Chapter 2 #2
Dressed in a wool pant suit, she definitely looked like the uptight lawyer Dottie had described.
Strangely, that wasn’t a turn off at all and he suspected that there was a lot more to Charli than met the eyes.
It made him curious to get to know her better and uncover what was underneath all those layers.
He led her to the tiny convertible Art had asked him to drive, popped the trunk, and dropped in her suitcase. He turned to her and found her staring at the car with a puzzled expression on her face.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Is this your work car?” she asked, her voice thick with sarcasm.
Jack chuckled and walked over to open the passenger side door.
He motioned her to sit and closed the door once she was settled.
He circled the car and got in, turning the ignition.
“No, this was your aunt’s car. Art wanted to make sure you had it while you’re on the island,” he replied lightly.
“And I’m assuming you don’t want to navigate the island at this moment, so I’ll drive. ”
“Oh,” Charli’s face fell, as if it had been an unwelcome reminder of why she was here. “That’s really thoughtful of you.”
He turned toward her in the seat, meeting her gaze. “I didn’t want to say anything in the terminal with so many people around, but I just want you to know how sorry I am about your aunt.”
Charli took a deep breath and gave him a tremulous smile despite the tears that suddenly blurred her vision. “Thank you.” She sniffed. “Did you know her?”
Jack chuckled. “Everyone knew Dottie. She was an institution on the island, a pillar of the community, one of the city’s wealthiest residents and philanthropists, and the entire island is upset that she’s gone.”
“Oh,” Charli said again, her face drawn. “Well, I’m glad she had so many friends here. She was my favorite aunt.”
Jack grinned as he drove out of the garage and onto the main road. “She was everyone’s favorite.” He glanced at her and then back at the road. “She talked about you a lot.”
From the side of his eye, he could see her glance at him, her eyes suddenly wide. “She talked about me?”
“Her niece, the high-powered corporate lawyer in Boston? Yeah.” His hands squeezed the steering wheel.
“Huh,” she grunted, then turned to watch the scenery as he navigated the narrow streets. She was silent for the rest of the drive through Old Town but perked up as he pulled into the small brick courtyard of a two-story white clapboard house.
He pointed at the house. “Art thought you’d prefer to stay in your Aunt’s house rather than an inn or a hotel.”
Charli scowled, her brows dropping down. “This isn’t my aunt’s house,” she answered. “This place is adorable. Aunt Dottie’s house was a run-down old resort.”
Jack chuckled and tossed a thumb over his shoulder. “That’s the old bed and breakfast compound across the street.” Charli followed his motion, her lips forming a perfect ‘O’. “Dottie bought this house a few years ago when that one became unlivable.”
He watched as Charli stepped out of the car and turned to look at the property across the street—or what he assumed she could see given all of the overgrown brush and the coral walls. “Huh...I didn’t recognize it.”
“That’s not surprising,” Jack replied. “This area has changed a bit in the last decade.”
Her face scrunched up. “Why wouldn’t Aunt Dottie just hire someone,” she gestured toward him, “like you, who could renovate it? Why leave it in that condition and buy something else?”
Jack snorted and popped the trunk, pulling her suitcase out.
“That’s a great question. I asked her several times to let me get at that place, but every time she’d just shake her head and say the time wasn’t right.
” He shrugged and looked across the street at the jumbled mess.
“I never understood what she meant by that.”
After a moment, Jack gestured toward a side door.
“Come on. Let me show you around.” He smiled when he heard Charli following close behind.
He had to admit that it was nice to actually see Dottie’s niece in person—more than nice.
It wasn’t something he could easily or comfortably explain, but Charli exceeded his expectations in nearly every way.
He turned the lights on as they walked into the house and dropped the keys in a small wicker basket on the kitchen counter.
“This is the kitchen and dining room,” he said, pointing toward the round antique table that sat in a cozy bay window.
“The main living room is through here,” he added as he moved through the house, knowing she’d follow.
