Love Beyond the Curve (BookStrand Publishing Romance) (12 page)

“Well, I guess I better head back and finish getting things ready for the week. Thank you for asking me over. I really had a good time.” Charlotte was heading for the back door as she was saying her good-bye. She opened the door and turned to say her last words and was surprised to find Reed standing so close to her.

He reached over her head and closed the door as he said in a low voice that sent a shiver down her spine, “Don’t go. Stay a little longer. We can play cards or watch a movie or…something.”

“Maybe some other time. I need to go, now. I’ll see you around.” Charlotte turned to open the door and make a hasty exit, but Reed was quicker than she anticipated. She froze when he placed his hands on her waist and leaned into her body.

“Charlotte, I want you to stay. I want to spend more time with you. I want to get to know you better.” Reed was standing close enough for her to feel his warm breath on her ear. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her against his tall, strong frame. She sighed and closed her eyes to savor the moment before she responded to him.

“Reed, I would really like to think you mean that, but I think it would be a mistake. We’ve already found out where this can lead, and how good it would be. For both of us. I just don’t want to be the handy, big-girl neighbor that helps you kill a few hours on a weekend afternoon. I’m sorry it happened before. There was no excuse for it, but it isn’t happening again. I gave in to my own desire that day, and I shouldn’t have because now I think you believe that it’s a given if you ask for it. Well, it’s not. I think you are great. We have a good time together, but I’m not the person you’re looking for long range. Now, let me go. I’ve said too much already.” Charlotte relaxed the tension in her body when she felt his arms sliding away from her. She opened the door and walked across the yard, not looking back, knowing he was watching her all the way up the stairs and into her place.

* * * *

She’s shut me out. There is no way I am ever going to get a chance with her unless I change the game plan. Getting to know her a little at a time isn’t working. She’s thinking she’s a way to kill time. Hell, I haven’t really acted much like I wanted to date her. She’s only been over here, and I really messed that up with her. Well, I am about to court you, Miss Hamilton. The old-fashioned way.

Reed smiled to himself as he watched her enter her place and close the door firmly behind her. He swore he heard the deadbolt click, as if she were shutting him out of her life for good. Well, she was right to shut this Reed Jackson out of her life. But the new Reed Jackson was on the way, and he was someone she wouldn’t be able to resist, no matter how many locks she turned to keep him out.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Charlotte rushed downstairs and threw her things in the passenger seat of her SUV. She was going to be late if she had to wait at even one long red light. Last night had been filled with tossing and turning and crazy dreams of Reed trying to seduce her. That part would have been pretty good, but every time she took off her clothes, Reed would turn away with a disgusted look on his face and say something like, “What was I thinking?” As a result, she had overslept and awakened with not only a headache, but just enough time to make it to the third-floor time clock to press her fingerprint before being considered officially late.

What was I thinking is more like it. To think for a minute a man as gorgeous as Reed would ever consider a real relationship with a girl like me was ridiculous. Well, at least I made it clear that would not be a problem, and I think we can still be on friendly terms since he is my landlord. What in the world is that?

Charlotte spied an envelope tucked under her windshield wiper and quickly hopped out to retrieve it. She glanced down long enough to see her name written on the front in a masculine handwriting. Her curiosity was piqued, but she was running late, so she’d have to read it later. She stuffed it in the pocket of her uniform pants, making a mental note to check it out on her first break. She threw the car into gear and raced down the long driveway to try to beat the time clock.

* * * *

“Hey, Logan! Come on in. What can I do for you?” Reed tossed his pen on the desk and leaned back in his chair with his hands folded behind his head. His longtime friend came into the office and sat down in one of the chairs placed in front of the desk. He stretched out his long legs and casually crossed his ankles, as if preparing for a lengthy conversation. Logan was the site manager and had known Reed since their college days working construction jobs together.

“Well, I thought I’d drop by to invite you to join us at our favorite watering hole this Saturday night for a few drinks and to shoot some pool. We should be finished with the Gatewood projects by Friday, so the crew wants to celebrate. You available or are you going to be out on a hot date?” Logan folded his arms across his broad chest, waiting for an answer from his buddy.

Reed straightened in his chair and leaned forward on his elbows and replied, “I hope to be on a date, but I haven’t gotten an answer from her yet. If it is a go, then I will be taking her to dinner and then maybe go dancing if she’d like to. If she refuses my invitation, then I am sure you can expect me at your party. That’s the best I can do for you right now.”

Logan sat up and rested his forearms on his thighs, leaning a little closer toward Reed. “Hell, just bring her with you after dinner. You can dance at Zeke’s. You know it wouldn’t be a proper celebration without our fearless leader there. What do you say?”

Reed threw his head back and laughed out loud at the thought of bringing Charlotte to their little celebration. He knew she’d fit in and probably have a good time, but he was trying to put his best foot forward. “Man, I am trying to get somewhere with this particular lady. I want to make her feel like it is a special evening. Partying with my beer-drinking buddies at a country-western bar may not be the best way to do that. At least not on our first date.”

“Sounds like you are getting yourself another Candace. You do not want to go there again, my friend. I won’t let you.” Logan shook his head and stood up to walk away a few steps, clearly worried for his friend.

“Charlotte is nothing like Candace. She actually has blood in her veins and not ice water.” Reed rolled his eyes at the thought of his former girlfriend.

“Did you say ‘Charlotte’ as in your neighbor ‘Charlotte’?” Logan’s eyes widened when he made the connection.

“That’s the one. She is really a wonderful person. We have a great time together. She doesn’t take herself too seriously, and as an added bonus, she’s gorgeous. We’ve been friendly, but I want to take it up a notch, and she’s not having it.” Reed propped his elbows on the arms of his chair and steepled his fingers as he thought about their recent conversation.

