“Thank you,” she said as her cheeks blushed to a pink hue similar to the roses in her hand.
Laina smiled at them both with an amused gleam in her eyes. “Well, you two have fun on your non-date.”
“Yeah, we better get going before it gets too late,” Charlotte responded quickly before Laina had a chance to tease her anymore in front of Trevor. Then she turned, grabbed her dress coat, kissed Emma on the forehead and rushed out the door, pulling Trevor’s elbow with her.
When they were on the porch alone with the door closed behind them, Charlotte started to breathe normally and her shoulders relaxed as she slipped her coat on.
Trevor grinned as they made their way down the wooden steps. “Smooth move back there, keeping Laina from blurting out something embarrassing.”
Charlotte grinned. “Oh, so she’s been teasing you as well?”
He shrugged. “She’s been trying to push me toward any eligible woman who comes within thirty miles of the stables.”
Oh, so he just sees me as one of many women who Laina wants to set him up with, she thought as they reached his truck. “So, you’ve had to chase hoards of women away with a stick?” Charlotte asked instead, trying to sound impartial.
“Nah,” Trevor said as he reached for the passenger side door handle. “Training horses is a huge part my life and very time consuming. When I tell them I often spend the night in the stables to watch over the horses…well that scares women away for me.”
A small chuckle escaped Charlotte’s mouth but then she pursed her lips, feeling a little sad for Trevor. It was too bad he shut most people out. He was such a great guy. Meanwhile, he swung the door open and offered his hand to help her get in. She thanked him and hopped into the seat as gracefully as she could with her form-fitting dress and then stared at him in surprise. He hadn’t had to yank the door open like before and it didn’t even squeak. Plus the cracked leather on the seats had been replaced. “You’ve done a lot of work on this truck lately, haven’t you?” Charlotte asked in astonishment.
“Yep, sure have,” he said with a proud grin. “If I keep working at it a little bit each day, she’ll be good as new in no time.”
Charlotte nodded as he shut the door and then smiled, running her fingers over the soft new leather on the seats. It amazed and confused her how much the old truck and the owner of it had grown on her in less than a month.
At the steakhouse, Trevor pulled out a seat for Charlotte and then sat across from her at the table. The way her blue eyes gleamed at him in the soft light from the rustic chandelier hanging above them made his heart skip a beat. So much for a business dinner—this seemed very much like a date. Trevor gulped and distracted himself by perusing his menu.
“So what’s good here?” Charlotte asked.
Trevor lowered his menu just enough for their eyes to meet. “The t-bone steak is my favorite, but if you prefer a smaller cut, I’d go with the strip steak. You can add on grilled shrimp with it too.”
She made a face. “Yuck. I can’t stand those little critters. It always seems like they’re looking at me as I eat them.”
Trevor chuckled, amused at her disgusted expression. “Okay then…they also have really good sweet potato fries.”
Charlotte’s eyes widened. “Now that sounds better. It’s been so long since I’ve had those. The cook at my father’s estate used to make them special for my sister and me sometimes.” She stopped and blushed. “That makes me sound like a sheltered, little rich girl, doesn’t it? That’s one thing I wish my parents would have taught me…how to cook. You know how limited my skills are by watching me try to dice celery the other night. It’s pitiful.”
He grinned and put his hand over hers. “No, it’s not. Who you are as a person isn’t defined by your upbringing or your cooking skills.”
“Or lack thereof,” she said and covered her mouth as an embarrassed chuckle escaped.
“Oh forget about that. You’re an incredible woman—intelligent, kind-hearted and talented in so many ways. Emma is blessed to have you in her life...and so am I.” He stopped short, not meaning to say that last part.
They locked eyes for a moment as a spark ignited in her sapphire eyes. Something inside him desperately wanted to find out if she’d been feeling the same electric charge between them as he did, but then the waiter interrupted to take their orders. The moment passed and a few minutes later he brought out their salads.
