The Bachelor (22 page)

Raina rested her chin on one hand. “Do you have a plan?”

If he did, he wouldn’t share it with his mother. But as things stood now, his mind was as blank as his laptop screen on a
bad day.

“Well, I suggest you come up with something,” she said in the wake of his silence.

He shot his mother an annoyed look. “That much I already figured out. But unless Russell’s not the scum of the earth the town
thinks he is, I’m in trouble.”

“I don’t know what Russell is.” His mother shrugged. “He’s been gone too long. You’re the reporter, you ferret out the facts.
Just remember, there are three sides to every story: his, hers, and the truth.”

Roman nodded. He just hoped the truth was enough to secure their future.

Charlotte floated into work Monday morning, light on her feet and happier than she’d been in ages. For as long as the euphoria
lasted, she intended to enjoy it and not dissect all the reasons why she shouldn’t get too used to Roman or his attention.
He’d asked her to keep an open mind and he made her feel too good to argue. He made her think anything was possible after
all. Even them. She shocked herself with her new, enlightened attitude, but he’d given her no reason to doubt him.

“I smell coffee,” Beth said, coming out of the back room.

“You smell chai tea. Norman hasn’t progressed to iced lattes, but he has gotten this tea in and it’s delicious. Hot, cold,
doesn’t matter. I went for hot today. Here, taste.” Charlotte handed Beth her own cup. “It’s very sweet,” she warned Beth
in case she was expecting a more bitter taste.

Beth took an experimental sip. Her eyes opened wide. “It’s like a mix of honey and vanilla. Yum.”

“It’s originally from India. First time I had it was in New York last year.”

“I don’t even want to know calorie count.”

Charlotte shook her head. “Me neither, but this is pure indulgence and I refuse to do anything but enjoy.” A motto she seemed
to have adopted since reuniting with Roman. “I’ll just eat a light salad for lunch.” Charlotte closed her eyes and inhaled
the fragrant spiced tea before drinking some more. “Mmm.” She drew out the sound.

“Uh-oh.” Beth’s voice disturbed her satisfaction.

Charlotte opened her eyes and met her friend’s knowing grin. “Uh-oh, what?”

“I recognize that look, that sound. It’s pure rapture. Ecstasy.”

“So?” Charlotte shook her head. “I told you I love this stuff.”

“Your cheeks are flushed and you’re sounding practically orgasmic. Don’t tell me it’s all about tea.”

“What else could it be about?”

Beth settled herself into a chair across from Charlotte’s cluttered desk. “What else could it be, she asks. As if I wouldn’t
find out you and Roman were both out of town Saturday night. Coincidence? I think not.” Beth tapped her fingers on a stack
of invoices. “You see, Rick and I spent Saturday night hanging out. We played darts with my most recent picture of the good
doctor as the target—”

“Did he call?”

Beth’s eyes filled with tears. “I called him and when he rushed me off, I called back and ended things—and you’re interrupting.”
She abruptly changed the subject.

Charlotte recognized the avoidance technique but couldn’t remain silent. “You ended it?” She rushed around her desk to hug
her friend. “I know it couldn’t have been easy for you.”

“No choice.” Beth shook her head, obviously choked up.

Charlotte stepped back and sat on the corner of her desk, dangling her legs off the side. Now that she knew to look, she realized
Beth no longer wore the sparkling diamond on her left hand. “And he just let you break up with him?”

“I think he was relieved.”

“The schmuck.”

Beth laughed, but tears filled her eyes. “Well, I agree, but I’m the one with the bigger problem, you know? I let myself get
involved. I never looked deep enough or admitted this was a tendency he had.” She shivered. “Let’s change the subject, okay?”

Charlotte nodded. She didn’t want to add to her friend’s pain.

Beth leaned forward, resting her elbows on the arms of the chair. “So let’s get back to my original point.”

“Which was?”

“You, and how those flushed cheeks and sounds of pleasure have nothing to do with the chai tea.” Charlotte rolled her eyes,
but Beth ignored her.

Leave it to Beth to turn the tables and put Charlotte in the hot seat. She held up both hands in front of her. “I take the
Fifth.” Anything involving herself and Roman was too personal to discuss. Even with Beth.

