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"Yes, Liam?"
"Thank you... for, um, not givingup on me. I know Dad l-left. I mean, he left you and Roxie. Do you think heleft me?"
Her throat felt tight with emotion."Liam, I don’t know. But whatever happens, you're worth every bit ofeffort. And I meant what I said—we're in this together."
He nodded, looking out to where thewater met the sky, perhaps finding solace in the endless cycle of the waves.
"Shall we head back?" shesuggested, standing and brushing the sand from her jeans.
"Okay," he agreed, rising tojoin her.
They walked side by side, leaving atrail of footprints behind them, erased moments later by the tide. Charlottereached out her hand, and after a heartbeat of hesitation, Liam took it. Hisgrip was firm, solid—a tangible sign of the trust they were building.
The village lights twinkled in thedistance as dusk settled over Chesham Cove. The path back to The Crown Inn wasedged with wildflowers, their fragrance blending with the salty air. Charlottebreathed it in, feeling the tension in her shoulders ease.
The dusky sky melded into the purplesand blues of twilight as Charlotte and Liam neared The Crown Inn. The lightfrom the inn's windows spilled onto the cobbled path, a beacon guiding them tosafety. On the weathered wooden porch stood Simon, his tall frame outlined bythe porchlight behind him. His hands were shoved in the pockets of his jeans,and he was leaning forward slightly, scanning the darkening landscape with anintensity that spoke of his concern.
Charlotte felt a tightness in her chestrelease at the sight of him, his presence a comforting constant in thewhirlwind of recent events. His head turned, and when his gaze found them, shewitnessed the transformation on his rugged face—the sharp lines of worrymelting away, replaced by an overwhelming relief.
"Charlotte! Liam!" Simoncalled out, his voice carrying over the wind. He bounded down the steps,closing the distance in long, eager strides.
"Simon," Charlotte calledback, her words wrapped in layers of gratitude and reassurance.
Liam dropped her hand and sprinted thelast few yards into Simon's open arms. Charlotte followed at a slower pace,allowing the boy this moment of reunion. She watched as Simon lifted Liam,holding him close, his eyes shutting for a moment as if to solidify the realitythat the child was safe.
By the time she reached the porch,Simon had set Liam down but kept an arm around him, grounding him. Simonextended his other arm to Charlotte, and she stepped into the fold, her bodyaligned with theirs in a collective embrace that seemed to encompass much morethan just their physical beings.
"Thought we'd lost you for amoment there, lad," Simon said softly, his voice laced with a warmth thatresonated in the cooling air.
"Charlotte helped me," Liammurmured, his voice muffled against Simon's jacket.
"Of course she did," Simonreplied, his glance meeting Charlotte's over Liam's head, filled with unspokenlove.
Charlotte felt a blush rise to hercheeks, tempered by the serenity that enveloped them. Here, in the circle ofSimon's arms, with Liam safely tucked between them, the world's chaos receded,leaving room for the quiet strength they found in each other.
"Let's go inside," Charlottesuggested, her voice steady despite the storm of emotions within. "It'sbeen a long day for all of us."
"Hot chocolate?" Liam asked,hopeful, looking up at them both with wide eyes that held the remnants of tearsand the spark of resilience.
"Hot chocolate," Simonconfirmed, a smile tugging at his lips. "With marshmallows, if I'm notmistaken."
"Two big marshmallows," Liamnegotiated, a hint of mischief returning to his tone.
"Two it is," Charlotteagreed, feeling the corners of her mouth lift into a smile. Her heart swelledwith the simplicity and comfort of this domestic moment, a counterpoint to thecomplexities that had led them here.
They moved as one entity, steppingthrough the door into the inviting warmth of the kitchen. The old wooden floorscreaked under their weight, the sound a familiar melody to Charlotte's ears.Outside, the first stars began to pierce the velvet night sky, while inside TheCrown Inn, three souls found solace in the simple act of sharing hot chocolate.
But two hearts were still missing, andCharlotte worried over both as she sat with Liam and Simon in comfortablesilence. When would Roxanne come to her senses—and would Henry ever come back?
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
The next morning, Charlotte slippedfrom her bed and donned a cozy sweater against the morning chill, getting morepronounced as summer continued to wane. The wooden floorboards, cool beneathher bare feet, seemed to echo the thrumming anticipation in her heart as shetiptoed down the hallway.
She paused at Liam's door, her handresting lightly on the worn wood before she tapped a gentle rhythm, much likethe soft whisper of waves against the shore. "Liam," she called witha warmth that could coax flowers to bloom out of season.
Bleary-eyed but smiling, Liam openedthe door, his hair tousled from sleep. "Morning, Charlotte. You look likeyou've got sunshine in your pocket," he mumbled, rubbing the last remnantsof slumber from his eyes.
"Better than sunshine, I've gotplans," Charlotte replied, her smile broadening as she ushered him towardthe kitchen.
