Chapter Nineteen #2
She grinned at him. “I think you should drink your coffee and get to work. Especially since you’re not going to be there tonight either.”
“Yeah, do you want me to call Renée and …” He stopped himself mid-sentence. He already knew the answer to that one. She’d figure it out for herself and wouldn’t thank him for interfering.
She smiled. “I appreciate the offer, you know I do. But we both know I don’t work that way. And I’m glad you stopped yourself from offering.”
He laughed. “I can’t help wanting to smooth things out for you, but I do know how you are and that’s part of what I love about you. I’m going to get going. I’ll see you later.”
~ ~ ~
When Ben had gone Charlotte decided she was going to go to the bakery.
She wasn’t sure whether Renée would be working today, but bumping into her there felt more comfortable than calling her to ask whether she was invited tonight.
Even if Renée wasn’t working, April probably would be, and Charlotte still hadn’t managed to catch up with her, despite her living next door.
There hadn’t been the right time to just stop by and say hello.
Whichever one of them was there, it would be a good thing.
And, she smiled to herself, she could always pick up some pastries.
She pulled up across the street from the bakery.
It looked like they were busy in there. She recognized a tall dark figure in a cowboy hat.
It made sense that Chance would visit. She knew that he was the one who’d brought April here from Montana, and Chance and Renée went way back.
Chloe was Renée’s sister. She wondered whether she should wait out here until the customers had all left, but she thought better of it.
It’d be nice to see Chance again, and besides, she may be many things, but she wasn’t a coward.
“Hey, Charlie! How are you?” called Renée with a big grin. “I can’t believe we haven’t had chance to catch up yet.”
Charlie smiled. “I’m doing great, thanks. I’m sure we’ll get around to it.” She didn’t want to say much more considering she and Renée were talking over a line of customers.
April waved and gave her a cheery smile and Chance turned to smile at her too. Once he’d paid April, he picked up his bag and came to join Charlotte at the end of the line. “How’s it going, honey? Are you two back on track?”
She smiled and nodded at him gratefully. “We are thanks, Chance. And thanks for your advice the other day. You were right. He knows his own mind and it seems he wasn’t too keen on me trying to decide what was best for him.”
Chance let out a little chuckle. “Who would be? Think about it. How would you have felt if the tables were turned?”
Charlotte did think about it, then she looked up at Chance.
“Damn! It’s so obvious when you put it like that.
I would have hated it if he’d done that to me.
And now I think about it, I can see how it would feel like I was trying to palm him off on her.
Thanks again, for stopping me before I pushed it too far. ”
Chance nodded. “I’m glad I could help. I always wanted to see the two of you back together.”
“So did I,” said Renée.
Charlotte looked up. She’d reached the head of the line and all the other customers had been served and left while she and Chance were talking. “Thanks,” she said with a smile, wondering how she could now ask whether Renée hadn’t invited her to the party tonight because of Angel.
April smiled at her. “Me too. I’ve been hoping and hoping for you since Vegas.”
“You did more than hope from what I heard,” said Chance.
April shrugged and smiled. “You know, right up until you came back, I still felt a little bit guilty about interfering. But after everything you told me that night, I knew you and Ben just needed a chance to talk again.”
Charlotte nodded. “And I shall be forever grateful to you. I don’t like to think how things would have turned out if I’d left that morning without ever seeing him.”
“So, are you going to be the next set of wedding bells we hear?” asked Renée.
“I don’t know. We haven’t gotten that far yet.”
“Yeah, but it’s only a case of when, not if, isn’t it?” asked Chance.
Charlotte nodded. “I hope so, but I’m not going to tempt fate by saying yes. If life has taught me anything, it’s that there are no guarantees.”
Renée gave her a knowing smile. “I understand where you’re coming from, but I don’t think there are any doubts this time.”
“All I’m going to say is that I hope so,” said Charlotte with a smile. “I will tell you that for a while there I had huge doubts. I wasn’t so sure that we would end up together. In fact, I thought he was going to end up with someone else.”
Renée raised an eyebrow. “Angel?”
Charlotte nodded and smiled at Chance. “This fella helped me out with that. In fact, I felt pretty dumb about it after we talked.”
“I can see why you had your doubts,” said Renée.
That surprised Charlotte. She hadn’t expected Renée to agree.
“Sorry.” Renée gave her an apologetic smile. “I don’t know how this sounds, but for a while there I thought he and Angel might get together.”
Chance turned a hard stare on her. “What the hell made you think that? I’ve known Ben his whole life and it never even crossed my mind that he could ever want anyone other than Charlotte.”
“Sorry. I don’t mean to be … I don’t know what. I don’t mean to upset you, Charlie. It’s just that Angel seems like such a good fit for him.”
April shook her head. “Yeah, but just because two people are similar doesn’t mean they would be good together, does it?
I mean, just look at Missy and Dan, or me and Eddie for that matter.
There’s proof that opposites attract when it comes to relationships.
I can see Ben and Angel being friends, working well together,” she smiled at Charlotte. “But nothing else.”
Charlotte smiled back at her. “Thanks, April. I think Ben and I definitely fit into the opposites attract category.” She turned to Renée. “And don’t worry, I know where you’re coming from. I felt the same way, that perhaps he’d be better off with her.”
Renée shook her head. “It’s not that he’d be better off with her. I didn’t mean that. I just wanted to see him happy and I didn’t know if you’d ever come back.”
Charlotte nodded. “It’s okay, I’m not upset or offended or anything.”
“Good,” said Renée. “I’d hate to think I had upset you.”
“Honestly, I’d hate to think that I’d upset or offended you, too. I wanted to ask you if I’d be welcome tonight. Everyone seemed to think I should be going, but I haven’t been invited. And someone suggested that I might not be, since Angel’s going.”
Renée’s eyes widened. “Oh my goodness! Of course you’re invited! I haven’t seen you to ask you personally, but I just assumed you’d know you’re included. Of course you are.”
Charlotte smiled, feeling a little embarrassed. “I’m sorry, this all feels a little bit like high school. It’s not a case of I’m not coming if she is. I just thought that knowing you, you’d want to include and take care of her, and I didn’t want to barge in and spoil that.”
“Yes, I have been trying to include her in things. I don’t like to see her left out in the cold. But my goodness, Charlie! There’s no way I’d leave you out.”
Chance smiled at them. “Okay, then. I’m glad we sorted out that little misunderstanding, ladies. Why do women make everything so complicated?”
Charlotte laughed. “I don’t know it’s just a talent, it seems to come naturally.”
“Well, it’s a talent you might want to keep in check.”
“I’m trying,” said Charlotte with a smile. “In fact, I’m quite proud of myself for coming over here to ask.”
“I’m proud of you, too,” said Renée. “It would have been awful, if you’d just assumed you weren’t invited and had stayed home.”
“Yeah,” said Chance with a smile. “Our Charlie may be complicated, but she’s never been one to just sit home.”
Charlotte gave him a puzzled look. “I’m going to take that as a compliment, even though I’m not sure it was intended as one.”
Chance grinned at her. “It was. Don’t worry. I just mean you’re more likely to take life by the horns than to sit and let it pass you by. Anyway, I need to get going. He held up his bag of goodies. I’m off to see my dad.”
“Say hi for me,” said Charlotte. “I’ll have to get over and see him soon.”
“He’d like that. You ladies have a good time tonight. I’ll see you around.”