by Nicole Ellis
How had he not seen Charlotte as anything other than his best friend’s kid sister before this year? How could he have missed this? Now, all he could see was the beautiful, vibrant woman in front of him and he intended to make up for lost time.
He placed his hands on her waist, his fingers touching smooth bare skin where her sweatshirt lifted as she had stretched to wrap her arms around his neck. He gently massaged circles on the small of her back and she broke their kiss to sigh in pleasure, pressing more tightly against him, but not breaking their connection.
She closed her eyes, but he kept his open, not wanting to miss a second. Behind her, the fireworks came to a grand finale, with multiple bursts of color in the air at the same time. She kissed him lightly again and snuggled against his chest to watch. He rested his chin on her head, inhaling the clean floral scent of her shampoo. Everything about her was enchanting.
When the show was over, small beams of light appeared from flashlights as a few other people who had been hidden in the dark readied themselves for the trek back up the trail.
“Should we go?” he whispered to Charlotte.
“Do we have to?” she whispered back. Then she shivered as a blast of cold wind hit them.
“I think we’d better.” As much as he’d like nothing more than to stay on the beach with her all night, he could tell she was freezing. He eased her to an upright seated position and stood, holding out his hand to help her to her feet.
“Oh, fine.” She took his hand, pulled herself up, and looked into his eyes, her face glowing in the moonlight. “This was so much better than any party at my parents’ house.”
He pulled her close, dipping her slightly but rapidly, for one last kiss on the beach. “I completely agree.”
She let out a muted squeal, startled by the sudden dip, but he could feel the corners of her lips pulled into a smile as he kissed her.
Raising her back up, he slowly released his embrace. He stooped down to retrieve the picnic basket, looping the handle over his arm, and then reached his hand out for hers. “Ready?”
She switched on the flashlight, a warm smile still affixed to her face. “I suppose.”
They made their way back up the hill slowly, following the path illuminated by the wavering light of their flashlight.
When they reached the top, she unlocked the car and they stashed the picnic basket and blanket away, then got in.
As she drove, he kept sneaking glances at her. His nerves tingled, remembering how she’d felt in his arms. He wanted to feel that way for the rest of his life. Although it had only been a couple of weeks, he couldn’t imagine a future without the woman sitting by his side. Too soon though, they were back in Candle Beach and she was dropping him off at his apartment.
“I’ll call you tomorrow morning, before you leave for Seattle, okay?” he said.
She nodded. “I wish you were coming to the show.”
“Me too.” He felt awful about not being able to attend. A close friend of his was getting married in Texas and he was a groomsman. He’d considered canceling in order to attend Charlotte’s show, but she’d talked him out of it, saying that he’d made a commitment to his friend.
He turned to her and kissed her deeply. “Until we see each other again.”
She pressed her fingers to her lips and nodded. “In a few days.”
He hopped out of the car and waved to her before entering his apartment. It was going to kill him to be parted from her for his long weekend trip away. He’d grown used to seeing her every day at work and spending time with her in the evenings.
It was funny how you never knew what you were missing until you had it, and then you couldn’t imagine anything different. He’d thought Parker was crazy when he said how wonderful it was to work with Gretchen every day, but now he understood.
15
Charlotte placed the last item in the overnight bag she’d set on her bed, her stomach alive with butterflies. Today was it, her solo show at the art gallery in Seattle. This could be one of the most important nights of her life. From the living room came the peals of her cell phone. She jogged over to it and answered without looking at it.
“Hello?”
“Hey,” Luke said. The sound of his voice sent shivers of happiness throughout her body, momentarily quelling her anxiety.
“Hey, yourself.” She sat down on the couch, bringing her knees up to her chest.
“I wanted to call and tell you to break a leg or whatever it is that people are supposed to wish someone when they have their own showing at a gallery.” He paused. “On second thought, I don’t think you need a broken leg in addition to the sprained ankle.”
She laughed. “I think good luck would be appropriate.”
“How’s the ankle feeling after hiking up that trail to the beach last night?”
“Actually, not too bad.” It may have been a little much to take on so soon after her injury, but the doctor had been right when he’d said it would hurt for a week or two and then start to be less noticeable. Besides, spending last night with Luke in such a perfect location had been completely worth any discomfort she had that morning.
“Anyway, I wanted to wish you good luck then. I’m sorry I can’t be there for your show.”
“Me too.” She looked out the window. Maggie and Gretchen were riding down with her, for which she was grateful, but it wasn’t quite the same as having Luke attend.
He sighed. “I could still call Denny and tell him I’m not able to fly out to Houston for his wedding.”
“Don’t be silly,” she said with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. “You’re a groomsman. You can’t cancel out on him at the last minute.”
“I know. But it doesn’t seem right to miss your show. I’d love to be there and see everyone excited about your work.”
His enthusiasm over her art made her blush, but felt amazing. Having someone so supportive about her dreams was something she never thought she’d have.
“It’s okay. Don’t even worry about it. We’re going to have a girls’ night out and will have a ton of fun.”
