Chapter 1 #2
Her phone rang a third time and she snarled in frustration, pulling it out and looking at the screen.
“Who is it?” he asked.
“My mother.”
“Call her back.”
Charlotte glared at him. “They’re in Japan, remember?”
She made him sound like a complete and utter moron for forgetting her parents’ trip, and hell—maybe he was. They’d been planning it for over a year now, talk of shrines and temples and gardens nearly overtaking the accomplishments of their grandchildren in polite conversation.
Clearing her throat, she sounded downright calm when she asked, “What’s up, Mom?”
His irritation with the interruption faded as he watched her face go slack.
She met his stare with a look that told him something was terribly wrong.
“I got the link, but I haven’t had a chance to look at it.
Why?” She turned away from him, going quiet as she listened.
“She did what? Jesus.” She shook her head.
“No, Gemma’s too sick, Logan needs to stay with her.
I’ll go.” She paused, then said, “I’ll be on the next plane out of Atlanta. I’ll be there before dark.”
He cocked his head, concern replacing all other thoughts. Gemma was her brother Logan’s wife, heavily pregnant with their second child and having some issues. Logan was a member of Cowboy’s team.
She wandered a few paces away and back again, listening.“I’ll call you as soon as I land. Mom, I’m sure everything’s fine.” She said goodbye and hung up the phone.
“What’s wrong?”
“My grandmother’s gone viral on TikTok. More than two million views and counting.”
“What did she do?”
“She got engaged, only no one in the family even knew she was dating anyone. My cousin Tabitha forwarded the video to my mom, who of course sent it to the whole family in utter hysterics.” She headed toward the house.
Concern lowered his brow as he followed her. “Your grandma in Maine… is that the one who’s been acting strange?” Charlotte still had three living grandmothers, and he’d yet to be invited to meet any of them. They went inside, and he was on her heels as she climbed the stairs to their bedroom.
“Yes. Moving big sums of money, changing investments that have been unchanged for decades, making unprecedented business decisions. My mom’s afraid it’s dementia. If she’s right, Grams isn’t mentally fit enough to marry anyone.”
“Is it possible this guy is influencing her financial decisions? Maybe even taking some for himself?”
“That’s what she’s afraid of.” She bent down and pulled a suitcase out from beneath their antique brass bed.
“Wait, you’re going up there now?” he asked.
“I have to.” She turned and opened her underwear drawer, tossing several pairs into the open suitcase.
“But there’s a damn Nor’easter, Charlotte. You can’t get to coastal Maine right now unless there’s some kind of emergency. Just wait until the weather clears up.”
“I’m going now.” She turned to her closet and pulled a heavy sweater from a hanger. “My mom’s losing her shit, she’s so worried.”
“Then why can’t your mom go?”
She gestured wildly. “They’re in fucking Japan, Leo! And this guy could be a con artist, an escaped convict, anything.” She walked briskly down the hall. “Do you listen to anything I say?”
He winced, knowing he deserved her snide remark. He’d had a lot on his mind lately with HERO Force, and the stress was beginning to have an effect on him. “Sorry.”
Charlotte glared at him, but let it go. “Grams is important to me, okay? If this guy’s after her money, we have to protect her.”
He shrugged, thinking he was an idiot for what he was about to say, then said it anyway. “Or maybe she’s in love.”
She pointed her finger at him. “Don’t you fucking start with me now.”
“I wasn’t saying anything about the two of us.”
“Everything you say is about the two of us.”
Frustration had him flexing his arms. He needed her to stay here so they could work this out, not fly off to Maine with some ridiculously overblown concern for her grandmother.
He chastised himself for the thought. Clearly, she was worried, as was her mother.
If he had half a brain, he’d support her right now.
One side of his mouth hitched into a grin. He reached for a duffel bag on the top shelf of his closet. “I’ll come with you.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Doesn’t she live on some little island? You have no idea what you’re walking into. You’re absolutely right. This guy would be a madman, or a con artist. It could be dangerous.”
“I’m perfectly capable of handling myself.”
“Let me help you.”
“Damn it, Leo, no!”
He ran a hand through his hair. “Why the fuck not?”
She stopped and turned to him, pointing outside. “Were you even here for the conversation we just had? I need a break from you. Maybe more than a break.”
His chest seemed to fold in on itself, the pain of what she was saying threatening to crush him before he pushed it away just as firmly.
If he could get on that plane with her, he would have time.
Their world had been torn apart in less than an hour.
Surely a few days together would allow him to fix it.
“You’re being stubborn. What if you need me?
What if your connecting flight is canceled and you can’t get to the island because of the weather? You hate driving in snow. Let me help.”
She blew out air and set her hands on her hips.
He took a step closer. “You know I’d do anything for your family.” She was ready to cave. He could feel it, and even as the flush of victory crested, about to wash over him, he saw how he’d strong-armed her, how he’d failed to listen to what she wanted. His pleasure waned at the realization.
I’ll work on it.
If you let me stay, I’ll do better, I promise.
“Shit,” she cursed, hanging her head. “Fine, you can come. But separate rooms, separate everything.”
He nodded, willing to agree to whatever demands she made if it meant he’d be by her side.
“I’ll call the airline. Hopefully the commercial flights are moving.
” He dialed the familiar number, then pulled up the weather radar while he waited on hold, frowning at the intense colors swirling just off the eastern coast. If the planes were flying, they’d be grounded soon, and HERO Force’s chopper couldn’t fly in weather like that, either.
One way or another, he’d get her there. He’d walk through the flames of hell to make that woman happy. A little snow wasn’t going to stop him. He met her stare.
She looked tired.
Worried.
Sad.
He would get her to Maine and help her with her grandmother. But most important, he had to make Charlotte love him again, and he only had a couple of days to do it. “It’s going to be okay, Char. I promise.”
“You don’t know that.”
He wasn’t sure if they were talking about their relationship or her grandmother, but it didn’t matter which. “I will do everything in my power to make sure it is.” He could only hope at least one of those things was within his control.