Page 56 of Hold Me Instead (Elmwood Falls #1)

Charlie

“What do you think of our proposal?”

Charlie looked across the bistro table at Ned North as he sipped his coffee, his fleece bearing a small Neptune Corp logo.

He’d seized the chance to meet at a café outside Elmwood Falls, willing to drive early on a Sunday at her request. It halved the chances of any familiar faces seeing her, though there was really only one who made a difference.

“A nice plan is in place,” she said. Their offer to her was generous, though she was hesitant to say as much. The images of the revamped veterinary clinic on the east side of town looked chic and modern, sure to draw lots of attention.

It chafed, the way money swooped in to transform. In the wrong hands, it was only a disguise—it eliminated any heart in the process.

She had to remind herself why she was here in the first place. What mattered was considering her options, finding what was best for her. If that meant moving to another clinic, then so be it. She was still her, that wouldn’t change. She could bring all the heart she could wherever she went!

“Their schedule is filling up nicely,” Ned said. “The community is very pleased. A few other businesses have closed up shop, and this location is well-equipped to handle the overflow. ”

“What do you mean, which businesses?”

“Well.” He shrugged. “There was another clinic not far from there. They shut their doors a couple months ago, so plenty of clients were looking for a new option.”

“East Town Veterinary?” Her voice was barely above a whisper. Daniel knew the owner—they’d opened their practices around the same time and bonded through the process. He was a lifer. She wondered if Daniel even knew what had happened.

“Yeah.” He waved away the name. “Owner was ready to retire. Worked out great. We were hoping the same would go for your boss, but no such luck... yet . Maybe in a few years.” He laughed.

She blinked at the reminder that Neptune had made Daniel an offer.

“What that means for you though is that you’d be in charge of a solid team, overseeing a large clientele that we anticipate will grow exponentially over the next few years.

Numerous partnerships are already in place, and the outlook for expanding the technology is huge.

All we’re missing is a strong leader who will win over everyone. ”

He grinned at what he surely thought was a compliment. Charlie, however, noticed her body coiled tighter the more he spoke.

She released a slow breath. “You have to understand. I know this is a business, but it’s about more than that to me.

I chose this career because I love it, and what has been most amazing is that I’ve fallen in love with all my patients, the community, my team.

What I have at EFVH is family. That’s not easily replicated. That can’t be bought.”

Ned leaned forward. “Or is it that wherever you go, family will find you?”

** *

A tap on Charlie’s shoulder made her shriek, sudsy water flinging from her hands onto the cat clock above the kitchen sink. Amber jumped back, hands out.

“Sorry!” she shouted. “You couldn’t hear me over the music!”

“You scared the shit out of me!” Charlie yelled.

“Where the hell is your phone?”

“It’s on the—” Charlie broke off when silence filled the air, Amber locating the phone on the counter and pausing the music.

Her cousin flicked her eyes at her. “Playing a concert for the whole neighborhood?”

Charlie returned to scrubbing. “You’re channeling my mom.”

“Levi was banging his head against the wall of the alcove when I arrived. I’m surprised he didn’t knock a hole through to your side. Said he couldn’t take the pop tunes anymore.”

Charlie snorted. “He secretly loves pop.”

“You may have ruined it for him.”

She scrubbed harder at the Pyrex, muttering under her breath.

“What are you doing?”

“Dishes.”

“Are you trying to wear through the glass? Turn it back to sand?”

Charlie stopped and huffed a sigh. “Did you just come over to antagonize me?”

Amber pointed to a grocery bag on the kitchen table. “Our New Year’s Eve bash. Remember?” She slipped on a pair of plastic glasses and pressed a button to set the frames flashing. “It’s gonna be a rager here at Chez Charlie.”

Charlie returned to the sink .

“You do remember us talking about it, don’t you? Magnolia and Cleo are coming…”

“Sure.” She didn’t remember. The last few days had been exhausting enough, dancing around to avoid contact with Zachary while she processed what to do with her life.

No one knew about her meeting with Ned. Talking with her cousin on the phone earlier in the week was vaguely familiar, but all Charlie recalled was uttering random sounds of agreement.

To something. Apparently, it had to do with hosting New Year’s Eve, one of her least favorite holidays.

This year was no exception.

“Is that why your hair is a tangled mess? I see you busted out your sexy high school sweatpants that have lost all elasticity in the waist. Real hot.”

“Aren’t we going comfy?” Charlie said, in an effort to appear prepared and uncaring.

