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JOSH, JACE, AND CHLOE rode to the airport with Grace and Brad. Jace was so excited he’d hardly slept on Friday night, which also meant Josh had barely slept. He hadn’t even had a full week as a father, and already he was more fatigued than during medical school. But his initial commitment to love Jace and Chloe had already evolved into a matter of the heart. He couldn’t imagine his life without them, and he dreaded having to let them go after the ski trip. He’d contacted the ad litem to request his time with them be extended if possible. He was hopeful he could at least keep Jace through Christmas, if not Chloe as well.
But he was looking forward to the ski trip for a lot of reasons. He’d already been assured by all of his friends they would help with the kids while he was on the trip. Gherring had arranged for private childcare for the three two-year-olds at the ski resort, and Charlie had insisted she would be Jace’s private ski instructor. Just knowing others would be sharing in the childcare responsibilities provided a sense of relief.
He realized how his sister must have suffered as a young single mother, and once again regretted his harsh judgment of her. When he’d reconnected with her, she’d responded with enthusiasm, even inviting him to family holidays. But he’d refused to participate, instead nursing his hurt and anger over his own mistreatment as a child, although he knew in his heart she was by no means culpable. If only he could go back and relive the last year. How he wished he’d known he was throwing away his only opportunity to get to know his sister. His sigh was audible. He couldn’t change the past, but he could make a difference in the future. He’d pledged to love his sister’s children as his own, partially out of guilt, but mostly out of a newfound appreciation of the importance of family. And he intended to follow through with that pledge, whatever it took.
When they arrived, Olivia, Hannah and Claire were already on the private jet, along with Anne and Steven Gherring and the twins.
“We can all be seated,” said Gherring. “Emily and Spencer are on their way.”
“What about Charlie?” asked Grace.
“I’m right here,” she answered, emerging from a door in the rear with someone walking behind her. When she moved forward, Josh recognized the other person as Derek. He was surprised by his presence and extremely irritated. He didn’t like the man at all. Derek was tall and muscular, although Josh felt certain he could beat him in any physical competition. Surely he wasn’t disciplined enough to exercise during law school as regularly as Josh always had. Why would Charlie bring him on the trip? It was supposed to be a Gherring/Marshall family ski trip. Not that Josh was really family, but he would be if he married Olivia. Derek was an outsider... Unless he was planning to marry Charlie. No way. He chuckled to himself. Charlie was way too cautious. Derek would soon discover he couldn’t even get to first base with Charlie. At best, they were friends. And if he tried anything physical with her, she’d probably slap him. After all, that’s exactly what she’d done to Josh the first time he’d kissed her. He smiled at the still-vivid memory—it had been so worth the slap he’d received.
“Aunt Charlie!” Jace called. “Come sit by me!”
Derek picked up her hand with a flourish and pressed his lips to the back of it, closing his eyes as if savoring the touch of her skin. “You can sit by Jace. I’ll be lonely, but I’ll survive a little while without you.”
Josh forced his clenched fists open, allowing the blood to flow back into his blanched fingers. He was sitting directly behind Jace, with Chloe strapped into a booster seat next to him. Since Anne and Steven were each sitting beside one of the twins, and Hannah and Claire were together, Olivia and Derek were the odd ones out. They sat in the seats behind Josh and Chloe. He didn’t like Derek sitting beside Olivia, but for some reason found he preferred it to the thought of him sitting next to Charlie.
Olivia only gave Josh a cursory glance as she took her seat. “Derek. I’m so glad you’re coming on the trip. Are you a good skier?”
“I’ve skied quite a bit. What about you?”
“I’ve only been a few times. Maybe you can give me some lessons.”
Derek sounded confused. “I figured you’d be getting lessons from Josh.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Aren’t you getting married soon?”
“Oh no,” said Olivia. “That was all a big misunderstanding.”
“Well okay. But I’m here with Charlie, you know,” said Derek.
“Yes, but Charlie’s going to be busy giving lessons to Jace.”
Josh felt his blood boiling. This is going to be a long week.
