“Mom, are you okay?” I stare straight into her eyes as I hold the dish with her. She stares back too long before answering, which always gives her away.
“I’m fine. Just slipped.” She shakes her head, then stops and looks down to her left, avoiding my eyes. Second sign that something’s wrong.
“I’ll take this, Mom.” I gently pull it from her hands.
“I’m not an invalid, goddamn it,” she says, then sighs.
“No, you’re not, so stop standing there and grab the squash, will ya?” I tease her and grab the potatoes.
This, thankfully, lightens her mood. Mom only gets snippy when she has no control over situations, mainly when she’s affected by her—no, she’s in remission, it’s not that! I eye Dad as I walk into the dining room. He glances away. Fuck, this is not good! This is sooner than last time. Dad brings the oven-roasted chicken legs in while I go to pull Brooklynn (a.k.a. Giggles) away from The Wiggles.
There she is, dancing and giggling to the music. She finally takes notice of me and gives me a face of pure delight, like I’m a puppy she’s unwrapped at Christmas.
“Hi, honey!” I hold my arms out for her.
“I, on-nee!” She sort of repeats me and runs into my arms. She’s the only one with my dark brown hair and green eyes.
“Ready to eat, mama?” I kiss her little chubby cheek and turn off the TV. Brooklynn gives the best little hugs and I’m smack-dab in the middle of one. Sometimes they make me sad because I know she’s my last. I always thought I’d have a couple more. I always wanted a big family. It feels odd, though, that I am the only one out of us five girls that wanted to have a large family. Maybe it’s because I’m the baby. Who knows?
Grace is immediately followed by awkward silence at the table. The O’Briens and the McKendricks don’t normally do awkward silence. We’re certainly not going to start tonight!
“So my new job,” I start. Oh boy. I wonder if these two can still tell when I’m lying—not that I’ve had a huge history of it.
“Yes, tell us!” Mom looks happy to be focusing on someone other than herself.
“I’ve been hired by Colton Technologies. You know that company, Dad, you have stock with them?”
“Very profitable stock, thanks to my daughter.” He winks.
“Well, they have a lot of large meetings that need to be catered, and they wanted someone with a flair for comfort food to be responsible for them. They are marketing this whole ‘Welcome Home’ campaign for their customers, so they want the food to reflect that.” I’d like to say that I’m impressed with how quickly that flew out of my mouth, but truth be told, I just described the dream job scenario that I’ve secretly thought about for a year! I have a Bachelor’s in Education, but cooking has always been my passion. I especially love comfort food—from everywhere!
And while I’m thinking about it—all hail Paula Deen, queen of all things buttery and delicious! Ahh ... if I didn’t love my mama so much, I would totally fantasize about Paula being my mother. She’d knock on my door, and when I’d open it, her beautiful blue eyes would be glistening, her silver hair perfectly in place. And she’d say, “Baby girl ... I’m your long-lost mama, and I’m so sorry I had to give you up, baby. I was poor and wanted you to have a good life.” I’d go right into her arms and cry that I always knew she was my mama. “Don’t cry, Charley, I’m here now. We gonna fix ourselves a nice treat and catch up on things.” Eh ... okay, so I’ve daydreamed about that a little. Sorry, Mom.
“That’s amazing, Charlotte! What an opportunity! How did this all come about?” Uh ... um ... think, Charley!
“Oh, an acquaintance of mine had a little barbeque last week. I don’t know if her husband is friends with him, or where the connection was, but ... Mitch Colton, the owner and CEO, was there. Somehow we got to talking, and when I told him what I do, he said they were looking for someone. I told him that I wasn’t officially set up as a catering company, that I only catered friends’ parties. That seemed to convince him I’d probably be the best candidate.” Holy hell—I could totally be an undercover detective!
“See that, Charley?! He tried to piss in your stew, but he missed!” Dad slaps the table, and I know he’s talking about Josh.
“He’s a wicked missah,” I say, and we both laugh.
“Oh, would you two stop speaking in code!” Mom snaps. We do this often.
“Be nice, Shannon, or we won’t teach you our secret handshake.” Dad wiggles a finger at her. She rolls her eyes.
