Shark Out of Water (22 page)

Chapter 25

Papa

When Warren calmed down, Carmody took charge once again. She stepped into the room and took both of the children’s hands. “Come on, you two. How about we watch some cartoons until dinner?”

Warren stared up at her warily. “Who’s going to make dinner?” He was careful to avoid looking at Guy.

Trying not to chuckle, Carmody said, “My husband, Michael, is going to come make us all an early dinner. He’s a very good cook, and he never burns anything.”

She pulled a relieved Warren out of the room with Lily following behind chanting, “Daddy’s coming! Daddy’s coming!” over and over again. Guy was still sitting on the little twin bed when Charlotte looked at him. He stood, knowing they needed to talk, and led her down the hall to her bedroom. She seemed almost surprised when he sat down on her bed and gestured for her to join him. It did not stop her from sitting down and looking at him pensively. Guy immediately pulled her close.

“Guy, I’m sorry for the way I reacted earlier.”

“
Ma chérie
, you do not need to apologize. I should not have assumed…”

Charlotte, shook her head, stopping him from continuing. “No, Guy. You were right before. You’ve been more involved in Warren’s life since I started chemo than I have. There’s no reason you shouldn’t have been able to handle him getting in trouble today. I shouldn’t have yelled at you for trying to help.”

Although he appreciated her apology, Guy did not answer right away. It took him several long minutes to untangle his thoughts. “Charlotte, I had no idea Warren told everyone those things about us. I love him very much, but it has never been my intention to replace his
papa
. He has never called me
Papa Guy
before, and even if he had, I would not have allowed him to call me that without your permission.”

A look of guilt swept onto Charlotte’s tired face. “I feel the worst about that.” Ducking her head, Charlotte pressed her hands to her face.

“
Ma chérie
, I am so sorry. I will speak to Warren and make sure he knows it is not appropriate to call me that.” Guy meant the words, even though it stung to speak them. “He did not mean to hurt you, and I do not wish to hurt you, either.”

“No,” Charlotte said quickly, “that’s not what I meant.”

Confused, Guy said, “You are upset because he called me his
papa
, yes?”

“No…I mean, yes, it was a shock, and I was upset at first, because I guess I’ve been trying to hold onto Jackson for so long, I didn’t even consider what Warren must be thinking and going through right now with you being such a big part of his life lately, but him calling you his dad isn’t what I feel the worst about. It was the look on your face when I got mad at Warren for saying it.” Her chin quivered as her hands tightened around each other.

Guy had not realized his emotions had been so easily seen in that moment. He had been surprised, as well, when Warren defended him so adamantly, but Charlotte’s reaction had indeed hurt. He knew it should not. Warren was not his child. Before meeting the boy, he had not even wanted children. Even as much as he loved Lily, she had not influenced him as much as Warren had. The boy needed him, and if Guy was honest, he needed Warren just as much.

Charlotte’s voice was soft when she spoke again. “Guy, I’m sorry for getting mad at Warren when he called you his dad. I didn’t mean to hurt you. He loves you so much, and I never meant to keep Jackson alive in his heart to the point of excluding anyone else. I guess I just wasn’t prepared for my little boy to be the one to tell me it was time to move on.” She ventured looking up at Guy, her eyes filled with emotion. “If you’re okay with Warren calling you
Papa Guy
… so am I.”

Staring down at her with a mixture of confusion and relief, Guy was not sure how to respond. Instead of answering right away, he changed topics. “What did Carmody say to you out there? You have been so against any of my friends helping you in any way, yet now you are okay with Michael coming and cooking dinner and Carmody watching Warren right now. I have tried for weeks, yet she spends a few minutes and has convinced you.”

A chuckle shook Charlotte’s worn body. “Pretty fickle, huh? Maybe it’s the drugs I’m on.”

Guy smiled at her joke, but was honestly curious. “What did she say?”

“She didn’t need to say much, to be honest. The fact that she rushed over here like she did made it pretty clear how much she thinks of you.” Charlotte shifted, snuggling against Guy even more. “I’ve been trying to figure out why you’re here, why you’re doing all of this for me, since we met. It seems like some kind of bizarre fantasy, and I keep waiting for it to all fall apart. It was hard to imagine everyone else wasn’t doing the same thing. I mean, I didn’t understand why this amazing man would want to tie himself to some sick, single mom, so why would your friends?”

Charlotte turned her face into his chest. He felt her tears soaking into his shirt, but only held her gently without comment. Sniffling, Charlotte continued. “You never told me that when you and Carmody met, she was single, but you two never dated.”

“You thought Carmody was an ex-girlfriend?” Guy asked.

She looked embarrassed by the admission, but nodded anyway. It added a layer of understanding to why Charlotte was so resistant to him asking Carmody for help, but did not explain her hesitance toward his other friends.

“You also never told me that when Carmody went into labor with Lily, you were the one to drive her to the hospital because Michael got stuck in traffic and couldn’t get back to the house in time. Or that you stayed with her through the delivery until Michael got there. Or that you’re Lily’s godfather.”

Guy could only shrug at her words. “It was never something that came up in conversation.” He was perplexed, not sure if she was upset at him having left such details out or not. “Should I have told you these things?”

Smiling, Charlotte shook her head. “No. I only mentioned them because everything Carmody told me made me realize that I’ve been unfair to you. I’ve let you into my life and accepted your help because I was scared to face this alone, but I never took the time to get to know you well enough to trust the help you were offering. I never gave your friends a chance, either.” Charlotte looked down at her hands. “I never even asked about your friend, Leila, and whether she found out if she was really pregnant or not.”

Guy tipped Charlotte’s chin up, encouraging her to meet his gaze. “
Oui
, she is pregnant. She and Eli will welcome their first child into the world next fall.”

