Page 71 of Sweet Surprises

“She was acting, Tag,” she reminded him.

“Not the other night in the barn,” he said darkly.

She couldn’t argue with that.

“I feel like I haven’t been who she needs me to be,” he said. “I’ve failed them.”

“Tag Lawrence,” Charlotte said firmly. “You have plenty of evidence from the last week alone that should tell you just the opposite. You raised a daughter who would throw herself in front of a giant snowball for her brother. And you raised a son who would give up the prize he’d been longing for, with asmileon his face no less, to help a child he’s never even met. You have beeneverythingto those kids, and they’re the best kids in the world. I won’t listen toanyonewho tries to tell me they’re not. Not even you.”

She didn’t realize how much she had raised her voice until she finished speaking and found that the entire hallway had gone silent. Once again, half of Sugarville Grove was on hand to witness their display of emotion.

She looked worriedly around at all the expectant faces. But each of them looked back at her with appreciation and sympathy—like they were all hoping for the very best outcome for their hometown boy, and the woman who had come to love their community.

When she turned back, Tag’s sapphire eyes flashed to hers.

“Charlotte, I’m so sorry,” he said, loud enough for the people all the way back at the auditorium door to hear him. “I can’t believe I let my own insecurities destroy a friendship that means everything to me. You’re the farthest thing from a stranger to me or the kids. You know us all inside and out, and you’ve made everything in our lives better from the moment you got here. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but if you decide to give me another chance one day, I promise to be a good friend to you—more than a friend, if you’ll have me.”

“Tag,” Charlotte said helplessly.

“Make him grovel,” a familiar voice shouted from the crowd.

“Allie,” someone else scolded.

Charlotte couldn’t help the little giggle that escaped her lips.

“I’m not afraid to beg,” Tag said, his deep voice intense and serious as he dropped to his knees. “I’ll do anything you want. Please let me show you how much I want to make things right.”

Charlotte felt her cheeks heat so much she thought her face might just burn right off her head.

Olivia waved to get her attention, and she looked over to see the girl with her other arm around her brother’s shoulders, both of them nodding to her, encouraging her to say yes.

She turned back to Tag. He was still kneeling, his blue eyes on hers, the intensity of his feelings flowing straight to her heart.

“How about you take me to dinner,” she said softly. “And we’ll talk about it?”

“I’ll take it,” he cried, jumping up and smiling at her as if he weren’t the grumpiest cowboy in town.

Everyone cheered, and the next thing she knew the crowd was parting a bit for them, and he was holding out his hand to her.

She placed her hand in his without a second thought.

“Now kiss,” Allie yelled.

Charlotte thought she would actually pass out if he kissed her in front of this crowd. And besides, she wanted to see how dinner went before she let him all the way back in her good graces.

But Tag bent to kiss her hand, his eyes still right on hers, and when his lips touched her skin, a tingle went down her spine and butterflies filled her chest. And Charlotte was suddenly pretty sure she’d made the right decision.

24

CHARLOTTE

The next day, Charlotte was pink-cheeked and ravenous by the time Tag helped her into his truck after an afternoon spent at the Sugar Snow Carnival with the kids.

Chance was currently sitting with his grandmother, eating a corndog from one of the stands. Charlotte was pretty sure he would eat his weight in other treats by the time the night was through, after all the running around in the cold he had done with his friends.

It had taken Tag and Charlotte fifteen minutes to track Olivia down and give her a few bills before they left, so she could buy some dinner too.

After her performance in the play last night, her phone had been lighting up almost constantly. She had wandered down to the kitchen early this morning and as Charlotte started up the coffee maker, she told her all about her new friends—the theatre girls.

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