Sweet Carol

by Shanae Johnson

  Slowly the tension seeped out of Ari. Her eyes closed, taking away the unshed tears. Her lips still trembled. Only now, he tasted relief on her breath. That still left Prince’s initial question to her unanswered.

  "Why didn't you tell me what I did to you?"

  Ari winced. The unshed tears came back. They glistened at the corners of her eyes. She opened her mouth again, but only an unsteady breath came out.

  "I hurt you," said Prince. "I blew up your life. You've been suffering all these years because of me."

  Ari’s lips moved. But words continued to fail her. Because he had stolen her voice.

  "The worst part is I don't even remember it."

  Prince shut his eyes, trying to blot out the shame of it all. Ari's hands came to his cheek. He wanted to shrug off her touch. He didn't deserve it. But he could no sooner ask his heart to stop beating than deny her touch.

  "You're right," she said, into his ear. The perfect volume. Or perhaps, he was simply so in tune to this woman. "It was your fault.”

  The quietly spoken words were like a gong in his head. They rang him dry. He should let her go, but he knew his fingers would never cooperate.

  “But, I forgive you."

  Prince shook his head. He didn't want her excuses. Here again, he'd watched someone else blow up while he’d gotten away unscathed.

  "I forgive you," Ari repeated. This time she said it directly into his ear. A whisper. An absolution.

  Prince couldn't help himself. His arms came around her, and he pulled her close.

  "You're not the same hurt, little boy,” she said. “You’re a different man now."

  How he wanted to believe her. How he wanted those words to be made of facts and not wishful thinking.

  "The truth is that I've found my voice with you,” Ari went on.

  Prince pulled away to look down at her, needing to see her face as she gave him this benediction.

  "I blamed you all this time. But the truth is, you never took anything from me. I was afraid when I got up on that stage. It was so easy to sing around my family because I knew they loved me.”

  Could that be why she could sing to him? Because what he was feeling for her was love? He wasn’t sure he even knew how to love. But if he was going to try, it would be with this woman.

  “Everyone pointed a finger at you, and I let them. It was easier than admitting to my fear. I stayed silent while they kept blaming you. Because I didn’t want to talk, I didn’t want to sing.”

  "Ari—"

  "No, I'm not done telling you off.”

  Prince hushed. Her voice was sharp, a note Prince had yet to hear. He liked it just as much as her sweet melodies.

  “What you did all those years ago was childish and rude, and mean spirited. But I’m to blame too. I forgive myself, and I forgive you, too. Now, you're going to accept that, and quickly, because there are bigger fish to fry.”

  He would accept it. He would never deny this woman anything. He couldn’t imagine anything bigger that they could face than this.

  “My sisters,” Ari said. “You're going to have to win them over if we're going to really do this."

  Chapter Eighteen

  Heads poked out of shops as she and Prince walked hand in hand back into town. People Ari had known all her life stopped and stared at the two of them. With her hand in his, Ari didn't feel the need to duck her head and hide. Instead, she lifted it and waved.

  "Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery,” she called out to the pet shop owners.

  "Good afternoon, Ms. Harper,” she waved to the owner of the town’s sweet shop.

  "You're having fun with this, aren't you?" Prince whispered in her ear.

  Ari loved the feel of his lips against the cone of her ear. Was that what he felt when she did that to him? No wonder he constantly dipped his ear to her mouth. She was seriously considering picking up the habit. But only with him.

  She gazed up at him under the twinkling of the Christmas lights. Decorations were in full swing now that Christmas was just one week away. All around, Ari saw announcements for holiday-themed events. As well as the annual Indigo Bay Gala.

  Each year the town held the gala to raise money for a worthy cause. This year, the charity supported the local animal shelter. For the life of her, she couldn't remember what the cause had been the one, and only time, she had attended.

  As she tried to think back on that night, the details kept slipping away from her. Had Prince truly laughed as loudly as she'd heard? Had her voice squeaked as much as she'd imagined?

