Read Chasing Charlie: A Romantic Comedy (The Texas Two-Step Series Book 1) for Free Online

powder my nose."
    Ellen asked, "Do you want me to show you the way?"
    "Oh no," Charlie quickly reassured her. "You’ll have a lot to talk about with Davis. I’ll only be a few minutes."
    Leaning down and kissing his cheek, she said, "Parting is such sweet sorrow. Try not to miss me too much, dear."
    Davis hissed, "Chicken."
    She patted him on the head and shot him a wide grin as she walked away. Davis turned back to face his mother.
    "She seems perfect for you, Davis."
    "So, you like her?"
    "I don’t really know her yet, but I’m sure with time we’ll become the best of friends." She grinned at Jim, then looked back at Davis. "It’s obvious you belong together and I couldn’t be more delighted that you’ve finally found that right someone."
    Jim looked a bit less upset. Instead, he wore a grin that didn’t bode well. "I agree. You suit each other, and if I’d picked a woman for you, I couldn’t have done better. I hope you know how lucky you are."
    "Davis, why don’t you run to the bar and get us some punch?" asked his mother. "I want to toast your happiness."
    Reluctantly, he pushed back his chair, giving Jim a warning look.
    Jim winked. "I think they’ve got punch in a fountain on the buffet."
    Davis didn’t have much choice other than to obey their implied order to scram, no matter how much he wanted to stay and make sure Jim didn’t give the game away. One way or another, Mom was going to have her chance at love. Celebrating her nuptials was something he very much intended to do before too long.
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    C harlie waited for ten minutes before leaving the ladies room, hoping that would have given Davis time to answer any of Ellen’s questions. She was certain Ellen would want to know all the details, and Charlie wasn’t ready yet to provide any, especially since she didn’t know them herself.
    She left the ladies room and made her way back to the table. As she got closer, she wondered where Davis had gone. Ellen and Jim were in quiet conversation. Charlie felt reluctant to join them just yet. Hanging back a bit, she heard Davis’s mom say, "I know it’s in here."
    Jim laughed as Ellen patted his jacket pocket. "You know me too well."
    "That’s one of the things I love best about you." She reached into his jacket and pulled out what appeared to be a ring box from his inner pocket. Pushing it into Jim’s hand, she looked into his eyes. "Ask me again."
    Jim gulped.
    "You don’t think you’re going to run off to Tokyo without me, do you? I’m certain your head would be turned by all those women in kimonos and you’d quickly forget me. I can’t take that risk." Ellen leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss. "Ask me, Jim."
    Jim looked as if he was afraid to say anything for fear the spell might break.
    "If you don’t do it, you’ll force me to ask you and I’d really rather not. It would set a bad precedent." She ran her hand down the side of his face. "Please, Jim?"
    Jim whispered something, but Charlie didn’t catch the words, although she knew the meaning. She saw Ellen nod, tears of joy spilling from her eyes and Charlie felt her eyes well up, too.
    She hated eavesdropping but in some way was glad she’d done so. Davis had been right that the issue of him being settled was what had prevented Ellen from making a commitment to Jim. Down deep inside, rather than being part of a bogus engagement, Charlie longed to find the love and contentment with a man that Davis’s mother had with Jim.
    The fiancée facade had brought home to her how very empty she felt. Well, something good was coming from her deception—she was learning how to take risks that might lead to an end to her inner loneliness. It had to.
    Jim was holding Ellen’s face in his big brown hands, murmuring words of love to her. On her hand twinkled a diamond.
    Just then, Charlie sensed Davis nearby. Turning, she saw him heading toward her with a crystal cup in each of his hands. When he reached her, she nodded toward the couple at the