by Diann Hunt
Katelyn frowned. “Huh?”
“It’s a Carpenter song. Never mind.”
“Dad thinks I’m a freak.”
Carly gasped. “Katelyn, what would make you say such a thing?”
“Because he told me to stop dressing like a freak and grow up.”
Nausea coiled in Carly’s midsection. She might not know a lot about parenting, but that sure didn’t seem the thing to say to a child.
“Well, I think you look just fine. In fact, all that yellow makes you look downright cheerful.” Carly smiled and Katelyn did too.
“Thanks. And thanks for hangin’ out with me, Carly.”
Carly dared a glance at her passenger and smiled. “I’ve had fun. Thanks for hangin’ out with an old woman.” She laughed at Katelyn’s wide eyes.
“You don’t act old at all. Nothing like my dad.”
Carly decided not to touch that one. “Hey, want to stop at the coffee shop? Mocha frappuccino on me.”
Katelyn brightened. “That would be great.”
Carly swung her car into the parking lot and they walked inside. As they headed for the counter, Carly spotted Scott.
“Hey, Scott,” she said.
He brightened, and Carly felt a jolt of pride that he was happy to see her—until the object of his affection walked up to her.
“Hey, Carly. Glad I left the ladies’ room when I did or you might have taken my spot,” Melissa said with a smile that clearly said, “Hands off my property.”
Befuddled, Carly wasn’t sure what to say next. Scott cleared his throat and offered a look of apology.
“You looking for Jake?” Scott asked.
“No, why?”
“He was just here.”
“Oh, that’s right. He’s your man,” Melissa said with a wink.
Was that a veiled threat? “This is his daughter, Katelyn,” Carly said before Melissa could say something that might embarrass all of them.
Melissa put her hand to her throat and gave a delicate laugh. “Oh my. Aren’t you just the cutest little ol’ thing. Little wonder, with a handsome father like that.”
Katelyn just stared at her.
Carly swallowed hard and tried to shake the negative voices that told her there was no way she could compete with the beauty queen before her. “Well, good to see you both.” Carly waved.
As she turned to leave, something in Scott’s eyes caught her attention. Remorse? Concern? Anger? She couldn’t make it out, but something was bothering him. Maybe he was afraid Melissa would go for Jake.
Wouldn’t that just be the icing on the cake? Oh, why had she gotten involved with someone again? Hadn’t she learned her lesson after Gary walked out? Now she’d have to grill Scott. She wanted to know now if Melissa was after Jake. At least she’d be able to bow out of the competition with her dignity still intact.
“Hey, Carly, wonder if you could take Katelyn bowling tonight?” Jake stood in Carly’s office as big as you please, a stupid grin on his face.
No “How about you and I take Katelyn out?” Just “How about you take Katelyn bowling?”
“Well, actually—”
“I know this is sort of last minute—”
Sort of ?
“—but C. J.’s already set up this poker night, and they need me so we’re even. Since it’s a Friday night, and her old friends have been calling, I hated to leave her alone.” He leaned in here for emphasis. “And, well, the kid has had a tough day.”
So you want me to salve your conscience by taking her out.
Jake was definitely getting under her skin. In fact, the more she looked at him, the more she wondered why she was doing the diet thing. He had a slight gut himself. In fact, if she didn’t know better, she’d say he’d put on the eight pounds she’d lost since he’d been there. She didn’t care if he was working out at the gym.
“I wish I could help you, Jake,” she said ever so politely. “But the thing is, I’m busy tonight.” There. That would put him in his place. She wanted to be there for Katelyn, but the fact was she was busy. She had promised Scott dinner at Tony’s.
“Oh.” He was clearly taken aback and waiting for an explanation. But after that whole thing the other night with Melissa, well, Carly just didn’t feel she owed him one.
“Maybe some other time.”
He studied her a minute. “Yeah, uh, that would work. She got a couple of good books at the library today. She could read one of those tonight.”
