Read Online The Redemption (Charlotte Bloom Book 2) by Amanda Richardson - Free Book Online Page B

and closed the heavy front door. A giant chandelier hung from the high ceiling, and the marble floors glistened with polish. Old, framed paintings hung along the walls, and much to my delight, I saw a family portrait front and center. My heart warmed when I realized it was Alec as a teenager. His brother looked a lot like him, though Alec definitely got his coloring from his mother. His father had dark blond hair and light eyes.
    A vase of fresh lilies sat on top of a stack of glossy political magazines.
    “Lilies,” I said without context, pointing to the vase. I left my suitcase by the door and we walked into the living room.
    “They’re my favorite,” she explained, over her shoulder. She gestured for me to sit beside her on the plush, antique velvet couch.
    “Mine too.”
    I think I was going to like Alec’s mother.
    “I’m Ennis,” she said, squeezing my shoulder.
    “Nice to meet you.” I gave her a genuine smile.
    I don’t know what I expected, but Ennis Baxter was certainly much warmer than I’d imagined. I surveyed the room as I sat beside her. The fireplace was roaring, and a bearskin rug cloaked the marble floor. There were columns separating the living room from the hall, so it felt much more grandiose than it actually was. For a mansion, it was pretty humble and homey. Sure, there were nice antique things lying around and the furniture was clearly top-of-the-line but, all in all, this would been a nice house to grow up in.
    “Do you… uh… know when Alec will be here?”
    “Yes, he phoned earlier. He’ll be getting in sometime tomorrow morning.”
    “Ok. Great.” I paused, trying to gauge how much he had told her.
    “He’s devastated,” she said, answering my unasked question.
    I buried my face in my hands and hunched over. I knew it. What had I been expecting?
    “Did he say anything else?” I asked through my fingers.
    She came in closer, tucking her feet underneath her, and rested her hand on my leg.
    “Alec and I are close, Charlotte. I’ve never heard him talk about a woman like he talked about you. He loves you very much. When his father passed away, I wasn't sure what that would mean for him. He didn’t take it very well. He shut the world out and became a shell of his former self. He was such a happy young man. And then…” She trailed off.
    “I know. I’m so sorry for your loss.”
    “I was fine. It took me a while, but I got over it. Life is short, you know? Life goes on. Moving on was the healthy thing to do.”
    “Of course.”
    “Alec didn’t feel the same way. He carried that guilt on his back for years. He avoided coming home unless he had to. Until he met you. I think you woke something up in him that had been dead for eight years.”
    I felt tears escape my eyes, and I brushed them away quickly.
    “Like I said, Alec will be here tomorrow. Why don’t I make you some tea and soup, and then I can show you to the guest room.”
    “That sounds amazing. Thank you,” I sniffed, as I followed her into the kitchen, passing by at least two separate dining rooms, a lounge room, and what looked to be an indoor pool.
    The kitchen was large and gourmet. I would’ve loved to cook in this kitchen. There was a 50” flat screen mounted to one wall. Ennis caught me looking at it.
    “I love to cook while I watch the cooking channel,” she explained, taking a container out of the fridge. “Do you like split pea soup?”
    “I love split pea soup,” I said, sitting down at one of the stools lined up by the island. “Thank you.”
    “I had a feeling you’d be here. I had the guest bedroom made up yesterday.”
    “How funny.”
    I smiled. I had a feeling that Ennis was intuitive—motherly instincts and all that. She had that air about her.
    “Alec thinks it’s over, you know.”
    “I know.” I sighed. Ennis handed me a cup of hot decaf black tea along with some sugar cubes and cream. “I screwed everything up. Twice.”
    I sipped the tea, hoping I wouldn’t need to