Winning Charlotte Back

She simply smiled.

The waitress arrived with their orders. They were silent while they added mustard and ketchup to their burgers and fries. Charlotte picked up her burger and took a huge bite. Delicious. She’d pay tomorrow when she had to ride a few more miles on her bike, but for tonight she was going to indulge.

“The town has sure changed since I was here last,” Rick said.

“Did you really think everything would be the same after twelve years? Like we were frozen in time or something?” Her answer came out sharper than she intended, but really.

“No. I just mean that it’s grown. The downtown is bigger and there are more businesses. When we were driving in I noticed a lot more houses. There have got to be more than the nineteen hundred people the population sign says.”

She shrugged, something she had never done in the past. It wasn’t decorum. Swirling a fry in her puddle of ketchup, she answered, “There may be a couple hundred more residents. There’s a new subdivision on the other side of the lake. I’m not exactly sure if they’re in Sweet Briar proper or not. A lot of the people you see in town are tourists.”

“Oh.”

“What brought you back to town?”

“A job. I’m opening a medical practice.”

She felt her eyebrows rise. “You’re a doctor? I thought you went back to New Jersey to take over your father’s company.”

“I never wanted that. I’ve always wanted to be a doctor. My father wouldn’t listen to what I said, so I had to show him with my actions.”

“I’m glad it worked out for you.”

He winced. Clearly he hadn’t missed the sarcasm in her voice. “Charlotte. I know I said it before and I’ll keep saying it until you believe me. I am sorry.”

“I do believe you, so you can stop apologizing. It just doesn’t make a difference. Maybe if you’d apologized as sincerely and in person twelve years ago. Now... I don’t care. Okay?”

“I’m ready for dessert,” Bobby interrupted, undoubtedly stopping Rick from offering another apology she didn’t care to hear.

“Eat your salad first.”

Bobby looked at Charlotte as if appealing to her for help. She wiped her mouth and hands, tossed her napkin on the table, then opened her purse and pulled out some cash. “Sorry, kid. You’re on your own. I’ve got to get going.”

Rick placed his hand on hers. “Dinner’s on me.”

“That’s not necessary,” Charlotte said, pulling her hand away.

“As you pointed out, I invited you to join us and we enjoyed the pleasure of your company. I’m trying to raise my son to know that under those circumstances I should pay the bill. Please.”

Far be it from her to stand in the way of Rick raising a proper young man. “Okay. Thanks.” She stood and he did the same, letting her pass. “See you around, Bobby.”

The kid smiled. “’Bye, Charlotte.”

Charlotte walked out of the restaurant without looking back. Even though she kept her eyes fixed firmly on the path ahead of her, she couldn’t help wondering what life would have been like if the man at the table hadn’t jilted her, and the boy sharing the table had been hers. How much happier she’d be if she had the family she’d always wanted.

Chapter Four (#ud331756f-56b2-54e4-9246-e72215417a01)

“Put your dishes in the sink,” Rick said, halting Bobby middash. Bobby had practically swallowed his cereal whole in his rush to get away. Rick tried not to take his son’s rejection personally, but understanding didn’t take away the sting. It was hard to reconcile this kid with the one who’d been his best bud from the moment they’d met. “Don’t go far. We’ve got a lot of cleaning to get done. The furniture is arriving Monday.”

Bobby huffed out a loud breath then grabbed his bowl and cup and dropped them into the sink with a loud clatter. Lucky for him nothing broke. Not that the dishes were all that expensive. It was the attitude that was getting on Rick’s last nerve. And wasn’t that phrase a blast from the past. He now knew what his mother meant when she’d said those words about him years ago. He was going to apologize to her for everything he’d done wrong the next time he spoke to her, whenever that was. His younger sister had taken over the family business four years ago, and ever since then his parents had been traveling like the retired people they were. They were currently on a nine-month cruise around the world.

