blonde hair as her hands clenched in his shirt and she sobbed convulsively.
“Let’s go back into the house,” he said with far more confidence than he felt. Holding each other, they got through the door and as far as the entryway before they stopped and just held each other tightly, their bodies taking mute reassurance from the presence of the other.
Charles pulled himself together first. He gently eased Jane’s face up to his and kissed her tear-stained cheeks. “It’s going to be okay, Jane. We’re going to be okay.”
Jane listened for a second to Charles’s heartbeat pounding against her own chest. It comforted her. Just the return of his scent to her nose eased some of the pain she carried. She opened her eyes and looked at him worriedly. “But there are so many things to work out,” she sighed. “And what about the others? Char and Lizzy?”
Charles kissed her forehead gently. “I know,” he said softly. “It’s a lot.”
“I just wish we could go away together for a while, just you and me.”
Charles looked at her and smiled, his thoughts quickly falling into order. “Why can’t we, angel?”
“But,” Jane murmured, puzzled, her soft mouth left open in confusion.
“I’m sure Lizzy can handle things here, right, Lizzy?” Charles looked up to see Elizabeth exactly where he knew she would be, watching from the end of the hall. He smiled to her.
Elizabeth smiled back. “He’s right, Jane. You go with Charles. I’ll take care of things here.”
Jane looked at Elizabeth and smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Lizzy.” Turning to Charles, she said, “Okay, I’ll go pack.” She hurried up the stairs, leaving Charles alone.
He pulled out his cell phone and dialed his home number and waited for his sister to pick up. “It’s me. I need you to find a place for Jane and me to be alone for a few days.”
“I take it things worked out?” Caroline sounded pleased.
“Well, let’s just say we are in the process of working things out.” He looked down and grinned. “But things are looking good.”
“Where do you want to be?” Caroline asked.
“I don’t care, just someplace nice and close.”
“Okay, I’ll get you something.”
Asking her to call him back, Charles hung up just as Jane was coming down the stairs.
“Will you be all right?” Elizabeth asked her, appearing again from the family room.
Jane felt an odd sensation of dreaminess. She had no idea what was going to happen, but she knew these next few hours were going to affect her for the rest of her life. She looked at Charles, who held her hand, and then back to Elizabeth. “I think so. Thank you.” She hugged her sister, who hugged her back.
“Call me,” Elizabeth said in farewell.
Jane nodded and walked out the door with Charles. He helped her into the passenger side of the SUV and stored her bag in the back before taking his place in the driver’s seat. He put the keys in the ignition, then stopped and looked at her, as if he suddenly couldn’t believe it was real.
Jane looked at him and took his hand. “I do love you, Charles,” she said simply, her smile radiant.
Charles planted a quick, earnest kiss on her lips and started up the Denali. Jane didn’t know where they were going or what was going to happen, but she had her trust back, and that was enough.
Chapter 16
Elizabeth heard her aunt calling to her to pick up the phone. Glancing at the clock, she smiled in anticipation. “Hello?” she sang happily into the phone.
“Lizzy!”
It was not Jane as she expected. Quickly shifting mental gears, Elizabeth replied to her best friend.
“Char! How are you?”
“I’m good, how are you? Have those little monsters made you crazy yet?”
Elizabeth laughed and spent a few minutes talking about the Gardiners.
“So, I was wondering how’s Jane doing? She seemed pretty upset last time I saw her.”
Pleased to have good news for once, Elizabeth announced excitedly, “Oh Char! She made up with Charles!”
“She did?” Charlotte replied in a shocked voice. “Wow! I’m so happy for them. I thought it was over.”
Elizabeth laughed. “I know. I did too.” Elizabeth went on to tell a quick version of the story. “As a matter of fact, I thought that it was her when you called.”
“Wow,” Charlotte said, a bit thoughtfully. “I’m really happy for them.”
“What’s wrong, Char?”
“Nothing’s wrong; it’s just, well, Richard’s been calling me.”
“No.”
“Yeah.”
“Tell me what happened.”
Charlotte giggled at the excitement in Elizabeth’s voice. “Well, nothing really happened. He’s just been calling me. We talk.”
Elizabeth could hear Charlotte shrugging. “And what do you talk about?”
“Oh, just stuff. It’s nice, you know?”
Elizabeth felt a pang, because she didn’t know. “Yeah,” she agreed. “So, are you two getting back together?”
“I’m not sure, really. It’s not like we ever really had a clear definition of our relationship, so I don’t think you can say we are getting ‘back’ together. But we talk, and it’s good. You know, no pressure.”
Elizabeth had the clear feeling that there was more to it. “How often does he call?” she asked simply, scouting around for details.
“Every night.”
“What?”
“Yeah.” She laughed.
“Char,” Elizabeth’s voice held a note of significance. “Is this serious?”
“Um, yeah. I think it might be,” Charlotte answered, her confidence suddenly gone.
“How do you feel about it?”
“I’m not sure. We talk a lot, but we haven’t talked about us. It’s like he’s purposefully avoiding that topic. So I’m not sure what to think.” She paused. “Lizzy?”
“Yeah?”
“He really wants us to go back on the tour with them.”
“Oh.”
“But I don’t want to do it if you and Jane aren’t fully behind the idea,” she added quickly. “It has to be all of us.”
“Well,” said Elizabeth pragmatically, “I don’t think you have to worry about Jane.”
“True, but what about you, Lizzy? I saw Darcy at the VMAs. What’s going on with you two?”
“I don’t know,” Elizabeth said dumbly. “I haven’t spoken to him at all. I even went to his loft, and the doorman told me he would be gone for a few weeks, so I’m stuck waiting.”
“Do you even want to see him again after all that?” Charlotte was skeptical.
“I do,” Elizabeth said softly. “I really do, Char. I can’t explain it, but I want to talk to him at least.”
“Okay, I get that.” Charlotte understood better than anyone what it was like to have feelings for someone you couldn’t rationally explain. “So, what are we going to do about the tour?”
“Well, I have to talk to Jane, but I say we go for it. It’s only four more months, and if things don’t work out with Darcy, I can just ignore him again.” She was struck by how pathetic her own joke was.
“Are you sure, Lizzy?” Charlotte asked.
“I’m sure,” Elizabeth said quickly and decisively. “So will I see you on Monday for the video shoot?”
“Yep. Have a good time at Tanglewood.”
