The Love List (8 page)

"Plates." Carrie headed for the kitchen.

Grey glanced over at Colin.

"She's beautiful, Grey."

"Yeah, smart, funny…she can cook and
do…everything."

"Sounds like love to me, little brother,"
Barbara put in.

Jenna flounced in, followed closely by
Carrie. The women put out the rest of the food then took their
seats next to their spouses.

"Colin's next, now that Grey's finally
taken," Jenna said.

"I'm in no hurry," the younger man
replied.

"Uh oh, do I detect another Casanova of the
County in the making?" Barbara teased.

"Enough. Let's get this show on the road.
Fran?" John Andrews said, reaching for a corn muffin.

Presents were distributed and opened. Carrie
twisted a piece of wrapping paper in her hands as she watched
Grey's family open the presents she picked out for them.
Conservative gold earrings for Barbara for work, a silk blouse in
aqua, Jenna's favorite color and plaid flannel shirts for Earl and
Bill were well-received.

Grey watched Carrie's brow relax. He put his
hand over hers. She stopped twisting the paper and looked up at
him. He leaned over, placing his lips to her ear.

"Everyone loves everything. Your stuff is a
hit," he whispered.

Barbara was the Master of Ceremonies this
year, luck of the draw, so she handed out all the gifts. She picked
up a small box from Grey and Carrie to Fran and John and put it in
her mother's hands.

"Grey, you shouldn't have," Fran said,
automatically.

"Different kind of gift this year. Carrie's
idea," he responded.

Carrie's eyes clouded as her brow furrowed
again. Grey patted her hand. When Fran opened the box, with John
peeking over her shoulder, his curiosity piqued, she was
speechless.

"Oh my God! Tickets to One Dark Night, the
Broadway show I've wanted to see for ages! How wonderful!"

Fran's face lit up and Carrie's right
afterward.

"You know how I hate to drive into New York,
Grey…" his father put in.

"Take the bus. Laura and Barney said they'd
take you to the bus and pick you up. I'll meet you in New York and
drive you to the house. Carrie's redecorating the place and you'll
have your very own room and bath. All the comforts of home."

John smiled at his son. "Okay. Your mother's
wanted to see that show…"

"How did you get tickets? I heard it's been
sold out for months," Fran asked.

"I've got a little pull."

"I can't wait to see what you are doing with
that house, Carrie. It's been bugging me for years. Grey owns that
great townhouse and has been living in only three rooms…with the
rest going to waste."

"I hope it's going to have a nursery," John
tossed out.

Uttered during a lull in the conversation,
John's clumsy remark echoed through the room. Carrie's face got red
and Grey didn't know where to look. The silence was deafening as
the family members looked at each other then away.

"Leave it to dad to put his foot in it, as
usual," Jenna piped up.

Everyone laughed and John leaned over to
speak to Grey and Carrie.

"Is there something wrong with me wanting
grandchildren?"

Carrie laughed and Grey, too, relieved she
took it so well. Fran gave John a slap on the arm and made a face,
but Grey knew she shared his sentiment. So they were looking to him
to give them grandchildren since Barbara and Earl were having
problems getting pregnant. He smiled to himself.
Sure I want
kids. Wait till I'm married!

"We're not getting any younger."

"John!"

"Nuts, Fran! Stop pretending you don't feel
the same way."

Grey put his arm around Carrie's shoulders
and eased her back on the sofa, anxious to avoid involvement in his
parent's dispute. Carrie elbowed Grey as Barbara picked up one of
their gifts next and passed the small box to Colin. Inside was one
ticket to a Knicks game.

"One ticket?" He his hands balled up the
wrapping paper, his eyebrows raised as he looked over at Grey.

"I've got the other ticket. We've got
courtside seats, Col! The game is during your February break from
school. Carrie and I want you to spend the week with us."

Colin's face clouded over. "That's our week
to go to the Caribbean."

"Can't do that stuff anymore. I'm practically
a married man. But…come to New York."

Colin's face became a mask. He jumped up and
moved swiftly to the back door, grabbing a coat from the hook by
the door then banging the door open. Silence fell on the group.

