Blessed Fate (37 page)

"So, how's your sister?" It was one of the few things Carly could think of to ask since she really didn't know much about Adam, especially not as an adult. The last she had heard, Julia was living in Nashville and getting ready to file for divorce.
A good friend wouldn't have to ask her brother how she's doing. A good friend would have kept in touch.
Carly preferred to think their lack of communication had more to do with living life on different schedules rather than think admit they weren't as close as they once were.

"She's good, I guess," Adam said around a mouthful of corned beef and Swiss. "She's planning to move back to Wisconsin once the divorce is final. She says she's fine with it, but I'm not so sure."

"Julia's moving back to Wisconsin? Nu-uh," she exclaimed in disbelief. Carly and Julia swore they'd never go back to Wisconsin once they got out. "Madison or Milwaukee?"

Adam shrugged. "Not sure. She's been pretty vague."

It bothered her more than it should that Adam didn't seem to know very much about his sister's life. The siblings had relied on each other for support after their mom left. Growing up an only child, Carly liked to think that she would have stayed close to her siblings if she'd had any.

Adam excused himself to answer a phone call and Carly once again found herself watching him walk away. His confident swagger made it appear as though he was floating out of the room. There had to be some unwritten rule that you didn't check out the ass of a friend's little brother.

"The part will be here in about two hours," he said when he returned to the table. "You in a hurry to get back?"

Carly shook her head. She knew she should get back to the Schumann and see what menial tasks Dax could find for her but she knew she'd have more than her fill of him tonight. Plus, she'd started work four hours early today, that should buy her some free time in the afternoon. "No. I can show you around for a while. I just need to pop back and let Dax know I'm going to take a longer break."

Adam laughed. "Believe it or not, I don't need a tour guide. I probably spend almost as much time in this part of town as you do."

"Huh?" She cringed at the unintelligent utterance. At some point, she'd gather her wits and the ability to form a complete sentence again.

"It feels like I'm always out here for work. I keep telling them it'd be cheaper to just move me out here but they haven't bitten so far."

It didn't make sense that a company the size of ETS didn't have sub-contractors to take care of repairs like the one Adam had been sent to make. "Why are you out here so often? Wouldn't it be more cost-effective for them to hire someone local to do the work?"

Adam laughed again. Carly wasn't thrilled at the idea of being his primary source of amusement for the day. "I don't normally do repairs. One of the big-shots knows someone at the Schumann, so he asked me to come out and personally take care of it. Normally, I'm on sales calls."

"Oh." It stung to know that someone she knew had been so close so many times and yet she'd never been in contact. She couldn't help but wonder if they'd have met up sooner if she had kept in touch with Julia.

As soon as they walked through the stage door at the Schumann, Carly knew a break was out of the question. "Turner, where in the hell have you been?" Dax's nasally shriek echoed through the empty theater house.

"Sounds like someone's in trouble," Adam whispered in her ear. Carly swallowed hard. There definitely had to be a rule about getting butterflies over a friend's younger brother.
Oh, to hell with it, I haven't even talked to Julia in over a year.

Carly rolled her eyes. "He's just a drama queen. You know how theater people can be. I'd better see what his highness needs."

"Rain check, then?"

There was no way she'd have time before Adam went back to Wisconsin. The thought depressed her more than it should. "I'm going to be stuck here late every night this week. Maybe next time you're in town?"

Adam's shoulders fell. "Right. Opening week—" In a twisted way, it lifted Carly's spirits to see that he was upset.

"Turner!" Dax was in a mood today.

"I have to get out there. Try to find me when you come back with the part," she grumbled. She turned back as she neared the stage, "Hey, you said two hours, right? The queen will want to know."

Adam tried to stifle his laughter. "Yes, tell his majesty I shall return in two hours." Carly nearly lost it when he bowed flamboyantly before disappearing into the summer sun. Just as the door was about to slam shut, it was thrown open again. "Oh, and Carly... it's good seeing you."

Two hours later, Adam returned with a box that looked far too small to hold anything that had the ability to cripple the intricate lighting plan for their show. "Time to save the princess from the evil king."

"My hero," Carly shrieked, throwing her arms around Adam's broad shoulders. She kissed his cheek and immediately felt her cheeks burning red. Between feeling the firm ridges under her fingers and inhaling an intoxicating blend of body wash, soap and woodsy cologne, Carly knew she was in trouble.

"Turner, what in the hell do you think you're doing? Even if there weren't a hundred things to do, you can't screw the vendors." The embarrassment Carly felt at being caught was replaced by laughter at Dax's stunned expression. The laughter was quickly followed by anger as Carly hit her breaking point with his mood.

