seriously thinking about taking it off.”
Charlotte swallowed her words. She wanted so badly to talk some sense into him, though, and to remind him of how important getting a college education truly was. But she knew Matthew would never receive her advice in a positive manner. He’d already proven his disregard of her opinion when she’d spoken to him this morning. She’d encouraged him to stay at school so he wouldn’t miss any of his classes this week, but here he was. He’d come home, and now he was contemplating taking a break from the second half of his freshman year? She totally understood that he was worried about his son and was dying to see him, but Charlotte also wanted him to think and be logical. She wanted him to consider the consequences of his leaving school to be a hands-on dad. Not to mention, she knew it wouldn’t be long before Racquel tried to make things permanent between them. She hadn’t heard Matthew mention anything about marriage, but Charlotte knew it was only a matter of time before Racquel started pressuring him. Actually, the more Charlotte thought things through, the more she wished Matthew had never gotten hooked up with Racquel. All of his high school years, Charlotte had worried day and night about the possibility of some desperate girl getting too close and then trapping him with a baby. And while Curtis didn’t see Racquel as being that kind of girl and neither did Matthew, for Charlotte the jury was still out. For her, she still didn’t trust Racquel, and she dealt with her accordingly.
Charlotte rode along in silence, listening to Matt, Curtina, and Curtis conversing about one thing after another. She did this because while they were chatting, she was thinking—and plotting her next move. In a perfect world, Vanessa would lose that nasty, uppity, condescending attitude of hers, stay out of Charlotte’s way, and accept that Charlotte should have just as much say-so about MJ as she did. She would also welcome Charlotte to spend time with her grandson as often as she wanted and even allow her to become MJ’s primary caregiver when Racquel left for college; especially since Vanessa ran a consulting business from home and didn’t have the kind of free time Charlotte had to raise a baby. But again, this kind of thing could only happen in a perfect world and not in Charlotte and Vanessa’s, so Charlotte didn’t have a choice but to plot, plan, and do whatever she had to in order to protect her rights as a grandmother. She would hope for the best, but if that hussy, Vanessa, didn’t back down soon, Charlotte would be ready. Worse, Vanessa would be very sorry she’d ever crossed her.
Chapter 10
C harlotte, Curtis, Matthew, and Curtina walked toward the elevator, and as soon as Matthew pressed the button, Curtina started in again.
“Why can’t I see little MJ, Matt?”
“I already told you. You’re not old enough. You have to be twelve or be a sibling.”
“What’s that?” she asked, clearly not happy.
“It means a brother or a sister.”
Curtis shook his head. “You guys go ahead, and I’ll stay down here in the main waiting area with Curtina.”
“You ready?” Charlotte asked Matthew.
“Actually, Mom, I’d really like to have some time alone with Racquel. Then see the baby with just her.”
Charlotte’s feelings were hurt, because if she knew Vanessa, she was still here visiting with Racquel and likely seeing the baby as much as she wanted. “I understand that, Matt, but can I at least just go say hi to her and peek in on the baby? Then I’ll leave.”
“Fine, Mom.”
When Charlotte and Matthew stepped off the elevator, they strolled down the hallway and saw Neil. He was walking out of Racquel’s room.
He smiled, shook Matthew’s hand, and hugged him. “I’m glad you made it, son, and I’m very proud of you.”
“Thanks for everything, Dr. Anderson.”
“Well, I won’t hold you up because that daughter of mine can’t wait to see you.
Charlotte swallowed her words. She wanted so badly to talk some sense into him, though, and to remind him of how important getting a college education truly was. But she knew Matthew would never receive her advice in a positive manner. He’d already proven his disregard of her opinion when she’d spoken to him this morning. She’d encouraged him to stay at school so he wouldn’t miss any of his classes this week, but here he was. He’d come home, and now he was contemplating taking a break from the second half of his freshman year? She totally understood that he was worried about his son and was dying to see him, but Charlotte also wanted him to think and be logical. She wanted him to consider the consequences of his leaving school to be a hands-on dad. Not to mention, she knew it wouldn’t be long before Racquel tried to make things permanent between them. She hadn’t heard Matthew mention anything about marriage, but Charlotte knew it was only a matter of time before Racquel started pressuring him. Actually, the more Charlotte thought things through, the more she wished Matthew had never gotten hooked up with Racquel. All of his high school years, Charlotte had worried day and night about the possibility of some desperate girl getting too close and then trapping him with a baby. And while Curtis didn’t see Racquel as being that kind of girl and neither did Matthew, for Charlotte the jury was still out. For her, she still didn’t trust Racquel, and she dealt with her accordingly.
Charlotte rode along in silence, listening to Matt, Curtina, and Curtis conversing about one thing after another. She did this because while they were chatting, she was thinking—and plotting her next move. In a perfect world, Vanessa would lose that nasty, uppity, condescending attitude of hers, stay out of Charlotte’s way, and accept that Charlotte should have just as much say-so about MJ as she did. She would also welcome Charlotte to spend time with her grandson as often as she wanted and even allow her to become MJ’s primary caregiver when Racquel left for college; especially since Vanessa ran a consulting business from home and didn’t have the kind of free time Charlotte had to raise a baby. But again, this kind of thing could only happen in a perfect world and not in Charlotte and Vanessa’s, so Charlotte didn’t have a choice but to plot, plan, and do whatever she had to in order to protect her rights as a grandmother. She would hope for the best, but if that hussy, Vanessa, didn’t back down soon, Charlotte would be ready. Worse, Vanessa would be very sorry she’d ever crossed her.
Chapter 10
C harlotte, Curtis, Matthew, and Curtina walked toward the elevator, and as soon as Matthew pressed the button, Curtina started in again.
“Why can’t I see little MJ, Matt?”
“I already told you. You’re not old enough. You have to be twelve or be a sibling.”
“What’s that?” she asked, clearly not happy.
“It means a brother or a sister.”
Curtis shook his head. “You guys go ahead, and I’ll stay down here in the main waiting area with Curtina.”
“You ready?” Charlotte asked Matthew.
“Actually, Mom, I’d really like to have some time alone with Racquel. Then see the baby with just her.”
Charlotte’s feelings were hurt, because if she knew Vanessa, she was still here visiting with Racquel and likely seeing the baby as much as she wanted. “I understand that, Matt, but can I at least just go say hi to her and peek in on the baby? Then I’ll leave.”
“Fine, Mom.”
When Charlotte and Matthew stepped off the elevator, they strolled down the hallway and saw Neil. He was walking out of Racquel’s room.
He smiled, shook Matthew’s hand, and hugged him. “I’m glad you made it, son, and I’m very proud of you.”
“Thanks for everything, Dr. Anderson.”
“Well, I won’t hold you up because that daughter of mine can’t wait to see you.
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