“Aha!” She sat upright in her seat.

Charlotte narrowed her gaze. “What?”

“Taking the Fifth means you have something to protect. Something private.” Interest sparkled in the depth of Beth’s eyes as
she leaned forward. “Come on, fill me in. You had more than a date, right? Please let me revel in your good news. I have so
little of my own.”

Though Charlotte felt badly about Beth’s current problems, she also recognized when she was being played, and Beth did it
well. “How about this?” Charlotte offered as a compromise. “When I have news, I promise to share. Right now all I have is
… hope.” Hope she held close to her heart, too afraid to let it into daylight for fear her dreams would be just that—and she’d
be left alone, like her mother.

She met her friend’s concerned gaze. “If I had something to tell, you’d be the only person I’d talk to.” She leaned forward
and squeezed Beth’s hand. “That’s a promise.”

Beth exhaled hard. “I know. I just hate being the only one revealing all her problems and weaknesses.”

“You are not weak. You’re human.”

Beth shrugged. “Let’s drink up.” She raised her Styrofoam cup. “Cheers.”

“Cheers.” Charlotte finished her now lukewarm tea in a few satisfying sips. “So. Do you mind tending shop today? I’m going
to hole up in my apartment and knit.”

“Oooh, sounds exciting.”

“Not really.” She laughed. “But the money that’ll come in when we deliver the finished goods is definitely worth the hours
of television watching I’ll have to endure.”

Beth rose. “Better you than me.”

“I’ll meet up with you at the Little League game later, okay?” Charlotte’s Attic had sponsored a team and Charlotte tried
to get out and cheer the kids on as often as possible. Though the season was barely under way, they’d already played twice
and were going into tonight’s game with a winning record. She thought of them as her team and was proud of every hit and catch
made.

Beth shrugged. “Why not? It’s not like I have anything more exciting to do.”

“Gee, thanks,” Charlotte said wryly.

“Actually, I’m serious. Watching the game beats an evening of solitaire.”

Charlotte tossed her empty cup into the garbage can. “Sad as it is, the game is the highlight of my day too.” Unless Roman
stopped by.
You will be seeing me,
he’d said, and her stomach twisted in coiled knots of anticipation. She couldn’t wait.

“My heart bleeds for you.” Beth eyed her with a complete lack of pity.

Charlotte laughed, “Yeah, yeah. Just bring dinner, because after a day of hard work, I’ll be starving.” By agreement, Charlotte
and Beth alternated supplying food. Last week they’d frozen over fried chicken, and with the temperature dropping, tonight
would be no different. “Don’t forget your jacket.”

“Yes, Mom.”

At Beth’s words, an odd flutter took up residence in her chest. Maybe it was her biological clock that caused the accompanying
lump in her throat because it certainly couldn’t be a sudden desire for children. Roman’s children.

Keep an open mind.
But the man was still a traveler, by choice and by occupation. No way could she open her mind that wide.

Or could she?

Later that day, Charlotte’s hands were tired, her shoulders stiff, yet she had a sense of accomplishment running through her
veins. She’d crocheted, sewn, and put in a full day’s work. Then she’d painstakingly hand-wrapped a light blue pair of panties
and delivered them to the next person on her customer list before stopping by the general store for some staple items for
her refrigerator.

She’d returned home to find an odd message from her mother on her answering machine, promising to meet up with Charlotte tonight
at the baseball game. Little League games were a town event, but her mother never made an appearance. Charlotte wondered if
the local vet had anything to do with her mother’s sudden willingness to go out. If so, Charlotte was heading over to Harrington,
the next town over, to pick out a dog from the shelter as added incentive for Annie to visit with the man.

Though her mother had called, Roman hadn’t. Of course, he hadn’t made any promises, which meant he hadn’t broken any either.
Still, she was disappointed their time together hadn’t left him panting for more of whatever she had to offer. So much for
her charm. Skill. Erotic proficiency, she thought wryly.

She couldn’t completely shake off the dismay, but she knew she’d be fine. She wasn’t her mother’s daughter, at least in that
respect.

