A Family Under the Stars Read online

  “Sure,” the middle-aged Russell replied before looking down at her. “Audrey said to tell you good night.”

  The nonexistent lava made its way to Charlotte’s heart. Audrey didn’t really talk to anyone, leaving her mom and sister to pick up on the girl’s nonverbal cues. Yet there seemed to be an immediate bond between her quiet daughter and Alex’s father. Seeing both of the girls interact with the Russell men tonight had already been a bittersweet indication that they didn’t have any sort of strong male role model in their lives. But witnessing the way Vic easily communicated with her child caused a ripple of regret to boil up in her chest. It wasn’t like Audrey would ever see the caring and intuitive man again. Just like Charlotte wouldn’t see his son again.

  Luckily, Charlotte was used to saying goodbye and being on her own. She’d never wanted the same lonely existence for her daughters, which was why it was a good thing they were leaving before anyone got too attached.

  “Thank you again for driving me and the girls back. Good luck with the upcoming whitewater rafting season.” She spoke to both of the Russell men; however, she could only bear to look one of them in the eyes.

  As soon as they left, Kylie grabbed a pint of ice cream and two spoons, then plopped down beside Charlotte on the sofa.

  “I’m happily married,” Kylie said, pointing a scoop of mint chip at the front door. “But I’m not afraid to say that that is one good-looking man.”

  Charlotte felt heat flood her cheeks. “I guess, if you like the macho, outdoor type. But he can be a little standoffish.”

  “You thought Vic was standoffish?” Kylie looked incredulous and Charlotte immediately realized her mistake. She’d forgotten about the “hunkiest” reference of a few days ago, but her friend at least pretended not to notice by continuing. “I think Mr. Russell Number Two—as Elsa calls him—is an absolute sweetheart. I swear, half the women in Sugar Falls have a crush on Alex’s dad, and I’d bet most of their female clientele request him by name.”

  Charlotte bit her lip before asking, “Do you think they ask for Alex by name, too?”

  “Probably. But Alex isn’t real big on socializing with the customers from what I understand.”

  Charlotte choked on a bite of ice cream. Instead of patting her on the back, her friend zeroed in.

  “Spill it, Miss Bay Area,” Kylie said, referring to Charlotte by her last pageant title.

  “Spill what?”

  “Don’t give me that. What happened between you and Alex?”

  “I made dinner, then I sprained my ankle when I was running around in his yard like a lunatic thinking my daughter was going to get bit by a poisonous snake.”

  “And?”

  “And then he had to carry me. Hey, I thought you were sick.”

  “I am.” Kylie attempted a fake cough.

  “With a stomach bug?”

  “Are we talking about me or are we talking about the way you and your sexy woodsman couldn’t take your eyes off each other?”

  “I’d prefer to talk about you.” Charlotte looked at the disappearing pint between them because it was easier than meeting her friend’s knowing expression.

  “I can wait all night if you want.” Kylie settled back into the cushions. “But if history repeats itself, Audrey is going to be down here in about an hour wanting a glass of water. Then my twins will wake up at midnight for their feeding and Elsa will be sleepwalking to the bathroom at two. This is our only chance to have a conversation uninterrupted by kids, so unless you want an audience, you better start talking.”

  Charlotte sighed then, bit by bit, told her friend about the night she’d spent with Alex by the river, leaving out the more personal details. “It was supposed to be a no strings attached kind of thing, but I’ve never had a one-night stand, let alone had to see the guy after the fact.”

  “Sugar Falls is a small town,” Kylie said, stretching. Even with her saint of a husband helping out around the house, the poor woman had to be exhausted having to entertain visitors—two of whom were additional children. Charlotte hoped they hadn’t already overstayed their welcome. “It would’ve been hard not to run into him. If you would have told me sooner that seeing him again would be so uncomfortable, I never would have suggested you make them dinner.”

  “As your guest, I could never be so ill-mannered as to suggest who you should invite to your house.”