“Yeah, I guess.” Though she would do just about anything for Katelyn, Carly was enjoying her assertive self just now. Since their last “disagreement,” Jake had only called her a couple of times and they hadn’t gone out together at all. Why should she go running to him? She was tired of men expecting her to cater to them.
Hadn’t Gary thought she’d come running? No, wait. She had come running. Shamelessly. A flickering thought of her broken, crying self falling at his feet, begging him to stay shamed her. She would never forget the look of disgust on his face when he looked at her. That’s when she’d known Gary couldn’t stand the sight of her.
If Jake only knew . . .
“Listen, I’m sorry to cut this short, but I have a facial appointment waiting on me. I’ll see you later, okay?”
“Uh, yeah, okay. I’ll call you.”
“Okay,” she said.
But something in his voice made her wonder if he really would call. And right then, she wasn’t sure she cared one way or the other.
Just as Carly slipped her second earring on, the doorbell rang downstairs. “I’ll see you later, Magnolia.”
“Well, don’t be out too late. I’m a light sleeper till all the kiddies are in the fold, you know.” She smiled sweetly.
“Good night,” Carly said shaking her head as she hurried down the stairs. She was a middle-aged woman and still answering to a parent.
As crazy as it seemed, she felt butterflies in her stomach just before opening the door. How silly. This was Scott, she told herself. No need to be nervous.
When she opened the door, she had second thoughts.
“Jake. What are you doing here?”
“C. J. told me to stop by and see if Rita was here. I was supposed to be discreet about it, but I figured you’d tell me.”
“She’s not here. I already told C. J. that. And if she were, I don’t think she’d be ready to talk to him.”
Jake shrugged. “At least now I can tell him I tried.” He looked her over. “You look nice.”
“Thanks.” She suspected he had more than one reason for showing up tonight. He no doubt wanted to find out where she was going.
“Listen, Squirt, let’s get together again soon, okay?” He pulled her to him. “I miss you.”
Her back stiffened. Too many conflicting emotions running through her right now. She needed time to sort through things. The familiar smell of musk barely registered. She would not let her emotions run away with her. Jake or no Jake. Before she could pull away, he pressed his lips softly against her temple. “Soon, okay?”
“Okay.”
The sound of tires scrunching on pavement gave her an excuse to pull away. Her head was spinning from the emotional roller coaster she’d been on lately, and she couldn’t think with Jake standing so close.
“Scott, hello,” Carly said when he stepped up to them.
“Wow.”
That was all he said when he looked at her but it was the way he said it that pulled Carly from her thoughts and made her face warm. Scott’s gaze held hers. She felt uncomfortable, but couldn’t force herself to look away. Something about his eyes . . .
Jake cleared his throat. His gaze went from Carly to Scott and back to Carly. “So, this is how it is?” His jaw clenched. “Well, two can play this game. See you around.” He shoved past Scott and stomped toward his car.
Carly wanted to yell out, “Jake, wait,” but her tongue wouldn’t move. She just stood there like a gaping fish, watching as he huffed all the way to his car. It wasn’
t until he finally sped off in his car that she resumed her presence of mind and turned to Scott.
“Was it something I said?” he asked with an innocent grin, though she suspected otherwise.
She wasn’t sure what to think about any of it. Something told her she should be upset over Jake’s reaction, but she wasn’t. “Actually, I think you saved the day.”
Scott leaned into her. “Don’t tell anyone, but I’m hiding my cape.”
Carly giggled. “Oops, I see a sliver of red peeking out of your collar.” She reached up and tucked in an imaginary cloth. “There, now we’ve got it.”
They laughed their way to the car. It felt so nice being with him tonight. No expectations, no pretense. Just being herself and having fun.
“This is great, Scott,” Carly said, “Even if I am paying.”
He smiled. “I’ll try not to order the most expensive meal on the menu.”
“You get what you want. You deserve it.”
