by Dora Hiers
“He gave me a week to decide.”
“A week?” What happened to interviews and handshakes? What happened to her chance to say hi before she was forced to say goodbye? “Won’t you have to go up for an interview first?”
“I met the guy’s father. Apparently, he liked me and appreciated my experience enough that the son’s willing to hire me sight unseen.”
Her chin dropped to her chest. Of course. How could he not like Carson? And then once he met him and got a firsthand glimpse of Carson’s work ethic and the quality of workmanship…
The pad of his thumb grazed her cheek a couple times. She hadn’t realized a tear had slipped out. She glanced up, saw the tenderness on his face.
“Jillian, I haven’t accepted it, yet.”
She had to get out of here before she lost it. She broke through his barricade. “I’m happy for you, Carson. Really, I am.” I know that’s a lie, Lord, but at some point I will be, right? “I need to go. I’ll catch up with you later.”
She hurled her purse in the passenger seat, dived into the truck and fumbled with the keys. Finally, the engine roared to life and she stomped on the accelerator, thankful for the lack of cars in front of her and that none of her firefighter friends were hanging around outside the station.
She’d never hear the end of it.
But that wouldn’t matter.
What mattered was that Carson was leaving again.
She dared a glance in the rearview mirror.
He hadn’t moved, still rooted in the same spot, staring after her.
If she could only convince him to dig roots in Harrison…
****
He wanted to hit something.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this frustrated.
Staring at Jillian’s truck as she roared away, he whispered a prayer for peace. When he couldn’t see her truck through the traffic, he turned to his car, groaning, fighting the urge to kick a tire.
Raleigh was only a little over two hours away, but his heart told him that was too far. Too far to risk the fragile threads connecting him to Jillian. Too far. Period.
Now that he was back, he couldn’t imagine taking off again. He wanted to stay. He wanted to launch Beauty in the Scars with Jillian at his side. He yearned to be close to his family, to be around when the precious little nieces and nephews started arriving.
Lord, help me make the right decision. Help me be at peace about the road you want me to travel.
****
“I’m so glad you stayed home this weekend.” Jillian followed Remi outside onto the back deck, juggling a pizza box and paper plates in her hands. They hadn’t had a girls-only night since before the wedding.
“Mason didn’t have quite the same reaction.” Remi giggled and set two glasses of iced tea on the table then pivoted. “I’ll be right back.”
Jillian loaded the plates with steaming wedges topped with sausage and pineapple just as Remi appeared again with napkins, salad and a bottle of dressing.
Jillian picked up the conversation, scooting into a chair. “I’m sure Mason understood.”
A sweet smile lifted Remi’s lips as she sat down. “He’s okay with it. He’d never admit it, but Jumbo’s his favorite. He hates to see him not feeling well as much as I do. He wanted me to call Corbin this morning, but I convinced him to give the rascal another day. It’s so unlike Jumbo to mope around, but he’s not showing any other unusual symptoms. It’s possible he just has another tummy ache.”
“You’ll know when to call Corbin.” Jillian was convinced that Remi could handle about any animal problem that popped up. If her friend could deliver little ones, she could definitely determine when a vet was needed.
“That’s what I told Mason.” Remi uttered a sweet blessing over the food then picked up the fork and started with salad.
Jillian scooped up a slice of pizza and bit into it. She needed comfort food. Lots of it. Good thing she’d brought a large pie and not their usual medium.
“Really, it feels good just to stay home. I’m sorry I haven’t been around lately. I’ve missed our chats.” Remi’s face pleaded with her to understand.
“It’s all right, Remi. I understand.” And she did. Totally. Her bestie was married now, and their girls-only nights would take a back seat to Remi’s relationship with her husband. And that’s the way it should be, but Jillian couldn’t douse the spark of jealousy that ignited and pulsed to the surface.
