AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She parked the car and stepped out, glancing next door to see the SUV. Ivy and Bastien had safely made it back from the airport. She had to deliver Ivy's letter but decided to gussy up first. She told herself it was because she was meeting Ivy's grandmother, but deepdown,she knew she wanted to look her best for her handsome neighbor.
Charlotte hurried to her bedroom, where she chose three outfits. She held up the navy-blue dress with the white sweetheart collar and shook her head. She wasn’t heading to church. She picked up the pantsuit and stepped in front of the mirror, holding it in front of her. While it was nice, it looked like she was interviewing for a secretarial position. In fact, the last time she wore the outfit was for an interview to be the mayor’s administrative assistant. She was confident she could assist him any way he needed. She could pull together a luncheon without a hitch, and she had all the connections to get him a reservation anywhere he wanted to dine. The problem was, he wanted her to type seventy-five words per minute. Who knew that was still a thing? She hadn’t seen an actual typewriter since she went to finishing school with Emmaline. They snuck out of typing class most days to meet with the boys from a nearby boarding school. The only reason she passed the class was because Marybeth assisted in the office and changed their grade to a C-. But that was before she met the preacher, and honesty and integrity outweighed friendship and loyalty. She tossed the pantsuit aside and looked at the third outfit. It was a pair of clam diggers and a pretty pink boat neck sweater she paired with white Keds. It was youthful and comfortable and something she would have worn at home.
She changed into the clothes and headed to the bathroom. If she was playing down her outfit, she’d up her makeup game. Being a fair-skinned blonde often made her look washed out. Cricket once told her she was see-through. No Southern woman worth her salt wanted to be that. She was no wallflower. She applied an extra coat of mascara, touched up her foundation and pinked her cheeks before applying her favorite lipstick, called Love Potion. She wasn’t looking for love. She was the girl that rarely got past the test drive or maybe she just preferred the honeymoon phase to the everything-after part. She thought it funny that Bastien warned her he was not looking for a wife. While she was slightly jealous of her blissfully married friends, she wasn’t looking, either. The only good thing about marriage was the wedding and if she could get her business to take off, she’d experience plenty of those.
Taking a few calming breaths, Charlotte picked up Ivy’s letter and willed herself into action. She started towards the house. It was a cute little cottage with whitewashed siding and navy-blue shutters. The porch had a rocking chair and a pot of flowers desperately in need of water. As she knocked on the door, butterflies fluttered furiously in her stomach. What in the world? Was it the death, seeing the sorrow in Ivy’s eyes, or Bastien? The door opened and there he was—tall, handsome, and even more captivating than she remembered. She felt her face flush instantly and knew exactly where that fluttery feeling came from.
“Charlotte,” he said with a smile.
“Sorry to bother you. I know you have a lot going on, but Ivy left her letter in the store, and I wanted her to have it for the service tomorrow.” She thrust the bedazzled letter forward, and he took it from her.
He gestured for her to enter. “It’s no bother at all. We were just about to have pizza. Will you join us?”
She was hesitant to intrude on their meal, but her traitorous stomach let loose a loud growl.Sheclaspedher hands over her belly to still the sound.“I'msorry,”she whispered. “I skipped lunch.”
“Itwouldbeasintorefuse Carlo'sPizza!” Hewavedherin. “Pull up a chair and stay for dinner.”
“No, I shouldn’t.” She glanced past him to the kitchen and saw Ivy and Rachel sitting at the table; an unopened box of pizza sat between them.
“Ithinkyourstomachalreadysaidyes!”
“Did you say Carlo’s?” She stepped inside, and Bastien closed the door. She lifted her nose into the air and breathed in the scent of freshly cooked dough, melted cheese, and spicy pepperoni. “Extra cheese?” she asked.
“And pepperoni.”
“I’m in.” She walked into the kitchen, expecting to find Ivy’s grandmother tucked into the corner chair, but there were only the two girls.
Ivy launched herself out of the chair and threw herself into Charlotte’s arms. “I missed you.” She squeezed Charlotte’s neck and kissed her cheek. “I forgot my letter.”
“This letter?” Bastien held up the envelope before setting it on the kitchen counter.
“Thank you,” Ivy said. “Are you staying for pizza?”
“I am.”
“Rachel,” Ivy yelled. “Charlotte’s stayin’ for pizza.”
Rachel sighed. “I’ll alert the media.”
Bastien opened the box and served everyone a slice before he took the seat across from Charlotte. The last time she’d seen him, he was wearing a suit, but tonight he was dressed in jeans and a Henley. Why hadn’t she noticed how hot he was before? Probably because all the blood drained from her brain when she saw him. What was the deal with Bastien?
“I thought you were picking up your mother.”
“I did, and five minutes in the car was too much, so I turned around and dropped her back at the airport.”
“That was a quick trip.”
“Oh, she didn’t leave. I’m sure she found a way back to town. One thing is certain, my mother will not go away easily.”
“Mommy said that Mee-maw’s as cuddly as a hornet.”
“A hornet, huh?” She turned to face Bastien. “Out of the mouths of babes.”
“And she’s being kind.”
“Wow.”
They gobbled their first piece of pizza and were on their second when Ivy laid the remaining crust down. “Can Rachel and I look for seashells?”