Jack walked toward a stairway and gestured down a small hallway. “There’s a full bath, storage closet, and office down there.” He started up the stairs, still carrying the suitcase. “The bedrooms are up here.” He turned left at the top of the stairs. “The master bedroom is this way.”
“Four bedrooms?” Charli asked, a touch of wonder in her voice.
“Mmmhmmm,” Jack mumbled. “And two more full bathrooms. This was way more house than Dottie needed, but I think she liked that it overlooked her compound.”
He strode into the master bedroom, dropping the suitcase on the bed, and walked over to open the blinds.
“And here’s one of the best features of this house.
” He waved his hand toward a set of white french doors inlaid almost floor to ceiling with glass that let in light which streamed across the hardwood floor.
Jack opened the doors and they walked out onto a large, covered balcony with an old world architectural design. The view up and down the street was incredible and he could easily picture Charli lounging out here on the rocking chairs.
Charli stepped up next to him at the balustrade, rested her hands on the railing, and tried to peer into the mess across the street. She huffed. “It’s so overgrown, it’s difficult to tell what’s over there.”
“Trust me. It would be easy enough to clean out,” he reassured her. “The worst part would be the structures. It would just take some time and patience.”
There was a sudden flash of color, a flurry of beating wings, and then a large, red and black rooster perched on the compound walls. He twisted his head to the side and seemed to glare up at the balcony with one beady eye.
Charli released a shaky laugh. “She had chickens?”
Jack snorted. “They’re all over the island, but I’m sure you know that.” He pointed to the ornery fowl. “That’s George. His hens and chicks are probably running around on the other side of that wall. Your aunt had a bond with them, so we’ve been feeding them since Dottie passed.”
“We?” Charli asked, glancing at him with a slight side eye.
“Me and the ladies from the Royal Conch Society,” he answered. “We’ve been keeping an eye on things until everything could be resolved.”
Her brows shot up and the corner of her mouth twitched. “Royal Conch Society? Now that’s a name.” She laughed out loud. “That sounds like something my aunt would be in.”
Jack smiled, happy to see her mood lighten. “She was one of the founding members.”
Charli giggled and then choked back a sob. She closed her eyes and pressed a fist to her mouth.
His stomach twisted at her grief and he reached out to pull her into a gentle embrace, cradling her head on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Charli.”
A shiver shot through his body as she melted into him, accepting his kindness without a protest. Unintentional as it was, the press of her body against his, her breasts against his midsection, awakened a hunger and yearning within him.
Down boy...her Aunt just passed away. Not the time or the place.
After several minutes, Charli sniffed and placed a hand on his chest, pushing away from his embrace. She cleared her throat awkwardly and kept her gaze down. “I’m sorry about that. Didn’t mean to lose control.”
Jack smiled at the cute picture she presented—even in her grief, she was a very attractive woman. “There’s nothing to apologize for, Charli. You’ve suffered a terrible loss. Besides, I’ve been consoling most of the neighborhood for a month now. Think of me as your personal cheerleader.”
Charli sputtered a laugh and glanced up, a carefree grin taking years off her face. “I can’t believe how lucky I am to have such an experienced empathizer here with me.”
Jack snorted a laugh. “That’s something I’ve never been called before.” He gestured toward the balcony doors. “Come on. I’ll show you the rest of the house.”
As they made their way down the stairs, he mentioned over his shoulder.
“Art has a packet of information on the kitchen counter for you—things he wanted you to review before the meeting this afternoon.” He stopped in the dining room and turned toward her.
“Do you think you can find his office? If not, I’d be happy to pick you up. ”
Charli waved a hand in dismissal. “No, you don’t have to do that. I’m sure I can find it.” She sniffed and seemed to compose herself, then laid a hand on his shoulder. Again, a bolt of awareness shot through him at her touch and he had to squint his eyes to focus on what else she said.
“Thanks for everything, Jack. You’ve been...” She trailed off for a second and sniffed again. “You’ve been great.”
At that moment, words were beyond him and all he could do was nod. He turned and pulled open the back door, then looked back at her as he stepped out. “I’ll see you around.”