As a huge clump of cheese crawled down her throat, Jillian glanced beyond the wood rail of the deck. Ribbons of lilac and pink streaked the sky, mingling and touching, creating a beautiful tapestry of color, a picture of marriage and the way two lives blended and traveled life’s road together.
She craved that kind of intimate relationship, the kind Remi and Mason now shared. She sighed, tucking that desire down deep, where it wouldn’t hurt so much.
Marriage wasn’t in her future.
Not today. Not ever.
Carson wasn’t the marrying kind. He would never be happy staying in one place. Hadn’t he said as much?
Why couldn’t she have fallen in love with Carson’s twin? Camdon had held down a steady job for years, and as Deputy City Manager, was committed to staying in Harrison. And he probably wouldn’t have taken off for who knows where after catching a glimpse of her scars.
Jillian closed her eyes and rubbed her eyebrows. When she looked up, sympathy cast shadows across her friend’s smooth face. “I’ve missed our chats, too.”
Remi draped her hand over Jillian’s for a minute, those tiny cinnamon flecks sparkling from lush green irises reminding Jillian so much of Carson.
Enough!
Here was her chance to enjoy a quiet evening with her friend, just the two of them, and she was determined not to waste another minute pining for something that would never happen, for someone who couldn’t commit to her or to Harrison.
“Yum. This is good.” Jillian eased her hand back on the pretense of scooping up another slice.
Remi finished her salad and settled back against the chair, sipping her iced tea, eyeing Jillian over the rim of the cup. She set the glass down on the table, her finger circling the top. “So, catch me up on what’s been happening with you and Carson.”
Jillian gritted her teeth. Her shoulders drooped. So much for determination. Mercy! She fought fires that didn’t wilt her energy as fast as thinking about Carson. Wasn’t she made of tougher stuff?
Remi chuckled and picked up a wedge. “It can’t be all bad. He’s still here.”
“Not for long.” She huffed, muttering the words, wishing she could take them back as soon as they left her lips.
“What?” The pizza slice halfway to Remi’s mouth slapped back down on the plate. Her jaw dangled.
“He hasn’t talked to you this afternoon?” Dread settled in Jillian’s belly. Or was it the sausage finally slithering to the bottom?
She hated to be the bearer of such bad news. Especially when it involved Remi’s prodigal brother, but Remi had been her forever friend. And she could use a friendly shoulder to cry on right now.
Remi shook her head in slow motion, her mouth still gaping. Her hand flew to cover her mouth. Tears gathered on her lashes. Her voice came out in a whisper. “Please tell me you didn’t just say what I thought—”
“He got a job offer in Raleigh.” Jillian licked her parched lips. Her heart ached just saying the words. How much more would it hurt when he accepted the job and moved away?
“Raleigh.” Remi’s dark eyebrows dipped. She cocked her head, studying Jillian, as if she’d weighed the implication and decided it wasn’t that bad. “That’s not too far.”
“Far enough.” How could Remi be okay with this?
Remi’s expression appeared thoughtful. “Yes, I suppose, but it’s doable, isn’t it?”
“What’s doable?”
“A relationship.”
Jillian scoffed. “A relationship? What makes you think your brother
wants a relationship with me?”
Remi’s lips twitched. “Are you going to tell me you two haven’t seen each other while we were gone?”
Jillian cleared her throat. “Well, of course we’ve seen each other. Someone left me in charge of llama training.”
“Not what I meant, and you know it.” Triumph laced her friend’s tone and smirk.
“We might’ve shared a few meals. But not like a date.”
“No?” Dark eyebrows hiked, goading her.
“No! And it’s nothing like you’re thinking.”
“What am I thinking?” Remi pressed her back against the chair and folded arms over her chest.
Jillian refused to rise to the bait. Instead, she took a big bite of pizza, not really enjoying the flavor, but anything to keep from giving Remi more ammunition.
As if that would stop her friend from speaking her mind.
