Charlotte smiled as she watched Jason and John’s grandparents cutting it up on the dance floor to a hip-hop song. Their faces were so full of joy. What would it feel like to be with someone that long? Watch your own children marry. Your grandchildren. It wouldn’t do for her to go melancholy now, but this wedding, more than any other, had her thinking of all the what-ifs. Especially when the biggest what-if wouldn’t stop staring at her from across the room.
Just as Lauren had described, John had been incredibly kind and helpful during portraits. He’d talked to her constantly, even helped her up when she’d needed to get on top of a low stone wall for a shot of Shelby and Jason in a park. When they’d gotten back to the church to prepare for the ceremony he’d brought her and Lauren a bottle of water. Even the videographer who had shown up while they were shooting in the field finally whispered to her, “I think the best man has a thing for you.”
Charlotte had only laughed it off, not daring to admit their connection. What was John expecting? What did he want? It was possible that it was just that special wedding magic that overcame single people at the festivities. Or maybe he also had a case of the what-ifs as he witnessed his brother saying I do. Whatever his reasons for showing her so much interest and attention, it was making her uncomfortable.
Five years was a long time to build up anger and resentment for a person, and she’d lain in bed many times thinking of all the things she’d have liked to say on the day she saw him again. None of them had felt right or had even come to mind. The truth was, she didn’t feel angry or hurt, so much as … sad.
She did deserve to have happiness. A man who loved her enough to do anything. The classic love story. A family.
John had never been that person for her, and she could see that clearly now. He’d never been an asshole; he’d just finally had the courage to do what needed to be done before it caused the two of them—and their families—even more pain. Sure he could have done it sooner, saving everyone a lot of embarrassment and money, but it was all in the past now.
“How’s it going?” a voice said in her ear.
She turned in time to see the man of her thoughts looking down on her. Smiling, she lowered her camera and stepped off the dance floor so they wouldn’t get trampled. He followed her. “Your grandparents are amazing.”
John laughed. “They are. Grandpa turned ninety this year.”
“Wow.” Charlotte looked on in awe, wondering what else they might have to talk about.
“You want to sit down in the corner? Talk for a minute?” He pointed to the other side of the room, near the bar and away from the DJ’s speakers. A couple of tables sat abandoned, their former occupants probably on the dance floor.
“Sure. Maybe just for a moment.” Charlotte spotted Lauren walking back from the restroom and mouthed that she’d be back in a minute. Her friend gave her an eyebrow raise and a nod. Having a stroke of genius, Charlotte turned back to John. “Actually, I’m going to grab Shelby and Jason’s rings. I’ll meet you at the bar.”
He looked confused but agreed and Charlotte made her way through the room to find her bride and groom and collect their wedding rings. It was one of the things she had fun photographing on a wedding day. Right now it would give her something to do while they spoke. Much easier than looking him in the eye.
Earlier in the evening she’d noticed a guest with a beautiful glitter-covered gold shawl laid over the back of her chair. Charlotte sought her out and politely explained what she’d like to use it for. The woman was thrilled to help and handed it over.
Heading back to the bar, rings and shawl in hand, Charlotte caught sight of John standing in line at the bar to get a drink from Jen. She decided to get set up so they could cut things short. After choosing an empty table with some good full candles glowing for her ambient light, Charlotte laid the shawl out flat. Next she arranged the groom’s band, then the bride’s wedding ring and engagement ring, which was very pretty. Not outrageous, but nice. Once everything was to her satisfaction, she sat down on her knees to line up the perfect angle.
“This looks interesting.” John set a glass of what appeared to be a pinkish clear drink on the table, and Charlotte was glad he’d been smart enough to keep it far from the shawl. “The bartender said you’d like this.”
“It’s my favorite, thank you.”
“Seems like I should have known that,” he said with a chuckle.
Charlotte ignored his statement and kept adjusting her settings. Why in the world would he expect to know much about her these days?
“So, do you always do this?” He gestured to the rings and then took a drink of his beer bottle.
“Yeah. It’s become very popular over the years.”
“Jason did good on that ring, didn’t he?”
“He did.” Charlotte thought of her own ring. John had purposed on Christmas Eve at the ice-skating terrace in downtown Kansas City. It had been so romantic. People had stopped skating and gathered to watch. When Charlotte said yes, and they hugged, the crowd had cheered and applauded them.