  “That’s why you always won Miss Hospitality,” her friend sighed. “Now I feel like a crummy host for orchestrating the whole...I mean, accidentally putting you in that position.”

  “It’s not that I’m uncomfortable around Alex, it’s just that...” Charlotte paused, unable to put her feelings into words. She had always been good at making others feel at ease, but had never quite mastered that trick for herself.

  “Do you still like him?” Kylie asked.

  “Of course I like him. He’s very thoughtful and kind. And he and his family were so sweet with the girls. You should’ve seen how Vic and Audrey can talk without even speaking and how Commodore patiently answered every single one of Elsa’s questions about animals and trails and living off the land. I had no idea she was so fascinated with all that stuff.”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone refer to Commodore Russell as patient, but all the Russell men have a way with kids. I was just telling Drew that it’s a shame Alex doesn’t have any of his own.”

  Charlotte looked sideways at her friend. “He gave me the impression he wasn’t the type to settle down.”

  “He gives everyone that impression. Drew thinks it’s some sort of defense mechanism, but then again, my husband is a therapist and has some fancy psych term for everything. So, what are you going to do if you run into him again while you’re in town?”

  “I doubt that’ll happen. It was tough enough saying goodbye to the guy. Twice, I might add. But since the girls and I are planning on leaving tomorrow, there shouldn’t be any more awkwardness.”

  * * *

  So maybe Charlotte had spoken too soon about leaving the following day, because when Dr. McCormick took an X-ray and examined her sprain, he fitted her with a splint and recommended she limit any excessive activity, including driving and airline flights, for the next few days. Sure, she could’ve dealt with a little extra pain and swelling and flown home anyway, but as Kylie reminded her, once she was back in San Francisco, who would help Charlotte with the girls if she was on crutches?

  So she gave in and rescheduled her flight for the following week. But by Friday morning, her ankle was almost back to normal and Charlotte was going so stir-crazy that she asked Kylie if they could go out to breakfast and spend the day in town checking out the antiques stores and quaint shops on Snowflake Boulevard.

  As they exited Kylie’s SUV in front of the Cowgirl Up Café, Audrey and Elsa—who were also suffering from cabin fever—began shoving at each other in their quest to get to be the one who got to push Kylie’s twins in the double stroller, and Charlotte thought she might have to use one of her crutches to separate the two. Instead, she told them to hold still while she clipped Audrey’s curly hair back and wiped a spot of dried toothpaste off Elsa’s cheek.

  The girls needed to start their summer schedules of art classes, ballet and enrichment studies, because sitting around at Kylie’s house all week after sampling a taste of the great outdoors at the Russells’ cabin had everyone ready to explode. And just because Audrey was pretending to be a fishing pole today didn’t make her any less hot-tempered—especially when she was using her arm as the line and her hand as the hook to snare her sister’s braid.

  Charlotte wedged herself between the two little girls. “We are going into a public place and you will act like the proper ladies that I raised you to be.”

  Both of her daughter’s eyes grew wide at her raised tone and Charlotte clamped her lips shut
when she realized her voice had sounded just like her own mother’s.

  On the rare occasions Carmichael and Lila Folsom had deigned to collect their only progeny from the nanny or the boarding school in order to show her off to their friends and business associates, Charlotte had been the recipient of the same warning. A wave of shame washed through her and she immediately pulled each girl in for a kiss. “Sorry for sounding so mean. Mommy just gets cranky when I haven’t had any waffles in a long time.”

  “But Uncle Drew made us some on Tuesday,” Elsa said, still enthralled with the concept of ready-made frozen food items that could go in a toaster.

  “I think your mom meant homemade ones,” Kylie said, trying to shove her extra-wide stroller through an entrance painted to look like swinging saloon doors. It was a good thing Kylie’s husband was somewhat knowledgeable in the kitchen, because if her friend had been in charge of cooking this week, they would’ve been living on takeout and Eggos.

