Chapter 31
CHAPTER 31
C HARLIE
“My mom and Finn’s mom will be here around noon with the cake and drinks for tonight. Everything is set with the caterer to arrive at four-thirty, right?” Shayna whispers.
“Yes, don’t worry. I’ll be here to let everyone in.”
Shayna is standing in the living room waiting for Emily to finish getting dressed for their spa day. Today’s Emily’s twenty-eighth birthday and we’re having a party tonight. Emily knows about it but thinks it’s small and that we’re just having pizza.
“I’m coming!” Emily calls from upstairs as she shuts her bedroom door. Within a few seconds, she joins us downstairs. “Ready. Sorry I’m late. Let’s go.”
I walk them to the mudroom and Emily slips on her flip-flops as Shayna opens the door and steps onto the porch. I catch myself and pull back just as I lean toward Emily to kiss her goodbye.
Shit. We really need to talk to Trina before we mess up in front of someone else. She has to hear this from us first.
“Bye.” Emily smiles as she gives me a quick wave and follows Shayna to the porch, pulling the front door closed behind her.
About twenty seconds later, Emily comes flying back into the house and hurls herself at me. I wrap my arms around her as she stands on her tiptoes and plants a kiss on my lips. “I told her I needed to get something from the house. And it’s not a lie ’cause I needed to get a goodbye kiss. Bye again!” As fast as she flew back into the house, she’s out of it again.
I stand there for a few seconds after she’s gone, smiling like a fool. Like a fool in love.
* * *
It’s three p.m. and the cake and beverages are here, I’ve confirmed with the caterer that they’ll arrive at four-thirty, and I’ve got Emily’s present in place—though, that was more difficult than I expected. Hell, I’m even showered and dressed for the party already.
I’m feeling pretty good about the day—about life. I grab a cold beer from the refrigerator and walk out to the back deck.
The weather couldn’t be better for Emily’s party. Warm, but not too hot or humid. I walk over to the deck railing and rest my forearms on it, then I lean over and survey the yard.
In the month Emily’s been here, she’s certainly made her mark. Her garden is bountiful with bright red tomatoes, orange and red peppers, and a shit ton of herbs. And those sunflowers, they’re taller than her and she smiles so brightly whenever she sees them. Every week she makes me take a photo of her standing next to them so she can track their growth in pictures.
After our spat last week that led to the type of make-up sex most men can only dream of, Emily and I decided to delay any more discussions about her looking for a house for now. At least until we talk to Trina and see what her reaction is. Personally, I never want her to leave. It’s like we have our own little haven in the woods.
The clicking of the kitchen door grabs my attention and when I turn to look, I lose all power of speech. Emily stands before me, rubbing her hands together, her pretty cheeks a rosy pink, and her bottom lip tugged between her teeth. She’s clearly nervous.
“So, I cut my hair,” she says, her voice hushed.
I set my beer on the railing and basically stalk toward her, though it’s not my intention. “I see that.” My voice is low and rough. I stop when I’m two feet in front of her. “Holy hell,” I whisper.
She’s probably had a solid twelve inches taken from her hair and it’s now in a blunt cut with waves falling just above her shoulders.
“D-do you hate it?” She looks up at me under thick lashes.
“What? Are you kidding me? Emily, I didn’t think you could get any more gorgeous, but I was so damn wrong.”
“You’re not just saying that? It’s a drastic change and it’s my birthday, so maybe you just don’t want to hurt my?—”
“Hey. I don’t lie to you, Em. Ever. You know that. I fucking love it. I do.”
A sweet smile spreads across her face. “I know you liked it long. But I wanted to try something different.”
“I have no question in my mind that I’d love your hair if it were two feet long or two inches long. It’s because it’s attached to you that I like it. For the last ten years I’ve thought you were the most beautiful woman in every room you’ve walked into and that will never change.”
She snorts like I’ve said something funny and rolls her eyes.
“Whoa, what’s that mean?” I search her face because I don’t understand her reaction.
