by SJ McCoy
Ben hesitated, he really didn’t want to answer.
“Go on!” Charlotte smiled as she got up from the sofa. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
He stared at his phone a moment longer. He really didn’t want to answer, but he did. “Hey, what’s the problem?”
“Ben, I’m so sorry. I hate to disturb you, but is there any way you can come over here?”
“What’s the problem?” Why was it that Angel had just told him this morning she was going to stay out of his way, and now she was calling asking for him to go over to Four Mile?
“It’s the reservation system. Remember you showed me what to do when the system freezes? Well, it’s not working. I’m so sorry.”
Ben sighed. The software in the new reservation system was glitchy to say the least. Irritated as he was, it really wasn’t Angel’s fault. “How many times have you tried it?” He looked up as Charlie came back into the room. He really didn’t want to leave her just yet.
“Three,” said Angel.
Charlotte smiled. “Let me guess, it’s work, right?”
Ben nodded and rolled his eyes.
“You’d better go sort it out then, hadn’t you?”
He nodded again, disappointment settling in the pit of his stomach. He so did not want to go. “I’ll be right over,” he told Angel. He ended the call and looked at Charlotte. “I’m sorry. Hopefully it won’t take too long.”
She smiled. “You take as long as you need. I’m sure you need to get back to work anyway. It’s not like I’m going anywhere.” She smiled again. “I’m here for good now. I’ll see you tonight. What time at Giuseppe’s?”
“How about seven? But not at Giuseppe’s, I’ll pick you up.”
“Like a real first date?”
“Like a real first date.” Ben liked the sound of that.
She walked him to the door. “I hate to ask, but was that Angel on the phone?”
Ben nodded. “Yeah. Please let’s not start that again?”
“Okay, but only because you already know how I feel. If you want to …”
Ben held up a hand. “I don’t.” He slid his arm around her waist and drew her closer. “I’ll see you later. What are you going to do?”
“Oh, you know, just get started on a life. Catch up with friends, try to find a job, just little things like that.” She laughed.
“Okay, well good luck with that and if you need any—”
This time it was Charlotte who held up a hand to stop him. “I’m a big girl, Ben. I’ll figure it out. And like I said, I want to come back on an equal footing with you, as an independent person, not as a burden to you.”
“You could never be that. But I do understand what you mean.”
“Good. You’d better get going.”
He hugged her to him and dropped a kiss on her lips, still struggling to believe that she was even here. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“I look forward to it.”
~
Charlotte watched as he pulled away. She wished he didn’t have to go, but she knew how important his work was to him. It always had been and no doubt always would be. She understood that much better now than she had when they were kids. When they were kids, she’d always felt it shouldn’t be his responsibility yet. She felt differently now, not just because he was older and it obviously was his responsibility, but also because she understood him much better now. She raised her eyebrows; was that true, and if so, how could it be? She hadn’t been around him for years, so how could she understand him better? She gave a rueful smile as she went back inside. Perhaps it was because she was as grown-up now as Ben had been when he was seventeen.
She wandered around the house thinking about everything they discussed. When he first arrived, she’d been so determined that she didn’t want to interfere in whatever was going on between him and Angel. She didn’t want him to be with her out of some sense of obligation. She wanted him to feel free to choose. He had chosen. She smiled—he’d chosen her. Her smile faded a little. He’d chosen her and then Angel had called. No, that wasn’t fair. He hadn’t left to go and see Angel; he left because work needed him. An uneasy shiver ran down her spine. Work always came first for Ben. And Angel was a part of his work. No! She had to get a grip. She tried to make him explore whatever feelings he might have for Angel, and he’d flatly refused. He refused because he wanted to be with her because the two of them had wanted to be together since they were ten years old. She had to believe in that; she had to believe in them. It was right that they should take things slowly, but she shouldn’t go to the extreme of pushing him away.
Ben had gone back to work. He was getting on with his day, and she needed to do the same. She needed to make a start on all the things she’d told him she was going to. Make a start on her life here. She didn’t know yet what she was going to do about work, but she could get to that on Monday. She did know that she wanted to start catching up with old friends though. She needed to call Emma. She would’ve heard if the baby had been born already but it must be due anytime now. And Michael, too, his girlfriend, Megan, must be about ready to have their baby. And at some point, she’d have to pop next door to say hi to April. It made her smile to think she was living next door to the girl who’d helped her through that night in Vegas. She picked up her phone. First of all, she wanted to check in with Missy.
~
Ben pulled up in front of the lodge at Four Mile. He turned off the ignition and sat for a moment gathering his thoughts. If Angel hadn’t called, he no doubt would still be at Charlotte’s place right now. Even that was a lot to take in—the fact Charlotte now had a place here. Wow! It was finally happening. He shook his head. It was strange after all the conversations he’d had this week, now Charlotte really was here, and Angel was the one to call him away from her.
He rubbed his hands over his face and then took a deep breath and got out of the car. Even Charlotte had thought that there might be, and possibly should be, something going on between him and Angel.
“Hey!” There she was, standing outside the reception waiting for him.
