Love Renewed (Love Trilogy) (7 page)

Trevin chuckled. "I did need it, for my game! The look on her face was great, though!"

"Yes it was. I will have to take Douglas there for dinner sometime soon. He would enjoy the food, I think. Is it still as good now as it was back then?"

Turning on the street that led to her house, Trevin put aside the idea that he would get to talk to Charlotte about what happened and said, "The food is delicious. Of course, they have new stuff but they still make the best pizza in town. Your favorite is ham and bacon if I remember correctly."

Pulling into her driveway, he turned off the engine and turned his body slightly to face her.

"You have an excellent memory, Trevin, as usual. That is still my favorite pizza and always will be," she commented, putting one hand on the door handle, the other swiping her hair out of her eyes. "Thanks for the drive home. I appreciate it."

"It wasn't a problem. I would do it any time even though I know you really didn't need a ride," he said, giving her a wink.

The blush crept up her neck and into her face, causing Trevin to laugh out loud at her sudden embarrassment. As he tried to smother his laughter, a small smile found its way to her face.

"I guess I was rather obvious then."

"You were but you won't find me complaining. You are so adorable."

Charlotte rolled her eyes, even as his compliment made her skip a beat. "I'm a twenty-nine year old mother of a five year old boy. I do not qualify for the adorable category."

"Sure you can, Sprite. You are also beautiful but I find the fact you still blush to be absolutely adorable," he admitted, raising a hand and tucking a piece of escaped hair behind her ear, staring into her eyes so she knew how serious his compliment was.

She looked away first. "Thank you. Do you want to come in for dinner? I am not sure what we're having yet but mom always makes extra food anyway. She sure loves leftovers." Charlotte blushed again, realizing she was babbling like a schoolgirl.

"Of course I’d love to stay for dinner. Anything to stay around you a bit longer," he said as he removed the keys from the ignition and got out of the car. After closing his door, he walked around to her side to let her out as well.

"Always the gentlemen," she teased him, swinging her legs out of the car and standing up swiftly. This put her rather close to Trevin, who hadn't stood back once he'd opened the door.

Leaning in slightly, he whispered in her ear, "You know that's only true when we're not naked." Turning his head back to look at her face, he was tempted to kiss her right there in the driveway.

Trevin couldn't resist the urge to pull her closer, however. Placing his left hand on her lower back, he brought her against him, her gasp delicious and sweet sounding to his ears as she instantly wrapped her arms about his neck. Using the other hand he closed the car door first then slid it under her jacket, where it met his other hand as he wrapped her tightly in his arms.

"There is nothing in the world that compares to holding you in my arms," he ground out before looking into her lovely face again. "I'm not just saying that either, Sprite. You always fit just perfectly in them." It took all his self-possession in that moment to just stand there and not kiss her very delectable looking mouth.

Charlotte hadn't said anything. She was staring at his lips as he spoke, a small smile visible on her lips as her breathing became slightly heavier than it was just moments before. She knew how much he wanted her right in that moment and oh, how she felt the same. His kisses were addicting, like a favorite kind of chocolate she just never became sick of eating. She wanted him, even though she felt it might be unwise to let him so close to her so fast.

Licking her dry lips, she swallowed and looked up into his eyes. "You always had the perfect arms to be held in."

Her words plus the licking of her lips only made him focus on her lips hungrily and he felt like a dying man who needed the thirst of water only she could provide him. He knew he had to quench his thirst before taking her inside.

"Step back," he murmured to her. When she looked at him in confusion, he simply said, "Against the car."

In sync, he stepped with her as well until her back was against the car. Bringing his hand up to grasp the back of her neck, he brought his face close to her where her mouth was slightly open, begging for his kiss as she made a soft incoherent sound in the back of her throat. Neither of them were aware of their surroundings and just as their lips were about to touch, a voice rang out.

“Mommy? What’s going on?”

~*~

The sound of her son's voice caused Charlotte and Trevin to jerk apart. Dropping his hands away from her, he stepped back and she walked around him, her face breaking into a grin as she headed towards Douglas.

