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Marc beeped his horn at the car that ran through the stop light. He loved living in Savannah but he didn’t enjoy the traffic snarls that impeded his ability to get back to the office.
If one could call it an office! At the moment it was pretty bare bones. He was still trying to hire staff and order furniture. Two years out of the loop had cost him a few contacts and clients. Thankfully, his strong reputation in the security and computer fields continued to be an asset.
Marc gazed at the sign embossed on the glass portion of his office door. Cabron Security. At least his door looked official, he thought as he let himself in to his office. Marc let out a sigh. He needed to hire a secretary and fix this place up so clients wouldn’t feel as if they were dealing with a novice. He sat down at his desk and quickly noticed the flashing green light on his phone. Marc pushed the button and listened to his messages. Gratitude flooded him as he heard messages from several prospective clients. A sense of relief flooded through him.
Praise the Lord! Things were finally going his way, at least in this department. Now that he wouldn’t be accepting the assignment from the ladies of Savannah House, he needed to fill up his calendar with other jobs. Helping his family pay for his father’s medical expenses was crucial. Money was definitely an issue for his folks. Anything he could do to ease their burdens at this time would be monumental.
For the next half hour Marc returned calls and began filling up his calendar. God truly was good. He hadn’t been certain if his business would sink or swim once he returned home. But God was showing him that if he held fast to his faith, all things were possible.
A sudden rapping on the door to his office made Marc feel even more hopeful. A new client? An interesting case for him to work on? His pulse began to quicken with excitement.
“Come in,” he called out, intrigued by all the possibilities that awaited him.
His gut clenched as the door opened. Charlotte Duvall! What in the world was she doing here? Had she seriously left Tybee Island and traveled to his office in downtown Savannah to give him more grief?
He clenched his teeth. Lord please prevent me from saying something harsh.
“Marc, I’m sorry for the intrusion,” Charlotte said in a low voice. Her demeanor had changed from earlier. She no longer radiated disgust and anger. She seemed almost calm. Civil.
“What are you doing here?” he blurted out. He couldn’t wrap his head around the sight of her standing in his office. She’d made it quite clear earlier that she thoroughly disliked him.
Charlotte fidgeted with her fingers. She let out a sigh. “May I sit down?” she asked, surprising him yet again with her request.
Marc nodded and waved his hand in the direction of the chair directly across from his desk. Charlotte sat down, placing her purse on her lap. Marc studied her purse for a moment. It was black with a simple gold chain on the front. Practical. No-nonsense. He imagined Charlotte was much the same as her purse. A woman who rarely took risks. One who sat back and judged others. In his line of work summing up people was a skill.
“What can I do for you, Miss Duvall?” Marc asked in a crisp tone.
Charlotte met his gaze. Her eyes were filled with regret. He spotted it instantly. “Please call me Charlotte. I apologize for just showing up here, but I need to talk to you about my behavior earlier. I’m very sorry for the things I said…the way I acted.”
Marc frowned at her. “Are you truly sorry? Or is this more about damage control?”
Charlotte blushed. “A little of both if I’m being honest.” She ducked her h
ead down, appearing embarrassed. “I had no right to be so sharp with you. I was out of line. We really need your help with investigating Grayson Holloway. And my actions have jeopardized that.” She shook her head, her brown hair cascading about her shoulders. “I can’t live with that, Marc. Those women at Savannah House are incredibly dear to me. I can’t let things stand as they are.”
Marc shrugged. “I won’t work for someone who doesn’t respect me. And aside from all your pretty words, I don’t think you do.”
“I don’t know you, Marc,” Charlotte said in a raised voice. “Cut me a tiny bit of slack here. I love my brother. He’s my best friend in this entire world. I know you weren’t solely to blame, but he was terribly wounded by what happened two years ago.”
“And that’s in the past,” Marc said. “We can’t continue to dwell on it. If Fancy truly is one of your best friends, and if you really do love Case, you have to bury this. Now. Before they get married. Because if you don’t, you’ll never truly be wishing them well. This will always be eating you up inside.”
“I want to move forward. I thought I’d totally forgiven Fancy for hurting Case,” she said in a soft voice. “But maybe I haven’t. And yes, I’ve taken it out on you. You’ve been my scapegoat. But I think I’ve done that because I don’t really know you. You were the perfect person to blame. I made you the villain.”
Almost against his will, a kernel of sympathy flared inside him for Charlotte. She looked incredibly contrite. And sad. And whether she realized it or not, she’d admitted something huge to him. She still harbored resentment against Fancy for hurting Case.
“I would really like for you to reconsider working with us. I promise you there will never be a repeat of the things I said to you. There’ll be no attitude, no judgement.”
Marc rubbed his jaw with his hand. “Thank you, Charlotte. I know the situation in the past was heartbreaking. I admire your loyalty toward Case. I’ll consider taking the job.”
Charlotte’s eyes lit up. She let out a squeal. “Seriously? Oh my goodness. That’s fantastic.” She clapped her hands together.
Marc couldn’t resist smiling. There was something so childlike and innocent about her at the moment. It was a completely different side to Charlotte Duvall than the one he’d seen earlier. She was a beautiful woman, and based on her demeanor at this very moment, extremely likeable. Although it had annoyed him to no end to be treated with such contempt by her earlier, he had to admire a woman who was so fiercely loyal to her brother.
What would it be like, he wondered, to be loved by such a woman as Charlotte Duvall?
* * *
Charlotte felt a huge sense of relief that Marc was reconsidering the assignment. Going back to Savannah House with bad news was unthinkable. At her core, Charlotte was a people pleaser. She truly didn’t want the girls to be upset with her.