The sheer elegance of the restaurant caught Carly off guard. She had heard the place was nice, but she had no idea it was this nice. Ornate carpet and intricate design on wooden chairs, fine linens and china, fancy silverware and gourmet meals. Tart spices, grilled meat, and savory sauces perfumed the air, making her hungry.
As they sat, she noticed something. “Okay, I just have to ask, what is this?” She pointed to a wooden tapestry thing that rested on the carpet.
“I don’t know,” Scott said with a laugh. “I’ll ask the waiter.” He motioned for the waiter to come to their table. “Sir, could you tell us what that is?”
The waiter smiled as though he’d been asked that many times before. “It’s a purse stool. So the lady may rest her purse there instead of on the floor.”
Carly tried not to gape. She obviously was clueless about how the upper class lived.
They were soon eating delicious seafood that she couldn’t pronounce. They talked about the business, their personal lives without their spouses, and before she knew it the meal came to an end.
“Are you too tired, or can we stop for coffee?” Scott asked when they got back into town. “My treat.”
“Oh no. You didn’t let me pay for the restaurant meal. Coffee is on me.”
“Okay, I’ll concede.”
“But it’s on your head if Magnolia gets mad at me. She warned me not to stay out too late.” Carly chuckled.
“You’re a saint, Carly Westlake. That woman’s smile is lethal and we both know it.”
Carly shrugged. “She’s just a worrier.”
Scott pulled the car into the parking lot, and after they received their coffee orders, they settled into their seats.
“I’ve had a great time tonight, Carly.”
“Me too.”
“Just like old times.”
“Except Gary and Ivy are missing.”
He swirled the coffee in his cup. “Yeah.”
She placed her hand on his arm. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No, it’s all right.”
The look in his eyes, the way he studied her, made her toes tingle. Her toes hadn’t tingled since . . . since . . . since . . .
She didn’t give it any more thought until she got to bed later that night. Then she began the rationalization process. There was no other way to explain it other than she had been working too hard. The pressure of trying to come up with something to make the spa take off was finally getting to her.
She slipped further into her sheets, thinking of her time with Scott, trying to make sense of it all. They’d had a perfectly wonderful evening. Jake’s reaction seemed silly. He’d actually acted jealous of Scott. Why would he react that way?
As unsettling as her tangled thoughts were, she hardly noticed that the one thought that lulled her to sleep was the remembrance of Scott’s face when he saw her for the first time that night. He knew she was broken, and his face still lit up. His expression had made her feel beautiful, inside and out. That thought warmed her clear through as she smiled and snuggled deeper into her sheets.
Maybe one day she would come to terms with her body. One day . . .
eighteen
Scott punched his pillow several times, but it didn’t seem to help. He just couldn’t get to sleep. He kept thinking of how he’d wanted to slug Jake when he saw him holding Carly that way at the door. Jake had never treated Carly right in high school and Scott just didn’t trust him. Jake was C. J.’s best friend. That told him something.
But he knew it was more than that. Something about the way Carly looked tonight seemed different. The way her eyes lit up when she laughed over dinner. The way she tossed her hair over her shoulders. He couldn’t put his finger on it. In fact, it irritated him. He didn’t like where his thoughts were taking him.
Another punch on the pillow. Superman looked a little disgruntled himself. No doubt upset that he couldn’t get to sleep, thanks to Scott’s restlessness.
Since it didn’t look as though he would get to sleep anytime soon, Scott opted for a snack. He threw off the covers and walked into the kitchen. Superman trotted along behind. Flipping on the light, Scott reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a carton of orange juice, tore a hunk from a block of cheese, and sat at the table.
Superman whined at his feet and Scott threw him a piece of cheese.
“What is the matter with me, Superman? This is Carly we’re talking about.” Superman cocked his head to one side as though he was trying to understand what was going on, but Scott knew his dog really just wanted more cheese. He tore off another hunk and tossed it. Superman lapped it up midair.
