Page 23 of Wilde Sanctuary

He snorted. “I knew you were too good for me.”

Too good for him? What did that mean? What exactly had Prescott told Rhett?

“What? That’s a load of crap and you know it, Rhett West.” She was angry now. Furious at him for his lack of trust. For not coming to speak with her first before believing the bullshit the likes of Prescott St Johns would spread like fertilizer.

“Is it, though? Can you tell me with certainty that your proposal has the support of your father?”

Charlie pressed her lips together and didn’t answer. She couldn’t tell him that. At least not right now.

Rhett turned away, hands on his hips, walking a few paces before turning on her. He scoffed. “See? I knew it. It was all a lie.”

“You want to believe that, don’t you?” She whispered. Her heart felt like it was shattering into pieces. Was he that convinced that he was unlovable? That nobody—no woman—would ever want what he could offer?

“Who hurt you so badly that you’re willing to push me away at the first hint of a problem?”

He winced as if she’d struck him and she had the satisfaction of knowing she was right. It wasn’t a good feeling at all. She hated that this was happening. Hated that she would have toleave to sort this out, and that leaving was exactly what he expected her to do.

“I’ll leave, but I’m coming back. And you’re going to sit down and talk this through with me, Rhett West.”

He crossed his arms and ignored her, staring over her head.

A car horn beeped outside.

“That will be your… what exactly is he to you, Charlie?” Rhett almost spat the words.

“He’s nothing.”

“Didn’t sound like it to me,” he replied, watching her as she stuffed her laptop and charger into her tote.

She hadn’t even unpacked her suitcase, so she simply grabbed it from where she had left it against the wall, extending the handle with a decisive snap. She slung her tote over her shoulder and took one last look at Rhett.

“I thought you would believe me over someone you don’t know,” she said, shaking her head. She fought back tears with rapid blinks, not wanting to cry in front of Rhett or Prescott.

“Yeah, well, I thought I knew you. Turns out I was wrong.”

The words stung like a whip, the tears fell, and she walked out the door.

Chapter Eleven

Rhett

The good thing about it being the summer was that Rhett could work himself half to death to avoid thinking about Charlie with little trouble. One week turned into two, which turned into three, and the ache in his chest didn’t ease one bit.

He knew he was avoiding his family. He wasn’t answering Cassie’s calls, and hadn’t turned up for the weekly family dinner with his cousins and his aunt for over a month, using the excuse that the season was busy and he needed to work.

And he hadn’t heard a peep from Charlie.

In the first week, he thought he’d at least get a text from her to apologize. Then in the second, possibly an email. He was ashamed of the number of times he’d sat on his porch staring out across the marina, a beer in one hand and his phone in the other, thumb hovering over the ‘call’ button.

But he hadn’t called.

He had looked her up online and seen her smiling face in a corporate headshot, looking so polished and perfect that he’d known he was right. He was nowhere near good enough for her. He hadn’t looked again.

What had she seen in him? He was just a small-town guy with a rundown business and no education.

It was late one afternoon towards the end of the summer when Rhett pulled up at the back of the shop. His cousin Logan had offered to look after the shop for the day while Rhett took a group hiking, and was waiting when Rhett returned.

“About time you got back,” Logan grumbled. He grabbed his keys out of his pocket and jiggled them impatiently as he stood next to the storage shed at the back of the building.

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