To Have Read online

  “I put in my resignation tonight, effective immediately.”

  “What happened?”

  “If I had to hear one more person complain about the most asinine thing, I was going to slug them. I don’t want pickles, but I don’t understand why you didn’t put them on the side. I want pickles, but I only want them on the right side of the burger. I wanted three pickles, not four. Why don’t you offer sliced bread and butter pickles for burgers?” She blew out an exasperated breath and plopped down in the old recliner. “The moment when the worst problem in my life has something to do with a pickle, I’m buying a lottery ticket because it’ll be my lucky day.”

  I gave her a sympathetic look. “Sorry. People are persnickety about their food.”

  “Nikki! I wanted my fries golden brown!” And right on cue with the disgruntled teenager.

  She pointed towards the kitchen where Staci was no doubt scouring the leftovers Nikki got to bring home with her. “Case in point.”

  “I’m sorry.” I sympathized with my friend. “What are you going to do?”

  “I don’t know.” Her curls fanned out to either side of her head as she leaned back in the chair. “Don’t know of anywhere hiring by any chance, do you?”

  “ActuaIly,” I started, thinking about what Grey had mentioned to me earlier that evening, “How would you feel about hanging out with a sprite 95-year-old?”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Charlotte

  After looking over the contract multiple times during the courses of two weeks, the Cinderella deal didn’t seem to have any midnight pumpkin clauses, so Grey and I presented it to Mom. Agreeable but not really into the business part of the company, Mom confided that she trusted our judgment. Caz was going to come and sign the contract on site today, so he could get to know the rest of the workers and who the investment group was investing in—the people employed by Kasen Construction. It’s a date, he had said on the video conferencing app, his eyes never leaving mine as Grey had to step off-screen to answer a phone call.

  I thought about how Caz was very handsome and had that refined businessman air about him, which made a lot of women swoon, but dealing with the type in college, I had discovered quickly it was best to keep work and play separate ventures. Speaking of dates—or non-dates as the case were…

  Unknown: I’m craving a good burger and fries. Maybe a milkshake. Know of any good places?

  C: Seems like a good question for Yelp.

  Unknown: Yelp doesn’t know what good burgers are. Not like the infamous burger queen herself.

  I had to give it to him: I did like my beef—on a plate or in a plaid shirt.

  C: I may know of a few places.

  Unknown: Excellent. And when would be the best time to frequent these establishments?

  Unknown: Also, do they have a dress code I should be aware of?

  C: I hear 7 pm on Friday is a pretty good time to visit Rita’s.

  It was one of my favorite new greasy spoon joints and a town over from Silverton, so immediately running into someone from the crew wasn’t much of a worry.

  C: Also, they are the “come as you are” type crowd.

  Unknown: My type of people.

  C: Mine too.

  Unknown: Think a couple of friends could grab a burger and get reacquainted tonight at 7?

  C: Tonight?

  Unknown: Tonight is Friday night.

  Where in the world had this week gone? Actually, where had the last couple of weeks gone?

  C: I think that could be arranged. Plus, she does make a mean chocolate banana shake...

  Unknown: :(

  I laughed out loud, imaging the pout on his face at the moment.

  C: But I hear her strawberry is the best.

  Unknown: :) :) :) :) :)

  C: Get back to work before you get in trouble with the boss.

  Unknown: I’ve already been in the doghouse a few times with her. I don’t want to go back there.

  C: It’s not a good place to be.

  Unknown: Agreed. So… Tonight. 7. Burger. Fries. 2 friends. And a strawberry milkshake to share…if all goes well?

  C: Separate milkshakes, and it sounds like a plan. See you there?

  Unknown: You don’t want to be eco-friendly and conserve fuel by carpooling?

  The thought of being cooped up in a vehicle with him for any length of time at this point was smothering.

  C: Friends meet each other for non-dates all the time. Unless you want to back out on the principle of fossil fuel consumption?

