Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20

TEDDY

I hadn’t seen Charlotte since early this morning. She said she had some shopping to do. Then she’d texted that she’d met Fiona for lunch at the inn. She was excited that Fiona’s guests enjoyed the festival. I could tell by the number of exclamation points she’d used in her messages.

I hoped they weren’t discussing her moving back to the inn or returning to the receptionist position. Selfishly, I wanted her to stay on the farm for a little while longer.

I was happy that she’d taken some time off work. Since she moved into the cottage, she hadn’t taken any time off, and with the holiday season winding down, she wasn’t needed on the farm. I was sure she could use time with her friends.

When the farm closed for the day, our family met at the main house for dinner.

As soon as everyone was settled in the kitchen with a beer, Wes asked Axel, “Luna gone?”

“Got on a plane today.” Axel took a large bite of his sandwich. He chewed, then swallowed when everyone waited for more information. “She’s seeing a beach house tomorrow. Might put an offer on it. ”

Jameson nodded. “Nice.”

Axel pulled up the picture on his phone, then passed it around.

Wes looked at the picture, then handed the phone to me. “She’s moving there?”

“She plans to flip it, but she said she might keep it.”

I wondered how Axel felt about Luna leaving. When I was around them, I felt a current of energy between them. They weren’t affectionate around me, but I felt the tension. They’d met when she rented the cabin next to his, and I assume they started a physical relationship that might have turned into something more from the way Axel was reacting to her leaving.

Luna’s business and family were in Florida. I wasn’t sure how they’d make that work, and neither of them had talked about it.

That made me think of Charlotte. I’d said we’d figure things out. But maybe we should have a conversation about it. I didn’t want to end up in Axel’s situation with my girl moving far away.

I’d missed some of the conversation but tuned in when Wes smacked Axel on the arm. “Did she make you over too? You seem more outgoing, less antisocial since she’s been in the picture.”

I wonder if I’d changed in a similar manner since I started this thing with Charlotte.

“I found him hiding out in his cabin, and now he’s working the farm. So it must be true. I’m sure I didn’t bring this out in him.”

Axel gave me a look. “I wanted to stay busy. There’s nothing wrong with helping out on the farm. At least until I get a job.”

“Is that what you want?” Dad asked.

“I haven’t decided yet. I enjoyed renovating the cabin with Luna, and it changed what I was thinking about.”

I raised a brow. “Didn’t you offer to do it with her?”

“She said she wanted to start the business on her own. ”

“Are you going to do the same thing? Get into construction or flipping houses?” I asked him, curious about how far he was willing to change his life for a fling.

“Maybe,” Axel said.

“How did you leave things?” Wes asked.

Irritation flitted over Axel’s face. “She’s going home to start her new business. She was excited to go.”

Would Charlotte need to leave to follow another business venture? Would she be living in a hotel or on someone’s property? How far was she willing to go to to build her business? Was I willing to let her go? The thought made my chest tighten.

Wes winced. “You didn’t talk about your relationship.”

How much had Charlotte and I talked? We spent a lot of time working, painting, and making love. I’d told her I loved her. But what did that mean when we didn’t know where she’d be living and working? Didn’t we need to work out those details just like Axel and Luna?

While my family tried to convince Axel to go to Florida and talk to Luna, I found myself obsessing about my relationship with Charlotte.

But we didn’t have an end date like Axel and Luna. The entire time they were hooking up, Luna knew she was going home for the holidays. But Axel wanted Luna to have the freedom to do whatever she wanted. He didn’t want to hold her back.

Would I be holding Charlotte back by being in a relationship with her? The questions were starting to make my head ache. I wouldn’t know unless we talked.

I finally tuned back into the conversation when we were seated at the table to eat and talk turned to the farm

“I like the changes that Charlotte made, and the customers seemed to as well,” Wes said.

It was our first week with the snack counter and vendor tables inside the barn. “Charlotte went shopping for more decor items for inside the barn today.”

“Is that necessary with the season almost over?” Dad asked.

“I think she just wants to make sure we’re set for next year. We won’t have to do it ourselves.” I appreciated that she’d thought about that.

“Are we planning on keeping her on in a consulting capacity at least?” Jameson asked. “Y’all said you liked her changes. But she suggested we hold another festival and do Santa photos next year. Can we do that on our own?”

“I don’t want to plan a festival. She did all the work.” Unease settled in my gut. Could we do this without her? I didn’t want to, but at the same time, Dad couldn’t afford to hire her full-time, especially when our season was only November and December.