*
CHARLIE FRETTED, TWISTING a curl repeatedly around her finger, when she realized Olivia was sitting beside Derek. That surely wouldn’t help her cause. But the flight was over three hours long, and soon after takeoff, everyone was out of their seats and moving around. Steven and Anne took the toddlers and Jace into the private bedroom area in the back of the plane, where there were cartoons and toys available for entertainment.
Emily whispered in Charlie’s ear. “This is backfiring! You’ve got to get Derek away from Olivia.”
“I’ll get Derek,” Charlie answered in a low voice. “You distract Olivia.”
But before they could put their plan into action, Anne emerged from the back of the plane. “Derek, come talk to me. I haven’t even really gotten to meet you.” She grabbed his arm, pulling him away from Olivia to sit on a small comfortable sofa. Charlie pretended to listen to the story Spencer was telling while she eavesdropped on her mom’s conversation.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Gherring.”
“You can call me Anne. Now tell me all about yourself. Where are you from?”
“I’m from Michigan. Midland, Michigan.”
“I’m afraid I’ve never been to Michigan. Is Midland near Detroit?”
“No.” He held up his hand to demonstrate the shape of the state. “Detroit is here, below the thumb. Midland is kind of in the middle of the hand.”
“And you’re in law school at Columbia, right? What luck Charlie ran into you last Saturday. Although I would usually warn kids a bar isn’t the best place to meet someone nice.”
“I feel particularly lucky I met Charlie. I only hope she would say the same.”
“Speaking of Charlie... Charlie, could you come here a minute? Sweetie, would you mind entertaining Derek while I go check on Steven and the kids?” She stood, pushing Charlie onto the couch beside Derek. “I’ll talk to you later, Derek.”
He chuckled. “What was that? First your mom is dying to know all about me. And then she only talks to me for about sixty seconds before she makes a run for it. I guess I wasn’t as exciting as she expected me to be.”
“On the contrary, I think Mom likes you a lot. She’s probably up to her usual tricks. You see, she fancies herself to be a matchmaker, and I suspect she’s decided to help us get together.”
“Us? As in you and me?” Derek asked.
“That’s right.”
“I really like your mom—she’s a smart lady. We should definitely make her dreams come true.” He grinned, stretching his arm over her shoulder.
“It’s only an act, remember?” She murmured without moving her lips.
“Yes,” he said, leaning in closer to her. “But I plan to put my heart and soul into playing my role.” He reached up with his other hand and turned her face toward his, and lightly brushed his lips against hers.
Charlie was absolutely mortified. Even without a mirror, she knew her cheeks must be bright red. Although she’d known he was going to kiss her in front of the others, she hadn’t realized how embarrassed she would be. She’d never participated in any type of public display of affection before.
“Don’t look so distressed,” he whispered in her ear, sending shivers down her spine with his tickling breath. “You’re supposed to like it. Was it really that awful?”
“No. It was fine. I just... I’m not used to...”
“I demand a second chance,” he said, pulling her close for another gentle kiss. “Was that better?” There was clear anxiety in his voice.
“Yes. I mean, no. I mean... That’s enough. They’ve all gotten the message.”
Charlie glanced around, trying to measure the effect of the affectionate display on her friends. Grace and Olivia seemed to be in close conference, while both Josh and Spencer were sending killing looks in Derek’s direction. Emily, however, gave her a surreptitious thumbs-up.
“Perhaps one more to seal the deal?”
“No.” Charlie spoke around the fake smile she glued on her face.
“What’s the deal with Olivia?” asked Derek. “It was like she was coming on to me.”
“Maybe she’s trying to make Josh jealous. I’m not sure what’s going on, but surely she’ll back off since she’s seen us kissing.”
“I’m perfectly willing for her to use me to make Josh jealous if she wants to. Olivia’s pretty cute, too.”
“Derek!” Charlie scolded in a harsh whisper. “You’d better not make a play for Olivia while you’re on this trip.”
“I’m kidding. I won’t mess up your plan. But seriously, what would you do? Break up with me?”
“I know ways to kill you that are completely undetectable,” she asserted. “I’ve watched a lot of CSI.”