  Unknown: Sounds like a perfect non-date to me ;)

  I rolled my eyes and tried to wipe the smile off my face. Why am I doing this? A valid question, given the history between us. Because sometimes you have to take a leap of faith and trust people. My brother, the eternal optimist, may have been talking about the contract, but I think a little life application couldn’t hurt just once. After all, what else did I have to lose? A sharp knock on the door drew my attention away from my thoughts and my phone.

  “Look who wandered out to these parts,” Grey announced chipperly.

  “Hello, Charlotte.” His sharp suit and slicked-back dark brown hair were the stuff of billionaire romance novel dreams, but his roaming stare and stiff posture left little to be desired. My standard t-shirt, jeans, and metatarsals ensemble couldn’t compare to the wealth he wore, but I felt a little badly for him as he must have felt out of place on a job site dressed like that.

  I smiled even though I despised the way his eyes lingered too long over my hips and breasts, something he hadn’t done the night we were at dinner. Grey stood in front of him, oblivious to the exchange. “Nice to see you again, Caz.”

  He licked his lips and kept his roving stare. “Likewise.”

  This is for the family, Charlotte. This is for the men and the families who depend on the company.

  “Please,” Grey motioned to the two seats in front of the desk, and they sat down, Caz’s briefcase coming to rest on the desk.

  He pulled the papers out, and I looked them over again before Grey signed, an odd expression of satisfaction coming over Caz’s smooth face. “You’re thorough.”

  “I try to be.”

  “It’s a good quality in life.”

  “As it is in business dealings.” I tried to figure out his angle, wondering why he hadn’t insisted on taking a look around before putting an offer on the table. “Are you sure you don’t want to look around the site before you commit to anything?”

  “The group trusts you. After all, Charles Kasen’s name is gold in the construction community.”

  A true statement, however, a golden name didn’t warrant a sweetheart deal like this. Something was up, but the paperwork was solid, so I pushed my worries to the back of my mind. Grey’s phone rang, and he excused himself outside to answer.

  “You look nice in that.”

  I looked down at my outfit. “This?”

  “It’s very flattering to your figure.”

  Wanting to steer this conversation away from this uncomfortable territory, I cleared my throat. “Would you like to see the operations?”

  “With pleasure.” We stood and walked to the door, him taking the door handle and opening it up to the outside world of heat and hard work. “Ladies first.” His hand gave me the go-ahead, but I wasn’t thrilled with him following behind me.

  I walked around with Grey and Caz for a while, introducing him to the crew as a business partner. Most of the men subtly looked at him the same way they looked at suits in general—like it made their skin crawl. A certain pair of blue eyes followed Caz’s every move and squinted every time Caz got a little too close and brushed his arm against mine or put his hand on my shoulder. I excused myself to go and run some errands, noticing Caz’s briefcase was on the desk still. I messaged Grey to remind him as I left to go pick up the mail.

  I returned thirty to forty minutes later, and plopped the mail down on the desk, noticing the absence of Caz’s briefcase and the papers we
had signed. I looked around for the copy he gave us but came up empty-handed.

  C: Did you put the copy Caz gave us somewhere?

  G: No. Why?

  C: It’s gone.

  G: He probably grabbed it by mistake. I’ll call him and see if he can drop it back by.

  I threw my phone down, wondering if we had done the right thing or not. The ringing of my cellphone drew my hand back to it. “Hello.”

  “Hey honey,” Mom’s chipper voice rang through the device.

  “Hey there.”

  “Everything go okay this morning?”

  “I think so.”

  “You don’t sound very sure. Did something happen?”

  “No. We got the papers signed, and he met the crew.”

  “That’s good to hear.” The sounds of dishes shifting together came through the speaker. “Did you all invite him to the cookout on Saturday?”

  “No. I think it’s best we keep it for the men and their families this time.”

  “If you say so, dear.”

  “What would you like me to make?”