"I'll go," Barbara said quietly, pushing up
from the floor.

Colin had always confided most in his oldest
sibling, so no one argued when she got up and followed him
outside.

****

Barbara zipped up her coat as she skipped
along the hard path of tamped down snow across the backyard and
down to the lake. Colin was ahead of her but she was catching up as
he slowed his pace. Soon she was within shouting distance.

"Colin!"

He stopped ten yards from the lake and turned
to face her but didn't say a word. His breath looked like the smoke
from a cigarette hanging in the frigid air. He pulled up his collar
against the freezing wind blowing off the icy lake and waited for
his sister to catch up. When she reached him, she put her hand on
his arm while she caught her breath.

"Colin. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said, turning away from
her.

"Bullshit! Something about Grey's Christmas
present?"

"It was very generous. It's not that.
Just…well…not what we used to do."

"What?"

"Every New Year's weekend we'd go skiing.
Then in February, Grey and I would go to the Caribbean for a week.
We'd wind surf, sail, drink and hunt chicks together."

"Hunt chicks?" Barbara gave him a stony
look.

"It's a guy thing. Look, you don't understand
so forget it."

Colin started to walk away but she detained
him by tugging on his sleeve. "Give."

"I told you."

"Tell me again. In plain language this
time."

"Grey and I would take rooms in a resort,
especially those all-inclusive places because they have the easiest
women and a ton of free booze. Then we'd do stuff during the
day…wind surfing, sailing. We went swimming and other stuff. At
night we'd drink and hit on women. Sometimes it got competitive…
Grey always won. Chicks went for him more than me. He'd get laid a
lot more than…hey, why am I telling
you
this?"

Barbara could feel the heat rise in her face
at her brother's candid confession. He stopped to stare at her.

"Go on."

"I'm embarrassing you, Barb…and myself,
too."

"Look, Earl wasn't my first…I'm no
virgin…continue."

The heat rose higher in her cheeks as she
observed her baby brother's shocked reaction to her bold
statement.

"Come on, Colin, give."

"That's it. No more details. Grey and I swore
secrecy about…those trips. I'm not breaking it, even for you."

"So what are you are upset about?"

"Grey invited me to stay with him and Carrie
during my February break. That means our Caribbean…uh…trips…are
over."

"Grey's engaged. You can't expect him to go
'hunting for chicks' with you in the Caribbean anymore."

"I
know!
"

"Oh, oh, I see." Barbara stepped back as his
words came at her like a blow.

"Those trips meant a lot to me. I learned a
ton from Grey, not only about women, though I'd challenge him at a
bar pick-up now. I was looking forward to going, taking him on,
then he got engaged. Now he can't go because he's tied to some
chick's apron strings. Used to be he'd love 'em and leave 'em, now
he's hog-tied, ball-and-chained, whatever."

"You miss him, eh?" Barbara moved closer, her
hand hovered over his forearm for a moment before settling
there.

"Yeah," he said, looking at the ground.

"You'll have to adjust. Grey was bound to get
married sooner or later…"

"Why couldn't it be later?" He turned to look
at her, anger flashing in his eyes, wrenching his arm free from
her.

"Don't you like Carrie?"

"She's fine. That's not the point." Colin
picked pine needles off a nearby branch avoiding her eyes.

"You're losing him?" Barbara moved toward the
same tree, her hands idly plucking at a branch.

"That's how it feels." His hands fell to his
sides, his head bent slightly down.

"But he's so happy."

"I know. I feel like a rat. I didn't know he
wanted to get married. I thought he still wanted to screw around."
Colin lifted his head and slowly started to walk back toward the
house.

"Didn't you know about his marriage
list?"

"Jenna said something once, but I didn't pay
attention. I thought she was kidding."

"Grey's wanted to settle down for a long
time. You're not losing him, your relationship is changing, that's
all. Carrie is part of the equation now."

"And she's already pissed at me…" He formed a
small snowball and tossed it at a tree trunk, scoring a direct
hit.

"Whose fault is that?" Barbara shrugged.

