Free Legal Legacy (Surrendering Charlotte Chronicles) by Kimball Lee Page B

his sublimely perfect body. Her hands travelled over the elegantly contoured muscles, her fingers lingering and tracing tattoos and scars that told the story of his life, committing every part of him, of their love, to memory. She wondered how long she could stand the feeling of a chainsaw cutting away at her heart, scattering pieces to the wind that would never be found or pieced back together.
    September passed and the air cooled and Finn began to read and cast aside several books a day. He rose before dawn for three days in a row and planted a bed of roses in the back yard of the cottage. On the weekends he kicked a soccer ball with Charlie and sat in the sun listening as Hadley described the violent world of motorcycle gangs. Atticus ha d finished his indoctrination in Illinois in six weeks’ time and he was back in San Diego at NAS Coronado to start his Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training. He called and visited his dad as often as he could but each time Finn grew agitated and argued violently with him over his decision to leave the Naval Academy to become a SEAL.
    At the end of October when the leaves began to fall around them as they rested on chaise lounges near the bed of roses, Finn held Hadley’s hand and began to ramble. He told enchanting stories of his life with Charlotte and his children, and horrifying tales of his time as an assassin, and then he was quiet and he napped for hours and eventually days at a time.
    In Finn’s mind life and love and joy were endless, his thoughts scrambled about and events stumbled over themselves in their race to be remembered. And what an undeniably fortunate man he was to have lived such a life and to have been gifted so many shining souls to call family and friends. He could see heaven and it was indeed splendid. His heaven was a cottage in Surrey and he felt himself there, he was a contented man watching his children play in the garden. In a split second he was carrying Charlotte up the narrow staircase and she was laughing wholeheartedly with her head thrown back. He laid on their big, beautiful bed and then he was next to her, undressing her, inside her and he realized that Bly was with them. Charlotte’s hands reached up to pull Bly down beside them even as her lips lingered on Finn’s. Bly lay his head next to Charlotte’s on the pillows and Finn closed his eyes and rested his weary soul knowing that Charlotte was happy and in good hands.
    Outside the dream he spoke to Charlotte without knowing that he had, his eyes were hazy and she pressed her ear to his lips to be sure and catch his words.
    “Make a life with him, my love, he loves you more than you can imagine, be happy,” he said and he smiled and closed his eyes as his mind drifted back to the bucolic English cottage. He saw the truth suddenly and oh, how he wished they had stayed in Surrey and raised their children there. Charlotte had always wanted her children to speak with a British accent, but they’d sold the cottage to Jude and Jude fancied himself in love with Charlotte. That had been clear to Finn from the very beginning, but Jude wasn't the man for her, what he felt for Charlotte was lust not love, and that would never do.
    She was a woman to be loved and cherished and Charlie would need a father devoted to both him and his mother. He needed Charlotte to know that, to know that Bly was the right man, that he had suffered for Charlotte and now his time to bask in her love had arrived. Charlotte loved him and he loved her truly, he was Finn’s choice to take his place, but he couldn’t remember if he had already told her or not. Had he warned her that Jude would come for her and try to make her love him? Jude was a fool if he imagined that Charlotte would ever love him, she loved Finn and she loved Bly and as heaven drew him closer he understood that it was just fine. It had been written in the stars long ago, Charlotte was the sun and Finn and Bly were sustained by her warmth, they existed