  “Anything you want to bring is fine. We should have plenty.” The clanging of utensils in the background sounded like the dishwasher was being loaded or unloaded. “Did you invite Nikki and Staci?”

  “Staci’s got something going on, but I believe Nikki might come.”

  “That’s good. I’m sure your brother will be happy to see her there.”

  Grey’s long-time crush on Nikki was a well-known fact within the family, but no one ever says anything because for fear it might embarrass him. I grinned at the prospect of seeing him moon over her from afar. He tried to be coy and was successful in the way he acted around her, but his eyes betrayed him—he was a man infatuated. “No doubt.”

  “Oh, I almost forgot! I heard from Mason. He’s going to be there on Saturday.”

  So much for undercover work. “I thought he had a case he was working on?”

  “He’s got a few days off.”

  That was odd for the man who was so devoted to his job but looking at the wall clock and seeing that quit time had rolled around, I decided we would have plenty of time to talk about all that tomorrow. For now, I had a non-date.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Charlotte

  Rita’s was hopping with lots of movement and vehicles of every kind peppered the parking lot. I looked for one, in particular, an older black Chevy my dad had helped Deacon restore in high school. When I spotted it, I knew he had beat me to the punch. I glanced around, only to spot a giant leaning on the post by the hostess stand, hair as black as the night and light blue eyes pinning me in his stare. My summery dress was lightweight and felt amazing in the early summer heatwave we were experiencing. He took in everything, from my fish-tail braid to my black flats. I had put on a little more shimmer compared to what I had worn to work that morning but decided against more than the basics. This was just a non-date, after all. Right?

  “Wow.” His smile was warm and appreciative.

  I took in his dark denim and the light blue button-down that made his eyes sparkle even more. His raven locks were shorter on the side and longer on the top, perfect for running your fingers through—if this were that kind of get-together. Which it wasn’t. “So do you.”

  The waitress shuffled us to my favorite booth and got our drinks for us as we scoured the menu, the banter surprisingly easy.

  “Any recommendations?”

  I thought about the three burger choices they offered. What they lacked in variety, they made up for in quality. “The Boss Hogg is pretty good if you’re feeling hunger.”

  “That’s a big burger for such a tiny figure.”

  “Big doesn’t scare me.” I took a sip of my cherry cola.

  He just smirked and muttered, “Good to know.”

  Dinner started nicely, our burger and fries filling us so thoroughly, there was no room left for milkshakes. Then the conversation took a more serious turn.

  “So. A truth for a truth. How about it?”

  “Okay.” Uncertainty dripped from that word as it left my mouth.

  His big hand reached across the table and patted my crossed arms. “Nothing heavy tonight. Just two old friends catching up, right?”

  “All right. You start.”

  “Truth: I liked the burger.”

  “That’s lame.”

  “You didn’t let me finish… I love how you always seem to know what people will enjoy.”

  “I’m quite the food connoisseur, so recommendations are easy to make.”

  “I’m talking about how you knew I hate jalapenos and anything spicy. So you had the waitress make a note of that. It was thoughtful.”

  I guess some habits don’t completely die out. “Just wanted you to enjoy your meal. Life’s too short to eat bad food.”

  “I appreciate that and agree wholeheartedly. Your turn.”

  “Okay… Truth: I haven’t had a drink of cherry cola or any other type of pop in almost a year. This is the first one.”

  “Why? You love cherry cola.”

  I loved that he remembered that about me. “Too many empty calories. I try to drink water at every meal to help keep off the weight I lost.”

  “You shouldn’t deny yourself the things you love. Your body’s perfect.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I wish…”

  “I’m serious. There are lots of men who like a woman with some meat on her bones.”

  “Big-boned. That’s what every girl wants to her.”

  “Not big-boned—curvy. You have a womanly shape, and you’ve worked hard for that physique. You can tell you’re still a dancer.”

  “How?”

