“Are you okay?”
Carly nodded. As much as she enjoyed the kiss, and even wanted more, troubled thoughts overcame her. As much as she wanted to fall happily ever-after with Mick, she didn’t have that luxury and knew that it would be unfair to them both. “Mick?”
“Mmm?” He ran his fingers up and down her arms.
“Is this okay?” Carly let herself be taken into an embrace. She leaned against Mick’s chest and held on to his arm that wrapped itself around her.
“Is what okay?”
Carly felt Mick kiss her head. “Us—this. Is this okay?”
“We’ll take it slow.” Mick caressed her arm.
Slow, Carly thought. Slow is good, isn’t it?
“We don’t have to tell anyone anything.”
“I guess,” Carly tucked her hair behind her ear, “it would be best for everyone that way.” She looked out on to the water. The sky was dark, and a chill had crept in with the night air. The moon provided the only light they needed, casting its glow around them.
MICK SAID WHAT HE THOUGHT Carly wanted to hear. The fact was, he wanted to shout out from the hilltops—across the lake and through the streets—that he’s found her. He’s finally found the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. To hold, to caress, to please, and to love. But Mick said what he thought was right. They would take it slow. He’d waited this long to find her. Waiting a little while longer wouldn’t do anyone any harm. He had time.
Mick took her hand and brought it to his lips.
Mick felt a vibration in his pocket. “Whoops!” he said as he sat up straight.
Carly shifted. “Everything okay?”
“It’s just my phone.” Mick stood up and pulled his phone out of his pocket. It was Jenna. Of course it was. He knew the town gossip line would have been set in motion the moment he drove his rental through and past the town boundary. “It’s Jenna,” he said to Carly. “Hello?”
“Are you in town and didn’t tell me?” Jenna’s voice blasted through the speakers of his phone.
Mick held the phone back from his ear. “You’re yelling into my ear, Jenna,” Mick said.
“What?” Jenna asked.
“I said, you’re yelling into my ear,” Mick said slightly louder that time and gritted his teeth.
“I’m just driving back home and I’ve got you on speaker. Can you hear me?”
“Loud and clear,” Mick said. He watched as Carly walked a few feet away from where they had been sitting. He wondered what she was thinking.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were in town?” Jenna sounded slightly annoyed.
“Who’d you hear it from?”
“I just finished doing my grocery shopping. The cashier—you might know her—Eloise. She said that her daughter Alana saw Margaret—the old lady on Red Maple Drive, she’s married to Gordon. Anyway, she said that Margaret saw you at the Strawberry Fare cafe.” Jenna paused to catch her breath. “So are you or are you not in town?”
“I am. I just arrived today. I thought Charlotte or Amy would have told you.”
“You’re staying at the White Willow? Why didn’t you just come stay with us?”
Mick pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. “I didn’t think about it. None of this was planned.”
CARLY TRIED TO KEEP from overhearing Mick’s conversation, but it was difficult not to. You’re as bad as the whole town, she scolded herself as she tried to keep from eavesdropping.
“I’m just here for business,” she heard Mick say.
So that was it. He’d carry on with his business and then go on back to wherever he’d come from. Just like everybody else that came to Willow Oaks.
“I’m not sure—a few days. Maybe a week,” Mick said.
Carly wondered if that’s how long he was planning on staying. A few days to a week. What am I even doing here? She thought. He’s leaving in a few days. The only way this is going to end is with me wallowing in hurt... again.
“I’m at the lakeside,” Mick said. “It’s just me—I needed to go and get some air.”
“Just him,” Carly mumbled under her breath. “Couldn’t even tell his own sister that he was with her.” She walked further away from where Mick sat. She didn’t need to hear how she was nothing to him. In fact, she just needed to go. She turned around and saw Mick watching her. Carly raised a hand to wave goodbye and then hurried away as quickly as she could.
“I gotta go,” she heard Mick say.
Carly picked up the pace.
“Jenna—I have to go. What? Yes, fine. Tomorrow night, dinner at yours.”
She didn’t turn around to see what Mick was doing.
