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“Who is that Lily is with?” I asked my mother when she walked away from the latest person offering her their condolences.
Her eyes searched the room and she smiled. “Mark Peterson. Your father wanted the match.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
She shrugged. “He pushed your sister toward Mark. Told her it would be a good match and that he liked Mark.”
“So, she’s only with him because it’s what Dad wanted?”
My mother’s sad eyes met mine. I wasn’t sure if she was missing my father, or if maybe I had hit the nail right on the head.
“I’m not sure, Tucker. You’ll have to ask her that.”
I sighed loudly. “This is fucking crazy. How is it all these parents are dictating how their kids live their lives? Dad couldn’t just let Lily be happy with Nash? Why was that? He doesn’t come from a wealthy family? Doesn’t work for the business? This is her happiness, Mom.”
All she did was nod. “I’ve already talked to her about it, and she won’t listen to me. She said she enjoys being with Mark. That he makes her happy.”
“Bullshit,” I mumbled under my breath.
An older couple approached us, and my mother brushed her hand at me as if to say the conversation was over. I smiled, answered when spoken to, and sipped water. I’d have given anything for a shot of vodka.
My entire body came to life as I glanced over my shoulder. The moment I saw her, I felt my breath hitch.
Charlie.
She stood in a small group of people. Her smile looked beautiful on her face, but I knew it was fake. She was putting on a show. This was boardroom Charlie, as Lily and Terri called her. The girl who put up a fake persona when she needed to. That wasn’t the woman I had fallen in love with. The woman I fell in love with was the fun, carefree Charlie. The one who had a damn shaved cat and liked when I whispered dirty things in her ear. The one who tried to be strong because she was raised to be that way but had moments of weakness that she’d only shown me.
She laughed politely at something someone said, and then it looked like she excused herself. When she turned, our eyes met. She stopped and a small smile moved across her face.
Was she finally done being pissed off at me?
I returned the smile with one of my own. I wanted to go to her. Tell her how fucking sorry I was that I hurt her. Tell her that we were both wrong.
Taking a step toward her, I was hell bent on doing just that. But I stopped the moment I saw him come up behind her. Dipping his mouth to her ear, the guy she was with at the bar said something to her that made her nod her head. She turned to face him as he continued to speak to her.
My heart dropped when I saw his hand land on her lower back and guide her over to another small group of people. Charlie glanced back at me with a look I couldn’t read.
“Looks like Charleston Monroe found her a catch.”
My head jerked to my right were two women were talking while eyeing Charlie.
“Darrell Adams is indeed a catch. Her company is helping Darrell’s with some merger or something. Rumors going around are saying they could be the future power couple.”
The weight on my chest grew ten times heavier with each word they spoke.
“Can you imagine if those two got married? She’s one of the richest women in Texas, and Darrell’s family isn’t that far behind.”
They moved farther away and tried to keep their voices low, but I followed them, staying behind them so they wouldn’t know I was there.
“Plus, I heard he’s good in bed, big dick and all, but that his fiancée cheated on him. Rumor has it that daddy is pushing him to get married.”
The other girl gasped. “Do you think they’re going to get married?”
“Why not? If Darrell has to get married, who better to marry than Charleston Monroe?”
My fists balled up. They had it all wrong. It was Charlie who was the one who needed to get married, and it looked like she found the perfect guy to play the role.
I turned so quickly I ran into some