“Maybe. But you’d never get away with it. Your guilt would be written all over your face. You’re pretty bad at hiding your feelings. In fact, your friends may not even buy that we’re dating.”
“Do you really think so?” She wondered how to make her face look more enthusiastic about Derek’s affection.
“I absolutely do,” Derek said. “I could teach you though. You’ll need this kind of training in practice court. You have to keep your emotions hidden.”
“What should I do?”
“Try this. Close your eyes. Good. Now imagine you’re sitting beside some hot movie star.”
“I don’t like any movie stars. They’re all stuck on themselves.”
“Okay fine. Not a movie star. Just a hot guy.”
“What does he look like?”
“It doesn’t matter. As long as you think he’s hot.”
“Well, what does he smell like?”
“Huh?”
“Being hot is not enough—he has to smell nice.”
“He’s hot and he smells great.”
“But does he like the outdoors?”
“Does he need to like the outdoors?”
“Yes.”
“Then he definitely likes the outdoors. He practically lives outdoors. He even works outdoors.”
“If he works outdoors, he probably doesn’t smell nice.” Charlie opened her eyes and grinned at Derek who was clearly frustrated.
He groaned. “You’re kidding me aren’t you?”
“I couldn’t help myself. I’m sorry. I’ll try to be serious.”
“Look, I was simply going to suggest if you imagined I was your dream guy, you wouldn’t look like you were in distress when I kissed you.”
“But I don’t really have a dream guy. And that’s not the problem. I mean, I’d be uncomfortable kissing you in front of other people no matter who you were. Even if you were—” Charlie stopped abruptly. She’d almost said Josh. She’d caught herself just in time. Her cheeks flamed, and she struggled to cover her blunder. “I mean... even if uhmm...”
“Ah-ha! So there is a dream guy after all,” he smirked. “So we should try again. You can pretend I’m that dream guy.”
“That’s okay. I think we’ve made enough of an impact already,” she protested. “Honestly, to be truly believable, if you kiss me again, I’d have to slap you.”
He backed away a bit. “Slap me? Why?”
“I’m kind of known for reacting that way.”
“Must be kind of hard on your boyfriends.”
“Maybe that’s why I’ve never actually had a boyfriend.”
“Yep. That could be the reason. Uhmm... Charlie? Why is your brother-in-law glaring at me? I thought he and Emily were in on the plan?”
Charlie shot a furtive glance at Spencer. “No. I’m afraid Emily didn’t tell him. He’s not always in favor of our plans, and she didn’t want him to interfere. We’re trying to convince Olivia she should marry Josh, but Spencer doesn’t really want them to get married.”
“Why not? He seems to be good buddies with Josh. They look like they’re plotting together right now.”
She peeked at the two who were conferring closely. “They’re buddies all right. But he doesn’t think Josh really loves Olivia. He’s only trying to protect his sister.”
“So what does he have against me? What did I ever do to him?”
“I honestly don’t know. It’s probably because he doesn’t know you that well, and he’s being protective of me. Once you spend some time together, I’m sure he’ll be okay.”
“Oh boy,” he said, through his bared teeth. “They’re calling me over there. Wish me luck.” He kissed her on the cheek before he rose to join them. She felt red blooming on her face once again and berated herself for having so little control. Derek was right. She wasn’t very skilled at hiding her emotions.
*
GRACE WAS QUIETLY OBSERVING Charlie and Derek, while keeping an eye on Josh. Charlie had succeeded in marking her territory with Derek. Now Olivia would have to be careful pursuing Derek, or it would appear she was trying to steal Charlie’s boyfriend. However, things still weren’t going too badly, since Josh was completely unsuccessful in hiding his jealousy when Derek kissed Charlie. She needed to move fast, though. Charlie wasn’t usually into public displays of affection. If Charlie was letting Derek kiss her in front of other people, she must be starting to really like him. She had to take advantage of Charlie’s feelings for Josh, before she became too enamored of Derek.
“What should I do now?” Olivia asked her sister.
“Well, you can’t flirt openly with Derek anymore since Charlie’s acting all possessive. So basically, we have a two-fold plan. One—never let them be alone together. And two—try to find ways to force Charlie to be alone with Josh.”