She’d given the ring back that day he’d come to pick up his stuff. Did he still have it? Probably not, that would be silly, but part of her wanted to ask him, although she wouldn’t. The last thing she wanted was to discuss their relationship. It would serve absolutely no purpose.
Charlotte lowered her camera and checked her image on the back screen. She smiled to herself.
“That good, huh? Let me see.”
She scooted over on her knees and leaned in to show him.
“Wow. How’d you do that? It’s so dark over here.”
She lifted her camera a little. “I’ve got six thousand dollars of equipment in my hand that makes that possible. And of course I’ve got a great eye.”
“I guess so. The glitter makes it look like it’s sitting on a sparkling ocean.”
That was a rather poetic sentiment for John, but he had always had a secret romantic side. And he was right. With the candlelight highlighting the shawl, it did sort of look like a sparkling ocean. Just for good measure she decided to take a couple more from a different angle. She always liked to overshoot, just in case.
“I’m really proud of you Charlotte,” John said. He scooted his chair a little closer. “I still remember when you shot your first wedding.”
“Me too. I’d gotten my first credit card to buy that camera.” It was nice to think of how far she’d come. In college she’d started her business with photos of kids and seniors. Her first wedding had been only a year before what should have been her own.
“I’ve thought about you over the years, Char.”
Charlotte’s heart skipped and she was glad her camera was in front of her face to conceal her reaction to his comment. Although she’d already gotten plenty, she kept taking photos.
“Charlotte. Did you hear me?”
She lowered her camera and met his eyes. “Yes I heard you, but I don’t know what to say.”
“Have you thought of me?”
“Well … of course I have. But I’m not sure what you mean. It would have been impossible not to ever think of you again. We’d been together since high school.”
“I was scared, Char. Did I ever tell you that?”
She really wished he’d stop calling her that. No one had ever called her that except John. It had felt like a term of endearment, which made it all weird and inappropriate now.
“You don’t owe me an explanation John. I’m almost over you by now.” She smiled, letting him know that she was teasing.
His lips quirked. “Lauren said you were seeing someone.”
“Um, yeah. It’s kind of new.”
His eyes shifted back to hers. “So … not serious?”
“Well, I didn’t say that.” But what was she going to say? From the corner of her eye she saw the door to the back staircase open, and Dean walked through. Her heart picked up speed.
What was he doing here? The minute he stepped into the room he spotted her. The next second his eyes cut over to John, and she could have sworn he frowned.
“So is this relationship the kind that would allow us to get lunch together or something?”
Charlotte’s gaze cut back to John. “Why would we do that?”
He looked surprised by her vehemence. “Why wouldn’t we?”
Turning her head back to the side door, she saw Dean making his way over to her. He looked so handsome tonight. And intentional. God it was so hot, and when she stood there comparing him with the man sitting next to her, she knew: She was not going to let him get off so easily. She wanted Dean, and it was time she made him decide if they were worth a try or not. No more flirting and wondering. They were professional, or they were more. No in between.
Looking back to John, it was clear there were no romantic feelings left for him in her heart. None at all. What she found being in his presence was nostalgia, nothing more.
“We can’t go to lunch because although it’s new, the relationship is important to me.” As Dean angled his body around the nearest table, his eyes on her, Charlotte spoke completely without thinking. Forget his fears and hesitation. She needed him right now. “In fact, this is him.”
Charlotte took two steps and met Dean, grabbing his arm and pulling him toward her and back to where John was now standing, eyes wide. She silently sent him a thank-you for not acting weird at her public display of affection. Oddly, he hadn’t seemed bothered by it at all.
“Dean?” John asked, obviously shocked.
“You two have met?” she asked, now panicking. So much for lying. She was already busted. How humiliating.
“Just briefly, downstairs. I was interested in the distilling process … and, well, then he…”
“Then I offered him a job as my apprentice,” Dean said.
What? Was she hearing that correctly? Charlotte felt her body waver and Dean glanced down at her, his eyes darting to her hand gripping his arm. She was certain he would pull away, but instead, he did the unimaginable. He untangled her hands locked around his biceps, put his arm around her, and then pulled her tight against his side.
John let out a choked laugh. “So you guys are seeing each other?” He moved his fingers back and forth between the two of them.
Charlotte instantly poked Dean in the back, secretly begging for compliance. “We are,” she said. To her complete shock and gratefulness, Dean leaned down, planted a kiss on the top of her head, and then spoke to John.
“I’m sorry, man. I was coming up here to tell you. I should have said it downstairs when you mentioned her but you just caught me off guard. I didn’t know how to say it.”
