Authors: Lori Leger
Some Day Somebody (32 page)
“Well, do you want to press charges for harassment?”
“Sure, maybe I’ll get to enjoy one day of my Christmas vacation without him ruining it for me.” She growled the last comment as she turned around to walk back to the house.
Dave took a step forward. “Aw come on Carrie, I can’t believe you’d do this on Christmas Day,” he said, sounding panicked. “Have a heart.”
Carrie turned in midstride and stalked angrily up to Dave. “What about you, Dave? How about
your
heart?” she asked, poking his chest angrily with her finger. “Do you even have one? How about a conscience? How do you even have the nerve to call me names after everything you’ve done to me? How can you, huh, Dave?” She shoved him back against the police cruiser with all her might. “
Answer me
!” Panting with fury as her heart pounded with the rush of adrenaline, she glared back at the three men who stared, open mouthed, at her.
your
heart?” she asked, poking his chest angrily with her finger. “Do you even have one? How about a conscience? How do you even have the nerve to call me names after everything you’ve done to me? How can you, huh, Dave?” She shoved him back against the police cruiser with all her might. “
Answer me
!” Panting with fury as her heart pounded with the rush of adrenaline, she glared back at the three men who stared, open mouthed, at her.
“You know what? Just forget about it. If I press charges, I’ll have to spend
another
hour of my day in your office filling out paperwork, and he’s not worth it.” She turned around and stood nose to nose with Dave. “I’m just sick enough of you to do something about it on my own. Go ahead and bother me again...I dare you!” she seethed through clenched teeth. She swiveled angrily toward Christie’s porch. “Get him the hell out of my sight,” she said, waving her hand and storming back towards the house. She turned around in time to see Rob wag his finger in Dave’s face.
another
hour of my day in your office filling out paperwork, and he’s not worth it.” She turned around and stood nose to nose with Dave. “I’m just sick enough of you to do something about it on my own. Go ahead and bother me again...I dare you!” she seethed through clenched teeth. She swiveled angrily toward Christie’s porch. “Get him the hell out of my sight,” she said, waving her hand and storming back towards the house. She turned around in time to see Rob wag his finger in Dave’s face.
“If you give her one more second of grief, she won’t have the choice to press charges or not. Your ass is going to jail for no less than forty-eight hours. You got that?”
Dave dropped his head. “Yeah, I got it.”
Carrie grunted in satisfaction and went back inside. She fielded Christie’s curious look. “I don’t want to discuss it right now, sis.”
Christie nodded. “Okay then, as soon as I get Max dressed, we’re going to Mom’s.”
“I think I’ll take a leisurely soak in the tub. I just need to get back in time to see Katie before she leaves. God, I need more coffee, you want a cup?” Carrie asked.
“Nope, anymore caffeine and I’m
gonna
crawl the ceiling,” Christie said, struggling to get a shirt over Max’s head.
gonna
crawl the ceiling,” Christie said, struggling to get a shirt over Max’s head.
“Mo...
mmy
!” Max’s voice sounded muffled from under the shirt. “It’s too fit!”
mmy
!” Max’s voice sounded muffled from under the shirt. “It’s too fit!”
Carrie laughed in spite of her previous aggravation. “It’s too fit because of that big head of yours,” she said, tickling her defenseless nephew and sending him into fits of giggles.
Christie gave up trying to get the shirt over her son’s head and threw it off to the side. “I
tell
people not to buy him anything but button down shirts for gifts, but do they listen?
Nooo
.
”
She dug in Max’s closet and pulled out another shirt, this one a long sleeved button down.
tell
people not to buy him anything but button down shirts for gifts, but do they listen?
Nooo
.
”
She dug in Max’s closet and pulled out another shirt, this one a long sleeved button down.
Carrie watched her sister dressing the toddler. Christie was a hard working single mother whose husband left her for another woman a year earlier. They’d sympathized with each other plenty over the year. She lifted the blind to check if the men were still there. “You know, sis, there’s some serious beef cake out there in your driveway right now.”
Christie lifted her face curiously.
“Oh yeah?”
“Oh yeah?”
Carrie nodded. “I met him a few months ago. His name’s Tim Hardin, I think. You might want to go check that out.”
Christie peeked out the window and gave a low whistle of appreciation. “Where the hell did he come from? Look at that body,” she groaned. “He must do some serious working out.”
“You could always get Rob to introduce y’all. Go on out there right now.” She poured herself a cup of coffee.
