12. Charlotte

12

CHARLOTTE

A n hour later, Charlotte was cleaned up and riding in Allie’s car as they headed back toward the village.

“Are you sure you have time to do this on a weeknight?” Charlotte asked for the third time as she soaked in the welcome sight of her best friend—who looked amazing, considering that she spent all her time teaching and chasing kindergarteners.

“Stop asking me that,” Allie said, laughing. “I still can’t believe we didn’t get together last night. I’m really sorry about that.”

“How’s the job?” Charlotte asked sympathetically.

“I mean, I love it,” Allie said. “But I’m definitely in over my head. They outnumber me, Charlotte .”

Charlotte could only laugh at Allie’s dramatic flair. This was why they had become instant friends.

“I’m sure you handle them just fine,” Charlotte laughed, meaning it. “After all, you handled four big brothers.”

“How about you?” Allie asked. “I mean, I know you’re starting with a couple of weeks off, right?”

“Yeah, but I had an idea,” Charlotte told her. “I hate to do this, but is there any place in town where I can print digital photos? I was hoping to put in a quick order before we eat.”

“Oh, I love it,” Allie said. “There’s definitely a place, and it’s right near the pizza shop.”

“Amazing,” Charlotte said. “Hey, thank you so much for all of this.”

“It’s just a ride into town,” Allie said, shrugging.

“You know what I mean,” Charlotte said. “I was really floundering. And now I have a path.”

“Well, hopefully we can get the shop open again soon,” Allie said. “But until then, I want you to know that I’m really glad you’re bonding with my niece.”

“You heard about that?” Charlotte asked, feeling secretly really happy.

“It’s all Mom can talk about,” Allie said with a smile. “Honestly, we’re all really amazed and so grateful to see her connecting with you.”

“I’m grateful too, Allie,” Charlotte said. “Olivia is so smart and so fun to talk to. I’m glad she feels comfortable with me.”

“I know this might be a little depressing,” Allie said, pulling into a spot in town, but leaving the engine running. “But I want you to be ready for her to open up. When she does, it might be hard to hear.”

“About her mom?” Charlotte asked.

“Yes,” Charlotte said. “But maybe other stuff too. She doesn’t really talk to any of us, and Tag can’t get anything out of her teachers, but we worry about what it’s like for her at school. Tag says she never has anyone over, or goes to anyone else’s house.”

“Oh, no,” Charlotte said.

Her stomach twisted at the idea of Olivia struggling to make friends, or maybe even being bullied. Moving to the city as a kid had been tough on Charlotte, and it had taken her a while to settle in and find a friend or two. But Olivia had lived in Sugarville Grove all her life, as far as Charlotte knew. If she wasn’t having any luck making friends by now, the loneliness must be drowning her.

“It could be a phase,” Allie said. “But we worry.”

“I’ll do anything I can to help,” Charlotte promised.

“I know you will,” Allie said. “Just one more reason why I love you.”

She turned the car off and they hopped out into the cold, fresh air.

It wasn’t quite nighttime yet, but the sky was deepening into a darker gray, and the streetlights were coming to life one by one. Families still walked and played in the park, but Charlotte could already hear one or two moms calling to their kids to tell them it was time to go home.

The whole scene tugged at her heart, reminding her of her own parents calling her in for dinner. She used to beg for more time outside, but now she only wished she could sit at that table one more time and hear her dad’s funny work stories.

Allie had parked in a good spot right in front of the pizza shop, but they walked right past it and the cycle shop, then crossed the street to get to the print shop.

The veterinary clinic still had lights on, and it made Charlotte wonder about getting a pet one day. It was probably pretty silly to be thinking about adopting a dog when she was spending her day around so many cows, horses, and chickens. But she really enjoyed the company. It would be weird to go back to the apartment by herself when it was all fixed up.

“Here we go,” Allie said.

The print shop was right next to the clinic. A small wooden sign that said A New Leaf hung from the brickwork beside the door.

“Hey there,” a young man said as they stepped into the warmth of the store.

“Hi,” Allie said. “You guys still print out digital photos, right?

