Charlie's Last Stand (4 page)

She couldn't stay suspended in this moment of expectation
forever. Even with her heels, she was still inches shorter than him. She lifted
herself up on her toes. The frustration of needing him closer finally urging
her to move. Then the look in his eyes changed and he almost knocked her off
balance as he pulled her closer into a hug.

Her breath escaped out of her in one disappointed huff but it
was muffled by his shirt. She held her body stiff against his. The need to sink
into him dissipating in the wake of utter confusion.

Had she been so completely blind in her own feelings that in
those twenty seconds she read desire and need in a friendly glance?

“Charlie, your friendship means more to me than anything
else. I'm not making any decisions without your input.” He stepped back and
looked down at her face.

She nodded to give him some indication that she understood
and he let go.

“I have to get back to work.” He paused with his hand on the
door. “We're both busy tonight but maybe you can save some time for me tomorrow
to talk about the offer. How's breakfast sound?”

She answered on autopilot. Her disappointment turning into
disillusionment and bitterness. “Better make that lunch.” She felt a thin smile
cross her face. “Just in case.”

His eyes narrowed, and he opened his mouth to say something
but seemed to think better of it. He left her office, taking every bit of hope
and faith she had with him.

She didn't let the feeling settle over her until she had
reached the door and clicked the little lock. She turned around, taking in the
small space. Every little detail, from the dark wooden bookcases to the paint
on the walls had been chosen by her. The rugs and the magazines in the waiting
room, the medical supplies she'd poured over in catalogs. All of it had been
lovingly picked out for him. And now their relationship was reduced to a hug
over a major business decision.

Where was the kiss that was going to make him realize that
he couldn't live without her? Where was the passion that she knew was brewing
underneath their comfortable friendship?

She felt the first sob well up and tried to stifle it. She
was at work, and she’d promised herself she wouldn't cry. No matter what the
day brought. At least she hadn't humiliated herself in front of him. How
horrible would it have been if she’d actually initiated a kiss with Chris, when
all he was intending was a friendly embrace? When a second tear ran down her face,
she grabbed up a tissue and dabbed at them, taking care with her makeup.

Chris had plans for the night? Well, so did she. She picked
up the business card she'd left by the phone on her desk and dialed the number.

She smiled when she heard Rob's rough voice on the other
end. Her message was short. She was on. She left her cell phone number and told
him that she was up for whatever he wanted to do.

No need to worry about babysitting. After all, her brother
already knew she wasn't available.

She hung up the phone and imagined his smile. Rob was a
cutie, wore motorcycle boots, and brought her cupcakes. New Year's Eve didn't
have to be a total waste.

She pulled out the mirror she kept in her desk and fixed her
makeup. All the while, she pushed Chris out of her mind and dragged Rob into
focus. A hot guy was interested in her, and she wasn't going to lose her chance
with him on memories and wishful thinking. She got through a painful divorce,
the loss of a career she loved, and possibly the loss of another. God knew that
if Chris merged his practice or anything else, she wasn't sticking around long
enough to fight with Dr. High Heel's office manager to keep her job.

She'd land on her feet. She always did. This time she’d just
have to do it without Chris’s help.

Chris was the last one to leave. He sent Charlie home at
five to get ready for her date. After Diane left with the last patient, he
finished writing up his notes and then dug into a six pack he kept in the staff
refrigerator.

A small Styrofoam package with a fork on top and his name
taped to it sat just beside his last winter ale. He popped it open and
recognized the cheesecake from his favorite restaurant, the one he always grabbed
take out from with Charlie.

So there was the thing she’d wanted to give him at lunch
time.

Damn, he should have spent lunch with Charlie. Not with
Celeste, dodging her propositions, personal and professional. It wasn’t Celeste
he wanted. It was and always would be Charlie. He cringed at the thought of how
close he'd come to screwing things up with her. Kissing Charlie...in her office
of all places…would have been romantic in a scary, possible sexual harassment
way. Not to mention that they’d been surrounded by patients with all sorts of
stomach complaints. No, that wasn't the best place or time to move their
relationship up to the next stage.

It could wait until tomorrow.

After her date.

He used the bottle opener to pop the top on his beer and sat
the cheesecake on his desk. He ate a few bites before stopping at the thought
of Charlie dating that muscle-bound pharm rep.

Jealousy raged through him. He tried to pull it back. What
could Charlie possibly see in guy like that? He clearly spent more time at a
gym than doing anything else. Charlie hated the gym. She'd rather spend the
time playing tennis with her brother or out rollerblading with his kids then
running on a treadmill or lifting weights.

He stabbed his fork through the strawberry, slicing it in
half, and bit into it.

She'd spend one date with the guy and realize how wrong they
were together. This was actually going to work in his favor. It had to.
Tomorrow he wouldn't have to do anything to convince her that they were perfect
for each other. Rob would do that for him, simply by being so obviously not
right for her.

He knew Charlie. She'd never sleep with a guy on the first
date but just in case...