  The smell of bacon and coffee immediately lifted Charlotte’s mood and she hoped this restaurant lived up to its hype of home-style meals. It certainly lived up to its name, with all the sparkly and sequined painted country-themed décor. Who knew saddles could be covered in fuchsia glitter paint and turned into ceiling fans? Or that lassoing ropes could be dyed purple and used to spell out greetings on the turquoise wall? But somehow, the Western-style pictures and cow-print accents made it all work. The cafe was fun and down-to-earth at the same time. Just like the lively older woman Kylie introduced to her as the owner and sometimes waitress.

  Freckles’ smile was almost as bright as her snug, lime green T-shirt, which didn’t exactly match her teased orange hair. The deeply grooved lines around the woman’s heavily made-up face suggested a long life well lived with lots of laughter. She continued to shake Charlotte’s hand for another thirty seconds. “I’ve read all your articles, darlin’, and just about died when I heard Kylie was bringin’ you to town for a visit.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Charlotte replied. “I’m looking forward to one of your famous biscuits I’ve been hearing so much about.”

  “Just wait ’til you get a taste of my huckleberry jam. It’s my own recipe and I’m thinking about jarring it up and selling it online. Maybe you can get a picture of it for your next article. Hey, Kip,” the woman hollered—quite loudly—to someone back in the kitchen. “Charlotte Folsom is here and wants some biscuits. Put a fresh tray in the oven.”

  Charlotte resisted the urge to tug at her ear to stop the reverberations ringing inside it. Which was why she must not have heard the little cowbell over the door signaling a new customer. Or rather, two new customers.

  Audrey and Elsa made a dash for Alex and Commodore, pulling both of the Russell men toward the hostess stand. Charlotte had just regained her hearing—but had yet to recover from her shock—when Freckles pointed to a group of ladies wearing T-shirts printed with the words Saucy Wrenches.

  “The Hot Rodettes Car Club is using our bigger booth, but I can push a couple of tables together if y’all want to sit with each other.”

  Kylie tilted her head, as if to ask Charlotte how she felt about sharing another meal with Mr. No Strings Attached. But with Freckles and the rest of the customers staring in their direction, it wasn’t like she could rudely rebuff the men. Before she could decipher Alex’s pinched-mouth expression, Elsa and Commodore made the decision for them and were helping a second waitress set up a longer table.

  At least she’d been saved the embarrassment of having to sit next to the younger Russell when Audrey reeled him into the seat beside her.

  “Where’s that handsome daddy of yours, Alex?” Freckles asked.

  “He’s back at the store scheduling interviews.” Commodore answered for his grandson, who looked as if he’d just gulped down a carafe of cold coffee. “Might hafta hire a couple more college kids for the summer.”

  “Sounds like business is booming,” Charlotte said, experiencing a sense of relief that she wasn’t the cause of them losing customers.

  “It’s been picking up.” Alex casually shrugged his shoulders. Or perhaps he was just trying to be casual. “Actually, Com and I were just grabbing a quick bite to eat before we head back to the store.”

  Charlotte’s ankle, which hadn’t been bothering her too much until now, started throbbing in a cadence matching the elevated thumping of her heartbeat. In fact, her pulse had grown so loud, she once again didn’t hear the cowbell signaling that someone else had entered the restaurant.

  She was so startled at seeing her editor standing inside the little café in Sugar Falls that she almost didn’t catch Neal’s words. “Well, color me surprised to see the two hottest trends on social media canoodling over an intimate family breakfast.”

  Chapter Eight

  “We’re hardly canoodling, Neal.” Alex watched as Charlotte laughingly pointed to the distance between their seats across the table, then, being her perfect hostess self, introduced the newcomer.

  Although he’d barely had time to pick his gut up off the floor from his surprise at seeing Charlotte again, Alex stood to shake the man’s hand. Her boss was everything Alex would never be. Neal Patel dressed like a million bucks, probably had his hair styled for him every morning, and his black shoes were polished to such a shiny finish, Alex saw his own annoyed reflection in them. This was the kind of guy Charlotte was used to and probably preferred. At least, in terms of style and sophistication.

