Reckless In Love(47)

"I didn't notice before," Charlie said to Sebastian after everyone had  headed out to the yard, "but now that I know there's pizza, I'm  starving,"

"I am too. Starving for this." He grabbed her up in his big arms, right  off her feet, and planted a kiss on her mouth before dropping her back  down.

One kiss and her heart was galloping like her stallions. "There are  youngsters here." Her smile ruined the effect of her teasing admonition.

"They can watch and learn, then." His grin was bigger than hers as he  put his arm around her, guiding her to the backyard. She loved the  sweetness of it, the ease of his touch, his smile, as if they'd been  together forever.

Outside, Daniel had set up canopies for some shade. Thank goodness there  was a decent breeze to cool down the warm afternoon. Susan waved an arm  at her. "Charlie, I've saved you a seat." There was only one deck chair  available next to her.

"You okay with this?" Sebastian asked Charlie softly.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because Susan clearly wants to grill you on everything we've said and  done-and probably on when you're going to commit to having my  firstborn."

"Trust me, I'm going to grill her right back about you."

He looked a little shell-shocked at her return volley. She grabbed a  slice of pizza and a soda, then took the seat Susan offered. Heck, she  felt kind of shell-shocked herself. She hadn't thought much about  marriage or a family, but having kids with Sebastian sounded so  good...as did everything that came with it, including his ring on her  finger.

"Lord, that sun is bright," Susan said from behind an oversized pair of  sunglasses. "Daniel tells me he's going to build a deck and lay in a  drought-resistant garden, front and back, with drip watering." She  scuffed her shoe in the dirt and lowered her voice. "I know it's  impractical out here, but I do love a nice green lawn."

Still stunned by the vision of herself in a long white dress, walking  down a rose-strewn aisle toward Sebastian, the best response Charlie  could come up with was, "Me too."

Despite Sebastian's threat, Susan didn't pry at all. She simply asked  about Charlie's work and then talked about her boys. Her deep, abiding  love for every one of them shone in her voice, her smile, and the  softness of her gaze. They were all her sons, not just Daniel, and each  of them had special qualities. She clearly loved her daughter no less.

"Lyssa is traveling through Europe on her own." Susan said. "She's so  adventurous. I'm not sure I could have done anything like that when I  was her age. And I certainly couldn't do it now."         

     



 

"Of course you could. Just imagine." Charlie closed her eyes dreamily.  "You and Bob floating through Venice on a gondola." It was so easy to  picture the scene with Sebastian at her side.

Susan laughed. "Bob would get seasick."

"How about drinking wine with fresh bread and cheese at a Tuscan villa?"  She could easily while away the hours with that divine daydream.

"I'm lactose and gluten intolerant."

Charlie stared at Susan's straight face for three seconds, then said, "Maybe you shouldn't eat the pizza."

Susan laughed heartily, from deep in her belly all the way to her eyes. "I like you, Charlie-you let me joke around."

"I like you too." Especially because you took in Sebastian when he badly  needed a family to love him. Thank you for being there for him, Susan.

Just then, little Noah let out a squeal of delight from across the yard. "Isn't he a doll?" Susan's face turned mushy with love.

Matt's son was incredibly cute as he drove a toy dump truck through the  dirt. With the help of Paige and Ariana, the young woman who worked for  Daniel, Noah loaded his truck, though he appeared to be getting more  dirt on himself than in the toy. "You go, Noah," Sebastian called out.  "Fill up that truck with all the rocks so your Uncle Daniel doesn't have  to move them later on. They're too heavy for him." He scooted quickly  out of range of Daniel's elbow.

"Sebastian's going to make a wonderful father someday," Susan said.

"Yes, he will." Sebastian would love any kid he had with everything in him.

"Speaking of family, I'm sorry about your mother's health. Sebastian has  mentioned her more than once." Susan's gray eyes were misty with  empathy. "Being in pain all the time must be terrible, and so hard for  you to watch."

