins eyes. If only her father would look at her like that.

  Charlee lowered her gaze. In all honesty, he did look at her like that most times. Deep down she knew he was proud of her accomplishments. He’d never been stingy with compliments and praised her often. Only recently, he had turned into a male chauvinist.

  “One more thing,” Liam continued. “Your daughter has sacrificed more for your company than you will ever know. Not considering her for the CEO position would be stupid.”

  “Liam,” Mr. Jenkins said in a warning tone.

  “Sorry, Pops. Let me rephrase that. Mr. Kingslee, don’t count her out. She’s a phenomenal woman who would be the best person for the job.”

  Her father nodded. “I’ll take that under advisement.” His attention landed on Charlee. “Sweetheart, before you resign, let’s talk.”

  Emotion clogged her throat. Instead of saying anything, she nodded. Then she and Liam headed to the door.

  “Well, Kingslee, I guess you have your answer.” Steven Jenkins’ voice carried to Charlee’s ears. “Did I ever tell you about my granddaughter, Peyton, the one who took over Jenkins & Sons when I retired?”

  He said more, but Charlee didn’t catch the last of it as they walked out the door.

  “Wait!” her father called out, rushing into the hallway. He reached for Charlee’s hands. “I’m sorry if I hurt you. It wasn’t my intent. I’ve always wanted what was best for you.”

  She wanted to be angry with him, but she couldn’t. For so long it had been just the two of them, and she didn’t want there to be animosity between them.

  “Do you forgive me?” />
  “Yes.” She hugged him. “I forgive you, and I’m sorry you didn’t get to walk me down the aisle.”

  That had been something he had often talked about when she was growing up. He’d been looking forward to throwing her a big wedding and walking her down the aisle.

  “Oh, no. There will be a wedding. Maybe not today or tomorrow, or even next month, but you’re having a wedding.” The words were spoken somewhat jokingly, but Charlee already knew that he would hound her until that day came.

  She went back to Liam. “How do you feel about getting married again.”

  “I think I can deal with that, but do we have to invite my family?”

  Charlee grinned and put her arms around his waist. “I love you.”

  He cupped her cheek, his mouth only inches from hers. “I love you, too. More than anything.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Charlee’s fingers tapped away on the keyboard as she hurried to respond to an email that should’ve been taken care of days ago. As far as she was concerned, there was no such thing as catching up with work. Her to-do list grew faster than she could check items off.

  The last month had been a whirlwind as she and Liam settled into married life. Their worlds had melded together almost seamlessly, and like she expected, he was the perfect husband.

  My husband.

  A wave of exhilaration pulsed through her veins at the thought of the man she vowed to spend the rest of her life with.

  She stopped typing and glanced down at the sparkling wedding ring on her left hand. Shortly after they returned to Cincinnati, Liam had surprised her with a wedding band to go with the original engagement ring. The set was absolutely breathtaking. Even after a month, every few minutes she glanced at the symbol of their union, still amazed that they had gotten a second chance. She was finally married and not to just anyone, but married to the love of her life.

  Even though it was still early in their marriage, she loved everything about being a wife. Even the cooking lessons she’d been receiving from Liam’s mom and grandmother were fun. At least most of the time. Burning the noodles for the mac and cheese didn’t go over well with his grandmother. And his mother was shocked the other Sunday when Charlee ruined the candied sweet potatoes. She had somehow gotten the sugar and salt amounts mixed up.

  All in all, the lessons were going well, and Charlee planned to surprise Liam with a romantic dinner in the near future. For now, he insisted on handling their meals.

  Emery gave a quick knock on the opened office door and rushed in. “The finest man who has ever stepped onto this floor is here to see you. Oh, and I’m not talking about your husband,” she whispered.

  Charlee grinned at Emery’s comical expression. The same look seen on groupies when they spot their favorite singer. Her assistant had done an internship with the company all through college. After graduation, a year ago, Charlee offered her a permanent position. The young woman had more energy than three people put together. She was also extremely efficient with a wealth of knowledge, but it was times like this that reminded Charlee that she was so young.

  “Okaay, so who is this person?”

  “Mr. Garrison. He said you were expecting him, but I don’t have him on your schedule. He’s the new owner of Telecom Solutions.”

  “That’s right. I forgot he was planning to stop by before heading back to Chicago. Sorry, I didn’t mention it to you, but go ahead and show him in.”

  “Do you need me to hang out? Maybe take notes or answer any questions he might have? Or if you like, I can take him to dinner and—”

  “Girl, get out of here and show him in.”

  “Will do,” Emery said, grinning. “And for the record, I was just kidding.”

  “I know you were.”

  “Also, I’m heading downstairs to help Tiffany finish entering the rest of that data into the system. Do you want me to check back in before I leave for the day?”

  Charlee glanced at her watch, noting that it was just after five. “No, that’s all right. I’ll be heading out in the next hour or two. Can you send the calls to voicemail before you leave?”

  “No problem. Have a good evening, and I’ll send Mr. Gorgeous, I mean Garrison in shortly.”

