rel="nofollow" href="#u056d2532-c64f-58de-b79f-66247fe8ddc4">Chapter Two
This could not be happening.
Charlotte stared at the man who’d left her dressed in her wedding gown and standing alone in front of a church filled with everyone she knew twelve years ago. He had to be a figment of her imagination. A trick her mind was playing on her after the horrible day she’d had. She blinked as if she could make him vanish. No such luck. Rick still stood there, a stunned expression on his face. In that moment she once again felt the embarrassment and horror as what was supposed to be the happiest day of her life had turned into a living nightmare when she realized her fiancé really wasn’t going to show. Her heart sped up and her knees nearly buckled. Pride had her stiffening her spine and lifting her chin. She hadn’t fallen apart then and she wouldn’t fall apart now.
“Rick.” She infused the word with all the displeasure she felt.
He smiled cautiously as if not sure how she would react to seeing him. Could he really be in doubt? “Charlotte.”
She only glared at him, hoping he’d see the anger in her expression and leave.
“Wow. You look great.” He put his foot on the bottom step as if to close the distance between them. She moved back until she bumped into her door. Was he serious? They weren’t old friends about to embrace and catch up on the past. He’d left her at the altar. Didn’t he know that callous act had wiped out their previous friendship, making them enemies for life? Heck, their descendants would be enemies for generations to come.
“Dad. I thought we were going to unpack and get something to eat. I’m hungry.”
Her eyes immediately shifted to the boy who was staring at her, a frown marring his face. The kid looked to be about ten or eleven. Pain pierced her chest. Rick couldn’t have waited long after dumping her before he’d met someone else and started a family. Charlotte wondered if Rick’s father had chosen that girl as well or if Rick had done his own choosing. He’d sworn he hadn’t been ready to marry. He said he had plans and dreams and marriage didn’t fit into them. Apparently he just hadn’t wanted to marry her.
“Bobby, say hello.”
The kid muttered the most unfriendly greeting she’d received in years. Given the fact that she was universally disliked, that was saying something.
“Hi yourself.” Her tone wasn’t any friendlier and the kid gave her an odd look. His eyes widened in surprise and the corners of his mouth twitched. For a moment she thought he might smile. Instead, he tightened his grip on the box and trekked across her grass, smashing a couple of flowers in the process. She didn’t even wince. She felt like smashing a couple herself.
“We’re moving in next door,” Rick said unnecessarily.
She’d figured that out on her own. “Why?”
“We’re looking for a fresh start.”
“And of all the places in the world, you chose my town?”
He shuffled his feet. “I always liked it here. The people are warm and welcoming, which is what Bobby needs right now.”
“The same could be said of many small towns across America.”
“Maybe, but we’d be strangers somewhere else. I have friends here.”
“I hope you don’t count me among them.”
He had the good grace to look embarrassed. “I’d like to apologize again.”
“Again?” Her voice rose and she struggled to control it. “I must have missed the first time. Surely you don’t think sending a note by your best man saying ‘Charlotte, I’m sorry you don’t agree we shouldn’t get married’ qualifies as an apology for not showing up at the church.”
He hung his head for a minute before straightening. To his credit he met her eyes. She saw shame there. Good. He should be ashamed. “You’re right. It doesn’t. I’m sorry, Charlotte. But I couldn’t get you to agree that we shouldn’t get married just to please our fathers. I felt the walls closing in and I panicked. That’s not an excuse and it doesn’t make me look good, but it’s the truth. I know I hurt and embarrassed you. You didn’t deserve that. Please forgive me.”
“Not in this lifetime.”
“Charlotte,” he began, but she cut him off. Whatever he had to say would be too little too late.
“But don’t worry, Rick. I won’t tell your wife what a jerk you are. If she hasn’t discovered it yet, I’m sure she will soon.”
“I no longer have a wife. I’m divorced.”
“I guess she figured it out on her own. Clearly she’s smarter than I was. Good for her.”
His lips compressed, but he didn’t reply. Instead, he turned on his heel and followed his son across the grass and into the house.
Charlotte watched him leave, telling herself her blood was pounding through her veins because she’d been shocked to see Rick again, and not because she had any residual feelings for him.
As if pulled by a force stronger than her will, she went inside her house and headed toward the third and mostly unused bedroom. She always kept the door closed as if that would hold the memories at bay. Most days it worked. But not today. Not after seeing Rick. The memories were swirling around her head, poking her battered heart from every direction.
Turning the knob, she walked to the closet and opened the door. There, hanging in heavy plastic, was her wedding dress. Covered in lace and beads, it had been the most beautiful gown in the entire store. She’d known when she’d laid eyes upon it that she would feel like a princess wearing it. And she had. Until the minute when she’d been forced to face the fact that her groom wasn’t coming.
He’d talked for days about calling off the whole thing, becoming more persistent as time passed, but she’d thought he’d just had cold feet. He’d wanted her to go with him to tell their parents they didn’t want to get married, but she’d refused. Sure, their fathers had engineered the whole thing, enamored of the idea of joining their families as well as their businesses, but she hadn’t minded. She’d fallen in love with Rick and thought he’d felt the same. He’d seemed to enjoy being with her and they’d come close to making love on more than one occasion. She’d been sure that had meant something. She’d believed when he had time to think about their future together and how happy she’d make him, he’d come to his senses and they’d get married as planned and live happily ever after.
She’d been wrong.
She brushed her hands over the plastic bag protecting her dress from the elements then closed the door on the reminder of what happened when she followed her heart instead of her head. She wouldn’t make that mistake again.
Rick rang Charlotte’s doorbell then inhaled deeply as he waited for her to come to the door. He knew she was home because her car was still parked in the driveway and the sounds of Motown filtered through her open front window. He couldn’t believe they were neighbors. He’d been planning to look her up in a day or two and apologize to her, but this was better, if unexpected. He’d seen the pain in her eyes that she’d tried to cover. Guilt had clogged his throat, making it difficult to breathe.
He
