But that was the farthest thing from Ollie's mind, as the romance flourished, and they spent more and more time with each other, much to his children's delight. And finally in late April, he got up the courage to ask her.

They were having another one of their quiet, intimate dinners at Chianti, and he didn't surprise her with a ring, or ask her on bended knee. He waited until they had finished eating, and then looked at her nervously, and she giggled at him. She wasn't sure, but she thought she knew what was coming.

“How was the office today?” she teased, and he almost groaned.

“Don't do this to me … I wanted to talk to you about something serious. I have for a long time, but I wasn't sure how you'd feel about it … with your career and all….”

“You want to offer me a job?” She smiled innocently.

“Oh shut up. Actually, now that you mention it … yes. You could call it that. A permanent position, with rotten pay, compared to what you make. A lifetime commitment, live-in, with three major handicaps, a few perks, and eventually a pension.”

“Don't you dare call your children handicaps, Oliver Watson! I happen to love them.” She sounded offended on their behalf, and he held her hand tightly in his own, and brought it to his lips to kiss her fingers.

“So do I. But I also happen to love you. How would you feel about getting married one of these days?” His heart pounded as he asked, and he wouldn't have been surprised if she declined, but she didn't say a word, she just kissed him.

“That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me,” she said finally. But she still hadn't answered him, and waiting for her to was torture.

“And?”

“I think we should both think about it seriously. You more than I. I know what I'm getting, Ollie, and I love all four of you, but you've never been married to a wife with a career before, it can be pretty rough, especially a career like mine. We wouldn't have a very private life, no matter how hard we tried, and everyone would always be making a fuss about me, as long as I'm on the show anyway. And that can be a pain in the ass sometimes too.” He'd already experienced it when they went out, the constant demands for autographs, the press, the well-meaning intrusions. But it didn't bother him, and he was proud of her. He didn't mind standing back and letting her be the star.

“I don't mind any of that.”

“Are you sure? One day I'd like to give it all up, but to be honest with you, Ollie, not yet. I'm just not ready to. I've worked too hard for too long to give it up now before I squeeze every drop of satisfaction out of it.”

“I understand that. I wouldn't expect yon to give it up. I think that would be a terrible mistake.”

“So do I. No matter how much I love you, I think I'd resent it. How do you think the kids would feel?” She was concerned about that too. They meant a lot to her, and to him, and she wanted it to be something they wanted, too, but Ollie only grinned.

“They said they'd divorce me if I didn't ask. And I figure they'll probably leave me and find another father if you don't accept me.”

“They'd be fools if they did. They couldn't find a better one if they tried.”

“That's not true. I screw up a lot.”

“Yes, it is true. And I haven't seen you screw up yet. You do a hell of a job with them.” Benjamin was back on the right track, Mel was doing brilliantly in school, and Sam had never been happier in his life. Things were going well for all of them. And then she smiled, shyly, as she looked up at him. “I'd like to have kids of my own one day too. One or two anyway, maybe even three if I'm not too far gone by the time I start. How would you feel about that? It would give you a pretty full house, what with the guinea pigs and white mice and worm farms and all.” They both laughed, but the subject was serious, and she was right to bring it up. He frowned as he thought about it, it had crossed his mind before, but he had never really imagined having babies again. At forty-five, it was an interesting thought, and at least, she thought to herself, he hadn't gone screaming out the door yet.

“I don't know. I think I'm a little old and tired to start all over again. Kids aren't as easy as you think.” He had certainly seen that in the last year, but he also knew how great were the rewards, and he didn't want to cheat her out of that. He loved her too much. And she had a lot to offer children of her own, as well as his. It was worth thinking about, if it meant convincing her about their future. “I guess I could probably be talked into it, once, anyway,” he saw the look in her eyes and his heart melted as she smiled, “maybe twice. But don't push me too far. I'm a grandfather, you know.”

“That doesn't count,” she meant because he was still so young, but Oliver looked sad.

“To Benjamin it does.”

“I just meant you're not old enough to call yourself that.”

