Unknown - [Carly Phillips] The Bachelor (The Chandler Brothe(Bookos.org) (1)

His shuddering groan told her he’d felt it too. She loved him. And later, as she fell asleep in his arms, she wondered why she’d denied herself the admission for so long.

Charlotte awoke and stretched, feeling the cool sheets on her bare skin. The sensation of waking up Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

alone was normal and alien at the same time. No different than most mornings of her life, and yet because she’d slept through the night snuggled against Roman’s body, the chill was unwelcome and disturbing. So were the emotions that buffeted her still-dream-fogged brain.

She understood his reasons for kissing her and slipping out in the dead of night and she appreciated the respect he showed her in front of a gossipy small town. But she missed him, wanted to make love to him again. She loved him. Each thought frightened her beyond belief.

Rising, she went about her morning routine, attempting to pretend everything was still the same. Hot shower, hotter coffee, and a quick jump down the steps to work. Yup, Charlotte thought, same routine.

But there was no getting around the fact that she was different.

Because she’d committed herself to Roman with those three little words. I love you. And now that the words were spoken, she feared her life was about to change forever. If history was anything to go by—her mother’s, her father’s, and even Roman’s—it wouldn’t change for the better.

On that disturbing thought, she entered the unlocked shop, hoping the familiarity of the ruffles and lace and the vanilla potpourri she freshened daily would soothe her nerves. She stepped inside and the unexpected smell of lavender assaulted her senses, jarring her and destroying any sense of soothing sameness she hoped to find here.

“Beth?” she called out.

“Back here.” Her friend strode out of the back room, a bottle of sachet air freshener in her hand, spraying as she walked. “The cleaning people were here last night and they must’ve spilled a bottle of ammonia in the office.” She waved her hand in front of her face. “You could die from asphyxiation back there. I’ve been spraying from the front on back trying to cover it.”

Charlotte crinkled her nose in disgust. “Yuck. Is it really that bad?” Because the lavender was enough to make her gag too. Charlotte walked farther into the store, dropping her purse by the counter, and when she reached the dressing area, she reared back from the horrific odor. “Whew.” The idea of closing herself in her office and losing her thoughts in paperwork had just been shot to hell.

Beth nodded. “I shut the door from the office to stop the worst of the odor from getting into the changing rooms, and I opened the windows all the way, hoping to air the place out.”

“Thanks. At least it’s not too bad up front.”

“Let’s hope it stays that way.”

“Well, we’ll have to close off the dressing area and mark the receipts—you can take returns on any item bought today.” Normally on-sale items, bathing suits, and underwear were exchange only, but it wasn’t a fair policy if a buyer couldn’t try on the merchandise first. “If the smell gets worse, we’ll just close for the day. No sense poisoning ourselves.”

Beth sprayed a few more shots of lavender.

“Couldn’t you have picked any other scent?”

“The general store was out of everything else.”

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“Never mind. Just please, quit spraying and let’s see what happens.”

After placing the can down on a shelf, Beth followed Charlotte to the front end, where Charlotte wedged open the front door for fresh air.

“So.” Beth perched herself on the counter by the register. “I’m glad to see you here and smiling. How are you after . . . you know?” She lowered her voice to a hushed whisper on the last two words, obviously referring to the spectacle Charlotte and her family had made at the baseball game yesterday.

Once Charlotte had climbed into Roman’s car, she’d forgotten all about Beth, dinner, and everything else. “I’m fine,” she said in equally hushed tones before catching herself. She glanced around the empty shop and rolled her eyes. “Why are we whispering?” she asked loudly.

Beth shrugged. “Beats me.”

“Well, I am fine. I didn’t appreciate being ambushed in public, though. If Dad—I mean, Russell—wanted to talk to me, he should have called. Or come over. Or gotten me somewhere alone. It was humiliating.”

Beth glanced down at her nails, not meeting Charlotte’s gaze as she asked, “Would you have given him the time of day if he had?”

Charlotte rolled her shoulders, where tension courtesy of this conversation had lodged. “I don’t know.

Would you give Dr. Implant the time of day?” She immediately sucked in a sharp breath, disgusted with her comeback. “Good God, I’m sorry, Beth. I don’t know why I’m taking things out on you.” Charlotte ran to the counter and gave Beth an apologetic hug. “Forgive me?”

“Of course. You don’t have a sister to torture and your mother’s too fragile. Who else is there but poor me?” Despite the harsh words, when Beth pulled back, she had a smile on her face.

“Actually, you asked an interesting question. I would give Dr. Implant the time—long enough to thank him for opening my eyes to my insecurities. Then I’d dump ice water on his lap.”

“You’re really feeling better?” Charlotte asked.

“How do I explain it?” Beth glanced upward, as if searching for answers. “I’m feeling aware,” she said.

“All I do lately is think, and I can see a pattern in my past relationships now. All the men I’ve been involved with wanted to change me, and I let them. I easily adapted to whatever they wanted me to be.

David was the most extreme case. But no more. And I have you and Rick to thank for helping me on the road to recovery.”

“Me?” Charlotte asked, surprised. “What did I do?”

“I told you the other day. You offered me this job because you knew better than me where my talents and interests lay. Now I know it too. And that’s just for starters.”

“Well, I’m glad to be of service. And what about Rick?”

“He talked and he listened. Most men don’t talk. They watch television, grunt, maybe burp a few times before nodding their heads and pretending to pay attention. Rick listened to the stories about my past and he helped me draw the right conclusions.”

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“The man’s born to rescue damsels in distress. Maybe he should’ve been a shrink, not a cop.”

“Nah, the law-and-order thing makes him sexy,” Beth said with a laugh.

“Please don’t tell me you’re falling for him.”

Beth shook her head. “Nohow, no way. I’m on my own for a good long while.”

Charlotte nodded. And she believed her friend. Beth’s eyes didn’t take on a dreamy cast when she spoke about Rick. She didn’t seem to swoon over the sexy officer. Not the way Charlotte swooned when she thought about Roman. Her insides churned with anticipation and excitement at just the idea of seeing him again.

“I need to learn more about myself,” Beth said, interrupting Charlotte’s thoughts, and not a minute too soon. “I want to figure out what I like and what I don’t. Not what’s expected of me. So for now all I need is my friends.”

“You’ve got us, hon.” Charlotte clasped Beth’s hand tightly and Beth returned the gesture. Charlotte only hoped she wouldn’t be the one needing her friend’s shoulder next.

“So what are you going to do now that you can’t hole up in your office and do paperwork? Crochet again upstairs?”