"Hey sweetie! I've brought an old friend home for dinner," she explained, climbing the steps of the front porch and crouching down to his eye level. "Did you have a good time with Grandma?"

Douglas' face didn't change much, eyeing Trevin with suspicion while answering his mother. "Yes, she's funny. I like her. We're having pork chops for dinner, she said. She also said something else but I forgot."

"That's okay. I love pork chops!" She turned to Trevin. "I'm assuming you haven't gone vegan on me in all this time, have you?" Her eyes danced with merriment.

Chuckling, he shook his head. "No way! I am a big pork chop fan so I am safe in staying for dinner." Looking down at Douglas, he added, "That is, if you're okay with me staying as well."

Instantly looking at the ground, Douglas shrugged. He looked over at Charlotte who sent him an apologetic look before opening the front door. Trevin made a mental note to ask her why she had sent him that look later, thinking that was no reason for her to apologize for Douglas' apparent shyness.

"Let's go inside," she ushered Douglas through the door first, peeking back over her shoulder to smile at Trevin as she followed while he held the door open for her.

Hot on her heels, he entered the house, careful not to let the screen slam shut behind him.

Douglas took off, running towards the kitchen to tell his grandma they had a guest while Charlotte took off her jacket, hanging it on the hooks by the door.

"Should I take off my shoes?" He inquired, taking off his jacket as well and placing it next to hers.

"No, you can leave them if you want. It will allow for an easier escape if you find that necessary," she said with a soft laugh, her eyes widening when he proceeded to start slipping his shoes off. "What are you d--?"

He cut her off with a laugh of his own, admitting "I do not want an easy escape from you Charlotte," as he finished taking off his shoes.

Before she could reply, Douglas ran back into the room, causing her to turn back to him.

Anna was right behind him, stopping short in her tracks when she saw Trevin standing by the door. Covering her shock at seeing him, she smiled. Trevin shook his head quickly to indicate that he had not told Charlotte anything about the past yet. Her smile brightening, she addressed her daughter.

"I was wondering where you were at! Did your cell phone die, Charlotte?"

"No mom, I'm sorry. I had sent it to silence earlier when I left to go take my run and forgot to turn the ringer back on. Am I horribly late?"

"No! You are not late at all!" She looked from Charlotte to Trevin. "Hello, Trevin. It's been a long time, considering that we've lived in the same town all these years," she commented on this, accompanied by a chuckle.

"Yes ma'am." He didn't apologize as they both were aware that no apologies were necessary. "Charlotte has invited me in for dinner. I hope that is all right with you?"

"If it is okay with her, it is okay with me. So, why don't you and her take a seat in the dining room. Douglas and I were just about to take out the pork chops as the table is set and all the food is there." Looking at Douglas, she waved him towards the kitchen. "Come on Douglas, this old woman needs just a tiny bit more assistance."

"You're not old Grandma!" Douglas giggled as they walked out of sight.

Letting out a sigh of relief that disaster hadn't broken out, Charlotte turned towards Trevin again, and lifting a brow as she pointedly looked to the window. "That was a close call out there. I think you should refrain from trying to kiss me while we're in the driveway here, don't you?"

"Sure thing, Sprite," he assured, taking her hand to walk with her towards the dining room. She didn't fight him, which made his heart beat just a tad faster with happiness.

Reaching the dining room, Trevin pulled out her seat for her; she murmured 'thanks' as she sat down and he took the seat next to her.

As they waited on Anna and Douglas, Trevin decided to tease Charlotte.

"Hey, I have a question for you."

"Yes?" She took a sip of the water her mother always served with dinner. "What is it?"

He smirked. "If I can't try to kiss you in the driveway...does that mean I can try to kiss you elsewhere?"

Before she could even scowl at him, her mother’s laughter filled the room.

"I don't want to hear it, you two. Now stop this talk before Douglas comes back in the room," she commanded, sitting down to the left of Trevin after placing the pork chops at the center, leaving Douglas the chair at the 'head' of the table.

Looking at both of them, Anna smiled while Charlotte blushed and Trevin started chuckling.