He grabbed the phone and dialed. The gulp of beer he took
while waiting for Will to pick up went down wrong. The combination of
cheesecake and hops not playing well together.

Will sounded harried when he finally answered. “Hey.”

“Did you get a babysitter for tonight?”

“No and I am hearing about it from Sue. She's pissed, man. I
was supposed to ask Charlie weeks ago. I just never thought she'd have a date
for tonight.”

Chris leaned back in his chair. “Great. You didn't cancel
your reservation, did you?”

“No. It's on my list. What? You want it?”

He rubbed his hands together. “Nope. Make Sue happy and tell
her I'm heading over. I'll watch the kids tonight.”

“Really? That's awesome. I'll be out of the dog house.”

He could hear Will call out to his wife and her whoop of
joy. “I'll be over in a few. I have to go home to change and then I’ll pick up
some movies for us to watch.” They were about to hang up when he called out to
Will. “Did your sister leave for her date yet?”

“No. She's still getting ready.”

“Okay. I'm closing up here now. I'll be there in thirty
minutes or so.”

He threw the phone down and cleared off his desk. There
wasn’t much time and he needed to catch Charlie before she left. He ran to his
car, the thought of her in that little black dress propelling him on. She
looked good enough to eat, and he had no doubt that Rob had been thinking the
same thing.

That wasn't the real Charlie. The real Charlie preferred jeans
and a t-shirt, hiking boots or sneakers. She didn't wear heels or walk around
the office in skimpy dresses. She didn't like being cold unless she was out on
the slope skiing. Even then, she'd rather do a run or two and then hunker down
by the lodge's fireplace with a book and a warm drink.

Charlie didn’t need a fancy dress or makeup. If she needed
them to catch Rob's attention, then clearly he was an idiot and didn’t deserve
her.

After running into his apartment to change and stopping by
the kiosk for a superhero movie for Billy and a princess movie for Lily, Chris made
it to Will's within twenty-five minutes. He parked behind Charlie's little
sedan and jogged up the walkway.

Lily opened the door before he had even hit the doorbell.
She grabbed the movies out of his hand and held them above her brother's head. “I
got them first.”

“Easy. You each get one.”

She screamed when he tickled her ribs and loosened her
sticky grip on Billy's movie. Once he sent both kids off to pick out a board
game, he walked to the back of the house and Charlie's room. He knocked once
but he wasn't prepared for what he found on the other side of the door at all.

****

This wasn't happening.

Chris wasn't supposed to be here, making her question
everything she'd been thinking in the last half hour as she convinced herself
that she could completely let go of him. He had on the sweatshirt she always
told him she hated but she secretly loved because it was his and it reminded
her of all those late nights of helping him study through med school.

He didn't say a word as he looked her over from head to toe
and back again. “What did you do with the dress?” He looked almost offended
that she removed the contentious article of clothing.

“My plans for tonight changed and the dress wasn't exactly
the right attire.”

Chris's face brightened as a smile crossed his face. “You
canceled your date.”

What was that smile about? “I didn't cancel. We're just
doing something different.” Otherwise known as she finally had an actual date
for the night and he wanted to do something other than take her out in a fancy
dress.

“And you're going out like that?”

She looked down at herself. She always liked the way her
favorite jeans showed off her butt and although it wasn't fancy, the tight
black t-shirt was comfortable. She put one hand on the door, ready to shut it.
She had ten more minutes to finish getting ready and she wasn't going to waste
them listening to his fashion tips. “What are you doing here?”

“I'm watching the kids tonight so Will and Sue can go out.”

“You're babysitting? I thought you had plans for tonight.”

“I do. We have two movies on deck. I'll be ordering a pizza,
half pepperoni, half cheese, and if they're good, a big bowl of popcorn on the
couch after.”

She was not going to melt at the thought of him giving up
his New Year's Eve to watch her brother's children. No. She was strong and
about to go out with a hot guy. Rob had a great smile and a sexy body. He had
even offered to stay in tonight to help her babysit.

She was ending the year on the same note she wanted to spend
the whole of the next year. Hopeful, not heartbroken.

She tightened her grip on the door. “That's nice. I have to
finish getting ready.”

Chris stopped the door with one hand and took one step into
the room and nearer to her. He was close enough for her to feel his body heat
and she sucked in a breath. Her entire body went on alert. Every part of her
wanted to get closer to him.

“I want to make sure that we're okay.” He smiled and she
realized that she always preferred his lopsided grin to any other smile.

She stepped back but he followed her until they were both
standing in her little bedroom. As far as she could remember, the last time
he'd been in her space was the day he helped move her from the house she shared
with her ex.

Her unmade bed was right behind her and the way he stared at
it had heat rushing to her face.

“We're good, Chris. I thought we hugged it out earlier.” She
didn't mean to hiss when she said hugged but it still irked the hell out of her
at how close she'd come to embarrassing both herself and him.

