Bittersweet Surrender (24 page)

“I was just in the area and thought I would drop by.” He flashed a wide grin.

He obviously wasn't going to give up easily. C. J. never just dropped by. “C. J., I told you, I don't have five thousand dollars to give you.” Couldn't he understand that she had a life, had needs, just the same as he did? She was getting weary of bailing him out and was feeling a bit selfish with her money.

He held up his palm. “No money. I wanted to apologize for acting like a spoiled brat earlier. I just get nervous when I owe some of these guys.”

“Which is why you shouldn't gamble.”

“Thanks, Mom,” he said with a definite warning that she was overstepping her boundaries.

She glared at him.

“Okay, maybe I've struggled with that from time to time, but not today.” Another grin. “Aren't you glad?”

“Delirious.”

“What's up with you? You don't seem your usual sweet self. Seeing too much of Jake?”

That caught her attention. “Way to talk about your best friend.”

“He is my best friend. That doesn't mean I want him dating my sister.”

Carly spotted a note from their hairstylist saying they needed more styling gel and made a note to get more. Before her death Ivy had done all the ordering. Thankfully, she had left the spa with an ample inventory. Carly was just getting around to ordering some things. She looked up at him. “Look, C. J., we've been through this. I'm not fifteen anymore. I don't need your approval to date.”

“You don't know Jake the way I do, sis. He's my best friend, but he's not marriage material.”

“Okay, C. J., if you've got something to say, say it.”

He shook his head. “I don't need to go into details. But you're my sister, and I'm saying you'd better be careful. And if I were you, I'd move on to safer ground.”

Okay, now he was making her mad. Wasn't it enough that he took her money; did he have to zap the fun from her life too? “Thanks for the warning,” she quipped.

“'Course we both know you'll do what you want. You always were stubborn.”

They needed to move on from this discussion, and fast. “Rita told me that Ivy was working on something for Scott before she died.”

“What's that got to do with me?” he snapped. She'd definitely put him in a bad mood.

“Rita said you were helping her.”

“What about it?”

“Ivy hadn't told me about it. I was just curious what it was.”

He shrugged. “I don't even remember now. A photo album or something.” He glanced at his watch. “Guess I'd better get back to work. Have a nice day.”

Remorse immediately set in as Carly watched after him. Why did she have to be so defensive? She prided herself on helping C. J. through his financial struggles and yet she held it over him. Resentment lined her every word, every action.

She shoved her chin into her palm, allowing her mind to think through it all. Why would he be against her dating Jake? Was there truly something she didn't know about Jake or was C. J. just jealous of sharing each of them with one another? Maybe he was afraid Jake would stop her from giving C. J. money.

It was true Jake had been a “player” in high school, but then a lot of guys had been. People change. Goodness, that had been a very long time ago. He wasn't like that anymore.

fifteen

Amid massages, facials, haircuts, and
shampoos, the day got away from her, with only occasional thoughts of Jake and C. J. Just when she had a moment to return to her desk, Katelyn showed up for her first day of duty. She was dressed in a pink headband, top, pants, and shoes. Bright pink.

She looked like a walking crayon.

Okay, maybe there was more to Jake and his daughter than met the eye.

“I'm ready to work,” Katelyn said with an eager grin.

Carly dismissed the idea of grabbing a coloring book. “Great.” She got up from her desk. “Amber is going to stay here this week and train you at the receptionist's desk.” Carly glanced over and noticed that Amber was busy with a customer. “How about I show you around again so you can get acclimated?”

Katelyn chomped vigorously on her gum and nodded. “Thanks for letting me work here. This place is awesome.”

“You're welcome.” Carly extended her hand, palm up, to Katelyn.

Katelyn gave her a questioning look, then frowned. “No gum?”

“No gum.”

Katelyn reluctantly pulled the gum from her mouth and gave it to Carly. “Just like school,” she said with disappointment.

Carly laughed. “You're a professional now.” She tossed the gum into a nearby trash can.

“I want a place of my own some day. Like maybe a tattoo salon or something,” Katelyn said as they passed the manicure stations.

Every mother's dream.

As they walked around, Carly enjoyed watching the enthusiasm in Katelyn's expression. The girl was excited about every aspect of the spa.

“I'm so glad you're here.” Without thinking, Carly put her arm around Katelyn and gave her a quick squeeze. It caught them both by surprise, and Carly held her breath, wondering if the teenager would be offended. But after a second's pause Katelyn looked up and smiled.

Carly couldn't figure out why Jake had such a problem with his daughter. She was a sweetheart.

“So are you getting settled in at school?” Carly pulled a Coke from the fridge and handed it to Katelyn. “Might as well talk while Amber is busy. We'll join her in a minute.”

Katelyn smiled. “Thanks.” They sat down at the table. “School's going okay. It's so hard being away from my friends in Chicago.” Her finger traced a design on the can.

“I'm sorry. I'm sure that is very hard. I've lived here forever, so I've never had to deal with something like that.”

Carly always felt she'd been planted in Spring Creek for a reason and that's where she'd grow. Everyone knew it was hard on a plant to uproot and find a new home.

Katelyn made a face. “That's all I've ever done my whole life. Dad gets a whim and off we go, somewhere else. He never even considers how I feel. If he wants to leave, we leave.”

Carly wasn't sure what to say. She hadn't expected Katelyn to open up that way. It seemed the best thing to do to just develop a relationship and not try to solve all her problems.

“Sometimes it's hard to understand why people do what they do,” Carly said, before taking a drink from her can.

