“I wanted to put some space between us, that’s all.” She moved herself over to the far side of the bed. “What are you doing here, anyway?”
“I live here, what about you?”
She made a face. “Always a smart ass,” she said, as Sam snorted with laughter. “That sofa not as comfortable as you thought it’d be?”
“I tried babe, I really did. I finally gave it up around midnight. How about you...did you sleep
good
?”
Carrie nodded. “I did, but I really have to go to the bathroom then I have to get dressed and go home.”
He turned to face her. “Merry Christmas, Baby.”
She smiled. “I’d almost forgotten.
Merry Christmas to you, too, Sam.”
“Waking up with you in my bed on Christmas morning...This has
gotta
rate number one on the ‘best Christmas gift’ list.” He gave her a crooked, though somewhat sleepy grin.
She blushed and pulled the covers up over her mouth. “I’m a little mortified, if you want to know the truth.”
His brow furrowed. “Why?”
She spoke, her voice sounding muffled from the covers over her mouth. “Dragon
breath
...no make-up...messy hair...
not
how I’d choose you to see me this early in our relationship. My ex didn’t even see me like this until after we were married.”
“When it was too late to take it back,” he mumbled.
She punched him on the shoulder. “Oh that’s nice.”
Sam cracked a wide grin then farted loudly. “There, that should even things up.”
“Ever the charmer,” she snorted. “And here I thought it was just a Dave thing.”
“It’s a guy thing,” he chuckled. “Getting back to the subject, you look fine to me. As a matter of fact,” he drawled, reaching out for her. “I wouldn’t mind waking up to this sight every day for the rest of my life.”
“Uh uh,” she answered, as she scooted away from him and out of the bed. Carrie stood and pulled at the shirt hem in an unsuccessful effort to make it longer then grabbed her clothes and purse. She ran quickly into the master bathroom, but not quick enough to keep Sam from getting a good look at the hem of his shirt flapping around on her bare thighs.
“Damn, but you look good in that shirt,” he called out to her as the door closed.
She giggled, then opened the door just a crack. “You’d better be dressed by the time I get out of here.”
Carrie exited the bathroom fully dressed, combed, and made-up. The welcome aroma of bacon frying permeated the air, making her mouth water and stomach growl. She stepped into the kitchen, appreciating the rear view of Sam standing in front of the stove. “Smells good in here,” she commented.
He spun around at the sound of her voice. “Hey pretty girl, are you hungry? I’ve got biscuits, bacon, and scrambled eggs coming right up.”
“
Mmm
, sounds good,” she answered, as she pulled a chair up to the snack bar. She beamed as he placed a plate in front of her. “Thanks, Sam.”
“It’s the least I could do.” He shrugged. “Sorry, but I don’t own a coffee maker. We could go over to my folks if you want,” he suggested. “They’re a couple of houses down from me across the back yard.”
Carrie cringed and shook her head. “How about we do that some other time? Like when I haven’t slept here all night? I’ll be okay until I get back to Christie’s.”
“Okay, but do you mind if I ask one thing?” He continued when she nodded. “What are we going to do about Dave?”
“You mean, what
am
I
going to do?” she countered.
“Hey, he came on
my
turf; I’m directly involved now,” Sam insisted.
“I guess you’re right. I really don’t know what I can do other than keep Rob
Ledoux
informed. He didn’t break any laws.” She popped a piece of bacon in her mouth and chewed. Sam practically growled at the comment.
He poured a glass and placed it beside her plate. “Maybe we should tell Doug, my neighbor.”
She frowned, giving her head a shake. “I don’t need the whole town knowing about this. Besides,” she added. “Maybe now that he’s seen you, he’ll leave it alone. I promise I’ll tell Rob about it.”
He shrugged. “It’d sure make me feel better if I could explain things to Doug. You’ll be a citizen of this town pretty soon. Don’t you think it’d help if he knew what was going on?”
“Would you at least wait until I’m gone?” Carrie pleaded, emitting a low groan. “I can’t face anyone this morning, especially knowing what he’ll be thinking.”
“I hate to ask, but do you have a picture of him? It might help if he could put a face to the name.”
Carrie pulled a photo from her wallet. It was the family picture she and Dave took years earlier, folded so that only she and the kids were visible. “God, this is humiliating,” she mumbled. “Before this is over with everyone will know everything there is to know about my failed marriage.”
Sam reached for the photo and studied it for a moment. Carrie bit her bottom lip, trying to gauge his reaction as he got his first glimpse of her and Dave as a couple. She tensed, fighting the urge to rip it out of his hands.
He glanced up at her. “Are you okay?”
“I can’t explain it, but for some reason I’m uncomfortable with you seeing that.”