His eyes creased and again he stepped toward her. She didn't
move, afraid that one more step would bring her up against her bed.

“You're mad at me.”

“I am not.

“Yes, you are. What's wrong with hugging?”

“Would you have hugged me if I was your male office manager?”

He laughed. “Of course not.”

“Then maybe hugging it out wasn't the course of action I was
expecting.”

He finally moved away from her, giving her a little room to
breathe.

“Charlie, you're more than my office manager. I hugged you
because you're you, not someone I just have a professional relationship with.”

“Well, maybe that's the problem. Maybe we shouldn't have
mixed the two.”

He paused in his pacing around the room. “What are you
trying to say?”

He looked almost panicked as he walked back to her.

She shook her head and let out a breath. This wasn't the
time. “Nothing. Let's leave it until tomorrow, okay? I have a date to get ready
for and he should be here any minute.”

He reached out for her but he dropped his hands before they
touched her arms. Was he really going to give her another freaking hug?

“Promise me something.” His voice was rough and his eyes
looked deeply into hers. “Promise me you won't do something crazy tonight.”

She jerked back. “What are you talking about? Do you really
think I'm going to find another job on New Year's?”

“No. I...” A quick knock at the door interrupted whatever he
was about to say.

Will stepped into the room. His eyes focused on the little
space between them before looking at her. “Your date is here.”

****

Well, that pretty much sucked and this wasn't a whole lot
better.

Charlie looked smoking in her tight little jeans and
t-shirt. He had walked out of her room with a sick feeling in his gut. No
matter how hard he tried to make her understand how he felt about her, he made
things worse.

He could see that the harder he tried to hold on, the more
she fought against him. And now he was sitting across from her date. The guy
that was probably going to kiss her tonight, maybe more, and all he could do
was sit there and let her go.

“Dr. Ainsworth, I hadn't expected to see you here tonight.”
Rob smiled and leaned forward in the chair.

“I'm babysitting.” He didn't expand on it. He didn't care if
the guy was curious about his relationship with Charlie. She could field his
questions. Let her explain how they'd known each other since he moved to town
in high school, how her brother had been his first friend, that both of them
had been at his father's funeral and he at their mother's. If her marriage
didn't accomplish it, one date was not going to break his relationship with
Charlie. Anyway, he seemed to be managing that all on his own.

She came into the family room a moment later. Her eyes were
bright and the smile on her face looked genuine enough. He was so focused on
Charlie, he forgot the other man was the one waiting on her.

Rob stood and took a few steps towards her as she came to a
stop by the couch. “You look beautiful.”

Charlie's smile brightened and she got out a thank you
before turning to him. “Have a good night with the kids.”

He nodded to both of them as Rob saluted and they left.

Chris was still staring at the door when Will walked in the
room.

“You're just going to let her go?”

He pulled his gaze away to look at his friend. “What?”

“Charlie. You've been crazy about her for years. When you
offered to babysit the kids, I was sure you had something planned.” Will threw
himself down on the couch, tossed one of the pillows on to the coffee table and
plopped his feet up on it.

“Shouldn't you be getting ready for dinner with your wife?”

“I am ready. It will take Sue another twenty minutes. So
spill it. What's the deal with my sister?”

“Nothing.”

Will shook his head and crossed his arms. “Nothing is what
you've been doing. I'm asking you why you don't tell her that you’re crazy
about her and put yourself out of misery.”

“It's not that simple.”

Will raised his eyebrows and rubbed his chin.

“Fine. I haven't told her because I've been waiting for her
to be ready and then today was just a mess. From top to bottom, I couldn't say
anything right. She got angry about the whole merger thing and then I tried to
hug it out, which was apparently the wrong thing to do.”

“What merger and what's wrong with hugging?”

“The merger is not a definite. Just something I've been
thinking about. The hug was improvised and a bad idea. Anyhow, it just wasn't
the right time.”

“When is it going to be the right time? Are you going to
wait until she's married again and your hands are tied?”

His muscles clenched at the reminder of the two years he
spent in purgatory watching Charlie slowly become more and more miserable, tied
to a jackass that could never deserve her.

“It's just a date. It's not like she's going to get engaged
tonight.”

Billy ran by with a doll. Two seconds later Lily followed,
screaming like her hair was on fire. Will didn't make a move.

“I'm not on duty yet. You might want to take care of that.”
Chris pointed to the hall where they had just disappeared.

“Sue will handle it. You know where dates lead. Heck, I
don't even want to think about my sister like that but there's always a chance.”

He stiffened. “It won't.”

“You don't know that. She seems to like the guy and he knew
exactly how to win her over. They're going to that Indian restaurant she loves
and then to a little book store near his house. The guy must be a genius.
Either that or he knows Charlie well. They're going to ring the New Year in on
his couch with a movie.”

He rolled his shoulders and stretched his neck. He wasn't
going to let Will get to him. “It doesn't matter. They can't have anything in
common. I mean, look at the guy. He probably spends more time in the gym than
he does reading a book.”