“But you’ve offered,” Brodie suggested.
“Of course I have,” Charles snapped. “He’s my son, she’s his mother and I—” He broke off, unsure how to finish the sentence when he could barely wrap his own mind around his feelings for Alice and Flynn.
“You care about her,” Amelia suggested in a gentle tone.
Charles took a deep breath. “I do.”
The waitress brought their food at that moment and the table was silent as they were served.
“That changes things indeed,” Jensen said, when the waitress was gone.
“Have you talked to Mum?” Amelia asked.
Charles almost choked on the french fry he’d popped into his mouth. “Bloody hell, no. And I don’t want any of you to, either. I know what she’d say about all of this.”
Amelia leaned forward. “She’d tell you to marry her.” His three brothers nodded. “Perhaps that idea is worth considering,” his sister added. The brothers shook their heads.
“That’s a terrible idea,” Brodie said around a bite of club sandwich. “You can’t possibly marry her.”
“Why not?” Amelia sounded offended on Alice’s behalf.
“Because it gives her the power,” Brodie said, as if the answer was obvious.
“Shall I tell Caitlyn you said that?” Amelia retorted.
Brodie blanched. “No way.”
“You need to get custody of the baby.” Oliver adjusted the cuffs of his expensively tailored shirt.
“Joint custody?” Jensen asked.
Oliver considered that for a moment. “Sole custody.”
“Don’t be daft,” Charles snapped. “I would never try to take Flynn from Alice.”
“Do you have a picture of him?” Amelia asked, clearly trying to diffuse some of the tension at the table. Charles loved his siblings, but he’d forgotten that they could each have strong and very differing opinions.
He wiped his hands on a napkin and pulled out the cell phone from his pocket. He clicked on his photo stream and passed the phone across the table.
“He’s beautiful,” Amelia said with a sigh as she scrolled through the pictures Charles had taken yesterday of Flynn.
“The girl is beautiful, too,” Brodie added, looking over Amelia’s shoulder. He glanced at Charles. “Not your usual type.”
“You don’t need to scroll through all of them,” he said, reaching for the phone.
Jensen grabbed it first and studied the photos, his eyebrows raised. “This one looks like she actually has a brain inside that lovely head.”
“Alice is smart, funny and kind, in addition to being beautiful.” Charles sighed. “I highly doubt she’d want anything to do with me if it weren’t for Flynn.”
“You look happy with them,” Amelia said, taking back the phone and holding it aloft for all the brothers to see. The picture had been taken at the mall’s food court. Charles had been snapping pictures of Flynn, and a few of Alice when he could sneak them in. A woman at the table next to them had offered to take a photo of “the whole family.” Both he and Alice had been embarrassed by the attention but had posed for the camera. Now that Amelia pointed it out, Charles saw that he looked not only happy but also relaxed in the photo, something utterly foreign to him in the past few years.
“Why are you wearing a baseball cap with a longhorn silhouette on it?” Oliver asked as he tipped the phone closer. “And why does it look like you’re in a shopping mall?”
Charles grabbed the device and shoved it into his pocket. “I want to spend time with Alice and Flynn but can’t take the chance of anyone recognizing me. She took me shopping for a more American wardrobe.”
Jensen looked intrigued at this bit of information. “You mean this girl isn’t trying to exploit her connection to you?”
“Not at all,” Charles confirmed. “Alice is even more worried than I am that the tabloids will discover I’m Flynn’s father. We want to have time to figure things out between the two of us before anything goes public.”
“So why go out at all?” Brodie asked. “Can’t you simply visit her at her home or have her to your hotel suite?”
Charles thought about being alone with Alice and sighed. “It’s complicated.”
“He wants to sleep with her,” Oliver said with a laugh.
“No,” the other three siblings said at once.
“It will mess with her head,” Amelia exclaimed.
Brodie pointed a fry at him. “It will mess with your head.”
Jensen nodded. “Whatever you do, don’t sleep with her.”
It was the one thing his brothers and sister all agreed on, making Charles smile. He had no plans to take Alice to bed again, except he couldn’t seem to stop his longing to touch her. Maybe if they were together again, he could get it out of his system. No. Even he was smart enough to realize that once more with Alice wouldn’t possibly be enough.
“Agreed,” he said, meaning the word as he spoke it. “I’m going to take the next couple of weeks to get to know Alice and Flynn better and figure out how to make things work between us.”
“But...” Amelia prompted.
“But I will not sleep with her,” Charles added, and his siblings smiled.
Chapter Seven
Alice tried to focus on her computer screen Thursday morning but still felt like she was in a fog, despite three cups of tarry black swill from the office coffeemaker. Flynn had woken several times the previous night and she’d given up the hope of sleep around 4:00 a.m. It hadn’t helped that anytime she closed her eyes, Charles’s face popped into her mind.
He’d texted on his return from Horseback Hollow Monday afternoon, but she’d texted back that she and Flynn had plans and they could get together over the upcoming weekend. It was an outright lie, but she’d wanted time to shore up her defenses before she saw him again. Unfortunately, that could take a lifetime, and she knew Charles was losing patience with her.
