by Olivia Miles
“Yes, but you said he had money. The child support would at least make your life easier,” Greg pointed out.
“Money isn’t everything,” she said firmly, silencing him with those words.
Anything else he might have said stopped there. Money wasn’t everything, and that was a lesson he had learned growing up. Even without his unknown father’s input, his mother might have been able to buy him the best gifts and send him to the best schools, but money didn’t buy someone’s love. There had been times over the years when he had thought of his father, especially as he grew older, and watched his friends become fathers themselves, but he never missed him. He couldn’t miss someone he never knew, an experience he never had. And he didn’t long for it, either.
He looked down at Audrey through the window, noticing the way her chubby hands gripped the edge of her soft pink blanket. What kind of man would deny this child and leave Charlotte to fend for herself? No man at all, he decided.
“It’s getting cold. Let’s go home,” Charlotte said. Home. She said it casually, without apology or even explanation after the words were out, perhaps not even realizing what she had said. But Greg didn’t mind.
In fact, he rather liked it. And he decided not to read into that sentiment any further.
“I have a better idea,” he said. He pointed to the crowd that was gathering along the sidewalk. “Don’t you think Audrey would like to see the Christmas parade instead?”
Chapter Twenty-Three
The Christmas parade?” Charlotte gave Greg the once-over. “I didn’t think this was your type of thing.”
“It’s not,” he admitted. He shrugged. “My grandfather used to bring me every year. We did the whole cocoa and Christmas market bit, too, believe it or not. I haven’t been back to it since he passed away.”
Charlotte frowned. She knew better than to ask if his mother had brought him. “I didn’t realize you ever spent holidays in Misty Point.”
“We didn’t really. We were always in Boston. But we’d come to town for weekends throughout the year, and this event was usually timed with that visit.” He frowned. “I wonder if my grandfather planned it that way. My grandfather loved Christmas. I think that’s why he started the company.”
“But your mother—” Charlotte looked confused.
“Hates Christmas?” Greg finished for her.
“Maybe it makes her sad,” Charlotte said. “Christmas is a tough time of year for some people.” It had been miserable for her last year, spending it alone.
“My mom never really talks about her parents. Heck, she rarely speaks of anything but the business anymore. Guess somewhere along the way, I gave up trying.”
“Don’t give up,” Charlotte said, grabbing him by the arm. He seemed puzzled by the firmness in her voice, but she didn’t care. “You don’t ever give up on family. You just…keep trying.”
He stared at her, and finally nodded. Something in his eyes told her he might just follow her advice.
They put Audrey back in the stroller and walked back down Harbor Street toward the town square, where crowds had already gathered around the large tree set up in the center. Greg stopped to get them each a hot cider while Charlotte added another blanket to Audrey, who was fast asleep in her stroller.
“She’ll miss the show,” Greg pointed out.
“That’s okay.” Charlotte sipped her cider while she pushed the stroller with one hand. “She needs her rest and…it’s nice having a little peace and quiet for a moment.” She grinned, and Greg did, too.
“You know,” Charlotte said. “I wonder if I ever saw you here. I used to come every year to this event with my family.”
And she’d be looking oh so forward to sharing it with Audrey once she was a little older. Audrey might not remember this experience, but Charlotte would, and she would tell Audrey all about it someday…
Omitting the part about the fake family and all that, of course.
Instead she’d just refer to him as a friend. And he was a friend, in a strange sort of way. Who knew…maybe they’d even keep in touch after the month was over. She was starting to hope they would.
Oh no, she thought, setting a hand to her stomach. She was falling for him. For the good looks and the easy charm.
Just like she’d fallen for Jake. And she knew how that had turned out.
She chewed her lip. She felt unsteady, unsure. She was in too deep. She’d let herself slip. And she’d promised herself never to do that again. She’d promised Audrey.
“Charlotte?”
At the sound of her name, Charlotte turned, feeling herself blanch when she saw her sister waving at her through the heavy crowd.
