Bittersweet Surrender (18 page)

“I still won't allow it.”

“C. J., go home. You need time to calm down.” Carly walked to the door and opened it.

“You want to split me and my best friend?”

“What?”

“I mean it. I will not rest as long as you two are together.”

“You are way overreacting, C. J. I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself.”

He reached in and kissed her cheek. “I love you, sis. I wouldn't ask you to do it if I didn't think it was for your own good. I want you to dump him.”

There was something in his eyes that said this wasn't just about protecting her, but she let it go.

“Good night, C. J.”

By the time Carly got back into bed, she was too upset to sleep. She'd known C. J. would be a little surprised at the two of them together, but she would never have expected him to react with such outrage. Was there something he knew about Jake that she didn't? Why would it bother him so for her to be with his best friend? They weren't high school kids anymore. She wasn't some silly schoolgirl who would swoon over his every word. She could take care of herself.

For goodness' sake, she'd lived through cancer and Gary walking out. She could handle Jake Mitchell.

Still, the look in C. J.'s eyes made her wonder.

Carly felt as though she had chased the
sandman all night, but by the time she reached him, he'd dissolved into, well, sand. Her brother's reaction to Jake had shocked her to the core. She expected him to be surprised, sure, but his reaction was over the top. She couldn't figure it out.

“Sorry I'm late,” she said to Scott when she stepped into the office.

“You obviously don't have to answer to me.” Scott turned from the filing cabinet and walked over to his desk.

“Everything all right?”

“Why shouldn't it be?” He fell into his seat with a thump.

“I don't know. You just seem—”

“I'm fine.”

He obviously didn't want to talk about it, and she didn't have the energy this morning to deal with it, so she let it go.

They worked through the morning in silence, interrupted by Carly's occasional facials and massages. Scott finally talked to her when she came back after lunch.

“Listen, Carly, I'm sorry about this morning. I've just had a lot on my mind.”

“No problem. I haven't exactly been Susie Sanguine either.”

“I figured you'd be on top of the world this morning with Jake showing up last night.”

“I was, but it was short-lived.” She told him about C. J.'s reaction.

“That's pretty weird. Maybe he knows things about Jake that you don't, and he wants to protect you.”

“That's what I thought too,” she said, breaking open the shell of a pistachio. “I need to get to the bottom of it, that's for sure. It's not like C. J. to act that way. It has me worried.”

“Hey, Scott, you got a minute?” All perky and glowing, Melissa Winters stood in the door frame.

Scott immediately brightened. “Sure.” He got up and they walked out together.

Carly scooped the shell remains into the trash basket. Seemed she and Scott were both on their way back to dating. Hopefully, they were ready.

eleven

“Did Scott work today? I didn't see him in
the office when I came in,” Rita said, easily folding onto her yoga mat.

“Yeah, he was there. He was out with Ms. Z-Cup. Took her to lunch, I think.” Carly's joints groaned when she eased onto her own mat. The instructor of their Christian yoga class hadn't arrived yet and Carly figured if the woman didn't come soon, she might never walk again. Though, despite her screaming joints, she had to admit a sense of youthful pride in her pink tank and cropped exercise pants. On the other hand, she had no grand illusions. She knew she would age decades over the next hour—yoga clothes or not.

Rita laughed. “Ms. Z-Cup. Who's that?”

“Melissa Winters.” Carly hugged her knees to her chest. Looking around the room, it seemed the thing to do when the instructor was out. She was so impressionable.

“My cousin went to school with her,” Rita said, stretching her body like a pro.

Carly turned to her. “She did?” Carly mentally calculated Melissa to be about ten years younger. It figured. “If she's from Vermont, where did she get that accent?”

“She went to college down south. You'd think after all this time, she'd be back to her native tongue. But then, according to my cousin, Melissa has always liked to be different,” Rita said with a laugh.

“She likes the attention, I suppose. Was she the high school homecoming queen, captain of the cheerleading squad, Miss Popularity, all that?”

“Actually, no. She hardly looks like the same person anymore.”

“What do you mean?” Carly watched the other members stretching and wondered if they'd be two inches taller by the end of the class.

“I mean, she's been snipped, tucked, and tweaked more times than I can count.”

Carly stopped hugging her knees and grabbed Rita by the arm. “You don't mean it.” She could hear the excitement in her voice. Shameful, she knew, but there it was.

“You're awful.”

Carly started stretching. “I figured she'd had something done. She is just too perfect.”

“Yeah, she is. But to be honest, she was beautiful before, just in a different way than now.”

Not exactly what Carly wanted to hear. Her stretches failed to quell the way her nerves jangled. Scott deserved better than Melissa Winters.

“Some women have all the luck.”

“Is there something bothering you?” Rita asked, stretching her arms high above her head.

Carly copied her. “No.” She wanted to point out that Scott could do better, but she stopped herself. It was none of her business.

“Well, just remember, people aren't always what they seem,” Rita said. “I haven't seen Melissa in a long time. I know she married that financial whiz who'd moved into town after college, but then I lost track.”

“She said they divorced about six months ago.”

“Really? Hard to imagine why he'd leave her. I always thought he was lucky to have her. He's not much to look at.” Rita contorted her body in such a way that Carly started to wonder just what planet her sister-in-law came from.

“You know, I like the way Holy Yoga takes the poses and the breathing techniques that are good for your body and couples them with prayer and meditation consistent with the Christian beliefs,”

Carly said.