He’d left two messages and texted several more times on Tuesday but she hadn’t responded. She tried to convince herself that she was doing the right thing, that taking it slow would be better in the long run for all of them.
The truth was, she missed him. She missed the way he made her laugh and the fact that she could tease and flirt with him. She missed the way he looked at her like she was the only woman on the planet, one more reason he was dangerous to her heart. She’d seen enough photos and online videos of Charles to understand he gave every woman with him the same smoldering gaze.
Alice wasn’t special, and the fact that he made her feel that way was something she was having trouble overcoming. So her plan to compartmentalize her relationship with him seemed like the best option.
“Are you ready for the marketing meeting?” Meredith peered over the top of the cubicle. “Oh, my. You look awful.”
“Thanks,” Alice said, and patted her palms against her cheeks, hoping to encourage a little color in her sallow, tired complexion. “I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
“I gather it wasn’t Bonnie Lord Charlie keeping you awake until the wee hours.”
She huffed out a laugh. “Hardly.”
“Aren’t you pitching the new international tourism campaign today?”
“Yes.” Alice stood and straightened her dark gray suit jacket. She’d dressed up today to look the part of a seasoned tourism professional rather than a haggard new mom. She wore a tailored suit and a pair of patent-leather sling backs that she hoped would distract her bosses from the bags under her eyes. “I’ve been rehearsing since early this morning, but now I can’t seem to finish a sentence without...” she paused as her mouth stretched open of its own accord “...yawning.”
“You can do this,” Meredith said, but her tone wasn’t convincing.
Alice took a deep breath and one more fortifying gulp of coffee. “I can do this,” she repeated, although she didn’t sound any more certain than her friend.
She followed Meredith to the conference room at the end of th
e hall, holding her notes and handouts tight to hide the trembling in her fingers. Maybe she should have switched to decaf for that last cup of coffee. She desperately wanted her boss to green-light her idea for a new campaign. This was an opportunity to be seen as something more than a researcher and data cruncher for the tourism board. She knew she was good at her job, but she wanted a chance to prove she could handle her own campaign.
She plastered a smile on her face as she walked into the conference room, then ran smack into Meredith’s back as her friend came to a sudden stop in the doorway. Alice peered around Meredith and her smile froze in place.
Charles sat in the chair next to Amanda Pearson, Alice’s direct supervisor. Several other board members sat around the large table. There were two empty seats, one at the far end and one on the other side of Charles.
“Ladies, don’t stand there gawking,” Amanda said with an airy laugh. “I believe you both know Charles Fortune Chesterfield.”
Meredith continued to stare until Alice poked her in the back. “Sit down, Mer,” she said with a hiss.
“Did you know he was going to be here?” Meredith whispered.
Alice gave a sharp shake of her head. “No, but act normal. I don’t want Amanda to guess anything.”
Meredith moved forward. “Lord Charles,” she said, giving an exaggerated curtsy.
He stood, pulling at the cuffs of his crisp white dress shirt. “Please call me Charles,” he said, bestowing on Meredith his most charming smile. “I don’t actually possess a title, despite what the tabloids would have you believe.” He took Meredith’s hand in his, and Alice could see her normally flirty friend’s mouth drop open. Alice had started to think of the way women responded to him as “the Charles Effect.”
Alice was determined to be immune to the Charles Effect today.
“It’s nice to see you,” Alice said, keeping her voice neutral. She took a step toward the far end of the table, but Charles held out the chair next to him.
“Please sit here, Ms. Meyers. I’m looking forward to hearing what you have to say this morning.”
Meredith scooted to the empty chair at the end, leaving Alice to drop into the seat near Charles. Somehow she knew he was referring more to an explanation of why she’d blown him off the past few days than her campaign proposal.
“Charles is interested in working more with our office,” Amanda explained, “and for whatever reason, Alice, he knows you from last year’s conference.” Her boss looked baffled as to why a man like Charles would remember Alice.
“It was your research,” Charles said smoothly. “The figures you presented to support the impact of global tourism on the Texas economy were impressive.”
He dropped his voice so low that only she could hear. “Everything about you impresses me, Alice.”
Her gaze crashed into his for a second. That was all the time she needed for the Charles Effect to kick in. Alice shook her head, trying to keep it clear.
“I thought it would be a good idea for Charles to attend this meeting, since he’s in Austin for a few weeks.” Amanda gave Alice a pointed look. “I hope he won’t be disappointed.”
“That seems unlikely,” Charles added.
“Are you okay, Alice?” her boss asked. “You look pale.”
“Fine.” Alice wasn’t sure she could say more than that at the moment. She was too busy trying not to react to Charles sitting so close to her. Her presentation and handouts were clenched in her fists, and she felt Charles lightly touch her wrist.
“Take a breath, Alice,” he whispered. “You can do this.”