“We both know I’m not your usual type. You’ve always liked taller women with much darker hair, and more womanly curves. I have the body of a pre-pubescent boy compared to the women you’re usually with.”
My initial reaction is to be pissed at the way she’s talking about herself, but I try to remember all the shit she went through this last year. Finding out her new husband was having an affair within two months of getting married likely screwed with her self-confidence. I just wish she could see herself like I see her.
I back her up against the door, boxing her in against the glass with a hand on either side of her waist. Her huge blue eyes are wide and focused on mine.
“You still don’t get it, do you?” I tenderly move a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “For years, I’ve wanted you. But you weren’t mine. So, yeah, I was very intentional about what the women I spent time with looked like. It’s true they looked about as different from you as I could find.” Her gaze drops downward. “Look at me, please.” She hesitates but does as I ask. “I didn’t choose women who looked like that because it’s what I was attracted to. I chose them because they looked so different from you and that was the only way I stood any chance of not thinking of you constantly when I was with them.”
“O-oh.”
“Yeah, ‘oh’. So now you know. And as for your body, it’s fucking perfect. And any time you’re feeling insecure about that, you just tell me. Because I’ll remind you every day, every damn minute if I have to, just how perfect you are. Got it?”
“Yes,” she whispers. “I got it.”
I lean in and kiss her, slow and deep, aiming to leave no question in her mind that she’s what I want.
And she… giggles. At first, anyway, but it quickly becomes a full-on laugh.
I pull back and lift an eyebrow. She covers her mouth with her hand. “Ouch,” I tease. “That bad?”
“I’m so sorry. It’s not the kiss. The kiss was amazing.” Her cheeks turn a bright red, but I wait patiently. She smiles sweetly. “It’s just you’re like this quiet, ‘man of few words’ type of guy around most people, but when you talk to me you’re so damn swoony. Like the things you say could melt a girl’s panties.”
“Oh yeah?” I ask. I close the little distance left between us. Making sure she can feel exactly what she does to me.
She nods and watches me through hooded eyes.
I lean in and kiss her neck and she moans in response.
“And when we’re having sex and you talk… Jesus, Charlie. I never would have guessed you’d be so vocal in the bedroom. But I love it.”
“Tell me more about what you like,” I say against the smooth skin of her creamy neck.
She whimpers in response.
“I-I love it when you talk dirty to me and make me feel free to talk back.” She’s panting now and pushing her pelvis into mine. “And when?—”
She doesn’t finish her sentence, though I give her time to. “And when what, baby?” I whisper near her ear.
“I like that you want to watch me when you make me come.” She’s panting now and fuck, so am I.
“You’re so damn sexy.” I pull back and rest my forehead against hers while we catch our breath.
After we’ve calmed down a little, I glance at my watch. “We’ve got about a half hour until people arrive. It’s enough time to give you your birthday present, or we can go upstairs, and I can use my mouth to give you another type of birthday present. Your pick.”
She gives me the cutest sheepish grin. “If you give me my regular present now, can I still get the other one when we go to bed?”
I can’t help but chuckle. Emily loves surprises, and I’m shocked she’s held out this long today without asking if there is a present for her. Since I’ve met her, I haven’t missed a single birthday present for her—even on the years there was a distance between us. I just sent them with Trina on those years.
“Yeah, you’ll still get the other present at bedtime. Come on, I know you want to see your gift.”
I take her by the hand and lead her into the house, through the kitchen, and to the door outside the office room.
“Close your eyes and don’t open them until I tell you to.” She does as I ask, and I turn the knob on the office door and lead her inside. “Okay. Open your eyes.”
* * *
EMILY
As I slowly turn in a circle, taking in all Charlie has done in the office, I’m speechless. I forget all about my present. Books—my books—line the built-in wood bookshelves. Next to them is a new reading nook large enough for two people to lie down on that butts up to the window with what appears to be custom made pale blue cushions and matching pillows. It’s absolutely amazing. The flooring is now a gorgeous hickory hard wood with a gray stain laid out in a herringbone pattern.
