The Billionaire Playboy by Christina Tetreault

family was still at the shelter it
must be significant.
    “I'm sure
they'll love it. Do you want me to write a message on it?” Charlie forced
herself to smile.
    The girl handed
her a purple marker. “Love, Ellie.”
      Charlie printed the words on the belly of the
bird and handed it back.
    “Thanks,” the
girl said before sprinting off toward the other children.
    With the
departure of the little girl the craft table was empty and Charlie began to
clean up the scraps of paper left behind. She tried not to think about the
children playing tag further down the room. It was bad enough that the adults
had lost everything but at least they understood. The children didn't. She'd
overheard them talking and many seemed to think they'd be going home any day
now; back to the homes they'd always lived in. It just wasn't fair. Children
deserved a chance to grow up without worries or loss. There would be enough
opportunities for that when they grew up. They shouldn't have to face it now.
    Life isn't always fair. Charlie knew
that first hand. If it was, her father wouldn't have walked out on her and Sean.
Regardless these children would survive their loss just as she had. It might
not be easy, then again few things in life were.
    Like the old
saying went, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger? As far as Charlie
was concerned, truer words had never been spoken.
    After she
finished cleaning up the craft supplies, Charlie crossed to the other side of
the room where Lizzie was organizing a game of musical chairs. It looked as if
Lizzie needed some help as she tried to explain the rules of the game to a
group of children. From the expressions on their faces, Charlie guessed that
they had never played before. She'd never considered musical chairs a
complicated game, but the confused expressions on the children's faces told her
that was strictly a matter of opinion. Just like everything else in life. “Do
you want me to try explaining it?” Charlie asked.
     
    ***
     
    “Thanks for
coming with me,” Charlie said pulling into the Hamilton Mall parking lot the
next afternoon. With the wedding in Newport only two days away she needed
something to wear.
    “I'm glad you
asked,” Jessica answered. “I still can't believe Jake Sherbrooke asked you to
be his date. Are you nervous?”
    Charlie ran
through a mental inventory of her emotions. Nervousness about meeting his
family hovered around the edges of her mind while anticipation all but consumed
her. Since the night on the yacht, Jake hadn't made any attempt at intimacy,
yet she expected it to happen this weekend.
    “It's only a
wedding.” Charlie pulled open the door to Macy's.
    Jessica stopped
dead in her tracks, her eyes wide and her lips parted in surprise. “How can you
say that? It's all the media is talking about. Hollywood stars and
multimillionaires are going to be there. Not to mention Jake Sherbrooke is your
date.”
    “I didn't say I
wasn't excited. Just that I'm not all that nervous,” Charlie answered with
quiet emphasis. “Now are you going to help me find a dress or not?”
    Jessica began
moving again. “Are we looking for something blue or is that not your favorite
color anymore?”
    “Jake said the
bridesmaids are wearing royal blue so unfortunately I need to pick something
else.”
    “Too bad you
don't like yellow. Supposedly it's the in color this season.”
    A sense of guilt
pressed down on Charlie as she watched Jessica stroll between the racks of
dresses. In high school they'd been the closest of friends. Over the years
though she'd made little effort to stay in contact, yet Jessica still
remembered what colors she preferred. Now that she had reconnected with Jessica
she wouldn't let that happen again. When she returned to Virginia she would
make an effort to keep in touch.
    Charlie pushed
the guilt away and stopped at a rack of dresses. “What do you think of this
one?” Charlie held up a simple black cocktail dress.
    “You can't wear
black to an