Page 38 of Love in Tandem
But this was Charlotte. She’d barely made it through one day of subterfuge at Ben’s wedding. No way her little church-going conscience would allow her to carry on a charade like this for a five-hundred-mile bike trip. Not for money. Maybe for cheesecake.
He cracked a smile as he drove the half-dozen blocks from the grocery store to Charlotte’s cul-de-sac and parked in front of her small bungalow. The girl certainly did love her cheesecake. Which is why he’d driven all the way to Cake Lassies to pick up a piece of raspberry swirl before hitting the grocery store in town.
He had a feeling that once he told her the good news about Ben’s donation and the fact they could end their relationship, she’d be ready to celebrate. Assuming she was home. The driveway sat empty, the inside of the house dark. Maybe she was out with Sophia. He shot off a text and waited a minute for a response. When he didn’t get one, he grabbed the slice of cheesecake and walked to the porch, taking a seat on the top step.
A minute later, the door opened behind him. “Why are you sitting on my porch with cheesecake?”
He twisted to find Charlotte on the other side of the screen door. “I didn’t think you were here.”
“That makes perfect sense then. Carry on.” She closed the door.
Zach stood, a smile tugging his lips as she immediately reopened the door and motioned him inside with her head. “I’ll get the forks.”
Once they were settled on the living room carpet in front of the coffee table with their backs pressed against the couch, the slice of cheesecake between them, Zach pointed his fork at her. “So? Are you ready to say it yet?”
“Say what? Oh.” She stabbed a bite and lifted it between them. “You’re right. Where are my manners? Thank you. I love raspberry cheesecake.”
She offered a smile so innocent Zach was tempted to kiss it right off her lips. Instead he stole the cheesecake off her fork, enjoying her startled gasp as much as the sweet creamy texture of the dessert.
“I can’t believe you just did that.”
“I can’t believe you haven’t said you’re ready to back out of the challenge.”
“Why would I say that when I have zero intentions of backing out of anything? Is this your way of saying you’re ready to back out, Mr. Iron Man Wilderness Explorer?”
“Why would I say that when I’m Mr. Iron Man Wilderness Explorer?” He popped open his button-down shirt and feigned embarrassment. “Shoot, must have left my costume at home. Well, this is awkward.”
He earned a small smile and blush from Charlotte as she tried not to look at his chest but couldn’t seem to help herself. “Is that a cross tattoo?”
“What? Oh.” So that’s what she was looking at. “Yeah. Got it years ago. Before my dad died.” He cleared his throat and rebuttoned his shirt, trying to divert her attention. He hadn’t meant to expose that one. “So if you’re not backing out and I’m not backing out, does that mean we’re actually doing this?”
Because this was crazy. And not at all the plan. The plan was to come over here and listen to Charlotte back out, so he could surprise her with Ben’s offer and look like a hero. Sure, it was Ben’s company’s money, but Zach had been the one to guilt Ben into convincing the company to hand over that money. And that’s the type of heroism a girl might deem worthy of a kiss. Right?
Zach scrunched his eyes shut. Wow. He really needed to stop thinking about kissing Charlotte so much. Maybe once he got out to California, it’d be easier.
“Truth is I need you, Zach.”
Zach opened his eyes. Maybe thinking about kissing Charlotte wasn’t such a bad idea.
Smashing the last bite of raspberry swirl in the tines of her fork, Charlotte stared at her plate, hopefully unaware that Zach couldn’t stop staring at her lips. Especially at the trace of white cheesecake caught in the right corner.
“My mom’s cancer is back, and I need you to help me win that money.”
All thoughts of kissing fled Zach’s mind. “Back? What do you mean back? Is she going to be okay? Does she have to start more treatment?” She had looked so good at the wedding. Tired maybe. Concerned, definitely. But Zach had just figured that was because she thought her daughter was in a relationship with him.
Charlotte wiped her lips with a napkin and set her fork on the plate as she rose to her feet. “I don’t know all the details yet. I don’t want to know all the details yet. Right now I just want to focus on one thing. Completing the challenge. In fact, I’m thinking that’s been the whole point of everything that’s happened lately. I mean, think about it. It’s crazy.”
Oh, it was crazy, all right. About as crazy as the look in Charlotte’s eyes as she began pacing the living room.
“Us running into each other the way we did,” she continued to ramble. “Everyone thinking we’re a couple. Then boom, there’s this challenge for couples who could win a bunch of money just as my mom’s cancer comes back, which I know from experience will take a lot of money to treat. This has all got to be a God thing, right?”
Zach would never claim to be an expert on God things, but he had a little trouble seeing how cancer and misunderstandings were part of those “things.”
“What exactly are you saying?” Zach watched Charlotte continue to pace. A gray cat appeared and took advantage of Charlotte’s distraction to check out the few remaining crumbs of cheesecake.
“I’m saying I have complete faith that accepting this challenge is the right thing to do.”
Zach slid the plate away from the cat’s face. He hated to break it to her, but accepting the challenge was the easy part. It was going to take more than faith to actually complete the challenge. Especially since they hadn’t prepared for it at all. They were going to have to bike fifty miles a day. At least. Which was easily doable for him. For Charlotte?
