Chapter 44
FORTY-FOUR
D AKOTA
“All right. I can’t stand seeing you mope around here anymore,” Charlotte announces as she finds me in her breakfast room, hunched over with my coffee, doom scrolling the morning away with Vendetta in my lap. I look up from the latest dumpster fire on social media to see her looming over the table like a force to be reckoned with. I’m not sure Charlotte owns jeans or old T-shirts. Everything she wears looks freshly pressed and perfectly tailored, and every day, she puts on a new pair of unique heels. Today’s are four-inch stilettos with pointed toes and jeweled snakes that wrap around her ankles. I need to figure out how to take her style and meld it with my lazy cowgirl aesthetic because just looking at her is intimidating, and those are the vibes I need for the fresh future I’ve been planning. When I’m not worrying about Grant that is .
“It’s not moping. Just worrying.”
“If you’re going to stay with him, you’ll spend every day of the rest of your life worrying like this. You’ve got to learn to compartmentalize and remind yourself that he’s where he is for a reason. He didn’t amass all that power and all that wealth because he didn’t know what he was doing.” Charlotte lectures me, and it’s a fair point. “Besides, we’ve got our own work to do—I got word we need to figure something out for them.”
“Somehow, I doubt I was included in the dream team.” I laugh because otherwise, I’ll cry. I feel so useless when everyone else here seems to have a purpose. Mine was the bar and my staff, creating a place for locals to come and have community, but now I’ve got nothing, and it’s hitting me hard.
“I’m including you on the team. It’ll get your mind off things, and I could use a fresh perspective.”
“What do we need fresh perspective on?” Hazel’s in from a run on the trail on Charlotte’s property. Her hair is tied up, and her face is sweaty and red from the exertion. She’d decided to stay here with me, in part to keep me company and in part because of Ramsey’s own feelings about her being alone at home. Beatrix, Hazel’s friend who was in Colorado for all the wedding festivities and subsequent mess, has been keeping us both company and trying to cheer us up since we got here. Hazel pours them each a giant glass from a pitcher of fruit-infused water.
“Me too.” Finn, one of Charlotte’s men, has suddenly appeared from his own workout, and he pushes another glass in front of Hazel.
“The relic that we discussed last year and the one I found. We need to find out if there are any others like them.” Charlotte casts a sideways glance at Beatrix. “Is she vetted?”
The question is directed at Hazel, but Beatrix shifts her attention to Charlotte when she realizes she’s the one being talked about.
“I’ve signed NDAs with Finn and Ramsey as their PR rep for their brands, and Hazel and I have our own agreement because of the project we’re working on. Do you need me to add an addendum?”
“This is a separate project. I work as their art consultant, and this industry is very protective of its insider information,” Charlotte responds without missing a beat.
“Understood.” Beatrix nods. “But if I can ask a question?”
“You can ask.” Charlotte raises a brow in question. I suspect she has little intention of answering.
“Did you say relics? Like the kind from saints and things?”
“Yes,” Charlotte answers easily.
“My sister-in-law specializes in medieval art and hagiographies. If you need someone, I’m happy to put you in touch with her. She’ll be in town this week while we’re shopping for… dresses.” Beatrix hesitates because she’s planning her own wedding and is worried it’s a sensitive subject.
“I’d appreciate that.” Charlotte’s face softens and half a smile appears.
“I’m still invited, right? You’re not gonna ice me out from dress shopping because you’re worried about me being sad?” Hazel eyes Beatrix as she chugs her water.
“As long as you’re up for it, I want you there.” Beatrix looks at Hazel sincerely and then turns to me. “You’re welcome to come too if you need a field trip. But I should get home. I need to prepare for a meeting with a potential new client this afternoon. Hazel, let me know your thoughts on those new plans I sent over to you.”
“I’ll look over them with Ramsey tonight. But we’ll probably want to run them by the siblings, too, and well, you know…” Hazel trails off. She had plans for expanding the inn’s fo otprint at the ranch, but now everything’s in disarray until we get it sorted.
“We can wait a while. No problem at all.” Beatrix gives Hazel a thoughtful smile and then turns to Charlotte. “Your property is gorgeous. Thanks for letting me run, and I’ll send that contact info to Hazel for you.”
“Nice to meet you.” Charlotte waves her off and then turns her attention back to me. “All right. Let’s get down in my office and see what we can research in the meantime.”
“If you two are working, I’ll catch up later. I’ve got to get ready and then run to the store. Text me if you need anything.” Hazel waves at us and takes off.
“Want me to order dinner in tonight?” Finn asks from the corner of the room, nearly forgotten as the rest of us plot to help Hudson and Grant.
“That would be appreciated. Maybe one of those family meals from one of the Italian places?” Charlotte’s eyes fall over Finn.
“Hudson’s gonna start getting jealous if you don’t order from Kelly’s.” Kelly’s is the steakhouse Hudson owns in town. Hazel had explained to me on the flight over that it’s where she had met Charlotte and Hudson for the first time.
“Hudson’s not here, so who’s going to tell him?” Something silent passes between them. “Besides, he’ll just decide he needs to buy the Italian place or start his own. I wouldn’t hate that.”
“He doesn’t need another project.” Finn rolls his eyes and puts his glass in the sink before he comes over and kisses Charlotte on the cheek. “I’ll take care of dinner. Let me know if you need anything else.”
I watch Finn disappear, and then I stand to join Charlotte, dropping my coffee mug in the sink alongside the other glasses.
“You’re honestly my idol, you know that?” I grin at her as we walk down the hall .
Charlotte presses her lips together and shakes her head. “Trust me. In theory, it sounds good, but in practice, it’s a lot of household politics and negotiations.”
“Can I ask a question?”
“You can ask.” She looks ahead as we walk. It’s her favorite phrase. The woman is nothing if not cagey in her answers, but I’m hoping eventually she’ll warm up to me and share some of her secrets. Hudson and Grant seem to be so much alike in so many ways, and I’m happy to eat up any advice she wants to give.
“Does it ever get easier? Or are they always hypocrites about the risk-taking?”
“Hudson’s always hated the risks I take, but he’s learned to accept that this is who I am. In the same way that I’ve had to accept it about him and Rowan. If I thought about every single thing they did, I’d die of worry, and I have way too many things I need to do in life to die yet.”
“Well, we have that in common.” I grin at her.
“Then it’s a good day to start focusing on what you want.”
“I want to help with this.”
“Perfect.” She flashes a bright smile and ushers me into her office.
It’s massive and filled floor to ceiling with stuffed bookshelves and large tables with art and manuscripts sprawled over the surfaces. I feel like I’ve just entered a secret lair, and I’m wondering how I got from pouring shots to working next to one of the smartest women I’ve ever met. Apparently, there’s a silver lining to all of this misery.