Page 105 of Take Two

“I’m not expecting anyone,” she says. Brett, who is in the living room drinking coffee, puts it down and stands. He goes to the door and peeks through the blinds before he opens it.

My jaw nearly hits the floor when I see Charlie. I put down the carton of eggs and fly into his arms. He barely has enough time to drop the bags before he has to catch me.

He lifts me, and uncaring that my mother and Brett are there, I wrap my legs around him. My mouth lands on his and we kiss until I hear a throat clearing. He puts me down but pulls me into his arms.

“Not that I’m not happy to see you, but what are you doing here? I just left you yesterday.”

“Because you need me, so I came. Colt sent me a private plane and told me to get my behind here.”

My eyes nearly bug out of my head upon hearing that. “Really?” I ask. I’m not surprised he told him to come, but I am that he went through the expense of supplying him with a private plane. “He had dinner sent here last night,” I reluctantly admit to Charlie.

“Well, now you need breakfast.” He picks up the shopping bags and takes them to the kitchen. “I stopped by your place and got you a change of clothes.” He points to a bag by the front door that I didn’t see.

My mom monopolizes Charlie the instant he steps foot into the kitchen. Even while cooking, she stands next to him with her iPad to show him where she plans on taking me and Terri.

“You can come too,” she offers him. “Although it probably won’t be fun for you with three women.” She bites her lip nervously. “And I really want the three of us to share a room.”

“You know what? I’m going to let you three have this trip without me but count me in for the one after that.” He bends down and kisses her cheek. “I’ll drop you off at the airport, pick you up, and even come over and collect your mail while you’re gone. I’ll water your plants too.”

Mom gushes at his words. She floats away and orders me and Terri to set the table. Breakfast is a nice affair with Terri looking more like herself. Charlie holds my hand underneath the table while we eat, and Brett distracts my mom by asking her about the trip.

Terri clears the table when we’re done, and Charlie asks me to step outside with him. We go to the back deck and close the sliding glass door behind us. I hug and kiss him, feeling so happy and loved that he dropped everything to come here and be with me. I never thought I would love a man more for the way he treats my mother, but I do.

“You look so pretty,” he says and takes me into his arms. He puts both of those big hands on my ass and squeezes. “And you feel so good.” He rubs himself on me, and I long to drag him into my old bedroom and have my way with him.

My hand slides down and I cup his dick over his pants. He moans but pulls my hand down. “I could gag on that right here,” I say into his chest.

“There’s plenty of time for you to gag, but I need to talk to you about something.” I reach for his crotch again, but he takes both my wrists in his. “I’m not going back to Alabama,” he says. “I want to be with you, and I don’t want to wait another minute for my life to start. I’m going to hire an assistant manager forthe restaurant and promote a few of the kitchen staff to shift supervisors. I want to be here with you if you’ll have me.”

I stopped breathing the instant he said he wasn’t going back. I open my mouth to talk, but he puts a finger to my lips. “I still want to fix the house so it will be our home. I’ll need to go back at least once a month, and I want you to come with me when I go. We’ll arrange it so that it’s the same week each month. I hate the long-distance thing, and I don’t want to do it anymore. If I have it my way, we won’t spend another night apart.”

“I love every single word you just uttered,” I whisper.

“Good. How do you feel about this? I want to marry you.”

“That’s the best thing I’ve ever heard in my life.”

Then my heart stops when he gets on one knee. “I called your daddy yesterday, and he said okay,” he mumbles.

“I’ll yell at you about that later,” I say as I swipe the uncontrollable tears away.

“Don’t tell Vickie,” he jokes. He pulls out something from his pocket. “This ring is not new. I wish I could afford to go out and buy you a ten-carat diamond because that’s what you deserve. Maybe one day I’ll be able to do that, but this ring is the one my daddy gave to my mama. Their marriage wasn’t perfect, but they loved and supported each other through the imperfections. This ring symbolizes everything I want for us. It represents strength, longevity, stability, commitment, fidelity, and love. That’s what I want with you, and I hope you’ll accept it and agree to be my wife.”

I can barely see the ring through the tears in my eyes, and I can’t speak to give him an answer. All I can do is nod before he slides the diamond solitaire on my finger. It’s a perfect fit. He stands, cups my face, and kisses me. I taste my own tears in the kiss. He lifts me off my feet and spins me around the deck.

When he finally puts me down, I notice my mother and sister looking on, and they’re both crying too.

“I asked your mama while you were in the shower,” he admits. “After you left yesterday, I realized that I didn’t want to go another night without letting you know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Chapter 58

Charlie

Colt’s apartment is loud with nonstop chatter and laughter. Even now, Johnny and Evan are pulling on Terri’s hand to drag her into the kitchen. Johnny points at the freezer, and I know they want her to make them the triple-decker again, but the kitchen is filled with the catering andserving staff.

I reluctantly drop Violet’s hand and dash across the room. I scoop Johnny up and tell Evan now’s not a good time for that dessert. Since this is a party to celebrate Violet’s and my engagement, I tell Evan to go get another cupcake from the dessert table and to bring one for his brother.

Colt joins me, and I wait for him to chastise me for giving the boys too many sweets. He takes Johnny, puts him down, and the toddler runs to his brother for a cupcake. Colt takes me by the elbow and drags me down the hall and into one of the guest bedrooms.

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