“What do I do about Josh? I feel terrible when he hears me tell people I’m not going to marry him. He looks so sad and betrayed.”
“Trust me—you’ve got to have faith in the plan. We’re doing what’s best for him and Charlie, too. They just don’t know it yet.”
“But he keeps begging me to give him a chance.”
“Do you want to be a mother of two?”
“No, but I don’t want to be responsible for him losing custody either.”
“Just stick to the plan, and everything will be fine. He’ll be mad at you now, but he’ll thank you later.”
“But what if we’re wrong? What if they don’t love each other?” she whispered.
“Olivia, how can you doubt me? Was I right about Emily and Spencer?”
“Yes, you were right.” Olivia blew a curl off her face. “Okay, I’m going to trust you. But you have to help me.”
“I will, Sister. Believe me, I will.”
“You will what?” asked Brad, appearing behind Grace. “What are you two up to over here?”
“Nothing,” Grace said, blinking innocent eyes.
“Oh no,” said Brad. “When you’re up to nothing, that’s when you’re really up to something. What are you doing? Really?”
“We’re only trying to make sure Josh and Olivia don’t end up in a shotgun wedding. You don’t think it’s a good idea, do you?”
Brad shook his head. “I don’t know what to think about Josh anymore. I thought I knew the guy, but when he said he hadn’t been with a woman since falling for Charlie two years ago... I’m not sure I know him at all. Now I think he could be as faithful a husband as I am.”
“But that’s not the point,” Grace argued. “Surely you don’t think it’s a good idea for Josh and Olivia to get married for a year.”
Brad shrugged and asked Olivia, “Would it be so bad if you guys were married? Are you sure you couldn’t love each other?”
Emily joined the group. “That’s right Olivia. Marriage is great when you have a great guy, like Josh.”
Olivia rolled her eyes. “Puh-leeese! This marriage thing is a farce. Josh isn’t in love with me, and I’m not in love with him. And I’m not ready to be a mother.”
“But Olivia,” Emily argued. “What if you’re wrong? What if Josh is in love with you?”
“I’m not wrong.”
“Grace,” said Emily. “Help me out here. You agree with me, don’t you?”
“I absolutely agree. I think Josh is in love with my sister, and I think she loves him back, and doesn’t even realize it.” She turned her head to wink at Olivia. “And I think when they figure it out, they’ll live happily ever after.”
“Grace,” Olivia’s voice was almost a snarl.
“Don’t worry, Sister,” Grace said, rubbing her arm. “Just trust me.”
*
JOSH TRIED TO KEEP his temper in check, but his heart hammered when he saw Derek kissing Charlie. She must have changed a lot in the last two years. Even a private kiss had earned him a slap on the face from Charlie. Now she was letting Derek paw her in public. Well, he wasn’t exactly pawing her, but he did kiss her. Her face was as red as a beet, and she didn’t seem to respond with any passion. Was it because she didn’t really feel anything for Derek, or simply because they were in public? Maybe when they were alone, she kissed Derek like she’d kissed him two years ago.
He let his mind drift back to that night in the hallway. He played the scene over in his mind as he had for the past two years.
“We’ll see, Josh. Seriously, let’s wait and see. Give yourself a week or two, and you’ll work me out of your system. I think I’m just an anomaly.”
“It feels more like cancer to me. I think you’ve metastasized, and I’ll never be able to get rid of you, even if I wanted to try.”
“Okay. Whatever you say. But don’t worry—I won’t get my feelings hurt when you realize this relationship is way more trouble than its worth.”
“You’re definitely a lot of trouble.” He cupped her cheeks with his hands, tilting her head back. “But like I said before, you’re worth it.”
He lowered his mouth to hers and touched their lips together, ever so lightly. Then he’d brushed his lips across hers and planted tiny kisses around her mouth. He continued to tease her lips until her mouth surged toward his, seeking his warmth. But he held her at bay, gently stroking her lips with his tongue until they parted and her own tongue slipped forward to tentatively touch his.