“No, no … shit, I get it.” John appeared flustered and confused. He laughed awkwardly. “I shouldn’t have even brought it up. I just…”
He hesitated, his eyes cutting to Charlotte. She was so confused. What the hell had gone on downstairs between the two of them? In just one day, her ex had been thrust back into her sphere, shown interest in possibly making amends, and also been offered a job by her massive-crush-turned-pretend-boyfriend?
What a shit show. Only in Charlotte’s world.
“I just … man. I don’t know. This is awkward so no hard feelings. I understand if you no longer want to work with me.”
Charlotte froze and then glanced up to Dean. She didn’t necessarily love the idea of John working at the Stag, but she felt bad for what had just happened. She didn’t want to be responsible for taking something away from Dean that he so badly needed, and she also didn’t want to be the ex who got weird about proximity.
“John, I thought you lived in Chicago,” Charlotte asked, forcing her words to sound merely inquisitive.
“I got laid off. I’m back in Maple Springs for the foreseeable future.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Yeah, me too.” There was such sadness and confusion in his eyes. It made her sad. Here she was afraid of still being single when she saw him, but he was now single, jobless, and probably living with his parents for the time being. She knew then that crazy words were about to come out of her mouth.
“You should definitely be Dean’s apprentice, John. You’d be great at it, and Dean needs the help. He works way too hard.” She smiled up at him, like a concerned girlfriend would. He squeezed her tighter like a loving boyfriend, and was there a hint of amusement in his eyes?
“Are you sure, Charlotte?” Dean asked.
“I am. I think it’s a great idea. And I actually think John would be really good at it.”
Dean turned back to John, and Charlotte felt like she was suddenly in another dimension. Was she seriously praising the man who had destroyed her heart? And why was Dean going along with her lie so easily? Not that she didn’t like it. What woman wouldn’t enjoy hanging on the arm of the sexiest man in the room while her ex looked on alone and painfully uncomfortable?
John looked at both of them and then took a drink of his beer. Once he swallowed she could tell he’d made a decision “Okay. If Charlotte’s okay with it, then I’d still like to give this a try. At least discuss it.”
“Okay. I’m glad.” Dean still didn’t let Charlotte go.
“Well, I better go see if I have any more best man duties to worry about. Dean, once again I’ll plan on seeing you Wednesday.”
“Sounds good,” Dean said.
After John walked away, Charlotte pulled back and looked up at Dean. “What the hell just happened?” she cried.
Dean laughed. “Well, I offered your ex a job and apparently, I’m your boyfriend.”
“But you played along flawlessly. Why?”
He looked confused. “I had a pretty strong feeling that’s what you wanted. Was I wrong? You know, I’m the one who should be standing here asking questions.”
That caught her up short and she snapped her mouth shut for a minute. When he didn’t go on, she continued. “You’re right. I did want you to play along. But after everything that’s happened between us this past week … I’m just having a hard time processing the last five minutes.”
“I’m with you there. But I want you to know, I had no idea who he was when I offered him the apprenticeship. I’m sorry, I hope this won’t be awkward for you.”
“Well, it will be. Obviously,” she said, her tone teasing, though it was also very true. “But I guess I’ll get over it. He just looked so pitiful standing there.”
Dean laughed. “He’s got a good buzz going. Seeing you has made him emotional, I think.”
Charlotte knew Dean was right. She could tell, considering she’d dated John for many years, but it was still hard for her to comprehend. What had they talked about downstairs? “Yeah, well, I’m hard to get over. Maybe not for some people.”
She gently shoved at his stomach and he grabbed her hand, holding it against him. Her face jerked up to meet his eyes, which were now hooded and full of longing.
“Don’t try and guess how I feel about you, Charlotte,” he said.
When their eyes met, her body fluttered to life, her nerves crackling at his touch. His thumb whispered back and forth over her hand as he stared at her.
“I have tried, but you make it very difficult.”
He nodded. “I know. And I’m sorry for that. I’ve been overthinking us to death. But the truth is … I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.”
She stared up at him. “Now you know how I feel all the time.”
His lips quirked. “Well, you understand … now that we’re suddenly dating, there’s only one thing left for you to do,” Dean said. His voice was sultry and low, even over the noise in the room.
“What?”
“Come home with me tonight.” With that, he lifted her hand, placed a kiss on her fingers, and then walked back to the stairwell door.