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Shane shook his head and set down his glass. “I just haven’t found the right person yet, and I don’t want to lead anyone on.”
“How did it go with Morgan the other night?” Charlotte asked, curious in spite of herself.
“I’ve already told her we’re just friends, nothing more.” He sighed. “She’s one mixed-up woman. If she isn’t an alcoholic now, she’s on her way.”
“I’ve wondered about that,” said Charlotte. “I’m glad you were honest with her.” She hesitated. “The man my mother thought I should wed and I agreed that we’d be honest with one another. It made things easier for us, even though our parents were disappointed when we told them we’d never marry.”
“Yeah, honesty is the best policy,” Shane said. “After seeing how destructive a bad marriage can be, I don’t want even to be in a relationship with any woman unless I’m sure about her. My parents were miserable; it got pretty ugly.”
“Okay. We’ve agreed to be just friends,” said Charlotte.
“Friends,” said Shane, clicking his glass against hers.
They sat on the porch and stared out at the water. The moon lit a bright path atop the moving waves making Charlotte think of the yellow brick road in the Wizard of Oz. So many possibilities lay ahead of her. If only she knew what it was that she truly wanted.
“A penny for your thoughts,” said Shane smiling at her.
“I was thinking of all the possibilities ahead. I don’t know what I want to do in the future, only what I don’t want,” she said. “What about you? Where do you see yourself in another couple of years?”
He was silent, and then he spoke, staring out at the empty beach. “I will be continuing my work with family law. Hopefully, the Family First project will be fully supported by then. Personally? I’m not sure. Granny Liz keeps telling me I need to settle down and raise a family, but she doesn’t realize how much my parents’ marriage made a lasting impression on me. I know friends who are happily married, but I’m not sure that’s for me.”
“I understand. I’ve wasted a lot of time floundering, wondering why I couldn’t get excited about marrying someone and realized it was because I never wanted to stay in New York. Being here has proved that to me.”
“Granny Liz and her friends, including your grandmother, think it’s a clever idea to bring us all together,” Shane said. “But it might be a waste.”
Charlotte shook her head. “I’m not sure about that. Everybody here is pretty special. We’re a mixed group, but unique.” She held up her hand. “I’m not saying it will work, but in the meantime, I intend to enjoy seeing everyone.”
“You and Austin?” Shane asked.
“No,” said Charlotte, “that was a long time ago. Maybe he and Livy?”
Shane laughed. “Jed texted me that he’s taking Livy out to dinner. That almost never happens. He doesn’t usually move that fast.”
“Livy is a nice person …”
“… and a wonderful cook,” said Shane.
She chuckled. “There might be something to that old adage about winning a man’s heart.”
“Those cookies of hers are damn good,” said Shane. “Can’t beat that. What about Brooke? She’s as attractive as the rest of you.”
“She’s a lot like me in that she isn’t looking for anything except a chance to be away from caring for her mother.”
Shane finished his wine and set the glass down on the table between them. “I’d better go. It was nice just to sit and talk. Thanks for all you’re doing for Family First.”
“My pleasure,” Charlotte replied honestly. “It’s a special program.”
She walked Shane out of the house, watched him trot next door, and went back inside to read. As she picked up where she’d left off, the hero on the page morphed into a tall, blonde, man with a smile that made her happy.