“Thanks.”

“For what?”

“For not making excuses for Dad.”

The comment made Carly a little uncomfortable, so she let the matter drop.

By the time the workday ended, Carly was
tired. Scott had taken the day off—didn't say why. Just a personal day. Not that he owed her an explanation. Still, he usually mentioned why he was going to be gone.

She had her hands full holding down the fort. But Katelyn adjusted well to the phone, and Carly felt sure they had made the right choice in hiring her—well, at least once she told her to get rid of the gum.

Jake showed up later to collect his daughter.

“Hey, there's my girl,” he said, walking over to Carly and giving her a hug.

Disappointment shadowed Katelyn's face—which, for Carly, took some of the thrill from Jake's hug.

Some of it.

“Walk us out to the car, will ya?” Jake whispered into Carly's ear and she nodded, goose bumps rising on her neck.

“So how was your first day, kiddo?” Jake asked, mussing Katelyn's hair. With a frown, she immediately straightened the band in her hair that slid back from his touch.

“It was fine,” she said, her voice sullen and distant. There was a definite difference in this girl when her dad was around.

Carly had to help them, somehow. Maybe she'd read a couple of parenting books, call Dr. Dobson, Dr. Phil, whatever it took to get these two in a right father-daughter relationship. She knew how important that was.

Once they stopped at the car, Katelyn opened her door and settled into the passenger seat while Jake turned around and faced Carly. He tucked her hair behind her right ear, then traced her jawline with his finger.

“I missed you today,” he said, his voice thick and low, making her stomach flutter.

“I missed you too.” Her mouth watered in anticipation of a kiss. It could have been from the mint she was eating, but she didn't think so.

Jake must have sensed it. Gently placing his hands on her shoulders, he bent toward her and kissed her . . . cheek.

Okay, not exactly what I expected, but I'll take it.

“I'll call you, Squirt.” He winked at her and got in the car.

Her stomach zipped to her throat. Her breath came in short little puffs. Tiny white stars flickered overhead. Her brother's warning flagged her reverie, but she knocked it out of her mind. This was the happiest she'd felt in a long time, and she would not let him rob her of it.

She wasn't in a rush to find a man. She'd been hurt big-time, and was in no hurry to go through something like that again. But it didn't hurt to enjoy this little . . . whatever it was they had between them. If it grew into more, well, then so be it. Jake was a good man. And she liked Katelyn a lot. Maybe she could be just the one to bring their family back together.

Who knew—maybe Katelyn could be the daughter Carly had never had.

“You ready?” Scott jogged in place at Carly's
front door, dressed in shorts and a light shirt with a sweatband across his forehead. She couldn't help but smile. He reminded her of a little kid excited about the first day of school.

“I didn't think you would come tonight since you had the day off.”

“Tired or not, it's a lifestyle, remember?”

Fortunately, it was becoming one for her, too, or she would have bopped him for that little comment. In fact, she'd just been preparing to go out by herself.

“I let Magnolia know I was leaving, so we can go.” She stepped through the front door and patted the key in her pocket before locking the door behind her.

“I finally got those front shutters painted.”

“Always the handyman. Ivy said you were every woman's dream.” Carly chuckled but stopped when she saw the shadow flicker across his face. An uncomfortable pause hovered between them. “Uh, I think Katelyn is going to fit in well.” An abrupt change of subject, but it worked.

“Good. Her first day went well, I take it?”

“Yeah, it did. She seemed to fit right in. It was fun to watch her excitement for the place.”

“I'm glad to hear it. Did you see Jake today?” Scott moved his arms in rhythmic motion to keep up his momentum.

“Yeah.” She smiled with the remembrance.

Scott raised an eyebrow. “I see things are going well there.”

“Let's just say they're moving along.”

She wondered how Jake would react when . . . if she told him about her illness and her plans for reconstructive surgery. She still hadn't said anything; it was too soon. But with the way things were going, “too soon” might find its way to “the right time” before she knew it.

“A penny for your thoughts,” Scott said.

Sometimes it was scary how Scott could read her. Maybe if she wore a helmet, it would bar his eavesdropping ways. “You know my brain,” she said. “Nothing there.” She laughed it off while heat radiated across her cheeks, then resorted to an offensive move. “How's Melissa?”

Scott rubbed his jaw. Not bad for a guy who was running. Carly bet he could rub his stomach and pat his head at the same time too. What a man.

“She's doing well.” That was all he said.

Carly punched his arm and almost fell sideways. She obviously couldn't rub her stomach and pat her head at the same time.

“Ow.”

“You know I want more than that. Now, let's have it.”

He laughed. “You women are all alike. There's not much to tell. We've seen each other a few times. Period.”

“Good. Hey, I'm having a few friends over Friday night for a cookout. Want to come?”

He turned and slit his eyes her way. “Is this payback for taking away your chocolates?”

“Not a bad idea.” They took a few more steps. “It's no big deal, really. Just a few friends.”

He grabbed her arm and they both stopped running. Facing her he said, “Carly Westlake, you look me straight in the eye and tell me you don't have something up your sleeve.”

Without hesitation she said, “Nothing up my sleeve.” She could say that because her top was sleeveless.

“You understand that phrase, right? The meaning?”

“Yes.” She did. Nothing up her sleeve.

He started running again. “Okay, I'll come. But remember, just because you've found someone doesn't mean you have to get me fixed up. I'm a big boy and I can handle it myself. As a matter of fact, I'm enjoying the single life.”