Page 84 of Free

“Did you tell her that?” Mom presses.

“No. And the crazy thing is, the second I saw Charlie standing there, I knew I didn’t want to take the offer from my CO. I don’t want to go back to the way things were between us. I want her in my life, day in and day out. And I didn’t tell her that either.”

Angela slaps me in the arm. “You idiot. She doesn’t want to go back to Wildrose, but because you didn’t say anything, she thinks you want to take the consulting job. You’re both being so conscientious of the other that you’re gonna let something amazing slip through your fingers. I’m just saying, you ghosted her once, she might need you to fight for her this time.”

“Hell, son,” Dad says, “she could open a studio here, or expand the yoga program at The Hut. She doesn’t have to go back to Wildrose Landing to live the dream.”

“Exactly!” Angela exclaims. “Garrett told her they’re doing a whole peach water thing…”

Mom gasps and agrees, but I barely register what they’re saying. I glance around the room, my mind racing, and suddenly I know what I have to do.

Mumbling an excuse, I rush toward the exit. The noise of the party dims as I step into the hallway, the soft hum of the hotel’s air system filling the void. I round the corner, ready to head outside—and run directly into someone tiny, someone walking almost as fast as I am. I grip her arms to keep her from falling, then freeze when I see who it is.

Charlie.

Her dress flows in soft waves, the fabric catching the light with a subtle shimmer. The moment she looks up and our eyes meet, my breath catches.

“You keep doing that, I’m gonna think it’s on purpose,” she says with a gentle smile and a catch in her throat, a callback to something I said the day of her wedding.

“You’re here,” I say, my voice thick with emotion.

“I couldn’t just sit at home,” she replies, her voice barely above a whisper. “I need to tell you what I really want and not sulk, waiting for you to read my mind and say what I want to hear.”

Her hands are trembling slightly, and I reach out instinctively to steady them. The contact feels electric, grounding us both in the moment.

“I was just coming to find you,” I admit.

For a moment, neither of us speaks. The tension is palpable, a fragile thread stretched between us. Her eyes search mine, and mine search hers and any remnants of doubt fly from my mind. She’s what I want.

“Look, I—” I begin at the same time she says, “I don’t want?—”

We laugh, the tension easing.

“You first,” she says with a smile.

“Charlie,” I start, my voice low but firm, “I don’t want to take the offer. I don’t want to go back to the way things were before. I don’t want anything that takes me away from you. You’ve changed me in ways I can’t explain, and even if I tried, words couldn’t do it justice.”

Her breath hitches, tears well in her eyes. “Then why didn’t you just say that?”

“Because I was afraid,” I admit. “Afraid of holding you back. Afraid of being selfish when I know you have dreams of your own. But the truth is, the only dream I have now is you. You make me want things I didn’t even know I needed. You make me want a forever I never thought I deserved.”

Her lips part, as if to respond, but the words don’t come. Instead, she steps closer, her hand sliding to my chest, resting over my heart. “I don’t want to run a yoga studio in Wildrose Landing. I want to stay here, with you.”

“Then stay,” I whisper against her hair. “Move in with me.”

Charlie pulls back. “Are you sure?”

“I’ve never been more sure about something in my life. I didn’t know how lost I was until I found you. You didn’t just show me the way; you became my home.”

A wide grin breaks across Charlie’s face. “I love you, Nick Hutton.”

“Every time I think I’ve figured out how much I love you, you smile, and it’s like I’m falling all over again.”

“You’re on fire tonight, you know that?”

“Well then we better find Micah so he can put me out.” I take her hand and lead us back into the ballroom while she groans something about ultimate cheese.

FORTY-SEVEN

---