Chapter 12
After helping her newfriends prepare breakfast and lunch, Charlotte practically danced her way back to her casita. Last night was the best night in her life. She’d shared everything with Sam, and he understood her, really understood her.
She belonged. She could be a part of Sam’s world.
“Sam, are you here? I’m back,” she called out as she stepped through the jungle and faced their two casitas.
After getting no reply, she peeked into the little houses. Her shoulders sagged. Both were empty.
A ladder lay on the ground next to her casita with a small stack of wood planks and clay bricks beside it. Inside, it looked as if the hole in the ceiling was gone.
But maybe that didn’t matter as much anymore.
She’d spent the last two nights in Sam’s room and in Sam’s bed. Her toes curled thinking about being with him again.
Instead of going back and forth between casitas, it made sense for her to move her things into Sam’s room. She smiled to herself. That would be perfect.
A few minutes later, she grabbed her suitcase and hauled it into Sam’s room. Then she dashed back to her place and picked up clothes still sitting out, including that sexy blue bikini Amy insisted she keep, as well as a shelf full of toiletries in the bathroom.
In Sam’s room, she pulled out the dresses she didn’t want crumpled and placed them next to his clothes in his open closet. She grinned. They looked nice next to his things. Then to be silly—and a touch suggestive—she hung the little blue bikini on a hook by the door.
He didn’t keep much on his bathroom shelves, so she took up a good bit of space with her toiletries.
She clasped her hands together when she finished. There. Done. And just in time.
Sam entered his room a few minutes later and smiled when he saw her. But she’d never seen so much tension in his face before.
She walked toward him and reached for his hand. “Is everything okay?”
He held her fingers for a second then released them. “Not exactly, but it will be fine.”
“What’s going on?” She moved to face him, but he shifted away.
“My investors in Europe...George...” He pressed a hand to his forehead and shook his head. “It’s a mess, but I’ll figure it out.”
“What can I do to help?”
“Nothing.” He shook his head a little harder. “I just need to think and...” He looked up and eyed her bikini by the door then turned and saw her dresses on his clothes rod. “Are those your things?”
“Yes.”
“What are they doing here?”
“What?” Her voice quaked.
“Is something wrong with your roof again?” He scowled as he looked toward the door that led to her casita.
“No. I thought it might be nice...”
“Oh...okay. But I need some quiet time to think.” He started to pace then glanced toward the open door in the bathroom. “Are those your things too?” He pointed to the sun and skin lotions she organized on the top of his bathroom shelf.
“I can move them,” she offered. She could be out of here in five minutes.
“No, it’s fine,” he replied, barely looking at her. “But I need quiet to make some calls.”
“I’ll get out of your way then.” She took two quick steps back and bumped into the edge of his bed. She grabbed onto the nearest bedpost to right herself. “I can go help the guests who need assistance getting ready for the storm.”
“That would be great. You’re always such a help, Charlotte.”
Charlotte walked out of the casita toward the pavilion and longed to keep on going. She’d imagined more with Sam and she got it—for a night. She’d never forget the way he held her, kissed her and made her feel like the most important person in his life.
It had been stupid to let this happen.
Now they were back to normal—their normal—and it broke her heart.