Before she could process what was happening, Kate and Alec were pushing their way through the people toward her, their smiles turning to expressions of confusion when they noticed Greg standing beside her.
“This is a surprise!” Charlotte chuckled nervously and leaned in to give her sister a quick peck on the cheek. She stepped back, hoping that somehow Greg had magically disappeared, but nope, he was still right at her side.
“You know I never miss the parade or the tree lighting!” Kate explained. “I was going to call you to join us, but…” Her eyes skirted to Greg and Charlotte sighed heavily. There was no avoiding it.
“Kate, this is Greg.” She could only hope that was vague enough.
Her sister smiled as if nothing was amiss, and Charlotte breathed a little easier. “Nice to meet you. I’m Charlotte’s older sister.”
“Ah, yes, Charlotte has told me all about you.”
Kate raised an eyebrow, and Charlotte said hurriedly, “He knows I work for your company.” Immediately, she regretted mentioning the business. Quickly, she said, “Have you seen Audrey? She’d wearing that pretty red dress you gave her.”
Distraction successful, Charlotte watched as Kate leaned down to coo over the baby. “Greg, this is my sister’s fiancé, Alec Montgomery.” With any luck, they’d have a little guy talk. Hopefully that didn’t involve what people did for a living.
“So this is how Misty Point celebrates the holidays?” Alec grinned. “Charming.”
“It is!” Charlotte nodded with too much enthusiasm for the remark, eager to avoid looking in Kate’s direction. She turned to Greg, hoping to keep the conversation on track. “Alec is from Boston.”
Greg perked up at this. “Oh, really? Which part?”
And…that backfired. Before long the men were engrossed in memory lane, reliving all of Alec’s old favorite haunts, and Kate used the opportunity to slide between Alec and Charlotte and nudge her to the side, out of earshot of the men.
“So, why is this the first time I’m meeting this guy?” Her blue eyes homed in on Charlotte, and she knew there was no way she was getting out of this anytime soon.
“We’re just friends.” And friends is how they would stay.
“Friends?” Kate didn’t seem to buy it. “You two look pretty cozy to me.”
“It’s not like that,” Charlotte insisted, but she couldn’t help but brighten a little at her sister’s observation. They did look cozy. They looked…like the family Charlotte had always hoped to have.
But couldn’t, she reminded herself. She couldn’t have that family. She’d tried, and failed. And she wasn’t about to try again. Fool me once, as the saying went.
Kate just shrugged. “If you say so…” Her grin was mischievous as she turned back to Alec. “I hate to run off, but William and Elizabeth are waiting for us over near Paddy’s. They claim it’s the best view of the parade.” She glanced at Charlotte. “You’re welcome to join us, unless…”
Unless she and Greg wanted to be alone, presumably. Seeing no choice but to go along with this idea so as to get away from her sister and protect the arrangement she and Greg had in place, Charlotte shook her head.
“I think we’ll hold our spot here. I haven’t had lunch and you know how much I love those German pretzels they sell in the stalls.” She relaxed as her
sister and Alec disappeared.
That had been too close.
“I wasn’t sure if our cover was going to be blown,” she muttered to Greg.
“I decided to follow your lead. I take it she isn’t in on the plan, yet?”
“Are you kidding me? If she had any idea I was mixing business with pleasure, she’d fire me.” But that wasn’t the worst of it. She’d lose faith in Charlotte. Again. And Charlotte couldn’t bear the thought. Her sister was finally trusting her again. Giving her a small opportunity to make things right, make things up to her in the only way she could.
Greg’s mouth twitched. “Mixing business with pleasure, eh?”
Charlotte felt her face heat. “That’s not what I—Oh, you know what I—”
He set a hand on her shoulder. God, it felt good. Sturdy and warm. And safe. “Relax. I’m just kidding.”
Only something in his eyes told her he wasn’t.