He smiled. She was undoubtedly a good-looking woman. She was great to work with, easy-going, efficient, and if he was honest, a lot of fun. The only thing going against her was the fact that she wasn’t Charlotte.
He ran up the steps and greeted her with a smile. “Hi. Let’s get this system reset, shall we?”
She nodded. “I’m sorry I had to drag you over here, especially after saying this morning that I’d leave you alone.”
“It can’t be helped. And I really don’t think we should have to avoid each other.”
“You don’t?”
Ben shook his head. She looked a little too eager for him to be comfortable. “No.” Even as he said it, he knew he wasn’t being entirely honest. They shouldn’t have to avoid each other, but he had a feeling he was going to be avoiding her anyway.
She followed him through to the office where he sat down at the computer. He tried the usual fix for the reservation system, but it didn’t work. Damn! This was going to take a while and he really didn’t want to be here.
Angel peered over his shoulder. “I have no idea what I did to it, I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. It just happens sometimes.”
Her hair brushed Ben’s shoulder as she reached past him to pick up a pen. He closed his eyes as a hint of her perfume filled his nostrils. He wished he didn’t feel attracted to her, but there was no denying it, he did. Why? That was what he didn’t get. That was what he’d been denying to himself all along. He didn’t want to be attracted to her; he was in love with Charlotte.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I just get frustrated with the system at times.” There went another lie. He didn’t like it. He may not be as forthright as Missy, but he did pride himself on being an honest man. He sat in silence staring at the screen trying to ignore Angel as she moved around him. He willed the reboot to go faster; he just wanted to g
et out of here. He wanted to get away from Angel. “Okay,” he said when it was finally done, “it shouldn’t give you any more trouble for a while now.”
“Thanks so much. And sorry again for dragging you over here.”
“No problem.”
“I was thinking about what you said this morning.”
Ben shook his head adamantly. “Don’t. I don’t think we should think about it or talk about it anymore.” He felt bad as she looked up at him, eyes wide, but it couldn’t be helped. This was one thing he was going to be completely honest about. “Charlotte’s back. She’s here. She arrived last night.”
Angel looked stunned for a moment, then she visibly pulled herself together and forced a smile. “That’s wonderful news for you. You must be so happy.”
“I am.”
As he got back in his car and drove away, headed back to the resort, he had to wonder why, for the second time that day, he felt sad about what he’d just told Angel.
When he got to the resort, he went straight to the Boathouse. There were still a few stragglers from the lunchtime crowd, but other than that, the place was quiet in the mid-afternoon lull. He smiled when he saw Pete and Jack sitting in a booth in the corner. Pete looked up and grinned when he saw him.
“Hey, bud! Come on over.”
Ben made his way to them, wondering as he went why he still hadn’t made time to call Pete and tell him about Charlotte. As he reached the table and saw their grinning faces, he realized it was too late. They obviously already knew.
“So, how does it feel? She’s finally back! And you didn’t even tell me she was coming.” Pete raised an eyebrow, seeming to imply something was amiss.
Jack grinned at him. “I bet you’re walking on air, aren’t you?” He looked at Pete. “And why should he have told you? We don’t all have to report every movement to you, you know?”
Pete laughed. “I know.” He looked up at Ben. “It’s just that I thought you’d be so thrilled you wouldn’t be able to wait to share your news. And yet you didn’t even tell your oldest friend.”
Ben smiled at them. “I do feel like I’m walking on air. After all this time, it’s hard to believe she’s really here.”
“I’ll bet it is,” said Jack.
“Oh, shut up!” Ben said with a laugh to Pete who was giving him his best intimidating stare.
Pete tried to look innocent. “I don’t know what you mean. I’m just waiting to see what you have to say. I’m curious.”
Jack looked from Pete to Ben and back again. “Should I make myself scarce? I know there’s some major undercurrent here, but I have no idea what it’s about.”
Ben laughed. “No, no need. It’s just Pete doing what Pete does best.”
“Well, does the reality live up to the fantasy? Was it worth putting half your life on hold?”
Ben stared at him. “Really? Charlotte’s back after all this time, and that’s what you want to know?”
“Yep, it sure is.” His face softened and he smiled. “I hoped against hope for you all these years. I thought you were a fool, as you well know. And now I’d like to hear that I was wrong.”
“In that case,” said Ben with a smile “I’m more than happy to tell you that you were wrong. I’ve always known it was worth putting my life on hold for.”
“And you’re saying the reality lives up to the fantasy?” Pete raised an eyebrow.
Ben shrugged. “Fantasy and reality never match up. But that’s okay, I prefer reality anyway.”
“So, where do you go from here?” asked Jack. “I’ve had to listen to Em chatter on about the two of you for the last nine months. And I’ve always wondered what would happen if you did get back together. I mean, you haven’t been around each other for years. It’s not like you can just pick up where you left off, is it? So much has changed in all that time. You’re both different people now than you were then. How do you plan to handle that?”
Ben laughed. “Now you sound like him. What’s the plan?”
They both laughed with him.