“Carly!” he called out after her.
“I’ve got to go,” Carly called out without looking back. She was like Cinderella running away from the prince after she’d realized the clock had struck midnight. Only, she knew that her fairy tale wouldn’t end so happily and she didn’t have a fairy godmother to make things better.
Chapter 12
The following morning, Carly dressed and readied herself for work as she did every day since she’d first started working at the Strawberry Fare Cafe many years ago. She pulled the strawberry pink t-shirt uniform over her head and blew out a sigh of resignation. I’m going to grow old and gray alone, she thought, without even a cat for company. “That’s if you get to grow old at all,” she muttered. It was difficult for Carly to be positive. It had never been a strength of hers. Life, for Carly, had always been cloudy with a chance of rain.
She glanced at her laptop. Don’t do it, she thought. It was hard enough as it was to stop dwelling on what could have been between her and NYJedi007. Adding this ‘thing’ that had happened between her and Mick the previous night wasn’t making things easier. Take it slow, he said. Carly sighed.
Carly wondered if the fact that NYJedi was somewhere—anywhere but by her side—that made her want to be with him even more. The near impossibility of a relationship with him made it seem as if she had something to look forward to. As if the longing provided her with the chance of hope.
Mick, on the other hand, was right there. In front of her, wanting to love her. Carly hissed at her misguided and self-destructing way of thinking. “Slow is good,” she said out loud to herself. “Whatever.”
When Carly got to the cafe, Charlotte was already behind the counter as usual. “Good morning, sunshine!” Charlotte said rather perkily. “How are we feeling today?”
Carly walked around the counter and swapped her bag for an apron. “I’m okay—just hunky-dory.”
“Uh-oh... do I detect sarcasm in your voice? Steph,”—Charlotte yelled towards the kitchen—“get your butt out here! We’ve got a case of the 6:00AM sarcastic blues!”
Carly smiled. She loved how even if Charlotte was her boss, she never made Carly feel like any less than a friend. “I’m sorry... I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine to me,” Charlotte said. “Does she look fine to you?” she asked as Steph walked in from the kitchen.
Steph shook her head. “Nope. Anything but fine.”
“What’ll it be? Coffee?” Charlotte asked. “Strawberry milkshake?”
“I can make you some waffles or pancakes,” Steph added. “Extra whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon, just how you like it.”
“You guys, I’m fine.” Carly felt a smile escape as invisible strings tugged at her heart. She was lucky to have such amazing people in her life.
Charlotte took Carly by the shoulders and spun her right back around and out of the counter. Carly let herself be led to a table where Charlotte pulled out a chair for her. “Now, sit,” Charlotte said.
Carly did as she was told and plopped herself on the chair.
“I’ll be back with some coffee,” Steph said.
“Okay—spill it,” Charlotte said.
“Spill what?” Carly didn’t look at her.
“The beans! What else? What’s going on with you?” Charlotte asked. “So the
Jedi didn’t show up. Some Jedi he is! Maybe you dodged a bullet. He could’ve been some psycho scammer or something.”
She laid her head on the table, resting it over her arms. “I was so looking forward to meeting him,” Carly said without looking up, her voice muffled. “I mean, we’ve spent countless hours messaging each other. I thought it meant something to him too.”
“If you felt that it did, then maybe it did. Maybe it still does! Did you ask him? Surely you asked the Jedi why he didn’t come.”
“He said,”-Carly sighed the words and rolled her eyes—“something came up.”
Charlotte’s eyes widened. “Seriously?”
Carly shrugged and waved a hand. “Something came up.”
“Why do guys still use that line? Seriously! Things don’t just come up when you’ve made plans to meet someone miles away—do we even know where he’s from?”
Carly propped her chin up with her palm. “New York.”
“That’s why you should never trust a New Yorker,” Steph said as she laid a tray of three cups of coffee.
“Why not?” Charlotte wrinkled her nose.
“Why not, what?” Steph looked at her, oblivious.
Charlotte took a cup of coffee and handed it to Carly. “Why should you never trust a New Yorker?”