Scott laughed. “Good catch.”
Images of C. J. at his house, the words he’d said about Ivy, caused anger to surge through Scott again. He still couldn’t imagine Ivy breaking their marriage vows, but he was beginning to think he didn’t know anything anymore. He would never have thought Gary would do what he did to Carly either. He and Gary had been good friends. He had tried to talk some sense into the man before he walked out on Carly, but Gary’s mind had been made up. Scott knew Carly blamed her body on their breakup, but the truth was Gary had been keeping in contact with that gal in Estes Park for a while before Carly’s cancer.
Of course, Scott hadn’t known it at the time. Gary had told him just before he walked out. If Scott had known, he would have tried to help them much sooner, before things got out of hand. Scott had figured Gary had hit midlife and just gone a little crazy. He’d seen it happen before. Unfortunately, as it turned out, Gary had gone down the path of no return, leaving the wife of his youth to marry someone he hardly knew at the time.
Scott couldn’t point fingers, though. If he didn’t keep up his relationship with the Lord, he’d be just as tempted as the next guy. In fact, he had his own temptations to deal with, but he kept them at bay through constant prayer. He’d learned long ago he couldn’t fight those things with mere human strength. It took a far greater strength.
Superman whined again and Scott looked down at him. “Okay, one more piece, but that’s it.” Superman seemed satisfied and happily chomped on Scott’s last offering.
After eating and sorting through some of his frustrations, he made his way back to bed. Lightning flashed outside his bedroom window. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be a long night.
Thunder rumbled. Rain pelted the windowpane, waking up Carly. It seemed she had more and more trouble sleeping through the night, even through good weather. She decided there was no point in fighting it, pulled off her covers, and shrugged on her robe. Pinkie lifted her head, looked at Carly through sleepy eyes, then dropped her head back between her paws.
“Well, it’s easy to see where your loyalties lie,” Carly said. She stepped into her slippers and decided on a cup of hot cocoa. That always made her feel better. She didn’t care if she gained a pound over it. Right now her cup of cocoa seemed more important than Jake.
Obviously, they weren’t ready for a marriage commitment.
Once she
made her drink, she decided to go downstairs so she wouldn’t disturb Magnolia. The thunder and lightning outside, coupled with the creaking stairs, made Carly feel a little creepy. She listened for the possible rat-a-tat-tat or a string of steady beats coming from the basement. The last thing she needed was to run into Magnolia tonight.
Pure silence. She sighed with relief. She was beginning to understand that whole “silence is golden” thing. Maybe now she would actually get some think time.
Settling in at the sofa in her office, she sipped her cocoa and attempted to work her way through her problems. Rita would be coming back soon. Only weeks ago Carly had lived alone and now she wondered if she should make her place into a bed-and-breakfast. Not that she minded. She was only too happy to help Rita—and Magnolia, too, for that matter. She just hoped they’d all get along well together.
She had to figure out a way to get C. J. his life back before he lost Rita for good. Maybe it was a good thing they didn’t have children—at least at this point. Carly couldn’t imagine Rita not being a part of their family. Maybe it was selfish on her part, but Carly figured she’d lost enough, and she wasn’t about to stand by and do nothing at the risk of losing her sister-in-law too.
But where to begin? She couldn’t exactly force C. J. to get professional help. And what was his secret? Something that he shared with Jake but no one else. He was obviously afraid Jake would tell her. So it must have something to do with the family. Something about Dad?
Lightning cracked and slashed a brazen light across the dark sky outside her window, causing Carly to jump. A droplet of hot chocolate spilled onto her hand. Everything made her jumpy these days.
She’d have to talk to C. J. when he was sober. Maybe she could get him to tell her what the problem was, and they could work through it together.
Then there was Jake. Did he care about her, truly, or was she just a pastime, someone who could help with Katelyn till he figured out what he wanted to do with his life? And just how did she feel about him? She’d thought she knew. Now she wasn’t so sure.