Douglas walked in and looked at scene with the all too keen eye of a child. "What is so funny?"

"Nothing, sweetie. Grandma was just teasing me. Now take a seat so we can eat."

Shrugging, Douglas sat down and started chattering away about his visit to the mall in the city with his grandma, his audience seemingly paying rapt attention.

Underneath the table, however, Trevin placed his hand on Charlotte's leg and left it there.

~*~

After finishing dinner, Charlotte and Anna were cleaning up when Douglas ran up to them. Trevin came in behind him and leaned against the door frame, regarding them all with a small smile on his face.

"Mommy! Can I go outside and play until it gets dark? Please?" His eyes were filled with excitement as he practically danced around the kitchen.

"Sure, sweetie, but remember to stay in the backyard." With that, he ran up to her and hugged her leg, then ran out of the back door.

Laughing, her mother smiled at Trevin, whose eyes had followed Douglas out of the door. "Isn't he just the cutest kid you've ever seen? He reminds me so much of Charlotte when she was a kid."

He joined in on her amusement with a chuckle of his own, nodding his head in agreement as Charlotte stood there blushing. "She certainly was that cute and still is." He winked at her.

Her blush deepening, she shook her head at both of them. "Now I know that you two probably shouldn't be in the same room in the future; that way you can't talk about me like I'm not standing right here." In a childish gesture, she stuck her tongue out and then laughed along with them.

After leaving the room for a moment, Charlotte returned with the last of the dishes, placing them in the sink where her mother was washing them. Picking up a dish cloth, she was about to start drying off the ones already in the strainer when her mother stopped her.

"Shoo! I've got a handle on these. You two should go and talk. I'm sure there is a lot both of you need to say. I don't mind getting Douglas into bed as well, if you want to go out that is."

Before she could respond, Trevin grinned. "Thanks Mrs. Reylin, that's very kind of you."

Charlotte gaped as her mother winked -
winked!
- at Trevin, who winked back before grabbing her hand and started pulling her from the room. Realizing she wasn't going to escape his grasp, she yelled back to her mother, "Yeah, thanks mom!"

The sound of her laughter followed them as they walked away.

Trevin, thrilled that Anna seems to think him spending time with Charlotte was a good thing, stopped at the front door to put on his shoes. Having left her shoes on when they had come inside earlier, Charlotte put on her jacket again before speaking.

"I'll be back in a moment, I am going to go say goodnight to Douglas so he doesn't worry," she said, not waiting for him to answer before turning around to head back to the kitchen.

Glancing up, he watched her walk away.

Once he had his shoes on, he stood up and slipped back into his jacket as well, waiting for her to return.

Out of the corner of his eye, a picture caught his eye from where it was sitting, perched on an edge of a table. Walking over, he picked it up, smiling as he realized what it was.

Charlotte was holding Douglas in her arms, swaddled in the hospital blanket with one arm having escaped. Whoever had taken the picture - which was probably Jack no doubt - had caught her with her eyes closed and her hand cradling his head, her lips pursed as she gave her son a kiss on the cheek. His eyes were as wide open as his mouth, probably preparing to put his hand in his mouth which would have been disappointing considering he was wearing a little mitten.

"I sent her that picture in an email." Her words came from behind him and he spun around. Charlotte smiled at him, walking over with her hand out; he handed it over. "She printed it out and framed it, which I didn't know she had done until I moved back home. It was always my favorite picture of the day Douglas was born." Placing it back on the table and making sure it was in the same position as before, she glanced up at him. "Are you ready to go?"

Trevin coughed into his hand, wondering if he had done something wrong by picking up the picture. "Yeah, sure. I mean, I am if you are."

Walking towards the door, he opened it and stepped back. "Ladies first," he announced, exaggerating the statement by giving her a bow and swooping his arm to point his hand towards the door.

Laughing at him, they walked out and got into the car.

Once in and all buckled up, Charlotte looked over at him, worrying her lip with her teeth.

Seeing it, Trevin sent her a questioning look. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing! I was just wondering if you had decided where we were going. It's not exactly like we had a plan or something..." She trailed off, blushing at his sudden smirk.