by Leger, Lori
“Yeah, well, I may turn out to be such a big pain in the ass you’ll wish you’d kept yours in Kenton.”
He slid his hands around her waist and leaned forward to whisper in her ear. “Not in this lifetime, Baby.”
The two of them sat in the dining room with several other family members, feasting on the delicious turkey, oven roasted to succulent perfection, various rice and vegetable dishes, as well as wild goose gumbo. Carrie’s siblings had lots of questions for Sam about his work, his home, his children, his parents, and the ultimate question, asked by none other than Carrie’s mom.
“So, Sam, what are your intentions concerning my daughter?”
Carrie kept her eyes on her plate, obviously not inclined to run interference on this particular subject. Both the dining room and adjoining kitchen grew quiet as everyone stopped to hear his answer.
Sam set down his glass of tea and cleared his throat. “Well, I don’t think it’s a secret how I feel about her—”
A female voice from the kitchen table interrupted. “Not anymore.” Giggles and snorts of all genders accompanied the comment, before someone shushed them all into silence.
Lines from one of Carrie’s favorite movies, It’s a Wonderful Life, filtered through a small television set in a small room off from the kitchen. Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed sang the last strains of ‘Buffalo Gal’ as Sam got his thoughts together.
“Ma’am, the ultimate decision is in your daughter’s hands, of course.” He turned his gaze on Carrie. “But as far as I’m concerned, I’m all in—for good.”
Seated next to Sam, Carrie swallowed audibly, then glanced up as all eyes fixated on her. “What?” she said, her eyes wide. “We’ve only been on one date. I can’t help it if he finds me irresistible.”
Jen’s resounding snort was the first of the onslaught of comments and relentless teasing from her family.
Elaine placed a hand on Carrie’s shoulder. “I don’t mind telling you the antics of that husband of hers were hard to swallow sometimes. But he did have a hand in giving me three gorgeous grandchildren.”
“Okay, y’all need to lay off poor old Dave when he’s not around to defend himself,” Lonnie chimed in. “You just never appreciated him, Carrie,” he added, using the sarcasm he was known for. The statements brought on a chorus of ‘Poor Daves’ that ended in laughter.
Sam glanced over at Carrie. “I guess he didn’t have time to establish much of a fan base among your family, did he?”
Katie answered for Carrie. “He had plenty of time, just no inclination. Trust me, Sam. That split was a long time coming.”
Carrie scanned the room. “I needed a plan, okay? When you have three kids, no education, and no place to go, you have to wait until the time is right. Today’s for picking on Sam, not me.”
Sam turned on her. “Is that why you brought me here? So they could pick on me?”
Carrie grinned. “Yep, throw you to the wolves, and see if you come out standing like a man, or cowering like a mama’s boy. Can you handle the pressure, big boy?”
“Oh, I think I can. The previous competition doesn’t appear to have been too stiff.” Sam gave them all a devilish grin. “Or maybe he was.”
“You must have met old Dave.” Susan’s comment broke through the round of laughter. “Personally, I’ve always thought of him as our own Stanley Kowalski. You know, Brando, drunk and yelling ‘Stella!’ at the window.”
He scanned her family as he answered. “I’ve only seen Dave in passing—” He turned to Carrie and added, “Literally. But I haven’t had the particular pleasure of meeting him yet.”
“Whatever she’s told you about him, it’s probably worse than that,” Katie said, lowering her voice. “I think little sister kept a lot of what went on in that part of her life to herself.”
Carrie cleared her throat. “We’re not here to talk about Dave.”
Sam pulled at his collar again. “Apparently, we’re here to talk about me.”
Carrie’s siblings spent the next hour or so regaling Sam with hilarious family stories and anecdotes. Carrie’s mom told him about the time when two year old Carrie used a stool to climb onto her counter top.
“Did you get a spanking?” he teased Carrie.
“No. Mom was so impressed, she snapped a picture, then moved the stool and walked out of the room—without taking me off the cabinet, mind you. Of course, when I tried to get down without the stool, I fell on my butt.”
Sam laughed, then asked the obvious question. “What were you looking for up in that cabinet, Nosy Rosy?”
