Page 33 of Seeking Happily Ever After

She almost laughed out loud at the choice of word. It was an understatement to be sure, and she was getting really tired of the word altogether.

“Complicated?” Jeremy scoffed. “That’s the stupidest cop-out I’ve ever heard. Complicated.” He drew out the word until it sounded ridiculous. “You might as well say that you have commitment issues.”

Char did laugh out loud at that. “I don’t think that’s the problem here,” she said. “After all, we are engaged.”

Jeremy glared at her, turned around, and walked back toward the fence to look out over the falls. “I don’t like it,” he said after a moment. “A fake engagement is never a good idea and—”

“Jeremy?”

He turned around and Char shrugged. “I don’t really care if you like it or not.” She may have been the older sister, but Jeremy had been the protective one as long as she could remember. She almost never discounted his opinion, but there was a time for everything. “Because I’m doing it. I’m just letting you know because you’re my brother, and I love you.” She stood and jumped down from the table. “But I’m not asking you permission.”

Jeremy looked as though he were going to object, but instead he just dropped his gaze to the ground and shook his head. “What about Billy?”

“Billy?” She took a step back, anger flaring in her. “What about Billy? This has nothing to do with him.”

“Doesn’t it?”

Char clenched her fists at her sides and released them slowly. He was only trying to wind her up, she knew that. She just didn’t know why. “It doesn’t,” she said slowly and took a breath. “I know you’re trying to look out for me, Jer, but I’m not a little girl anymore and—”

“Char, I just had tosaveyou from a shitty situation.” He moved to stand close enough that Charlotte could see the worry lines on his face. “I can’t stand by and watch you fall into another one.”

“Nick isn’t like Billy. It’s totally different. And it’s not like we’re…well…it’s just different.” It was a lame explanation, but there was no way she was about to tell her brother that even though it was a fake engagement, her feelings for Nick were growing every day. And quickly. No. It definitely wasn’t the time to mention that.

“But you’re not ready.”

“Excuse me?” Char froze and stared at her brother. “I love you, Jeremy, but you do not have any right to tell me if I’m ready to help out a friend, or get involved in a new relationship, or anything of the sort. I’ve been working hard with my therapist, not that it’s any of your business. Billy was a mistake. Yes. A big one. And that whole stage of my life has changed me, but it willnotdefine me.” Her voice rose; it trembled a bit as she worked to control her escalating emotions. “You’re my brother, and I care about you and your opinion, but unless and until I ask for it, keep it to yourself.”

Jeremy opened his mouth and Charlotte braced herself for whatever it was he was about to say. Finally, he closed it and looked at his feet with a shake of his head. “I knew I couldn’t trust that guy,” he muttered. “Just be careful, Char. Because I don’t…well, never mind.”

“Thank you.”

She knew it was hard for him to swallow his opinion.Reallyhard. But she appreciated his effort.

Jeremy kicked at a rock. “And…you’re okay?” he asked. “I mean, everything else? Billy hasn’t tried to—”

“Nope. Nothing.” She cut him off quickly because she knew what he was going to ask. The same thing he always asked her: Had Billy contacted her? It seemed almost unfathomable that she’d fled that relationship and had never heard from him again. She’d literally left with nothing because she just wanted to get out. And not once had she heard from him. Until recently.

Well, she wasn’t sure itwasBilly. But a few calls from anonymous numbers had come through over the last week or so. She was going to tell Jeremy about them, but now…well, there was no point worrying him any further than he already was. Besides, the calls were probably nothing. No doubt they were just a wrong number.

“I should get going. I need to get to the station.” He lifted his hand in a wave and started walking away.

For a moment, she thought about calling him back, but he needed time. He’d come around. Besides, she was already running late.

She glanced at her phone to check the time and smiled when she saw the text from Nick displayed on the screen.

I’m waiting. Let me put a ring on it.

It wasn’t real. She knew that. Still, the idea of Nick slipping a ring on her finger sent a crazy kind of thrill through her. Fake or not, she was excited.

“It’s too big, Nick. No.” Char shook her head and backed away from the diamond solitaire ring he held out to her.

It was big. That was the point. He had the money to afford an amazing ring. No one was going to believe it if Charlotte wore some sort of dinky, diamond chip on her finger. She needed a real ring. One that was worthy of her.

They’d been looking at rings for ten minutes and so far hadn’t agreed on anything at all. Katie had insisted on watching Amelia for him, so Nick could focus on Charlotte and the task at hand. Despite the fact that they couldn’t seem to agree, he was enjoying his time alone with her. Very much.

“That’s the point,” he insisted. But she still shook her head and backed away. “Char, you deserve this ring. It’s gorgeous.”

He meant it, too. She absolutely deserved a gorgeous engagement ring, and maybe some earrings and a necklace to go with it. As far as Nick was concerned, she deserved any and all of the jewelry he could give her after what she was doing for him. In fact, it didn’t seem like it was enough. Not at all.

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