Amber laughed, her perfect bangs highlighting perfect eyeliner in her perfect oversized maroon sweater. Paired with leggings and cozy wool socks, she was the picture of winter comfort.

Charlie was a wreck, in a faded T-shirt that hid how far her gray sweatpants had fallen.

“Okay, hun, I think this dish is clean.” Amber pulled it from her hands. “Why don’t you go freshen up? The ladies will be here in a little bit, and we’ll get you nice and drunk. Then you can tell us what’s going on.”

“I don’t want to.”

“That’s the spirit. Brush your teeth.” Amber shoved Charlie out of the room .

“‘ Brush your teeth ,’” Charlie mumbled, stumbling into her bathroom to do just that. The lingering taste of onion in her mouth was from dinner…the night before.

She rinsed her face, ran a brush through her hair, then pulled on leggings and her favorite sweatshirt, berry pink with little paw prints embroidered over the heart. She wouldn’t admit it out loud, but by the time she returned to the living room, she felt an ounce better.

“Here,” Amber said, handing over a glass of red wine. “Sit.” She shoved Charlie onto the couch, then sipped from her own glass and waited. She stood in front of her, as though to stop her from thinking she could get up and leave.

Charlie scooped Toothless off the back of the couch and into her lap, and dutifully drank.

“They’ll be here any minute. Want to just wait for them?” As soon as the words left Amber’s mouth there was a knock at the door.

Charlie watched as her cousin let their friends in, watched as they bustled about, shoving clutter underneath the coffee table so they could cram it with drinks and snacks.

A business card fluttered to the ground in the process, Neptune Corp facing up.

Then all too quickly, the women stared at her expectantly.

Amber sat on the couch beside Charlie, Cleo in the arm chair, and Magnolia cross-legged on the floor.

“No Sasha?” Charlie asked Cleo, trying to fill the silence.

“Nope,” Cleo said. “She’s out dancing with friends tonight. No Zachary?”

Charlie scowled.

“Oh, nice,” Amber said.

“Thank you,” Cleo said with a smirk.

“I told you guys what happened on Christmas Eve. ”

“And since?” Cleo asked.

Charlie shrugged. “Nothing.”

“How could there be nothing? You work with the man!” Amber cried.

“He hasn’t said anything to you about that night?” Magnolia asked.

“I’ve been busy.”

“You’ve been avoiding him,” Cleo said.

“I found out the practice is his, then I told him how I felt about him! Just blurted it out like I was running out of time. He doesn’t feel the same, in case anyone forgot that detail.

He made that clear. What else is there? The practice isn’t mine, he isn’t mine.

” She stuttered out a breath and pet Toothless, who had lifted her head at Charlie’s despair. “I’m looking into other clinics.”

“What?” Amber smacked her hand on the couch cushion, then reached to give Toothless her own pat as an apology for startling her. “You’re going to leave?”

“I don’t know what to do right now.” She shook her head. She glanced at the business card again. “I was offered a chance to run one.”

“What do you mean?” Cleo asked.

“One of the nearby clinics was purchased, and they’re hiring.”

“Wait, who purchased them?” Amber challenged.

“Neptune,” Charlie mumbled.

“Charlie, you can’t be serious! You hate them! You were adamant that Daniel not sell!” Amber exclaimed.

“Maybe the dust needs to settle a bit? It’s like you’re recovering from shock or something,” said Cleo, her voice even.

Charlie stroked Toothless’s silky fur as she blinked away tears. Magnolia scooted closer to pat her knee .

“What is it you want, Charlie?” Amber’s tone softened, her hand resting on Charlie’s arm.

“What do I want?” Charlie looked at each woman, concern on their faces as they waited. “I’d always envisioned taking over for Daniel. In high school, I never thought it possible. If anything, I wanted to be partner. Work alongside him, even Zachary, before he left.”

“So owning your own place is what you want,” Amber said carefully.

Charlie considered it a moment, what that really meant. “I loved the idea of it, but being a vet is my top priority. Continuing the legacy Daniel has created. The community he’s built, I want to stay a part of it.”

“Is working for Zachary an option, then?” Cleo asked.

Charlie paused. If she worked for him, she’d continue on almost like they had the last couple months. If he even decided to stay in town.

That thought worried her more than anything—him going back to Chicago.

“I want to stay. I have some requests, but being there is most important right now.”

“Even with him knowing how you feel?” Magnolia said, not hiding her surprise.

Charlie nodded. “If there’s anything we’ve built over these last couple months, it’s trust. Yes, our relationship became much more intimate, but I trust him with…everything.”