“I don’t know,” Steph said. She took her cup and laid the tray on the next table closest to them. “I just thought it sounded like a good thing to say.”
Carly smirked. She loved their conversations. It always felt like they were grasshoppers—hopping from one topic on to the next.
“What about someone from, say... Seattle?” Charlotte asked.
Steph shrugged. “Nope. Don’t trust ‘em.”
“What’s wrong with Seattle?” Carly asked.
“Dunno. It’s not Willow,” Steph said as she blew into her coffee. “I’m quite happy with my own backyard. Don’t need to bring any outsiders to trample over my green grass.”
Charlotte laughed. “What on earth are you talking about?”
“Not everyone’s like your husband, you know,” Steph said about Charlotte’s husband.
“How did we end up talking about Ben?”
Charlotte’s husband, Ben, was a New Yorker before he moved to Willow. As was Amy, one of Charlotte’s best friends. She moved from Long Island. As it happened, Ben and Amy are siblings—so Carly could see where this was going. “Stop it, you two,” she said. “I’m in no mood to referee one of your disputes today.”
“Okay fine, let’s talk about you then.” Charlotte turned her attention back to Carly.
“Right—let’s talk about you,” Steph said.
Carly sighed and threw her head back, pretending to sob.
“Chin up, Chili con Carly,” Steph said. “It’s not the end of the world. No man should ever make your world crumble. Don’t ever let them see you like this.”
At that moment, Carly’s phone rang, and she pulled it out of her back pocket. “Hello?” It was Ella from the post office.
Carly took a sip of her coffee as she listened to Ella ramble.
“Ella, slow down,” Carly said. “Who said what?” Carly felt her stomach turn. She put her coffee down. “Who told you that?”
“What is it?” Charlotte whispered.
Carly put a hand to her stomach. “Um, no. No, it’s not,” she said into her phone.
“Who is it?” Steph asked in a voice louder than Charlotte’s whisper.
“Look, I’ve gotta go. Tell her to stop spreading gossip.” Carly hung up and set her phone on the table.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Charlotte asked.
“That was Ella from the post office.”
“And?” Steph encouraged.
“G’morning, ladies!”
The three of them turned to find Mick walking towards them. They’d been so wrapped up in the conversation that not one of them heard the bell ring as the door opened.
“Mick,” Carly said.
“Whoops! Time to get to work,” Charlotte said. “Sorry, Mick. Just a bit of girl talk. We’re a bit behind the morning.”
“That’s alright,” Mick said as he pulled out a stool and sat at the counter. “I wasn’t sure if you were open this early. I was up at crazy o’clock, so I went out for a run.”
Carly stood up and smoothed her hair. She took her coffee and went back to the counter.
“We open at 7:00AM to catch the breakfast crowd,” Charlotte said, “so you’re in luck. What’ll it be?”
“Uh—any suggestions?” Mick asked—only that time, his question was directed at Carly as she went around the counter.
Carly opened her mouth to speak, but the words failed to come out.
“I’ll start you with a coffee,” Charlotte said. “Let Carly know what you want and I’ll get on to it in the kitchen.”
“Thanks, Charlotte,” Mick called after her.
Carly stood there—dumbfounded. She studied Mick. His dark gray t-shirt had a circular patch of sweat around his neck and collarbone. And yet, he didn’t look as if he was tired at all.
“How are you?” Mick asked, breaking the silence between them.
Carly snapped out of her daydream. “Good—yeah. Um, I didn’t know you were a runner.”
“It helps me clear my mind.”
Carly grabbed a menu from under the counter and handed it to Mick. “Do you run often?”
“Thanks.” Mick took the menu and looked as if he was reading it. “I run marathons, so running daily helps with my training.”
He didn’t meet her gaze. Stop staring at him! Carly reprimanded herself. “Oh, really? I didn’t know that. That’s pretty cool.” Carly tucked her hair behind her ear.
“I don’t do it competitively—or anything like that. I mostly join those that my company sponsors, like children’s charities.”