  Ari could no longer be sure. The only thing that she was sure of was that the man walking beside her, holding her hand, was as steady as a rock. She had not a single doubt in her mind that Prince would let her fall, or run off, again. Ari just hoped he was strong enough to withstand what was about to come his way.

  She pushed open the door to Carol on the Bay Karaoke Bar. It was just after lunchtime, and dinner was a few hours away, so there was hardly anyone about. That wasn't a good sign. It would be better for Prince if there were witnesses in the dining area. But only Judge Trexler sat in the corner, eating a bowl of chowder as he read the day’s paper.

  Well, that was probably good. Her sisters would be less likely to commit murder with an official on the scene. Maybe? Hopefully?

  Her sisters were both behind the bar as Ari and Prince made their way across the floor. There wasn’t a tumbleweed in sight, but Ari swore a dust bunny rolled across the pristine floors. An old country song played softly on the jukebox. The crooner wailed about how somebody done somebody else wrong.

  Adelle sharpened a knife. Even from this distance, the knife already looked pretty sharp. Its blade gleamed sinisterly with each step Ari and Prince took.

  Alanna held a white rag in one hand, while she polished a beer mug with the other. The way the mug’s handle was wrapped around Alanna’s knuckles brought to mind a steel knuckle ring that a street brawler would bring to a fistfight.

  "Didn't I tell you you're not welcome here, Mr. Prince?" said Alanna.

  "He's with me," said Ari.

  Neither sister glanced at Ari. Their predatory gazes were fixed on Prince. They continued readying their weapons.

  "I don't know what kind of voodoo you've done on my sister—"

  Ari cut Adelle off. Not because of what she was saying, but because Adelle’s voice was low. Low and menacing, which was good if she wanted to scare a normal hearing suitor. "He can't hear you."

  "What do you mean he can’t hear me? He doesn't talk to people like me?"

  "No, he's wearing a hearing aid."

  The knife stilled in Adelle’s hand. Alanna set the mug down. Both women cocked their heads to the side as though to peer at Prince’s ear.

  As always, Prince’s overgrown hair covered any evidence of the device in his ear. He lifted his hand and smoothed back his hair, revealing the tiny piece of plastic in his ear.

  “He can’t hear us?” said Adelle using her normal volume.

  “I can now,” said Prince. He wore a friendly smile on his face. “I’ve been to one too many heavy metal concerts."

  No one laughed at the joke. Mainly because the Carol sisters couldn’t abide metal bands. Shouting over the base and drum beats was not their idea of a good time.

  “Prince lost his hearing in a bombing overseas. He saved a family in the process."

  Yes, Ari realized she left out the part about the father whose life was lost. This was going to be a day of looking at the positives. That father had sacrificed for his family because that’s what families do. She only hoped her family would come to see the good in the present and not dwell on the pain of the past.

  “Listen,” said Prince, stepping forward. “I realize I’ve dealt a huge blow to your family in the past.”

  So much for that plan. Ari stepped up beside him. She didn’t think Adelle and Alanna would launch any weapons at him with her beside him.

  Maybe?

  Hopefully?

  “I was
an awful kid. I don’t deserve your sister’s forgiveness. But she’s insisted on giving it to me. I’m going to spend the rest of my life being worthy of it.”

  Did he say the rest of his life? Ari didn’t have the ability to question it. When Prince looked down at her, her heart laid down in a puddle in her chest.

  “Did he just say the rest of his life?” asked Adelle, suspicion coating her tone.

  “He just said the rest of his life,” said Alanna, adoration sweetening her tone.

  Prince winced, like a man caught in a scope. “Well… I mean… We’ve only just started… but…”

  The look he gave Ari was one of shaded desire. But he couldn’t hide it from her. She saw past the shadows he tried to cast and glimpsed his true desire.

  “I think the rest of my life is a good place to start,” he said. “That is if you’ll allow me the honor of taking her out on a date?”

