Chapter 7 #3
This doesn’t change a damn thing. I still want her just as badly as I did five minutes ago. Hell, maybe even more now. My drive to provide for her and the baby has only grown stronger. If I have anything to say about it, she’ll never have to struggle under the weight of those overdue bills again.
“Hello? Earth to Heath.” Charlie snaps her fingers in front of my face, pulling me out of my daze. “You totally short-circuited there. Am I really that scary?” she teases.
I’m about to answer when I notice Ethel drifting closer in my peripheral vision. This is between Charlie and me, and now that I know the stakes are higher than I thought, I’d rather not have an audience.
I take the coffee from Charlie’s hand and set it on the counter along with the flowers.
“Hey, I wasn’t finished with that,” she protests as I gently take her wrist and lead her into the storage closet. “I’ll be right back, Ethel,” she hollers before I close the door behind us.
The space is even more cramped than the storefront, and the air is thick with old fabric and perfume. Racks along the walls are stacked with boxes to the ceiling, overstuffed garment bags hang from several racks, and a narrow door leads to a cramped bathroom with a flickering light.
My attention shifts to Charlie, who’s scowling at me. “What makes you think you can drag me back here when I have a business to run?”
I lean against the door, sliding my thumbs into my front pockets. “I’m trying to have a conversation with my future wife without the town gossip overhearing.”
She gives a cheeky snort. “Right, because hiding back here isn’t raising any suspicion at all. And for the last time, I’m not your anything. I rejected your proposal, remember?”
“Yup, and I’m working on fixing that,” I remind her.
Not that she’s making it easy. I didn’t expect a peace offering to instantly change her mind, but I was hoping it would soften her up a little. I should have known better.
Charlie rolls her eyes. “Hate to break it to you, but you’re failing spectacularly.”
I lower my hands to my sides and take a step toward her. “So why haven’t you kicked me out yet? I think you like me more than you care to admit.”
She lets out a sharp laugh. “Keep dreaming.”
I close the remaining distance between us, dipping my head so we’re eye level. “You liked me enough to sleep with me… multiple times.”
“I’m chalking it up to temporary insanity,” she counters, her voice coming out noticeably breathier. “Weddings make me do reckless things like sleep with arrogant cowboys who can’t take a hint.”
“If it was all a big mistake, then tell me that night meant nothing.” My throat burns as I force the words out.
The seconds stretch painfully as Charlie stares at me in silence.
I have no backup plan. If she says what we shared was a meaningless hookup, I’ll have to accept we might not have a chance for a future, and learn how to co-parent our kid, all while facing the reality that we’ll never be a real family.
Her throat bobs as she meets my gaze. “I can’t…” Relief loosens the knot in my chest, but it’s short-lived when she continues, “That doesn’t mean we should get married just because I’m pregnant.”
I slide my hand into hers, a familiar spark shooting through me. “All I want is to take care of you and the baby,” I say, gently squeezing her hand and sending a silent prayer to any god who will listen.
Now that I’ve had her and know what it feels like to hold her in my arms, nothing will ever compare. I should never have let her slip through my fingers the first time, and I won’t make that mistake again.
Charlie bites the inside of her cheek, her gaze flickering between our joined hands and my face. She was quick to deny me the first time, but at least she’s mulling it over now. Still, the way her jaw locks and her hand tenses in mine tells me her answer before she even speaks.
“I’m sorry, Heath, but no,” she says as she tugs her hand free. “Getting involved with you would only complicate things further, and we can’t afford that right now.”
I open my mouth to object, then think better of it and close it.
As much as I wish I could convince her otherwise right now, I have to respect her decision. That doesn’t mean I’m giving up hope—not by a long shot. I just have to accept that we’re doing this at her pace and making her mine might take a little longer than I originally hoped.
“All right, hellcat. I can tell when I’m fighting a losing battle.” I take a step back, shoving my hands back into my pockets. “Just a fair warning, when you change your mind, you’ll be the one getting down on one knee.”
She scoffs. “Never going to happen.”
The corners of my mouth lift into a small smile. “Never say never, sweetheart.”
Charlie’s as stubborn as a spooked horse, and pushing her will only make her dig her heels deeper. Our friendship, if you can even call it that, has been rocky from the start, and that’s on me. I’m determined to fix it, but I’ll have to change my approach.
I might not know all the details yet, but she’s dealing with far more than an unexpected pregnancy.
I’m hoping she’ll eventually see she doesn’t have to do this all by herself.
I just need to be patient, give her space, and let her come to me on her own terms while I do whatever I can to earn her trust.