“Fudge. Mom always kept a plastic container of it on the top shelf.”
“She’d hide it from us so we couldn’t get to it,” Mack added.
“It sounds like she didn’t hide it good enough,” Sam answered.
“Aw hell, we all knew where to go to find the fudge,” Christie answered.
“That was my PMS stash, way back before PMS had a name, of course.” Elaine laughed as she glanced around the table. “Good Lord, I blamed your father for years!”
“And now you know why the very first thing I learned to cook was fudge,” Carrie explained, before turning to face her mother. “It was in self-defense.”
Sam laughed along with the others as the stories continued.
After a while, the women got up to clean the kitchen and the guys migrated to the living room to watch some football. Sam hung around the kitchen with Carrie and the women.
Elaine turned to her daughter. “Carrie, before you got here this morning, Ruth called wanting to know when you needed that furniture. She’s studying for exams this week but said she’d be free after lunch if you wanted to go look at what she had. I told her I didn’t know if the furniture was going to Gardiner or Kenton. “Which is it?”
Carrie chewed her lower lip thoughtfully and dried her hands on a dish towel. She grabbed hold of Sam’s belt loop and pulled him gently toward the doorway leading out to the backyard. “Come on, we need to talk.”
When they got out to the deck, Carrie released Sam’s belt loop. He followed her in silence down the steps and out behind her mom’s house for a little privacy. He came to a halt behind her as she stood with her arms crossed tightly across her chest, staring out toward the back pasture. Other than a few muffled thumps coming from inside the house, the only sound came from the north wind rushing over dry, frozen grass.
Carrie emitted a prolonged and majorly glum-sounding sigh. “I don’t think I can do this.”
Sam placed his hands on her shoulders, his voice low and pleading.
“Come on, Babe, can’t we talk about this?”
“There’s nothing to talk about, Sam.” She turned, gazed into his tortured eyes. “Unless you can tell me right now you’re willing to help me move some furniture to my new place in Kenton.”
Sam cocked his head slightly. “What did you say?”
Carrie hooked her thumbs in the belt loops of his jeans. “I was wondering if you’d be available to help me pick up some furniture and bring it to my place. You know, that cute little house just across from the cop and his crazy neighbor in Kenton?”
Sam threw his head back with a shout then reached out to pull her close. “Nothing would make me happier right now, except this.”
He placed both hands on her face and kissed her long enough and deep enough to make her toes curl.
Back in Elaine’s kitchen, every woman in the family was pushing for a space at the only window with a view of the couple.
“Would you look at that,” Christie crooned. “Well ladies, it looks like Carrie’s moving to Kenton.”
“Wow,” Jen murmured. “Look at them. I so envy that.”
“God, can y’all even remember what that felt like?” Katie added. “When you thought you’d die if you were away from your man for even one night?”
Christie snorted. “Damn! I need a cigarette.”
Carrie’s younger brother, Josh, who’d snuck in past the snoozing men in the living room, chose that m
oment to walk in on his sisters. “What are y’all looking at?”
Christie jumped the highest, and punched her brother on the arm. “Dammit, Josh! You scared the crap out of me.”
Josh cackled gleefully. “I swear some things never change. Whose privacy are you nosy bitches invading now? Hmm …” He gave his chin a calculating tap. “By simple process of elimination I suspect it’s Carrie.” He craned his neck to look out the window. “And there she is.”
Susan turned to give her youngest brother a hug. “Carrie’s making out with her new boyfriend, Sam Langley. It’s good to see you, little brother.”
Josh returned her hug. “Merry Christmas, Susie.” Once he’d spread around the hugs, he turned his attention to the view out of the window. “Now, who the hell is this Sam Langley character? Doesn’t he know he can’t suck face with number six until number seven has cleared him?” He banged loudly on the glass pane, getting the prey’s attention.
Sam turned at the sound of banging on the kitchen window. A man yelled out a brawny sounding command of, “Get a room!” from inside the kitchen. “Who the hell is that?”
“Little brother Josh just made it in. And it seems we’ve got an audience. Jesus, nothing changes around here. It always was like living in a freaking fish bowl.”
