Chapter 5

“You want me to what?” Charlie knew she sounded like an idiot, yet she couldn't help it. Maybe she needed to have her hearing checked. Jake couldn't have just asked what she thought he did.

Jake leaned his shoulder against the door frame near the stairs heading up to the attic, his arms crossed over his chest. Everyone at the bed and breakfast was gathered downstairs waiting to eat. Everyone except them. She'd gone upstairs to check her cell phone messages and when she came down Jake stood leaning against the wall waiting for her.

“Come with me to Newport this weekend. I'm the best man. It wouldn't be right for me to show up without a date.”

Okay, maybe she hadn't misunderstood. “Isn't that what the single bridesmaids are for?” Charlie walked down the last few steps stopping in front of him. Sure they'd shared some amazing kisses but going to his sister's wedding was out there. Especially this wedding. The media was calling it the wedding of the year.

Shrugging Jake gave her a lazy smile. “One's my sister, Sara, and the others just don't do it for me.”

She wanted to ask him what he meant by 'do it' but if the way he looked at her was any indication, she didn't have to. A heady combination of desire and curiosity sprang to life. The men she came in contact with on a daily basis never looked at her the way Jake was. Most viewed her as nothing more than a doctor and Naval officer, they seemed to overlook the fact that she was also a woman. Jake's red-hot gaze told her that he not only noticed that she was a woman, but that he wanted her. And the attraction wasn't one-sided. She wanted him with a ferocity that she'd never experienced before.

“We'll only be gone a few days.” As he spoke, Jake straightened and closed the gap between them. “You can meet my family. I think you'll like them.”

Afraid he'd see the uncertainty she felt, Charlie looked at everything but Jake. She wasn't worried about how long they'd be gone. Nobody really needed her here. Every day the town recovered a little more and, as always, her mom had her brother Sean; she didn't need anyone else. That was part of the reason she came home so infrequently. Rather she worried Jake might get the wrong idea if she accepted the invitation. He may begin to think she wanted a long-term relationship, and she didn't. Relationships that had the possibility of a future were not in the cards for her. She decided that a long time ago.

Get over yourself Charlie; this is Jake Sherbrooke world-renowned playboy. He's not interested in a relationship. Charlie's inner thoughts helped bring her back to reality. Although he'd shown that he wasn't just another rich son living off the family's money, he did still have a reputation for leaving behind many broken hearts.

This is the wedding of the year, she reminded herself. The media had been talking about it for months. Attending it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She could picture the expressions on her friends' faces if she told them she went. Not to mention Newport was beautiful this time of year. Somehow the hurricane that devastated North Salem by destroying the Stonefield Dam had left the town of Newport and most of Rhode Island unscathed.

“You're tempted,” Jake said. “I promise no one there will bite.” Dropping his head he nibbled on her ear lobe. “It'll give us some time alone together.”

Before she could stop herself, Charlie sighed in pleasure. His teasing only increased the throbbing sensation in her body. Much more of it and she might ask him upstairs for a bit to pick up where they'd left off the previous weekend.

“Okay. But only because this is the wedding of the year. It has nothing to do with you.” Somehow she managed to tease him while maintaining a straight face.

Jake broke off his assault and straightened to his full height. For a minute he studied her and Charlie was positive she saw a flash of insecurity flicker across his face. Just as quickly, however, his lips curved into a smile and she wondered if she'd imagined it.

“That so, Doc? Then I'll just have to work extra hard to change that.”

JAKE ALMOST WANTED to whistle as he got dressed, his mood was that good. Everything was going well. Progress in town was coming along and Charlie had agreed to go to Newport with him for the weekend. Now that he'd asked, he wondered why he'd struggled with the decision at all. As soon as he said the words, he'd known it was the right choice.

He hadn't come to North Salem looking for a date, yet he couldn't deny the attraction he felt toward her. He knew it wasn't one-sided either. Being together this weekend would give them time to explore that attraction. At the same time, having her as a date would keep at least some of the single socialites at the wedding away from him.

Before heading down for coffee Jake grabbed his cell off the nightstand. A quick glance at the screen told him he'd missed two calls, one from his half-sister Callie and another from Marcy Blake, aka the reporter from hell. Both callers left messages. Jake didn't bother to listen to the message from Marcy, but he did check Callie's. He'd only met Callie the year before, but in that short time they'd developed a strong bond. In fact he often forgot that she was only his half-sister. In truth he got along as well with her as he did with his full sister Sara, and they'd grown up together. So when he heard Callie's message and she said it was important that he call her back, he didn't hesitate.

Jake listened as the phone rang several times.

“Jake, hold on a sec,” an out of breath Callie said after the fifth ring.

“Sure thing,” he replied although he didn't know if she'd heard him. While he waited he decided to get comfortable on the padded window seat.

“Sorry about that. Problems with the florist,” Callie said coming back on the phone a minute later.

“No worries. What's up? Your message said it was important.” Whatever it was it had to be big. Final preparations for the wedding kept her busy so she wouldn't just call him on a whim.