  “Who’s Shiny Shoes calling a hot trend?” Commodore asked. Alex reached behind Audrey’s bobbing head to nudge his grandfather.

  Freckles grabbed an extra cow-print-covered cushioned chair and wedged it in between Kylie and Charlotte. For a second, Alex thought the nosy café owner might take a seat, as well. Instead, she rounded up an extra menu and coffee mug for the unexpected guest.

  Fielding random phone calls back at their store was suddenly sounding better and better.

  “I’m actually glad I caught both of you here,” Neal said to him, before leaning closer to Charlotte. “I sent my production assistant over to Russell’s Sports and wanted to do a bit of town research myself before talking to you, Lottie.”

  The apparently familiar nickname rolling easily out of his mouth made the hair on Alex’s arms stand up. Not that Alex was jealous of her having romantic feelings for the editor—he’d included the guy in that internet search he’d done last week and found out that Neal was married to a man named Gary—but he was definitely envious of the classy lifestyle the man represented. A lifestyle she was clearly used to, and that he could never provide for her.

  “What do you mean, research?” Charlotte asked, her pretty little brow furrowed.

  “Have you seen how many online views your article got? And that’s just the preview of the three-page spread we have coming out in the print edition,” Neal went on excitedly. “The comment section alone has gone viral and everyone has been posting about it on Twitter and Facebook. Glamping! It’s ingenious and our readers are dying for a second installment.”

  Com mumbled something about tourists and a plague of ingrates before shoving a heavily buttered biscuit into his mouth.

  “I’m afraid I don’t really have enough material for a second article,” Charlotte said, before passing the jar of huckleberry jam—which really was picture-worthy—across to his grandfather. “We were only gone twenty-four hours and because it was storming, much of that time was spent inside the te—” She quickly clamped her lips shut.

  Her pause spoke louder than the blush staining her cheeks.

  “I know.” Neal pointed his finger as if to say ah-ha. “That’s why I’m here. To scout out the possibility of sending you out there again. But this time, the readers are asking about glamping with a family. So since the girls are here with you, I figured what better time?”

  “I wanna go glamping.�
�� Elsa clapped her hands. “What is it?”

  “It’s nonsense,” Com replied to the little girl before handing her a paper napkin and gesturing toward her nose, which was covered in whipped cream from her hot chocolate. “What you wanna do is go camping. Big difference.”

  “Okay. I’ll go camping with you, Mr. Commodore,” Elsa volunteered. “You know more about the woods than anyone I’ve ever met.”

  Alex doubted Charlotte’s adventurous daughter had a long list of acquaintances who were familiar with sleeping outdoors, but she was right when it came to Com’s knowledge.

  “Wait, hold on.” Classy Neal squeezed his eyes shut and steepled his fingers in front of his forehead as if he could channel his thoughts. “I have a brilliant idea. Lottie, you take the girls, and Mr. Russell can take his family, and we can bill the article as a legacy glamping trip.”

  “No glamping,” Alex and Commodore said at the same time. Kylie was covering her mouth with a napkin, her eyes dancing with laughter.

  “Fine.” Neal waved his well-manicured hand at them. “Camping, glamping, whatever you want to call it. I’m just glad you’re all agreeing to the plan.”

  “Woo-hoo!” Elsa reached out to high five her sister. Audrey responded with a jam-covered smile and her fishing hook hand.

  What plan? The one Charlotte’s boss pretended to have just pulled out of thin air? The editor seemed too calculating to waste his time coming all the way to Idaho if he didn’t have a well-thought out idea to sell.

  And when had Alex agreed to anything? He didn’t know what to do except sit back and wait for the woman sitting across from him to be the voice of reason and tell her editor that there was no way she was staying in Sugar Falls.

  “Wait.” Charlotte rubbed at her temples. “When, exactly, are you proposing we do this second camping trip?”

  Whoa. What? Alex blinked to keep his eyes from bulging out of his head. Was she seriously considering this?