But that wasn’t Charlotte’s dream.
He wanted to say something to appease her, something to smooth over the wrinkles that had been pressed into the fabric of their lives. But for every sentence he considered, he could imagine her negative response. He stared at her silhouette, wishing he had the key to unlock those parts of herself she still kept hidden, the darkened corners that so desperately needed light.
A wet line slipped from the corner of her eye to her jaw.Her voice was steady when she spoke, though she didn’t look at him. “I think we should take a break.”
Time screeched to a halt. This wasn’t happening. It was one rogue argument taken way too far, and he couldn’t comprehend what she was suggesting. “You don’t really want that.”
Now she faced him. “I really don’t think you have a goddamn clue what I want, Leo.”
“Don’t do this.”
She blew out air. “You’re the one doing it, and you don’t even realize.”
“We both need to calm down. We can talk about this later.”
“I’ve been thinking about this for a while.”
That gutted him. While he’d been hearing wedding bells, she’d been planning to break up with him. He was no fool. This wasn’t just a temporary break. It was the beginning of the end. “Have you been that unhappy?” It pained him to think he hadn’t noticed, that she could be so far gone in her thinking as to blindside him this way.
She wiped at her tears, smearing her running make-up. “Yes.”
It was as if he’d been kicked in the solar plexus, the air in his lungs expelled in a whoosh. He couldn’t believe this was happening, yet here he was, standing in the middle of her yard with a garden spade in his hand, as the love of his life broke his goddamn heart.
Time. He needed time. Time to make her reconsider, to remember how good it could be between them. If he walked out that door, he wasn’t likely to walk back in unless they agreed on a date. “Fine,” he said, his voice gravelly. “If that’s really what you want, we’ll take a break. A week to collect our thoughts. See where we stand.”
She looked at him with pleading, bloodshot eyes.
She didn’t want him back in a week.
She doesn’t want me back at all.
Her phone rang a third time and she snarled in frustration, pulling it out and looking at the screen.
“Who is it?” he asked.
“My mother.”
“Call her back.”
Charlotte glared at him. “They’re inJapan, remember?”
She made him sound like a complete and utter moron for forgetting her parents’ trip, and hell—maybe he was. They’d been planning it for over a year now, talk of shrines and temples and gardens nearly overtaking the accomplishments of their grandchildren in polite conversation.
Clearing her throat, she sounded downright calm when she asked, “What’s up, Mom?”
His irritation with the interruption faded as he watched her face go slack. She met his stare with a look that told him something was terribly wrong. “I got the link, but I haven’t had a chance to look at it. Why?” She turned away from him, going quiet as she listened. “She did what? Jesus.” She shook her head. “No, Gemma’s too sick, Logan needs to stay with her. I’ll go.” She paused, then said, “I’ll be on the next plane out of Atlanta. I’ll be there before dark.”
He cocked his head, concern replacing all other thoughts. Gemma was her brother Logan’s wife, heavily pregnant with their second child and having some issues. Logan was a member of Cowboy’s team.
She wandered a few paces away and back again, listening.“I’ll call you as soon as I land. Mom, I’m sure everything’s fine.” She said goodbye and hung up the phone.
“What’s wrong?”
“My grandmother’s gone viral on TikTok. More than two million views and counting.”
“What did she do?”
“She got engaged, only no one in the family even knew she was dating anyone. My cousin Tabitha forwarded the video to my mom, who of course sent it to the whole family in utter hysterics.” She headed toward the house.