It seemed to Carly that there was more than meets the eye when it came to Mick. She supposed that was the same for everyone else, but at the moment, her focus was on him and him alone... and maybe, NYJedi. “So what’ll it be for you this morning then?”
MICK KNEW THAT CARLY would be there. Of course he did. But he was trying to keep it cool with her. Carly wanted to take it slow—and he was prepared to give that to her.
The bell hanging above the entrance door jingled to signal that someone had come in. Mick turned around and Carly did too.
“Dad!” Carly exclaimed when she saw him come in. “What are you doing here?”
“Hi, honey,” Fletcher Matthews sauntered over to the counter. “I’m in need of a steaming cup of coffee.”
Carly nodded. “Okay—but why are you here? Is everything okay at the farm?”
Mick shifted in his seat. Fletcher Matthews. He hadn’t seen him up close since—forever. Fletcher was one of the older kids when Mick was growing up. In fact, Mick was pretty sure that he was one of the ring bearers—or something like that—at Fletcher’s wedding. Fletcher’s mom had gathered all the town’s children and made them part of the ceremony. The other kids, the littlest ones, bore flowers from everyone’s gardens.
“Yes, yes—everything’s fine, darling. I’ve got some problems with the truck so I’m taking the ol’ clunker down to Martin.”
“I thought, Martin only did cars?” Carly asked.
Mick kept his eyes on the menu. Never had he felt as squeamish as he did at that moment. I’m not doing anything wrong, he reminded himself.
“Mick?” Fletcher’s voice rattled him, making Mick feel all the more like a skittish teenager. “Mick Myers?”
Mick turned to face him. “How’s it going, Fletcher?” He offered a handshake which Fletcher took with much strength, along with a healthy slap on the back. He’d always just called him Fletcher. Now wasn’t the time to start calling him sir, especially when he was only ten years older.
“So the rumors were true then—you’re back in town!”
Mick wasn’t sure if he’d imagined a tone in his voice. He was sure Fletcher h
ad a tone. “Just a quick visit,” Mick said with a quick sideways glance at Carly.
“Am I”—still grasping Mick’s hand, Fletcher looked between him and Carly—“am I missing something?”
“No—not at all.” Drat! He shouldn’t have looked at Carly. Focus, Mick chanted inwardly.
“Mick’s just here for some breakfast,” Carly piped in and turned to Mick. “Have you decided?”
“Just the house special please,” Mick said. “Thanks, Carly.” He wasn’t sure what the house special was. He normally needed a lot more time to look through a menu, but it was as good a choice as any at that moment.
“One house special and a hot coffee to go,” Carly said.
“Actually, make that for here, darling. Might as well catch up with Mick while he’s in town.” Fletcher took the empty seat next to Mick. “You don’t mind some company, do you?”
“Not at all,” Mick said.
After Carly disappeared into the kitchen, Fletcher spoke. “Yeah, so I heard you were back in town.”
“Yup. Back in town.” Mick nodded. “But just for a little while.”
“Is that right? A little while, huh?” Fletcher clicked his tongue.
“So, uh, how’s Mrs. Myers—I mean, June? How’s June?”
“Oh, June’s fine. She’s real fine,” Fletcher said. “So you’re here for just a short stay, huh?”
Mick could feel something coming up. “That’s the plan.”
Fletcher swung his chair to face Mick. He took his hat off and placed it on the table. “And was kissing my daughter part of the plan as well?”
And there it was. Mick shut his eyes and bowed his head. He took a deep breath in as he tried to buy some time to think of what to say. “Fletcher—”
“If you’re looking for a good time, you’d do yourself well to stay away from my girl. She doesn’t need no city slicker breaking her heart.”
“I’m not—”
“You’ll be on your way soon, won’t you?” Fletcher got up from his seat and reached for his hat. “And make sure you go and see your mama before you leave town.”
“Here you go, Dad.” Carly burst out of the kitchen with a coffee in a takeout cup. She stopped and looked at Mick and back to her father. “Is everything okay?”
Love Me Timeless--A Willow Oaks Sweet Romance Page 5