The Bachelor (Chandler Brothers 1)

This problem with Charlotte, whatever it was, couldn’t be anything more than a bump on the road. No romance ran smooth, after all. Look at the good she’d done her youngest son so far; her “illness” had brought Roman home and had kept him in Yorkshire Falls, where he’d more than reacquainted himself with his first love. A little nudge, and they’d be back together in no time.

Hoping nobody noticed she’d been in town twice today and reported back to the boys, Raina walked into Charlotte’s Attic later that afternoon. Thank goodness the shop appeared empty. “Hello?”

“Be right there,” Charlotte’s lilting voice called from the back of the store.

“Take your time.” Raina walked over to the lingerie section and fingered a beautiful, pure silk Natori gown with a matching robe.

“It suits you,” Charlotte said, coming up behind her. “The light ivory will bring out the green in your eyes.”

Raina turned and faced the raven-haired beauty, who, like her son, had pain lurking in the depths of her soul. “I’m not sure I belong in something so white.”

Charlotte smiled. “Light, not white. It’s more of an antiquey color. Nothing wrong with indulging. There’s no significance attached to hue. That’s an old-fashioned premise, I assure you.” She folded her arms across the metal rack. “I can see how much you want this. You’re still fingering the lace edge.”

“Caught in the act.” Raina laughed. “Okay, you can package this up for me.” She wondered if it would sit in the drawer or if—

“I’m glad to see you feeling well enough to be out and about.”

Charlotte cut off Raina’s thoughts, and not a moment too soon. Raina was too afraid to even think about such intimacies. It had been so long since anyone had seen her that way.

“I know I’m supposed to take it easy, but I needed to come here.” For reasons Raina hadn’t yet divulged. “Besides, isn’t shopping supposed to be a stress reliever?”

Charlotte laughed. “If you say so.” She perused the rack, flipping through the long silken garments. The young woman remembered each customer’s size without having to ask again, something that impressed Raina from the first. Every customer who entered the shop received personal treatment from Charlotte or Beth, and each customer left with the feeling that she was the most important customer Charlotte had. Her business was thriving and she’d earned the professional success.

She deserved private success as well. Raina couldn’t stand to see two people so obviously in love let themselves drift apart. As Charlotte unhooked the hanger and walked over to the register, Raina hadn’t yet decided whether or how to broach the subject.

“Anything else I can get you?” Charlotte asked with a strained smile.

Talk about an opening! Raina shook her head. Surely this was a sign that questioning Charlotte was okay. Roman wouldn’t hold it against her. Not once he was happily settled with Charlotte by his side. Raina leaned forward on the counter. “You can tell me why you look so unhappy.”

“I don’t know what you mean.” Charlotte immediately began fussing with the lingerie, ripping off the bottom of the price tag and wrapping the luxurious silk in light pink tissue paper.

Raina placed a stilling hand over hers. “I think you do. Roman’s as miserable as you.”

“Not possible.” Charlotte began tabulating the bill. “One hundred and fifteen dollars and ninety-three cents.”

Whipping her credit card out of her purse, Raina placed it on the counter. “I assure you it’s very possible. I know my son. He’s hurting.”

Charlotte slid the card through the register and went through the charging process. “I’m not certain there’s anything you can do to make it better for him or me. You should leave it alone.”

Raina swallowed hard. Something in Charlotte’s tone warned Raina to stop now, but she couldn’t. “I can’t.”

For the first time since Raina had brought up the subject, Charlotte met her gaze. “Because you feel responsible?” the younger woman asked softly. With no malice, but with the certainty of someone who knew everything.

Even if Raina did not. Her heart began a thready beat, one caused by apprehension and anxiety. “Why should I feel responsible?” she asked warily.

“You really don’t know, do you?” Charlotte shook her head, abandoned her rigid stance, and walked around to where Raina stood. “Come sit.”

Raina followed into Charlotte’s office, wondering how this conversation had become about her and not Roman and Charlotte’s romance.

“When you got sick, your sons were worried.”

Raina lowered her eyes, unable to meet Charlotte’s sincere and concerned gaze, that darn guilt resurfacing once more.

“And together they decided to give you your fondest, dearest wish.”

“Which is?” Raina asked, unsure what Charlotte meant.

“Grandchildren, of course.”

“Oh!” Raina expressed a sigh of relief at Charlotte’s obviously mistaken belief. She waved her hand in the air. “No way would my boys want to give me grandchildren, no matter how much I may wish otherwise.”