Charlotte lifted the glass of tea to her lips and took a sip. It was hard to get the liquid down her dry throat, but so far the lunch she was having with Grace Rexford was going well enough.
“My son is in love with you.”
Slowly, she put the glass on the table. She knew this would come the second Travis left for the bathroom. “Travis was right, you are very blunt.”
“I am.” She leaned forward pinning Charlotte with her gaze. “I’m not worried you’re in love with him.”
Charlotte bit her lip. Where was she supposed to go from here? “Is it that obvious?”
Grace shook her ash blonde head. “Just to everyone in the same hemisphere as the two of you.”
“How do you feel about it?” Where was Travis? He’d been gone for far too long. She resisted the urge to get up and hunt him down.
“Do I have any say about it?”
“You are in the South now. You date the entire family.”
Her blue eyes sparkled. “How’s that working for you?”
Charlotte let out a long breath. “My mother is not thrilled.”
“May I give you a piece of advice, Charlotte?” She leaned forward.
“Of course you can.” She took a small bite of her salad.
“Fuck her. It’s your life.”
She almost choked on her romaine lettuce. Grabbing her napkin off her lap, she dabbed the corner of her lips. “I’ve been doing that.”
“Good for you.” She took a sip of her wine. “While my son is in the bathroom, I’m going to take this opportunity to grill you.”
“I would expect no less.”
“What are your intentions?”
This woman was very direct. “Isn’t that ball in his court?”
“What do you want from Travis?”
She’d been forcing herself to live in the moment with him, but in the back of her mind, she wanted to plan a future that involved them celebrating their fiftieth anniversary surrounded by their family. “Everything.” She turned her head ashamed she couldn’t keep control of herself. She felt a warm hand on hers. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have.”
“Why not?”
With Preston’s mother this had been so easy, possibly because they weren’t honest with each other. “Because we haven’t discussed anything beyond declaring our feelings for each other.”
“The second I laid eyes on you, I knew what kind of woman you were.”
Her hand trembled. She wanted Travis’s mother to like her. “That is a frightening statement.”
“Why? In my opinion you’re a keeper.”
“I met you an hour ago. How can you tell?”
She laughed. “Ex-waitress. You learn how to size up a potential tip in less than a minute, so you can figure out how much time you want to give a customer.”
“What am I?”
“Big tipper, even for average service. You appreciate people’s hard work. I would love to have had you as a regular.”
“Thank you. I think that is one of the nicest things anyone’s said to me.”
“But…” she held up a hand.
Charlotte really hated buts. “There is a but?”
“Always. You make people want to please you. You rule with kindness.”
Charlotte felt herself blush. “Stop.”
“I like you.”
“I like you.”
“I would have never thought Travis would pick such a lovely woman, but I’m thrilled. I thought I was going to end up with some fake and bake blonde with big boobs and the personality of road kill who only wanted to be with him because he could keep her in trashy clothes and stripper heels.”
She loved this woman’s honesty. “Travis is not that bad. Is he?”
Grace rolled her eyes. “Since my son decided to become a rock star, he’s had a type. I never met them, but I did track his love life through the tabloids, so the fact that you are the one he wanted to introduce me to… I’m just grateful. I have hope for the future generations of Rexfords. I really said all that, didn’t I?”
“Yes, you did.”
“Well, no pressure.” She took a quick bite of her fish.
Relief was more like it. “Not a bit.”
She pointed her fork at her. “You are every mother’s fantasy for her son.”
“I can’t live up to all that. Besides, I’m in awe of you.”
“Why?”
This woman was amazing. “You raised a good man, proving all those stereotypes about single mothers wrong. You went back to school and graduated at the top of your class. You are starting a new life, when most people are beginning to think about retirement. You could have just let your son pay your way, but you want to be independent. You are the one who is remarkable.”
Grace studied her for a moment. “Your father died when you were young. Your mother did a hell of a job with you.”
Her mother had the means to have everything done for her, from the nanny, cook, maid and the butler. Not that her mother didn’t struggle emotionally –– she did. But she had an army at her command. “My mother didn’t have to wait tables.”
“Having money is no guarantee that life is going to go smoothly.”
She sighed. “No, it isn’t, but I never had to struggle.”
“See, what I mean? You are a prize.”
“Yeah she is.”
Charlotte looked up to see Travis sitting down. “You’re back.”
He smiled. “Do you need more girl talk? I could go back to the bathroom.”
“We thought you drowned in there.” Grace picked up her wine glass.
“I got waylaid by a fan.”
Charlotte’s mouth dropped open. “In the bathroom?”
“You’d be amazed. I had to give an autograph and take a couple of pictures.”
Grace narrowed her eyes at him. “I hope you washed your hands.”
Travis pinched the bridge of his nose. “Jesus, mom. I’m a grown man.”
Charlotte was relieved to see that something embarrassed him.
Grace reached over and patted his hand. “You’ll always be my baby boy. Which is a reflection of how I raised you, so the answer had better be yes.”
