Bringing Home the Bad Boy (Second Chance #1)(35)

“He kissed me.”

“And you think that’s wrong?”

She didn’t know what she thought. “I don’t know. I think if Rae were here, I—”

“You never would have kissed your best friend’s husband if she were here. And I hope Evan never would have kissed you.”

She turned to face Sofie. “He wouldn’t have. He loved Rae. Loved her with every bone in his body.”

Sofie flipped her long brown hair off one shoulder. “Listen, from what you’ve told me about Russell, I get that you aren’t used to being pursued. Sounds like Evan is pursuing you.”

“Russell pursued me,” she argued, but it was a weak argument. “He picked me up at a wedding.”

“After he caught you…” Her eyebrows lifted as if she was waiting for Charlie to finish the sentence. When she didn’t, Sofie added quietly, “The pursuit stops when they get what they want.” Her mouth twisted. “Believe me. It does.” Then she snapped out of whatever memory she was having. “Evan pursuing you probably feels very foreign. New. And that’s okay.”

“But if we start this… If it doesn’t work out… If I lose him completely…”

Charlie couldn’t think it. The thought of losing someone else she loved nearly paralyzed her.

She wasn’t close to her family. Her sister lived far away and preferred the distance. Her mother died of cancer when Charlie was in high school, and her father… Her father had made it clear to his girls they were on their own after Mom died. Last she’d heard, he was living in Maine with a woman named Becky.

Charlie, Russell, Evan, and Rae had been close. As close as she’d been with anyone. Then Rae died, Russell left her, and she found herself keeping people at arm’s length.

Including Sofie, she realized now. Her best friend in the Cove, and Charlie had just learned at wine night they had an acquaintance in common. Charlie had shared the basics about her life, but had she really let Sofie in? No. Since Rae, since Russell, she hadn’t let anyone else in.

Charlie used to travel to Rae’s parents with her. They’d visit, have dinner, catch up. Patricia and Cliff had been like a second set of parents—or a first set when hers were no longer around. But after Rae was gone, Charlie let that tie break, too.

So far, Charlie had lost her father, her sister, Rae, Pat and Cliff…

What she had in the present was Evan. Lyon. Sofie and Faith. She’d do well not to mess up those hard-won relationships.

Hating how she’d kept Sofie in the dark, she confessed, “If Evan and I tried and didn’t work out, I could lose him and Lyon for good.” Losing Evan and Lyon was not an option, she decided firmly.

Gently, Sofie smiled. “But what if you did work out?”

She returned her friend’s smile, but it was a weak one. “That might be worse. Because then I’d have to face his family. Face Rae’s family.” And explain to them how she’d had the audacity to steal away her best friend’s family and claim it for herself.

It was selfish and wrong on so many levels.

“A day at a time, Charlie. You don’t know what the future will bring.”

Charlie’s phone sounded three quick beeps. “That’s my alarm. I have to get back.” She kissed Sofie on the cheek, thanked her again for the shoes, and insisted on walking back to her house by herself. Charlie wanted some time alone to solidify the decision she’d made outside of the furniture store.

She couldn’t afford to be with Evan Downey.

Not unless she wanted to lose it all.





CHAPTER ELEVEN




Mrs. Anderson puckered her lips, crossed her arms, and clamped her false teeth together. Evan and Asher exchanged glances, and Evan noticed Gloria had actually hidden behind them both.

Despite the clear and undeniable fact that Asher and Evan were adults, Evergreen Cove’s oldest, and only, librarian scolded them like children.

“I know you two have grown into nice young men now,” she said, sending a scathing gaze over first Evan’s tattooed arms, then Asher’s, “but I can’t have the Penis Bandits at my library. Charity or no.”

Gloria stifled a snort, likely because hearing Mrs. Anderson say the word “penis” was the funniest thing any of them had heard in a while.

Ash coughed into his hand to cover a laugh.

Evan, now a parent, saw her point. He wouldn’t want his kid to deface public property, either. “You’re right, Mrs. Anderson, it was wrong of us to redecorate your library.”

Another cough from Asher had Evan elbowing him.

“Hmm.” Mrs. Anderson considered them both, then poked her head around Ash. “Ms. Shields?” They gave her up, stepping aside. Glo had one arm looped around her stomach and the other over her mouth, telltale tears of laughter shining in her eyes. “You think this is funny, Ms. Shields?”

She straightened and shook her head, reining it in. “I don’t, ma’am. I just… I really want these boys to atone for what they did to your lovely building all those years ago.”

Evan whipped around and pegged her with a warning look. Oh, hell no.

“That’s why Asher has agreed to do an acoustic ballad at the festival. Evan will create a piece of artwork of your choosing to donate to the library, in addition to the donated books, the signing, and the autographed painting of Mad Cow.”