Grabbing his basketball, Bobby went through the house, each step punctuated by the thud of the ball bouncing off the floor. Rick gritted his teeth, determined not to say anything. He didn’t want all of their interactions to be confrontational. Last night at dinner was the first time in a while that Bobby had smiled. He’d almost been his old self. He’d seemed awed—and bewildered—by Charlotte. Rick could definitely relate to the bewilderment. When she’d said goodbye, Bobby had a goofy, love-struck grin on his face. Rick wondered if his son had developed his first crush.

Any other time and with any other woman, Rick would have found Bobby’s crush amusing. Not now. Charlotte might have eaten dinner with them last night, but he didn’t kid himself that they’d put the past behind them. Bobby might be gung ho about establishing a relationship with Charlotte, but Rick knew she didn’t feel the same. Bobby had been rejected and hurt enough. Rick didn’t want Charlotte adding to that pain, even inadvertently.

He heard the front door slam shut as he was taking his last swallow of coffee. The thump of the basketball pounding against the driveway soon followed. Rick glanced at the clock as he headed for the front door. He couldn’t imagine Charlotte would be happy about being awakened before seven o’clock on a Saturday morning. He opened the door and stepped into the warm North Carolina morning. “Stop with the ball. You’ll wake up Charlotte.”

“No, I won’t,” Bobby protested. “She’s already awake.”

Rick descended the stairs and crossed the grass. Charlotte’s garage door was up and she was checking the air in her rear bicycle tire. She looked up but didn’t speak before turning back to the pump.

“I hope Bobby didn’t disturb you with his basketball,” Rick said. Dressed in pink shorts that hit her midthigh and a pink-and-white-striped shirt, she was definitely disturbing him. She pushed to her feet and he got an even better view of her long, toned legs.

Her brown eyes were bright and sharp with intelligence. Her honey-brown skin was clear and glowed with good health. Her cheekbones were high and her full lips were enticing in their perfection.

“He didn’t.” She wheeled out her bike then lowered her garage door.

“Hey, are you going for a ride now? I’m not doing anything, so I’ll come with you.” Bobby abandoned his ball in the middle of the driveway and raced toward their garage. “Dad, open the door so I can get out my bike.”

“I told you we have work to do around here.”

“All I do is work. I had to pack up our old house then clean it up. Now you’re making me clean up this house so I can unpack the same junk. You never let me have any fun. Why did you bring my bike if you’re never going to let me ride it?”

“Charlotte didn’t invite you.”

Bobby turned hopeful eyes to Charlotte. Yep, that was puppy love Rick saw in his son’s eyes. “It’s all right with you if I come, isn’t it?”

Charlotte’s face didn’t give anything away. That was a change from the girl he used to be able to read like a book. But back then she’d only had one page. Whatever her dad wanted was what she did. Now she seemed to have developed the ability to keep her feelings from showing on her face. “I ride fast.”

“I’m fast. Aren’t I, Dad. I can probably ride faster than you.”

“I’m riding a long way. I’m going to the beach and riding on the sand, which isn’t easy. You need strong muscles in order to do that.”

Bobby pumped up his chest. “I am strong. I carried those heavy boxes yesterday plus I helped bring in our beds. And I can ride a long time.” He shifted from one foot to the other. “Come on, Dad. Open the door.”

“I can tell him no if you want to go alone.” Rick made the whispered offer despite knowing how disappointed Bobby would be.

Charlotte looked at Bobby, who was holding his breath, his face revealing his anxiety. Her lips turned down but Rick could tell she was weakening. She nodded once. “Fine. This time.”

Bobby grinned.

“Okay. I’ll be right back,” Rick said, following his son.

He opened the garage door. Bobby wheeled out his bike and then Rick did the same. He’d loaded their bikes at the last minute, hoping he and Bobby could do something fun that would draw them closer again. Rick didn’t want to let the opportunity slip away. They could clean later.

“What are you doing?” Charlotte asked when Rick rode up beside her. She’d accepted his apology and even eaten dinner with him, but clearly she hadn’t forgiven him. Not that he blamed her for holding a grudge.

“You said you didn’t mind company.” Under other circumstances he wouldn’t foist himself on her, but this was a chance to get closer to Bobby. And who knew, maybe he would be able to show Charlotte how much he regretted his past behavior, that he wasn’t the same person he’d been back then.