Charlie's Last Stand by Isabelle Flynn Read Free Book Online

sister?”
    “Nothing.”
    Will shook his head and crossed his arms. “Nothing is what
you've been doing. I'm asking you why you don't tell her that you’re crazy
about her and put yourself out of misery.”
    “It's not that simple.”
    Will raised his eyebrows and rubbed his chin.
    “Fine. I haven't told her because I've been waiting for her
to be ready and then today was just a mess. From top to bottom, I couldn't say
anything right. She got angry about the whole merger thing and then I tried to
hug it out, which was apparently the wrong thing to do.”
    “What merger and what's wrong with hugging?”
    “The merger is not a definite. Just something I've been
thinking about. The hug was improvised and a bad idea. Anyhow, it just wasn't
the right time.”
    “When is it going to be the right time? Are you going to
wait until she's married again and your hands are tied?”
    His muscles clenched at the reminder of the two years he
spent in purgatory watching Charlie slowly become more and more miserable, tied
to a jackass that could never deserve her.
    “It's just a date. It's not like she's going to get engaged
tonight.”
    Billy ran by with a doll. Two seconds later Lily followed,
screaming like her hair was on fire. Will didn't make a move.
    “I'm not on duty yet. You might want to take care of that.”
Chris pointed to the hall where they had just disappeared.
    “Sue will handle it. You know where dates lead. Heck, I
don't even want to think about my sister like that but there's always a chance.”
    He stiffened. “It won't.”
    “You don't know that. She seems to like the guy and he knew
exactly how to win her over. They're going to that Indian restaurant she loves
and then to a little book store near his house. The guy must be a genius.
Either that or he knows Charlie well. They're going to ring the New Year in on
his couch with a movie.”
    He rolled his shoulders and stretched his neck. He wasn't
going to let Will get to him. “It doesn't matter. They can't have anything in
common. I mean, look at the guy. He probably spends more time in the gym than
he does reading a book.”
    “They talked for awhile on the phone before she started
getting ready. He babysits his sister's kids every Saturday night. When he's
not doing the pharmaceutical rep thing, he's writing the next great novel. Oh
and he wears motorcycle boots. She mentioned that a few times. I overheard her
talking to Sue.” Will looked down at Chris’s roughed up sneakers and then back
up at his face.
    “I don't know what you want me to say.”
    Will finally stood up. “I'm just trying to help you, man.
You'd be good for each other. I don't want you to wait until it's too late. She
deserves to be happy.” Will had turned to leave the room but Chris could still
hear him say, “You do, too.”
    He stopped at the threshold and called over his shoulder, “Oh,
I forgot to tell you that I had booked a night at the Excelsior Hotel. When I
thought you were going to have that heart to heart with her tonight, I figured
you'd appreciate the privacy. You don't mind staying the night, do you? You can
make sure Charlie gets in okay.”
    Will walked out without waiting for an answer. There really
wasn't any necessary. Of course he would stay if it meant seeing Charlie and
finding out exactly what kind of date she ended up having.

CHAPTER FIVE
     
     
    This dating thing wasn't too hard. Rob held the door open
for her, held her hand when they walked to the restaurant, and kept the
conversation moving throughout dinner. He talked about work and his writing but
he also asked her all about her job and hobbies. He was sweet, really sweet,
and attractive. He said all the right things and made all the right moves.
    She tore her attention bit by bit away from the day, away
from the way Chris looked at her when he knocked on the door before her date,
away from that hug and the way she wanted to sink into him. She threw her logic
into gear and told herself that any