“Hmph … more like a fifty gallon aquarium.”
She grinned and took his arm. “Let’s face the mob.”
Sam pulled her back to him. “Not without telling you this, first.”
“Sam—” She glanced up at the window where her siblings still watched with keen interest.
He waved off the onlookers. “They’ve been at that window since we walked out here, and nobody’s tried to chase me off with a shotgun yet.” He threaded ten fingers through her hair and captured her face between his palms. Lowering his head he gazed into her eyes. “I love you, Carrie.”
She clasped her hands over his forearms. “I know you do and I thank you for that.”
He gave her another mind-blowing kiss, then lowered his forehead to hers and brushed away a single tear with his thumb. “I understand if it’s too soon for you, but are you worried that you can’t return the feeling some day?”
“Aw, Sam.” Her eyelids drifted closed as she pushed away from him. “It’s not that I can’t love you, it’s that I shouldn’t.”
“Why not?”
“You know why.”
“Clarify it for me.”
She lifted her hands and let them fall to her sides. “All of this—everything I’m going through right now—it’s more than I should expect any man to handle.”
“Why don’t you let me decide what I can handle?”
“There are so many things that can go wrong.”
“I know, but I’m asking you to let me try, anyway.”
She stood back, staring up at him. “God, you’re stubborn.”
“I already told you I can be, when it’s something important to me. And you’re pretty damn important to me.”
“I don’t want to let you down if things don’t—”
“Stop,” he cut her off. “This is going to happen. We are going to be together.” He stepped forward and embraced her. “I want to be here for you, Baby. Please.” He lowered his forehead to touch hers. “Please, let me be here.”
She gave one final sigh and nodded. “All right, Sam.” She pointed her finger at him. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
He kissed her on the mouth. “It won’t come to that. Can we pick up that furniture today?”
She lifted one shoulder. “We may as well.”
Sam gave her a cheesy grin. “Hell, I feel just like that kid who got his BB gun on The Christmas Story.”
Carrie pushed her windblown hair out of her eyes. “Just don’t shoot your eye out, Ralphie. Now come on, you’ve got another brother to meet. Josh is the one who’s thirteen months younger than me.”
Sam grinned down at her as they made their way to the backdoor. “Thirteen months. I guess your folks didn’t have a television set back then?”
Carrie’s eyes crinkled in amusement. “Mom’s not a big advocate of the old rhythm method of birth control, but aren’t you glad they didn’t stop at number five?”
“Thrilled, seeing as how I’ve grown quite fond of number six.”
She smiled and gave him another light kiss. “I may as well warn you. Josh is funny as hell, but extremely obnoxious.”
They walked in through the back door of the house to cheers, whistles, and clapping. Carrie bowed regally while Sam gave them his best “Thank you—thank you very much” a la Elvis.
“Best show I’ve seen in years,” Josh said, hugging his sister. Then he reached out his hand to Sam and gave him a strong handshake. “Hi, I’m Josh. And in case Carrie hasn’t warned you yet, I’m the gay brother.” He spoke in an excessively overstated whisper.
Sam chuckled as he returned the handshake. “It’s nice to meet you, Josh. No, but she did mention the traits funny and obnoxious.”
The look Josh sent Carrie was laden with disappointment. “You told him I was obnoxious, but not gay?”
“Extremely obnoxious, if you want the truth,” Sam added.
Josh turned to his sister with a dramatic flair. “How could you, Carrie? I’m wounded—Terribly wounded!”
Carrie put her hands on her hips. “And deprive you of all that drama you created by telling him yourself?” She waved her hand with a flourish. “Consider it your Christmas gift.”
“You’re so sweet. Silly, but sweet,” Josh said.
She leaned in closer. “No, really. It’s the only gift you’re getting from me this year. In case you haven’t heard, I’m kind of in dire straits.”
“You are?” Sam said. “Man, I love that group.”
Josh pointed a finger at Sam. “Dude, you stole my line.”
“Obviously, it was my line first,” Sam bragged.
Josh laughed and broke into a verse from Money for Nothing.