"Mine, I know. I was an idiot." Colin turned
to face her.

"You're mad…"

"Maybe…maybe more…disappointed." His toe dug
in the packed snow.

"He loves being your big brother. You'll
never lose that. Give him a chance. Give Carrie a chance…"

"Like I need another sister, right?"

Barbara laughed. "If you're still 'hunting
chicks' maybe you do!" Her eyes narrowed as she glanced at her
brother.

Colin cracked a grin.

"So you'll give him a chance?" Barbara
persisted.

"What choice do I have?"

"Things change, baby brother. At least you'll
have plenty of memories of those wild days with Grey. Not like you
didn't spend time with him." She patted his shoulder.

"I know. Didn't want it to end, though." He
cast a rueful smile at her.

"Don't punish him for having a life. Show him
you're okay with Carrie and his marriage or you might lose him."
Barbara moved toward the house, tugging Colin's hand.

"I'll try." He followed her, leaving the lake
behind.

"That's all I ask."

"What do you mean, lose him?" Colin stopped
short and pulled on Barbara's arm, turning her around.

"Don't make him choose between you and his
marriage." "Oh. Right. Yeah. I won't."

"Good." Barbara faced him squarely, putting
both hands on his shoulders.

Barbara hugged him and he relaxed in her
embrace for a moment, his eyes bright with unshed tears. After she
let go, he turned away from her and blinked rapidly while he got
his emotions under control.

"He loves you, you know."

"Leave it to a girl to end up talking about
love."

"I'm not a girl…I'm your sister."

"As soon as you say 'love' it's the same
thing."

"Cynic!"

"Pollyanna!"

"What have you got against love?"

"I'm like Grey. Haven't experienced it yet."
Colin started back up the path with Barbara at his side.

"What about Angela?" Barbara kept her gaze on
the path, her arms folded.

"Angela's off to the Peace Corps for two
years. Can't say I'm sorry either."

"I thought you two were altar bound."

"Marriage? Me with Angela? No way!" Colin put
up his gloved hands as if to ward off the dreaded Goddess of
Love.

"I'm relieved. Thought you could do better
than Angela. So, you're free again?"

"Yeah, in time for that trip I'm not going to
be taking with Grey."

"I see. Angela's departure was timed
perfectly." Barbara looked up, straight into Colin's hazel
eyes.

A wicked grin spread across his handsome
face. "You know me too well,"

Barbara laughed as she shook her head. "There
was hope for Grey…I guess there's hope for you, too."

****

Grey checked the back door from time to time,
waiting for Colin to return. He tried to smile as his family
members laughed and gasped in surprise at the gifts they received
but he couldn't. He was worried about Colin.
What did I do wrong
this time?

"What is it?" Carrie asked him, her hand
tugging lightly at his sleeve urging him to face her.

He turned and smiled when he saw the
concerned look on her face.

"What's up? You look edgy."

"It's Colin. He's disappeared."

"Barbara is with him, right?"

"I know. Still...it has something to do with
me. Sometimes he can be such a…"

Before he could finish, a wave of cold air
interrupted him, drawing his attention to the back door. Colin and
Barbara had returned. They were smiling and chatting though Grey
couldn't hear what they were saying. When the door closed behind
him, Colin brought his gaze up directly to Grey's.

He walked to the rapidly shrinking pile of
gifts under the tree and pulled out an envelope before plopping
down on the sofa next to Grey.

"I'll come to New York for the week if you'll
attend this," he said, pushing his gift into Grey's hand.

Grey slid his finger under the flap and
ripped open the envelope. He pulled out two homemade tickets to the
Jefferson County wrestling tournament to be held in Oak Bend in
April.

"We have a couple of contenders this year…one
at 116, our heavyweight guy and one at 140 and one at 160. Can you
come?"

Grey handed the tickets to Carrie.

"Colin coaches the wrestling team at Pine
Grove High."

He looked at her and raised his eyebrows.
After a quick glance at the papers in her hand she smiled and
nodded.

"We'll be there. But you're buying the
victory dinner!" Grey said, turning back to Colin and pushing a
finger into his brother's chest.