The Best Man (Alpha Men Book 2)(45)

Watching him with the teens he tried to help was also eye-opening. The patience and care he exhibited. She recalled how willing he’d been to put his entire life on hold to help Charlie, even before he knew what she was to him. The man would give the clothes off his back to help a child in need, and Daff often felt a little intimidated by his sheer goodness. She wasn’t good. She wasn’t kind. And even though she wanted him, she knew that what they had now was best. Spencer needed someone like him. Someone who was kind and decent.

“What time’s the meeting tonight?” she asked in an attempt to break free of her melancholy thoughts. He was still dead set on building the youth center and would be meeting with the town committee that night to pitch the proposal he and Mason had been working on for weeks.

“Seven.” His eyes dropped back to hers and he stopped worrying at his lip.

“How do you think it’ll go?”

“I know Oom Herbert, Principal Kane, and your dad are on board. I think Father O’Grady would be keen on the idea, too, but I’m not too sure about Alderman Motlaung and Mrs. Salie.” Mrs. Salie was the librarian.

“I don’t think Mrs. Salie is a concern. But you may have your work cut out with the alderman. There’s been talk about him being a mayoral candidate next year, and a lot of his party’s campaign sponsors probably won’t support the youth center.”

“Hmm.” He went back to worrying his lip, and Daff stifled a moan.

“Anyway,” she said, starting to pack up the remnants of their lunch, “I should get back to work.”

“Hmm.” He was staring at Nelly again and only shifted his attention back to her after Daff got up to leave. “Daff?”

She stilled and watched him cautiously.

“Yes?”

“Do you think Charlie would like a day out? Maybe to explore and shop and stuff?”

“I think she’d like that.”

“Would you . . .” He paused as he considered his words carefully. “Could you join us? She probably won’t go if it’s just me.”

“When are you thinking of doing this?”

“Sunday?” Just two days away. The thought of spending an entire day with him definitely appealed.

“Suits me,” she said, striving for casual, and he looked relieved. As if she weren’t at the point where she would move heaven and earth for this man.

“Appreciate it.”

“I’ll see you soon,” she promised him and turned to leave again.

“Daff?”

“Yes?”

“I’m glad we’re friends.” The words were soft and heartfelt and yet left Daff feeling hollow and disheartened. Because it didn’t matter if what they had now was best—she definitely no longer wanted to be this man’s friend. She wasn’t sure what she wanted, but it was definitely more than what they currently had.

“Me too,” she said, her voice muted and her smile an effort.

She left without another word.

Spencer watched Daff leave and heaved a frustrated sigh before running both hands through his hair. The woman was driving him crazy. Her warm smiles, so scarce in the past—and never aimed at him—were ever present these days. Sometimes it physically hurt not to reach out and touch her. He still wasn’t able to convince his body that they were just friends, and the amount of self-relief and/or cold showers he’d been forced to submit to over the last six weeks was becoming ridiculous. He had to consider the possibility of lessening his exposure to her.

Maybe depriving himself of her company, going cold turkey, as it were, would be the eventual solution to his dilemma. But it was something he could only consider doing after the wedding. Luckily, that was just a month away now. After that he’d be sure to keep his distance. It would be easier once she was no longer working down the road and the lunches stopped.

And he definitely wouldn’t be seeing much of the McGregors after Mason and Daisy left. Which was why he had to get Charlie comfortably situated at his place before that happened. If she didn’t wind up going to Grahamstown with Daisy and Mason after all—something that was starting to look like a distinct possibility.

Asking Daff to join him and Charlie on Sunday probably hadn’t been the wisest move, either. But if he asked Mason and Daisy to come, Charlie would give all her attention to Mason. He’d noticed her doing that more and more lately. Mason and Daisy had suggested a small family dinner, just the four of them, a couple of weeks ago, and the girl hadn’t said a single word to Spencer the entire evening. And yet, she and Mason seemed to have hit it off immediately.

Spencer felt left out.