“You want to know what I’m thinking?” Remi tossed her napkin on the table, hauled herself out of the chair, and stalked over to the deck rail. She stared off into the distance for a few seconds before turning around, her back pressing against the rail, her palms resting on the wood.
“I told Mason that you two wouldn’t stay away from each other now that Carson’s back in town. I’m thinking that my brother finally wised up after all these years. I’m thinking that I’m so glad you waited for him to come back, that you gave him time to finally realize the treasure he left behind.” Remi’s voice was calm, clear.
“Treasure?” Jillian sputtered.
“Yes. Treasure. Now let me finish.” Remi speared her with a firm look. “You two belong together.”
“That might be kind of tough with him living in Raleigh. We all know how long distance relationships turn out.”
“I guess it depends on how committed you both are to make it work.” Remi folded her arms over her chest again.
Would Carson would ever see her as a treasure? Would he ever commit to her, to them?
15
Carson slathered mayonnaise on the bread and slapped a handful of ham on top. He slid the mayo jar back inside the fridge and reached for a shiny green apple. Stacking the plate on top of the glass of sweet tea, he ambled back into his brother’s office, the wood floor cool against his bare feet.
Cringing at the squeak in the plush leather chair, he made a mental note to check Cam’s garage for some lubricant. He cocked his head, squinting at the light jazz playing softly in the background. Not his type of music, but infinitely better than the unnatural quiet. His brother needed a dog. Or an aquarium stocked with colorful fish and a filter that gurgled water. Something, anything, to spark some life into the sterile, unlived-in-feeling space.
But it appeared that his brother didn’t live here that much, anyway.
Okay, no pet for Camdon, but Carson could surely make a few changes to improve the space.
Biting into the sandwich, he clicked at the keyboard, typing in appropriate keywords to help him with his job search.
Construction experience with a creative flair? Hmmm…this one looked interesting.
He finished off the sandwich as he studied the job requirements and then crunched into the apple. Juice dribbled down his chin, and he swiped at it with a napkin.
Cam had generously offered the use of his office and computer, and his brother probably wouldn’t appreciate sticky apple juice staining his keypad.
He finished scanning the details of the position then leaned back, the obnoxious squeak of the chair slicing a discordant pause through the jazz. Wincing, he rested an elbow on the leather arm and propped his chin in a palm.
The position really appealed to him. A combination construction/design job with a real estate firm servicing the Charlotte area. They wanted someone to oversee both aspects. He clicked on the online application and began filling in the blanks. A few minutes later, he verified that all the required information had been filled out, then hit send, emailing the completed application to the contact person.
Lord, this one’s all up to You. I don’t have all the experience they’re asking for, but I know You are more than able to work miracles. I’m asking for one here.
His phone vibrated on the desk. He glanced at the screen.
Mason?
He scooped it up, connecting the call as he flicked the button to turn off the music. “Hey, Mason. What’s up?”
“Hey. You busy?”
“Just hunting down jobs.” Carson tipped the chair back, rocking it with the pads of his feet, grimacing at the obnoxious squeaks. He stopped.
“Still looking, eh?”
“Yeah. Still looking. For now.” He tried to keep the discouragement from coming through in his voice but couldn’t quite pull it off.
“Well, don’t take any, yet.”
“Why not?” He needed a job. And he needed it yesterday. But he wasn’t desperate enough to accept one two hours away. Not yet.
“I was hoping I could talk you into doing the upstairs addition for us.”
The chair lurched forward, broadcasting that loathsome groan again. “You in a hurry? You have some news you want to share?”
Mason’s deep laugh sounded over the phone. “Not yet. You’ll be among the first to know, though.”
“Hope so.” Longing packed a powerful punch in Carson’s gut. Hard enough that he covered his stomach with a hand.
Would his sister’s children take after Remi? Dark haired, green-eyed beauties? Or would they have Mason’s brown eyes and teasing glint? Would they end up racing cars for a living? Or crave the peace and serenity of living the quiet life like Remi?
