Page 18 of Defended By the SEAL
“Oh no, he has a fancy log splitter. It isn’t back breaking work. Sit down. I’d rather you stay here with me.” She smiled warmly. “I thought perhaps we could talk.”
She was cheerful, but he wasn’t fooled by her disposition. Beneath her good humor, she seemed tired and stressed. He pulled a chair away from a large island and sat down. “Sure.”
She put the kettle on, then ground the coffee beans and put them in a French press. “I have three sons and seven grandchildren, but Charlotte is the only girl. She’s very special to me.”
“She’s a very special woman.”
“That she is. Prickly like a cactus, but with a bigger heart than anyone I’ve ever known.” She set a plate of cookies down in front of him, and he thought of martinis. “When she was younger, I got to spend a lot more time with her. Butnow that she’s all grown up, she doesn’t need her grandma so much anymore.”
“She loves you very much.”
She waved him away. “Oh, I know she does. Family is like that. You don’t have to see each other often to know how the other one feels.” She took a cookie. “The last time she came to see me, she wanted a divorce from Rick. She was a holy mess, the poor thing, and afraid giving up on her marriage was a form of failure.”
“But she knew you would love her, anyway. That’s why she came to you.”
“I like you, Leo. You see her for who she really is. Many people are confused by her. They see her boldness and think she doesn’t need anyone, or that she doesn’t have feelings like the rest of us do.”
He laughed without humor. “If anything, she’s more sensitive than most women I’ve known.”
The kettle whistled, and she poured the water in with the coffee grounds. “And prone to wounds that just don’t heal.”
“She is strong, though. Maybe stronger than you give her credit for being.”
She brought the coffee to the island and let it steep. “You’re good for her, Leo.”
“We’re not…”
She waved him away. “Maybe not yet. But there’s chemistry between you. I can see it.” She seemed to consider her next words. “Charlotte has a lot to lose. She always did. Even when she was little, she was different, a glittering diamond on a beach full of sand. People tried to tell her it was wrong to shine, to stand out, to be the beautiful person she was born to be.”
“People like Rick.”
“Yes, like Rick. And her mother.” She pushed the plunger down on the French press, then poured two cups of the steaming brew. “Bethany—my daughter-in-law—thought she was helping Charlotte to be more normal. To fit in. But telling a diamond not to glitter is cruel. It made Charlotte question who she was. Who she should be. Then her husband did the same.”
“I would never do that.”
“I know. I can see that about you.” She winked. “It’s Charlotte I’m worried about. After the divorce, she lost some of that sparkle. I’m not certain she’s ever gotten it back.” She patted the island. “Stay here. I have something for you.”
Cowboy took a cookie, the smell of the rich coffee calming the restlessness with which he’d started the day.
After the divorce, she lost some of that sparkle.
She’d lost some of it since then, too. Every time he’d asked her to marry him. Every time he ignored what was in her heart and told her she was wrong for feeling that way. It hurt to realize he’d done that to her, when all he’d ever wanted was to make her happy.
Grams walked back in the room carrying a gray shoebox. “Most of my old things are upstairs. I just have a few of these boxes I like to keep close to me.” She set it on the island and opened it. Several black-and-white photos were on top, and she picked them up lovingly, showing them to Cowboy. “That’s my Harold, Charlotte’s grandpa. And these are my boys when they were little.”
He picked up the photo of Harold, who looked no older than twenty, his arm around a beautiful young woman who resembled Charlotte. “You two look very happy together.”
“Oh, we were. When I didn’t want to kill him, anyway.” She laughed. “Love is like that.” Her expression changed,less laughter, more contentment. “And now I have Tom.” She set the picture aside. “I never thought I’d find love again.”
Cowboy failed to see how Vanderhoffen inspired such feelings in this woman, but to each their own. “I’m happy for you.”
Grams dug through trinkets and papers, finally pulling out a small ziplock bag. “Here we go.” She opened it, letting a piece of jewelry fall into her hand, then held it out to him. “This is my engagement ring.”
He took the sparkling diamond ring. “It’s beautiful.”
“A lot of love went into that ring, and a lot of love came out. I’ve been meaning to give it to Charlotte for some time now.”
He handed it back to her. “I’m sure she’ll love it.”