On the other end of the line it sounded as if Callie sighed. “I got a call from Marcy Blake this morning. Have you talked to her?”

At the sound of the reporter's name the dread he'd felt the day before returned. Something was up; there was no doubt about it. Not only had the reporter called him, but she contacted his family too. Not a good sign.

“No but she's called the office and my cell.” Jake paused, afraid to ask what the reporter wanted. Mentally he did an inventory of all his recent activities and relationships. Not a single thing stood out as being of any interest to this reporter. “What did she want?”

“Are you sitting down?” Callie asked her voice laced with concern.

Half a dozen curses went through Jake's head. He wasn't going to like whatever his sister had to say. “Spit it out Callie.”

Another sigh came through the phone, this one louder than before. “She wanted to know how the family felt about you becoming a father. And whether or not you and Blair were discussing wedding plans now that you’re expecting.”

Jake laughed aloud. His sister's statement was absurd. Anyone else and he'd think they were joking, but he knew Callie wouldn't joke about something like this.

“Is it true? Are you guys having a baby? I thought you broke things off with her.” Callie sounded confused.

“Hell no! I ended things with Blair more than two months ago. I broke up with her when I got back from London. Besides we always used protection.” When the reporter started calling he knew it meant trouble, but he'd never expected this. Sure Blair was upset when he ended things, and she had tried to convince him to give her another chance, but he hadn't pegged her as a vengeful woman. A little shallow and conceited perhaps but not someone capable of being malicious.

“What did you tell her?” He knew Callie wouldn't intentionally say anything to make the situation worse, but she was still learning how to handle the media vultures.

“The truth. I told her I didn't know what she was talking about. I'm not sure that she believed me though.”

It wasn't a matter of whether or not Marcy Blake believed Callie. Rather it was what story would sell the most magazines. A story about him becoming a father would sure be a hit. Damn it. He'd managed to avoid negative publicity for months and now this had to surface just days before his sister's wedding. “Has she called anyone else?” He didn't need a lecture from his father.

“I don't think so. Dylan's been in Japan, he's coming home tonight. I haven't heard from anyone else.”

Callie sounded worried and Jake could picture her nibbling on her bottom lip like she always did when something bothered her. With the wedding only a few days away she had enough to worry about. He didn't want her thinking about this too.

“Thanks for the heads up. I'll take care of it. Don't worry. Go straighten out whatever problem you've got with the flowers. I don't want to have to pick flowers from the garden for you on Saturday.”

“Honestly, I'm tempted to let your mother deal with it. I think the florist is afraid of her.”

Jake didn't doubt it. A good recommendation from Elizabeth Sherbrooke, and the florist's business would sky rocket. At the same time a bad one and his business could go down the proverbial drain.

“You won't do that and you know it.”

“You're right, but it is so tempting. She'd have everything straightened out in no time.”

“All done with the seating arrangement?”

Callie groaned on the other end. “Don't ask.”

“Then you won't mind adding one more guest. I'm coming with a date. Someone I met up here.” Jake told his sister a little about Charlie before hanging up. Once he was done with his conversation, Jake remained sitting and stared out the window.

What the hell was Blair up to? Was she really that pissed? Sure he'd known she was angry but this was going a bit far. And what did she hope to accomplish? If she was pregnant did she expect him to marry her? Maybe if it was his kid, he'd consider it but there was no way it could be. He'd broken up with her more than two months ago and before that he'd been in England for a solid month. Their final month together as a couple they'd hardly ever seen each other. She'd spent most of that month out in California visiting family and he'd been in Virginia. Between all that time apart and the fact that they always used protection he didn't believe it was possible for her to be pregnant with his child.

In the driveway below he saw Charlie walking towards her car. Dressed in a navy blue t-shirt and denim shorts that showed off her lean shapely legs, she walked with her head held high and her back perfectly straight. What were her plans this morning? He'd hoped to see her before he headed over to the town hall to check on repairs. It didn't look like that was going to happen now.

As he continued to watch, she climbed into her car and drove away. So much for his good mood. Jake watched as the car disappeared from sight. Suddenly reluctant to start his day, Jake came to his feet. He had people waiting for him and a new scandal brewing. This was not the time for sitting around.

ONCE AGAIN CHARLIE found herself volunteering to play babysitter at the shelter while homeowners worked to get their lives back together. Thankfully several families had already left the shelter. They'd either made arrangements with other family members or found places to stay outside of town so there were fewer children around today. Despite the reduced number, Charlie still felt as if she'd landed on an alien planet. She just wasn't used to being around this many children all at once. She hoped the children didn't know how uncomfortable she was. Who knew how they might take advantage of her if they did.

“Can you help me? The eyes won't stick,” a young girl with curly blond hair asked holding up a pair of googly eyes.

Somehow she'd been left to supervise the craft table again that morning. Charlie looked at the paper bird set out on the table and back at the young girl who looked familiar. Not wanting to disappoint the little girl, she picked up the glue bottle and prepared to tackle the problem.

