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I don't know why I'm afraid to walk through it. Maybe because I might cry.
“Don’t worry, I’m not putting you to work. I get that you have no interest in doing this anymore, so I’m hoping you’ll give me some pointers.”
I step in slowly. There's a small chair inside, a few bottles of water, and a few empty book crates. I step up to the window, scanning the used books with blurry eyes. I blink up at him. “You built this…for me?”
A woman comes up to the table with a little boy who looks about seven. “Hi there. Beautiful setup you got here.”
I'm so choked up that I can't even say hello. I turn away, and Noah doesn't miss a beat. He steps to the window. “Thanks. Welcome to Charlie’s Web. This is Charlie. I’m her assistant, Noah.” He bends his head to the little boy. “What do you like to read, kid?”
“I like really fast cars.”
“Oh. Okay. Um…” Noah slides on his glasses, scanning the spread of books in front of him. He picks one and I wince. “How about one with a police car? Probably teaches about speed limit laws and stuff.”
I snicker and cover my mouth. The kid doesn’t look impressed.
I move beside him to help. “I think I have one for you.” I sweep my eyes across the pile. “I bet you’d love this one. Transformers.”
His eyes light up, and he reaches for the colorful book I hold.
“Enjoy!” Noah calls as they walk away with their new free book.
I shake my head at him.
“What? I told you I needed your help.”
I throw my arms around him. He stiffens for a moment before embracing me, holding me for a long moment until I pull back. “When did you do this?”
“I proposed it to Levi a few days ago." His eyes wander around the space. "Between the two of us we figured out what we needed.”
Something about his response reminds me of my sketches for the children’s wing. This booth resembles a design I had for a corner. Only mine didn’t have a window and certainly wasn’t on wheels.
I look up at him with misty eyes. “You found my plans.”
“Is that what's been bothering you the last two weeks?”
The question is so unfair. Because he deserves the real answer. "It's part of it."
“Will you tell me the other part?”
I bite my lip. The other part has nothing to do with books and everything to do with him.
And my white lie. I nod. "Just not today."
I take a long shower after my workout. Not that I needed to work out at all after taking Jackson on nearly every ride for a second time after he and Levi returned.
It only took two hours for us to distribute all the books at the street fair. It was amazing to watch Charlie in action. She knew exactly what everyone would love. It’s as if the kids had the book they wanted tattooed on their foreheads.
She was born for this.
It was killing me not knowing what was going on with her. What she wasn't sharing with me. And since I'd long lost the privilege to ask, I had to figure it out for myself.
If only I knew what that other thing was. I bet I can help with that too.
Charlie was reading in bed when I came into the room. It was the first time I found her without that wedding planner scrapbook of hers.
She’s been pretty quiet on the ride home and I imagine it's exhaustion. Which is too bad because the Charlie I saw today, the confident, determined, happy Charlie, is sexy as hell.
I step out with the towel wrapped around my waist, finding her asleep on the bed.
