Easy Charm

by Kristen Proby

  “I would have let you,” Beau says. “If I could have helped.”

  “I’d like to kill him myself,” I add.

  “Let me put it this way,” Ben says as he steps closer to me. I stand my ground, looking him unblinkingly in the eyes. I’ll be damned if he’s going to intimidate me and scare me away. “If you fuck with her and break her heart, I’ll kill you and no one will ever find the body. I may go to jail, but it won’t be because they found your body.”

  “I’m not going to hurt her,” I reply and shake my head. “Hurting her is the farthest thing from my mind. I love her, for fuck sake.”

  I push my hands through my hair and pace. “Why does everyone always assume that I’ll break her heart?”

  “Because you’re not permanent,” Declan replies. “You’re here for a while, but then you’re leaving again, and Gabby’s home is here.”

  “I am gone a lot for my job,” I agree. “But that doesn’t mean that Gabby and Sam can’t join me in the summer sometimes, or that I can’t make New Orleans my home base.”

  “You’d do that?” Beau asks, not looking convinced. “You’d uproot your life for her?”

  “I’d do anything for her,” I reply honestly. “She is all that matters.”

  “There’s Sam too,” Eli says. “They are a package deal.”

  “Absolutely. Jesus, do you all think I’m such an asshole that I don’t know that Sam is, and will always be, a part of it?”

  “We don’t think you’re an asshole,” Declan says. “We’ve seen the way you look at Gabby, the way you treat both of them, and if we thought it was with anything less than love and kindness, we’d have killed you already.”

  “But kids complicate relationships,” Ben says. “People put up with someone’s kid for a while, and then get tired of them.”

  Now I’m just getting pissed.

  “Those people are assholes,” I reply coldly. “Sam is a great boy. He’s smart and loving, and I love having him around. He’s not an add-on or something for me to tolerate.”

  “Gabby’s young, and she’s been through a lot,” Eli begins, but I whirl, cutting him off.

  “You’re pissing me off with this whole Gabby’s innocent and weak shit you keep flinging at me. She’s not fucking weak. She’s the strongest person I know, and if you had any respect or love for her at all, you’d see that too. If she didn’t want me around, or if I did something to piss her off, trust me, she’d be the first to kick my ass.

  “She’s the most amazing mother I’ve seen, and I was raised by one of the best there is. She loves that boy more than anything. She’d die before she ever let him come into harm’s way. But you know what? She’d do the same for any of you, or anyone else she loves. She’s fiercely loyal, and she loves so big for someone so small.

  “Just because she’s a little thing doesn’t mean that she’s weak.”

  I stop pacing and ranting to find all four men standing with their arms crossed and smiles on their faces.

  “You’re right,” Beau says. “So what are you going to do?”

  What am I going to do?

  “I’m going to make sure she knows how magnificent she is, and I’m going to beg her to have mercy on me and be with me forever.”

  “There better be a ring in there somewhere,” Beau says.

  “She can have anything she wants,” I reply. “You guys do know that I do quite well at baseball.”

  “If we didn’t think you could take care of her, you wouldn’t be here,” Ben says quietly. “But the money is only one piece of it. No woman we love will ever be hurt by a man again, not if we can stop it.”

  “I get it.” I rub my hands over my face, and then meet Eli’s eyes with mine. “You know I get it. Kate was hurt more than any human being should be, and I couldn’t stop it. It’s the most helpless, fucked-up feeling there is. No one deserves that. You have to know that I’d kill anyone that ever tried to hurt her that way again.”

  “I do know,” Eli says with a nod.

  “And I’d die before I ever let Gabby be hurt. I don’t want to hurt her, I want to love her. I want to make sure she and Sam are safe and happy, always.”

  .Beau, Declan, and Ben are much more relaxed. Almost…jovial.

  “Did I miss something?”

  “Nope, we’re just happy with your response,” Beau says. “Shall we go back in so I can continue to kick Eli’s ass at pool?”