“My favorite is Sultans of Swing,” Sam insisted.
“It’s a good one,” Josh agreed.
Christie walked up to the trio. “No!” she cried.
“Walk of Life,” Carrie yelled, pointing at her sister.
“Absolutely,” Christie agreed, as they started in on the first verse. Everyone else in the room joined in when they sang the chorus.
Tom chose that moment to poke his head in the kitchen. “What the hell is going on in here? Are y’all insane?”
Josh nodded adamantly at his brother-in-law. “Yes, Tom. Yes, we are. And—”
Sam stepped forward. “And the lunatics are running the asylum!”
Josh turned on him, his face shrouded with unadulterated shock. “Dude, you took my line again.” Josh turned to Carrie, his tone filled with disgust. “He’s gotta go, sis. You know how I hate being upstaged.”
Carrie laughed and pushed playfully at her brother. “Sorry, Josh. Looks like you need fresh material. You’ve got some competition.”
Josh put a hand firmly on Sam’s shoulder. “Don’t get used to wearing that crown, buddy. I’m the only royalty allowed in this house.” He turned to Carrie and spoke over the laughter. “So far, he seems like a keeper.” Before she could answer, he turned back toward Sam. “So, what’s the deal, Sam? Is my sister moving to Kenton or staying in Gardiner?”
Sam raised his chin triumphantly. “She’s moving to Kenton.”
“Yep,” Carrie threw in. “Today. Any of you hard-working, generous people want to help?”
A loud chorus of “No!” came at her from all sides.
Her jaw dropped. “That was pretty good. Did y’all rehearse that while we were outside?”
“Yes!” they all chorused again, before everyone in the kitchen dissolved into more laughter.
Tom and Jen came up to Carrie. “We’ll help you, Sis,” Jen said. “I’m dying to see your new place.”
Carrie nodded. “If I could get the heavy furniture moved in by tonight, I could make
a few trips in my car over the next couple of days.”
“Do your kids know yet?” Jen asked.
“Not yet, but I need to call them. Maybe I can get some free labor out of this. Mom, did Ruth mention if she had any spare beds?”
“We do,” Mack told his sister. “We just bought a king-size mattress set and we have a queen set you can have.”
“Vivienne McAllister asked me to let you know that she’s got two complete sets of bedroom furniture to give you if you need it. They’re both standard size beds.”
Carrie smiled. “God bless Mrs. Vivienne. I’ll call her right now and tell her I can sure use them. I can’t be too proud when I’m starting from scratch.” She walked into her mother’s room and closed the door so she could make a call in private, leaving Sam alone to fend for himself.
Elaine placed her hand on Sam’s shoulder. “How much does she need to get set up over there, Sam? Do you know what the deposits are going to run her?”
“I know she wrote a check for three hundred dollars yesterday for the deposit and the first month rent. I also know it’ll cost another three hundred to have the utilities put in her name. That’s not counting a phone.”
“You think she’ll get a cell phone now?” Katie asked.
“She said she doesn’t want to get locked into a two-year contract and could do without a land line until she can afford to get one.”
“How much is the phone deposit, Sam?” Elaine asked. “I’ll pay the bill every month if I have to. I can’t have her over there without being able to call her.”
“It’s another hundred bucks,” he answered. “I wanted to help, but she said no.”
“I should hope she did,” Elaine said. “Some things shouldn’t be accepted from anyone but family.”
Sam sat back and watched as Carrie’s mom and siblings each pitched in enough to help her get established.
Elaine placed her hand on Sam’s arm. “I feel better knowing she’ll be near you, especially with the Dave situation.”
Mack’s wife, Sharon stepped forward. “As well as a serial rapist/murderer on the loose in this area.”
“What?” Katie stepped forward. “I live in Texas. What are you talking about?”
“They linked the torture and rape of that woman in Lafayette to several in Chicago over the last three years and maybe some in Minnesota a couple of years before that. If it turns out to be the same guy, he’s only left one woman alive. That’s the one in Lafayette, and he let her live because she was blind from birth and couldn’t identify him, not from sight anyway,” Sharon explained.