Resurrecting Charlie's Girl Read Online Free PDF Page B

stairs. She
inhaled and hurried downstairs. Maybe the caffeine would wake her up and the
conflicting thoughts in her head would make sense.
    Tom
met her with a steaming mug of coffee. "Here you go, Charlie's girl."
    The
cup wobbled in her hand and she sat it down on the counter. "Why did you
call me that?"
    "Huh.
I don't know." Tom ran his hand over the lower half of his face.
"Charlise sounds a lot like Charlie's girl." He shrugged. "You
don't like that nickname?"
    She
shook her head. "No, it's fine. You surprised me, that's all."
    Taking
a sip of coffee, she sighed as the caffeine entered her body. "My dad used
to call me that. His name was Charlie." She smiled. "Hearing that
name always made me think I was the most important person in his life."
    Tom
nodded. "He passed away?"
    "Yeah.
Cancer, three years ago. Right after I married Jared." She waved her hand
changing the subject. "Go ahead and eat if you want. I usually don't have
breakfast."
    Tom
spooned sugar into his mug. "I was thinking after we have our coffee, we
could take a walk along the beach."
    "Do
you think it's safe? There's nowhere to hide on the shoreline."
    Charlise's
heart pattered eagerly. A walk along the shore—such a silly thing to wish
for—but it didn't stop her fantasy from forming. Real life, as simple as a walk
on the beach, was something she never took time to enjoy because of the
dangers.
    "I'll
check things out. Sometimes being out in the open is safer and we'll pull our
followers out into the open." Tom drank from the cup and sighed.
    "You
want them to find me?" she asked.
    "Maybe."
He moistened his lips. "We can't run forever, but you will be safe with
me. That I can promise. You'll have to trust me."
    "I
don't trust anyone," she mumbled.
    He
winked. "Maybe it's time for you to learn, some men are trustworthy."
    Charlise
sipped the strong coffee and the warmth radiated through out her body. A
morning cup of caffeine settled her nerves, but the dark cloud of the last
couple of years had the tenacity of a pit bull. A walk along the shoreline
might be the perfect remedy for her damaged soul. If Jared stayed away.
    "Well,
if you think we'll be safe." She bit down on her lower lip.
    More
than anything she wanted to rediscover Charlie's girl. If she could discover
when she'd become the victim, maybe she'd regain something in her life. Maybe
the woman, Charlene Blatwell, could be buried, never to return.
    Tom's
idea that she trust him had merit. If only she could forget about the past.
And, the present situation.
    "Go
get ready. I'll check the area outside and see how everything is looking."
Tom finished his coffee and placed the mug in the sink.
    Charlise
hurried upstairs. Deciding she didn't want to risk wearing one of the borrowed
outfits and have it ruined in the sand, she kept her sweatsuit on and pulled on
her sneakers.
    She
found a hairbrush in the bathroom and fought the tangles in her hair. Going
without a hair stylist and a huge supply of makeup on the run, she'd learned
how to be fast and efficient in her personal hygiene.
    Eager
to get started, she went downstairs and perched on the couch. Tom was still outside.
Musing, she realized how much she wanted to explore the sand and surf and hoped
that Tom came back with good news. The roar of the waves crashing against the
shore always made her feel at peace and she hoped for a little while she'd
relax enough to gain some clarity over her situation.
    The
door swung open, and she stood up from the couch. She bit her lip, but a giggle
escaped at the delicious sight before her. Tom's jeans were rolled up to his
knees and a baseball cap was pulled low on his head. Best of all, he held a
small kite in his hands. How he pulled off sexy and childlike at the same time
amazed her.
    "Are
you laughing at me?" He moved the kite aside, gazed down at his legs, and
wiggled his toes.
    She
covered her mouth with both hands. Suppressed laughter brought tears to her
eyes. Tom's dimple winked. She had the wild