Wilde Magic (Wilde Women Book 3) (62 page)

“Actually Brynnie, it’s not. I was running when I went to Europe to begin with. Funny thing is, he was running too. I guess he just got to the finish line and took off his running shoes before I did.”

“How are you gonna handle Nana’s invitation to dinner? Is there anything you want us to do? My husband is all for you guys, ya’ know. He told me he’d never known his brother to give two shits about any of the women he dated and I believe he was using the term dated instead of fucking to spare my delicate sensibilities.”

They both cracked up laughing. Delicate sensibilities, indeed.

“You’ll recognize me,” Charlie snickered. “I’ll be the nervous twitchy one draped in crystals and healing stones. Hell, I might even wear a headpiece. Whatever it takes. Whatever mojo or magic or fall to my knees prayer will do the trick and I’m in.”

“Mind if I make a suggestion?” Brynn drawled with a wicked smirk.

“Go for it, sis. I can use all the help I can get.”

“Good. Now listen up. Get the girls a new dress, something real feminine and low cut. No use going to the game if you’re not going to field your best players.”

Best players. Oh my God. How much funnier could Brynn possibly be?

“So your best big sisterly advice for only the most important moment of my life is show my tits?”

“Hey,” Brynn laughed. “Shake ‘em if ya got ‘em, babe.”

“Oh. Well. Then. I have nothing to worry about, have I?” She giggled. “Finally. A chance for the double D squad to have a real impact. Fantastic.”

“Mom. For real. Don’t sugar coat things. Have you got this or not?”

“Relax, son. Mama’s all over it.”

“Honest to God, I don’t think I can take any more excitement where my girls are concerned. First Brynn gets pregnant. A blessing but still. And then Rhiann. My God. Kidnapped. Assaulted. She could have been killed. Can’t at least one of my daughters just fall in love the normal way without a goddamn eighteen wheeler full of horse turds thrown in?”

She smiled at the distress in her son’s voice. Not because what he said was funny but because his upset was fueled by a tremendous love. A love she was proud to witness. Anthony would be so pleased with what a wonderful man their only son grew in to. Her Robert’s devotion to his wife Darcy and their three marvelous daughters was a thing of rare beauty. A beauty she would support and defend till her last breath.

“Little Charlize surprised us,” she reminded him. “How clever we all thought we were. Thinking the wedding was the perfect time to throw Caleb and Charlie together. But she showed us, now didn’t she?”

Robert chuckled gruffly. “Well, I’m her father after all and I don’t like the affair part of the narrative but it is proof that we were right. They’re perfect for each other.”

“True,” she murmured. “I only wish I’d known beforehand that they’d already been together. In retrospect, leaving them alone wasn’t our best move.”

“What’s done is done. Let’s just move things along and get those two sorted out. We have a baby to look forward to and Liam should be popping the question to Rhiann any day. I’m tired of this shit,” he laughed. “Raising three girls was hell!”

“But look what magnificent women your little snowflakes became. Alike, but oh so very different. Your father would be proud, Robert. All we ever wanted for you was happiness. Darcy was such a wonderful blessing to us all and your daughters? Oh my. Anthony was just tickled pink times three.”

“Mom. You’re feeling all right, aren’t you? I mean, for real. I want you around for a good long time. Remember, you promised me we’d have your centenarian celebration together.”

“Son, I fully intend to meddle my way well into the teenage years of my great grandchildren. And you know me; every day I find new and more creative ways to mess with all of you from beyond the grave. My poor lawyer is going to start charging me a headache fee for how many times I change my will.”

He laughed heartily. Robert totally got the game she played with her last will and testament. He was her son after all and appreciated the nuances of irony and karma when neatly tied up with a lawyerly bow.

“My idiot sister can have it all, Mom. You know I don’t give a crap what you do with your pot ‘o gold, just as long as Darcy gets that damn jewelry box. You don’t even have to include any bling. It’s the fucking box she wants.”

She smiled broadly and chuckled. “Now see. This is exactly why I love that girl you married so much. She’s the real deal. It’s not the jewelry she sees as having value. It’s the physical box. Because she knows my Anthony made it himself. Well, he designed it then commissioned a talented artisan to create his vision. Darcy recognizes the history. She’ll pass the box to one of her daughters and so on and so on. That way, your father’s love will get paid forward in perpetuity. A fitting memorial to a wonderful, wonderful man.”

“I love you, Mom.”

“I love you too, son. Now go relax. I’ve got this. All Charlize and Caleb need is a little push. Not even a shove. There’s a happily ever after just waiting for those two and mama intends to see the baby of the Baron-Wilde family happy and content in the arms of the man who loves her.”

N
AME OF CURRENT EMPLOYER
. HMMM.
Should she put Nana’s name down? She
was
kind of working for her. Shrugging, Charlie squinted at the computer screen, checked the printout next to her where she kept her finger anchored, and started one finger typing.

B-r-y-a-n-n-a-C-h-a-r-l-e-s.

That’s good enough. If she added the Baron-Wilde, it’d look like she didn’t really work and good God, nothing was further from the truth. Pawing through the endless boxes and bins and trunks and lock boxes, some crammed to overflowing, from her grandmother’s storage space was friggin’ exhausting plus being a kick in the ass.