“I’m glad to hear that. She really did seem like a nice person.” Charlotte was quiet for a moment before saying, “I understand now why you’re here.”

“You do?” Guy asked. In truth, he had not understood why himself for much too long. Charlotte had affected him like no other woman. She had made him feel safe enough to cast off his public persona and let her see who he really was. He did not know how she managed it, but he knew he wanted to be with her.

Charlotte nodded in answer to his question, but said nothing.

“You intend to keep it a secret?” Guy asked, pinning her with a mockingly serious glare.

“Shouldn’t you already know?” Charlotte teased.

Guy grinned at her. “I do know, but I am not convinced you know. I think you should tell me so I can be sure.” He leaned toward her and placed a light kiss on her lips. Her body relaxed in his arms, but only for a moment. Guy kissed her again, his lips leaving hers a second later, trailing across her jawline to her ear. Charlotte’s fingers tightened around his arm as his breath washed over her skin. “Tell me,” he whispered.

She shook her head, egging him on. Guy was happy to comply. Rolling gently, he pinned Charlotte beneath his body. His hands cradled her head as he gazed at her. The chemo was taking its toll, weakening her, but he still thought her beautiful. His hand slid down her neck, over her shoulders, and all the way down her torso to her hips. She gasped when Guy’s lips brushed against the exposed skin of her stomach. Fingers curling around the bed sheets, she held perfectly still.

He watched her stomach muscles tighten as he leaned closer, his warm breath alerting her to his impending touch. When his lips met her skin again, she arched up, begging him not to stop. Guy kissed his way up her abdomen. Every subtle sound of pleasure she made burned into him. His hands struggled to be gentle as he pushed her t-shirt out of his way. His mouth hovered at the base of her sternum. He dipped down, kissing her and eliciting a soft moan, but did not go any higher. He knew if he did, stopping himself would be nearly impossible.

Refocusing his physical desires to his original question, Guy forced himself back up to her ear. Charlotte’s fingernails nipped at his back as she tried to pull him closer. He hovered just above her and whispered, “Tell me.”

She shook her head, teasing, and just a little fear in her eyes.

Guy pressed his lips to hers, nearly losing himself in exquisite pleasure. When he tried to pull back, Charlotte’s hands refused to let him go. She kissed him hungrily. The space that had separated them seconds before was gone, but Guy held onto his objective…barely.

“Tell me,” he said, but Charlotte still refused. She tried to distract him with a kiss, but Guy would not allow it. “Tell me.”

Her efforts at teasing faded, the hint of doubt that had been there a few moments before vanished as well. “You’re still here despite everything, because…because you love me. Right?”

“
Oui, ma chérie
,” Guy said softly. He kissed each of her cheeks, slowly, taking his time, just as he did the first time she had teased him. “
Je t'aime beaucoup
. I love you more than you understand.”

“Do you really?”

“Is that difficult to believe?” Guy asked, smiling.

Charlotte laughed wryly. “With how often you’ve had to hold my hair back while I puked, and then had to clean up after me, with all the ways I’ve made things difficult and not trusted you and pushed you and your friends away…yeah, kind of.” She shook her head, looking regretful and embarrassed.

“I do love you, Charlotte, but I am also worried about you. Things cannot continue on as they have been,” Guy said seriously. “You are wearing yourself out trying to work so much.”

“So are you.”

Guy held up a hand. “I must only survive one more week. You are determined to continue this pace through your whole treatment.”

“Why only another week? “Charlotte asked.

“My friend, Leo, has agreed to take over my shifts at the hospital while I take a leave of absence, but he could not leave the practice where he was working until the end of the week.”

Charlotte blinked in surprise. “He’s leaving his job to cover for you?”

“Leo has been unhappy with his job for quite some time. He was ready to try something new. I think it will be a good fit for him.” Charlotte tried to say more about it, but Guy would not let her get distracted. “Charlotte, you must not work so much. It is too stressful for you, and your immune system is already weakened.”

She looked like she wanted to argue, but her resistance crumpled. “I know.” She shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know what to do, though. I have vacation and sick leave saved up, but it may not be enough. I can’t lose my insurance coverage, and I still have bills to pay.”

“Why don’t we speak with your employer and see if we can’t work something out? Maybe work from home, at least? He is a good man, yes?” Charlotte nodded and Guy continued. “I will make sure you are taken care of, Charlotte. Please trust me on this.”

Sighing, Charlotte waged an internal battle. “I know you mean what you say, but it’s not easy for me to rely on someone else. I’ve been on my own for so long, barely keeping everything from falling apart. Letting someone else take charge is terrifying. What if it doesn’t work? What if I depend on you only to have you leave? What would I do then?”

Guy shook his head slowly. “I am not leaving, Charlotte. If I have not given up on trying to make Carmody fluent in French, I will not give up on you and Warren.” He smiled when Charlotte chuckled at his teasing. “I know it is difficult to trust, but I am asking for you to have faith in me. I do not make sacrifices for people unless I truly care about them. I am willing to sacrifice much for you,
ma chérie
.”

“I know you are, Guy,” Charlotte said softly. “I do trust you. It’s hard to let go of my fears, but Carmody is right. I can’t be afraid forever. I have faith in you, in us, and I’m not going to turn away your friends anymore. I don’t know what to do about work, but I’m at least ready to admit we can’t keep doing this without help.”

A knock on the front door pulled them both out of their thoughts. Carmody answered the door, and soon after, Michael’s voice resounded through the apartment. Charlotte instantly tensed, but Guy soothed her. She leaned on him as he guided her out of Warren’s room and into the kitchen where Michael was unpacking paper bags full of groceries. His warm, easygoing personality drew Charlotte and Warren in quickly. Warren was particularly happy about being served a meal that was not burnt.