When his tongue found hers, he groaned and pressed his mouth against hers, his hands tangling in her hair. She tasted so sweet. Ragged breaths emerged as her kiss raged against his senses. Time froze. There was no one else, nothing else in the universe. Only Charlie and the heady, overwhelming sensation of her lips against his. Her arms around his neck. Her heart pounding rapidly against his chest. As his embrace had tightened, she molded herself against him. For the first time in his life, he’d realized he didn’t just want this woman in his bed. He wanted her in his arms and in his life. He didn’t just want her body. He wanted her. He wanted Charlie Best.
Forever.
All of that from one kiss.
Josh was in anguish imagining Charlie responding like that to Derek. He wanted to pommel Derek’s face into the ground. But he had to tamp down his emotional response. Charlie wasn’t his. He was going to marry Olivia. Even though it would be platonic and temporary, he’d be faithful to her. There was little chance Charlie would still be available after they ended the marriage. Even if she weren’t in a relationship, she probably wouldn’t want to marry a divorced man with two children. And since he was admitting he still loved her, he reasoned her happiness was more important than his own. If Derek could make her happy, he wanted that for her. Josh had never quite forgiven himself for making her cry when he talked to her at the Emily’s wedding, and he never wanted her to be that unhappy again. He had to put Charlie first.
As Derek moved to join them, Spencer accosted him. “What’s the story with you and my sister-in-law? You only met her a week ago.”
“What’s the big deal? I only kissed her. It’s not like I’m sleeping with her... yet.”
Josh’s hand flew forward and caught Derek by the shirt collar, jerking him forward. “She’s not that kind of girl. Charlie doesn’t sleep around.”
“Cool off buddy,” he said, shaking himself loose from his hold. “I’ve never forced a girl to do anything, and I’m not about to start. I think it’s her decision when she wants to sleep with me.”
Spencer pushed in front of him, and spoke in a low menacing tone. “Derek, I’m warning you one time, for your own good. Don’t let anyone hear you talking that way about Charlie. More people than Josh and I will be offended. My wife would slap you. My sisters would kick you where it counts. And Steven Gherring might just toss you off the plane.”
He paled a bit. “Okay! Okay! I’m kidding. She’s already laid down the law for me. I know not to try anything.”
Josh was so angry he could barely control himself. What did Charlie see in this guy? And Olivia had been flirting with him as well. He didn’t really have the right to say anything to Charlie, but surely he could talk some sense into Olivia. He stomped off to find her, but Emily intercepted him.
“Hey Josh, I was wanting to ask you a medical question.”
“Uhmm, okay. Did you need to talk to me now?”
“Yes.” Her gaze darted about. “It’s kind of personal. Can I talk to you in private?”
“Okay, sure.” He allowed Emily to guide him away from the lounge area to the front row seats. His concern grew at her agitated expression. “What is it? Is something wrong?”
“No, I just need to talk to you. It’s about Olivia. I really need to know the truth. Do you love her?”
“I do love Olivia, but...” Emily looked back at him with sympathetic eyes. Could he level with her? Could he explain how mixed up he was about Charlie?
“What? What is it? Do you love her or not?”
He knew he couldn’t tell Emily the truth because she would certainly tell Charlie. “I love Olivia, but I know she doesn’t love me. I thought I could convince her to marry me. Of course, that was before she started flirting with Derek.”
“No worries. Charlie will take care of Derek. He’ll be too busy with her to pay any attention to Olivia.”
Josh felt anything but relief at her assurance. “I don’t like him,” he muttered.
“I think he’s pretty harmless.”
“Harmless? He kissed Charlie twice, and she didn’t even slap him for it.”
“Yes, but now Olivia will leave him alone. And I’m sure he won’t try to flirt with her anymore. Olivia’s safe from Derek.”
“Maybe... but Charlie’s not safe from him.”
“She can take care of herself. You only need to worry about Olivia. And I think you need a little advice about pursuing her.”
“I’ve been talking to her. She won’t listen to reason.”
“You need to do more than talk to her. You need to do things for her. You know... get coffee for her, carry her bag, thoughtful things. You’ve been around each other too much, so you treat her like a sister. You’ve got to treat her like a girlfriend.”