"Screw you, Dax," she shouted towards the stage, her arms frozen around Adam's neck. Not normally one to feel a need to explain her actions, Carly followed him. "For your information, Adam is a family friend. I have no intention on screwing him, backstage or anywhere else. And even if I was going to screw him, you're just pissed that that would be one more gorgeous man you're not getting." Maybe one of these days Dax would realize that Carly's tolerance for his bullshit directly correlated to the time she was required to roll out of bed in the morning.

Dax didn't respond to Carly's dramatic monologue. In fact, it was as if he hadn't heard a single thing she had said. That was good, she supposed, because needed to make it through this run so she had one more show on her resume. She couldn't wait until he had to find another whipping post.

When Carly turned to apologize to Adam, he was nowhere to be found. She reached into her bright green leather purse, grabbing a cigarette and her iPhone. Once outside, she crouched against the side of the brick building to tap out a quick email.

Hey Annie,

Do you ever talk to Julia? I heard a rumor she's moving back to WI, but not where. Let me know. We need to catch up.

C

In high school, Carly didn't go anywhere without Julia on one side and Annie on the other. If anyone would know what was going on with Julia, it would be Annie. Asking about Julia wasn't what Carly really wanted to talk to Annie about, but she figured it would be better to wade in to the conversation rather than jumping directly into the deep end by asking for information about Adam.

"You know those will kill you," Adam said, plucking the cigarette out of her mouth and taking a long drag.

"Have you seen what I have to deal with?" She deadpanned, "I figure it's me or them. I can't go to prison for killing myself. And wouldn't the same go for you?"

Adam extended a hand and pulled Carly so she was standing close enough to smell his cologne, even over the rotting garbage. "True," he agreed, "But it'd be a waste for you to kill yourself. Plus, you're going to be one of those scary broads that sounds like a dude someday. That will really kill the cute little sex kitten thing you have going on now. I, on the other hand, don't have to worry about sounding like a guy or killing my sex appeal."

Deflecting the attention off herself, Carly smacked Adam in the chest. "Stop it. You're the creepy little brother, you don't get to call me sexy."

For a moment, Adam looked almost hurt by the statement. "Creepy, huh?" Carly worried that she'd offended him until her started laughing.

"I... uh..." Once again, words failed her. She rolled her eyes. "Shut up, you know what I mean. So, are you done? Does his highness have light once again?"

"Yes, all is well in the kingdom." He bowed before her and she broke out laughing. It was fun to have someone laid back to talk to. "Guess I'd better let you get back to it."

"Yeah, I guess so," she said without trying to hide the disappointment in her voice. "Next time you're—"

"Turner," Dax threw the door open, almost hitting Carly in the face. "We're getting ready to have a rehearsal in here. Care to join us?"

"Coming," she snapped. When she turned to give Adam her phone number, he was turning onto the street at the end of the alley. She had obviously misread any vibe she thought she had gotten from him.

When I sat down last year to start writing my first book, it was very much a solitary journey. I wasn't sure what I would do once the book was finished, I didn't know anyone doing the same thing I was doing. Since that time, I feel truly blessed to have been welcomed into the community of indie authors and bloggers. There truly are far too many people for me to thank individually, but please know that, even if you're not listed by name, I appreciate the support you've given me along the way.

Katie Mac ~ Without you, this book would be a bit of a mess. Thank you for being an awesome babysitter. I mean, thank you for editing my baby and sending it back only as chopped up as necessary.

Michelle Streeter ~ Who would have thought that one search for a group on Facebook would have led to one of the best friendships a girl could ever hope for? I blew you off for over a year when you told me I needed to write a book. I'm glad you never stopped pressing me! I'm looking forward to a trip in the near future involving sandy beaches and fruity drinks!

Sarah Penn ~ I don't even want to do the math on how long we've been friends, but you've truly been there for me during some of the highest highs and lowest lows. Not many people would read a genre they aren't typically interested in just to give someone their honest opinion but you do it time and time again.

Debra ~ How in the world did I wind up so lucky? No matter what I need help with, you're there. And when you read, you pick up the littlest details and you're not afraid to tell me when something sucks. Because of you, I'm a better writer. And because of the hard work you do for me and all the other authors out there, readers know about our books.

Nic and Dee ~ Thank you for always being willing to share Colton and Rain with the world! In less than six months, you've gone from two women running a blog that I enjoyed to two amazing friends. I'm looking forward to having some fun with you ladies in the future.

To my family ~ Thank you for putting up with me hiding out in the alcove when I'm in the groove. You've eaten far more quick food than any family should, but you do it without complaining so I can live my dream.

To the readers ~ When an author hits the publish button on a new book, it's one of the best and worst feelings in the world; at least for me. It feels amazing to accomplish something, to reach the finish line on another book, but there's the fear that no one is going to buy it, everyone's going to hate it and there will be no point going on. And then, you start emailing and jumping on Facebook to tell me what you thought of the book. It's in that moment that everything is worthwhile and the delicate balance of life returns. Thank you for always being there, for unknowingly pushing me through the days when it feels like the writing will never end.