Chapter Twenty-One

“I don’t know. Maybe I should tell him I changed my mind.” Charlie moved around the bar, her morning chores such an ingrained routine she didn’t even have to think about her next move.

Darby shifted June in her arms and wiped a line of drool from the baby’s chin. “Honey, you’ve got to go. How can you say no to a free trip to New York?”

“It’s easy. One word. No.” Charlie slapped her palms on the bar, startling baby June, who let out a shriek and began to wail. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry, sweetheart.” She rounded the bar and took the baby in her arms. “Let me take her.”

“Yes, go see Auntie Charlie,” Darby said, handing the baby over. “See if you can talk some sense into her.”

Charlie glared at her sister-in-law while bouncing June on her hip. “Don’t listen to Mommy. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about it.”

“Yeah, Mommy’s the crazy one.” Darby leaned down and grabbed a striped stuffed pig from the diaper bag. “Auntie Charlie doesn’t know a good thing when she sees it. She thinks she can bide her time and guys like Uncle Beck will just keep dropping at her feet.”

“Don’t call him Uncle Beck.” Charlie grabbed the toy from Darby and wiggled it in front of June’s face. “Mommy doesn’t get it. She married the first guy who tried to kiss her. Things get complicated when you have to date as a grown-up.”

“Oh my God, Charlie. You’re the one who’s making it complicated. You’re a girl. He’s a guy. There’s chemistry. A lot of chemistry. What’s so wrong about seeing where it goes?”

Baby June turned her head toward her mama’s voice, a tiny wrinkle between her cute little eyebrows. “You’re upsetting my niece. Besides, who would handle things here if I left? Just drop it.” Charlie made kissing noises and pressed the pig against her niece’s chubby cheeks.

“I won’t. Between Shep, Angelo, and the guys, we can handle the Rose. You know that.” Darby lowered her voice like she always did when she was about to say something Charlie didn’t like. “Look, honey, it sucks that Jackson died. You should be married with your own baby on your hip right now. It’s not fair that your life hasn’t worked out the way you thought it would, the way we planned. But you’ve got a second chance. Beck’s the first guy you’ve shown even a tiny bit of interest in. It’s been more than eight years.”

Warmth rushed from Charlie’s gut to her cheeks. Her heart stuttered, and all of a sudden, June seemed to weigh a thousand pounds. “Leave Jackson out of this. That’s low, Darby, even for you.” She kissed June on top of her fuzzy, dark curls and passed her back to her mother.

“I want you to be happy. Life is stingy with second chances. I don’t want to see you pass yours up. You know I love you, sweetie. Waylon and I—”

Charlie’s eyes went wide. “Do not tell me you’ve been discussing my love life with my brother.” Darby’s silence provided the answer. “Who else has been figuring out my future behind my back?”

Darby bent down and rummaged through the diaper bag.

“Darbs?”

“We’re all worried about you.”

“All?” Charlie pressed.

“Waylon talked to Cash and Statler…” Darby lifted the diaper bag and took a few steps toward the nearest table. “Your mama even said your dad was asking about when you and Beck are going to take the next step.”

Charlie clenched her fists and took in a deep inhale in an attempt to keep from punching her ex-bestie. “Maybe the better question is who hasn’t been discussing my love life?”

“Whose love life?” Presley stomped through the front room and into the bar area.

“No one. Darby and June were just leaving.” Charlie’s glare dared her friend to argue with her.

Darby searched through her bag and pulled out her car keys. “Yeah. I’ve got to get to the store. You’re still coming for dinner next weekend, right?”

“Yeah. Can I bring someone?” Presley scooted behind the bar.

“Sure, Shana can come.” Darby slung the strap of the diaper bag over her shoulder.

“Oh, Shana and I ain’t together anymore. I’ll bring somebody else. You got any cherries back here, Sis?”

“What happened to Shana? I thought you two were serious.” Charlie opened the refrigerator and handed him a small jar of maraschino cherries.

Presley shrugged. “Didn’t work out. Don’t you have any with stems?”