They ate in silence for a while before Charlotte finally brought up the subject they were supposed to be discussing from the beginning—the management of Morgan Stables. “I’d just like to tell you how impressed I am with how you run the stables…even more with your side job. I really don’t know how you keep everything so streamlined.”
Trevor gave her a slight nod. “Thank you, but I wouldn’t be able to do any of it without you in the background scheduling all the appointments and dealing with the financial side of things.”
Charlotte shrugged. “I enjoy doing it…at least until we hire a good accountant and office worker. I’m interviewing a promising candidate tomorrow. That way, even if Emma and I end up moving to London I can still help manage things remotely.”
Trevor’s heart sunk, dreading having to live out the scenario of Charlotte and Emma leaving the country. He gulped down his apprehension and took a sip of his ice water. “So, I hope I’m not intruding, but how certain is your move back to London?”
Charlotte bit her lip and gazed far off into the distance for a moment, appearing deep in thought. “Well, I’m just waiting to see how Emma reacts to our two weeks abroad before making any decisions. I really want to do what’s best for her.”
“Yes, I can see that,” he said, trying to hold himself together. He wanted what was best for Emma too, even if that meant leaving. How could he stop them both from having the life most people only dreamed about?
Charlotte shrugged and continued. “If Emma agrees to the arrangement and I can help manage the stables remotely, I don’t see any reason for me to stay. Can you think of one?” Her eyes bored into his as she asked the question. It seemed rhetorical, but the way she looked at him told a different story. Was she silently asking him to give her a reason to stay?
Everything within him longed to tell her what was in his heart. He even opened his mouth to do it. Then his wife’s face drifted into his thoughts. He remembered her smiling at him with her brown eyes twinkling and long silky hair draping over her shoulders as she sat across from him at the same steakhouse. Suddenly, Trevor could hardly breathe. Why had he chosen this restaurant? So many memories… However, the longer he thought about it, he couldn’t remember a single restaurant in Tipton that he and Grace hadn’t frequented. There weren’t that many to choose from in their little town. Everything held a memory—every street, sidewalk and little shop window she’d loved to look through while admiring the merchandise inside. Why did everything in Tipton have to torment him so?
When he looked back at Charlotte, he couldn’t answer her question. He couldn’t ask her to stay and in turn offer his heart to her like he longed to. Deep down he knew he needed to tell her the truth—that he couldn’t give her his heart because it still belonged to someone else.
Chapter Thirteen
Charlotte stared out the window of Trevor’s truck listlessly as he neared the house. His silence during the second half of dinner puzzled her. Had she said or done something wrong? When they pulled into the driveway, Trevor was a gentleman and helped her out of his truck like usual, but still remained quiet as he walked with her onto the porch.
When they stopped in front of the door, Charlotte finally mustered up enough courage to break the silence. “Thanks for dinner tonight, Trevor. I had a good time.”
He looked down and rubbed his chin, seeming to be conflicted about something. But what? Finally he smiled, lifted her hand and kissed it. “Me too, Charly. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Yeah, see you,” she said, nodding dumbly, unable to produce the ri
ght words as he turned and started to walk away. She rotated toward the door and almost touched the handle before his voice stopped her.
“Charly wait!” She turned back as he closed the distance between them. “I can’t let another night go by without telling you something.”
“Telling me what?” she asked breathlessly.
He stopped with his face just inches from hers and she craned her neck to keep eye contact with him. “I have feelings for you, Charly…feelings that I don’t know how to deal with.”
Charlotte gulped and gripped his hand. “Me too. It kind of snuck up on me, but I can’t hold back what’s in my heart any longer. I think I’m falling in love with you, Trevor.”
“Oh, Charlotte,” Trever whispered, his voice thick with emotion. His chest heaved in and out for a moment before he pulled her into his embrace and kissed her so passionately, Charlotte could hardly breathe or think. She only knew how good it felt to be in his arms. She felt safe there—more safe than she’d ever felt with any other man she’d dated in the past. Trevor saw the real Charlotte— not the wealthy daughter of a celebrity the paparazzi plastered all over the newspapers. All of a sudden she wanted to stay in Wyoming to be with him, no matter what she had to give up.
