Page 57 of Bump and Run
Charlie linked our fingers together and hope began to stir inside of me again.
***
It felt perfect having Charlie here with me. He oohed and aahed over everything I showed him, taking time to take a couple of pictures of my Xfinity Championship trophy. We eventually ended up outside around the pool. We stripped off our socks and shoes so that we could drop our feet in the water and were enjoying the warm sun as it beat down on our skin. I didn’t get to do this as often as I liked with my busy racing schedule, but when I thought about it, dreamed about it, Charlie was always by my side.
“I’m so proud of you,” he said suddenly, and when I turned to look at him, Charlie beamed at me. “Your career, this house, everything you’ve achieved. You’re living your dream, bashful.”
I leaned into his frame. “All because you helped me by reaching out to Henry Richardson.” I felt his body stiffen next to mine.
“There’s something else I didn’t tell you. About why I left...” Charlie wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “My father threatened to ruin your career before it even took off.”
I gasped. “How could he do that?”
“You remember he’s friends with Henry? They went to school together and college, too. Henry isn’t a horribleperson like my father, but he would listen to anything he told him. He trusts him, for whatever reason. That would include not hiring you. Whatever lie my father concocted would be believed, and he would have made sure that you never raced again. Not even locally. You’d be blackballed.”
I wasn’t a mean person, but right now, I really hated Remi. What if he was cheating on Mama? What if he was horrible to her, and she was lying to me about it? Mama was strong. She could take care of herself, but that didn’t mean her husband couldn’t try to cut her down in any way possible. Wait, couldn’t he do the same to Charlie now that he was here with me again? The thought made my blood boil.
“Jonesy, you okay? You look really upset.” Charlie dragged his fingers through my hair.
I worried my lip between my teeth. “You’re here now. Aren’t you afraid that he’ll do all the things he threatened to do?”
“Not anymore.”
“Why?”
Charlie dragged his fingers through the water, lost in thought. Finally, he answered. “I’m twenty-three now. The money that both he and my mother secured for me is now mine to do with whatever I want. He can’t take that away from me. I know he’s afraid of what I might do now if he tried. He knew this was where I would end up, back with you, and there’s nothing he can do about it.”
“But what about Mama? What if he tries to do something horrible to her?” My vision swam with tears before they slipped down my cheeks.
Charlie brushed the wetness away with his thumbs. “He wouldn’t dare. I’m not afraid to go toe to toe with him. If he tries to hurt Alice, I’ll make sure he spends the rest of his life dealing with lawyers and living in courtrooms.”
“She loves your daddy,” I murmured. “She’s always talking about gifts he lavishes her with, the trips he takes her on... She’s never been like this.” I met his gaze, and his eyes shimmered like melted chocolate. “She’s happy.”
Charlie nodded, his hand seeking out mine. He didn’t say anything at first, just kept squeezing my fingers in reassurance. “I’d take care of your mama if something happened. If he hurts her or worse.”
“Are you engaged to Beverly?” The question surprised both of us. Guilt flashed over his face, and I felt my heart sink when he nodded. “I know you had no choice.”
“Hey.” Charlie twisted his frame to face me, bringing his left leg up out of the water. “I made it clear with Beverly that what we were was a farce. We aren’t in love. She’s very aware of where I stand. She’s in love with someone else, too.”
But still... “You gave her a ring. There were pictures and news stories about how two of Boston’s most prominent families were going to be united in marriage.” Reading that headline had been one of the worst days of my life.
“Keeping tabs on me, Jonesy?” Charlie teased, and I flushed. “You already know that I watched you. Followed your career in racing. I’ve been back here, to North Carolina, a few times to set up the race shop, and I’d be a liar if I didn’t say I drove past the RV park a few times. Even went to our spot on the beach.”
My jaw dropped. “You did?”
“A couple of times. I guess maybe I thought you would show up.” He tilted my head up with his thumb and forefinger. “I wanted it to be you I was proposing to. I wanted it to be you by my side at all the charity functions I was forced to attend, your hand in mine. You were the one I wanted in my bed. No one else.”
I found myself crawling up into Charlie’s lap so that I could straddle his thighs. When I pressed my lips against his, everything shifted back into alignment, my heart no longer broken and begging to be repaired. Charlie’s tongue snaked inside my mouth to tangle together with mine. His hands tugged and pulled at my curls as I whimpered at his touch. I had wanted to find this again. The feeling that roared through my body. The way my skin hummed with his touch. The way he made me feel so alive. But I couldn’t because no one was my Charlie.
“My Charlie,” I whispered against his mouth.
He growled, and I felt it vibrate through his chest. “My Jones.”
I palmed Charlie’s length over his jeans, desperate to touch him. I wanted him to shove his hands down the front of my pants and get me off. To make me scream his name as I came apart for him. The thought had me whining, desperate, and rubbing against him. It had been too long since I felt like this.
“Jonesy, my sweet, beautiful Jonesy.”
The sob that escaped me caught me off guard. I thought I was done crying for him. I shook my head when Charlie tried to stop me from getting up, my hands in my hair and tears streaming down my face.
