The little girl looked up but didn’t respond.
She’d briefly introduced herself at church the day before, but as she stood in front of Julianna’s oldest child now, she found herself tongue-tied. So many things she wanted to say. Stories she wanted to share. Apologies she wanted to offer.
The sound of a vehicle approaching drew the girl’s eyes. Charlotte followed her gaze toward the street just in time to see a familiar truck ambling toward her.
Cole.
Her stomach twisted.
He parked along the curb and exited the truck while Charlotte did her best to focus on his trademark scowl and not how attractive he was.
So far, she was failing.
But honestly, any woman with a pulse would’ve struggled in her situation. Yes, he was grumpy and rude, but he obviously had a soft spot for his family, and that was maybe even more attractive that his muscular torso and eyes as dark as hot fudge.
Today he wore jeans, a navy blue T-shirt, and a baseball cap, topped off with a pair of aviators that made him look like a male model.
Oddly, Charlotte had the feeling Cole had no idea just how attractive he was. He could’ve easily been the kind of guy who brought a new girl home every night, but she also got the feeling he had no interest in that.
Of course, that only made him more appealing.
He walked around to the other side of the truck and took off his sunglasses. He glanced at Amelia, then back at Charlotte.
“Hey,” she said.
“Hey.”
She stood, awkwardly, for several seconds, feeling every bit the imposition she was.
“What are you doing here?” he asked with another glance at Amelia.
That she hadn’t divulged her connection to his sister by now was probably not ideal, and yet all of their interactions until now had been less than friendly. He couldn’t blame her for not working it into a conversation they weren’t having.
“I stopped by to talk to Connor,” she said.
“You know Connor?” Cole looked confused.
“Not really,” she said. “I knew Jules.”
The frown line etched in his forehead deepened. “You did?”
“We danced together,” Charlotte said. “Before”—she waved her hands toward the house—“before all this.”
His eyes caught her and seemed to have no intention of letting go.
Thankfully (or maybe not?) the door opened and Connor appeared. He held Alaina and looked even more exhausted than the last time she’d seen him.
He spotted Charlotte and frowned. “What are you doing here?”
People seemed to ask her that a lot, and it certainly didn’t make her feel welcome.
“I came by to talk to you about the dance studio,” Charlotte said.
“Amelia, will you take your sister inside?” Connor asked.
The little girl stood, and then, in a way that a much older person would’ve done, she slipped the baby into her hands, positioned her on her tiny hip, and walked into the house, closing the door behind her.
“Is she okay?” Charlotte asked, haunted by the sadness behind her eyes.
“She’s fine,” Connor said. He pushed his hands through his hair and let out a sigh. “The sitter will be here soon.”
“I told your sitter not to come.” Cole took a step closer and Charlotte’s skin tingled at his nearness, as if every nerve-ending in her body stood at attention.
She had very little experience around men, and frankly, she wasn’t sure how to keep her cool when her body responded without her permission.
“I’ve got to get to work,” Connor said.
Connor didn’t even look like he’d showered—and it was almost nine in the morning.
“I called Hildy,” Cole said.
“Why?” Connor’s face flushed red.
Cole shrugged. “You need a break, man. I’m going to work out here in the yard, and she’s coming to get the kids for a few days.”
“No,” Connor said. “I’m fine. I don’t want my kids at Haven House.”
Charlotte didn’t miss the change in Cole’s expression, but she couldn’t place it.
“Sorry, man,” Connor said.
“She offered,” Cole said. “They could come to my house, but I only have the one extra room. Steve and Hildy will make it feel like vacation for them.”
Charlotte felt heat rush to her cheeks. She wished she’d kept on running. As it was, she felt like she was standing in the middle of a family conversation, a family she was very much not a part of.
Connor’s full attention landed on Charlotte, as if he’d just remembered she was there. “What did you need to talk to me about?”
“It can wait,” she said.
“No, I need something else to think about.” He tossed Cole a side-eye, which even Charlotte could see was meant to make a point, and gave her a look that said I’m waiting.
Her eyes darted to Cole, who wore the same expression, and now she wished she could hide in a corner.
She hadn’t intended to discuss any of this with Julianna’s cranky older brother, but it didn’t seem like she had much choice.
“I told Brinley I’d like to head up the recital,” Charlotte said. “But we wanted to make sure it was okay with you. We’d like to do a little more with it than your typical dance recital.”
Connor crossed his arms and now wore a look that seemed to say he couldn’t be bothered. “What does that mean?”
She pressed her lips together, aware that her question about wanting his approval had been answered. She desperately wanted it. She longed for someone else to tell her she was good enough to do the thing she wanted to do, which in this case wasn’t performing. It was organizing and executing a dance recital that would serve as a tribute to this man’s late wife.
And convince him to let her buy the dance studio.
She felt wholly unprepared for this epic task. And yet, there was also a deep sense of purpose like she hadn’t felt in years. She needed to do this. For Jules, yes, but for herself too. She needed to prove she was more than what she’d always been. What if Connor took away that chance?
“We want the recital to be a tribute to Julianna,” Charlotte said. “A celebration of her life.”
Connor’s face twisted in a way she hadn’t expected.
“Knowing Jules, I think she would’ve wanted her students to have their recital.”
“She would’ve,” Cole said quietly. “It was her favorite part of the year.”
Charlotte glanced at him and a collective sorrow fell on the three of them. For a moment, however fleeting, they all had one thing in common—grief.
“It’s fine,” Connor said, avoiding her eyes. “Go ahead with the recital. It’s a good idea.”
“I’ll handle everything,” she said. “But there was one other thing—” It was a big ask, and she knew it. How did she even broach the subject?
He dragged his gaze to hers. “What?”
“Brinley said you and Amelia always did a dance,” Charlotte said.
Connor’s lip twitched. “We did.”
“No pressure at all, but I’d love to help you with that if you want.”
“I’ll think about it,” Connor said.