Dad set his elbows on the table and rested his chin against his clasped hands. “It would be nice to consult with her each year. We could hire her to work with us just for the season. I don’t know that we’d need her here every day. Especially since she already has a good idea of how we operate. She could keep track of what’s working and what’s not, make little tweaks as we go.”

I was impressed that Dad was all in with this marketing thing. “I think it’s a smart business decision.”

Everyone at the table stilled.

I chewed and swallowed, wondering what I’d said. “What? You don’t think so?”

“I think we’re just surprised that you’re in favor of it,” Wes pointed out.

“Even I can see that Charlotte has made positive changes around here. Our tree sales are up. Today, Fiona told her the guests at the inn enjoyed the festival and wrote about their experience in the room’s guest books. ”

Wes nodded. “That’s great news. We want tourists to visit here too, and that wasn’t happening when we only sold trees.”

“Monroe Farm supplies the inn with all their trees. So they wouldn’t be coming here to cut one down. But they might enjoy a festival or shopping for holiday gifts.” Now that I spent so much time with Charlotte, I was starting to see how marketing worked. You paid for advertising or hosted an event to acquire customers, then increased your base through word-of-mouth referrals.

“I agree. I don’t see why we couldn’t keep her on as a consultant, unless she takes on another large account and doesn’t have time for us.” Dad’s gaze shifted to me. “Do you know what her plans are?”

I took a long pull of beer. “I’m not sure she knows. She was looking for more marketing clients, but she’s been so busy here at the farm; I’m not sure she’s been advertising.”

“That’s good for us,” Jameson teased.

That didn’t sit right with me. I didn’t want to take advantage of Charlotte. She deserved to get more business. She shouldn’t suffer because this position took up all her time to look for other jobs. Since when did I care so much about another person who wasn’t my family?

It should have made me pause and reconsider my current life choices, but I liked worrying about her. I wanted the best for her. I loved her. My heart expanded.

I could see now my love for her didn’t eclipse my affection for my family. I could have it all. I wanted to share it with my family, but we’d agreed to wait until Christmas. I wouldn’t do anything until I talked to Charlotte.

I checked my phone. She’d texted a while ago that she was stopping at a few more shops before heading home for a bath. I couldn’t wait to join her there. It was my favorite part of the day.

“You moving home soon?” Jameson asked .

“The house should be ready.” I wasn’t looking forward to moving farther away from Charlotte. But I didn’t have a reason to stay. Not when I had a perfectly nice house.

“Is Charlotte moving after the holidays too?” Dad asked.

“I don’t know what her plans are. I think she was hoping to have another marketing job lined up.” But she didn’t. I should have prompted her to take some time for herself and not spend all of it on helping my family.

“I don’t want her to feel like she has to rush out,” Dad said.

“The job’s over after Christmas. We don’t want her taking advantage of your generosity,” Wes said.

That was in two days. “How many rentals will be available this time of the year?”

We helped clean up, Dad speculating about how Axel would do with Luna in Florida.

I wished I could be open with my family about what was happening with Charlotte. Would they be okay with it? Or would they be concerned she’d distract me from my responsibilities?

I’d never brought a woman home before. It might take a bit to get used to.

I said my goodbyes, eager to catch Charlotte in the bath. I drove to her cottage and parked behind her car.

Her porch lights were still lit as if she’d left them on for me. My heart rate picked up. There was nothing better than coming home to Charlotte.

When my headlights landed on the front of the cottage, I saw figures on the porch. It was the back of a man caging someone else in.

The wind whooshed out of my lungs, and I was pissed that my gun was in the safe in the apartment.

I jumped out of the truck, leaving the engine running, and the door hanging open. But I had the wherewithal to grab my cell phone. Then I raced toward the porch .

It was rare for me to come upon a situation like this. I usually had some kind of heads-up as to what I was walking into. But not this time.

Assuming this man was attacking Charlotte, I didn’t have time to waste. I really wished I had my sidearm.

“Back away from her.” I used my cop voice, hoping he’d assume I was packing.

The man looked over his shoulder and sneered at me. “I’m just making out with my girlfriend. Nothing to see here.”

“Step back.” I held one hand up.

He moved a few inches, not enough for my liking.

I scanned his body for weapons. I felt like I was at a distinct disadvantage. Was this the danger that Charlotte was hiding from? If so, it would have been nice to know.

My other hand dialed 911 on the phone I’d thought to grab, and I hit Send because Charlotte was pressed up against the siding, looking like she wanted to disappear.

“You know this man, Charlotte?”

“He’s my ex, Rick Solomon.” Her eyes shone with unshed tears. There was a bruise on her chin as if he’d held her face tight. I scanned the rest of her body. There were no outward injuries, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t hurt her elsewhere.