“So, Mitch,” Mom says. “Single?” She mouths the last part. I immediately feel myself blush as I nod.
“Well, from the look on your face, not for much longer.” She smiles.
“Mom!”
“Oh, honey, your face lit up from the moment you mentioned his name.” She winks. Huh? It did? I try to shrug it off and put more focus into eating my dinner.
Everyone’s focus breaks when we hear a ruckus at the front door.
I look around. “Hey, where are the dogs?”
“With me, dipshit.” CiCi sighs and comes in, my two Dobermans, Loxy and Vader, following behind her. They immediately attack me with their puppy kisses, although they are not so puppyish anymore.
“Nice to see you too, Ceese.”
“That’s some greeting, Carissa Catherine!” Mom snaps.
“What can I tell ya, Mom? Nothing but first-class behavior from me,” she says playfully, giving our parents a kiss.
CiCi is older than me by eighteen months, and she’s the sister I’ve been closest to my whole life. We’ve always traveled in the same circles, and while we don’t always have similar interests, we like to compare notes. Funny thing is, our sister Caroline is her twin, and they love each other solely because they’re supposed to. Other than that, they are polar opposites with completely no understanding of each other.
Dad taps her arm. “When did you get a nose ring?”
“Uh ... like a year ago, Dad.” She rolls her eyes.
“I like it.” He shrugs.
Her eyes light up. “You want one, Dad?”
“No, honey, I’m happy to live vicariously through you,” he says with a chuckle.
“Sit down and eat.” I nod to the empty chair. She grabs a plate and does so.
“How was work today, honey? Did you have to wrestle any of your clients?” Dad asks.
“Has Buddy been back?” Brogan laughs. My sister owns her own pet-grooming business and has had one too many battles with this irate little Chihuahua. Despite his name, he’s nobody’s pal. His owner knows it and pays CiCi double for her troubles.
“No! He’s banned—that little fucker!” She forks a chicken thigh.
“CiCi!” I snap.
“Sorry,” she says, except her tone is more like “whatever ... get over it” instead of remorseful. “Business is starting to pick up, actually. I can give you some hours, Charley.”
“Mom got a new job today, Aunt CiCi!” Brogan interjects, so prideful it makes me love him just a tad bit more than a minute ago.
“Cee Cee,” Brooklynn adds.
“Oh yeah? Where?” She smacks my arm. Mom and Dad happily fill her in. I’m grateful to not have to lie again.
“Mitch? Is that the guy you’re going out with tonight?” As soon as she says it, she remembers and covers her mouth. Too late, bitch—I’ve already unleashed my daggers.
“Mom?” Brogan looks at me, unsure.
“Hold on, honey.” I hold a finger up to him before I turn my eyes back onto CiCi and glare at her some more.
“Stop with the daggers already,” she says quietly as she rubs her arm in a protective manner.
“It’s not a date-date, honey. We’re just hanging out as friends.” Yeah, friends! I look around the table and see not one person who believes a shittin’ thing coming out of my mouth. Even Brooklynn has an eyebrow arched up at me.
“Is he nice, Mom?”
“I think so.” I tread lightly.
“Can we meet him?�
�
“Eventually.” Like when I need to break the contract. “He’s very busy. He flies all over the world, so we won’t see much of him.”
“So nothing will change here?”
“No, honey. You guys will always be the center of my universe, you know that.” I smile. “Although,” I add, “This job will need me at the drop of a dime. They are paying me a lot of money to be able to be there when they need me. So I will be hiring a nanny to help us out here.”
“Charley, we’ll help out,” Mom pipes up.
“I know that, Mom,” I say with a half smile, “but I may have to travel or stay in Boston overnight. I need someone here so when I have to leave, there’s not a step out of place. I don’t have to worry about other people’s schedules this way. Besides, it’ll be good to have someone, if anything, around here to get stuff done.” I take my last bite. “And, Brogan, don’t worry, I’ll make sure we all like this person. Okay?” He just nods. This poor kid—too many changes in such a short time. I’m beyond grateful that I’ve managed to save our house from foreclosure. I think losing this house and moving would’ve been more than we could all bear.