Charlotte could tell he wasn’t embarrassed. She envied his relationship with his mother. They seemed so friendly. What would it be like if she and her mother could joke with each other like this?
Travis grinned. “I did.”
Grace raised a victory fist. “That’s my boy.”
“What has she been telling you about me, and do I need to be worried?”
“Not at all. She is your biggest fan.”
“Newsflash: she’s my mom, that’s her job.”
Grace shook her head. “Sweetie, you could be Marilyn Manson. Then I’d have to explain to the neighbors why I didn’t get you therapy.”
Charlotte giggled. “You two are very funny together.”
Travis shrugged. “We practice our routine.”
“Actually, even at two he was more interesting company then most adults.”
Charlotte smiled at him. “I’m sure he was a very good little boy.”
Grace scrunched up her face. “He was all boy. Dirty, smelly, sometimes moody and insensitive.”
“I can’t even imagine. He’s so sweet.”
“I’m trying to impress you.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek.
“You have. And I even like your mother.”
“We’re even; I have a crush on your grandmother.”
“She got you drunk.”
Grace held up her hand. “You got drunk with Charlotte’s grandmother?”
He shrugged his shoulders, looking sheepish. “I got drunk, she laughed at me.”
Grace slapped the table. “I have to meet her.”
Charlotte smiled. “We are having dinner with her tomorrow night.”
“You get to see a real plantation.”
Grace’s face lit up. “Like the Scarlett O’Hara kind?”
Charlotte
nodded. “The house and land have been in my grandmother’s family since the early eighteen hundreds.”
“You are loaded, aren’t you, Charlotte?”
She nodded again. “Yes.”
“God, I’m so impressed with myself.”
“Mom!”
She pointed at Charlotte. “Look at the great job I did raising you. You got a woman like Charlotte to fall in love with you. Pat me on the back, would you?”
“I’m sorry, Charlotte. You do your best and hope your mother doesn’t shame you in front of your girl.”
Charlotte smiled. “I love her already.”
Grace laughed. “And she’s smart, too.”
They all laughed. Charlotte looked at her watch. She had to get back to work. “I have to run, but I will see you later tonight.” She leaned over and kissed Grace on the cheek. Travis stood and she leaned over to him and gave him a lingering kiss. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Charlotte walked into her office and her secretary Julianne was hovering by the door. “We have a problem.”
Did she want to know? She’d had a wonderful first meeting with Travis’s mother and she just wanted to stay in her happy bubble. “What?”
Julianne grimaced. Panic glazed her eyes. “You have a visitor.”
“Who?” Charlotte sighed. Damn, it was probably someone she didn’t want to see.
“I tried to get rid of him, but he just politicked me into submission.”
She grabbed Julianne by the shoulders. “Who is in my office?”
“Preston,” she whispered.
“Oh, shit.”
Julianne’s gray eyes widened. “Charlotte!”
“Don’t you ‘Charlotte’ me, this is an ‘oh shit’ moment.”
“I know you’re right, but it should still be internal dialogue.”
Charlotte rolled her eyes. The price of being a good girl. “Alright, I said it in my head. How long has he been here?”
“For about fifteen minutes.”
Calm down, girl. “Did you get him some refreshments?”
Julianne frowned as if Charlotte had insulted her. She may panic at times, but her secretary’s manners were always on point. “Yes.”
“Did you tell him when I would be back?”
“I cracked. He brought me Vermont maple syrup. You know how I love my pancakes.”
Hopefully there was a bottle for her. “I would have broken too.”
“Do you think he wants you back?”
Silly woman. Charlotte didn’t have the right equipment. “Really? Do I look like Denzel Washington? Because that’s what his boyfriend looks like.”
“Okay, this is a friendly visit. Do you want him back?”
“Have you seen my new boyfriend?”
“I forgot.” Julianne giggled. “You’ll be fine.”
“Yes, I will.” She smoothed down her dress and plastered a smile on her face. She hoped this was the right way to deal with an ex. She’d never had to do this before. “You seem stressed. Go home and have a cocktail.”
Julianne checked her watch. “It’s barely two in the afternoon.”
So what? “Yes, but you’re making me nervous.”
She shrugged. “Okay.”
Charlotte took a deep breath and walked into her office. “Preston.”
He stood and turned around. “Charlotte? My God, you look lovely.”
Preston looked different. His blond hair was over grown. His suit was perfect, but he seemed to be missing his usual flair. There was stubble on his cheeks. She actually liked the way he looked. Relaxed, content. She smiled. “Why, thank you.” She’d worn the neon yellow Jimmy Choo sandals and black and red color blocked Armani sheath dress for Travis and his mother, but she was glad she looked like a million bucks to face Preston. “What are you doing back in town?”
He pointed to the sofa near the bay window. “Can we have a seat?”
“Of course.” She walked over and sat down. She was surprised he so sat close. Had he had a change of heart? How was she going to let him down?
“How are you doing?”
“I’m well, thank you. You? How is the B and B coming along?”
His face lit up. “Slow going, but I want it just right.”
