Page 21 of One More Chance
The muscles in her body gave out, she crumpled back onto the sofa and stifled a sob. Megan reached over and pulled Charlotte into her arms and that’s when Charlotte let the floodgates open. She ugly cried into Megan’s shoulder, her body expanding and contracting in her friend’s arms as she heaved and sobbed, soaking the shoulder of Megan’s sweater.
Charlotte pulled back, “Megan, all the years I thought that it was about the prom. I just really miss my mom.”
“I know you do, Char. But you can’t blame anyone for her death, especially yourself. She died of a heart attack. She was too young, but you and I both know that she would be so proud of you.”
“And Lauren too.”
“And Lauren too,” Megan repeated. “Now, do you think that you can give Logan a chance?”
Charlotte grabbed a tissue and blew her nose. “I will try Meg. For you. For my mom. I will try.”
Charlotte walked Megan to the door and thanked her for coming over. She felt like a huge weight, one that she didn’t even know existed, had been lifted off her chest.
Chapter 11
FRIDAY MORNING CHARLOTTEwoke up twisted in her sheets, her hair pasted to the back of her sweaty neck. After a fitful night of tossing and turning, she had finally nodded off to sleep just before her alarm went off. Usually an ‘up and at ‘em’ kind of girl, Charlotte rolled over and groaned.
She heard cupboards banging in the kitchen and remembered that she had a responsibility, so she rolled out of bed and padded down the stairs to make breakfast for Tabitha. As she reached the bottom stair, she caught a glimpse of Lauren as she headed out the door, a piece of toast in her mouth, her heavy briefcase slung over her shoulder.
“Mm. Bye,” she managed to mumble out from behind the peanut butter toast and then was out the door.
Charlotte dropped Tabitha off at her ski lesson, but instead of heading up the mountain for some spring skiing, she returned home to get some work done. Or at least that’s what she told herself. The truth was she was just avoiding Logan. He wasn’t going to catch her off guard again. She was going to be prepared and ready for their next encounter.
The party was that night, and no part of Charlotte was looking forward to it. She had successfully hidden from her past and the town of Chance Rapids for years. Until a few months earlier, no one had known that Charlotte O’Hare was really Billie Jo Bunkman. She had been able to avoid recognition by sticking to the rich side of town. She had staff, went heli-skiing, entertained clients, and did not mingle with any locals. Tonight, she’d have to cross the covered bridge into town and face her past.
She sat down in her office and pulled up her email and new listing report. Her assistant was extremely proficient and filtered her email for her, sending her only the messages that she couldn’t field herself. “Ugh,” Charlotte groaned as she saw another message from her accountant telling her that she needed more charitable write-offs. She threw herself into her work for the rest of the day until she had to go pick up Tabitha.
**
LAUREN STEPPED INTOCharlotte’s room. “Are you ready to go?”
Charlotte looked up and saw her sister was wearing a ribbed turtleneck sweater and jeans. She looked down to her Valentino sheath dress and couldn’t help but feel like both had missed the mark.
“Whoa, Nelly. That’s a gorgeous dress,” Lauren said.
“It’s overkill, isn’t it.”
