23. Charlotte

23

CHARLOTTE

C harlotte’s eyes were on Tag as he took in Jess’s words.

Before either of them could say anything else, another proud parent interrupted to get the director’s attention, and he turned away.

But Tag stood frozen for a long moment, as if the other man’s simple observation was forging new pathways in his mind, rewriting the history of his marriage, and maybe even lifting some of the guilt he had felt for all these years.

“ Charlotte ,” Olivia cried from the doorway, squeezing past a crowd of community members waiting to congratulate her, and wrapping her arms around Charlotte.

“You were incredible,” Charlotte whispered in her ear. “Your mom would have been so proud of you.”

“Were you proud of me?” Olivia asked, pulling back to look Charlotte in the eyes.

Charlotte embarrassed herself by bursting into tears. She pulled Olivia back into her arms for a fierce hug.

“Yes,” she told her when she had her breath back. “Yes, I’m so proud of you, honey. You were so unbelievably good.”

“Dad,” Olivia breathed, looking up at her father.

Tag held out his arms and she let go of Charlotte to go to him, her eyes closing as her cheek pressed to her father’s chest.

“I’m sorry,” Charlotte heard him murmur. “And I couldn’t be more proud of you.”

“Olivia, ” Chance yelled, barreling toward them from where he had been with his cousins and grandparents.

Olivia let go of her dad to greet her little brother, as well as her cousins, Nick and Cal, her grandparents, and a few people Charlotte didn’t recognize.

“All that anger she feels,” Tag said softly to Charlotte.

“She was acting, Tag,” she reminded him.

“Not the other night in the barn,” he said darkly.

She couldn’t argue with that.

“I feel like I haven’t been who she needs me to be,” he said. “I’ve failed them.”

“Tag Lawrence,” Charlotte said firmly. “You have plenty of evidence from the last week alone that should tell you just the opposite. You raised a daughter who would throw herself in front of a giant snowball for her brother. And you raised a son who would give up the prize he’d been longing for, with a smile on his face no less, to help a child he’s never even met. You have been everything to those kids, and they’re the best kids in the world. I won’t listen to anyone who tries to tell me they’re not. Not even you.”

She didn’t realize how much she had raised her voice until she finished speaking and found that the entire hallway had gone silent. Once again, half of Sugarville Grove was on hand to witness their display of emotion.

She looked worriedly around at all the expectant faces. But each of them looked back at her with appreciation and sympathy—like they were all hoping for the very best outcome for their hometown boy, and the woman who had come to love their community.

When she turned back, Tag’s sapphire eyes flashed to hers.

“Charlotte, I’m so sorry,” he said, loud enough for the people all the way back at the auditorium door to hear him. “I can’t believe I let my own insecurities destroy a friendship that means everything to me. You’re the farthest thing from a stranger to me or the kids. You know us all inside and out, and you’ve made everything in our lives better from the moment you got here. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but if you decide to give me another chance one day, I promise to be a good friend to you—more than a friend, if you’ll have me.”

“Tag,” Charlotte said helplessly.

“ Make him grovel ,” a familiar voice shouted from the crowd.

“ Allie ,” someone else scolded.

Charlotte couldn’t help the little giggle that escaped her lips.

“I’m not afraid to beg,” Tag said, his deep voice intense and serious as he dropped to his knees. “I’ll do anything you want. Please let me show you how much I want to make things right.”

Charlotte felt her cheeks heat so much she thought her face might just burn right off her head.

Olivia waved to get her attention, and she looked over to see the girl with her other arm around her brother’s shoulders, both of them nodding to her, encouraging her to say yes.

She turned back to Tag. He was still kneeling, his blue eyes on hers, the intensity of his feelings flowing straight to her heart.

“How about you take me to dinner,” she said softly. “And we’ll talk about it?”

“I’ll take it,” he cried, jumping up and smiling at her as if he weren’t the grumpiest cowboy in town.

Everyone cheered, and the next thing she knew the crowd was parting a bit for them, and he was holding out his hand to her.

She placed her hand in his without a second thought.

“ Now kiss ,” Allie yelled.

Charlotte thought she would actually pass out if he kissed her in front of this crowd. And besides, she wanted to see how dinner went before she let him all the way back in her good graces.

But Tag bent to kiss her hand, his eyes still right on hers, and when his lips touched her skin, a tingle went down her spine and butterflies filled her chest. And Charlotte was suddenly pretty sure she’d made the right decision.