Page 100 of An Unexpected Love

Since her divorce, Charlotte had been content in her own small, secure world. The world she’d so carefullyconstructed for herself and Carrie. It had been the two of them, prevailing against all odds, forging a life together. The borders of her world had been narrow and confining, but Charlotte had made peace with that, had accepted its limitations.

Then a series of events had thrown her into confusion. It had all started at the baby shower for her friend Kathy Crenshaw. Charlotte had held the newborn in her arms and the longing she’d managed to ignore all these years had struck her full-force.

Shortly afterward she’d met Jason, and her life hadn’t been the same since.

Because of Jason, she’d recognized how restricted her world had become. How limited. If that wasn’t enough, he’d shown her glimpses of a life she’d never dared hope existed. He’d taught her to dream, to believe in the impossible.

Almost.

After a protracted farewell to Higgins, they went out to the parking lot. Jason opened the car door and helped her inside, then stood in the fresh air for several minutes, hands in his coat pockets. He closed his eyes and turned his face toward the night sky.

Charlotte knew it was difficult for a man to cut the lovemaking off as abruptly as they’d done. He needed a few minutes to compose himself.

She watched him as he climbed into the car. He hesitated after inserting the key into the ignition and smiled over at her. “Ready?”

Charlotte nodded. “Are you…all right?”

“Never finer,” he assured her, then clasped her hand to kiss her knuckles.

Nine

Jason Manning was a romantic. Beneath that I-don’t-give-a-damn attitude was a tenderness and warmth that left Charlotte feeling like a starry-eyed adolescent. The candlelight dinner at an elegant cliffside restaurant had been wonderful. There he’d given her a fragrant rosebud corsage that was so lovely, it had brought tears to her eyes.

The dance had been the best part of their evening. They’d had a delightful time, despite being surrounded by ninth-graders and forced to endure an earsplitting mixture of songs.

Jason and Charlotte had discovered early on that they weren’t going to be able to dance to rap music. After a number of hilarious attempts, they’d given up. Several of their efforts had left Charlotte laughing so hard, her ribs ached.

Jason had been equally amused, and after their unsuccessful attempts to blend in with the kids, he’d reached for Charlotte, guiding her into his arms. She’d draped her wrists loosely around his neck and he placedhis hands on her hips. Then they’d invented their own dance….

Although Charlotte knew Carrie had risked her “cool” status, her daughter had come to her, eyes bright with excitement, to confess it wasn’t so bad having her mother chaperone a dance, after all.

After the dance, while Carrie and Brad attended the nearby party, Charlotte and Jason sat outside in the schoolyard, gazing at the stars, laughing and kissing. Not the passionate, soul-deep kisses of earlier, but tender, sweet ones. By the end of the evening the barriers surrounding her heart had started to crumble.

Charlotte and Carrie came home at a respectable hour, their heads filled with romance. With barely a word, they wandered off to bed, passing each other like sleepwalkers in the hall.

Several hours later, Charlotte, unable to sleep, wrapped her memories around her like a cloak. Not since her own schooldays had she been more at ease with a man. In the space of one evening, she’d come to realize—without doubt, fear or regret—that she was deeply in love with Jason Manning.

After an hour of savoring every moment, she found she could finally sleep, knowing she’d be with him the next morning when he picked her up for the game.

* * *

“You ready, Mom?” Carrie called happily from the kitchen. It was shortly after ten. “Jason’ll be here any minute.”

Charlotte sucked in her stomach and zipped up her skinny jeans. Then she reached for a clean sweatshirt and tossed it over her head. Jason was already in the kitchen, checking the contents of the picnic basket,when she sauntered in from her bedroom. Her heart did a little dance when she saw him.

“Good morning.” She felt shy, and couldn’t explain it.

He turned around and their eyes met before he sent her a wide smile. “’Morning.”

Charlotte opened the refrigerator and withdrew a six-pack of diet soda to add to the cooler.

“Is that all I get—just a friendly ‘good morning’?” he asked, keeping his voice low so Carrie wouldn’t hear.

“What else do you want?”

“You should know the answer to that. I swear, Charlotte, leaving you last night was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.” He slipped his arms around her waist and nuzzled his face in the slope of her neck.

Charlotte twisted around and stared up at him. “It was?”

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