“So much.” She sat on the bed and looked at her friend. “I can’t tell you how great it’s been.”
“Then why do I get the feeling that something’s wrong?”
Mara frowned. “Because—he’s just a vacation guy—we don’t live anywhere near each other, and I’m going to miss him so much. But I don’t want to be one of those stupid girls who think they’re in love after only a few days and then pines for the guy they couldn’t have had anyway.”
“Who says you can’t?” Anna put both hands on her hips.
“Hello, I live halfway across the country.” Not to mention the fact that he’s still in love with his wife.
Anna covered her mouth dramatically. “Oh, right. And phones and web video chats and email don’t exist, so you’re totally going to have to lose touch.”
“Don’t be stupid, Anna.”
“No, you don’t be stupid. The only thing keeping you from continuing this relationship is yourself.” She ratted her hair to make it fluffier. Apparently satisfied, she smiled and tucked the comb into her makeup case. “Regardless, you’ve had a terrific few days, yes? Savor the time you have left together. And get his phone number.”
There was a knock at the door.
“That would be lover boy,” Anna said, tossing Mara the lipstick she’d left on the counter. “This isn’t mine.”
“Right.” Mara tucked it into her pocket and answered the door.
Carter stood outside, a little tanner than he’d been the day they arrived and wearing a much bigger smile. “You ready?”
“Yeah, just a second.” She took one last survey of the condo, grabbing the phone charger next to her bed, and stashed it in her suitcase, then zipped it up. “Let’s go.”
He grabbed her suitcase, and Mara shouldered her bag. She gave Anna a tight hug. “It was great to see you again. I’ll call you next week.”
“You’d better.” Anna gave her a wink.
They got outside the door, where Carter took Mara’s hand. “Are you sure I’m not monopolizing your time?”
She grinned. “You are, but that’s okay. I don’t mind one bit.” She threaded their fingers together, loving the way his strong, big hand wrapped around hers. “Where are you taking me today?”
“Have you been to a flea market? They have a great one nearby that runs most weekends.”
“You like to shop?” She didn’t think she’d ever met a guy who did.
“It’s browsing. And sometimes I find cool things.”
They started down the stairs. “You seem really familiar with this area,” she said.
“Yeah.” His tone was flat, not giving anything away.
His reticence confused her. “When have you been here before?”
He didn’t say anything for a while. “I came here once as a teen, and brought Rosa back several times. It’s kind of a special place for me.”
“Because it reminds you of her.”
“Yeah.”
Mara felt a sinking feeling in her chest and wanted to cry. He was still in love with his wife. How could she ever hope to compete with a dead woman?
“Is that why you only kissed me once? Because you still love her?” As soon as the words escaped, she wished them back. Did she sound like she was complaining? Did she want him to say that no, the real reason was because he wasn’t attracted to her? It wasn’t like she was the most practiced flirt. And she hadn’t kissed many guys. But he obviously knew exactly what he was doing. The paddle boat had proven that.
“Is there a right way to answer that question?” he asked. “I could say that it had nothing to do with her, and then you’d think the reason I haven’t kissed you much is because there’s something wrong with you—which isn’t at all true. Or, I could agree, but then you’ll think I can’t let the past rest.” He glanced away. “Which is partly true, I guess.”
She felt something inside—a sprig of hope that had started to blossom, crumble and blow away. “I’m sorry, I don’t have any right—”
“Yes, you do.” He stopped next to his car and set the suitcase down, then took her carry-on and set it on top. When her other hand was free, he took it so their bodies formed a circle. “Her memory does haunt me; I won’t lie. I planned to spend decades with her, and that didn’t happen. But my feelings for you are so different—hey, in a good way,” he said as Mara was bracing for him to blow her off.
“You’re the first woman I’ve dated more than a couple of times since Rosa died. Instead of getting bored with you, or having you wig me out by something you do, I just want to spend more time with you. I know what we promised each other a few days ago, and I don’t want to overstep my bounds, but you’re special, Mara.” A smile slid onto his face. “And I definitely like kissing you.”
She felt herself melting. “I’ve had a great time with you too.” She leaned back against his car and lifted her face for the kiss he offered. A thrill of excitement and longing swept through her as he leaned closer. She pulled his hands behind her and released them so she could wrap her arms around his waist and slide forward for more. He took his time with her, shifting his head for a better angle, then kissing along her jaw to the soft skin just below her ear. She sucked in a breath of surprise as goose bumps raced along her spine. He returned to kiss her mouth for another moment before releasing her.
As she caught her breath, she knew walking away from him was going to break her heart. Still, she had four hours until she needed to check in at the airport. “You ready to go to the flea market?”
“Yes.” He kissed her quickly again, then released her to load her luggage in the trunk with his own.
The ride was beautiful. They recounted childhood memories and made up stories about the people they passed, inventing errands and ridiculous backgrounds that had them both laughing.
The market was much bigger than Mara had expected. Carter pulled her through the tables, where they picked out furniture for their hypothetical beach house, discussed the relative merits of yard ornaments, and chose their favorite dinner plate patterns at a vendor whose table was piled with old dishes. It was remarkable how closely their tastes aligned.