“I feel it sometimes. Except when I'm with you. I think we could do wonderful things, Charlie. There's so much I'd like to do with you. Travel, have fun, help you with your career. It's the first time in my life I've really felt it was right, right down to my toes and deep in my soul, I don't have a single doubt about us.” And he felt so peaceful.

“The funny thing is, neither do I. I know how much I love you, Oliver. I just want you to be sure.”

She hesitated only long enough to kiss him again, and whisper softly in his ear. “In that case you're on. But I want to wait a year from the time we met, and do it right. How about Christmas?”

“Do you mean that?” He looked stunned. His divorce had been final for a month, and Sarah had been gone for over a year, and he loved this woman with his whole heart, and now she was willing to marry him. But she was nodding and smiling and laughing suddenly, and she looked as happy as he felt.

“Of course I mean it. Do you mind waiting until Christmas?”

“A little. But I kind of like the idea of an old-fashioned engagement.”

“We go on hiatus in June. We could go away for a month or two this summer. I had an offer to do a film, but it's really second-rate. I'd much rather go away somewhere with you and the children, unless Sarah's taking them somewhere.”

“She is. But only in August.”

They made plans through the rest of the evening, and that night when he took her home, he stayed and they made love to celebrate their engagement.





Chapter 25


The next day they told the children, and they were ecstatic. Sam wanted to know if he could come on their honeymoon, as Oliver groaned, and Charlotte asked Mel if she would be the maid of honor at their wedding. It was still eight months away, but as they talked about it, they were all like excited children.

The following day, Oliver picked her up at the studio, and when Charlotte got in the car there was a small square box on the seat, wrapped in turquoise paper and tied with a white satin ribbon. Her hands shook as she opened it and she gasped as she saw the ring sparkling inside the black suede box. It was an exquisite emerald-cut diamond, and there were tears in her eyes as she let Oliver slip it on her finger.

“Oh, Ollie … it's so beautiful.”

“So are you.” He kissed her, and held her tight, andshe snuggled close to him as they drove home to the children.

The press got hold of the news within a few days, and the producers of the show made the most of it. The PR people for the studio were all over them, wanting photographs of Charlotte with Oliver and the children. People magazine called, and US, and news of their engagement appeared in both Newsweek and Time, and suddenly even the children were being hounded. It infuriated Charlotte, and Oliver was less than pleased to discover the paparazzi outside the house on several occasions.

“How do you stand it?” he asked Charlotte more than once, and as a result, they agreed to spend their summer holiday in seclusion with the children at a borrowed villa in Trancas.

It was fairly hairy for the next few weeks, and eventually things started to calm down a little, and Sarah called, and congratulated him. She had heard the news from Sam, but she'd also read about it in the papers.

“The kids seem to be crazy about her, Ollie. I'm happy for you.”

“So am I. But the press is a bit of a bore.”

“You'll get used to it. That's Hollywood!” she teased, but she sounded pleased for him, and his father and Margaret were thrilled too. It was a happy time, and Oliver and Charlie had a lot to do before they left for their summer vacation in Trancas with the children.

Eventually, Charlotte finished the last of her tapings for the season, the kids finished school, and Oliver left the office for a four-week holiday and the five of them set off for Trancas. They spent a heavenly month there at the beach, and then Mel and Sam left for the East to visit their mother.

Charlie was planning to shoot a few commercials again, Oliver had to go back to work, and Ben had to get ready to start classes at UCLA at the end of August.

It was just before that that he got the call, late one afternoon, when he had come home to change and go out for dinner with Charlie and his dad. When the telephone rang, he thought his father was calling from the office. But he was surprised instead to hear Sandra's mother's voice, and she was calling for him. It almost made his heart stop to hear her.

“Is something wrong, Mrs. Carter? … is Alex …”

“He's fine, I guess.” She sounded strange. She had thought a long time about the call, trying to think of some way it would bring her gain, but in the end, she had decided just to tell him. He had a right to know, and he wasn't a bad kid. And he seemed to be crazy about the boy. Maybe it was better trying to do them a favor. At least that was what she told herself as she dialed. “Sandra left the baby in the shelter yesterday morning. She's putting him up for adoption. I thought maybe you'd want to know.”