Page 14 of Second Time's the Charm

He wondered why she wanted to know and then figured she was asking for conversational purposes. “I have a place in New York. I guess you can say the city sort of grew on me while I was there for college.”

“You live in Manhattan?”

“In Harlem. I also own a place in Memphis not far from my parents.” He paused and then added. “My grandparents left me their ranch. That’s where I really consider as home. What about you, Charm? Are you still living in Alaska?”

Dylan wasn’t asking for conversational purposes. He really wanted to know. To be quite honest, he wanted to know as much about her as he could. Why, he wasn’t sure, but he’d convinced himself it was all part of finding closure. That sounded like a good enough reason for him.

“Yes, I live primarily in Fairbanks. I bought a home there on the other side of town from the Outlaw Estates. Dad deeded the house in Anchorage, the one I lived in during college, to me as a graduation present, so I own that home as well. I lease it out to college students.” She went silent a moment before saying, “My brother Cash inherited a dude ranch in Wyoming. I visit him and his family a lot. He has twin sons who were my first nephews, and his wife is expecting again.”

He could tell by the tone of her voice that she enjoyed being an aunt. “What about your father?”

“What about him?” she asked. He had brought the car to a stop at a traffic light.

“Is he well? Married or still single?”

“Dad is fine. He still hasn’t convinced Mom to marry him, though. However, I think he’s close. He no longer works for the company. He retired. My oldest brother, Garth, now runs things.”

Dylan had met all her brothers except for the oldest two, Garth and Jess. Garth had been away in the military, and Jess had been out of town on a business trip during that dinner fiasco when Bart told him and Charm to end their summer romance. Even now Dylan smiled at how Bart said it and expected to be obeyed.

The traffic light changed and he said, “I’m surprised he hasn’t talked your mom into marrying him by now.”

“Not for lack of trying, trust me. She says she won’t marry him until he changes his ways. I have to admit he’s gotten better over the years, but I doubt Dad will ever change completely. They have gotten closer, though. They do a lot together and now she spends more time in Fairbanks than she does in Seward.” Seward Alaska was where Charm had been born and had lived the first thirteen years of her life with her mother and grandparents. “And Dad and I are closer now than we’ve ever been.”

He held back asking if that was why she’d ended things between them the way she had. Had her father found out and gotten to her and threatened to withhold her credit cards? At the time there was no way Dylan could have competed with the economic security Bart Outlaw provided for her. Sadly, he’d thought that hadn’t mattered to her.

“We’re here,” he said, pulling into the Thai restaurant. As far as he was concerned, they’d arrived just in time. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could handle inhaling her scent. Heat was now rushing through his gut.

“I’m looking forward to dinner tonight, Dylan.”

He glanced over at her and said, “So am I.”

Charm tried to concentrate on eating the rest of her food, which she thought was delicious. But then, so was the man sitting across from her. She was being swamped by sexual desires more powerful than those she’d experienced while in her teens. Probably because back then she hadn’t understood the power of sexual chemistry. Now she did.

“You’ve been quiet.”

She glanced over at Dylan. “Sorry, I have a lot on my mind.” And did she ever. Mainly because she needed to tell him about his ex-girlfriend’s plans for him. She’d thought about telling him in the car ride here, but hadn’t felt up to it. Besides, she had enjoyed their conversation. He’d genuinely seemed interested in being brought up to date on her family.

She noted he’d deliberately avoided any discussion of the time they’d been together. She wouldn’t let him get off that easy. If he wouldn’t bring up anything about that time, then she would. “Do you have the same guys in your band? The ones I met that night in New York? And is Graham still your drummer?”

She could tell by the lifting of his brow that her question surprised him. He proved that to be fact when he stopped eating and placed his fork down to stare at her. “You honestly haven’t been listening to my music have you?”

He sounded somewhat astounded. Granted she’d known they’d performed on several awards shows, but she’d had no reason to watch. “No. Did you honestly expect me to?”

She saw something flash in his eyes. Was it anger? Disappointment? Pain? If so, why? “No, I guess not,” he said.

He picked up his fork to continue eating. Now he was the one who’d gotten quiet, and she hoped he was thinking just how insensitive his question had been. Especially given the fact that he was the one who’d walked away from her and never looked back.

She decided to push all of that from her mind, since thinking about it only made her more determined to extract revenge. However, first things first. “Dylan, there is something I need to tell you.”

“What?”

“First, I need to ask you something.”

“Ask me what?”

She pondered how she would ask her question. There was no need to ask if he knew Elise since it was obvious that he did. So instead, she asked, “Did Elise mean something to you at one time?”

She saw surprise in his eyes and then she saw the frown that settled around his mouth. “That’s rich, Charm,” he said derisively. “You haven’t been keeping up with me or my band, yet you’ve been keeping up with the names of the women I had after you?”

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