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“What’s a terrible idea?”
“Olivia marrying Josh. It’s a terrible idea.”
“It’s only terrible they’re having to rush into it.” Charlie continued to place balls of cookie dough on the baking sheet as she argued. “If it weren’t for the custody thing, he’d have plenty of time to prove how much he loves her.”
“How much he...” her voice trailed off. “You think he loves her?”
“Of course he does—he told me so.” Charlie’s voice dipped a little. “I mean, why wouldn’t he love Olivia? She’s beautiful and smart and she loves medicine, just like he does.” Her jaw muscles flexed. “Once she gives him a chance, she’ll see he really loves her.”
“Charlie... I don’t know how to tell you this. But Josh doesn’t love Olivia. He only wants to marry her for a year so he can get custody of the kids.”
“You’re wrong. Why would he tell me he loved Olivia if he didn’t?”
Grace pondered this question. Why indeed? Why would he feel the need to convince Charlie he was in love with Olivia? Unless he was trying to cover up his feelings for Charlie?
“Let’s say you’re right,” said Grace. “Why would he offer to marry her for only a year?”
“Because by then, he’ll have time to prove it to her. Once she lives with him and sees what a great dad he is, and how he loves his kids, and how he loves her and how he’s faithful to her, she won’t want to end the marriage.” Charlie spoke with the enthusiasm of a statesman, her eyes glimmering with adulation. “She’d be a fool to give it up.”
Grace bit her lips. Olivia’s right—Charlie’s ridiculously in love with Josh. There’s no question about it. And I have a strong suspicion Josh is still in love with Charlie, too.
“Okay Charlie, I’m convinced.” She chuckled inwardly. She hadn’t said what she was convinced of—only that she’d been convinced.
She watched the tension melt from Charlie’s face. “So now we need to persuade Olivia,” Charlie said. “And we can do it on the ski trip.”
“DO YOU THINK SHE REALLY made cookies?” Jace asked Josh as they rode up the elevator.
“I bet she did. She usually keeps her promises.” He certainly hoped she’d found time to make the cookies while watching the toddlers, or they would have one disappointed little boy on their hands.
Jace pushed past Charlie when she opened the door. “Did you make the cookies?”
“I did. There’s a fresh batch on the kitchen counter. Right out of the oven. Do you want a glass of milk?”
“Yeah!” Jace bounded for the kitchen with Josh and Charlie trailing behind. Charlie poured a tall glass of milk to accompany the cookies she handed him.
“Only two right now. But I’ll send some home with you for after dinner.”
“Can you come to our house for dinner?” Jace asked.
“Thanks for asking,” she said, with an awkward glance at Josh. “I have to pack my suitcase tonight. Maybe some other time.”
“These are the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had,” Jace declared, sporting a milk-mustache. “I wish you could make me some every day.”
“I’ll make cookies while we’re on the ski trip. You can have some every night.”
“You promise?”
“I do. I promise.”
“Uncle Josh said you keep your promises.”
He needed to watch what he said around Jace in the future.
“Well that was a nice thing for your uncle to say. Do you want to play with the little kids? We made play dough today.” Josh followed Charlie and Jace to the sunny area where the toddlers were playing on the floor.
“I’m not sure if they’ve played more or eaten more,” Charlie admitted. “They mostly like to squeeze it between their fingers and smash it on each other. But it’s mainly flour, so it won’t hurt them. But Chloe might not be hungry tonight,” she explained to Josh with an exhausted smile.
“How do you know all this stuff?” Josh asked, wondering if there was a book he could buy. He was certain Olivia wouldn’t be interested in learning Charlie’s tricks.
