Page 75 of Hold Me Instead
“I’ve wanted to do that for a while,” she admitted.
His eyes widened, then softened as he pressed closer. “Have at it.”
“Mm, they’re good,” she hummed, grinning when he chuckled.
The faint echo of the employee door to the clinic sounded, voices filling the air. Zachary stepped back, and Charlie instantly missed his body against hers. She watched him squat by Maple to give the pup some pets. When he looked back at her, he grinned, and she realized her smile had never left.
“Ah, of course, you’re both here.” Maura appeared in the doorway and glanced at her watch. “I hope you haven’t been here for hours already.” She tossed a motherly look at Charlie.
“Not too long,” Charlie replied.
“Well, I’ve put on some coffee to get us through setup,” Maura said.
“Amazing, I didn’t get that far.”
“I’ll see you out there.” Maura returned to the kitchenette.
Charlie grabbed her clipboard, the plans for the day set out in a much clearer way than the top of her desk looked. “How’d everything go with your dad?” Her mind had volleyed all night—thinking about Zachary helping Daniel, thinking about Zachary, thinking about kissing Zachary. Then her heart would dive as nerves for pursuing anything with him would take hold, fear looming that they’d only have that one kiss.
Oneluxuriouskiss.
Zachary sighed and stood. “Mostly well. By the time I got there, Mom was kinda tipsy, thanks to Sandra. So that was amusing. Pretty sure that’s the first I’ve witnessed it. Put Dad in a better mood for a while.” He shrugged. “It’s sweet, though, both dogs stay by him all the time.”
Charlie pressed a hand to her chest. “Keeping an eye on their guy.”
Zachary dragged a hand through his hair. “He wants to come today. I thought it’d be too much, but…he’s going to do what he wants. Sandra encouraged him to stay home, but I feel like she’ll give in too.”
“It sucks, not being able to fully celebrate right now.”
They were quiet a moment, Charlie watching his brow furrow and twitch.
“We’ll keep an eye on him if he shows,” she finally said.
Zachary straightened and opened his desk drawer, pulling out a piece of mail. “Yes, well…” he said, voice tight as he folded the envelope and tucked it into his jeans. “Hopefully, he won’t show. Best he gets his rest,” he added.
Charlie nodded, watching him look everywhere but at her.
“Charlie! We’ve got vendors!” Maura called.
She blinked to attention, smiling as Zachary finally looked her way. “Well, let’s get started.”
***
The late afternoon air smelled of crushed leaves and the grill Zachary managed. Charlie pulled up the hood of her cornflower-blue puffy vest and pressed against the Lee’s SUV, shivering as the driver’s side window rolled down.
“Hi! Look what the bakery made!” She held up a plate and waved a hand over dog-and-cat-shaped cutout cookies, decorated with bright royal icing.
“Oh! Look, how adorable are these?” Jeanie took the plate and swiveled to the passenger seat to show Daniel, a flicker of happiness nudging through his tired features.
“I, um, wanted to make sure you got some,” Charlie said.
When Sandra and her family had arrived, she’d mentioned her parents were parked, watching, debating on whether to walk through the cookout. There was only a little over an hour left, so Charlie had taken it upon herself to pay them a visit, if only to satisfy the need to see Daniel at his own event.
“That was sweet of you. You know, we were trying to decide if we should walk over or not, but it’s gotten so cold,” Jeanie said. She glanced at Daniel, then back at Charlie. “Know what? I might get us a hot drink and maybe grab a little something from the grill. Do you mind keeping him company?”
“I don’t need a babysitter,” Daniel grumbled.
“I don’t think I could pay anyone enoughtobabysit you, honey,” Jeanie said, smiling once he snorted a chuckle.