  When Emery walked out, Charlee stood and smoothed out her dress. She was looking forward to meeting the new owner who had purchased the telecom company that Fenlon had used for years. The old owners spoke highly of Garrison, who owned the business with his brothers. They were pleased that the new company had planned to keep the existing employees. No one lost their jobs.

  That, along with what she’d researched on Garrison’s company, was what encouraged Charlee to give them a try. So far, their services had been topnotch. Even though their main office was in Chicago, she never had a problem getting someone out within twenty-four hours.

  “Hello. Ms. Fenlon?” A deep baritone sounded from the door and Charlee’s head shot up.

  Emery hadn’t been kidding. The tall man with a low fade, a little scruff on his face, and a well-built body in a perfectly tailored suit could have easily graced a men’s fashion magazine.

  She hurried around her desk and met him as he moved further into the office. “It’s Charlee, and you must be Mr. Garrison.”

  “Royce Garrison. It’s nice to finally put a voice with a face.” He shook her hand, and Charlee didn’t miss the appreciative, full-body, inspection he gave her. “I had no idea you were this beautiful.”

  Her cheeks heated and she gave a small laugh, flattered by his words. Married or not, she’d be lying if she didn’t admit that it was still nice to get a compliment from the opposite sex.

  “Thank you. Come on in and have a seat. I’m glad we finally have a chance to meet.” She walked around the desk and reclaimed her seat, then gestured for him to sit in one of the guest chairs facing the desk. “I also wanted to thank you for sending people out so fast last week.”

  “I’m glad we were able to accommodate you and your company.” Royce set his laptop bag down and unbuttoned his suit jacket before sitting. “I trust that you were satisfied with the work.”

  “Definitely. I’m glad you were able to send Troy’s team. They’re the ones who originally installed the system.”

  As they discussed Fenlon’s computer network, Charlee couldn’t help but feel that she had seen Royce before. There was something so familiar about him, but she was sure they’d never met.

  For the next twenty minutes, he told her about some of the additional services that they planned to offer their clients in the coming months. Most of what he told her was out of her realm of expertise, but she liked the new pricing system they were implementing.

  “If you don’t mind, I would love for you or one of the other owners, to meet with the head of our IT department. He would be better suited to answer some of your questions about our network needs. Do you have any plans on returning to Cincinnati anytime soon?”

  He crossed one leg over the other but didn’t break eye contact. “I didn’t, but I think that could be arranged.”

  “Okay, I’ll have someone from that office coordinate a date with you or your assistant in the next week or two.” Charlee glanced at her schedule for the day. She needed to do one more thing before she could leave.

  “My flight doesn’t leave for a few hours. Are you available for dinner this evening? Maybe we could—”

  “Sorry, but no.” Charlee lifted her hand and wiggled her fingers, bringing attention to the wedding ring. “I can’t.”

  Royce placed his hand over his heart, mock hurt covering his handsome features. “Ah, man. Somebody beat me to it?”

  Charlee laughed but winced and reached behind her neck when her hair got caught in her necklace.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I remember why I usually have my hair up when I wear this necklace. My curls are caught in the clasp.”

  “Let me see if I can help.”

  Royce moved to the side of the desk, and Charlee gathered
her hair, holding it up to give him better access to the necklace and strands that were caught.

  “Wow, it’s tangled pretty good.”

  He moved more behind her and gently tugged, his fingers grazing her skin. The tickle that shot down her spine had her thinking that this probably wasn’t a good idea.

  “You know what? Don’t worry about it,” she said, trying to move away, but he still had a hold on the necklace and her hair was still caught. “If I have to, I’ll just cut it loose.”

  “Actually, I almost have it. Now, let’s get back to the lucky guy who had sense enough to scoop you up. How long have you been married?”

  “Thirty-three days.”

  Charlee’s head jerked toward the door, and she winced again when her hair pulled. She was surprised to see Liam standing in the doorway holding a white paper bag. The name of her favorite restaurant was printed on the outside of it.

  “Hey, baby,” she said. “I didn’t rea—”

  “Liam?” Royce said from next to the desk, surprise in his tone. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “Why do you have your hands on my wife?”

  “Your wife? You’re married?”

  “Wait. You two know each other?” Charlee was still trying to get her hair free as she slid her chair away from Royce and stood.

  “Yeah, unfortunately.” Liam set the bag on the table that was in front of the sofa and walked across the room to her. His eyes that were intense and hard moments ago, suddenly held a tenderness when he looked at her. “What happen? What’s wrong with your neck?”

  “My hair is caught. Can you…”

  He started working on the problem and within seconds had her unhooked. Then he turned to her guest. “Why are you here, Royce?”

  *

  The heavy weight of unease settled around Liam’s shoulder as Royce slowly moved from the desk. Shock wasn’t a strong enough word to describe what Liam felt when he walked in and saw his cousin. He might’ve known nothing was going on between him and Charlee, but flashes of the past rushed to the forefront of his mind. Every negative emotion that existed swirled inside of him at the sight of his wife being anywhere near the man.