Summer Wild ✔️

Chapter Thirteen

"Lola, what a surprise. Your mom isn't home." Bob looked up from whatever political discourse he was reading. He set aside the leather-bound book and gestured her to the empty couch across from him.

"I know. She is at brunch with Aunt Janice," Charlotte said with a sheepish smile. Rather than sitting, she rolled on the balls of her feet.

"Is something wrong?" Bob frowned at her fretful demeanour.

Sighing, she sat down and played with a piece of her jewellery. "No, I mean, yes. Oh, I don't know. Bob, I really like Aiden. He knows what he did before was wrong. He wants to make amends, but I don't know how James would react."

Bob was taken aback by the gravity of the topic of the conversation. Being the controversial stepfather figure, they never had a heartfelt discussion. "Make him understand," he suggested.

"How?" Charlotte whispered the question, feeling conflicted. She had only sought Bob as he already knew about her secret. Meghna was too far away and was probably too busy indulging in merriment.

"That's for you to figure out." Bob took off his reading glasses.

"Erm... how?" She jumped up.

Bob gave her a pointed look.

"You know my brother. He would never approve." She sighed before brightening up a bit. "Do you think I should talk to mom and have her talk to James?"

"Good lord, no!" Bob appeared horrified.

"Mom wouldn't approve?" Her face fell.

"On the contrary, I think she will understand. I haven't met the young man, but he is different from the high-society types. Besides, your mother would love to ruffle some feathers."

"But?" Charlotte cocked her eyebrow.

"But your brother would see it as a betrayal if he realizes everyone knew about this relationship before he did. His equation with your mother at best remains civil," he answered.

Charlotte knew Bob was right, but the coward in her refused to admit it. She plopped down again and said, "Aiden's police friends know about us and his family suspects something is up. Technically, James would be the last one to know."

"You are a lot like your mom," Bob remarked.

"You've said it before, but I don't see it. Mom is a... little too handful." She wrinkled her nose.

"I, sometimes, hate myself for this. When she was around your age. She was pretty carefree and spontaneous. I sometimes wonder if I hadn't shut her out and she had never met your father, would she have remained my old Anna with the dream of living in the countryside."

"However, she did meet my father," Charlotte said dryly.

"She did and your father gave her two wonderful kids," Bob agreed.

"You were the reason my parent fought a lot," Charlotte recalled, observing her stepfather.

"No, honey, your father and mother had problems before I came into the picture. I stayed away from Anna. We reconciled much afterwards, though," Bob explained. "Believe me, we never meant to hurt you and James."

"My father adored her."

"He did. They were just two different people," Bob said, staring into a corner. "At times, I want to find the old Anna. But so much time has passed, and it would be selfish of me to ask her what she is no more. I have accepted her for who she is today. Time took that away from me. So, all I can say is don't make my mistake."

She protested, "James..."

"Make him understand," he repeated.

Charlotte knew the trump card she had to make her brother amenable to her current boyfriend. Boyfriend! The whole thing was fantastically ludicrous, really. Right now, she didn't want to one-up James or guilt-trip him into accepting Aiden. That would be the last resort.