How cool! He couldn’t wait to find out. He’d do what he could to see miniature Mulrennans toddling around the sprawling ranch.
“You interested?”
“Sure.” Why wouldn’t he be? A second story addition would take months. That meant more time here in Harrison, around Jillian. But it also meant turning down the job in Raleigh, his only definite lead. What would happen when he finished this project for Mason and his sister? Would he run into the same problem finding another job? Doubt pricked him.
“Great. Do you think you can come out sometime Wednesday morning so we can go over the plans?”
“That works for me.” He arranged a time that was mutually convenient, then disconnected and set the phone back on the desk.
Immediately his phone vibrated again. He picked it up, stared at the screen.
Randolph Veterinary Clinic? Why would the vet be calling him?
He cleared his throat. Wouldn’t want Jillian’s suitor to hear him squawk like a kid. “Carson Lambright.”
“Lambright? Corbin Randolph here. We met at—”
“My sister’s wedding. What can I do for you, Randolph?”
“For starters, I hear you’re great with construction. Jillian told me what a fabulous job you did with Remi’s kitchen remodel.”
Jillian had been talking about him with the vet? Carson wasn’t quite sure what to make of that or where Randolph was headed with this conversation. His eyebrows furrowed together. “Thanks.”
“Are you interested in more work?”
More work? God, is this for real?
“What do you have in mind?”
“My practice has totally busted out of our current location.”
Was this guy full of wind or serious? Carson didn’t know him well enough to make that call. But Jillian would know.
Wait a minute. Was it a coincidence that both men called on the same day, one right after the other, or had Jillian put them up to these calls? With the phone stuck between ear and shoulder, his fingers tapped out an idle rhythm on the desktop, waiting for Randolph to continue.
“I’m looking for a contractor. I was hoping you might stop by and give me a bid on what it would cost to expand.”
He stopped tapping and scraped a hand across heavily whiskered jaws.
Okay. So what if Jillian had put the word out that he needed a job? That didn’t necessarily equate to a
ctual phone calls with two potential job offers. Between the two opportunities, and if he could be competitive, he just might be able to stick around Harrison.
You’re pouring out Your blessings, God. Is this the answer to my prayers? Should I turn down the Raleigh job offer? Please direct my path, Lord. Don’t let me make a mistake.
It wouldn’t hurt to talk to the guy. “Sure. When do you have some free time that I can stop by?” He jotted down the agreed-upon time and disconnected, staring at the photo of him and Jillian on his phone’s screen. He tipped the chair back and cringed at the screech.
How long would odd jobs keep him busy around this small city? Would they pay enough for him to be able to afford his own place? And once he finished these two projects, would other opportunities pop up?
Harrison was mighty tiny, but Charlotte held potential. Was it possible?
The small, confined space of the condo pressed in on him, but not as much as the lack of energy and noise.
He needed to get out, do something. And he knew just where to go.
****
“The doctor said I could go home tomorrow.”
Jillian heard the words Maria didn’t say, reinforced by Maria’s solemn expression and heavy sigh. The poor girl was close to tears.
“You don’t sound too happy. Don’t you want to go home?”
A fat drop tracked down Maria’s cheek. She slashed a hand through the air in a circle in front of her face. “Can you wonder why? I’m a freak show. At least in here no one notices.”
Oh… Jillian’s heart melted with compassion for the girl.
Maria faced a long, tough road ahead. She’d be forced to dig deep and find the grit and determination to show people what she was really made of. Or what? She’d curl up into a fetal position and wilt away.
Her hand connected with Maria’s, resting on top of warm fingers. “Maria, I certainly won’t lie to you. You’ll face your share of gawkers and pointers, but you’ll still find people, friends, willing to love you for who you are inside.”
“Easy for you to say.”
Jillian’s shoulders stiffened, but she tried hard not to take offense at the snarly tone. She tilted her head, frowning, forcing her hand to remain connected with the girl’s. “Why do you say that?”