Page 96 of All My Heart
Dad nodded in the direction of the main house and barn. “I'll head back. I just wanted to make sure you were settling in okay.”
Charlotte beamed at him. “We're working on it.”
“Thanks for unloading her stuff for her. I appreciate it.”
Now, I was stuck. My dad had clearly stopped by to help Charlotte unload her things. I couldn't let him do that. “No problem.”
Charlotte rolled two suitcases to the porch. Once she was out of ear shot, I said to Dad, “I'm not happy about her living here.”
“I figured that. But you're moving out as soon as your house is fixed.”
That was going to be longer than I wanted.
“And she needs a place to stay. She's been living at the inn.”
She had been working as a receptionist at the Mathews Inn for a while. I didn't see what the problem was with letting her live in a hotel.
“They need to rent out that room.”
Why couldn't she find a place of her own? Why did she have to live here? And why now, when I was here too? It was like fate was fucking with me, and I didn't like it one bit.
Dad clapped my back. “I'll make some lunch. When you're done with this—” he nodded toward the front door of the cottage where Charlotte had already slipped inside”—Stop by.”
“Will do.”
Dad moved toward the truck before he paused and looked over his shoulder at me. “Oh, and Teddy?”
“Yeah?”
“Try to be nice to her. I don't know what it is about you and her, but she's a nice girl.”
She wasn't a girl. She was all woman. I hadn't wanted to notice, but there was no getting around her curves.
“She's had a little trouble.”
My heart picked up, my police instincts going into overdrive. “What kind of trouble?”
Dad's forehead creased. “I'm not going to tell you things she told me in confidence. She'll be safe here.”
She wasn't safe? My heart twisted.
“Make sure she gets settled in.”
“I can do that.” Now I wanted to know why she needed to hide out on Calloway property. It was a nugget of information about her that I couldn't let go.
I hope you loved Luna and Axel’s story! Read about Axel’s proposal in their bonus epilogue.
Charlotte and Teddy’s enemies to lovers romance is next in Fire in My Heart! Read it on Lea’s Shop or on other retailers.
My dad insisted on hiring Charlotte to market our fledging Christmas tree farm. I don't think we need her or her perpetually sunny personality, but now she's living in the cottage on the farm, and insisting I dress up as Santa for photos. I want nothing to do with her, but I'm not immune to the way she looks in an elf costume...
