Last Name

Chapter Three

Charli's POV

I stuffed the information sheets I was putting into the slim folders with the real estate company's logo on it a little harder than I should. I brushed a loose strand of hair that had slipped out of the up do my hair was in. Just who the hell did he think he was! It was the Monday after I had seen Brantley and I was still fuming mad. I'd been angry enough we drove all the way back to Nashville that night. Savannah had protested at first then hushed when I told her it was that or I was gonna get drunk. And right now, I didn't trust drunken me's judgement. Not after what I did in Vegas.

God! How could I have been so stupid! What little I did remember of Brantley from that night, he'd been a funny, sweet, guy. The other night he had started off as that then veered off into asshole territory. I had still been fuming Saturday morning, so I had cancelled my plans with Stephen. I had listened to him rage for ten minutes that it was with an important client, but I just couldn't deal with that. I couldn't play the part. Not when I felt like my whole life was falling apart.

I dropped down onto the barstool in the massive kitchen of the house I was getting ready to show. I buried my face in my hands with a sigh. What had I been thinking? Oh right, twenty-one-year-old me had thought he was hot as hell and a voice that sounded like homemade sin. I'd done something impulsive, now grown-up me was facing the consequences. I had discreetly checked with the family lawyer to find out for me. I just prayed he kept his mouth shut and not tell Daddy. Didn't matter if the man was half a world away right now. The Colonel was not one you liked to piss off.

Unless you were Savannah. She took pride in seeing just what she could do to make him raise his eyebrows and turn a little red. But we had been friends for so long that some of her exploits didn't even shock him anymore and he doted on her like another daughter. My eyes welled up with tears. All I had to do was find out if we had really gotten married then get divorced as quickly and as quietly as possible. Maybe I didn't even have to tell Stephen. Not the brightest move seeing as he as a litigator but lord I just didn't' know what to do.

Hearing the front door to the house open, I jumped up wiping my eyes then smoothed down the red wrap dress I had paired with nude heels this morning. I pasted a smile on my face as I heard footsteps on the hardwood floor and stepped around the bar to greet the potential buyer as they walked into the room. My jaw dropped at who I saw standing before me. I took in the ripped jeans, Nikes, chains, Braves jersey and backwards hat as Brantley tugged off his dark sunglasses and I couldn't keep the frustrated growl in.

"You!" I hissed making him jump as my temper flared. I wanted to hit him so damn bad. I was two steps closer with the intent of doing just that. Then I remembered the manners that had been drilled into me and I paused glaring at him.

"Easy.....easy," Brantley said holding his hands up and hooking his glasses in the collar of his jersey. "I come in peace darlin. Don't bite me."

"I ought to shoot you," I growled clenching my hands into fists.

"Well...." Brantley said with a smirk and pointing behind him. "If you want to go that route, I have my pistol in the truck."

"What are you doing here?" I sighed in frustration.

"Well, I didn't get your number the other night," he said shoving his hands in his pockets shrugging. "This seemed to be the only way to be able to talk to my wife."

"I'm not your damned wife!" I snapped.

"Darlin," Brantley said reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a folded piece of paper. "I'm afraid that this might say different."