“Why do you need ones with stems?” Charlie stuck her head in the fridge and pulled out a half-full jar of stemmed cherries, then paused. “Wait. Do I even want to know?”

“Stem-tying contest. I’ll see which gals can tie a knot with their tongue. Gotta narrow the playing field somehow, y’know.”

Charlie shook her head. Sooner or later, karma would catch up to her brother. He grabbed the jar from her hand, kissed her on the cheek, and took giant strides across the room.

“Oh, hey, Charlie?” He paused before leaving the room.

“Yeah?”

“Have fun in New York.” The door clattered shut behind him.

“Even Presley knows about this?” She turned on her friend.

Darby smiled. “You could learn a thing or two from your brother, you know.”

“Sure, like how to catch an STD.”

“I was thinking more like how to let loose, have a good time, take a chance. I bet he’d go to New York in a heartbeat.”

“I’m not sure Presley has a heart.” Charlie bit her lip and turned toward Darby. “I know you’re only trying to help.”

“Hey, if you decide not to go to New York, you can always stick around here for that big ol’ family dinner I’m hosting next weekend.”

“Fine. That settles it. I’d rather risk death by jumbo jet than subject myself to the family right now.”

Darby clapped her hands together. “Yay! You’re going to have such a good time.”

“Bye, baby June.” Charlie dropped one last kiss on her niece’s head. “Tell your mama if this goes south, it’s all on her.”

June smiled and reached for Charlie’s hair.

“Oh, stuff it.” Darby grabbed her and pulled her into a hug. “You’re going to have the time of your life. Probably won’t even want to come back once you get a taste of city life.”

Charlie clung to her friend. This would be a big step. A giant, earth-shattering step. But Darby was right…again. How did that keep happening? It was time to move on. Beck would be right next to her. There was nothing to be afraid of. At least nothing she could admit to her friend. Darby would never understand if she tried to explain that having a good time was exactly what had her the most terrified.

* * *

Beck grasped Cash’s hand and shook it hard. “Thanks, man. I really appreciate it.”

“Feels weird saying it, seeing as how I’m enabling you to seduce my baby sister, but you’re welcome.”

“Maybe think about it more like you’re encouraging your sister to take a giant first step in getting over her fear of leaving Holiday.” He’d already gotten a weird vibe from Charlie’s brothers, at least the ones he’d met. He didn’t need any of them to flip into protective, kick-his-ass mode if they doubted his intentions.

“Yeah, I can live with that.” Cash downed the rest of his beer. “Gotta go. I’ll make sure she gets to the airport, but I can’t force her to get on the plane. And if she actually makes it to New York, it’s all on you.”

“I’m up for it. She’ll have a great time, I promise.”

Cash narrowed his eyes, not cracking a smile.

Beck grinned. “Relax. She’ll have a great time seeing the city. Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building. That kind of stuff.”

“Yeah. Can’t wait to hear all about it.” He stood, setting his empty beer bottle on the bar. “Just remember what I said before, and things will be fine.”

His boots clomped across the wood floor, and Beck waited until Cash passed through the doorway before he got up off the stool and tossed the empty bottles in the recycle bin. Surely Cash would never make good on his threat of castration. But from what he’d seen during his brief visits to the ranch, depriving an animal of its balls seemed to be a regular occurrence around the Walker family. He’d have to make sure he didn’t do anything stupid and that Charlie had the time of her life in New York.

He’d get the confrontation with his dad over with first and then be able to focus on the fun. It was too bad he’d promised to accept that award for Holiday Enterprises, but they’d still have plenty of time to sightsee and hopefully more than enough time to spend alone.

Something hard and cold inside Charlie had loosened and thawed over these past couple weeks. It would be great to get her away from the Rose, her family, and the constant pressure she seemed to be under. In talking with Cash and Darby, it sounded like Charlie hadn’t had a real vacation in years.

After Holiday signed the revised agreement, Beck would be free to talk to Charlie about the plans for the Rose. He’d bring up the possibility of a future and what that might look like between them. Two more days.

But first, he had to make sure everything would be in good shape while they’d be gone. He made his way to the back room to grab a case of beer. The cooler sure wouldn’t stock itself.