After a few moments of paradise, Trevor pushed her back gently and held her at arm’s length. When he met her gaze, his eyes looked sad and older than his years. “I’m sorry, Charly. I didn’t mean to do that. Please forgive me.”
She blinked hard and stared at him, confused. “Forgive you? I don’t understand.”
He rubbed his chin, looking conflicted. “I mean…this is an impossible situation for both of us. Don’t you agree? What I did will only make it harder to accept.”
She shook her head with a slight chuckle. “Is this because of our trip to London? You’re afraid we won’t return?” Charlotte ran her fingers down the soft leather of his jacket, mustering up the courage to admit her change of heart on the London matter. Then she looked up and managed a shy smile. “Trevor, all I wanted was a reason to stay…and you’ve given me that. I can work from anywhere I like…taking into account that I’ll have to take business trips from time to time, but we’ll work around that and I can find someone to run the non-profit, too. I could see if my mother wants to move here. We could make it work.” Charlotte stared up at him, silently begging for a response that would never come. She’d finally poured her heart out—made herself completely vulnerable and he wouldn’t reward her with a single word.
Finally, Trevor took her hand in his and let out a deep sigh before meeting her gaze. “I can’t, Charly. There’s something that’s been tormenting me with guilt ever since you first arrived here, and the longer you’ve stayed, the worse it’s gotten. It’s Grace. I realize now that I’m just not ready to let her go yet.”
Charlotte’s heart dropped as she pulled her hand away from his. “I’m sorry,” she said, eyes misting over with tears. “I didn’t realize…”
Trevor shook his head sadly. “Oh, Charly. Please don’t think that any of this is your fault. It’s just me. I’m hoping someday I’ll be ready to move on, but it would be selfish of me to ask you to wait for me. I’d love for you and Emma to stay in Wyoming, but don’t do it for me. Do it because it’s what you really want.”
Charlotte nodded in despair as her heart shattered into a million pieces on the ground. “I guess we both have a lot to think about over the next two weeks, don’t we?”
“Yes, I guess we do,” was his simple reply.
Charlotte gulped back her emotions and backed toward the door. “Well, I better get some sleep. Goodnight, Trevor.”
He croaked out a goodnight in return and then Charlotte escaped into the safety of the old farm house. Once behind the closed door, she leaned her back against it and finally allowed bitter tears to roll down her cheeks. Trevor’s heart still belonged to his dead wife and probably always would. Laina had told her about Grace—her sweet disposition and generous, brave heart. How could she ever compete with that kind of perfection? It seemed that she’d made a mistake letting her guard down again. Another man had broken her heart—and this one would be much harder to get over because of one simple fact. She’d fallen head over heels for him.
After all Charlotte’s tears were spent and an entire bowl of cookies and cream ice cream consumed, she made her way up the stairs to her bedroom, wanting to collapse onto her bed and fall asleep. She had just entered the doorway when a tiny sound stopped her—muffled crying.” She padded down the hallway to Emma’s room and cracked open the door a few inches.
Sure enough, she found her niece crying in her sleep. “Mommy…Daddy, please don’t leave me. No!” she sobbed while thrashing on her bed.
Charlotte crossed the room and sat on the edge of Emma’s mattress. “It’s just a dream, sweetheart. Wake up,” she murmured softly while flipping on the small nightlight on her nightstand. “Wake up, Emma.”
Her niece calmed and her eye lids fluttered open. “Aunt Charly?”
“Yes, it’s me. You were having a bad dream.”
“Oh, Aunt Charly,” the little girl sobbed and threw her arms around her neck. “They were calling to me…but no matter how fast I ran I couldn’t catch up. Then they disappeared into the clouds.”
“Your mom and dad?” Charlotte asked, gently rubbing her back, hoping to ease her trembling.
“Yes,” Emma cried against her shoulder. “I couldn’t see their faces. What if one day I forget what they looked like…or the sound of their voices?”