She stood suddenly, wrenching her hand away from his. “The title of the campaign,” she announced, clearing her throat when her voice came out in a squeak, “is It’s Texas to Me, and while it fits into the larger scheme of the official state tourism campaign, it’s also specific to the international market.” She walked around the table as she spoke, placing a handout that showed a print ad mock-up in front of each person. “In our research we’ve discovered that a large percentage of first-time travelers to the United States from other parts of the world visit New York or California. Typically, they add Texas to the itinerary on subsequent trips, but we want to make the Lone Star State a first-run vacation destination.”
She moved back to her place at the table but continued standing. It was easier to keep a bit of distance between herself and Charles this way. “The idea is that we’ll showcase real people from other countries who have vacationed in the state and what Texas means to them. We’ll show them with people from here—iconic cowboys, musicians, celebrities who call Texas home.”
Several of the board bigwigs nodded as she made eye contact, bolstering her confidence. “We’ll focus on what’s special about each region, from the beaches of South Padre Island to the quaint shops of the hill country to the music scene in Austin. The goal is to give it a personal flavor and help travelers feel they have a connection to Texas before they even leave home. To make them think of Texas as their top-choice destination for an American vacation.”
Amanda held up a hand before she could continue. “I think we’ve heard enough, Alice.” The woman’s smile was brittle and Alice realized she’d been right in suspecting that her boss hadn’t really expected her to succeed. “That was—”
“Brilliant,” Charles interrupted, quickly applauding. The rest of the attendees followed suit, and Amanda’s smile froze in place.
“It was a good pitch,” the woman allowed. “Perhaps I wouldn’t go as far as brilliant.”
“I agree with Charles,” David McAvoy, the president of the tourism board, chimed in.
Alice felt her face flush as she sat down again. Charles gave her knee a friendly squeeze under the table. “I want to be involved,” he told the group. “The ties I have to Texas have recently become more personal.” He shot Alice a veiled glance. “And I can leverage my international contacts and the Fortune name here in the States to draw famous faces to the campaign. It has a universal enough appeal to be used in other countries, as well. I imagine the British Tourism Council might be keen on an It’s Britain to Me campaign to run here in the States.” He unleashed one of those killer smiles on Amanda. “If you’re willing to allow Alice to lend me her expertise.”
“Of course,” Amanda told him, and for a moment Alice wondered if Charles was part vampire or some other nonhuman creature, given his ability to dazzle everyone he met with just a dashing grin.
“I have a lunch across town,” David announced, “but get me a budget and time frame for the campaign by tomorrow morning, Alice. I’m going to put It’s Texas to Me on the fast track.”
“Thank you, sir,” Alice said quietly. She stared at Charles while everyone else left the conference room.
“You surprised me today, Alice,” Amanda said from the doorway.
Alice met her boss’s steely gaze. “I surprised myself.”
“I hope you can handle everything managing a campaign involves.”
“I will.”
Amanda took a step forward. “I’ve been thinking about a change in title for you, and this seems like the right time. I’m going to move you from travel research associate to tourism research manager.”
Alice swallowed. “Thank you.”
“Let’s meet tomorrow morning to discuss new job responsibilities and a salary bump.”
“Sounds good, Amanda.”
“Charles, do you have lunch plans?” Amanda asked, running a hand through her thick hair. “I’d love to hear your thoughts on some of our other upcoming campaigns.”
“Thanks for the lovely offer,” Charles said smoothly, stepping forward. “But I do. I’d like to get a few more details on Alice’s plan, but will stop by your office before I head out.”
Her boss, who Alice knew had gone through a divorce late last year, wasn’t deterred. “How long are you in town?”
“That depends,” he answered.
“Give me a call,” Amanda said in a soft purr Alice had nev
er heard before. “I’d be happy to show you around Austin.”
“I appreciate that. It’s a marvelous city.”
“They say everything’s bigger in Texas.” Amanda winked. “But there’s plenty that’s also better—like the women.”
Charles chuckled, while Alice tried not to gag. Amanda was flirting with him as if Alice wasn’t even in the room. And while the line was cheesy, she knew Charles probably heard a half dozen like it every time he left his hotel. It felt like every woman in the state was vying to be the next notch on Bonnie Lord Charlie’s belt.
But not Alice. She was immune to the Charles Effect. Totally immune.
As Amanda left, Alice walked around the table, straightening chairs with a little more force than necessary. “Are you going to go out with my boss?”
“Of course not.” Charles looked offended. “I’d like to go out with you if you’d ever return my messages and texts.”
“I’ve been busy,” she answered, gathering her notes from the table.
“You have a four-month-old baby.”
“Who keeps me busy.”
“Who goes to bed early each night,” Charles countered.
“Me, too.”
“A tempting thought,” he said in a low whisper.
Alice closed her eyes and concentrated on stomping down the butterflies fluttering across her belly. “Why are you here, Charles?” she asked, when she felt safe looking at him again.
“For you,” he answered, his gaze darkening.
And just like that, her defenses crumbled into a pitiful pile around her ankles.
She searched for a way to quickly rebuild them. “How was Horseback Hollow?”
“Have lunch with me.”
“That didn’t answer my question.”
He grinned, but it was different than the one he’d given both Meredith and Amanda. This one seemed genuine, less practiced, as if her prickliness amused him. “Have lunch with me and I’ll tell you all about it.”
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