The older woman graced her with a huge, welcoming smile.
“Let me look at you.” Charlotte stepped back and took in the older woman’s appearance. She was slender as always and a makeup-induced glow radiated in her cheeks. From looking at Raina, Charlotte couldn’t tell she’d been in the hospital. “You look wonderful!”
“Thank you. I’m trying not to let my health get me down.” Raina’s glance darted sideways, then back again.
“Well, I haven’t seen you all week. I hope that means you’re taking good care of yourself. One hospital trip is one too many.”
Raina nodded. “I’m learning to be more cautious,” she acknowledged. “Now back to you. I’ve come to relieve you. Go mingle.”
“Oh, no.” Charlotte shook her head. “I’m not going to let you stand on your feet and handle punch bowl duty. You need rest.”
Raina waved a hand in the air, dismissing the possibility. “I’m not your replacement.”
Charlotte glanced around, but she didn’t see anyone with her. “Who is? Not my mother, I hope?”
“Last I saw, your mother was doing quite nicely. Socializing, even.”
“Dennis Sterling?” Charlotte asked, unable to hide the hope in her voice.
“Unfortunately, Dennis is going to be late.”
Charlotte sighed. As the town’s only veterinarian, any animal emergency fell into Dennis’s lap.
Raina patted her hand. “Don’t worry. If the man’s interested, once he takes a look at your mom tonight, he’ll be persistent.”
“Isn’t she gorgeous? I picked her dress myself.”
“Your taste is impeccable, as always. You look beautiful too.”
“Thank you.” Knowing she’d picked out this outfit with Raina’s youngest son in mind, Charlotte felt the heat rise to her cheeks. Especially since she’d decided to go with something daring, an outfit she’d purchased during her New York City days.
Maybe he’d been able to resist her enough to pull away, but not before she’d felt his body’s reaction to her. The man wasn’t immune. And tonight she needed the ego boost of having his appraising eyes focused on her. Unfortunately, that blue gaze wasn’t nearly as interested in her tonight as she’d hoped.
“I understand you and my youngest had a run-in,” Raina said, as if she could see into Charlotte’s innermost thoughts.
The flush turned into a full-fledged burn in her cheeks. Who could possibly have seen her with Roman? she wondered, this afternoon’s events playing out in erotic detail in her mind. “I … uh … we …”
“Met up again in Norman’s a few nights ago. Rick told me.” Raina ignored Charlotte’s exhale of relief and merely patted her hand once more. “You never know what might develop after years apart. I’m here to give you a chance to put that sexy outfit to good use. Sam’s going to watch the punch bowl, aren’t you?” Raina reached behind her and pulled the town’s ultimate loner into view.
“Hi, Sam.” She was surprised he’d ventured into a crowded function, but free food and drink might explain that.
“I wanted to ask you how you two were acquainted,” Raina said.
“She’s just a sucker for an old man,” he muttered. Charlotte nodded. She’d always had a soft spot for the loner.
“And Sam sometimes does errands for me.” Mailing letters and such in return for cash that enabled him to buy food, she thought, but she didn’t say that out loud.
He was a proud man few in town bothered to know or understand. But even as a little girl, she’d remembered seeing her mother reach out to him. Charlotte was saddened, on her return to Yorkshire Falls, to see Sam’s solitary life had stayed the same, and she’d gone out of her way to help him without directly offering charity.
“Well, now he’s going to watch the punch bowl,” Raina said.
“Freeing you to dance with me.” Rick Chandler appeared on the opposite side of the table, cornering her in front of his mother with a wink.
The last thing Charlotte needed was time alone with another Chandler man. “As long as I’m being relieved, I think I need some air.”
“You just got some, didn’t you?” Raina called her on her bluff.
Rick met her gaze. “I need you to bolster my reputation around here. The women are turning me down left and right.” He eyed her pointedly and she understood he wanted to talk without creating a scene or a distraction. Police business, probably. She still owed him the list of customers who’d purchased or ordered the handmade panties from her shop.
Better cooperate with Yorkshire Falls’ finest, Charlotte thought. “I think a dance will do me more good than fresh air.”
Rick pushed the table back to make room for her to slip through.
“And that means I can get back to my …” Raina’s voice trailed off and she placed a shaky hand on her heart.
“Mom?” Rick asked.
“I’m okay. It’s just that maybe coming out tonight wasn’t such a good idea. Palpitations.” She glanced away, toward the far wall. “I’ll just get Eric to sit with me until he can take me home. He’s my …”
“Date,” Rick offered, guiding his arm around his mother’s waist. He shot Charlotte a worried glance, but pasted a smile on his face, obviously playing it light with his mother. “You can say it. You’re here with your date.”
“I’m here with my doctor.”
“Who’s suddenly paying exclusive attention to one patient?” Rick smiled knowingly at his mother, then gestured across the room, calling the doctor over.
“It’s like you said, I’m his patient.”
But Charlotte noticed Raina couldn’t meet her son’s gaze.
“Who’s the lucky woman tonight?” Raina asked in an obvious subject change.
“I told you they won’t have anything to do with me.” He winked Charlotte’s way.
“What happened to Donna Sinclair?” his mother asked.
“She only wanted me for my body.”
Raina rolled her eyes and Charlotte couldn’t help but laugh at the byplay, though she too was concerned about Raina’s health.
“Erin Rollins?”
“Last month’s news, Mother.”
“Then maybe you could try cheering up Beth Hansen.”
At the mention of Beth’s name, Charlotte started, then grew concerned. “Why? Isn’t she with David?” Charlotte didn’t expect Beth and her fiancé here, not when they hadn’t seen each other going on two weeks.
“I haven’t seen Beth but I hear her fiancé’s a no-show and figured she’d need a shoulder,” Raina said. “But that could just be hearsay.”
Charlotte sighed. “I’ll stop by on my way home and talk to her.”
Raina nodded. “One of you should. Now, Rick, since Charlotte’s taken that job, how about you ask Mary Pinto to dance? She’s over there by her mother’s wheelchair.”
He shook his head.
“Lisa Burton?” She pointed to the conservative school-teacher standing by the wall.
He sighed. “I can find my own dates, Mom. And I’m here talking with Charlotte now. Are you trying to scare her away?”