  “It’s in the way you carry yourself. You walk like your feet don’t touch the ground. Your posture is proud, and it showcases your figure.” He glided his hand over my forearms. “Your arms are toned, and your thighs are firm, as are…other things,” he grinned wickedly. “You only get that kind of tone by devoted training of those muscle groups.”

  I shifted in my seat, his words making my insides heat and blood rush to various spots throughout my body, including my—

  “You all right? You look a little flushed.”

  “Must be all the sodium.”

  “I’m sure that’s what it is,” his blue eyes bore through me. “Okay. Another from me. Truth: I always loved to watch you dance.”

  “You’ve never watched me dance.”

  “Don’t you remember when I picked you up at the studio? Before we deployed?”

  Deacon

  3 Years Ago

  Aidan owes me. Big time. Here I was, spending my last day before deployment, waiting outside the dance studio Charlotte studied at, while he went to talk to Merritt, his high school sweetheart that he stupidly broke up with last night. I begged him not to, told him to wait until we came home to talk to her, but the dumbass wasn’t having it. I’m holding her back, leaving like this. She’s going to find something else better. What my friend was too chicken shit to say was he worried she would find someone better and leave his ass high and dry while he was gone and couldn’t fight for her. As much as I loved Aidan, he did some of the dumbest things sometimes, but this one took the cake.

  And now? Here I was, waiting on Charlotte to finish up her dance lesson while Merritt was no doubt giving him the ass chewing he needed instead of picking up his little sister like his dad had asked him to earlier. It was sweltering in the truck, and she was running fifteen minutes late. I started to worry they had dismissed early, and I had missed her. Keys in hand, I walked up the staircase at the entryway and heard some violin music playing. I glanced in each of the studio rooms as I walked through, the sound getting louder with each step.

  I checked the next doorway and stopped dead in my tracks. Pink satin toes touched the floor, their ribbons clinging to her shapely calves. A sheer white skirt fluttered around her and hugged her at her inverted waist. The black leotard currently caressing her shapely hourglass figure sho
wcased her full bottom, wide hips, and breasts that looked like they were dying to break free of their confines. Her arms guided her movements, and her cheeks blushed with the fervor of a good workout. Her eyes were closed, letting the music move her. It was damn near miraculous.

  I stood there and took her in as she immersed herself fully in her element, chasing the high that she said only came with dancing.

  The music changed somewhat, and her beautiful green eyes came into view in the mirrored wall. She came to a graceful stop before slightly startling when she saw me. Her hand went to her chest. “You scared me.”

  “I was worried.”

  “Sorry. Aidan always comes in to get me. I thought he wasn’t here yet.”

  “He’s…preoccupied at the moment, so you’re stuck with me.”

  She nodded. “May I finish this last part of the routine? It’ll just take a couple of minutes.” May I? Like she wasn’t a walking siren, having to ask us mere mortals permission to do anything looking like that.

  “Sure. Got a men’s room?” I need some cold water on my face. And a mental picture that was guaranteed to make my dick go down, which was hopefully still hidden from sight under my button-down.

  “First door to your right. Has a blue M on it.”

  “Thanks.” I went into the bathroom, trying to calm my erection down and splashed some cold water on my face. Holy fuck. Charlotte’s body was so damn hot in that leotard. Her breasts were—STOP! I was supposed to be calming myself down, not adding fuel to the fire.

  I could hear the faint sound of the music playing again. Classical music is supposed to calm you down, right? I focused on anything I could that gave off anti-sexy vibes. The Berlin Wall. Now, I’m thinking about my filthy thoughts from earlier. Dammit! Juice boxes. Because Charlotte wrapping her lips around anything wouldn’t be sexy? Dumb fuck. I rubbed my eyes in irritation. Let’s try this again. Used tissues, splintered wood, pinto beans, belly lint—now we’re cooking. I had listed about 100 things before I heard the music stop. Shit. How long was I in here?