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“That’s wonderful news, Char,” he said, his eyes flashing with excitement. “Why are you acting all doom and gloom? I take my responsibilities as your big brother seriously, but I’m not about to run him off or a
nything.”
Charlotte twisted her fingers and looked down at her lap. “You might,” she said in a soft voice.
“I wouldn’t do that,” he protested. “Unless it was someone I couldn’t tolerate.” He stopped talking for a moment. “It’s not someone I would object to, is it?”
“It’s Marc. Marc Cabron.”
Their gazes locked. Charlotte could see the look of disbelief radiating from Case’s eyes. “You’ve got be kidding. Let me tell you, this isn’t funny. Not even a little bit.” He raked his hand through his dirty blond hair and let out a bitter sounding laugh.
“I’m not joking, Case. I’m seeing Marc. And I know it may seem strange, but—”
“May seem strange? I can’t believe you’re serious about this. That man nearly cost me the love of my life.”
“It wasn’t all his fault. Fancy said you were working toward forgiving him. And you’ve forgiven Fancy. Why not Marc?”
“I love Fancy. It’s as simple as that. Forgiving her meant we could move toward our future. We did the work to be able to build a new life together.” He sneered. “I’ve had only a few conversations with Marc. I barely know the guy and it suits me just fine.”
“He’s a good man, Case.”
Case let out a snort. “I can’t believe this. It sounds like he’s brainwashed you.”
Charlotte shook her head. “No, he hasn’t. You know I love you Case. More than anything. You’re the best brother a girl could ever ask for. But I can’t let you say these things about Marc. He’s kind. And good. And he left Savannah as a penance for his interference in your relationship with Fancy. Is that the actions of a bad man?”
“You can think what you like about him, but I don’t approve of your relationship with him. How do you know he’s not just using you?”
Charlotte sputtered. “Using me? For what reason?”
Case shrugged. His mouth hardened. “I don’t know, but I find it mighty convenient he’s managed to weasel his way back into our lives.”
Charlotte bristled. She hated to hear her brother speaking in such a negative way about Marc. She understood his reasons, but it wounded her. “He cares for me, Case. That may be hard to believe, but it’s true. I feel it whenever he’s with me. The way he talks to me. The things he says. It’s there in the way I feel when he’s around. He lifts me up.”
Case shook his head. He quirked his mouth. “Of all the men in the world to fall for…why did it have to be him?”
She let out a shaky laugh. “Don’t you think I’ve been asking myself the same question? Case, you saved me in all the ways a person can save another human being. If it hadn’t been for you, I would be broken. Completely, utterly broken.” Tears ran down Charlotte’s face and she let out a sob. “There are things we don’t talk about. Things I’ve stuffed down so deep inside me that I sometimes pretend it didn’t happen.”
“Char, please don’t make yourself upset. There’s no need to talk about it. I hate seeing you so distraught.” Case took her in his arms and gently rocked her back and forth in a soothing manner. He began patting her back the way he’d always done when she had skinned her knee or fallen out of a tree when they were kids. He was—and always would be—the big brother who had protected her from the bogeyman, both real and imagined.
“Maybe I should talk about it so it doesn’t have power over me anymore. I don’t want to have these haunting images anymore. I don’t want to drive by a certain street in Savannah and feel afraid.”
“You went through a trauma, Char. It’s to be expected.” He took her gently by the shoulders and forced her to look at him. “It wasn’t your fault. You can’t hold yourself responsible for someone else’s evil. Maybe you should talk to a therapist.”
“Maybe I should,” she admitted. She’d tossed the idea around in her head a time or two. “But you know what? It’s been better lately now that I’m with Marc. We had dinner down by the Riverwalk and I didn’t obsess the whole time about being in that area. I felt safe with him. Most men frighten me, but not Marc. I know he won’t let anything bad happen to me. Do you know what that means to me?”
“I think so, yes.” He let out a deeply held breath. “I would never stand in your way if you feel he’s that important to your life and happiness. But I have reservations. Major ones.”
Charlotte rubbed at her eyes. “Thank you. I know this is hard for you. He’s a living reminder of your darkest days with Fancy. I can’t explain why Marc and I have this bond, this unbelievable connection. But I know it’s real. I’ve shied away from relationships for so long because I felt like damaged goods. It felt impossible to trust someone. For too long I’ve been super critical of myself because I didn’t think I was good enough. Marc makes me feel like I’m good enough.”
Emotion pooled in Case’s eyes. He cleared his throat. “Well then. That right there is enough of a reason for me to give you my support. It’s going to take a bit of time for this information to settle, but I’m happy you’ve found someone.”
“Oh Case,” Charlotte said, throwing herself against her brother’s chest. “Thank you thank you thank you from the bottom of my heart.” She felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Case’s reaction hadn’t been peaches and cream, but he had given her a half-hearted green light. He wouldn’t actively oppose her relationship with Marc.
She pressed her eyes closed and thanked God for giving her the courage to be honest with Case and her dearest friends. Life had shown her the importance of having your nearest and dearest loved ones supporting you. For so long now Charlotte had been a bit standoffish, hiding her wounds behind a veil of secrecy and shame.
Now, for the first time in years, she finally felt strong enough to face the world with her truths.
* * *
