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“How long do you think it will take for them to decide?” I asked.
Charlie chewed on her freshly manicured nails, darting her gaze around the gala. “I’m not sure. There’s a chance it might not be tonight. If it’s a draw, the mayor will be the deciding vote. I think he’s on board with our idea, but you just never know.”
Chandelier lights shimmered off Charlie’s bare-skinned shoulders. She was absolutely stunning in her strapless emerald gown, and my hands ached to touch her skin. But I willed myself to hold back. In the days that had passed, I’d racked my brain to come up with a way to keep her and The Bach Company. Everything was riding on the approval from the council, and I didn’t want even a whiff of scandal to influence them.
Once I had the approval, I could approach Sinclair.
Because there was one thing Charlie cared about just a little bit more than the Monticello, and that was Radcliffe House. If I could just find a way to get Sinclair to agree to buy into the boutique hotel plan for the Monticello without buying Radcliffe House as a package deal, I had a chance. A slim hope of finding a way to tell Charlie the truth about why I was here.
Watching her anxious expression was like a punch in the gut. Wanting to wipe that worry from her brow, I offered her my hand. “Care to join me for a dance?”
“I’d be delighted, Mr. Anderson,” she said with a smile, placing her hand softly in mine. I grasped her fingers and resisted the urge to bring her knuckles to my lips. Her blue eyes flicked to mine like she could read my thoughts, the start of a smile teasing the corners of her lips. God, she was gorgeous. I never knew I could enjoy looking at a woman as much as I did Charlie—and still find new things to love about her.
We waltzed onto the dance floor with a dozen others. Placing my hand on the small of her back, I pulled her in as close as was appropriate. Then I pulled her a tiny bit closer.
Her gaze fluttered to the ceiling then back at me. “I’ve never seen this place look so beautiful before. So romantic. And to think this never would’ve happened had you not been so stubborn at that meeting with the mayor.”
“I’m the stubborn one in the relationship?” I said, not catching myself before I could say the “R” word. Her flushed face told me she was surprised by its use too, but a hopeful light sparkled in her eyes. For the past month we’d been nemesis neighbors, reconstruction collaborators, and lusty lovers. We’d shared jokes and peach soda water and pieces of our past. This was a relationship. I wanted it—wanted her. And as soon as we knew the results of the vote, I’d find Sinclair and make sure he’d buy the new terms of the deal I was about to propose. He had to. It was the only way I could do right by Charlie and by my mother.
It would work. It had to work.
Charlie’s dress fluttered around my legs as we spun, delicate music dancing in the air. We were in a dream. Time stood still. All that existed was Charlie’s smile, the thump of my heart, and the absolute certainty that I would find a way to make this work.
Then the mayor cut to us and interrupted our sway with a tap on my shoulder. “The council has a vote,” he said with little inflection in his voice, and my stomach clenched.
“Already?” Charlie asked. The time had come—sooner than expected. My gut churned. So much was riding on this. So much more than Charlie—or the mayor, or anyone—knew.
“Yes, they want to meet with both of you now in the Monticello offices.”
We closely and quickly followed Mayor Greene to the theater’s back office, hidden away from the gala. It was quiet. Almost too quiet. The eight members of the city council stood shoulder to shoulder with no expression on their faces. They just stared at us without a word. Tension locked my muscles as I stared back, the seconds dragging onward like an anchor kicking up sand at the bottom of the sea.
“So?” I asked, impatient. “What’s the verdict?”
“That was quite a pitch. None of us were expecting you two to come together.” Councilwoman Sheffield stepped forward. “The vote was unanimous.” She paused, gaze flicking between Charlie and me. Then her mouth split into a wide smile. “We’ve decided to approve your proposal. Congratulations!”
The councilmembers applauded with big smiles on their faces, and relief washed over me. A theater-sized weight lifted from my shoulders, and now I had a chance. A chance to make this right, to ensure that the woman I loved got everything she wanted. Glancing at her, I watched as blissful satisfaction swept over Charlie’s face. We gazed at one another in the wake of the good news for a beat. Or two.
Then her arms flew up, and I grabbed her by the waist, spinning her around. She squealed and giggled, face buried in the crook of my neck. We couldn’t care less who witnessed our shared joy.
“We did it. We actually did it,” she said.
“I knew we would.”
After a series of handshakes from the councilmembers, Mayor Greene stepped forward, looking at Charlie. “You know what this means, don’t you?” he asked, and she waited. “It means your job is safe. We’ve set the town up on a new path. Good work, Charlie. Sebastian.”
Well, how about that? As New Elwood’s heritage preservation officer, she’d live to save another piece of history. She’d kept her job, saved the Monticello, and stolen my heart in the process.
Now it was my turn to do what I did best and negotiate my ass off so she could keep her home—and I could restore my mother’s rightful inheritance, with interest.
Music flooded the hallways as we walked back to the gala grinning from ear to ear. “We have to celebrate,” Charlie said.
“How about I grab us some champagne, and I’ll meet you in our theater…” My gaze flicked up the steps.
She bit her glossy red lip. “Now that’s my kind of celebration. I just need to run to the ladies, and I’ll meet you there.” Her brows suggestively danced on her forehead before she walked off, a smile lingering on her lips.
Over at the bar, I leaned my elbows on the polished metal surface and recognized a not-so-friendly face from my wine-drenched visit to Sullivan’s. The blond woman in the red skirt. Today she wore a white gown, with her hair curled in big waves falling halfway down her back. Her eyes narrowed and she took a long sip of her chilled white wine.
Seeing as we’d just gotten approval for the new Monticello hotel, I was in a good and playful mood. So I raised my hands in surrender. “Watch out, folks, she’s got wine.”