“Yeah, me too.”

Carly watched the way Rita's body twisted like Gumby's and figured that could come in handy. For what, she didn't know, but surely something.

Throughout the class, the instructor led
them through different poses while talking of worship and focusing on the Lord. The worship melted the fringes of Carly's cold heart.

“You ready?” Rita asked.

Carly merely nodded. By the time class was over, she was so much taller she wondered if she'd fit in her car.

“Did you talk to Jake today?” Rita asked on the way to her car.

Carly normally welcomed the warmth of the sun, but today its rays intensified her already overheated body. Though she didn't exactly live near the equator, the sun seemed unbearably close. In fact, with the chimpanzee arms she'd developed during class, she felt sure she could reach up and touch it.

“Yeah, briefly. He's been busy all day moving things. I was going to take pizza over, but he said C. J. had brought some guys over to help and they sent for pizza. After C. J.'s reaction to everything, it seemed better for me to stay away.”

Rita shook her head. “I know. I don't get it. He never said a word to me about it last night. Told me he was going to the store, and he did, but he didn't mention anything about talking to you.”

“So why is he waiting until I'm middle-aged to become the protective brother?”

To that Rita could only shrug.

All the way home Carly thought about her
relationship with C. J. and wondered what was going on. It annoyed her that C. J. had gone over to Jake's house and made it uncomfortable for her to go herself. Maybe that was her call, but it still seemed unsettling.

Some days life appeared like a leaking dam and she had to cover the holes to keep things running smoothly. But lately, she'd become tired of covering the holes, tired of trying to fix everything, tired of being alone, tired of looking . . . different.

She was having another pity party. But right now she just couldn't stop herself.

Before her illness life had been so easy. If only she had realized how easy. If only she had known Gary was going to leave her. If only she had known her days with Ivy were numbered. If only . . .

Every time Carly moved, a sharp pain
throbbed through her neck and down her arm. It was the yoga. She should have known better. This was Rita's fault. She had talked Carly into taking the class. Rita would pay.

Sliding into her chair, Carly inched her arms out of her sweater, moving in robot fashion. R2-D2 would be proud. Gingerly draping the sweater on the back of her chair, she turned around and clicked a couple of keys on her computer to check out a new site for spa products. As long as she kept her head still, she could keep the pain at bay.

Waking up with a pain in the neck did not bode well for a Friday—especially since Carly had her first official date with Jake tonight. Oh well, she'd just have to make the most of it and hide it as best she could.

Scott stepped into the office and tilted his head sideways.

Show off.

“What happened to you?” he asked.

Carly winced. So much for keeping it hidden. “Must have slept wrong.” She maneuvered stiffly at her desk, thankful that this afternoon was her scheduled “me” day. The massage would definitely help with her stiff neck.

“Good morning, y'all,” Melissa said, barely glancing Carly's way, her eyes intent on Scott.

Fake accent, fake face . . .

It irritated Carly that Melissa just waltzed into this room. It was really off-limits for guests. But obviously, she felt she was entitled. Probably felt that way with most things in her life.

Scott's face lit up. Men could act so ridiculous sometimes.

Are they really that shallow?

Melissa was carrying two cups of coffee and Carly had a sneaking suspicion neither was for her. “I stopped at the coffee shop and thought I'd bring you something to start your day,” she said with a positively radiant smile. “Triple shot tall Americano for you,” she said to Scott, “with one sugar.”

Exactly the way he liked it. They'd obviously met for coffee before.

Scott thanked her and reached for the cup.

Melissa turned to Carly. “I'm sure you won't mind giving Scott and me a little ol' coffee break together, will you, Carly honey?”

Well, of all the nerve. Mind? Why should she mind? This was just her office at her place of business. She didn't mind leaving so the black widow could spin her web.

“No problem. I'll just go make my rounds.”

“You don't have to do that, Carly. Listen, Melissa, this is Carly's office, and—”

“Nonsense. I wouldn't hear of keeping a man from his coffee break.” Carly wouldn't point out that the workday had just started.

“Wonderful.” Melissa clapped her dainty little hands together.

Carly left the room and felt like kicking something. She didn't know why that woman bugged her so much. She wanted Scott to date, so it wasn't that. It was just something about Melissa.

Why couldn't things have stayed the same? Gary and her, Ivy and Scott. Everything had turned out all wrong. They were gone and now she and Scott were left floundering.

Okay, he isn't floundering. But what about me, God? Is it too much to ask to get my life back on track?

Once disbursements were made, she'd have money enough, she felt sure, to accomplish that. Probably with no extra to spare, what with the way the profits had been in the last year or so, but she'd take what she could get. Every little bit took her that much closer to the surgery that would change her future forever.

Quiet music filtered through closed doors where treatments were in progress. Sweet and tangy scents mingled with gentle murmurings throughout the spa. Carly really hoped she could make this business work. She loved it here and couldn't imagine herself doing anything else.

Now, if only she could make some money. Then everything would be perfect.

Scott wondered how he had gotten himself
into this mess. Not that Melissa wasn't a nice woman and all, but he wasn't sure he wanted to actually start dating yet. On the other hand, this might help get Carly and his brother off his back about dating. Why was it people could not rest if there was a single man within a hundred-mile radius? It seemed they just weren't happy till the last free man was hitched in wedded bliss.