Every night he went home yearning for Daff, missing his brother, and longing to spend time with his new sister. Occasionally he went out to Ralphie’s, often inviting Mason, who always joined him but rarely stayed out longer than a couple of hours. The younger man was too distracted with wedding and moving plans. So Spencer was usually left to finish his drinks alone. Someone would occasionally stop by for a word, but for the most part everyone left him alone. He felt like a fucking island, being buffeted by heavy winds, rain, and waves from all sides and at risk of disappearing completely beneath the raging waters.

On the bright side, his plans for expansion were steaming ahead, and the youth center looked like it would become a reality soon. At least that was something in the huge ocean of nothing his life had become.

He shook his head firmly. God, he was turning into a morose fucker. It was time to get his life back under control. And he would start with Carlotta “Charlie” Carlisle. A fourteen-year-old little wiseass who had seen way too much shit in her life wasn’t about to get the better of him.

Daff was at Daisy’s later that evening, helping her sisters and mother with seating arrangements for the wedding, when Mason came striding in. Charlie was idly fidgeting with the little magnetized cards, looking bored out of her mind. They all—with the exception of Charlie—sat up expectantly and watched Mason’s face closely. His expression gave nothing away and he dropped a kiss on Daisy’s neck on his way to the refrigerator for a beer.

“Well?” Daff prompted when he twisted the cap off, leaned against the kitchen counter, and took a thirsty drink, still without saying a word.

“The project got the green light,” he said with a grin, and the women squealed in excitement. Daff’s eyes went to the front door, looking for Spencer. He would be thrilled and shouldn’t be left to celebrate this momentous occasion alone.

“Where’s Spencer?” she asked. “He must be ecstatic.”

“Whatever that looks like,” Charlie droned, and Daff shot the girl an irritated look, even though it was probably exactly what Daff herself would have said just a few months ago.

“Watch it, Carlotta Carlisle,” she warned, and the girl glared at her. Daff had sussed out pretty early on that Charlie absolutely hated her given name—join the club, sister—and had filed that useful bit of knowledge away until she could use it.

“He stayed behind to go over a few additional details with the committee.”

“What was the overall reaction?” their mother asked.

“Pretty good. A few naysayers as we expected, but when Captain Van Breda wholeheartedly backed the project, saying he was all for something that was likely to keep problem teens off the streets, most of the town got behind it, too.”

“That’s fantastic,” Lia exclaimed. Daisy couldn’t stop grinning, and Daff felt quite uncharacteristically giddy with happiness. She knew how much this meant to Spencer and had desperately wanted it for him. She’d wanted to attend the town meeting and voice her encouragement but had promised Daisy ages ago that she would help with the seating arrangements. They’d considered changing their plans, but Spencer wouldn’t hear of them postponing anything and their father had promised to be very vocal in his support of the project.

“So how’s this going?” Mason asked, coming up to focus on the seating chart on a mini whiteboard. “Need my help?”

“Not this time,” Daisy said with an easy smile. Mason had proven invaluable when they’d been struggling over the same task for Lia’s wedding. Because of her asshole ex-fiancé’s extended family and her need to please everyone, Lia had invited some problematic guests, and it had been a nightmare trying to find the right tables for them. Mason had sorted it out with admirable efficiency.

Fortunately, Daisy’s guest list was smaller and her guests less complicated. Everybody started discussing the wedding again, and Daff bit back a frustrated groan. She wanted to hear more about the youth center and to ask what Spencer’s reaction had been. It was annoying that everybody else seemed to have moved on from something so momentous.

She got out her phone and checked her messages. Nothing from Spencer. Why hadn’t he texted to tell her his news? Surely he’d want to share it with her?

Congratulations! So happy for you!!! She sent the message hastily and waited. But the message remained unread. Disappointed, she watched the screen a moment longer before shoving the phone into her pocket. And then dragging it back out a second later to check it again. Still nothing. She checked the alert volume and put it back into her pocket.