“I hope you do. And take a bunch of pictures too. I want to see all of your adoring fans.”
She laughed. “I’m not sure that’s appropriate in a fancy art gallery, but I’ll see what I can do. You may just get pictures of us hanging out afterward.”
“I’ll take what I can get.” He sighed. “I’d better let you go. Bye, Charlotte. Good luck.”
“Bye, Luke. Don’t have too much fun at the bachelor party.”
He laughed. “I don’t think you’ll have to worry too much. Denny is a pretty conservative guy. I’m not sure what’s in store for us, but it probably doesn’t involve anything you’d be concerned about.” His voice softened. “I love you.”
His words left her speechless. Before she could think of how to respond, he hung up. Luke had just told her he loved her. Tears came to her eyes and she didn’t think her heart could get any fuller. Part of her wanted to call him back and tell him she loved him too, but for some reason, she hung back. Although she felt what they had was real, a small part of her was hanging on to disbelief that someone like him could really love her.
A knock sounded on the hotel room door.
“Hello?” she called out.
“Flower delivery for Ms. Gray,” a man answered.
Gretchen was closest to the door of their hotel room. “I’ll get it.”
She peered through the peephole, then opened the door to reveal a man carrying a huge bouquet of red roses. He thrust them at her and spun around quickly, apparently eager to get to his next delivery.
Gretchen shut the door and carried the roses to Charlotte. “They’re beautiful. Are they from Luke?”
Charlotte’s heart skipped a few beats. She hadn’t told her friends about his declaration of love because she still wasn’t quite sure how she felt about it and she didn’t want to be barraged with well-meaning questions. She took the flowers from Gretchen and retrieved the
card from the base of the bouquet. Unexpectedly, she felt a sense of loss. “Nope, they’re from my parents.”
Congrats, honey. Sorry we couldn’t make it. Love, Mom and Dad.
The words were friendly, but the reminder that they weren’t attending such a big event in her life stung.
“That was nice of them.” Maggie’s eyes were trained on Charlotte’s face, assessing her reaction.
“Yeah.”
“But it would have been better if they were here, right?” Gretchen said. “I’m not sure if I should say this because they’re my future in-laws, but it wouldn’t kill them to take more of an interest in their children as people.”
Charlotte felt a rush of love for her future sister-in-law. She reached out and hugged her. “I’m glad you’re going to be part of my family. Parker needs someone like you.”
Gretchen blushed. “Thanks.” She glanced at the other two women. “Are you ready to go?”
Charlotte smoothed the pleats of the black cocktail dress she’d borrowed from Dahlia. “I think so.”
“Then let’s go,” Maggie said warmly. “I can’t wait to see your paintings hanging in an art gallery.”
They walked over to the gallery and entered the main room. Although she’d just been there a few days prior in the daylight, the gallery was transformed at night. And her paintings. Those were her paintings hanging on the wall. Tears pooled in the corners of her eyes. It all seemed surreal.
Gretchen grabbed her hand and squeezed it, then pulled her over to one of the artworks. “I love this sunset painting. It’s similar to the one in my living room that you gave me.”
Charlotte nodded. “Sunsets are my favorite because they’re so alive and change from minute to minute. It’s a challenge to get them just right.”
“They’re fantastic,” Maggie said, giving her a quick hug. “I think the other people like them too.” She nudged Charlotte around to see two couples pointing at her painting of Bluebonnet Lake and discussing it animatedly.
She sucked in her breath and spun around slowly. These were all hers. She’d been given the chance at a solo show and now her work had to stand on its own. With any luck, people would respond well to it.
“Charlotte,” Raymond said, coming up to her. “I’d like for you to meet some people.” She followed him to a corner of the gallery and the evening became a whirlwind of new people to meet. He told her that he’d give her a call in the next day or so to let her know how many paintings she’d sold.
Gretchen and Maggie had returned to their room an hour earlier, so when the gallery closed for the night, Charlotte walked back to the hotel alone.
They mobbed her when she entered the room.
“Congratulations,” Maggie said as she hugged her.
“People loved it!” Gretchen exclaimed.
Her heart swelled with happiness. “Thank you, you guys. I really appreciate you coming tonight.” Then she looked around the room. “What are we going to do now? We’re three semi-single women out for a night in the big city. It’s only ten o’clock. We should go out or something.”
“With my wedding coming up soon, it’s almost like we’re having a bachelorette party.” Maggie laughed. “But unlike the one I had before my first wedding, this one is going to be tamer. It’s too bad Dahlia and Angel weren’t able to come tonight.”
Gretchen smiled. “I remember your bachelorette party. I thought you were going to have a panic attack when that man entered dressed as a police officer and started taking off his clothes.” She shook her head. “I don’t know what Kari was thinking when she hired him.”
Maggie grimaced. “I remember. I thought Brian’s eyes were going to bug out of his head when I told him about having to ask the guy to leave.” Her eyes misted over. “He thought it was hilarious.”
