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

was well and truly sick.
She gave him privacy and picked a book off one of his shelves to thumb through.
When he wasn't back in twenty minutes, she started to worry.
    She found him on the bed in his bedroom. His arm over his
eyes. “Are you okay?”
    “No. I'll get up in a minute to get you home.” His voice was
raspy and he didn't look like he'd be up to getting off the bed, never mind
driving her home.
    “You're staying here. I'll call my brother for a ride.”
    He tried to get up but dropped back down, clutching his
head. “I don't know what's wrong with me.”
    “Stomach bug. It’s going around. The office was packed today
because of it. I'll be right back.”
    Her bag was still on the couch and she ran to it. She had no
idea how to help Rob. He was pitiful and she couldn't leave him like this.
There was only one person she could call on to help. She pulled out her phone
and dialed.
    ****
    It was on.
    He'd done the babysitting thing. They'd watched both movies,
ate way too much popcorn, played a little too much Jenga and Operation, and
he'd wearily gotten through a bedtime routine that involved several books and a
few water then potty breaks.
    Now that he could think, he was coming up with a plan to win
Charlie over. It couldn't be that hard. All he had to do was convince her that
she was attracted to him, that he was obviously a great catch, and that they
would be a great couple together.
    So he'd come up with the seed of an idea. All he needed was
for Charlie to show up, preferably before he passed out on the couch.
    It took him an hour to create the perfect playlist. He’d
already had a few of the songs but he bought a few more to cap off the list. It
was just something to set the mood while they talked. He was putting his phone
down when it rang.
    Charlie's number came across his screen and he answered it
as visions of her in trouble filtered through his mind. “Charlie?”
    “I need your help. Rob’s in bed. I think he's sick with the
stomach bug but I don't know. He doesn't seem to need an ambulance. What should
I do for him?”
    He went into doctor mode. “Is he breathing okay?”
    “Yes. He's talking to me but he’s hot to the touch. He just
seems really knocked out and I don't want to get him up to bring me home. I
think it's the same tummy bug everyone else seems to have.”
    “Okay. Get some water into him. If he can keep it down, he
should be fine. Call me in twenty and let me know what his status is. I’ll wake
the kids to come and get you.”
    “Don’t. Let me see how he does. I don't want to leave him
alone like this.” There was silence on the other end until she said, “Thanks,
Chris” and hung up.
    He threw the phone down, conflicted about the entire
conversation. A stomach bug was hardly romantic but her words kept replaying in
his mind. Rob was in bed. Did she move him into the bed or was he already there
when he became sick? It sounded like she was going to stick by Rob's side which
meant his plans for the evening were out the door. This was Charlie's Kryptonite.
Being needed, having someone to take care of, was the best way to win her. He
had known that two years ago when she separated from her ex and had moved out.
Will and Sue were struggling to balance both of their jobs and taking care of
their kids so it was completely natural for Charlie to move in and help out.
When her career as a real estate agent went through a rough patch, he knew it
was the perfect time to branch out on his own. There was no better person to
help him than Charlie and it was just the thing to get her out of her funk.
    Rob in need of care was probably more of an attraction to
Charlie than those stupid motorcycle boots he wore. Chris slumped on the couch
and closed his eyes. He imagined Charlie bustling around an unknown apartment.
His mind flitted from watching her walk around in nothing but one of Rob's
t-shirts to the clothes she left wearing. His stomach clenched every single
freaking time he thought