Fortune's Angel by Christi Whitson

Author:Christi Whitson [Whitson, Christi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-06-05T16:00:00+00:00

Seventeen

Eli

“It’s getting close to dinner time. Want to stop and eat somewhere?”

“Sure,” Charlotte answered softly. She’d been pretty quiet since we’d left Wauchula, but I’d been content to give her her space and just enjoy her presence.

I spotted a franchise restaurant with a familiar name and got Charlotte’s hum of approval before pulling into the parking lot. It was the sort of place with kitschy pop culture decor and a wide offering of comfort food. A hostess led us to a booth near the window, and I slid into the seat next to Charlotte rather than across from her. She looked at me in surprise.

“Do you mind?”

“No,” she smiled, giving a little shrug of her shoulders. “I didn’t realize you’d want to be a ‘same-side couple.’ I chuckled at the clever expression.

“Do you see a lot of them at Chance Encounters?”

“Maybe a couple times a week. More around Valentine’s Day.”

I nodded and put an arm around her shoulders, gently pulling her against me, and I was pleased when she immediately melted into my side.

“I just want to be close to you. Today has been kind of heavy.”

“I’ll say. I slept with my future boss, who is now my boyfriend. I introduced him to my mother, and he got her to smile for the first time in months.” Her eyes were teary again as she smiled up at me. I kissed her forehead and held her a little tighter.

“I really enjoyed getting to meet her. It means a lot to me that you wanted me there. And I really liked seeing all of those pictures. I wish I could’ve spent more time looking at them.”

Charlotte groaned, but her smile didn’t fade.

“When I sold the house, I got rid of pretty much everything that didn’t hold sentimental value. I only kept pictures and heirlooms. Luckily everything important was small enough to fit into her room.”

“You have heirlooms?” I asked with interest.

“Not many. Just a few odds and ends that were passed down from my grandma and my aunt. My mom had an older sister who died a few years before I was born. I was named after her.”

“And there’s no one else?”

“None living on Mom’s side. And of course, I don’t know anyone on my father’s side.”

A waitress delivered our drinks and took our food order, and once we were alone again, I decided to change the subject slightly. I hoped Charlotte wouldn’t take my offer the wrong way. I knew she was proud, but I couldn’t stand to watch her struggling like this when I might be able to help.

“So, I know we touched on it briefly earlier this afternoon, but… I’d like to help you move your mom to Tampa. We could find somewhere really nice, and you’d be able to visit her as much as you want. I talked to the director while you were with your mom, just to ask if it was even medically possible, and he seemed to think it is. I could cover whatever insurance won’t pay.

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