That meant he wasn’t in town for her. “It will be perfect. How is Shaun?”
He blushed. “Good.”
“Are you in town to see your family?”
He frowned, pain in his blue eyes. “Charlotte, I’m dead to them.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“I am too, but it is what it is.”
Cut to the chase Preston. “So, what can I do for you?”
“Actually, it’s what I can do for you.”
“I don’t understand.”
He sat back and leveled his best lawyer gaze at her. “I’m in town for you.”
Oh shit. This time she said it in her head. “I am not sure what you mean.”
“Don’t look so shocked.”
Charlotte forced herself not to fidget. “How am I supposed to look? Preston, I caught you in the act with another man. What am I supposed to gather from that? Now you tell me you’re back in town for me.”
“Oh, I don’t want you back. I came to warn you.”
What was going on? Charlotte’s palms begin to perspire. “About what?”
“Your mother is out for blood.”
Her eyebrows rose. “She’s going to kill me?”
“She wants to end to your love affair. Apparently, you are slumming with an entertainer.”
“What?”
He pointed at her. “You are sleeping with a rock star.”
Was there approval in his eyes? “Is that your business?”
“I’ve seen his picture. I’m a tad jealous.”
Was it a grown up response for her to be glad he was envious? “Preston, you’ve never had a sense of humor, so please explain what kind of joke is this.”
“Your mother called and told me I have to rescue you from a gold digging musician.”
Charlotte let his words simmer in her head for a minute. In the pit of her stomach, she could feel the rage swirl inside her. But she asked him, just to make sure she’d heard him correctly. “She what?”
He nodded. “She even offered me money and to pay for my therapy so I could get myself straightened out and perform my duties as a man. Although, I’m not sure if she understood the pun.”
“She didn’t.” Charlotte covered her mouth so that nothing else vile leaped out.
“Oh, yes, she did.”
Now, she was angry. Her mother had gone too far. If she wanted to play this game, then so could she. “How much are we talking here?”
“Charlotte, are you treating me like one of your marks?”
She narrowed her eyes and studied him. The only thing she wasn’t sure of was how much Preston was involved. “Are you here to up the price?”
“Now that hurts my feelings.”
He genuinely looked hurt, but she was beyond caring. “How much?”
“She will invest in my B and B to the tune of half a million dollars. Which is more than enough to finish the restoration and get us through a couple of years.”
So Preston did have a price. “I’ll double it for you to go away.”
“I don’t want your money. I came here to warn you.”
“You did?”
He laid his hand on her fist. “I will never forgive myself for hurting you. Besides Shaun, you are the only person who liked me for who I am. I miss you.”
She dropped her head in shame. How could she believe he’d be a part of this? “I’m so sorry, I …”
“It’s alright. I would have lost my mind if my parents offered Shaun money to get out of my life.”
“He wouldn’t, would he?”
“He didn’t leave me when I lost my trust fund.”
Now it was Charlotte’s turn to be concerned. “Are
you doing alright?”
He laughed. “Charlotte, I have learned to work with power tools.” He held out his hands. “I have calluses like a real man.”
She smiled at him. “Preston, you were always a real man.”
“If I were a real man, I wouldn’t have treated you like I did. I would have been honest from the beginning. I knew when I was six. I hoped I would change.”
Now Charlotte just wanted to hug him and cry. “You were confused.”
“No, I was scared and I hurt you. That is unforgivable.”
“There is nothing to forgive.” She truly meant that. ‘I wish you would have been honest sooner, you wasted a lot of time being unhappy.”
“You always were the sweetest thing. Your Travis is a lucky man.”
Charlotte blushed. “So is your Shaun.”
“How serious are things between you two?”
A giddy feeling engulfed her. “I love him.” She loved saying it out loud.
“Any plans?”
“We are taking things slow, just having a great adventure. And then there is my mother who has no level that is too low for her to sink to.”
“She could have hired a hitman.”
Count on Preston to state the obvious. “That would be funny if I wasn’t sure of how desperate she is to protect me from Travis and his rock star cooties.”
Preston laughed. “At least you are maintaining your sense of humor.”
“My sanity is another matter.”
“Have you told her how you feel?”
She pinned him with a stare. “Preston, you know my mother. She’d have me committed or, if she could, cut me off.”
“Consider yourself lucky. Your father made sure you would have control over your money.”
“How are you doing?” It must be hard to go from having everything you want to having to budget. She was good with her money, but she wasn’t sure she could do it.
“I’m not poor, but I’m no longer as flush as I used to be. I found I have a knack for bargain-hunting. I don’t have to have designer socks to be happy. Who knew, you have discovered your inner fashionista.”
She shook her figure at him. “How could you, as a respectable gay man let me run around dressed like my grandmother?”
“I like the way you are.”
“Thank you. But to be honest, shopping is fun. And most of the clothes I have are Viv’s. She shopped like the world was ending and didn’t even take the tags off most of these things.”
You Shook Me All Night Long (Scorned Lovers Book 1) Page 26