Charlotte looked around at the rows of stationery in every style and color, the turning shelves displaying Christmas stickers, and the sign by the counter listing prices for printing posters, business cards, and even banners.

“Absolutely,” he said. “What have you got?”

“Hi,” Charlotte said, heading over to the counter to join her friend. “They’re on my camera card. I have a list of the ones I want.”

“Perfect,” he replied with a friendly smile. “You can stop in tomorrow morning to pick them up. Or if you want to jot down your number, I can text you when they’re ready. It will probably be about an hour.”

“A text would be great,” Charlotte said, bending to note her name and number. “Thanks so much. We were just going to grab a slice of pizza.”

“Great,” he said. “I’m Josh. I’ll let you know as soon as they’re ready.”

“Nice to meet you, Josh,” Charlotte replied. “I’m Charlotte.”

“Welcome to town, Charlotte,” Josh said with a smile that crinkled his brown eyes.

“How did you know I was new?” she asked.

“If anyone around here had a camera that nice, I’d already know them,” Josh told her. “I’m the only print shop in town, after all. And I’m a bit of an amateur photographer myself. I take most of the pictures for the Sugarville Grover.”

“That’s awesome,” Charlotte said, noticing that he was about her age, and maybe a potential friend. “I’m sure I’ll be seeing you a lot.”

They headed back outside, and Allie giggled as soon as they were out the door.

“What?” Charlotte asked.

“What she asks,” Allie said, shaking her head. “He obviously thought you were cute.”

“I don’t know about that,” Charlotte said. “We just have something in common. He probably just wants to make a new friend.”

“You’re already my friend,” Allie teased. “But I can’t believe you weren’t picking up on his vibes. You must really be serious about your no-guys rule.”

“Very serious,” Charlotte assured her as they crossed back over to Moose Avenue. “I need a break.”

“You’re still hurting?” Allie asked.

“No, actually,” Charlotte said. “That’s the weird thing. I’m actually feeling more like myself right now than I have in years.”

“So why not drop the moratorium on dating?” Allie asked.

“ Because I feel better,” Charlotte said, realizing out loud that it was the truth. “Also, because with a little distance I can see that you were right about him, and you two never even met. I think a little time off might help me recalibrate my radar.”

“Good,” Allie said. “I like that answer.”

It hit Charlotte suddenly that Allie might like that answer because she somehow sensed that Charlotte was attracted to Tag.

Please, don’t let her see that. It doesn’t mean anything. It’s just a harmless crush.

But even as the thought went through her mind, Charlotte wasn’t sure it was true.

Allie pushed open the door to the pizza shop and Charlotte realized that it was practically the only storefront in town without Christmas decorations.

That didn’t matter though, once the restaurant enveloped her senses. It was warm inside, and it smelled like woodsmoke and delicious pizza seasonings. The clean lines of the pale wood interior were a change from all the authentic Victorian architecture she had seen since arriving. And the place was packed.

“This is different,” Charlotte said.

“The owner is a flatlander,” Allie said, shrugging. “But she really knows how to cook.”

“Hey, I’m a flatlander too,” Charlotte protested.

“Yeah, but we adopted you,” Allie said fondly, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “You’re one of us now.”

“Hey, Allie,” a hostess said. “Table for two?”

“Yes, please, Vicky,” Allie said. “This is my college roommate, Charlotte.”

“Is that so?” Vicky said, her eyes widening slightly with interest.

Allie shook her head at Vicky, and Vicky gave a little chuckle before leading them back to a nice little table with two chairs.

“What was that about?” Charlotte asked.

“Oh, nothing,” Allie said. “Believe me.”

“It wasn’t nothing,” Charlotte said.

“Well, I’m pretty sure there’s a bet going that I’m going to hook you up with one of my brothers,” Allie said. “But that will never happen. You’re taking a break, and besides, you’re too good for most of them.”

“ Most of them ?” Charlotte asked.

“Well, the one who’s going to chase you is Tripp,” Allie said. “And you’re too good for him. He’s got some growing up to do.”

“Wow,” Charlotte said.

“Zane could really use a woman in his life,” Allie went on. “But he’s not ready for that. I don’t know if he ever will be.”