Now her stomach felt all fluttery. Uh-oh. This wasn’t good.
“Come on,” she said, pulling out her phone. “If we’re going to pull this off, we’d better start by making it look real.”
She tapped the camera setting and held up the screen. Lights glittered in the background, almost as bright as her own smile. And just for a moment, she dared to pretend that all of this wouldn’t disappear as soon as you could say Merry Christmas.
* * *
Bree checked her watch again, even though only a minute had passed, and then thrust her hands back into her pockets. The hot cider stand was in her line of sight, and it would go far in keeping her warm, but she didn’t dare leave her post. The crowds were thickening now that the sun had set. Everyone was filtering into the square, ready for the carolers to lead them in song before the tree lit up.
Surely Simon was among them.
She craned her neck when a tall, broad-shouldered man blocked her view of the street. She supposed Simon might have slipped past. Maybe he was closer to the tree. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and checked for missed calls. The screen was blank.
She should call him. For all she knew he could be standing on the other side of the square, which, while unlikely, wasn’t completely outside the realm of possibility. He might have walked past in the crowd, not seen her, and tried to find a quieter place to stand.
Without giving it another thought, she scrolled through her list of contacts to his name. She tapped the screen, held the phone to her ear, and listened to it ring. Three. Four. Maybe he couldn’t hear it with the carolers.
The carolers! They were starting.
His voice came on the line. Voice mail. But that didn’t stop her from closing her eyes, listening to that deep, smooth voice, savoring it right up until the final beep. She hesitated, wondering if she should say something, and decided to hang up. He’d see the missed call. And if he hadn’t deleted her name from his contacts list, he’d know who to call back.
There were fewer people coming in from the street now. Most of the town was gathered around the tree in the center of the square, watching quietly as the carolers dressed in old-timey clothes sang from fake caroling books. Usually Bree found this tradition extremely charming, but today she had no patience for it. She waited a few more minutes at the opening to the green. The rest of the square had been closed off by a fence of makeshift stands in the form of an old-fashioned Christmas market. Really, this was the only place one could enter. So where was Simon?
And why hadn’t he called back?
She waited, searching the empty street and finally crowds, searching for a face that might be searching for her. And as the music reached a high point and the lights suddenly turned on, the entire crowd let out of a cry of delight. There was a cheer, and the carolers sang their final song of the night, “O Christmas Tree.” That was her favorite part, and she was missing it!
But she didn’t even care. Once the sound of the carolers standing against the beautiful twinkling lights would send a shiver down her spine. It would fill her with hope and possibility.
But tonight, she didn’t feel the magic. Tonight, she felt nothing at all but a heavy heart of disappointment.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Charlotte stared at the picture they’d taken yesterday at the Christmas parade. Greg had suggested she get it printed. They could frame it, stick it on the mantel. Make it look like they were a real couple.
The only thing was, in this photo, they did look like a real couple. They didn’t look like two actors playing a part, or two strangers posing for the lens. They looked…happy, she supposed. They looked…right.
“Here you go, a vanilla latte with extra foam.”
Charlotte hurried to turn off her phone as her sister approached the table. They were sitting at a window table of Jojo’s Café, after just returning from a spectacularly disastrous meeting with the bridezilla of the bridesmaid’s back tattoo.
“Should we wait for Bree?” Charlotte asked as she emptied two packets of sweetener into her drink.
“She said to start without her.” Kate looked over Charlotte’s shoulder and grinned. “Never mind. There she is.”
Charlotte did a double take as her cousin approached. Her usually rosy skin was pale and sallow, and there were dark circles under her eyes. Her hair was pulled back in a haphazard bun, and she seemed to be on the verge of tears.
“Is everything all right?” she asked worriedly. She exchanged a glance with Kate, who seemed to share her concern.
Bree waved a hand through the air. “Just tired is all. Busy time of year and all that. Let me get a drink, and I’ll be right back.”