  “Fuck that. I have a woman waiting at home,” Eli says with a grin. “I’m out of here.”

  Gabby is waiting at home, too, and she hasn’t been feeling well. Not to mention, she and I need to have a talk.

  “I’m out too,” I reply.

  “I’ll play,” Declan says. “Come on, Beau. We can take Ben.”

  “You can’t take me at anything,” Ben replies with a laugh. “But you can sure as fuck try.”

  “I was fucking winning,” Beau says with a scowl.

  “Come on, take it like a man,” Ben says.

  ***

  It wasn’t terribly late when I got back last night, but Gabby was already asleep, and now I feel her trying to quietly slip out of the bed without waking me.

  She’s fucking avoiding me.

  And it’s pissing me off.

  I let her slide out of the bed, and when she’s a few feet from the bathroom, I say, “We need to talk, Gabby.”

  She stops in her tracks and her shoulders sag as she turns around and stares at me with sleepy eyes. “About what?”

  “About why you’re avoiding me.”

  “I’m not,” she says and pushes her hand through her hair as I climb out of the bed. “I was trying to let you sleep. Sam and I are heading into the city for the day.”

  She doesn’t say it out loud, but without you is obviously at the end of that sentence.

  “Did I do something to piss you off?”

  She frowns and looks down at her feet, then up at me. “No.”

  “Then what’s wrong, baby?”

  She shakes her head, but before she can deny that anything is going on, I grip her shoulders in my hands and kiss her forehead. “Something is wrong, and I need to know what it is.”

  She steps back out of my grasp. “I’ve told you a hundred times, nothing is wrong.”

  “You’re lying.”

  She shakes her head stubbornly. “Stop this. I told you. Nothing. Is. Wrong. Now drop it. I don’t need this from you, Rhys. If you don’t like my answer, that’s your problem.”

  She stomps into the bathroom and slams the door, and I decide to give her space for now before I say something I’ll regret.

  Like stop fucking lying to me and just tell me what the fuck has crawled up your ass.

  That won’t help anything.

  So I return to my own room upstairs, and take a shower, answer some emails, and waste a bit of time, and when I’m sure that Gabby and Sam are gone, I head downstairs.

  Eva, the new employee, is in the kitchen getting breakfast ready for the guests. Eva is in her fifties, recently widowed, and wealthy. But she’s also lonely, and this job was right up her alley.

  She smiles as I walk in the kitchen.

  “Can I get you anything, Mister Rhys?”

  “No thank you, Miss Eva,” I reply with a smile. She raises the spatula and points it at me, a smile on her pretty face.

  “You’re too skinny. You need to eat.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” I wave and leave out of the back, heading for the road. I need to work off some of this frustration. I plug my earphones in my ears and jog, then work my way into a run.

  Something is very wrong with Gabby. When I pulled her into my arms last night, I could tell that she’d been crying. Why won’t she just talk to me? I can’t fix it if I don’t know what’s wrong.

  I run for thirty minutes, then turn around and head back toward the inn.

  I have no idea where she and Sam went this morning. Not that she needs to check in with me, but she usually lets me know if s
he’s not going to be around. It’s just a matter of consideration for each other.

  And, goddamn it, I miss her.

  I run around the inn to the barn and spend another hour working on stretches and weight training. The music is still pulsing in my ears when it suddenly stops and my phone starts ringing.

  “Hello.”

  “Where the hell are you?” I frown and stare down at Melanie’s name on my phone.

  “What are you talking about? I’m in New Orleans.”

  “You’re supposed to be in Chicago, today, to film the Children’s Hospital commercial.” She sounds very shrill, and very pissed. “I can’t believe you forgot, Rhys!”

  Fuck.

  “I’m sorry. I can be there today. Charter me a plane and I’ll be on my way to the airport in less than thirty minutes.”

  “Make it fifteen,” she growls and ends the call.

  “Damn it,” I mutter and run for the house. I don’t have time for a shower, but take a quick one anyway, throw some clothes on, and then simply scoop up my things and throw them all in my duffel.