Charlotte wondered why. She didn’t even know he was single until now, although she hadn’t been able to help noticing that the twins’ mom never seemed to be around.

“West is too wrapped up in his practice to notice anything going on,” Allie went on. “And Cash is the only one of us who actually left home, so he can’t be in hot pursuit of anyone back here.”

“Wow,” Charlotte said, impressed all over again at Allie’s big family.

She couldn’t help noticing that Allie hadn’t brought up Tag at all.

“Besides, like I said, I want you all to myself,” Allie added with a wink. “So, are you going to tell me about your idea?”

But a waiter came over before she could, and sure enough, Allie knew him too. He placed a basket of fresh breadsticks and marinara on the table and took their drink orders, then Allie ordered them something called the Maple Mountain pizza with a just-trust-me expression that Charlotte couldn’t argue with.

When the waiter left their table, Charlotte decided to share a bit about what she had in mind for the shop. Allie was over the moon from the very beginning, which felt pretty good.

“Don’t tell Tag though,” she said when Charlotte was finished.

“Why not?” Charlotte asked.

“Oh, he’s such a grump that he’ll only try to poke holes in it,” Allie said dismissively. “Just do it and then show it to him. Ask forgiveness, not permission.”

“How am I going to manage that?” Charlotte asked.

“You’re taking your car back tonight,” Allie said. “So tomorrow, when he’s working on farm chores, you can just pop over to the shop, easy-peasy.”

It actually did seem kind of fun to surprise Tag. And she had Allie’s permission to get started, so it wasn’t like the family wasn’t aware. Besides, it wasn’t anything too major. If they didn’t like it, she could always put things back the way they were before.

“Okay, maybe I’ll do that,” she heard herself say.

“There’s my girl,” Allie said with a smile. “So, now that I’m already interfering in your life, can I ask one more thing?”

“Sure,” Charlotte said, dipping a breadstick in the fragrant tomato sauce.

“What are you doing about college?” Allie asked.

Charlotte put the bread down on her plate and bit her lip as she thought about how to respond.

“I know it’s probably a sore subject,” Allie said, grabbing her hand over the table. “But you have so much to offer. You should have the degree to match.”

“I didn’t have a choice about leaving,” Charlotte said, expecting the same argument her mother had given her at the time.

“I one-hundred percent agree,” Allie said.

“Really?” Charlotte asked, looking up to meet her best friend’s eyes.

“You’ve met my family now,” Allie said softly. “Do you think there’s anything in the world I wouldn’t do for them?”

Charlotte nodded slowly, feeling more seen than she expected. She’d left so quickly that it had been hard to know what Allie really thought of her choice at the time.

“But it doesn’t really matter,” Charlotte said. “I can’t afford another year. I’m already paying back student loans for the three-and-a-half years I did. Plus the semester I left in the middle of, too.”

“That really sucks,” Allie said with feeling.

“It’s okay,” Charlotte said. “It’s just that it was hard to find long-term work without the degree. I’m really grateful to you and your family for the opportunity to run the shop, by the way.”

“We know,” Allie said, rolling her eyes. “And we’re grateful to you. When the lady who used to run the cash register left, Tag almost had my parents convinced to close the place down. Grandma Lawrence would have been so sad to think her ice cream shop was gone.”

“I’m glad it worked out for all of us,” Charlotte said.

“But seriously, what about school?” Allie asked her.

“What about it?” Charlotte asked.

“The professors loved you,” Allie said thoughtfully. “And you were doing great before you left. Do you think maybe they’d let you finish up online?”

Charlotte looked at her friend in amazement.

“What?” Allie asked.

“I never even thought about that,” Charlotte admitted, shaking her head.

“Well, think about it,” Allie told her. “You might have been overwhelmed when you left, but you’re feeling good now. You’ve got nothing to lose by asking, right?”

Allie was right about the degree. But as far as the rest of her life, it was starting to feel like things were actually coming together for her. She was getting back that sense of purpose she’d been missing. Charlotte realized that for the first time in a long time, she really did have something to lose now. And it felt wonderful.

If this was what only a few days in Sugarville Grove did for her, she couldn’t wait to see what came next.