That’s why she was hiding in the public library instead of filling out all this wretched red-taped paperwork at home. She loved Nana’s stately home. It sure was comfortable and it didn’t hurt one little bit that her grandmother employed a full time housekeeper who managed all the heavy day-to-day lifting. But sometimes she felt trapped—trapped by her own doing, and just had to get out.

Beside her on a chair was a large handled bag from a classy boutique where she’d gone to do as Brynn suggested. Get a dress for showcasing her assets. Twirling a curl hanging over her shoulder, she examined the neatly trimmed ends. A new dress required a fresh haircut. Oh, and a blow out. She wiggled her fingers and inwardly giggled. Then there was the elegant nail polish from a spa manicure followed by a killer pedicure.

Charlie shifted oh so slightly on the wooden seat. Let’s not forget the waxing. She did that too. Not a Brazilian. She shuddered at the thought. She was young enough as it was. No good would come of looking like a pre-pubescent teen with enormous tits. No, she just got your basic touch up.

An awful lot of preparation for a simple dinner.

Squeezing her eyes shut and inhaling slowly, she calmed the dragonflies flitting around in her belly. Other people had butterflies. Charlie preferred her version.

Nearby, a chair scraped quietly on the floor. She inhaled slowly again, held the breath and blew it out. Simple dinner, my Aunt Aggie’s ass. Her whole future hung on the outcome of what should be an effortless family meal.

“Hi.”

Charlie nearly ejected out of her seat. She lurched forward, her eyes flying open. Her hands jerked wildly. Papers scatted. A pen shot across the wood library table and dropped to the floor. Her life passed in front of eyes that were so wide with shock, they hurt.

Caleb.

She could feel her mouth moving but no sound came out. Blinking slowly, a frisson of incendiary pleasure inside her started out small until bursting into a bonfire so huge it was worthy of Burning Man.

He came for her.

And he looked like shit.

Moving her hands, she gripped the seat of her chair and stared.

“Um, hi.”

He looked nervous. A lump formed in her throat. Swallowing with difficulty, Charlie willed her bottom lip to stop trembling.

The chair across from her was pulled out and one of his hands rested on the back. She looked closely at his grip. Seemed they were both counting on the solid wood to keep them steady.

“May I uh,” he mumbled awkwardly. “Sit. Um, sit down. Here.” He pointed.

Eagerly nodding, she wet her lips, pushed the hair behind her ears and quickly glanced around to see if anyone was watching them. It was the library. Middle of the day. Not much activity.

Thinking it’d be okay to fold her hands and rest them in front of her on the table, Charlie gave up and sent them burrowing into her lap when her fingers wouldn’t cooperate.

Caleb sat, cleared his throat and looked at her. The notion of leaping across the table and climbing onto his lap made it difficult to think straight.

And then she saw his expression—he was gearing up to have his say and she just knew. Knew with all her heart and soul that before he said a word she had to speak her truth. With no hesitation other than a quick inhale, she put it all on the line.

“I love you.”

He looked stunned.

There was more she wanted to say but first she wanted those three words to have their moment. She loved him. Loved her square peg round hole prince. He wasn’t always charming and sometimes his white armor needed some polish, but she wasn’t exactly a picnic either.

Her senses took it all in. Time moved slowly. The air around them was thick with emotion. He blanched when she spoke, but immediately colored until ruddy slashes of color highlighted his cheeks. Cheeks covered in a sexy beard.

Oh. My.

And then he was up and out of his seat coming around the table at her so fast she jerked upright, her mouth open with surprise. He pulled Charlie to her feet, cradled her face in his hands, said, “I love you, too,” and then kissed her so sweetly and so tenderly she clung to his wrists and whimpered into his mouth.

“Um, sir. Ma’am. You’ll have to take that outside.”

Huh?

He let go of her lips and their heads turned in unison. An advertisement for Nerds United, right down to the sweater vest and thick dark glasses, was giving them the stink-eye and pursing his lips with disapproval.

Busted. In the Free Library of Philadelphia. They were making out in a historical place where Benjamin Franklin’s legacy watched over their antics.

“Come on,” Caleb growled, taking her hand. “Wait, wait!” she exclaimed. “My laptop. My stuff.”

He let out an exasperated huff. “Seriously? I love you. Oh wait, grab my computer?”

So grouchy and adorable, her alpha prince. She flashed him a saucy grin and winked. “You’re pretty far down on the priority list, bucko.”

Bucko? Where the hell did that come from? She wanted to laugh. And laugh. And laugh. And laugh.

He grumbled, gathered her junk into a pile, picked it all up in one scoop and settled it against his body, under his arm. “Move it sister. I’ve got a priority list to renumber.”

Charlie grinned. “Hang on, Mr. Sexy Pants. Let me just grab this bag.” She pulled at the handles of the boutique bag and wrangled it out of the seat. Damn. She didn’t get to knock his socks off with the sexy little dress. Oh well. This is what he gets for surprising a girl; jeans, a Van Halen T-shirt and a crappy, well-worn pair of Chucks.