Kayden looked at his mother with pure adoration in his face. I swallowed a lump in my throat. Having my child look at me like that was something I would never experience.
A little while after Abigail and I started going out, she started talking about us having a baby. Of course, I said no and forcefully too. I didn’t want to have a baby with her. Even the idea repelled me.
I watched Charlotte’s features soften as she cuddled her son. “It’s okay, darling. This is mommy’s friend. His name is Alex.”
Kayden’s response was to wriggle out of his mother’s hold until she lowered him to the floor. I stood watching him as he waddled over to his toys and plopped down on the floor.
Charlotte laughed and so did I. The tension evaporated.
“We’ll carry your train to Mrs. Horace,” she said, bending to pick up Kayden.
He wriggled and tried to get out of her hold. He was going to grow up to be a person who made his own decisions.
“I’ll grab the train and the bags.” I grabbed the train as well as the diaper bag on the chair and Charlotte’s bag. Kayden was another man’s son, but I couldn’t help wanting to be part of this little family. It needed a man. I could be that man.
“Thanks,” she said. Her gait was slow as she moved to the door and I wondered what was wrong with her.
Worry over her health came over me. Questions whirled in my mind as I followed her to Mrs. Horace’s house on the other side of the compound. I stared at her back and marveled that I once thought I knew Chaz as intimately as you could know a person.
Only to realize later, just how little of her I really knew. Mrs. Horace must have been looking out the window because when we neared the front door it swung open.
“Good morning, my little angel,” she said, reaching out to take Kayden from Charlotte.
Kayden clearly loved her because he raised both hands and shook them as he laughed as if they shared a private joke. Charlotte gave her some last-minute instructions and then we left.
“I just need to close the door,” she said when we headed back. She went to her front door, opened it and took a key from the inside lock and closed it. She hid the key under a rug at the front.
“You realize that everyone hides their key under their rugs, right?” I said, my forehead creasing into a deep frown, as I held the passenger door open for her.
She laughed. “I’ve never given it any thought. Come to think of it, that’s dumb.”
“I guess you’ll be fine. You live in a small town.”
As she entered the car, her sweet musky scent wafted up my nostrils and memories swamped me. As if by the click of a button, an image of a naked Charlotte sprawled on the bed, came to my mind. I immediately grew hard as her sounds of pleasure filled my ears.
“It’s safe to close the door now,” she said.
“Very funny.” I was glad she couldn’t read my thoughts. She would think that I was perverted.
She had dumped me for another man and had had his baby and there I was wanting to have sex with her. The memories refused to leave my mind. I rearranged my pants so that she couldn’t see my hard on.
In the car, all I could think about was how special and out of this world sex had been with Charlotte. Sex with Abigail was like relieving a bodily function. You just wanted to get it over and done with, fast.
Awareness lit up my skin at Charlotte’s proximity. The last time I’d felt attraction that strong and gripping had been with her. A warning stirred in my brain. This woman had caused me so much pain, anguish and humiliation. I needed to be careful. Charlotte was dangerous and not in a physical way.
The drive to the diner was quiet but I could feel her glances a few times. I came to a stop at the entrance and waited for her to get out.
“What are you doing Alex?” she asked.
“Dropping you off at work,” I replied pleasantly.
“You know what I mean,” she snapped. “When are you going home?”
“I’m not sure. I like it here and I’m enjoying catching up with an old friend.”
She stared at me and then without another word, she left the car. Only when she was walking did she look back to shout ‘thank you’. I grinned and waved.
The day stretched out before me but I had an idea of how I wanted to spend my day. I drove back to Charlotte’s place, and carried my laptop into her house. I placed it on the small kitchen table, rolled up my sleeves and got to work.