The Wedding Dress(32)

“You know what I mean.” Charlotte made a face, sniffing back the sting of tears.

Tim surveyed the restaurant with his head high as a lovely, golden-haired woman—with a darn near perfect profile—linked her arm through his. He bent to whisper something in her ear and she smiled at him with an utterly flawless smile.

Charlotte felt the heat from the woman’s dreamy gaze across the room. She had to get out of here. Calculating how many steps to the front door, she figured ten giant steps would get her out the door fast.

“Dixie, you can stay and be brave if you want, hold your head high and all of that, but I’m leaving.” Charlotte yanked her wallet from her bag and left a twenty on the table. “That should cover my food.”

Dixie clamped down on her arm. “You’re not leaving. We came here to eat, get out, have fun. We came here to forget about him. And talk business.”

“How can I forget about him if I have to look at him. If every laugh makes me look around to see if it’s her? Wondering what he’s saying to her. Or why he’s here with her in the first place.”

“Charlotte, she’s probably a client, a colleague, something to do with architecture.”

“Why are you defending him? She’s a date, I can tell. No client gives him the dreamy-eye. Either way, I’m leaving and I don’t want him to see me.”

The server passed and Charlotte dropped two more twenties on the table. “Excuse me, miss, but we’re going to have to go. This should cover our bill.”

“What bill?” Dixie waved her hand over the empty table. “We didn’t even eat.”

“But we’ve ordered. Uneaten food still costs money.” Charlotte stood, hunching forward, eyes on Tim. He sat with her on the other side of the door. Charlotte could make a clean escape. Stooping down, hiding behind servers and patrons, she worked through a people maze to the door and burst into the cool April night with an exhale.

Dixie trailed behind Charlotte with an I’m mad-I’m sympathetic-I’m mad-I’m sympathetic clip-clop ring to her heels as they pounded the pavement. “This is ridiculous. He broke up with you and you let him drive you out of the restaurant?” Dixie aimed her remote key at the car. The horn beeped. The lights flashed.

Charlotte scrambled into the passenger seat, white-knuckled the door handle, and hugged her satchel to her chest. “I lied, Dix. I’m not so fine. I’m sad and this whole thing hurts.” Tears watered her words. “I can’t believe he has someone else. She must be the reason he has doubts.” Charlotte peered out her window, then turned toward Dixie. “She was pretty, wasn’t she? Yeah, she was gorgeous.”

“If you like skinny girls with too much makeup, sure. Charlotte, this doesn’t seem like Tim.”

“You’re still defending him? Dix, what do we know about him, really?

“We know he’s standing outside your window right now.”

“Charlotte—” Tim stood by her door, hands on his belt, head cocked to one side, peering down at her. “Can I talk to you?”

She angled toward Dixie, hand cupped around her eyes. “Do you think he’s seen me?”

“He’s two feet from you. Yes, he’s seen you.” Dixie laughed, gently pushing Charlotte’s hand from her face. “But say the word and I’ll back out of here. I don’t promise to miss his toes.”

“So I should talk to him?” Charlotte peeked over her shoulder. Tim still stood outside her window, peering in at her.

“Do you want to hear what he has to say? He did leave her and come out here to talk to you.”

Charlotte eased her grip on the handbag she cradled in her lap. She’d always known Tim to be a man of honor and he didn’t like to leave things undone.

She climbed out of the car, closing the door behind her. Leaning against it, she folded her arms. “What’s up?”

“How are you?” Tim stood a few feet from her. The fragrance of spice with a bass note of something floral settled between them.

“Great. Perfect. Enjoying a night out with my girl, Dix. Jared’s working at the hospital.”

“She’s a friend, Charlotte.” He gestured toward the restaurant.

“Who?” Charlotte leaned toward him, then gazed at the restaurant as if she didn’t see her earlier.

“Kim.”

“You were here with Kim? Your ex?”

“Yeah, that’d be Kim.” He made a face. “I know you saw us, Charlotte. I saw you sneaking out.”

“Tim, what do you want? Why’d you come out here?”

“To explain. I didn’t know Kim was in town until she called today. Wanted to talk.” He cleared his throat, glancing toward the dark pockets of the parking lot. “Are you okay?”

“Do I look okay?” Her hard retort didn’t reflect the softening happening in her heart.

“I couldn’t sleep last night,” Tim said, low and intimate. “Do you have any—”

“What’s done is done, Tim. We can’t be engaged if you don’t want to get married.” She felt like a bit of a coward hiding her own wedding jitters behind his.

He nodded, biting on his bottom lip. “Yeah, I suppose.”

“Hey, it’s good, Tim, all good.” She shifted her stance, uncrossed her arms, and made a smoothing motion with her hands. “It’s for the best, you know? At least we didn’t send the invitations. Can you imagine returning all those gifts? What a nightmare.”