“Try using regular glue instead.” Charlie squirted two drops of Elmer's onto the paper bird's face. “It might work better than those glue sticks.”

The little girl smiled up at her, reminding Charlie of an old classmate. “Is your dad Don Sullivan?”

The girl nodded her head causing the blond curls to bounce wildly about her face. “People call him Donnie. They call my brother that too. They have the same name,” the little girl answered as she proceeded to color the feathers on her bird now that it had eyes.

Donnie had children? Wow! Now there was a shocker. She couldn't even picture him with a woman. In school he'd been the geeky nerd the other kids turned to when they needed help with their algebra. As far as she knew he never even had a date in high school. He'd taken his third cousin to the senior prom, though he refused to admit it. Obviously he had changed since then.

“This is a present for mom and dad,” the little girl said holding up her bird. “They can hang it up when we go home.”

Charlie stared at the lopsided bird with the googly eyes and colorful feathers unsure of what to say. How much did the girl understand? Did she know they might never return to the home she'd once known? She didn't know what damage her former classmate’s house had suffered but if the family was still at the shelter it must be significant.

“I'm sure they'll love it. Do you want me to write a message on it?” Charlie forced herself to smile.

The girl handed her a purple marker. “Love, Ellie.”

Charlie printed the words on the belly of the bird and handed it back.

“Thanks,” the girl said before sprinting off toward the other children.

With the departure of the little girl the craft table was empty and Charlie began to clean up the scraps of paper left behind. She tried not to think about the children playing tag further down the room. It was bad enough that the adults had lost everything but at least they understood. The children didn't. She'd overheard them talking and many seemed to think they'd be going home any day now; back to the homes they'd always lived in. It just wasn't fair. Children deserved a chance to grow up without worries or loss. There would be enough opportunities for that when they grew up. They shouldn't have to face it now.

Life isn't always fair. Charlie knew that first hand. If it was, her father wouldn't have walked out on her and Sean. Regardless these children would survive their loss just as she had. It might not be easy, then again few things in life were.

Like the old saying went, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. As far as Charlie was concerned, truer words had never been spoken.

After she finished cleaning up the craft supplies, Charlie crossed to the other side of the room where Lizzie was organizing a game of musical chairs. It looked as if Lizzie needed some help as she tried to explain the rules of the game to a group of children. From the expressions on their faces, Charlie guessed that they had never played before. She'd never considered musical chairs a complicated game, but the confused expressions on the children's faces told her that was strictly a matter of opinion. Just like everything else in life. “Do you want me to try explaining it?” Charlie asked.

“THANKS FOR COMING WITH ME,” Charlie said pulling into the Hamilton Mall parking lot the next afternoon. With the wedding in Newport only two days away she needed something to wear.

“I'm glad you asked,” Jessica answered. “I still can't believe Jake Sherbrooke asked you to be his date. Are you nervous?”

Charlie ran through a mental inventory of her emotions. Nervousness about meeting his family hovered around the edges of her mind while anticipation all but consumed her. Since the night on the yacht, Jake hadn't made any attempt at intimacy, yet she expected it to happen this weekend.

“It's only a wedding.” Charlie pulled open the door to Macy's.

Jessica stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes wide and her lips parted in surprise. “How can you say that? It's all the media is talking about. Hollywood stars and multimillionaires are going to be there. Not to mention Jake Sherbrooke is your date.”

“I didn't say I wasn't excited. Just that I'm not all that nervous,” Charlie answered with quiet emphasis. “Now are you going to help me find a dress or not?”

Jessica began moving again. “Are we looking for something blue or is that not your favorite color anymore?”

“Jake said the bridesmaids are wearing royal blue so unfortunately I need to pick something else.”

“Too bad you don't like yellow. Supposedly it's the in color this season.”

A sense of guilt pressed down on Charlie as she watched Jessica stroll between the racks of dresses. In high school they'd been the closest of friends. Over the years though she'd made little effort to stay in contact, yet Jessica still remembered what colors she preferred. Now that she had reconnected with Jessica she wouldn't let that happen again. When she returned to Virginia she would make an effort to keep in touch.

Charlie pushed the guilt away and stopped at a rack of dresses. “What do you think of this one?” Charlie held up a simple black cocktail dress.

“You can't wear black to an afternoon wedding.” Jessica grabbed the dress out of Charlie's hands and held up a floor length lilac gown. “This one would work though.”

It took them several tries but after two hours of shopping they agreed on a strapless cream-colored floor length gown with an open back. With Jessica's help Charlie choose a pair of silver heels and a silver clutch that matched the silver beading around the sweetheart neckline.

With the purchases in the car, Charlie pulled onto the highway. “Thanks for your help. I would've ended up with that black dress if it wasn't for you.”

“Any time, Charlie. You have to come in when you drop me off. I have some jewelry that'll go perfectly with that dress.”