“It’s not all about the money.” It’s a matter of what kind of public humiliation do I want to go through. What do I want Cass to know when she grows up? “Chip…is embarrassed by me and by Cassidy. We’re his mistakes. I guess when he sees us, it reminds him that he grew up in a small town, from a family that wasn’t really well off.”
“Well, fuck him,” Charlie fumes.
“That was my mistake in the first place.”
Charlie blinks in surprise and then bursts out laughing. I join in because, hell, I’m tired of being sad and scared. “I won’t run off—at least not without saying something to you first. If there’s something you can do to help, I’ll ask, but I think this is something I need to solve by myself.”
She looks like she wants to protest, but I’ve made up my mind. I need to confront Chip by myself and find out exactly what he wants. If it’s money, maybe I do swallow my pride and go to Charlotte. If it’s something else, then there’s no need to involve any of my friends.
“I have my own problems,” Charlie confesses. “Nate is back stateside. I have to fly to San Diego and I’m afraid I’m going to run into him. At least don’t leave before I get back. Okay? I’ll need you when I get back.”
“Nick told me at the park. I was going to tell you but there was the thing with Chip and I forgot. Sorry about that.”
Charlie makes a face. “It’s always bros before hoes.”
I snicker. “Since when are you a ho?”
“Classy broad doesn’t rhyme with anything decent.”
“How about bros before foes?”
“Are we at war? I suppose we are,” she answers her own question. “The Jackson boys are over here.” She draws a line in the carpet. “And we should be over here.” She points to a spot on the other side of the line.
“This is what I’ve been saying all along but you kept throwing me at Nick!” I exclaim.
Charlie gives me a pouty look that makes me think of Cassidy. “Because I love you and I love him and I think you’d be adorable together but you two won’t cooperate.”
Instead of a witty retort, an admission slips out before I can stop it. “I wish I could.”
Charlie grabs my hand. “Me, too, sister. Me, too.”
We sit there in silence as Cass’ cartoon plays in the background. Charlie and I are two totally different people. She’s rich. I’m poor. She’s a woman with a caring family. I’m a single mom without much of a support network. Yet, we’re both afraid—of taking chances, falling in love.
I squeeze her hand in return. I suppose one of us needs to set an example for the other and take a risk.
Chapter Sixteen
Nick
“Where is she?” my brother demands.
“I had a great day, thanks for asking.” I tuck the phone between my shoulder and ear. One of these days I need to figure out how a Bluetooth headset works, but I guess that’s not today. I pop open the tiny trunk to my Porsche and toss my gym bag inside. It bounces against the plastic aquarium I bought for Cassidy. Since she’s not allowed to come over and feed my fish every day—which is bullshit—we’ve agreed that she would feed her plastic fish at the same time I fed my real ones. That way we’d feel like we were taking care of my fish together.
“I’m desperate,” my brother says. “I was going to come to Texas, but apparently, she’s here in San Diego, but she’s hiding.”
“I don’t know where she is.” I pinch the bridge of my nose and think back to our conversation this morning. She’d told me she had to go on a business trip and she’d be back in a few days, but she did not mention where she was going.
“How can you not know where she is?” My brother rages.
“Because she’s an adult woman and I don’t keep track of her.” Whereas, I generally know where Lainey is, at all times. Right now, she should be at Stacks. I climb into the Porsche and zip out of the player lot over to the bar. Sure enough, her dull gray Honda is sitting in the back.
“Who would know?”
My gaze drifts back to the Honda. “Lainey.” She and Charlotte are attached at the hip.
“Then get the information from her,” my brother orders. “She probably has the address on her phone. Take the device and send me the details.”
“Yeah, I’ll get right on that.” I roll my eyes even if Nate can’t see me.
“Please. I need your help.”
I slow to a halt and pull the expensive machinery to the curb. Nate’s almost never asked me for help. He loathes admitting he needs anyone. “Are you serious about making things right with Charlotte?”