Page 8 of Charlie Beck Says I'm His

All the blood had drained from his face, and he looked like he was going to puke.

“Shelby!”

Shelby jumped up from the table and clapped her hands together. “That’s the holler I told them to do for my biscuits. I’ll be right back. Why don’t you help me, Wilder?” She reached for Wilder’s hand and drug him behind her toward the restaurant.

What a traitor. The second Charlie appeared; Shelby found a way to leave us alone.

“I better get going,” I muttered.

“Don’t leave because of me,” Charlie replied. “It’s a small town, Missy. I’m really surprised we haven’t bumped into each other before this.”

That was because I had been very careful not to bump into him. I knew where Charlie went and what he did. I did none of that.

I worked and stayed in my apartment with Bandit. “Uh, I’ve been pretty busy at work.” I pasted a weak smile on my lips and stood. “And I do need to get going. Bandit needs a bath after the lake, and I can’t stand around talking until the cows turn blue.”

“Missy,” Charlie chuckled.

I dropped my eyes to the ground. I did not want to look at Charlie while he laughed. He was too damn handsome, and I would forget all of the reasons why I needed to get out of there ASAP. “Say goodbye, Bandit.”

That was where I made a mistake.

Charlie crouched down in front of Bandit and ran his fingers over his face, and then scratched his chin. “You be good for your mama, Bandit.”

His words hit me right in the gut. My gut that was actually growing a baby. His baby. Charlie always told Bandit to be good for his mama whenever he had left my house, but now the word mama had a whole new meaning to it.

“Congratulations on your reopening, Charlie.” I needed to get the heck out of here.

He tipped his head back, and even though he smiled, it didn’t reach his eyes. “Kind of silly having a reopening for a business that has been around since I was born, huh?”

I motioned to all of the people. “I think you’ve brought a fish to water, and it’s not looking a gift horse in the mouth.” I cringed and couldn’t help but realize that was one of my weaker malaphors. “Or something like that.”

Charlie gingerly stood and wiped his hands on his pants. “Don’t ever change, Missy,” he whispered. “I’ll see you around.”

Bandit whined next to me as Charlie walked away and disappeared into the restaurant.

“It’s okay, boy. Seeing him will get easier.” At least, I hoped it would.

Shelby busted out of the restaurant with two bags in her hands and beelined over to me. “What are you doing?” she demanded.

I grabbed the two bags from her. “I’m leaving. I may not be the sharpest egg in the drawer, but a blind man could see what you are trying to do, Shelby Lyn.”

Shelby sputtered and motioned to the restaurant. “I just went and got you a dozen biscuits and a buttload of chicken.”

“Yeah, and left me with Charlie.” I clicked my tongue at Bandit and turned toward my car. “I’ll call you later.”

“Missy,” Shelby called. “Don’t be mad at me. I just thought maybe you two just needed to see each other.”

I glanced at her over my shoulder. “Well, we saw each other, and now I’m going to go home and eat my feelings, okay?”

“I’m sorry,” she called.

Yeah, I was, too. “Have fun with Wilder, Shelby, and don’t worry about me, okay? I’ve got Bandit and enough biscuits to sink a ship.”

“I love you.”

I smiled sadly. “And I love you, too, Shelby.” I did. She was my best friend, and I knew she was only trying to help, but there was a lot more going on that she didn’t know about.

I needed to stay as far away as I could from Charlie until I figured out what I was going to do.

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