“Are you serious? So every woman’s Mr. Right is Mr. Wrong to Charlotte? Well, if that doesn’t just beat all. Guess that’s a first for you. Now you can see what it feels like to be like the rest of us.” Logan teased his friend good-naturedly and sat back down to hear more.

“I’ve been turned down more than once. But yes, Charlotte seems to think we’ll work best as friends. There was no point in arguing with her at the time, so I let it go, but you know I can be stubborn and determined when I decide to be.”

“Why does she think you should only be friends? Is it because you are her landlord?” Logan was still finding it hard to believe that Charlotte wasn’t jumping at the opportunity to date a guy like Reed.

Reed stood up and pushed his hands deep into the pockets of his khaki chinos. He sighed and walked over to the window to look out over the landscaped backyard of his office, which was an older home in the historic district of Memphis. “I’m pretty sure it’s because she thinks I’m only wanting her for recreational sex. Nothing more. Nothing less. She said she is always the good friend and not the girlfriend because she sees herself as a ‘big girl.’ Those are her words, not mine, by the way. I think she’s stunning and incredibly sexy. When I hold her against me, she feels so good. I can’t explain it.”

“So you’ve held her against your body, and she still didn’t go for you? Just how friendly have you been?”

“I’m not a kiss-and-tell kind of guy, but we were really friendly when I had my accident. One thing led to another, and let’s just say I know for a fact that she has curves in all the right places. She thinks it all happened due to all the medication and us being tired and sleep deprived. She feels like she took advantage of the situation, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. I knew what I was doing, and I can’t seem to forget it.”

“Well, if that’s the case, then go for it. She’s a really great girl. That night we all played poker, she fit right in with us. She was like one of the guys. And she made those mouthwatering brownies. You can’t let that go. So she’s a bit more ‘voluptuous’ than any other girl you’ve dated. Who cares?” Logan held his hands up and shrugged as Reed walked back over and sat down again.

“That’s my point. I
don’t
care about her size. I think she’s perfect. Now, I only have to convince her I really mean that, because she thinks I’m a player.”

“I can vouch for you there. You never were the love ’em and leave ’em type. You let a lot of golden opportunities pass you by because of it. Well, I’ve got to get back to the site, or there may be no celebration on Friday. If you can work it in to drop by, do it. Good luck!” Logan reached over and shook Reed’s hand and left him thinking he needed more than luck to capture Charlotte’s heart.

Chapter Twenty-Four

“At last! What a crazy night. Murphy’s Law is ruling this unit tonight.” Charlotte fell into her seat at the table in the break room to eat her “lunch,” which was two hours late.

“You got that right! If we make it out of here on time tonight, it will be a miracle. I’ve already called my husband and told him he’ll see me when he sees me. I’m not in a hurry to leave. I’m afraid Amelia isn’t going to be here when I get back. I love that little girl.” Parker sat down beside her coworker and opened her soft drink and a pack of crackers.

Charlotte took a sip from her water bottle and sighed thinking about how close to the end the little girl was right now. “I know. I’ll be shocked if she makes it through the night. She’s put up a brave fight. Her parents are amazing. They are being so brave for her, and they are heartbroken. I can’t leave them. We’ve been through this whole ordeal together. I can’t take a chance on not being here for them as well as Amelia. I’ll clock out on time, but I’m staying as long as I think I’m needed.”

“You are like family to them. It will mean a lot to have you nearby. I’ll cover for you if you need me to, so you can stay close by.” Parker finished her snack and stood to throw away the trash.

“Thank you, Parker. I appreciate that. I’ll let you know.” Charlotte smiled at her friend and put her hand into her pocket, only to discover the envelope she had stuffed there when leaving the house. She pulled it from her pocket and placed it on the table.

“See you later. Duty calls.” Parker smiled and walked out of the room as she checked her beeper, leaving Charlotte to read the contents of the envelope in private.

She picked up the pale-blue envelope and ran her fingertip over her name that was written across the front. She smiled and raised it to her nose to breathe in the faint scent that clung to it. A familiar scent. Reed’s scent. His aftershave must have still been on his hands when he sat down to write this note. A tingle ran through her as she carefully broke the seal, anticipating what she would find inside. She withdrew a single folded piece of paper of the same pale-blue color from the envelope. She began to read the note, written in a neat script, hearing Reed’s smooth baritone voice as she did.

Dear Charlotte,

Would you please do me the honor of accompanying me to dinner this Saturday evening at seven o’clock? If you find it agreeable, I would like to conclude our date with an evening of dancing. You may let me know your decision by calling me at 555-5455 at your earliest convenience. I will be anxiously awaiting your reply.

Sincerely,

Reed Jackson

Charlotte was speechless. She didn’t expect this very formal request for a date with her to be the contents of this mysterious envelope. But there it was. He used the word “date,” so there was no doubt as to his intentions. He wasn’t asking her as a “friend” to join him for dinner. Well, he had definitely taken her by surprise with this move. She would accept his invitation. How could she
not
accept after the special effort he made to ask her out?

We shall see, Mr. Jackson. Taking me out for dinner and dancing is a wonderful idea, but we’ll see how “anxious” you are to introduce me as your “date” when your friends are around.

Charlotte folded the note and slipped it back into the envelope. She shoved it back into her pocket and tossed her empty water bottle into the trash can. She walked out of the break room to head back to check on Amelia and her family. Thoughts of Reed Jackson and his romantic dinner invitation would have to be pushed to the back of her mind, but they could not, and would not, be completely forgotten.

Chapter Twenty-Five

“Good morning, Charlotte. Are you just getting home?” Reed saw Charlotte getting out of her SUV as he was coming outside to leave for work. It was seven thirty. She was usually home by midnight every night.