Page 57 of Hold Me Instead (Elmwood Falls #1)

Amber squeezed her hand. “We don’t want you to get hurt, working with him after…”

“No.” She shook her head, more certain than ever. “It’s only strengthened our working relationship. I can honestly say I’d rather work with him, for him, than switch clinics or move. Besides, his friendship is too important to me. I can’t let that go. ”

Amber blew out a breath. “You are much braver than I am. I don’t think I could stomach working with someone I loved, knowing he didn’t love me back.” A napkin hit her in the forehead, and she looked at Cleo. “What? I’m just being real.”

“You’re never not real,” Cleo said.

Amber narrowed her eyes.

“I think he does,” Charlie said softly. “He’s just not ready to admit it.”

“God, I am so lost in all this love stuff,” Magnolia said.

“Honey,” Amber said carefully. “You can’t pine after the man, hoping he’ll fall in love.”

“That’s not what I’m doing. I have a pretty good idea of how he feels, but I’m not going to push. Just like he didn’t with me.”

The women exchanged concerned looks around her.

Charlie straightened. “I can’t believe I considered working for Neptune!”

“You had to consider your options,” Cleo said.

“Yeah, you have to do what’s best for you,” Magnolia added.

“Right…Staying is right. Oh my God. I have to tell him.” She stood, Toothless hopping from her lap, and rushed toward her front door.

“Wait, I’m coming with, and you aren’t driving!” Amber tripped herself to reach Charlie.

“Us too!” Cleo and Magnolia bolted up.

Charlie shoved her feet into her boots, nearly toppling over from the effort. “Damn things. Always such a nuisance.”

“I don’t know how you guys do this every winter,” Magnolia grumbled, adding layer upon layer .

“You’ll get used to it,” Cleo said. “Eventually, you might even be able to forgo a layer or two.” She looked at Magnolia, then added, “Maybe one.”

“Ladies! Enough with the chitchat! We’re on a mission!” Amber cried. “Everyone buttoned up? How about you, Charlie?”

Charlie turned, stiff in her bulky winter coat, wrapped in her scarf as she finished pulling her hat and gloves snug. “I’m good.” She grinned.

Amber laughed, then pulled the door open.

Only to reveal Zachary on the other side.

“Zachary,” Charlie breathed. The other women gasped, the sound muffled to Charlie’s ears by her winter gear. “What are you doing here?”

His gaze traveled over her, a smirk tugging as his eyes locked on hers. “You heading out to play in the snow?”

“I was heading to you!”

“You know, we’re gonna go bug Levi for a bit,” Amber said, shoving past Charlie.

Cleo and Magnolia followed, arms suddenly loaded with drinks and snacks.

Amber rapped on Levi’s door, and as soon as it opened an inch, she shoved her way inside. “Look out, buddy, we need to borrow you for a bit. Don’t worry, you won’t have to ring in the new year with us, but we do have alcohol.”

Charlie saw Levi’s stunned face as each woman entered, his gaze widening on Magnolia as she passed him without a glance. He looked over to Charlie, saw Zachary, then nodded and shut the door.

“Umm.” Charlie looked behind her, then back to the man only inches away as her heart stretched to meet his. “Want to come in? I happen to be alone. ”

Zachary smiled and followed her inside, toeing off his shoes. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“No, we were coming to see you. I was coming to see you. Well, I didn’t actually know if you were at Jordan’s, but I was going to start there. Because…” Her voice trailed as Zachary slid the hat off her head. She was on high alert, wanting him to keep going.

“You’re going to roast in here,” he said, handing her the hat.

“Right,” she said softly, twisting it in her hands.

He opened his coat, but stayed near the door. “So you were going to find me?”

She nodded. Stumbled out of her boots.

“After avoiding me all week at work?”

“Uh. Yes…”

He unwound the scarf from her neck. If she roasted a little longer, he’d keep at it. She was desperate for any way to be close to him.

“Why were you going to find me?” he asked. He tossed the scarf at the couch, then took the hat from her and did the same. He focused next on her gloves.

“I…um.” She let out a breath, watching his fingers slowly reveal hers.

“I was going to tell you that I still want to work at EFVH, even if it’s yours now, if you’ll have me.

The people there, the history of that place, it means too much to me to leave it behind.

I’m extremely disappointed for how this all changed, but not at you.

Except for the whole ‘I love you and you don’t feel the same’ part.

” She laughed nervously, still watching their hands, his fingers intertwining with hers.

“We’ll figure it out. I’m willing to try.

Working there, with you, it’s worth it.”

Zachary tugged her closer. “Charlie? ”

She looked up at him, her eyes searching for what he was going to say, trying to protect her heart, even though it was screaming out that he had come to find her.

“Harris,” he said, grinning when she did. “I’m in love with you.”

“You’re what?” she croaked.

“I’m so in love with you,” he said. “I don’t want to do this without you. I know it’s not how you planned it—”

She jumped into his arms, almost bouncing off him from the puffiness of her coat. Her face smacked his and they laughed, but it didn’t stop her lips from devouring him, her arms from winding around him as much as they could while he held her close.

She pulled back her head, her feet dangling. “You love me?” She was grinning so wide, her glasses pressed into her cheeks.

“I love you.” He slid her to the ground, then reached inside his coat, pulling out some papers and handing them to her. “I had these drawn up. I mean it. I want to do this with you. If you’re still interested, I want you to be half of EFVH with me.”

Charlie stared at the papers in her hand, the words blurring in front of her eyes. “Thought we decided this was too risky, going into business with your partner.”

He flung his arms wide. “Yeah, well, this is all going down differently than any of us planned, I guess. But it’s only worth it if you’re there with me. The practice needs you, Charlie. The community needs you.” He stepped closer to her again, brushing staticky hair from her cheek. “I need you.”

She smiled, but before she could speak, he interrupted .

“Not to pressure you. Fuck, you know how saying that sounds good in your head? I don’t want me needing you to be the reason. I want you to want to be a part of it, be with me—”

Charlie laughed, cupping his face with her hands. “Zachary. I want this—this is perfect. It’s messy and unexpected and exactly right.”

He pressed his forehead against hers and sighed. “I have one request, if we’re going to do this. White coats, five days a week.”

She reared back, but then noticed the teasing smile on his face. “How about I wear it for you here, without anything else?”

He groaned, scooping her closer. “That sounds fair,” he said, kissing her deeply. “Can we take these jackets off now?”

She laughed, tearing hers off, shrieking when he scooped her over his shoulder. When he set her down in the bedroom, he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.

“I’ve missed you in my life, Charlie Harris,” he said.

Charlie ran her fingers along his jaw. “Me too,” she whispered. “Stay in mine?”

“You can count on it.”