Charlotte waited until Bree was out of earshot before saying, “Something is up.”
Kate nodded once. “Absolutely. And I have a bad feeling it has something to do with Simon.”
“Did she mention to you that she ran into him the other day?”
Kate frowned. “No. But I saw him at the tree lighting ceremony with another girl last night. I just assumed that Bree saw and this is what upset her.”
“Hmm.” Charlotte blew on her coffee. “Did they look like more than friends?”
“More than friends?” Bree interrupted as she slid into her seat. She lifted an eyebrow at Charlotte, her mouth curving mischievously. “Are we talking about you and Greg?”
Kate grinned. “I met the mystery man yesterday. He was quite handsome.”
Yeah. He was handsome. And kind. And funny. Every time she thought of the way he bought those photos of Audrey and Santa, her heart warmed. She’d decided to use the photos to make gifts for her family. It wasn’t much, she knew, but it meant something.
“He’s just a friend,” Charlotte stressed. Friend. Client. She hoped that Bree wouldn’t correct her. Quickly, she said, “I didn’t see you yesterday, Bree. Where were you standing?”
“I came home later,” Bree said. “Just for the tree lighting.”
“Did you go alone? You should have called me,” Kate said.
Bree unwrapped her scarf. She looked positively miserable. “It’s fine. I didn’t stay long. I don’t feel very well, actually.”
Charlotte scooted her chair away. The last thing she needed was to get sick right before the Frost party. “Hopefully the tea helps,” she said.
Bree just nodded. “A bit.”
Hmm. It seemed to Charlotte that Bree wasn’t so much as physically sick as she was heartsick. She knew all the signs by now. Lack of sleep. Lack of appetite. Crestfallen expression. Broken spirit.
She smiled to herself. Somewhere along the way she’d stopped feeling that way. Even now, when she should be panicking, she was feeling perky and excited about life again. Even the knowledge of Jake getting married didn’t bother her so much anymore.
Bree dragged out a long sigh and frowned into her mug.
Okay, she had it bad. Charlotte could only assume that her sister was right. It was clear that Bree wasn’t over Simon, and seeing him with another girl would be devastating. Why couldn’t Bree just find a nice, solid,
responsible guy? Someone who treated her like she deserved to be treated. Like how Greg treated her.
Charlotte stopped herself right there. Greg might be nice now, but she knew all too well how these things ended up. Besides, how did she know he wasn’t just being sweet to keep her on his good side? God knew he needed her right now.
About as much as she needed him, she thought, frowning.
“Well, right now I need to recover from my meeting with Crazy Bride.” Kate took a sip of her drink. There was Crazy Bride and Neurotic Bride and Mean Mother-in-Law and Green Bridesmaid. Oh, there were nice clients, too. Sweet, friendly women who they were sad to see go off onto their happily-ever-afters. But weddings brought out big emotions, and Kate and now Charlotte often had a front row seat to every meltdown along the way.
“She actually asked her maid of honor to have her tattoo removed before the wedding. She offered to pay and everything.”
At this, Bree managed a laugh. “I’m sorry, but that’s just so…”
“Selfish?” Charlotte shook her head.
“I’m glad we’re having this conversation,” Kate said. “If either of you dare to accuse me of being unreasonable over an ugly bridesmaid dress, I will remind you that I am not asking you to undergo a medical procedure for my personal happiness.”
Bridesmaid dress? So she was on the list then? Charlotte’s chest began to pound and she felt her cheeks go hot. So there it was then. A bridesmaid. Not a maid of honor. Just a bridesmaid. One of the crowd.
Why had she ever dared to hope for anything more given the circumstances?
“Hey, I liked those bridesmaid dresses,” Bree said.
Charlotte blinked. “You’ve already picked them out then?” Her voice was tight, and she hated the note of disappointment that crept in.
“She showed them to me the other day,” Bree said, nodding. “You should see what she has in mind for Audrey, too.”