They came to a vendor who had Christmas tree ornaments for sale, despite the off season.
“This is perfect,” Carter said, holding up a silver duck.
“Cute. It looks almost like the ones in the lake.”
He handed it to the vendor to wrap up. “I want that one for sure.”
They poked around the ornaments a little longer, and she pulled out one that looked like a jalapeno. “Doesn’t this remind you of salsa dancing?” she asked.
“Yeah. Let’s get that one too.”
“You always plan your Christmas décor this far in advance?” she asked after he paid.
He took her hand and led her farther down the aisle. “No, but I want something to remember you by, and I want you to have something to remember me by.” He looked over, and a sweet ache filled her chest.
“I think that’s a great idea.” Her throat felt tight with emotion, but she forced on a smile. “What next?”
He tugged her toward the far end, with food vendors, and a group of musicians with their bucket on the ground, soliciting donations.
They ate juicy tacos from one truck then split a funnel cake piled high with strawberries and whipped cream. When the food was gone, Carter asked her to tuck the ornaments into her purse and then offered his hand. “May I have this dance?”
“Are you serious? Here?” She looked around them. No one else was dancing.
He leaned in and said in a low voice, “Are you afraid people will want to join us, and we’ll start a whole new trend?”
She stared at him for a moment then accepted his offer, looping her purse strap up over her head so it couldn’t fall off. The music changed to a country swing, and Carter twisted and twirled her around on a bare section of dirt. Mara laughed, loving his bright eyes and easy grin, and the fact that his gaze rarely left her face. The wind blew through
her hair, cooling her neck.
When the song came to an end, the music group transitioned into a slow song. Carter pulled her close amid the babble of voices. The smells of frying food, spicy Mexican meat, and the fresh scent of outdoors lingered, surrounding them. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him. It was time to head back to the airport, but she didn’t want to go.
Not wanting to end a vacation wasn’t new—she often wished that she could stay longer—but until now it had always been from reluctance to return to real life, not a desperate longing for what she would leave behind.
Today, what made her want to stay was all him.
The music came to an end, and he dipped her then lifted her back up against him. They stared in each other’s eyes for a long moment, breathing heavy. He leaned in and kissed her, lingering over it.
When he pulled away, it was only a fraction of an inch. “I don’t want to leave you.” His voice was low and husky.
“Me, neither. Can we forget about real life and stay here forever, in this moment?” she asked in a whisper.
“I wish we could.” He tucked his face against her cheek for a long moment. “We ought to go now.”
“I know.” Still, they stood there. It was nearly a minute before he stepped back. He kept hold of her hand as they walked to his car in silence.
She didn’t know what to say anyway.
When they were belted in, he began a conversation on a general topic that wouldn’t make things any harder for them. At least, it shouldn’t have, but suddenly a discussion about favorite Christmas music became so much more than it would have been before.
He pulled up to one of the drop-off spots at the airport—he’d driven to the area rather than taking a plane. He unloaded her bags and set them on the sidewalk beside her. “I’d like to keep in touch.”
“Me, too.” She suddenly remembered the ornaments and pulled the sack out of her purse. “I don’t want to walk off with these, or at least, not with both of them.”
He pulled them out of the package. “Which do you want?” He held them in front of her, gleaming in the sunlight.
She stared at them both for a long moment then took the duck. “It’ll remind me of the lake.” And of their first kiss, but she didn’t say that.
“Good.” He glanced at his watch. “You really ought to go.”
“I know.” Her heart raced as she pulled out her cell. “Will you put in your number? I’d like to talk to you sometimes, if that’s okay with you.” What would he say?
He smiled. “Sure. And you?” They traded phones and entered their own contact information. She added a street address for her house, though she didn’t know if he’d ever use it. She passed back the phone and accepted her own, sliding it back into her pocket. She was probably a fool; he was still messed up over his dead wife, and she was asking for heartache.
Carter pulled her close and kissed her again, his fingers delving into her hair. Mara touched his face, trying to memorize the feel of his skin, the rasp of whiskers on his chin against her fingertips, the scent of his cologne, and the way his lips molded hers. If there was a chance she would never experience this with him again, she wanted to remember every detail.
“I’ll call you,” he said when he finally pulled away.
I love you. But she couldn’t say the words. It was supposed to be a fun weekend, no more. How had she let herself fall for him so hard? “I hope so.”
“Goodbye.”
Before her plane even took off, her phone dinged, announcing that she had a text message.
She opened it up. It was from Carter.
Miss you already.
Me, too, she responded. She slid the phone back in her pocket and smiled.
Chapter Six
When she touched down in North Dakota, snow was falling again. At home, after unloading her luggage from the car, grateful the roads hadn’t been bad, she took a picture with her phone and sent it to Carter.
Home Sweet Home. I already miss the sun.
Jo greeted her at the door as Mara sent the message. “Writing to Anna again already?”
“Not exactly.” Mara hadn’t mentioned her holiday romance, but knew she would have to soon if she and Carter kept in touch. Her phone chimed again, and she pulled it out to check. There was a picture of grass and trees in the moonlight.
