Charlie sat on the sofa with Lara, watching Joel chatter away to Mischa.
“She’s been so much better since he visited with her yesterday.” Lara smiled shyly. “We haven’t had any tears or screaming, and she actually co-operated with Tulli and I last night when we took her in the shower.”
“She doesn’t like showers?” Charlie frowned. Who didn’t like a hot shower?
“She doesn’t like having her clothes removed.” Lara clarified. “That’s what caused her meltdown at the hospital, when the doctor tried to examine her.”
Charlie nodded. He could understand why that kind of thing would cause Mischa to freak out, especially after what she’d been through.
“Well, all Joel could talk about when we got to the hospital was Mischa. My mom said it feels like she knows her already.” He grinned. “As soon as she’s well enough, you’re all invited to come over and have dinner with us.”
“How is your father doing after his surgery?” Lara asked quietly. “He had a big heart operation, didn’t he?”
“Yeah, he’s doing really well, thanks. He’s three days post-op, so he’s already getting out of bed and taking short walks.” Charlie smiled. “Which means he’s already starting to get bored. He’s nagging my mom to ask when he can go home.”
“And how is your mom coping with having him in hospital?” Lara wondered.
“She’s doing fine.” Charlie nodded. “She didn’t like being so far away from him, so she booked into a hotel right by the hospital. I’ve been taking care of Joel for a few days, thanks to Tuck being so accommodating. He should have had a few drama rehearsals this week, which would have freed me up to get some work done, but unfortunately they were cancelled.”
“But that freed you up to come here, and Joel has been a godsend.” Lara pointed out.
Charlie nodded but didn’t speak. How could he admit to Lara that his visit with her yesterday and today had been the highlights of an otherwise uneventful year for him.
“Do you look after Joel a lot?” Lara asked. “I mean, when your dad isn’t in hospital.”
“When I left the military, I got an apartment not too far away from my parent’s house.” Charlie explained. “It’s a bit closer to the office, which cuts down on the commute time, but is close enough so I’m right there if anything happens and they need me. If I’m not away working, I take Joel for the day on Saturday and then he stays at my place until Sunday, when I take him back in time for dinner.”
“Doesn’t your girlfriend mind Joel spending so much time with you?” Lara asked casually. Too casually, maybe?
“No girlfriend.” Charlie was happy to confirm. “I’ve never been in a position to nurture that kind of relationship, thanks to my career in the Marines. And since I left, well, there’s been little time to look for the right sort of person.”
Lara regarded him curiously.
“What sort of person are you looking for?” She frowned.
“Someone who understands that at some point in my life, I will have to take on full time responsibility for Joel.” Charlie explained. “When my parents are no longer able to care for him, or no longer with us, Joel will come and live with me. That’s a given. So, whoever I was to be in a relationship with, would have to understand that and accept it, one-hundred-percent. That’s not the easiest thing to have to explain to someone on a first date. It rarely leads to a second date, anyway.”
Charlie watched Lara closely, looking for any subtle change in expression.
There was none. She simply nodded, silently, staring intently at her sister.
After a few moments, she turned and smiled in understanding.
“I think you and I have more in common than I thought we did.” Lara admitted. “I haven’t said as much to Tulli yet, but I’ve decided to take on responsibility for Mischa.”
“Really?” Charlie said in surprise. “What do you think Tulli will say about that?”
“Oh, she’ll argue, most definitely.” Lara smiled. “But she’s already given up a career and her youth for us. I won’t let her give up anything else. Especially not a relationship.”
“Relationship?” Charlie smiled. “You mean with Gregor?”
“There certainly seems to be something special going on there, don’t you think?” She blushed. “I mean, Gregor certainly seems to like Tulli. And I don’t think she’s immune to him, either.”
Charlie watched Lara’s embarrassment trying not to laugh.
“Are you match-making, Lara?” He asked. “Because I have to tell you, if that is the case, you’ll fit in just fine with the Alpha-Stalwart ladies. Those ladies can sniff out a romance at a hundred paces, in the dark, wearing a blindfold, and eating liquorice!”
Lara snorted a laugh, quickly covering her mouth with her hand.
“I don’t think there’s any need for me to match-make in this instance.” She shook her head. “When we landed at the airport in Colombia and climbed out of the helicopter, I was watching Gregor the moment he first caught sight of Tulli. His head swung around twice, like he was doing what you’d call a ‘double-take’. He noticed her before Tulli’s feet had even hit the ground. Of course, I didn’t know who he was at the time, and he certainly had no idea who she was. In fact, I’m amazed he could see her face at all under all the dirt and grime.”
“And you want to look after Mischa to allow Tulli and Gregor to have a chance together.” Charlie clarified. “Because Gregor doesn’t seem to me like the sort of man who would walk away from a woman simply because she had responsibilities.”
“No, he’s not that sort of man. He’s decent and honourable and good.” Lara agreed. “But Tulli is the sort of woman who would walk away from Gregor, if she thought her responsibilities would leave her unable to devote as much time to a relationship with Gregor as she thought he deserved.”
“Aah, now I see why you want to look after Mischa.” Charlie nodded. “So that does leave the two of us in a very similar situation, as you say.”
“There’s one big difference between us, though.” Lara said quietly.
Charlie stared into her grey eyes, noticing how dark and cloudy they’d become.
“What’s that?” He frowned.
“You seem like you’re in a place where you’re ready to look for that special someone to share your life with.” Lara looked down at her hands, where she was twisting her fingers together nervously. “I’m not in that place, Charlie. I don’t know when, or if, I’ll ever be there.”
Charlie stared at Lara, who if he wasn’t mistaken, had just told him quite plainly that she wasn’t ready for a relationship with him. Whether she meant yet, or ever, he wasn’t sure.
“You know what, you’re right about me being ready to find someone.” He nodded. “I am ready.”
Lara winced, as though he’d pinched her.
He lifted her hand gently, as much to stop her twisting her fingers and hurting herself further.
“What I’m not, is in a hurry.” Charlie added. “I don’t care if it happens this week, or next month, or even next year. It’ll happen when the time is right. And if she’s the right person? Boy, will she be worth waiting for.”
He watched the range of emotions cross Lara’s face, unable to interpret even one of them.
Unwilling to push her, or frighten her in any way, he turned back to watching Joel and Mischa.
He’d just leave Lara to think about his words.
He didn’t need to spell anything out any more than he already had, especially after they’d only just met.
After all, he’d managed to be quite happy living alone all these years. A few more weeks or months were hardly going to kill him.