“You’re mine.”

I didn’t like that possessive tone of voice. He was clearly unhinged since I hadn’t seen him the few weeks I’d been living next door. “You invite him here?”

Charlotte’s eyes implored me to understand, but I was reeling with the reality that she hadn’t trusted me with something so important. “No. When we were seeing each other, he?—”

Rick growled and made a move toward her.

“Stay back, asshole.” I normally didn’t call suspects names but this was personal .

“Dispatch, what’s your emergency?” I heard faintly coming from my phone.

I put it on speaker. “Officer Calloway on the scene at the Calloway farm. Turn left at the fork and go to the cottage at the end of the lane. A man assaulted the woman living here.”

Charlotte winced at the use of the word woman but I was in full police mode, and she was a victim.

“Officers en route, Officer Calloway.”

“Copy.” I hit End on the call, then asked, “Go on.” My voice was cold and detached. But I couldn’t afford to be anything else. Not when the man was standing so close to Charlotte, and I didn’t have a weapon if he pulled one. I had to get him away from her. Then I could think clearly.

“He hit me once. I ended things and moved out.”

“When was this?”

“Last year. Before I worked with your family.”

I winced, not liking her talking about my family right now.

“Then he confronted me at the inn when I was working. I told him to leave me alone. But he insisted I go home with him.”

“You file a protective order?”

She shook her head.

“I didn’t do anything wrong. Charlotte’s my girl.” Rick said that on a sneer.

“It doesn’t sound like it. So why are you here?” I turned my attention to Rick, poised for him to run at any second. I would chase this guy down if I had to. He wasn’t getting out of this.

“There’s been a misunderstanding. I was just telling her to come home. That I still love her, and I’ll forgive her for leaving.” His voice softened.

Charlotte pushed away from the wall; her hand pressed against her breastbone. “I’m so sorry?—”

“Charlotte. Not now,” I said, just as the blue-and-red lights raced down the lane. My tone was agitated, and I knew it wasn’t a good energy for an already charged situation .

Rick caught sight of them at the same time and ran.

“Stay here,” I called to Charlotte as I pursued him.

I chased him through the brush between Charlotte’s cottage and the garage. Thankfully, he wasn’t in shape and started to lag as we approached the garage and my cruiser. The site of my car seemed to draw him up short, and I was able to tackle him to the ground. I pulled his arms behind his back and called dispatch to report my location.

Rick sneered. “She’s fucking you now?”

“Shut your mouth.” I really wanted to turn him over and punch those words out of his face, but I had to remain professional.

I hated that he’d attacked Charlotte, but I was more pissed that she hadn’t warned me about this situation. I could have protected her. I would have been more prepared. He wouldn’t even have gotten close to her.

Did she not trust me?

A few seconds later, one of the cruisers came back up the lane and parked behind mine.

“We got him,” Officer Reichert said, and I roughly hauled Rick off the ground and handed him off to the other officers.

They got him in cuffs, read him his rights, and pushed him into the back of the cruiser.

“She’s your girl?” Officer Reichert said when he approached me.

“Charlotte?” At his nod, I said, “Yeah.”

He raised a brow. “You didn’t know she had a crazy ex?”

I shook my head, the feeling in the pit of my stomach growing larger. “She didn’t tell me.”

“She doesn’t have a peace order. Think you can get her to file one?”

“I’ll see what I can do.” I felt like an ass for now knowing what was going on in Charlotte’s life. How could she leave me out of something so important? Her life was in danger, and she didn’t tell her cop boyfriend.

I headed back to the cottage where Charlotte stood on the porch holding her arm as she talked to an officer. Her eyes were wide with shock, and she was trembling.

“Are you okay?” I asked, rushing to her side. My feelings were all over the place. I loved her, I was concerned for her safety, but I was angry and frustrated.

Officer Perez said, “I was just asking her a few questions.”

“Of course.” I stayed close but didn’t touch her. I didn’t want to interfere with the investigation. My gaze scanned her body, cataloging a second bruise on her wrist. I shrugged off my jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

She clutched the lapels tight. “Thank you.”

Her voice was barely louder than a whisper.

“What happened?” Officer Perez asked, and it took everything inside me to hold back. Why hadn’t she called me? Or told me she needed help?

“I came home from a day of shopping, and he was hiding in the bushes by the porch. I didn’t know he was there. I didn’t see a car. He was my ex,” Charlotte said softly.

My heart pounded in my ears. We’d discussed my lack of relationship history, but we hadn’t talked about Charlotte’s dating past. Was that intentional? I wasn’t usually so negligent about things like that, but then our relationship progressed quickly.