Charlotte wasn’t sure what to say, so she just patted Maggie’s arm. “It’s pretty late already. I think the craziest thing we’ll be doing tonight might be hitting up the Cheesecake Factory for a late-night dessert.”
“Ooh.” Gretchen’s eyes lit up. “That sounds good. I could go for something sweet. They make the best turtle cheesecake there.”
Maggie checked her watch. “If we hurry, we can make it down the street before they close.”
They giggled like little girls as they changed out of the cocktail attire they’d worn to the gallery and walked out of the hotel into the warm evening. It was one of those rare nights where there wasn’t much of a breeze and the air was almost muggy, trapping all of the odors of city life at street level.
Charlotte wrinkled her nose as they passed an alley. “Eww.”
Gretchen nodded. “Makes you glad to live in a small town, huh?”
“No kidding.” Maggie pushed open the door to the Cheesecake Factory and they were blasted with fresh, cold air.
The host greeted the three of them and led them to a small booth in the corner of the restaurant. “Your server will be with you momentarily.” He placed menus on the table and left.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been here.” Charlotte scanned the menu. “I’m actually hungry. When we had dinner before the show, I couldn’t eat because my stomach was flip-flopping too much. I think I’ll get the Thai Lettuce Wraps now.”
“Not me,” Gretchen said. “I’m getting the turtle cheesecake.” She closed the menu and pushed it to the edge of the table. “So how are you feeling? I thought people seemed like they were enjoying your work.”
“I know I did.” Maggie sipped from the glass of ice water the waiter had placed in front of her. “I really loved that painting of the sun setting behind the candlestick.”
“Thanks.” Charlotte beamed. “It’s my favorite too. I’ll actually be sad to let it go when someone buys it. Part of me wants to keep it for myself.” She’d begun painting it one night after setting her easel up at a beach overlook high above the candlestick-shaped rock that gave Candle Beach its name. “Luke really likes it too.”
“Ah, Luke.” Gretchen gave her a knowing look. “I bet he was upset that he couldn’t be there with you tonight. He seems quite devoted.”
“Yeah.” Charlotte stared out the window at the sidewalks, still bustling with people leaving the theater or coming from a late dinner at one of the many restaurants downtown. “He felt bad about it, but he had to go to that wedding.”
“So, is he going to be your date for my wedding?” Maggie asked.
The waiter came back and took their orders, giving Charlotte a moment to think. She and Luke had been dating for a couple of weeks, but she hadn’t asked him yet about coming with her to Maggie and Jake’s wedding.
“I’m not sure.” She wrapped her hand around her water glass, her fingers clearing spots on the surface condensation. “Probably.”
“Good.” Maggie smiled. “We like him.”
“You do?” Charlotte cocked her head to the side. “I didn’t think you knew him very well.”
“We met when he came to the Sorensen Farm to make arrangements for parking his food truck there for catering the Bike Barn fundraiser.”
“Ah.” That made sense. She’d forgotten about that.
“Parker doesn’t want to ask you himself, but he’d like to know how things are going between you and Luke,” Gretchen announced.
Charlotte blushed. Her brother had always been nosy regarding her love life, but at least he was interested in her life. She couldn’t say the same for her parents.
“Tell him that it’s a private matter.”
“I have to tell him something!” Gretchen said. “C’mon. Do you see this as a long-term thing?”
She sighed. “Yes.” It suddenly flooded over her that she did see a future for herself and Luke. “Before he left, he told me that he loved me.”
“He did?” Maggie said, wide-eyed. “What did you say?”
“I didn’t have a chance to say anything.” Now, however, she was certain that she felt the same way. Having him not here to share in her special night had made her realiz
e how important he’d become to her. “I think I feel the same way about him,” she admitted.
“But?” Maggie asked. “You don’t seem completely sure.”
“But I’m still worried about his money. You know how my family is—I don’t want to fall into that trap again. I’ve worked hard for what I have.”
Gretchen nodded. “Parker is the same with money. Everything we do with the company is five times more difficult than it needs to be because he doesn’t want to be seen as leaning on his parents in the slightest.” She gave Charlotte a hard look. “But Luke isn’t the same as your parents. I’ve never seen anything but kindness from him, and you’d never guess he had gobs of money.”
Charlotte laughed. “I don’t think he wants people to know. He didn’t grow up with money, so I worry it could become a problem in the future as he starts to take it for granted.”
The waiter came by with their food and Gretchen dug into her cheesecake.
“But he’s never given you any reason to think that, right?” Maggie asked before taking a bite of her cheesecake which was overflowing with blueberries.
“No,” Charlotte sighed. “Not really.” He wasn’t overly concerned about how much he spent on things, but he wasn’t terribly frivolous either. “I guess I’m being silly.”
“I agree,” Gretchen said. “But I do understand your concerns.”
“Still, you shouldn’t borrow trouble. If there isn’t a problem now, don’t make it into one,” Maggie said. “Or talk to him about how you feel. Maybe he can assuage some of your fears.”
Charlotte considered Maggie’s advice. She knew she should admit to Luke how she felt about his money, so why was it so difficult to actually do so?