She straightened her spine, held her shoulders back, and approached the school. A chilly breeze floated in the air around
her. As promised, the temperatures had taken a bizarre drop throughout the day and she hugged her arms closer around her.
But, lucky for the kids and the bleacher bums like herself, they had perfect softball weather in which to enjoy the game.
Charlotte’s Attic sponsored the Rockets, and she wanted to see them kick some more butt.

As she walked through the full parking lot, the baseball diamond came into view in the distance, located beyond the football
field and bleachers. Her stomach growled and she placed a hand over her empty belly. She hoped Beth was waiting with something
good to eat, because she was starving.

As she reached the rows of makeshift stadium seats, a place where she’d spent a lot of time as a teenager, she quickened her
pace. Without warning, she was grabbed from behind. A strong hand anchored her waist, locking her arms at her sides.

Fear lodged in her throat—for all of two seconds—before familiar cologne assaulted her senses and a sexy voice muttered in
her ear. “I always wanted to make out with you under the bleachers.”

Fear turned to excitement, excitement to arousal. She’d missed Roman today. And if she let herself think about just how much,
the fear might well return. Instead she chose to relax in his arms and enjoy now.

As soon as he spoke, Roman felt Charlotte’s muscles ease against him. He didn’t know how he’d managed to stay away from her
all day. Hell, he didn’t know how he’d stayed away from her for the last ten years. A humbling admission, for a man who made
traveling his MO. He buried his face between her neck and shoulders, inhaling her fragrant scent. “You know I’d have killed
to get you behind the bleachers back in high school.”

“And what would you have done with me?”

From her playful tone, Roman figured she was in a good mood. Obviously she hadn’t yet heard about her father’s return, which
gave him this small window of opportunity to cement everything they’d shared. He grabbed her hand and pulled her around the
benches until they were well hidden from view. He ought to know. He’d specialized in hanging out here in high school. With
the wrong girls.

Now he had the right one. She was dressed in blue jeans and a Little League jersey beneath an open denim jacket with a fuzzy
lining. But what drew his attention most was her mouth—her lips were as red as her snakeskin boots.

He grabbed the white fleece collar and pulled her within kissing distance. “You never wore such hot-looking makeup back in
high school.”

She grinned. “I wasn’t looking to attract attention back in high school.”

Unexpected relief washed over him. “Missed me today, did you?” He’d wanted to give her time to do just that before seeing
her again. But he hadn’t stayed away easily.

She rolled her eyes. “I didn’t say I was looking to attract
your
attention.”

He wasn’t fooled. She’d missed him as much as he’d missed her. “Well, you’ve got it anyway. Now shut up and kiss me.”

She did. Her lips were chilled and he warmed them, slipping his tongue inside her mouth. She wrapped her arms around his waist
and pulled him close, deepening the kiss and letting out a sigh of satisfaction he could relate to. She slid her hands into
the back pocket of his jeans, her palms flat against his behind. Her tongue met his thrust for thrust, the same way their
bodies, now aligned, sought to mimic the erotic motion. Unfortunately, too many layers of clothing stood between them.

Cheers sounded in the distance and she broke the kiss. “I can’t do this now,” she said through dampened lips.

He stared at her dazed expression. “Sure you can. And you want to.” Having already experienced slick heaven inside her, so
did he.

She cocked her head to one side. “Okay, then, I’ll rephrase. I want to, but I can’t.”

He still gripped her forearms with both hands and the desire to make love to her—hard, cold ground be damned— was overwhelming.
“Give me one reason why not, and make it a good one.”

“Because my mother left a message on my answering machine. She said she’d meet me at the baseball field. She almost never
comes to town events and now we’re talking two in one week. I have to be there.”

The regret in her eyes was enough to satisfy him. For now. “I didn’t think you could come up with anything compelling enough.
You did.” He released his grasp. His body wasn’t thrilled, but his heart won out. He wanted to give her what she desired,
in this case seeing her mother. He just wished it wouldn’t cause her pain. “You haven’t spoken to her since you’ve been back?”

Charlotte shook her head. “We played phone tag.”

Then she definitely didn’t know about her father. “Charlotte …”

“Come.” She grabbed his hand. “Let’s go find my mother, catch the game, and if you’re lucky, I’ll let you catch me afterward.”
She laughed, and before he could say another word, she took off running.

With a groan, he ran after her, figuring he could just be there to minimize the damage when the shock came.