They’d connected on a deeper level, connected enough for him to share his dreams and hopes for the future, something he’d never done before. Revealing such an intimate part of his soul had left him open for hurt and made her rejection that much more painful, he realized now, thanks to the adult wisdom he’d lacked in his youth.
“Maybe I will look her up.” Roman remained deliberately vague. He didn’t want to give his brothers any more indication of his renewed curiosity in Charlotte Bronson. Especially when he needed a different kind of woman, one who’d agree to his plan.
He let out a groan, recalling why this conversation had begun in the first place. His mother wanted grandchildren. And Roman would do his best to give them to her. But that didn’t mean he could provide a spouse with all the strangling emotions and expectations a typical marriage entailed. He was a man who needed his freedom. He wasn’t a husband for all seasons. His potential wife would have to want kids more than a husband and enjoy being on her own. An independent woman who adored children would do just fine.
Because Roman intended to get married, get his wife pregnant, and get the hell out, while doing his damnedest not to look back.
Sunshine shone through the plate-glass storefront window, bathing Charlotte in incredible warmth and heat. A perfect setting for the tropical display she was setting up. She tied the back of a string bikini around the mannequin that would be featured prominently in the window, and turned it toward her assistant. “So what do you think?”
Beth Hansen, also Charlotte’s best friend since childhood, chuckled. “I wish I were built so fine.”
“You are now.” Charlotte glanced at Beth’s petite figure and enhanced br**sts.
Yorkshire Falls was a small town, four hours from New York City—far enough to remain a small town, but close enough to make travel to the big city worthwhile if the reason was good enough. Apparently bust alteration was good enough reason for Beth.
“And you could be. You don’t even need to use too much imagination.” Beth pointed to the mannequin. “Take a look at her and imagine yourself like this.” She outlined the curvaceous shape with her hands. “An uplift would be a start, but an extra cup size would do even more to attract male attention.”
Charlotte exhaled an exaggerated sigh. “Considering the interest this store’s been getting, I don’t need help attracting more attention of any kind.”
As for men, she hadn’t had a date since her New York City days six months before, and though she was sometimes lonely, she wasn’t ready to begin the dating routine again—the long meals with drawn-out silences or the obligatory good-night kiss in which she inevitably had to grab her date’s wandering hand before any real groping could begin. Although, if she were ever to complete her life with a husband and kids added to her career, she’d have to get back into the dating game one day soon.
“Every woman needs more male attention. It’s an ego boost and who can argue with that?”
Charlotte frowned. “I’d rather a man be—”
“Interested in your mind instead of your face or body,” Beth parroted, hands on her hips.
Charlotte nodded. “That’s right. And I’d give any man the same respect in return.” She grinned. “Am I beginning to sound like a broken record?”
“Maybe a little.”
“Tell me something. Why is it the men who attract me are only interested in the packaging and don’t stick around for the long haul?” Charlotte asked.
“Because you’ve dated the wrong men? Or maybe it’s because you don’t give them a chance. Besides, it’s a proven fact that the packaging attracts a man first. A smart guy, the right guy, will get to know you and then you can blow him away with your brilliant brainpower.”
“Men who go for looks first are too shallow.”
“There you go again. Jumping to generalized conclusions. And I beg to differ.” Beth placed her hands on her hips and scowled Charlotte’s way. “It’s the packaging that makes the first impression,” she insisted.
Charlotte wondered why Beth could assert one thing when she was living proof of another. If Beth believed in a man being attracted to packaging first and then getting to know and appreciating a woman for who and what she was, why had she undergone plastic surgery after meeting her fiancé? Charlotte cared too much for her friend to hurt her by asking.
“Look at this store, for example.” Beth waved a hand through the air. “You sell the packaging, and hence you’re responsible for the rejuvenation of many relationships and marriages that have gotten stale.”
“I can’t argue with you there.” Charlotte had been told the same thing by many of her customers.
Beth grinned. “Half the women in this town are getting lucky, thanks to you.”
“I wouldn’t go that far.”
Her friend shrugged. “Whatever. The point is, aren’t you sending the message that packaging is important?”
“I’d rather think I’m sending the message that it’s okay to be yourself.”
“I think we’re saying the same thing, but I’ll drop it for now. Did I tell you David offers packages? Eyes and chin, uplifts and implants.”
Charlotte rolled her eyes. As far as she was concerned, Beth had been perfect before going under the knife, and Charlotte still didn’t understand what had compelled her to think she needed to change. And Beth obviously wasn’t talking. Just advertising her soon-to-be husband’s services.
“Has anyone mentioned you’re beginning to sound like an advertisement for your plastic surgeon?”
Beth smiled. “But of course. I plan to marry the man. Why not boost his business and our joint bank account at the same time?”
Beth’s mercenary words were at odds with the sweet, down-to-earth woman Charlotte knew her to be. Another subtle change in Beth that Charlotte had noticed since her return. Like Charlotte, Beth had been born and raised in Yorkshire Falls. And like Charlotte had once done, Beth would move to New York City soon. Charlotte hoped her friend enjoyed the bright lights and big city. She remembered her own experience there with mixed feelings. At first, she’d loved the busy streets, the frantic pace, the glow of light and life even late at night. But once the newness faded, an emptiness grew. After living in a close-knit community like Yorkshire Falls, the loneliness had been overwhelming. Something Beth wouldn’t have to deal with, since she was moving to New York to be with her husband.