Not so cold here, but still awfully quiet.
Mara smiled and put the phone away.
“Okay,” Jo said. “Who did you meet on your trip? Anna didn’t put that smile on your face.”
Mara tried to make light of it. “His name’s Carter, and we’ll see if it goes anywhere. He lives in Texas.”
“Oh, man, that sucks.” Jo took the extra suitcase from Mara and headed inside. “But it’s terrific that you connected with someone. You’ll have to tell me all about him.”
“Maybe tomorrow.” She wanted to keep the memories to herself for just a little longer. “Tell me about Dad.”
* * *
Three weeks passed while Mara and Carter continued to send regular text messages and talk on the phone each day. As she carried a load of groceries into the kitchen, she smiled at a funny comment he made about an overheard conversation on campus.
“Carter again?” her father asked.
“What makes you say that?” She pocketed the phone and began unloading groceries.
“That grin. You always get it when you’ve been talking to him.” He set down the newspaper he’d been reading and stood. “What are you doing, Mara?”
“I’m unloading the groceries,” she said, though she knew what he really meant.
“No.” He took her hand and looked her in the eye. “I know you gave up a job opportunity after I had my stroke. I’m doing better, honey. Don’t you think it’s time you stopped putting your own dreams on hold for me?”
She looked up at him. “But I like living with you.”
He smiled. “And I love having you here, but I’m doing much better, and you don’t belong with an old fogey like me. You should be somewhere where you can reach for your dreams. Somewhere with opportunities. With a man who can put that kind of smile on your face.” He tapped a finger against her chin.
She swallowed hard when he referred to Carter. Her father was right, but Carter still loved his wife. “It’s complicated.”
“It always is.” He touched her shoulder. “But you deserve more than what you have here. Just think about it.”
“I will.” She grabbed his hand and gave it a tight squeeze. “But first I need to get these groceries taken care of. Since you’re so strong and healthy, could you bring in the rest of them?”
He sighed dramatically. “I knew I was going to regret saying that even before the words were out.”
She changed the subject to the impending spring thaw and the places she wanted to visit as soon as the ground was visible, but in the back of her head, she started thinking about master’s of accounting courses. Maybe at a school in Texas.
* * *
I miss you.
The text came through while Carter was eating a quiet dinner alone—as usual. The message was accompanied by a picture of a duck waddling in the snow. He wondered if Mara had taken the photo or if it had come off the internet.
He picked up the phone and wrote her back.
I’m enjoying a delicious TV dinner in front of the television tonight. Could use your company.
The television was off, but he left out that detail. His eyes drifted to the set and then upward, inexorably to the picture on top—a wedding picture Rosa had framed after their honeymoon. Guilt flooded him again. What was he doing? How could he keep up this long-distance flirtation? The closer he got to Mara, the more he felt like he was cheating on Rosa.
His phone rang, and he looked at Mara’s name on the display. He answered the call with his happiest voice. “Hey, Mara. How are you doing?”
“Great. We got all the way up to fifty-four degrees today. Spring is just around the corner.”
&nbs
p; He chuckled. “You have a wacked-out idea of spring. Have I ever mentioned that?”
“Maybe. Once or twice. So what are you watching?”
“Nothing, really. I was thinking about settling down with a book. It’s been years since I read Salem’s Lot.”
“Oh, Stephen King. I love his books. Read that one a few years ago and didn’t sleep for a week. I started telling Anna about it, but she made me stop, said if I kept going, she’d never be able to walk alone on campus again.”
He laughed. “That is one drawback. What’s new in your neck of the woods?”
A long moment of silence followed, and he was about to check to make sure the call hadn’t been dropped, when she answered. “I was thinking about going back to school for a master’s degree.”
“Really? That’s terrific. Are you looking to head to Denver again?” How much farther away would she be if she moved there? Or would it come out to nearly the same distance?
“I was thinking maybe a little farther south.” Her voice sounded hesitant, nervous. “I understand that University of North Texas has a great master’s of accounting program.”
His eyes flicked over to the picture of Rosa; he felt a little overwhelmed. Mara was talking about picking up and moving across the country to live closer to him. “I... wow, that is a long way from home.”
“Not so far, compared to other universities. I could go to California or Hawaii...” She sucked in a breath. “Look, my feelings for you—I’ve never felt this way for anyone else. I’d like to give things a chance, see what could happen if we lived closer.”
He didn’t say anything at first, his gaze riveted on the photo as both hope and fear shot through him. “You would move all the way down here just for me? What if things don’t work out?” He wanted to date her for real, to have dinners and movies and long chats like they’d enjoyed on vacation, but there would also be pressure in knowing she’d moved halfway across the country to be with him. He didn’t want her to regret it.
“The school really does have an excellent accounting program.” There was distance in her voice now. “Don’t feel obligated just because I move closer. I already put in my application. It’s too late for fall semester, but we don’t have to date if you’re not interested...” Her voice broke, piling on the guilt.
A Timeless Romance Anthology: Spring Vacation Collection (A Timeless Romance Anthology) Page 12