Page 27 of Love in Tandem
Ben stepped closer and lowered his voice for Zach’s ears only. “Would you be ready to walk away for ten thousand dollars?”
Zach jerked back as if his brother really had punched him. “Wow. Bribery. Keeping it classy, I see.”
Ben at least had the decency to look chagrined. “I didn’t mean it that way. I meant the job Shannon texted you about last week. The retreat center in Northern California? What if I gave you ten thousand just to help get you out there and settled? Come on, Zach. You know this job is too perfect an opportunity to pass up.”
Hmmm. Zach probably should have read that text message a little closer. He shook his head with a nonchalant shrug. “Remind me of the details again?”
“I knew you didn’t read Shannon’s message.” With a growl Ben tugged Zach off the dance floor, away from any listening ears. “Shannon’s uncle has a buddy who used to be some hotshot attorney in LA for a bunch of years until he retired. Now he owns this retreat center. It has tons of outdoor activities. Kayaking, hiking, camping, zip-lining, all that stuff you love. But he needs someone to work as the guide-slash-expert for the equipment, itinerary, tours, I don’t know what else. All I know is it sounds perfect for you, pays well, and you’re as good as hired if you want it thanks to Shannon. So I don’t know what you’re doing playing around like you’re dating Charlotte when we both know she’s never going anywhere, let alone California. Ditch the girl and take the job already.”
“And if I don’t?” Good grief, maybe Zach loved John Wayne a little too much. Instead of jumping all over this job opportunity—that honestly did sound perfect for him—he couldn’t keep himself from standing like the Duke and adding pilgrim to the end of every sentence in his head.
But man, did his brother have a way of making him want to defend the Alamo even if it was a lost cause. And right now, Zach’s Alamo was Charlotte.
Before Ben could respond to Zach’s standoff, Shannon was at his side telling him they needed to go say hi to some of the guests, and Charlotte was at Zach’s side whispering, “Things are getting out of hand.”
She could say that again.
A slow Ella Fitzgerald song began to play.
“You okay?” Charlotte touched his hand. “You’re shaking.”
No. Zach wasn’t okay. He tugged Charlotte close and lowered his mouth next to her ear. “Dance with me. Please. Before I do something crazy.” Like punch his brother in the kisser right in the middle of his wedding reception.
Ben just always had to flaunt his success around, didn’t he? He couldn’t just tell Zach about the job. He had to throw in the ten grand too. Tossing the amount around like it was nothing more than a Tootsie Roll at a parade. Zach didn’t want Ben’s money any more than he wanted a Tootsie Roll. He wanted . . . well, right now he didn’t know what he wanted. Except maybe to keep dancing with Charlotte.
Zach pulled her closer, dropping his cheek to the top of her hair. Man, she smelled good. And the way she nestled in his arms, he couldn’t help thinking he must not smell that bad either.
Everybody has their kryptonite, and “The Nearness of You” must be his. Every romantic cell in his body buzzed to life while Charlotte continued nuzzling closer. Wow, it felt good holding a woman in his arms. Pretending his brother’s words hadn’t hit him square in the chest. Pretending this woman in his arms was the real deal.
Too bad the woman in his arms didn’t seem to be on the same page. Before the song ended, she pushed away from his chest. “I—I can’t do this.”
“Dance? I thought you were doing pretty well.”
“No, this.” She waved a hand back and forth between them, backing away. “It’s too . . .”
“What?” Much? Weird? Real?
“Complicated.” She punched his arm. “Life was so much simpler when you had a bun.”
Before Zach could question what in the world that meant, a blur of red crashed into them. “Sorry,” Sophia said when Zach had to grab Charlotte to keep the two of them from toppling over. “Forgot to put on my brakes. I’m so excited. Zach’s mom just offered our parents her time-share. You have to convince them to take it, Charlotte. Come on. Hurry. You too, Zach.”
Sure enough, when they reached the table, Zach’s mom was doing her best to convince Charlotte’s parents to travel down to North Carolina. “It’s a beautiful sea cottage right along a sleepy beachfront. I feel so guilty not using it. Patrick loved it, and we always had the best time. But it hurts too much going there without him. And yet, at the same time, I just can’t bring myself to let it go. I hate that it sits empty four weeks every summer. Honestly, it’d do my heart a world of good to know it was getting used.”
“You hear that, Mom?” Sophia said. “You’d be doing her a world of good.”
“And it’s free,” Zach added, which apparently wasn’t the right thing to add. Charlotte elbowed him on one side and Sophia elbowed him on the other. “What?” he whispered. Was he the only one hurting for money these days?
“I don’t know,” Charlotte’s mom said, tugging her shawl further over her shoulders. “That’s such a generous offer, but it doesn’t feel right. Not for free. That’s the type of thing you do . . . well, for family.”
“But you are practically family. Or you will be, right?” His mother covered her mouth, shooting Zach an apologetic look. “Or am I speaking out of turn?”
Of course that would be the moment Ben arrived at the table. Zach felt every gaze, especially Ben’s, swivel in his direction. He cleared his throat. “Uh . . .” He looked to Charlotte. “No?”
She gave a slight nod of agreement.
“No,” he said again with more confidence. “You’re not speaking out of turn. I mean, look at us. We’re together. We’re a couple. We’re . . . you know . . .” He patted Charlotte on the head. “Serious.”
Her parents didn’t appear convinced. Probably because he continued patting their daughter’s head in an attempt to make it seem like the natural thing to do anytime a man was serious about a woman.