  Ari turned to her sisters.

  “Yes,” said Alanna.

  “No,” said Adelle at the same time.

  Their answers didn’t surprise Ari. Alanna was a hopeless romantic. Adelle was, well, just hopeless when it came to romance that wasn’t in lyrics.

  Both Ari and Alanna turned to Adelle. The staring contest was epic. With two on one, Adelle finally relented.

  “Fine,” she hissed. “But know the whole town will be watching you. And if you make a single mistake.”

  Adelle stabbed the sharp knife into a wooden block on the counter. Ari felt Prince gulp. Inside she was dancing a jig. That had gone better than she’d ever expected.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Prince tugged at his tie. It was now so loose around his neck that it was coming off. He gave it a final yank, unraveling it from his person and tossing it in a nearby trash can.

  He'd dressed up for his date with Ari, but he looked nothing like himself. The dress coat he'd worn was itchy. The shoes pinched.

  He'd ditched the coat before leaving the houseboat. The tie didn't make it to the front steps of Ari's house. He'd have to suffer in the shoes. But at least he felt more like himself in clean slacks and a buttoned-down shirt without the coat and tie.

  Ari had seen him in far worse dregs, and she hadn't said anything against him. She hadn't said much. Because she’d lost her voice.

  Prince stopped the line of thinking before it could continue down a dark path. She said she'd forgiven him. He'd decided to take her word for it. He'd decided he'd take anything she'd give him.

  He was thankful that she came to the door to greet him and not one of her sisters. He'd girded his loins for another run-in with the pair, but he was already nervous enough. He'd been on his fair share of dates in his lifetime. But never one this important.

  "Hi."

  Prince saw her lips move, but he didn't quite pick up the sound. She was back in shy mode, and that was fine. He was simply thrilled to see her.

  "You look beautiful," he said.

  A light blush darkened her cheeks. Prince offered her his arm. He doubted he'd ever done that for a woman before. Mainly because most of the women he'd dated over the years he'd picked up at bars just off base. Those women were looking for a very specific time with him. They'd trailed after him out of the bar and into the dark of night.

  Here and now with Ari, it was early afternoon on a bright day on the bay. The weather was unseasonably warm as they walked down the main street of town. Christmas lights twinkled in the sunshine. Normally Prince would scowl at the colorful points of light as they reminded him of holidays with his family. Today, they didn't bother him so much because he walked next to the brightest thing he’d ever seen in his life.

  Ari leaned into his side as they walked hand in hand. She tilted her face up. He realized too late that she was aiming for his ear to speak when he turned his face to meet hers.

  She missed his ear entirely. Her lips were just a breath from his. He stared at the pink flesh, and hunger quaked in his belly.

  With great difficulty, Prince lifted his gaze until he stared directly into her eyes. It was the first time in his life that he hid nothing from another being. He wanted to give himself to her, to be whatever she needed. He wanted to tell her that with his lips, but without using words.

  However, that was not how he'd planned this date to go. This was the first time he'd woo a woman when he was out of uniform. He wouldn’t buy her a drink and then leave before she woke in the morning.

  He’d let the truth slip the other day about wanting to be with Ari for the rest of his life. That journey would start this day, one step at a time. If he played his cards right, at the end of the day, when he walked her back to her front door, then he would see if he earned that kiss.

  And so Prince turned his mouth from Ari and gave her his good ear.

  It took a moment for Ari to speak. He heard her clearing her throat a few times. "Where are we going?"

  "To Coastal Creations. They have an ornament making station today."

  "But you don't like Christmas."

  Prince turned to face her. "You like Christmas. I like you. That's all I need."

  Again, that beautiful blush of color tinted her cheeks. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close as they walked. That wasn't part of the plan, either. He had meant to only keep her hand in the crook of his elbow. But he didn't see a problem with picking up the pace toward forever.

