The next Friday afternoon Charlotte locked up her salon as soon as she finished with Delynn’s niece. Luckily, she’d been able to reschedule her weekend appointments, but she hated losing potential clients by being closed. How had Nate talked her into this?

Oh yeah. With the best kisses she’d ever experienced or dreamed about. Nate was one talented guy.

If only he’d been a bad kisser, she could have moved on and been perfectly okay right now. Instead, she was more confused than ever.

As she walked back to the house, practically baking in the heat of the intense May sunlight, she saw Lanelle walking over from her house. Even though she had a lot to do, she didn’t mind the chance to chat with her friendly neighbor.

Lanelle met her on the porch. “The lawns look nice.”

Charlotte nodded and opened the front door. “I’m going to have to start mowing more often now that the grass is growing faster. I tell you though, I’m not looking forward to mowing this summer when it’s hot enough to boil me alive.”

“Well, that’s why I came over actually. I was going to tell you that Nate hired a boy from the high school to do the mowing from now on.”

“What?” Charlotte asked, spinning around. “But he can’t do that.”

Lanelle tilted her head. “Why not?”

“Because he’s not supposed to spend money on me.”

“He can spend money on me if he wants to,” Lanelle said cheerfully, slipping into her favorite spot at the kitchen table. “He does nice things like that for people all the time. Paul and I are getting old and our income is tight. If someone who can afford to wants to do something nice, I won’t say no. And I’m sure the kid is glad for the money.”

Charlotte shrugged, but said, “You can do whatever you want of course, but Nate is not paying to have my lawn mowed. You don’t mind if I keep using your mower, do you?”

“Heavens no! But why won’t you let him help you out? I mean, now that you two are a couple, it’s natural for him to do nice things for you.”

Charlotte poured Lanelle a glass of iced tea, which she kept around mostly for when people visited. “We are not a couple.”

Lanelle rolled her eyes. “Oh, give it up girl. The man is batty on you, and here you are taking off on a weekend trip with him.”

“It’s complicated. And nothing is happening between us. It’s more of an experiment to see if I could ever…consider it. And I hope you don’t mind, but I have to pack or I’ll never have everything ready by the time Taylor gets out of school and we’re due to leave.”

“I can help,” Lanelle said, unperturbed. She picked up her iced tea and followed Charlotte back to her bedroom.

Smiling a little, Charlotte resigned herself to having company. She pulled her suitcase out of the closet and started sifting through her clothes. Light summer pajamas, a stack of underwear, and her flip flops were soon stacked neatly on the bed. As she turned back to her dresser to get some shorts and t-shirts, she was surprised when Lanelle came and stood beside her. She was holding the small stack of panties.

“Oh no, dear. Cotton? Come on. I know you have something prettier than these.”

Charlotte grabbed the stack and put them in her suitcase. “Yes, but it doesn’t matter. No one is going to be seeing them but me.”

“Of course not. But a girl always feels more confident when she’s wearing something lacy underneath.”

Lanelle opened her underwear drawer and brazenly dug through it until she victoriously held up a pair of black lace bikini cut panties. “Here you go. Let’s see now. Oh, here are a couple more pairs. Now, a bra to match.” After another moment of sifting, she held up Charlotte’s only sexy bra. She didn’t even know why she still owned it except that it seemed wasteful to get rid of all her pretty things.

“I am not taking those,” Charlotte said firmly.

Lanelle carried her finds over to the suitcase. “But look, they don’t take up any room. What’s the harm?”

Charlotte sighed dramatically. “Fine.” But only because she knew this was a losing battle. She’d take them out after Lanelle went home.

While Charlotte packed clothes she decided were practical, Lanelle kept adding clothes that were decidedly frivolous. Like her long, drapey black gown and a floral chiffon dress. She was also adamant that Charlotte needed both the black strappy heels and the yellow super-high, “what was I thinking when I bought them” heels.

“You’re being so much help,” Charlotte said, her voice dry.

“I know. You’ll thank me when you get there. Now, let me see your swimsuit options.”

Charlotte knew this wasn’t going to go well. She pulled out a plain black one piece and tossed it into the suitcase.

Lanelle’s mouth dropped open. “Are you kidding me?” She waved her hands up and down Charlotte’s body. “You have that figure and you’re wearing that swimsuit?”

“I’m not wearing a bikini, so you can forget it. I don’t even own one.”

With a knowing look on her face, Lanelle stepped back over to the dresser. With unerring instincts, she opened the bottom drawer and found the teal one piece with its daring v-neck front and an Aztec design in gold foil printed over it.

“Now this is more like it.” Lanelle pushed it deep into the suitcase as if afraid Charlotte would take it out. And she would.

Lanelle tossed back the rest of her iced tea. “Looks like my work here is done. I need to get back to my place because my friend Joy is coming by to play Skip Bo.”

Charlotte followed her out and accepted the empty tea glass, while trying not to look relieved. “It was nice seeing you,” she said politely.

“You too, sugar. Have fun. And for Pete’s sake, loosen up a bit.”

