All Summer Long (Fool's Gold #9)

It wasn’t just that, she realized. She wanted to talk to him. Hear his voice, laugh at his jokes.

“He has a really good sense of humor, you know,” she said, her voice slightly strangled. “When we were first talking about having sex he teased me about the photos I’d seen of him. He said they’d enhanced his ‘package.’ He’s like that. He can make fun of himself. But when the conversation is serious, he’s totally there. He cares so much, about his family, about...”

About Diane, she thought sadly.  The woman he loved. Was that what had happened? Had he guessed her feelings and been upset by them? There had been a tacit understanding between them. They were dating, but not supposed to get serious.

“He knew,” she said slowly. “He figured out I fell in love with him. That’s why he left.”

Dominique cupped Charlie’s face in her hands. “Don’t be ridiculous. That’s a stupid reason for Clay to leave. Besides, if he’s all that you claim, and he thought you were in love with him, he would have been a whole lot more gentle about how he left. If you ask me, whatever is going on is happening in his head alone. Maybe he has started to care about you and is feeling guilty. Maybe he’s actually a bastard and this is what he does. Whatever it is, you are not to blame. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Whether or not they were the truth, the words felt good, Charlie thought. Supportive.

“Thanks, Mom,” she said.

“You’re welcome. Now wait right here. I want to get you something.”

Dominique rose and walked into the bedroom. Charlie hoped she wasn’t going to return with an inspirational book. Right now that was the last thing she needed. But instead of reading material, her mother returned with a small key chain.

“I have a very nice apartment with a view of Central Park,” Dominique said, handing over the keys. “I would suggest you go there and see for yourself.”

Charlie stared at her. “You’re sending me to New York?”

“Sometimes getting away is the best solution. You’ll have time to think without worrying about running into him. Or people looking sympathetic. I can tell you from personal experience that sympathy is the worst.”

Charlie wanted to say that her home was here, in Fool’s Gold. That her friends were here and her job. Except the idea of running had a certain appeal. There would be no explanations. She wouldn’t have to talk to anyone. She could curl up and lick her wounds. Gain strength. Then come home.

“I do have vacation time owed me,” she said slowly. Weeks of it, she thought. She’d always loved her job too much to bother with time off.

She reached out and took the key. “Thanks,” she said.

“You’re welcome. I’ll call and tell my doorman you’re coming. Now let’s go online and find you a flight. If you’re flying out of Sacramento, I’m not sure there’s a direct. Hmm, I’ll call the air-charter company May used.”

“Mom, I’m not taking a private plane to New York.”

“Let’s find out if they can do it. If not, they can fly you to San Francisco and then you can get a direct flight there.” Dominique touched her arm. “You’re my daughter. I love you. I want to take care of you.”

Charlie stood and pulled her close. Her tiny mother went easily into her arms. She was so small, Charlie had the sense she could crush her like a twig. Yet there was a strength in Dominique. Something Charlie had to hope she’d inherited.

* * *

“YOU DID IT,” Shane said, standing with Clay at the edge of the freshly planted fields.

“It wasn’t me,” Clay said. “Bernard and Ernie did all the work.”

“Is it just me or do they make you think of Bert and Ernie?”

Clay managed a chuckle. “Sometimes. Assuming Muppets age.” He studied the land that had been through so much. “Disaster averted.”

“I heard about the carousel,” Shane told him. “Going to take it?”

“I haven’t seen it yet. Maybe. I like the idea of it.” More important, Charlie had liked the idea of it.

Damn. She was in his head. He hadn’t realized that when he’d ended things. Not that it would have changed his mind, but he might have been a little more prepared. He thought about her constantly, missed her. Needed her.

“Rafe and I decided you have to eat all the casseroles made with tuna,” his brother told him.

Clay managed a chuckle. “Sure. That won’t bother me. I’ve eaten worse.”

“Evie’s looking better.”

“She’s up and around.”

Still not talking very much and avoiding their mother, but healing.

“Rafe still hasn’t told her he closed up her apartment,” Shane said.

“That’ll be an explosion.”

Shane drew in a breath. “You okay?”

There were other questions buried in the couple of words. And a simple answer.

“No.”

“Want to talk about it?”

“No.”

“So I should let it go?”

“Uh-huh.”

Shane shoved his hands into his jeans front pockets. “Charlie’s special.”

“This is you letting it go?”

“I can’t do that. You miss her.”