  They made it inside the shop, which looked as though Christmas had exploded against the walls and spilled onto the tables. The shop was crowded with kids, and adults, families, and friends. The place was noisy and a bit chaotic. Both Prince and Ari froze in the doorway.

  He wasn't one for being in crowds, and he knew she got tense in social situations where she might be required to talk. Maybe this was a bad idea. But when he turned to steer her out of the door, Ari stayed him with her hand.

  She looked in his eyes. He knew that she could tell what he was thinking. She pressed her lips together, in that determined way of hers that he was coming to love. She wrapped her arm around his bicep and tugged him to one of the few empty spots at the back of the shop.

  "Well, if it isn't Ariana Carol," said Whitney, the owner of Coastal Creations. "It's good to see you out. And who do we have here?"

  Prince opened his mouth to speak, but Ari beat him to it.

  "You remember Eric Prince?"

  Whether Whitney remembered Prince or not, her gaze was fixed on Ari. The novelty of her speaking wasn't wearing off any time soon.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Whitney,” said Prince, forcing her attention off Ari and onto him. “Do you think we can get a kit to get started?"

  Whitney cleared her throat and nodded. She brought over two boxes and set them before Ari and Prince. Then with another grin, she turned and went to deal with a rowdy table near the front of the shop.

  When she was gone, Ari took a deep breath. Prince took her hand. Her fingers trembled slightly. Again, he wondered if they should’ve just spent a quiet afternoon on his boat.

  “Thank you for bringing me here,” said Ari. “I haven’t participated in events like these since my parents left.”

  Pride filled his heart as she gazed up at him. Along with a burst of protectiveness. He wanted to be this woman’s hero, her shield, her… everything. For now, he would be her helper as they set about crafting a lobster ornament with a fluffy red hat. There was no need for words between them as they passed the tools back and forth between themselves.

  The chatter around them died down from a chaotic buzzing into a more harmonious hum. Prince could make out words spoken together in a number of different voices. Looking up, he saw that the people gathered in the shop were singing.

  Soon Prince could make out the sound of Ari humming along. Her voice was quiet, only loud enough for him to hear. A few people slid glances their way, but Ari didn’t seem to notice them. She only had eyes for Prince.

  “You realize you two choose the spot with mistletoe?”

  Prince didn’t know w
ho said that to them, but he’d heard them loud and clear over the boisterous singing, over Ari’s quiet humming. More and more, he was coming to believe there might be something to the notion of selective hearing.

  He looked up to find a weed wrapped in twine hanging over their heads. For the third time today, Ari blushed. It was the warmth spreading across her face that did him in.

  Prince couldn’t wait until the end of the date. He didn’t even care that they had an audience. He dipped his mouth to hers and stole their first kiss.

  Chapter Twenty

  Ari had grown up watching the awkward goo-goo eyes of girl likes boy on the Disney Channel. Later she’d clicked over to watch chaste first kisses on Nick Teens. And finally, she’d landed on the heavy petting and then fade to black on the WB Channel.

  She'd seen many a first kiss and make-out session. But she'd never experienced any of it for herself. She certainly never expected it to happen while sitting in the back of the town craft shop.

  It was just a light brushing of Prince's lips against hers, but she felt rocked off her world. She was thankful that she was sitting because she couldn't feel her toes any longer. She had no idea what to do with her hands. It was just as well because she couldn't feel her fingers.

  All she could feel was the press of Prince's lips against hers. His top lip was warm. His bottom lip a soft pillow.

  Ari had hardly slept last night because she was so anxious for this date to happen. She'd been most eager to get to this particular part of the date, the part when he would kiss her. But wasn't that supposed to come at the end?

  Not that she was complaining. She'd much rather do this for the rest of the date. She sighed as his lips moved across hers, no longer light as a feather. A touch more insistent now as they pressed on. She had no idea what else Prince had planned, but she was happy to scrap it all, stay here, and keep her mouth pressed to his.