Charlotte hugged her niece closer as tears pricked her own eyes. “You won’t forget them, sweetheart. I promise.” After a few moments, she let Emma go and reached for a framed photo on her nightstand. “Here they are,” she whispered while handing her niece the family picture. Bridget, Tom and Emma were all sitting on the porch with flowerbeds in the background. Seeing their beautiful smiles brought tears to Charlotte’s eyes. “See how happy you all are in this picture?”
Emma wiped her tears and managed a slight nod. “Yes.”
“Keep this memory in your heart, Emma,” she said, pointing to the picture. “Then you’ll never forget them. And remember that they’re waiting for you in heaven. Goodbyes are never forever for those who know Jesus.”
Emma smiled then and looked up at Charlotte. “That’s what Mommy told me once…when Grandpa Morgan went to heaven. Do you think it’s really true?”
“I know it is. That’s what gives me hope…knowing we’ll see our loved ones again someday.”
Emma hugged the picture close to her heart and rested her head back on her pillow. “Will you stay in here until I fall asleep?”
She nodded and kissed her on the forehead. “Of course I will.”
The little girl closed her eyes and snuggled further into her pillow before whispering, “I love you, Aunt Charly.”
“I love you too, Emma. Sweet dreams.” Charlotte responded and choked back tears, thinking about her sister. What a precious gift Bridget had entrusted to her. In less than a month she had grown to love Emma like her own daughter. Then she remembered her blossoming love for Trevor and the heartbreak she had endured that night because of it. Why did such a wonderful thing like love hurt so much in the long run? The answer to her question never came. However, as she rested her head on a stuffed teddy bear at the foot of Emma’s mattress and felt herself drifting off to sleep, she came to one conclusion. Loving someone was well worth the pain. It was much better than living life without it.
Chapter Fourteen
Trevor watched from a distance as Laina helped Charlotte and Emma load their suitcases into the back of her Jeep. He’d told Emma goodbye earlier that morning so there was no reason for him to go over. It would only make matters worse.
Charlotte had barely spoken to him the day before, except to discuss business and the new girl she’d hired to work in the stable office. He knew he’d hurt her and hated for her to leave under those circumstances, but what could he do about it now? E
verything he’d said the night of their date had been completely true. He was still in love with Grace and it wouldn’t be fair to ask Charlotte to wait for him to move on. Besides, she and Emma would live the life most people only dreamed about in London. They belonged there and he belonged in Wyoming with his horses. It was the only life he’d ever known.
After the bags were loaded, he watched as Charlotte took one last look at the house and the land surrounding it. She frowned, almost like she would never see Wyoming again. Then a few moments later, she wiped her eyes and got into the Jeep.
Trevor had to cling onto the gate by the barn to keep himself from running after her. He imagined what would happen—how he would take her in his arms and give her a kiss to remember him by. He would admit that he loved her and didn’t want her to go. However, as she drifted from his sight Trevor told himself that spending two weeks apart was for the best and would help them both gain a little perspective—but if that were true, why did his heart feel like it had been ripped from his chest?
Charlotte couldn’t help grinning as the familiar Heathrow Airport came into view. She nudged her sleeping niece in the window seat with excitement. “Emma, open your eyes!” Charlotte almost blurted out, ‘We’re almost home,’ but stopped herself and said, “We’re almost there!’ instead. It surprised her how quickly she felt at ease back in London. It did feel like home to her but not to her niece yet.
A few moments later, Emma’s eyes fluttered open and she mumbled, “What…what’s going on?” Then she caught the bird’s eye view of the city and gasped in surprise. “Oh, Aunt Charly…it’s even more beautiful than I imagined in my dreams.”
“I hoped you’d think so.” Charlotte said with a smile. But this is just the beginning. There’s so much more to see. Just you wait.” She went on to describe all the sights that they would go and see during their stay, but deep down she wondered if Emma heard a single words she spoke. The girl had stars in her eyes, mesmerized by the views as the plane made its final descent and prepared to land.
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