Chapter 6

Charlotte turned sharply to find Dylan, Zeke, and Arthur standing in the doorway with Hazel. The three men looked surprised at first, but their expressions changed when they noticed her suitcase.

"Why are you packing?"

Charlotte thought she caught a hint of panic in the question.

She was about to explain when Hazel cut in. "Ms. Lair, you're not upset because they've been spending the past few days with me, are you?"

She turned to the three men, giving them a mildly scolding look.

"This is all your fault. Why did you tell me she had nothing to do with you? If I'd known about your relationship, I would've invited her to join us that day."

The three men said nothing, but the affection in their eyes as they looked at Hazel was unmistakable.

Only Hazel could talk to them like that and get away with it. There was no telling how they'd react if anyone else tried.

Hazel took a box from her purse and held it out to Charlotte, speaking gently.

"Ms. Lair, I got you a little something. I've only just come back, and they've been keeping me company these past few days. I hope you don't mind.

"We all grew up together, and I've never seen any of them show an interest in women before. If you hadn't come along, I might've thought they were into guys.

"Turns out they all have the same type. But you're gorgeous, so I can see why they went to such ridiculous lengths to marry you."

Charlotte studied Hazel quietly, unable to tell what lay behind her smile.

Dylan, Zeke, and Arthur might never have confessed their feelings to Hazel, but everyone in their circle knew they were in love with her. It was hard to believe she hadn't noticed.

Even if she hadn't realized it before, the moment she saw how much Charlotte looked like her, she should've figured it out.

Charlotte couldn't help wondering what Hazel was really up to.

Hazel kept teasing them, looking perfectly innocent. "Seriously, though, Ms. Lair is such a good match for all three of you."

All three men looked displeased. They clearly didn't like Hazel suggesting they belonged with Charlotte, but they couldn't bring themselves to snap at her. Instead, they shot Charlotte a cold look.

That evening, they all sat down to dinner at the mansion.

Hazel had cooked several dishes herself. Charlotte had never seen the three men look so pleased, even though Hazel hadn't made anything they particularly liked.

Hazel served the three men herself. Maybe she'd been away too long, because she seemed to have forgotten what they liked.

She put salmon on Dylan's plate, even though he never ate it. She gave Zeke roasted asparagus, which he hated, and Arthur pecan-crusted chicken, despite his allergy to pecans.

If Charlotte had served them those same dishes, they would've flipped the table and stormed out.

But this was Hazel. The three men hesitated only briefly before eating what she'd served them without complaint.

After dinner, they'd planned to take Hazel home, but a sudden downpour made driving too dangerous. None of them wanted her going home so late in that weather, so they decided she should stay the night.

The mansion had plenty of guest rooms, all cleaned daily by the housekeepers. Even so, the three men insisted on getting Hazel's room ready themselves.

When Charlotte went back to her room, Hazel followed her in. They barely knew each other, so neither had much to say.

Hazel seemed interested in Charlotte's belongings, though. She wandered around the room, examining things and running her fingers over them.

Then she spotted the dreamcatcher hanging on the wall and reached up to take it down.

Charlotte stopped her at once. "Ms. Worsley, you can touch anything else in here, but please leave that alone."

Hazel paused and glanced back at her, a defiant smile spreading across her face.

Then she took the dreamcatcher down and hurled it to the floor.