“Charley, honey, your phone is ping-ponging!” Dad yells up the stairs as I finish tucking in the boys.
“Grandpa,” Brogan says, chuckling at the “ping-ponging” comment. I laugh with him. “Have fun tonight, Mom.” He hugs me.
“I will. Get to sleep now.” I kiss his head, then turn around to find Bennett has already passed out. Loxy and Vader walk in and take their respective places, Loxy with Brogan and Vader with Bennett. I give them kisses, too—vicious sweethearts.
I close the door and head downstairs, but immediately pick up my pace when I hear my dad yelling. Dad never yells!
“Listen here, you disrespectful son of a bitch, don’t you ever let me hear you talk or text, or however you kids communicate with each other, that way to my daughter again or I won’t put you over my knees—I’ll break your fucking knees with a baseball bat! I don’t care who you are!” he yells into my cell phone.
“Daddy, who is that?” Josh?
“Charley, you don’t need to be dating a prick like this!” he snaps, then continues on the phone. “She’s a smart, beautiful girl, and a wonderful mother. You ought to consider yourself lucky to know her, and even luckier she’s giving you the time of day! Do your parents know you talk to women like this?” he yells, then listens. “Well, I’m sorry about your mother, son,” Dad cools off a little. “Were you close to her?” he sighs. I stare at him, baffled at his sudden mood change. “Well, how would you feel if someone had talked to her the way that you talked to my daughter?”
“Dad! Who are you talking to?” It’s not Josh. Oh, for the love of God ... please, no.
“It’s Mitch, honey,” he says, giving me an assertive nod to let me know he’s handling the “situation.” “Oh ... she did?” His eyes wrinkle at the corners. “Yes, yes she is. Yep ... everything! Uh-huh ... yes ... did she?” He laughs, and I can’t believe it. Mitch is charming the pants off my father. Happy threatened busted kneecaps, and now he’s warning Mitch not to take me fishing because I’ll shame him. “I’m always up for fishing, Mitch! Sure ... sure! You want to talk to Charley now? Okay, son.” Son? “And we have an understanding, right?” Dad gets all serious again. “She’s been through a lot, Mitch. She deserves only someone with good intentions. Don’t piss in her stew, Mitch! Here she is, son.” He hands me the phone, but I stare at it as if I’ve never seen one before and have no idea as to what I’m supposed to do with it.
“Charlotte?” I hear him call out. I finally bring it to my ear.
“Uh ... hi.” I’m barely audible. Dad gives me a nod of encouragement.
Mom walks in the living room with a very upset Brooklynn. “Charley, she won’t go down for me.”
“I’ll take her, Mom.” I grab her. “Sorry ... can you hold on?” I ask in the phone.
“Of course, baby,” Mitch says, with not a hint of anger. Huh? I’m a little—okay, a lot—confused.
“Mama ... ow-wee,” Brooklynn whimpers.
“Your toothies hurt, baby?” I ask her as we climb the stairs. She nods. “Let’s get you some medicine.” I kiss her cheek and walk into the bathroom. I give her some pain reliever and then bring her to her room. Satisfied that the “ow-wees” will be gone soon, she snuggles up to her lovey. “Night, mamas,” I say softly and put on her Pooh Bear light show. I close the door behind me and head to my room.
“Hi,” I sigh.
“Hi,” he says, followed by a loud burst of silence from both of us. “So ...” he starts. Oh God, here we go—here it is! I sit on my bed, waiting to hear him tell me that it’s over. I fight off the little ache in my chest. “I think your dad will let me take you to the prom now,” he finishes, and my relief brings on a fit of giggles. That’s not exactly what I was expecting him to say. At all. “Can you still come tonight?”
“Will you have me back before curfew?” I grab my overnight bag and put a few things in.
“Absolutely not.”
“Okay. Well then, I’ll be leaving here in about ten minutes.” I throw in my new lingerie.
“Is your baby okay?”
I’m taken aback by the concern in his voice.
“Yeah, she’s just teething.” I stop packing. “Mitch?”
“Hmm?”
“I have kids.”
“Is that a hidden talent of yours?”