  I have no idea what I’ll need, so I just take it all. I didn’t have much to begin with anyway.

  Gabby’s phone rings and rings, and finally sends me to voice mail. Where the fuck is she? I don’t want to leave without explaining to her what’s happening.

  I run past Eva and out to my car, then peel out of the driveway, headed to the airport.

  I try to call Gabby again, but it’s no use. So I send her a text.

  I’m needed in Chicago. I had to leave.

  I’ll call her when I get there and explain it all to her. I already miss her. I’ve been missing her for days. I wish I’d had a chance to kiss her and hold her in my arms before I left.

  I wish she’d fucking talk to me.

  Chapter Eighteen

  ~Gabby~

  “Mom, I’m hungry.” Sam’s shuffling his feet as he follows me out of the mall toward our car. We’ve been shopping for school clothes and new linens for the inn all morning, and I admit, I’m hungry too, which is a relief because food hasn’t set well on my stomach for days.

  “I know, buddy. Let’s go get some lunch.”

  “But it’s not even eleven. It’s too early for lunch.”

  “Okay, let’s go get a second breakfast,” I reply with a laugh and pull my phone out of my pocket to check it. I’ve missed three calls from Rhys, and one text from an hour and a half ago.

  I’m needed in Chicago. I had to leave.

  I read it three times, hoping the words will change, but each time they’re the same.

  He’s gone.

  He’s gone.

  And why am I surprised? I knew this day was coming. He’s never been permanent, but I thought that he would have at least said goodbye in person.

  I try to call him back, but it goes directly to voice mail. Seriously? How could he have caught a flight in less than two hours?

  I guess he was in a hurry to leave.

  “Mom, it’s getting hot in here,” Sam whines from the back seat. I meet his eyes in the rearview mirror and want more than anything to fall apart.

  How am I going to explain this to him? He loves Rhys just as much as I do.

  “Sorry, buddy,” I reply and turn the car on, blast the air conditioning, and chew my lip while I try to figure out what to do.

  What do I do?

  I can’t fall apart in front of Sam. And I’m not ready to tell him that Rhys is gone. I just don’t know how I’m going to do that.

  I need my mama.

  The ten-minute drive to her house seems endless.

  “Why are we going to Nannan’s?” Sam asks.

  “Just because,” I reply and pull in her driveway. Sam follows me up to the front door of the massive house, and when Mama answers, she smiles and hugs us both.

  “This is a nice surprise. Come on in.”

  “I need a favor,” I reply immediately, and Mama’s shrewd eyes narrow as she pats Sam on the head.

  “Sam, why don’t you go pour yourself some sweet tea?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Do you have any food? I’m starving!”

  “You can help yourself to a cookie, and I’ll make you something in a minute.”

  “Thanks, Nannan,” he says with a grin and heads out to the kitchen.

  “What’s wrong?” she asks immediately when Sam is out of earshot.

  I shake my head, still not ready to fall apart. “I have a lot on my mind. Would you mind keeping him overnight? I know it’s short notice, and I’m sorry.”

  “He can stay as long as you need him to, but you didn’t answer my question.”

  “I think I might be heartbroken,” I whisper and find myself immediately caught up in her arms, held close.

  “He’s a fool,” she says simply, then pulls away and pats my cheek. “And you’re worth more than that.”

  “You don’t even know what happened.”

  “I don’t need to; I’m your mama. Go ahead and go. I’ll keep Sam.”

  “Thanks, Mama.”

  Once in my car, I immediately drive into the Quarter and park in front of Charly’s shop. She’s the only one who knows everything. I need her.

  I push inside and find Charly arranging a hat on a mannequin. There are no customers in the store. She glances up and smiles, and then sobers when she sees my face.

  “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

  And now the tears come, hard and fast, swooping over me like waves on the shoreline, and I’m lost under them. I can’t breathe, I can’t think, I can only cry and cry. Charly wraps me in her arms and rocks me back and forth, murmuring in my ear, but I can’t hear the words.