He smiled as he studied the picture. “That’s a good-looking lady.”
“Not good enough. He left me for another woman a week after that was taken.”
Sam shook his head. “Can I say again what a fool he was?”
By eight a.m., Carrie was on her way home.
Sam walked back inside, alone, and hating the emptiness now that Carrie was gone. He tried to imagine her living here, in this home, putting all the personal touches women do to make a place their own. One thought led to another and soon he was wondering if his kids would accept her as a step mother. Carrie was right when she said it wasn’t just two lives that would be affected by their new relationship. It would merge two families...two branches from two separate trees. Would their kids get along and eventually accept each other as siblings? Would they be able to blend as a family?
Suddenly, it hit him. The realization of the enormous sacrifice Carrie and her children would have to make by relocating.
Am
I worth all the trouble she’s putting herself and her family through?
He shook his head as he thought about the answer to that. Maybe not now, but he vowed then and there that he would be. If he ever got the chance to start the new life he wanted with Carrie, he would be a better man and a better husband.
Sam placed the blankets and extra pillow back into his closet then walked into his master bathroom. He closed his eyes and breathed in her scent, wishing he could keep it with him. He picked up the flannel shirt she’d folded and placed on the side of the tub, and held it up to his nose.
That’s Carrie
. He buried his face in it, thinking it was a crappy substitute for the real thing. Instead of bringing it to the laundry room to be washed, he folded it, carried it back into his room then placed it on the foot of his bed. He paused, catching sight of his smugly pleased expression in the mirror. “Shut up,” he told his reflection, before leaving the room.
Sam bundled up and went out on his porch to stare at Carrie’s rent house. Lost in his own thoughts about the possibilities, he didn’t notice Linda pull up to the front of the house until the door opened and Nick spilled out. His gangly son hauled a large duffle bag from the back seat then waved his mom off. Sam didn’t even look at the car until the brakes squealed at the intersection. No gut wrenching pain in his stomach...none of the regrets he usually felt around this time...amazing. He pictured Carrie in his flannel shirt, and in his bed, first thing this morning. The sound of Nick’s throat clearing jolted him into the present.
“Hey old man, what’re you grinning about?”
Sam turned to open the door for his son. “I didn’t realize I was, but I guess it’s because I feel so good.” He hugged Nick then slapped him heartily on the back. “Merry Christmas, Son.”
“You too, Dad.”
Sam took his son’s shit-eating grin for what it was. “What’s on your mind so early this morning?”
“I heard we’re getting a new neighbor soon.”
Sam played along, fully suspecting that at least one of Linda’s friends had called her already. “Anyone we know?”
“Nobody I know, but I heard you may know her. Some
young
thing, from down around Gardiner,” Nick drawled.
Sam gave his son a knowing grin. “Who called her?”
“She wouldn’t say, but she heard all about you calling around for deposit info. Whoever called her said she left her husband for you.”
“Bullshit...Carrie’s divorced. She was six months separated and waiting on her divorce when I met her. And she’s met her already, too. Your mom walked over to check her out at the steak house the other night.”
“Uh huh, I heard all about it.”
“I’m not going to
lie
to you, son. I care for this woman, and I hope she’s more than a friend one day.” He leaned against the ponderosa pine cabinets he’d built himself and crossed his arms angrily. Sam stared at his son, wondering if his ex had said anything to poison him against Carrie. “Look, I don’t know what she told you...
and I don’t want to know
,” he said, using a forceful tone. “But Carrie’s a real nice lady. I think your mom believes she’s younger than she is, but she’s thirty-six and has three teenagers. She’s having some trouble with her ex and I need to let you know what happened here last night before the town gossips get a hold of it.” He explained the occurrences of the night before then gave his son a serious look. “To make a long story short, I made her come back to the house with me. I wasn’t going to let her go and run the chance of that maniac lying in wait for her down the road. Yes, she spent the night here, but nothing happened.”
Nick nodded his head in understanding. “I get it, Dad. It’s not that big a deal.”
Sam studied his son. “That’s the thing, Nick. She is a big deal to me. I wake up looking forward to the day now. Carrie’s done that for me, and I hope you and Amanda can accept that I’m moving on.”
Carrie did some serious ‘Sam pondering’ on the way home. Why did everything about the man make her want to cuddle up close to him, as though he were some big teddy bear? Common sense told her there was no way she could possibly care that much for someone she’d known for such a short time. It scared her as much this morning as it had last night during the dancing.
Waking up in his arms this morning...God...What a glorious way to start the day.
Her face heated when she thought of that big bed with him in it. She knew she’d be in huge trouble unless she found a way to slow things down.
