CHAPTER 18

John walked through the door at midnight, completely exhausted. Ms. Lily had turned his whole world upside down, and he wasn't going to get any rest until he saw the last of her.

The house was dark and quiet; even his mom had gone to bed. Today was Johnny's birthday and he hadn't even hugged her. It had been forty years, yet it was still a difficult day for her. Being a parent, he understood. Losing Sarah had crippled him emotionally and if it hadn't been for Alice, he never would have survived. Sometimes it bothered him to admit that frailty. He was a man and supposed to be strong.

He wasn't, though. He was vulnerable. No one knew that but him.

He was hoping his mom would be up so they could talk. At supper, she seemed fine and he hoped she and Ms. Lily were getting along a little better. Two nights, one day and Ms. Lily would be gone--- just a speck of time in the scheme of things.

No problem.

He stopped in front of Alice's door and slightly opened it. He could see his daughter sprawled out in all directions due to the moonlight seeping through the slats, but Ms.Lily was curled up in the foetal position with her blonde hair spread across the pillow. As he thought of Sarah, his throat tightened. He had seen her in that manner countless times. Damn! Ms. Lily was not Sarah.

He went to his room after quietly closing the door. He took off his clothes and passed out from exhaustion.

The next morning, Charlotte awoke early needing to go to the bathroom. Being cautious not to wake Alice, she snuck out. Her bare feet didn't make any noise on the hardwood floor as she hurried down the hallway. Pushing open the bathroom door, she stopped short. John was standing there shaving while wearing no shirt, khaki slacks, or shoes. All she saw was a stunning, muscular man who was just out of the shower with water drops still hanging to his broad shoulders. Her heart did a cha-cha right through her rib cage.

He turned to her, slanting his face to the right as he ran a razor down his cheek. "Oh, do you need the bathroom?"

His tummy was covered in a thin line of dark chest hair that arrowed into his jeans. He looked rakish and seductive with his hair unkempt. Her stomach constricted as she became more sexually conscious, which she resisted vehemently. She couldn't possibly find this man attractive.

"Yes. I'd like to use the bathroom," she managed to say. "I'll come back."

"No need." He wiped the excessive shaving cream away with a towel and stepped out into the hall.

She scurried by him into the bathroom and closed the door. A lemony, soapy scent lingered, and Charlotte had to catch her breath. Maybe she was still half-asleep. That was her only explanation. She wasn't attracted to the sheriff.

Breakfast was a rushed affair. John devoured his breakfast and left. After breakfast, Charlotte's phone jangled and she made a dive for it. It had to be Henry.

It was Brielle. "Charlotte, what happened to you?"

She walked into the living room for privacy. "You're just now realizing I'm not there?"

"I assumed you had decided to stay at the wedding when you didn't show up."

"No, I didn't. I got arrested between Austin and Dallas."

"You must be joking. How come?"

"Remember those small tricks you mentioned, like bribing and flirting? Well, they don't work."

"You didn't." Laughter filled the phone.

"Yes, I did."

"Damn, Charlotte, you know I'm always exaggerating."

"Yeah. I'll have that in mind in the future."

"So, Henry came to your aid, right?"

Charlotte sagged onto the couch. "No, I'm still here waiting."

"Are you in jail?"

"Kind of. Could you possibly make my bail in Horseshoe, Texas, on your way back to Austin?"

"Charlotte, I'm sorry. I met this cowboy-type stud whose father owns a gazillion-acre ranch. He's taking me there today and I'm not missing a second of time with this gorgeous hunk. You understand, right?"

"How about Bree or Mindy?"

"Bree hooked up with a Dallas Cowboy, and his friend couldn't stop staring at Mindy. Since then, I have not heard from them. They aren't in our room and don't return calls to their cell phones. I assume they're having one hell of a time."

"Yeah." 'So much for friendship'. "Henry will come. Have a great time."

Charlotte stared at the phone while contemplating her life and her friends. A moment of clarity blazed its way into her brain. Marathons of shopping, excursions, nightclub visits, parties, drinking, and a never-ending stream of men she couldn't recall. Everything was pointless.

She tried so hard to fit in with her sorority sisters, but the honest truth was that a lot of their activities bothered her. She drank wine, but poured out the hard stuff when no one was looking. She had been consuming too much wine lately, which she didn't like about herself. Getting drunk made her ill the next day, so she started faking. She was good at faking. The girls bragged about their sexual exploits. Charlotte had lied about taking guys home so her friends wouldn't tease her. Casual sex just wasn't for her. Bragging about things she hadn't done suddenly seemed juvenile.

Where did she go from here?

She overheard voices in the kitchen. Maybe today she'd start to live her life differently. Maybe today she'd start to feel good about herself.

She sighed and walked up to Alice and Haetel.