  All I know is that another man that I cared for is gone. But even worse, the only man I ever loved just walked out of my life.

  Without saying goodbye. Without even a backward glance.

  “He’s gone,” I whisper when the worst of the sobs have subsided.

  “What?” She grips my shoulders and pushes me back so she can see my face. “Are you kidding me?”

  “No, I got this text this morning.” I show her the message and begin crying again.

  “He sent a text?” she asks.

  I simply nod and take a deep breath.

  “So, you told him you’re pregnant and he cut out of here? What the fuck is wrong with men?”

  I glance down, embarrassed, and Charly shakes her head adamantly.

  “No. No, Gabby. Don’t tell me you didn’t tell him!”

  “I didn’t tell him.”

  “Why the hell not? You’ve had days to tell him!”

  “Because I was just starting to get my own head wrapped around it,” I reply and pace away from her, touching the pretty shoes she has displayed throughout the store. “And then he went to hang out with the boys last night. I was surprised he came home without any bruises.”

  “What did the boys do?” she asks, surprised.

  “I don’t know. Eli said they wanted to include him in a guys’ night with Beau, Dec and Ben.”

  “Ben?” Her eyes go wide and she swallows hard. “And Rhys returned alive?”

  “I know. I was a little surprised.”

  “Why didn’t you tell him when he got back?”

  “I pretended to be asleep.” I wince. If I’d known that it would be the last night I’d have with him, I wouldn’t have done that. I would have embraced him and let him make love to me. I would have talked to him all night, and I would have savored every smell, every sound, every moment. “I know, Char. I know I should have told him, but it didn’t exactly work out well for me the last time I had to tell a guy that I was pregnant.”

  “Rhys isn’t that piece of shit Colby, Gabs.”

  “No,” I agree and sigh. “I understand that not all men are Colby. But he still left. He didn’t even say goodbye to Sam. How am I supposed to tell Sam that he’s gone, and we weren’t important enough to say goodbye in person?”

  “Where is Sam?”

&nbs
p; “With Mama.”

  She nods and leans on her counter, demolishing a paperclip as she thinks.

  “And Eva is taking care of the inn?”

  I nod. “I brought Sam into the city for school clothes and some new things for the inn. Eva’s taking over all day.”

  “Wow, you took a whole day off that isn’t a Sunday.”

  “I needed to get away and think.”

  “You’ve been doing a lot of thinking, Gabby. It was time to talk.”

  “It doesn’t matter. He’s gone.”

  “You have his phone number.”

  “Stop, Charly. I don’t know what I’m going to do.” I shake my head and feel the tears want to start again. “I need to not think about this for a while. I need to clear my head.”

  “Okay.” Charly grins and points to a stack of shoe boxes. “You can display those. And wait on customers when they come in.”

  That dries up the rest of the tears. “You want me to work for you?”

  “Yep.”

  “So much for a day off.”

  “It’ll take your mind off of he who shall not be named, and I can keep my eye on you. Win-win.”

  “What are you going to pay me?”

  “Lunch.” She grins as a customer walks in and begins browsing through the shoes. “There’s your first customer.”

  “I really wanted to spend the day wallowing in self-pity.”

  “Too bad,” Charly says. “I don’t have time for that. We will work, and then we’ll wallow.”

  “Why are you wallowing?”

  “Because you are,” she replies, as though I’m just being stubborn. “Women wallow together, sugar. Now, go greet your customer.”

  And with that, she walks through a curtain to the stock room.

  I turn and smile at the blonde wandering among the shoes. “Good morning. Can I help you find anything?”

  “Well, I’m not sure,” she replies and glances up to smile back at me. She’s beautiful with long, loosely curled hair and big blue eyes. She’s in a tank top, showing off some of the most amazing tattoos I’ve ever seen on her right arm, and she’s got a great rack.

  “What are you in the mood for?”

  “I’m in the mood to kick a man’s ass,” she replies and then laughs. “And shoes always make me feel better.”