“Things ended badly. I quit my job and broke the lease on our apartment to make a clean break. I lived and worked at Matthews Inn, and I didn’t hear from him for a while. Then he showed up one night when I was working the counter alone. He was angry, insisting I come home. Like nothing happened. Aiden showed up and escorted him out. That’s when I moved here.”

A cold chill settled over me. One I knew I wouldn’t be able to shake any time soon. I prided myself on knowing who I spent time with but this woman had omitted an important part of her life.

This guy was on my property. He could have hurt my father and the rest of my family. Dad knew more details about this situation than I did and was okay with Charlotte living here. But as a police officer, I was in a better position to assess the potential risk. And it was Charlotte who’d brought Rick Solomon to our door. Rage built inside me even as concern for her warred against it.

Charlotte wrapped her arms around herself. “He wanted me to come home with him. He couldn’t understand why I was living here and not living with him. He told me he loved me.”

“Trespassing and assault,” Officer Perez said to me.

I nodded. “Why didn’t you file a peace order?”

Charlotte blinked. “I thought you had to be living with someone or married to them to file for something.”

“You’re talking about a protective order. In this situation, you could have filed a petition for a peace order. Would you have gotten one if you’d known?” I had to know what she was thinking.

“Honestly? I’m not sure. I felt helpless in the situation. I wasn’t sure what my options were, and I guess I hoped he’d leave me alone eventually.”

An ambulance pulled up, and paramedics got out. Officer Perez backed away as the paramedics assessed Charlotte.

I joined him at his cruiser. “You’re going to charge him?”

“You know how these situations are. She doesn’t seem like she’s going to follow through. It’s going to get a lot worse than this before she takes the next step. If she ever does. You know the statistics.”

I nodded.

“She said you two were dating. Did you know about this guy? ”

I chuckled without any humor. “Absolutely not.”

“Yeah, well. She was hurt. Maybe you could talk some sense into her. Get her to obtain a peace order. He hasn’t made any verbal threats, but he’s physically assaulted her. A judge should grant it.”

Judges preferred to grant them, so if things went sideways, they could say they did all they could. But a piece of paper never stopped anyone.

“I’ve gotta write the report. I already took pictures when you were apprehending the guy.” Officer Perez got into his cruiser. “Good luck.”

I nodded wearily. These cases were the hardest. Nothing seemed to stop guys like this, especially when women weren’t willing to pursue every legal avenue at their disposal.

He backed out, and I returned to Charlotte’s side where the paramedic was saying something about a trip to the emergency room, but Charlotte merely shook her head. “It’s just bruises. I’m okay.”

I felt rage that a man had laid his hands on her. That I was sitting at dinner just down the lane, completely unaware that Charlotte was in any danger. I couldn’t protect her if I didn’t know what was going on.

When the paramedics packed up and left, we were alone on the porch. “Let’s get you inside.”

She sat on the couch, shivering despite my coat on her shoulders, so I started a fire in the hearth. “You going to be okay here?”

Charlotte said, her shoulders hunched, “I don’t feel safe.” When I remained silent, she said, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I hoped he’d leave me alone.”

“These guys don’t usually do that.” My voice was harsher than I intended.

Charlotte blinked up at me, looking so small. But I couldn’t cross the room. Not yet. I needed answers .

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I hoped he’d go away, and I was ashamed.” Charlotte hung her head.

“Ashamed of what?” I asked incredulously.

“I let a man hit me.” Charlotte wrapped her hands around herself. “I was in a relationship with a man capable of violence.”

I sat next to her but a few inches away. I felt like there was a divide between us. One I didn’t want to breach. Not yet. “It wasn’t your fault.” I easily fell into cop mode. I knew what to say in these situations.

“It doesn’t feel like that.”

“Is there somewhere you can go?” The implication was clear; I wouldn’t be inviting her to stay with me. I needed to soothe the rage that boiled inside of me, and I couldn’t do that around her.

Her eyes widened. “I can call Fiona or Daphne.”

I got up, intending to leave when she started to talk, “He probably found me because I went out today.”

“You were staying here because you were scared of him and didn’t tell me?” I couldn’t help but ask.

“I felt safe here.” Charlotte pulled the blanket more tightly around her.

I didn’t intend to stay. I felt too out of control for that. “I’m not happy that you didn’t tell me what was going on.”

She blinked up at me again. “I didn’t want to bother you with my past. Things between us were so good.”

“Don’t you think I had a right to know?” I asked, knowing I was racing toward an end I couldn’t see happening just yesterday when I’d been happily in love with a woman I didn’t know.