1. Charlotte #2
Closing her eyes, Charlotte held Amy’s words in her mind.
She’d pondered these questions herself throughout the years, and a sense of betrayal always immediately followed.
She had never envisioned staying in Iowa, let alone living in Sioux City for the rest of her life.
One year at the University of Iowa, maybe two, before she transferred out of state somewhere, destination unknown.
When she was eighteen, that had been her plan.
Unsure of anything else in her senior year, Charlotte’s dreams had been considerable—paleontologist, art historian, actress—that was the point of youth.
In the end, when she had finally attended college, she had chosen a “sensible” career: English teacher, and though it may not have been her dream, she had treasured it for almost twenty-five years.
And she couldn’t imagine a world in which her daughter didn’t exist, since Isobel was her greatest blessing.
Emotions running high, she admitted, “I hate even thinking that way now. It makes me feel like I regret having Isobel.”
“Lottie, no one is saying that. But right now, you are entirely free: Issy is grown, with her own life. Brady has moved on.” Amy’s eyes held hers. “You guys sold your house, and you need to move anyway, right? Why not here?”
Was her best friend insane? Charlotte looked around dramatically to prove her point. “So, just pick up and move to the middle of nowhere? Hours away from you, from my daughter…from my home?”
“Listen, you could use some separation from your kid so you stop using her as a crutch. Besides, with my schedule, it’s not like we see each other every day, anyway. Plus, this isn’t that far from Sioux City, only a smidge over two hours!”
“You can’t be serious. I know absolutely no one here,” she protested.
“And? Look how nice everyone has been so far!”
“You mean the barista, who is paid to make our drinks and take our orders?”
Amy wiggled her eyebrows. “Your first friend could be that sexy man from across the street.”
“God, Amy, you are incorrigible.” Charlotte shook her head, even as she tingled thinking about him.
Amy abruptly turned to the table next to theirs. “Excuse me, I’m so sorry for interrupting, but you two seem nice. Can I introduce my friend and myself?” Charlotte rolled her eyes.”I’m Amy Scully, and this is Charlotte Berg.”
“Scully, huh? Love the name! Huge X-Files fan here.” One of the men, with gleaming black hair twined into two braids, remarked to Amy.
“I’m Adam Flying Eagle, and this is my partner, Paul Jacobsen.
” The men, about two decades younger, stood up to shake hands with Amy and Charlotte.
Where Adam was darkly handsome, Paul, with his bright red hair, had the look of someone who used liberal amounts of sunscreen on his fair skin in order to avoid being burned to a crisp.
“Nice to meet you.” With a warm smile, Charlotte held out her hand to them. “Forgive my friend—she’s had a lot of coffee.”
“In my line of work, I run on coffee.” Dark brown eyes glittering with pride, Adam explained, “I’m the deputy sheriff,” just as Charlotte noticed the star on his chest.
Paul informed them, “And he has been for five years now.”
“So you guys live in Beverley?” Amy swirled her iced coffee before pouring in extra sugar.
Paul, whose pale hand held Adam’s swarthier one, nodded proudly. “Best place to live in South Dakota. Where are you ladies from, if you don’t mind my asking?”
“Iowa,” Charlotte answered. “We are Deadwood-bound for the weekend, but couldn’t resist stopping here for lunch.”
Amy nodded. “We’re celebrating. Charlotte just got divorced. She also turned fifty and now needs a new direction.”
“Kill me now,” Charlotte muttered to herself, then declared more loudly, “Amy, these men did not ask for my life story.”
“We absolutely did!” Adam assured her, then with a glance at his watch, announced, “Unfortunately, I need to get back to work and make sure the streets of Beverley stay safe.” After giving Paul a tender kiss, he addressed Amy and Charlotte, “Pleasure meeting you both, and I hope I’ll see you again. ”
“Don’t forget we have drinks tonight with Josh and Liam,” Paul called to his retreating back.
“So, Paul, I couldn’t help but overhear you earlier about a teacher retiring…?” Amy inquired.
Charlotte shook her head at her friend’s audacity—not only eavesdropping, but then admitting to a stranger about it?
Typical Amy, though, no fear, which was why she loved her so much.
“Again, please excuse her. We’ve been driving all morning, so she is desperate to hear someone other than me talking,” she laughed.
“To answer your question, yes, one of our English teachers is retiring. Since he’s on the school board, Adam was asking me about the applications we’ve received for the position.
” Paul slapped his hand to his forehead.
“I’m the vice principal at Beverley High School, which is what I should have led with. ”
Amy clapped her hands. “What a coincidence! Charlotte teaches sophomore English in Sioux City.”
“Oh my god, Amy!” Charlotte was unable to contain her frustration with her overly exuberant friend. “I can speak for myself, Paul, believe it or not. Amy’s always had a problem dialing down her…shall we say…excitability, since we were kids.”
Paul nodded. “I have no doubt you can hold your own. Although I am not into women, I am into women who are strong and opinionated.” He paused, and they chuckled. “Is your curiosity about the teaching position part of the new direction you’re seeking?”
Charlotte shook her head. “I’m not—”
Amy cut her off. “Don’t you think she would love it here?”
“I can only speak for myself, but I moved here after I met Adam, five years ago. We were both vacationing in Barcelona and bumped into each other while touring a chocolate factory. We were each with a group of friends, but spent the remaining four days eating tapas and checking out Gaudi masterpieces together. I’m originally from Maine but moved here knowing only Adam, and have never regretted it. Beverley is fantastic.”
Later that afternoon, with Paul’s contact information in her phone, possibilities, hopes, and dreams cautiously buzzed around in Charlotte’s head.
Growing up, with an adventurous streak a mile wide, she’d been willing to take chances.
Wasn’t that how she had ended up pregnant during her senior year in the first place?
But what about her life in Sioux City? What about Amy?
What about Isobel? She posed these questions to Amy as they entered the Black Hills.
“Lottie, you’ll always have me,” Amy assured her.
“And you know how I love to road trip! Issy and I can come together for visits, or I can come alone, or bring some other friends. I just…I feel like you’ve spent your entire adult life swallowed up, being a mom and wife.
” Easy for Amy to say, Charlotte thought.
Though she had been married and divorced twice, she had remained childless by choice.
“You need to figure out who Charlotte is.”
While pulling handles and placing bets in Deadwood that first night, their conversations centered around the logistics of Charlotte moving, with a multitude of ‘what-ifs’.
Dancing in Saloon No. 10 the next evening to a cover band playing “Brown-Eyed Girl”, Charlotte yelled over the music, “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to apply. ” Amy squealed in response.
On the drive home, she admitted, “I think I am ready for a change.” Detouring through Beverley made up Charlotte’s mind, and even though she didn’t see the handsome man again, she braced herself for the future.