“Honestly, I don’t know what the plan is yet.” He shot a look at Pete. “I may need to come to you for help on that one.”
Pete nodded, looking more serious now. “Any time, you know that.”
“Thanks.”
“Okay, there’s no big overarching plan, I get that,” said Jack. “But short term what’s happening? Where’s she staying?” He grinned. “Are you taking any time off?”
Ben smiled. “She’s rented herself a little house out on Lexington Drive. And as for me taking any time off,” he pursed his lips, “I might just do that.”
“Since you’ve got such a capable assistant these days?” asked Pete.
Ben met his gaze. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”
Pete shrugged. “Exactly what I said. You never wanted to take time off before because you didn’t have Charlotte, and you weren’t able to take time off because you didn’t have Angel. These days you have both. What I don’t know is whether that’s the best of all worlds or the worst of all worlds.”
The way Pete’s blue gaze bored into him made Ben feel uncomfortable. “I feel like whichever way I answer will be the wrong way. As far as I’m concerned, Charlotte being here makes it the best of all worlds. End of story.”
Pete nodded slowly. “Then that’s all that matters, isn’t it?”
“It is. Anyway, I’ll let the two of you finish your lunch, and I’ll get back to work.”
Chapter Eleven
Charlotte was nervous when Ben pulled up at her place to take her to Giuseppe’s. She hadn’t expected to be, but she was. This really did feel like a first date, only worse in many ways. She wasn’t meeting a total stranger. She was meeting her oldest friend, a man she described as her soul mate, and yet, in some ways he did feel like a total stranger. She knew so little about his life now, so little about what he’d done in all the years they’d been apart. They weren’t just getting to know each other, they were starting to get to know each other again. Getting to know who they each were now. They shared so much history, but they still had so much to learn. She’d been ready far too early, she’d been sitting out here on the porch waiting for what felt like ages, but she was still surprised to see Ben’s car.
She smiled when he climbed out and greeted her with a smile. “I’m sorry I’m late.”
“You’re not. I was way too early. I’m nervous, can you believe that?”
“Hell yeah, I can. I’m nervous too.” He smiled. “Who would’ve guessed that being nervous would make us each react the opposite way?”
She raised an eyebrow “What do you mean?”
“I mean it makes you early and it makes me late.”
She laughed. “Yeah, we must have it bad, huh?”
“I know I do.” The way he looked at her made her insides melt. He was so damned gorgeous.
He held his arm out to her. “Shall we?”
She slipped her arm through his with a smile. “Yes, please.”
When they arrived at the restaurant, she looked around. Giuseppe’s had been the new place when she was last here. Now it seemed old and a little rundown. They didn’t seem too busy either.
When they were seated and they’d ordered their drinks, Ben reached across the table and took hold of her hand. “I can’t believe we’re really here, really doing this.”
“Me neither. I’m afraid I’m going to wake up at any moment and I’ll be back in my flat in London and this will all have been a dream.”
He smiled. “It is a dream, but it’s a dream come true.”
The server returned with their drinks. “Do you need a few minutes?”
Ben raised an eyebrow at her. She smiled and said, “No, we’ll share a large pizza, pepperoni, sausage, and extra cheese.”
“Will that be all?”
“Yes, that’s it. Thank you.”
Ben chuckled. “I wondered if you’d remember.”
“Remember? How could I ever forget?”
>
For a moment, he looked sad and Charlotte squeezed his hand again, feeling terrible. “I wasn’t sure, I didn’t know. I haven’t known all these years, Charlie. All the little things that, to me, were unforgettable, I didn’t know …”
“Well, you do now. No matter how it may have seemed, no matter what you thought after … After what my parents did to us. Now you can know with absolute certainty that I never forgot. I never forgot anything. Not one single little silly thing.” She met his gaze, trying to blink away the tears that threatened to fall. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to get all heavy on you straightaway. It just breaks my heart to think that you doubted. Don’t get me wrong, I understand why. I doubted too. When you didn’t answer that last long letter I sent you … I doubted everything.”
“But now we know better. Now you know that if I’d ever received that letter I would have answered you.” He nodded, looking close to tears himself. “And now I know that you didn’t think the resort was more important to me than you were.”
“I still can’t believe they did that.”
“I spent a lot of time trying to understand it. I don’t want to be angry at them, I want to try to see why they thought it was best for you.”
“You’re too understanding, Ben. You want to believe that they were doing the best for me. I can’t make myself believe that. They do what’s best for them—always have—and I suppose they always will.”
“And what did they think of you coming back here?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know what they’ll make of it, and I don’t really care.”
“You didn’t tell them?”
“No. I didn’t. I didn’t want to have to deal with them and their opinions. I just left. Don’t look at me like that. Please don’t disapprove. I will talk to them, but it takes them a while to catch up. I only just got my divorce through and they thought Alastair was quite a catch.” Ben still didn’t look convinced. “Have you told your parents?”
Ben shook his head. “No, but you know that’s not because I’m afraid of getting any resistance from them.”
Charlotte’s stared at him for a long moment. “Do you get along with them any better these days?”
