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“If I take the assignment, you are not to bring up the past and throw it in my face.” Marc’s expression was gravely serious.

“Agreed,” she said with a nod. At this point she might just agree to anything! Of course there were other investigators in the area, but Marc came with a gold seal of approval.

“I left for two years as a penance. Trust me, Charlotte. You cannot possibly make me feel more ashamed of myself than I’ve already felt. But that’s over now. I can’t carry that weight on my shoulders anymore. I want to live my life.” He let out a ragged sigh. “My father’s life is waning. I want these days, weeks and months if we have that long to mean something. I can’t be distracted by conflict.”

“I’ll say it again, Marc. I’m so very sorry.” She pushed the words out of her mouth before she could change her mind. The truth was she did feel sorry. All of her anger had been placed on Marc, when in reality she knew that life brought about situations that were complex and multi-faceted. Even Case had admitted he’d made mistakes in his relationship with Fancy that might have led her to seek friendship and companionship with a male friend. And she knew her own feelings toward Fancy hadn’t been completely resolved. She loved her dearly but she still harbored a degree of anger toward her.

“I accept your apology. I admire your fierceness about your brother.” He sent her a hint of a smile. “I’d like to think my sisters would react the same exact way in similar circumstances.”

“I hope we hear from you soon regarding taking the assignment. The other ladies shouldn’t be penalized because of my foolishness.”

Marc studied her for a moment. He didn’t say a word for a few moments. All he did was gaze at her. It felt a little bit uncomfortable making such direct eye contact with him.

“I’ll take the assignment.”

Charlotte sputtered. “Y-you will?” Adrenaline coursed through her veins.

“Yes, I will,” Marc acknowledged. The corners of his mouth appeared to be twitching with mirth.

“I-I’m so grateful.” She stood up from her chair and stuck her hand out. Marc reached out and shook hands with her. A tingling sensation ran through her hand. She pulled her hand away, uncomfortable with the feelings he elicited.

What was going on? Nothing, she told herself. She was merely feeling relieved. Grateful. It was nothing more than that!

“I believe in forgiveness,” Marc said. “For all of us.”

“Thanks again,” she murmured. “I need to be getting back to Savannah House.” With an awkward wave of her hand, Charlotte left Marc’s office and headed past his empty reception area then out into the hallway. Once she’d left his office space, Charlotte slumped against the wall and let out a deeply held breath. Although things had gone way better than she had anticipated, Charlotte felt tense. Everything was a little bit confusing to her. Earlier she had viewed Marc as a villain. This afternoon, nothing could be further from the truth. He was just a man who was trying to put the pieces of his life back together.

Who was she to stand in his way?

Charlotte made her way to where her car was parked in the lot beside Marc’s building. She plugged in her cell phone to the car charger and sat for a moment to gather her thoughts.

Charlotte felt ashamed. Marc had seemed so real. And human. Vulnerable. Shame threatened to eat her up. In trying to protect Case she’d acted in an unkind manner toward Marc. It had been stupid. And childish. Marc was right. Why should he have to bear the weight of it all? She’d forgiven Fancy. Or so she’d thought. Why couldn’t she give Marc a break?

Why hadn’t she listened to Fancy? Sweet, beautiful Fancy who always led with her heart. Once upon a time that had been Charlotte’s goal—to lead with kindness. When had all of that changed? She winced and shut her eyes tightly. Charlotte knew exactly when all of it had changed. When she arrived at Marc’s office earlier she’d been struck by the fact that it was so close to the place that haunted her dreams. Approximately two streets away. It had been years since Charlotte had gone anywhere near that terrible place. Being so close to the site of her nightmares made her uneasy.

She shut her eyes tightly. Charlotte didn’t want to think about that terrible place. She didn’t want those memories to bury her. She let out a wild cry and pressed her face against the steering wheel. Memories sharp and strong flooded her. The strong spicy smell of aftershave. The click of a door being locked. Her hands being held behind her back. Her screams being ignored. Case finding her and wrapping her up in his strong, protective arms.

“No. No. I don’t want to remember,” she cried out, shaking her head to rid herself of the painful images. The sound of her sobbing filled the car.

A rapping sound alerted her to someone knocking on her window. Through a fog she heard her name being called. She turned toward her window and saw Marc standing there, a look of concern etched on his face.

With trembling fingers, she pushed the button that allowed the window to roll down. She was filled with mortification. Marc had seen her in the middle of a mini breakdown.

“Are you all right?” Marc asked. His eyes and his voice radiated concern.

“I-I’m fine,” she said. She knew he didn’t believe it, judging by the expression on his face. Her breathing sounded choppy to her own ears and she knew her face was stained with tears. Charlotte suspected she looked a mess. No doubt her makeup had smudged due to her tears.

“You don’t seem fine. Would you like me to call somebody for you? Fancy? Your brother?” Marc asked with a frown.

“No!” she cried out. “I-I really don’t want to upset anyone. I’m fine.”

Marc’s brown eyes seemed to see right down to the things she wanted to hide from the world. “Okay. But I’d like to get you a bottle of water. I’ll be right back. Please don’t leave, Charlotte. I think you need a few minutes before you get on the road.”

She nodded, feeling a bit overwhelmed by Marc’s generosity. Considering the way she had treated him, it was fairly miraculous. She sat back in the driver’s seat, taking shallow breaths to calm herself. She drew down the rearview mirror and inspected her face.

Charlotte burst out laughing. She looked utterly ridiculous. Her hair was askew and her mascara was smudged underneath her eyes. She barely looked human. Ugh. Marc probably thought she was an alien visiting from another planet.

She took a napkin from her purse and began to gently wipe her face. Not that it changed much. She still looked a wreck.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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