“It’s hard when I spend so much time and energy on the kids.”
“Charlie and I are both going to help you with the kids as much as possible. We’re going to help you find extra time for Olivia, but you’ve got to do your part. You know—turn on the old Josh charm. I think it’s gotten kind of rusty, but it’s still there.” Emily squeezed his arm.
Something caught Emily’s eyes, and she smiled toward the back of the plane. Josh followed her line of sight, and spied Charlie emerging from the back of the plane with Chloe in one arm and the other around Jace’s shoulder. Chloe’s arms were wrapped so tightly around Charlie’s neck she was almost being strangled. And Jace was talking in an unending stream.
“You see,” said Emily. “Charlie’s totally got the kids under control. You can go charm Olivia right now.”
Josh continued to gaze at Charlie and the kids. Chloe had obviously been eating something chocolate, because she kissed Charlie’s cheek, leaving a brown smudge. Charlie laughed as she used a wet-wipe to clean Chloe’s hands and face before she wiped her own. It was so sweet. He wanted to pull all three of them into his arms. And then later, when the kids were asleep and he had Charlie all to himself, he’d show her just how sexy a mom could be. If only...
“Charlie might need some help,” he suggested.
“No, she’s got it. This is your big chance. You looked pretty mad when you were on your way to talk to Olivia a minute ago. She’s not going to respond well to being fussed at. You can do this, Josh.” Emily patted his arm.
“Okay, I’ll do it.” He put more enthusiasm in his voice than he felt in his heart.
“Listen Josh. Grace just told me she thinks Olivia loves you and doesn’t know it.”
“She said that?”
“Yes. So you need to give her a reason to believe you.”
“Okay.” He drew up his courage. He’d never considered Olivia might actually love him. Maybe he could learn to love her as well. Maybe instead of a short-term marriage, they could have the real thing. A real marriage. He walked with measured steps to join Olivia, who was standing with Grace and Brad. He refused to allow himself to watch Charlie with the kids. There was no use thinking about what could never be. He had to concentrate on the real possibilities.
When he reached her, he placed a casual arm around her shoulder, giving her an honest appraisal. She was really a beautiful girl. She deserved better than a loveless marriage. Maybe Emily was right. Maybe they could love each other. He could start by being nice to her, making her feel appreciated. “You smell really nice.” He gave her an earnest smile.
She assessed him through knitted brows. “What’s the game, here?”
“No game. You just smell good. And you look good, too. Is that a new sweater?”
“No, I borrowed it from Hannah. And since when do you notice how I look or how I smell.”
“Since I decided to make you my wife.” He noticed Grace observing their interchange with rounded eyes, but chose to ignore her.
“I’m not going to be your real wife,” Olivia objected. “You don’t need to flatter me.”
“I’m not flattering you. I’m only being truthful. And besides, I wanted you to know how I plan to treat you after we’re married.”
“I didn’t say I would marry you.” She attempted to slip out from under his arm.
“You as much as admitted it when you said you weren’t going to be my real wife. That implies that you’re going to be my fake wife. And I wanted you to know I’ll treat you with utmost respect and appreciation. I’ll cook and clean for you and buy you nice clothes. You won’t want for anything.”
“I will want for something, Josh. I’ll want to be in a real marriage with a man who loves me.”
“If that’s what you want, I can do that. I love you, Olivia. You know I do.”
Grace’s eyes were wide as grapefruits, but Olivia’s eyes narrowed. She spoke between tight lips. “Stop it, Josh. I liked you better when you were being honest.”
“But I am being honest. Don’t you love me too? Even a little bit?”
“Yes. I love you the same way you love me. We’re good friends. Or we were good friends before—you’re ruining it now.”
“Love’s not an emotion, Olivia. Love’s a choice. It’s a decision. A commitment.”
“I’m sorry Josh, but that’s not enough for me. I don’t want someone’s commitment unless I have the passion behind it.”
“Didn’t you see Fiddler on the Roof? The passion, the feelings... they can come later.”
Brad chuckled. “Can’t believe we pay good money for cable. This is better than any reality TV show.”
“Shut up, Brad!” Josh and Olivia said in unison.