“What—having kids? I suppose I’m good at it, I have three.” I finish packing and crack a smile at the sound of Mitch’s laughter.
“Stating the obvious—is that your hidden talent?” he clarifies.
“Oh, yeah ... that too!” I say.
“Hurry up and get here, baby. I’ll text you the address.”
“Okay. I’m heading out now.” I whip my capris and T-shirt off to throw on a short sundress before flicking the light switch.
“Drive safe, baby. I’ll leave the door unlocked for you.” Sexy voice ... mmm.
“Okay. See you soon. Love you, bye!” I hang up. Shit! Oh crap, oh crap! My phone pings.
:-o!!
Stop it! It’s habit! I love most people I talk to on the phone, so I always say that. No need to loosen your tie and pull at your collar to get more air!
It is a little warm in here, isn’t it?
It’s about to get real hot in forty minutes ...
Mmm ... :) Just don’t shoot hearts out of your eyes at me.
How about out of Kitty?
I ♥ Kitty
More like ♥on
Get here five minutes ago, please!
I’m on it!
You will be!
Me♥w!
I head downstairs and find my parents getting ready to leave.
“Call me tomorrow. I want to hear about your date, honey.” Mom hugs me. Oh geez!
“Sorry I got carried away, Charley. I just didn’t like what he said.” Dad says, then hugs me as well.
“That’s all right, Daddy,” I say.
We all head out together, leaving CiCi to hold down the fort and watch reality shows I’ve never heard of like it’s her job.
Love you. I know it was accidental, but those two simple words suddenly sounded like the most amazing thing I’d ever heard, simply because they were powered by her voice.
Ugh! This is Gram getting in my head! We were knee-deep all of five minutes into our visit and she asked, “What’s her name?”
“Charlotte,” I said, then went back to what I was originally talking about, which was not Charlotte.
It creeps me out when she does that shit.
“What?” I finally asked her, after a few minutes of her huge smile.
“I’m not saying. It’s too soon,” she said.
She didn’t say any more, partly because Maggie complained about us signing so fast to each other, which made it difficult for her to properly “eavesdrop.” Which reminds me, I need to ask Gram what she was going to say. I’ll s
top by tomorrow before I leave.
Another half an hour. Thirty minutes ‘til she’s back in my arms. Christ—I haven’t craved a woman like this in years. Just five hours, and I feel like it’s been days ... weeks, even. This feeling is achingly familiar, and yet so foreign to me.
I’m just in a weird funk. We’ll have three months apart—long enough for me to cool my jets. Tonight, though, I’m going to bathe in this ... in her. It’s been too long. Too long since I’ve touched a woman the way I found myself touching her ... worshipping, really. Too long since there was someone I wanted to protect and provide for. Since a woman made me laugh so easily (shit ... I laughed like a teenage girl today!). Too long since I’ve felt ebullience.
Her honesty—cripples me.
Her green eyes—Kryptonite to my soul.
Her touch—ignites every fiber of my being.
Her mind—intrigues me.
Her heart—inspires me.
Fuck ... I’m doomed. I’m going to take the next three months to talk myself down and shake her out of my system, but I know what’s going to happen. After three months, she’ll walk into my arms and I’ll want more. How the fuck did this happen? How did I let this happen? No, no ... I’m in a funk. Gram’s got me going crazy—her and her sixth-sense shit!
She tells me all the time that I have it too, that’s why I’ve done so well for myself. That it’s that gut instinct I never hesitate to follow. She’s right about that—I do what my gut tells me to. I never falter from it. My head usually follows suit; no internal battle.
Now here comes Charlotte, and I’ve got my gut and my head pulling my heart into two different directions! Fuck. Fuck. Fuck and shit. Sometimes, those are the only words one can use in a certain situation. And this is certainly a situation.
“Shit, baby, that must be a real humdinger! If your face looked any more perplexed, you’d turn into a shar-pei.” I jump, and Charlotte smiles. I glance at my watch and back up to her. She’s fifteen minutes early. I should be happy about this, but I feel like I’m about to boil over instead.
“Goddamn it, Charlotte! How fucking fast were you flying?” I get up as I scream at her.
Under Contract (The GEG Series) Page 7