But the best thing is a stunning live edge desk with streaks of turquoise colored resin running across the top and gorgeous black piping for legs. It has a matching turquoise toned chair.
“This desk. This entire room. My God, it’s breathtaking. Where did you even find a desk like this?”
“I made it.”
I turn around to look at him. “You made it? Are you serious?”
He simply shrugs, like it’s no big deal.
I look at the desk again and run my hand along its smooth top.
Lying on the desk is a card with my name on it. I place my finger on it and ask, “Is it okay to open this?”
Charlie has moved over to lean against the wall next to me, and he nods, standing with his hands in his jeans pocket as he watches me.
It’s a lovely card that reads:
Happy birthday, Emily. May this year be filled with as much joy and sunshine as you bring to my life every day. Love, Charlie.
Inside is a one-hundred-dollar gift card to my favorite brick and mortar independent bookstore.
“Charlie, it’s too much. You’ve done so much for me already. A hundred dollars is too much.”
He looks at me curiously, tilting his head, fixing his gaze on me.
“You think that gift card is your whole present?”
I furrow my brow. “Isn’t it?”
“No, Emily. It isn’t. Your main present is the desk.”
“What?” I gasp.
“The desk. I made it for you. It’s yours. Actually, the entire room is for you. I know you haven’t decided if you’re staying yet. But for as long as you’re here, I made this room to be your space. And if you ever leave, the desk and chair are yours.”
My mouth drops open and my vision blurs as tears build up. I can’t stop them from coming—they spill over my eyelids and flow freely down my face.
“Shit. What’s wrong?” Charlie pulls me into his arms and holds me to his chest. “I’m sorry. For whatever I did, I’m sorry.”
I shake my head against his chest. “N-n-nothing is wrong.”
“Tell me why you’re crying then. Please.” The desperation in his voice is so heart wrenching I have to pull it together.
I pull back from him and wipe my eyes on my T-shirt. “Nothing’s wrong.” I sniffle. “I’m just so touched by this. You see me. And no one has ever done anything so thoughtful for me. Ever.”
“You deserve all the most beautiful things in life, sunshine.” He leans forward and kisses me on the forehead. “Plus, I couldn’t let Finn upstage me with that garden he designed Shayna for her birthday this year, could I?”
I chuckle and appreciate that he’s trying to lighten the mood, seeing as our friends will be here any minute, and I don’t want to look like I’ve been weeping.
“How about you go upstairs and get changed for the party and I’ll stay down here and get the pizza ordered and some chips set out. Okay?”
“Okay,” I smile at him. “And thank you. I love my present.” I press a kiss to his lips. I’m struck with a desire to drag him over to the reading nook space and show him just how much I love it when the doorbell rings and I startle, jumping.
“Shit! I’m going upstairs.”
I race out of the room, up the stairs, and walk into the guest room I’m supposed to be staying in to get dressed. The sound of Charlie’s laughter follows me, bringing a smile to my face.
An hour later, it’s clear my friends have duped me. This is no small gathering. Rather, almost everyone I love is here to celebrate my birthday. And we aren’t having pizza. I don’t know who arranged it, but the food is all catered by my new favorite Mexican restaurant over in Meadow Creek.
We spend the next several hours eating, drinking, and laughing. And I could not be more grateful for everyone in this room. This last year has been the most difficult of my life and it doesn’t escape me that no matter how much hurt and pain there has been, I am loved by some really wonderful people. That’s more than any woman could hope for.
The only thing that even remotely mars the bliss of the evening is I’m more convinced now that something is off with Trina. She denied it when I asked, but she looks exhausted and on edge, though I think she’s trying to hide it. I know Charlie sees it as well. I’ve seen him watching her several times tonight with a pinched brow and a smile that doesn’t quite meet his eyes.
Enough is enough. I’m worried about my big sister, and I’m worried about how she’ll react to the news about Charlie and me. So, I’m going to insist on us all talking this week. And I’m the only one those two can’t say no to.