With her quirky neighbor heading back across the lawn to her own house again, Charlotte glanced at the clock and went into panic mode. She ran to Taylor’s room and packed his clothes, then started gathering toiletries. All too soon, it was time to go pick up Taylor at school, and she had no time to repack her own suitcase. Sighing, she told herself she didn’t have to wear things just because they were in her suitcase.

Thirty minutes later, she pulled up to her house again with Taylor almost bouncing in his seat with excitement. She had to give Nate that. Seeing Taylor’s simple pleasure in this trip outweighed any doubts she had.

Exactly on time, Sam pulled up behind her car. He was giving them a ride out to the private airfield where Nate kept his jet. She pulled their suitcases outside and Sam loaded them up.

“Nate doesn’t keep a driver?”

“Not in Chester. But he does in Tampa of course.”

“Of course.”

Sam smiled across at her. “Fasten your seatbelt. If you think having a chauffeur is crazy, you’re in for a few shocks.”

 

***

 

Sooner than Charlotte would have thought possible, they arrived at a gated community right on the shoreline. A chauffeur had indeed picked them up at the airport, and luckily Sam was traveling with them to help Charlotte feel more at ease. The jet had been luxurious, and the limousine was just as much so. But Sam treated everything as if it was completely normal, so Charlotte was able to at least pretend that she wasn’t overwhelmed by it.

When the gates opened and the driver steered the limo around the exclusive community of towering mansions, Charlotte felt a wave of panic rising in her. When the limo pulled up in front of the biggest mansion of them all, a gorgeous, white stucco edifice that gleamed against the vibrant blue sky, Charlotte knew she was stepping back into the world she’d grown to hate, but to a greater degree.

“Is this a hotel, mom?” Taylor asked, his face and hands smudging the pristine limo windows.

“No. This is Nate’s house here in Florida. Remember I told you he had two homes.”

“But this one is even bigger than the other one.”

“It certainly is. Come on. Let’s go check it out.” She was glad Taylor didn’t realize she was forcing herself to sound cheerful. He jumped out of the limo and Charlotte followed him out, immediately pulling her sunglasses down to protect her eyes against the glaring brightness.

Sam was overseeing the transfer of their luggage as two women in maid’s uniforms waited to carry them in. Managing to repress the urge to carry her own bag, Charlotte clenched her fist around the straps of her shoulder bag.

“Your bags will be waiting in your room,” Sam said, as if noticing her strain. “Mr. Haverton texted me that he has wrapped up his last meeting for the day and will be home in twenty minutes. In the meantime, he wants me to give you the grand tour so you can feel more comfortable. Shall we?” He motioned to the front door that the maids had left standing open.

Charlotte nodded. “Come on, Taylor.”

Taylor was crouched down over the flower beds looking at something. “Okay. But can I come back out later and try to catch the green lizard I saw?”

“We’ll see,” she said noncommittally.

The entry to the home featured soaring ceilings and enormous windows all the way up to the third level. The floor was marble and there was white crown molding throughout the space. The walls were painted a breezy, muted aqua color and the art and decorations all reflected a more casual ocean theme. It was beautiful and obviously expensive. Charlotte hoped she could keep her active son from breaking anything.

“Through here,” Sam was saying as he led them through the house, “you will find various living areas, the formal dining room, a smaller breakfast room, and the gourmet kitchen.”

Charlotte tried to make mental notes of where everything was, but then they emerged into a great room with a wall of ceiling height windows looking out on the ocean. She was still trying to take in the view that stretched out to the horizon when Sam opened the massive French doors and led them out onto a deck that was larger than her whole house.

There was a seating area under a pergola, an outdoor kitchen, a built-in hot tub big enough for a dozen people, and an enormous rectangular pool that was shallow by the steps then sloped into the deeper blue of the deep end. The far side of the pool featured an infinity edge that looked out over the ocean. Exotic plants with their strong fragrances were scattered artfully around the deck among the hammocks, loungers, and tables.

Taylor kicked off his flip flops and immediately stepped into the pool, going down the steps as far as his knee. “When can we go swimming, Mom? And when can we go to the beach?”

“We need to wait till Nate gets here and ask him what his plans are.”

Then a deep voice rang out from across the deck. “Nate’s plans are to do exactly what you two want to do. I’m completely at your service.”

“Coach!” Taylor screamed, running out of the pool and leaving dark footprints across the concrete deck. “I can’t believe we’re here. I love your pool.”

Nate smiled down at Taylor and gave him a high five. “I’m glad.” Then he looked to Charlotte. “And how about you?”

Charlotte shrugged helplessly. “You know it’s amazing.”

“It’s better with you guys here.”

And then, looking at him in his Khaki shorts and white t-shirt stretching across his chest, Charlotte was overwhelmed by a vortex of unwanted emotion and attraction. His smile scrambled her brain, so the only thing she knew to do was resist.

“I have a bone to pick with you,” she said.

He grinned. “Of course you do. About what?”

“Lanelle said you hired someone to mow the lawns. It’s in clear violation of our contract.”

He walked toward her slowly, his smile never faltering. “Ah yes. I’ve been looking forward to this argument.”