"Thank you for your kindness." Charlie smiled softly, though she  stiffened slightly, nervous that Susan might add in her two cents about  letting Sebastian do more. "It is hard, but Mom's always upbeat."

"Your mother's new home sounds lovely. You're Sebastian's hero, with  your dedication to caring for her. As busy as you are, I'm amazed you  still manage to visit twice a week."

Charlie shot a look at Sebastian. He'd told Susan all the good stuff and  none of the bad. He hadn't said that Charlie was hesitant about the  doctors he'd found or that she wouldn't take his money to help with  Magnolia Gardens. Had he really called her his hero?

"Sebastian bought Mom a lovely china tea set," Charlie wanted Susan to  know. "Will and Harper picked it out. That's become part of her ritual  too."

"He's a good boy." Susan was quiet a moment before looking straight at  Charlie. "I'm sure you've noticed that he thrives on helping."

Charlie nodded. "He's amazing with the people at his seminars and he's  been so nice to the kids this morning too." Even if he hadn't always  stopped to let them learn by doing the work themselves.

"His heart is in the right place. Always. But..." She paused, as if  wondering how Charlie would take what she was about to say. "Sometimes  he doesn't know when to step back a bit and stop helping."

"It's only because he thinks everything needs to be perfect." His need  for perfection had driven him to hide his sketchbooks from the world. He  wanted everything to be perfect for her mother, and for Charlie's  career. Somewhere along the way, he'd learned that perfection was  crucial. Though as far as Charlie could see, Susan obviously wasn't the  person who'd taught him that lesson.

Susan's eyes lit with hope. "You understand him, don't you?"

"I'm trying to." Charlie took a deep breath. "I love him." Once the  words spilled out, she couldn't stop the rest. "I love him so much that  all I want is to make him happy any way I can."

"He wants the same for you, Charlie." Susan took her hand and held it tightly. "Promise me you won't give up on him."

"He's the most incredible man I've ever met. I'll never give up on him." Never.

"You're a strong person. An independent woman who clearly knows her own  mind. And Sebastian has never been as happy as he is now, just from  being near you. Do you know what else I see, Charlie?" She paused,  holding Charlie's gaze. "That he loves you exactly the way you are."





CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT


Daniel broke the moment, clapping his hands and announcing that their  break was over. Charlie and Susan only had time for a hug before heading  back to their posts.         

     



 

He loves you exactly the way you are.

Charlie still wasn't completely sure about that. Yes, Sebastian loved  her-she believed that with everything in her, with his every touch-but  he also had a vision of the celebrated artist and socialite he wanted  her to be. He'd never say it-maybe wasn't even aware of it. But she  didn't know how long she could live up to that vision.

She still had so many more questions for Susan, so many important things  she needed to know. What had Sebastian's relationship with his parents  been like, particularly with his father? How had he dealt with their  passing, given that they hadn't made the changes he'd so hoped for? What  had Sebastian been like as a teenager? Had he always been so positive,  so sure that everyone was capable of change? And why he was so intent on  keeping his artistic talent a secret from everyone? Charlie was almost  sure Susan had to know about his drawing.

Unfortunately, she couldn't sneak away when she was in the middle of  assembling drawers with Stacey. She would have asked Sebastian all her  questions face to face if she could be certain they wouldn't upset him.  He'd been almost feral the night she'd found his sketches. She couldn't  do that to him again. All she wanted was to support him and his art, not  tear him down by forcing him to face a painful past.

Charlie sighed, wishing, not for the first time, that there were easy  solutions to everything-from how to move Sebastian past his block about  his talent to keeping up her stamina during the endless stream of galas  and new commissions. Long days full of hard work, evenings full of  sequins and small talk, and moonlit nights wrapped in Sebastian's arms  tumbled into one another faster than she could believe. She'd found  love, but that didn't mean life suddenly became an effortless walk in  the park.