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“Why don’t you go sit down and I’ll bring in a pitcher of lemonade,” Charlotte suggested, waving Marc into the parlor.

Once she was alone with Olivia, Charlotte pulled her friend close. “Case and Marc crossed paths.”

Olivia groaned and made a face. “Ugh. I was hoping that they wouldn’t see each other. Was it awkward?”

“Very,” Charlotte admitted. “Fancy is outside with Case. I hope it doesn’t cause any trouble.”

Olivia’s expression was intense. Her brows were furrowed. “Listen. We have to believe that Fancy knew what she was doing by making the offer to Marc. She seemed very confident that Case would be okay with it.”

Charlotte bit her lip. “I know. You’re right. They’ve just been through so much together as a couple. They’re almost at the finish line.”

Olivia threw her head back and laughed. “The finish line? Darling, marriage isn’t the finish line. It’s only the beginning. People have trials and tribulations throughout their married lives. Getting through them together is the key. They’ll have ups and downs for the rest of their married lives.”

Charlotte shook her head. “Shows you how much I know about romance.”

Olivia looped her arm through Charlotte’s arm. “Speaking of which, Hunter has a friend who recently moved to the area. He really wants to set you up on a date with him.”

A date. Charlotte yearned to be part of a twosome, but she actually hated the awkwardness of first dates. She always felt uncomfortable and unable to fully relax. And ever since two and a half years ago, she had never allowed herself to be alone with a man. She had only gone out on dates in group settings and on those rare occasions she had driven herself to and from the date.

“I don’t know, Olivia. I appreciate the offer, but I’m not really in a good place to date right now.”

Olivia shook her head. “What does that even mean? I could have sworn you were all gung ho about finding a soulmate.”

Charlotte sighed. Her feelings were all over the place. She did want to find romance and a perfect match. She yearned for it. Dreamed about it. But when she thought about meeting a man and being alone with him in a dating situation, every nerve ending in her body flared up. How in the world could she explain it to Olivia without telling her the big dark secret she’d been carrying around?

“I know it’s confusing,” Charlotte said feebly, unable to fully articulate to Olivia her reasons for feeling this way.

“Charlotte, if something’s wrong you can talk to me about it. I’m always here for you.”

Charlotte reached for her friend’s hand and squeezed it. “One of these days we need to sit down over tea and scones. I promise.”

“Let’s make it soon,” Olivia said, her eyes full of sincerity.

Just then Fancy came into the house with an aggrieved expression on her face. There was no question about her mood. She seemed distressed.

“What happened?” Charlotte asked, praying they hadn’t argued.

Fancy shrugged. “Case wasn’t too happy to see Marc here.”

“But I thought he gave Marc working for us the green light?” Olivia asked.

Fancy made a face. “In theory he did, but seeing Marc up close and personal made him question his decision. It took me a few minutes to soothe him.” Fancy bit her lip. “I thought he was past this whole Marc thing.”

“To be fair,” Charlotte said, “it’s probably seeing Marc here that makes it problematic. I know he’s come so far on the path of forgiveness, Fancy. Don’t let one little hiccup upset you.”

Fancy swiped at a lone tear trickling down her face. “I know,” she said with a sigh. “I do feel secure in our love, but every now and again I flash back to the issue that damaged our relationship. I don’t ever want to go down that dark road again.”

“You won’t,” Olivia said in a comforting voice, patting her friend on the back.

The door to Savannah House swung open. Case stood there, a look of contrition etched on his face. He made his way over to Fancy and took her in his arms. She nuzzled her head against his chest.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I trust you and I love you very much.” He pressed a kiss against her temple. “Seeing Marc here just crept under my skin. I apologize for being short with you.”

“Oh, Case. I understand. I know it can’t be easy for you. And you have no idea how much I appreciate you being the bigger man and greenlighting Marc working for us.” She looked deeply into his eyes. “Because you know we never would have hired him if you’d been dead set against it. You mean the world to me, honey, and so does our future.”

Tears pricked in Charlotte’s eyes as she watched the display between her brother and Fancy. The love shared by the two of them was palpable. It shimmered and bounced off of the walls and hardwood floors and light fixtures in Savannah House. It was what Charlotte wanted for herself, but feared she would never experience.

Olivia tapped her on the shoulder and motioned for the two of them to give the couple some space. Charlotte nodded and followed after Olivia.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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