Chapter Five
Rosie’s hand trembledas she reached up to brush a stray lock of hair from Charles’s forehead. But there it was again—that flinch, subtle but undeniable. Charles withdrew from her touch as if he’d been scalded, his eyes a tumultuous sea of longing laced with unmistakable fear. For a man who commanded respect as the mayor, this vulnerability seemed out of place. She knew he’d been married before, so he had to have been touched by a woman. It was so strange to her.
“Goodnight, Rosie,” he murmured.
“Goodnight, Charles,” she replied, her voice a whisper lost in the shadows as she went to her bedroom. As she lay there, enveloped by the silence, her mind roared to life, teeming with doubts and questions that refused to be tamed.
What was it that caused him to recoil? Was it something within her that repelled him? The curve of her face, perhaps, or the way she laughed too loudly? Rosie turned onto her side, facing the large bay window where moonlight spilled through, painting silver streaks across the wooden floor.
Charles, the enigmatic man she had vowed to spend her life with, now felt like a stranger, his thoughts and desires hidden behind a wall she couldn’t breach.
She pulled the quilt tighter around her shoulders, seeking comfort in its soft embrace—a poor substitute for the arms she longed to be held in. Was she not desirable? Her heart ached with the need to be seen, to be cherished. Hadn’t she followed every unspoken rule of what a wife should be?
Rosie’s brow furrowed as she battled the insecurities that nipped at her resolve. She was more than this, more than the doubts that crept into her heart like unwelcome guests. And she was determined, come morning, to find a bridge across the divide that had settled between them, to ignite a spark that would illuminate both their hearts with the fire of true companionship.
For now, though, the night stretched on, a silent witness to Rosie’s vigil, her thoughts a carousel of worry and wonder, spinning tirelessly until dawn’s light would bring with it new possibilities.
*****
AT BREAKFAST THE NEXTmorning, Rosie watched Charles as he buttered his toast. She took in his features and felt a familiar ache in her chest.
“Charles?” she asked, her voice soft but steady. “May I speak with you about something important?”
He glanced up from his plate, his blue eyes meeting hers briefly before skirting away. “Of course, Rosie,” he said, a guarded note in his voice. “What’s on your mind?”
She reached across the table, her fingers hovering just shy of his hand—a touch she yearned to give and receive freely. “It’s us,” she confessed. “I feel like there’s a distance between us, and I don’t know what to do to get closer. You pull away from me after you’ve seemed so close for a while. I want to fix it!”
Charles set down his knife with a clink, schooling his expression. “Everything is fine, my dear,” he replied. “Marriage is...well, it’s an adjustment for both of us.”
Rosie bit her lip, her intuition telling her there was more to it than he was admitting. She pushed forward, determined to get to the bottom of things.
“An adjustment, yes,” she agreed gently, “but one I hoped we’d work on together. I want to understand you, Charles, all of you—even the parts that might be difficult to share.”
His gaze flickered to hers again, a storm brewing in his eyes before he shuttered them away behind polite indifference. “I appreciate your concern, Rosie,” he said, “but everything’s all right. We’re doing quite well, considering.”
“Considering?” Rosie echoed. She wouldn’t let this be the end of it, not when her heart told her there was so much more to their story than the chapters they were pretending to live.
“Yes, considering,” Charles repeated, his voice firmer now, though she could hear the undercurrent of something raw and unspoken.
Rosie nodded, accepting his answer for the moment while knowing this was only the beginning of their journey. They would figure it out together.
For now, she simply smiled and offered him a refill on his drink. “More coffee?”
Charles accepted the coffee with a nod. As discouraged as Rosie got at times, she was optimistic about her future. And even if she wasn’t, she’d stay in Hope Springs, if only to be close to her sisters.
*****
ROSIE WATCHED CHARLES. He stood by the window, his back to her, gazing outside. The view offered comfort and space for reflection, and yet Rosie knew it was not the beauty of the sunset that held him captive. It was something that happened to him in the past, and she would love to be able to understand why he vacillated between loving husband and stranger.
“Charles?” Her voice was soft. “Talk to me.”
He turned slightly. “Rosie,” he began, his voice carrying a weariness that spoke of battles fought in silence, “I don’t want to burden you with my troubles.”
“Burden?” She stepped closer, bridging the gap between them with a courage she didn’t know she possessed. “I married you wanting all of your tomorrows, but I can’t ignore your yesterdays if they’re holding you back from me.”
“Rosie, I...” He trailed off, his gaze dropping to where his hands were braced against the windowsill.
She reached out, placing her hand atop his, feeling the tremor that ran through him. “We’re in this together.”
