Heart of Gold - B.J. Daniels Page 0,74

going to decorate itself.” He turned away, saying over his shoulder, “Think you can find us some Christmas music?” Then he opened the shopping bag and began taking out lights and ornaments.

Charlie stared at his back, knowing that if she took only a few steps, if she placed her palm on his warm, strong back...

But her feet refused to move. She couldn’t hurt this man again. She wouldn’t. Until she knew the truth about what had happened that night and what she might have done...

“Christmas music and wine,” she said. She headed first for her phone to play Christmas music, then for the refrigerator and then the cupboard for glasses. Her fingers trembled as she took down the flutes for the wine. Why had he stopped kissing her? Why had he backed off? She knew he wanted her as much as she wanted him. What had he seen in her eyes that made him pull away?

Fear. Fear that he was wrong about her. It was why she hadn’t gone to him, touched him, told him that she was falling for him all over again. She had to know the truth about who killed Lindy. Why someone was determined to make her think her stepsister and nemesis was alive.

Someone knew the truth about the murder. The same person who’d “brought Lindy back” to remind Charlie of what she’d done all those years ago?

CHAPTER TWENTY

SHEP THOUGHT HE’D blown it with that kiss. Not that he was sorry. He’d wanted to kiss her from the moment he looked up and saw her walking through the falling snow toward him days ago. But then he’d found out about Daniel.

Well, Daniel was gone. Hopefully. Still, Shep had to tread carefully with Charlie. And watch out for his own heart as well. Not that he took horoscopes seriously. He didn’t need the stars to tell him he was in dangerous territory when it came to her. She’d left him once, broken his heart without looking back. He wasn’t sure he could take her doing that to him again.

With Christmas music playing, they began to decorate the tree. He’d gotten the corniest ornaments he could find, knowing Charlie would appreciate them. Just hearing her laughter as she dug in the bag made him smile. For a little while, Lindy was forgotten.

When they finished, he had her plug in the tree and they clinked wineglasses, surveying their work, both pleased with the job they’d done. “Here’s wishing you the best Christmas ever,” he said in the glow of the twinkling multicolored lights.

“You, too.” She watched him over the rim of her glass. “Don’t you think we should talk about it?”

He didn’t have to guess. “I thought the kiss kind of said it all.”

“Really? I kind of thought it lacked clarity.”

Shep took a step closer. “Maybe if I tried again...”

“Seriously, Shep, what’s going on?” she asked, putting down her empty wineglass.

“Okay, let’s talk. I suppose you want me to go first. Let’s see... Here it is, Charlie. I thought I got over you all those years ago.” His gaze met hers and held it. “Seeing you again, I realized I was only kidding myself.”

She shook her head. “We were just teenagers.”

He couldn’t help the hurt and pain in his voice when he answered. “Is that why you left me the way you did?”

* * *

CHARLIE FELT AS if a cold wind had blown though the apartment. “We were too young. The timing was wrong.”

“All things you’ve obviously told yourself over the years. What were you really thinking when you left that day?”

She didn’t have to try to recall, but still she hesitated. “That I’d never meet anyone like you ever again.”

His eyes filled with such sadness that she felt a knot form in her chest. “Why didn’t you come back then? Or at least tell me how you felt?”

“I couldn’t. I wouldn’t have been able to leave you and what good would it have done? We couldn’t have stayed together.”

Shep sighed. “You had so little faith in me? I would have taken care of you.”

“We were both headed for college, jobs and the volunteer work assigned by the courts. There wasn’t time for us back then.”

“You think we wouldn’t have made time for us?” he asked, sounding disbelieving.

Charlie turned away, unable to see the disappointment in his handsome face. “I did what I thought was best back then.”

“And now?” He was so close, she felt his breath on her neck even before she felt his hand on her shoulder.