Christie shook her head. “I’m not ready for that. Besides, he doesn’t look the type to be interested in a divorcee with a three year old.”
Carrie sat down on the sofa, kicked off her shoes and curled her feet up under her as she watched the lights of Christie’s Christmas tree. “I hate to see the Christmas season end. It sucks to see people put their trees to the curb on Christmas afternoon. I always leave mine up until New Year’s day.”
“Me too,” Christie agreed. “Later than that, if I don’t have the time to take it down.”
The two sisters got quiet for a moment and Carrie sighed. “I rented that house in Kenton. I can move in now if I want.”
“You did? Sam must be thrilled. Is he going to help you move in?”
“I’m wondering if it’s the right thing to do, now.”
“Talk to me, sis.”
Carrie released an exhausted sigh before filling Christie in on everything that had happened. “I feel stuck. I spent too many years with a controlling husband to have another man telling me what to do. And if we do stay together, how do I know what that crazy caller is going to do? What if he follows me over there and hurts Sam or Nick?”
Christie pointed to the phone. “You know, Sam is probably trying to call back so he can apologize.”
“I don’t feel like hearing it just yet.”
“So, are you moving to Kenton or not?”
Carrie dropped her head back on the couch. “I don’t know what to do, Chris; I can’t stay here, and the rent house is worth far more than he’s asking. It all fell into place so easily. Maybe it’s not supposed to be this easy to start a new life.”
“Give yourself some time to think on it a little longer. The house will still be there, and the one in Gardiner won’t be vacant for another couple weeks. You have some time to figure this out.”
Carrie ran her hands through her hair, trying to rid herself of the stress of the morning. “Maybe you’re right.” Carrie finished her cup of coffee and followed Christie and Max to the door. “I’m going to go soak away all my problems. Tell Mom I’ll be there in time to tell Katie and her bunch goodbye before they leave for Texas.”
“Come on, Max,” Christie said. Are you ready to go see Maw Maw?”
Max turned his adoring gaze on his mother.
“
Yeth
!
I go thee Maw
Maw
‘
Laine
!”
Carrie reached down and tousled his platinum hair. “Later, Max.”
“Bye, Aunt
Cawee
.”
Cawee
.”
After locking up, Carrie showered and shaved her legs, then put the stopper in the tub and poured her favorite scented bath crystals. She
lay
back in the tub, and let the luxurious smell of jasmine and the sounds of blessed silence work on her frazzled nerves. No phones, no television, no radio, no sound except for an occasional drip from the faucet. She let the tension flow from her body and dozed until the water cooled and chilled her. She got out of the tub and wrapped up in her thick terry robe. She applied her make-up then went to the living room to retrieve the brush she’d forgotten in her purse.
A brisk rap at the door had her inching the curtain aside to see who it was. Carrie gasped as she dropped the curtain, and backed slowly away from the door.
Tap. Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
“Carrie...I know you’re there.”
Oh God.
“Come on, please open up.”
Carrie finally reached for the locks and opened the door. She stared up as Sam absolutely filled the space. The resonating timbre of his voice speaking her name sent chills down her spine.
“Carrie...”
Her feet could have been planted in cement, and she’d lost all capability of speech. She couldn’t even look away from him.
Where did he come from? It doesn’t matter. He’s here. He’s here for me.
Where did he come from? It doesn’t matter. He’s here. He’s here for me.
Sam cleared his throat nervously. “Could I come in?”
Carrie fought the urge to throw her arms around him and forced herself to remain silent as she stepped aside to let him in. He walked past her, ignorant of the joyful smile plastered on her face. By the time he turned toward her, the smile had been replaced with a look of sober composure.
They stood there, neither speaking, but neither willing to break eye contact.
She watched, savoring the symptoms of Sam’s unease...a nervous tug of his collar, re-tucking his shirt, and fiddling with the waist of his jeans. Her mind’s processor was working at full capacity, trying to find answers to questions.
How did he find his way here?
The phone numbers—he must have called someone in her family. She shook her head as the realization hit her.
Mom
.
Of course he’d call her mother. His own had spoiled him rotten. Why wouldn’t he expect her mother to bend the rules of family loyalty to help him out? Carrie resisted the urge to laugh. She could just imagine the discussions going on at Mom’s this very moment. Even if she was ecstatic to see him here, she wasn’t ready to let Sam off the hook so easily. Besides...She
pursed
her mouth to keep her grin at bay.
He’s cute as hell when he’s all contrite and squirmy.
Sam jerked at his collar again, as if he found the room stifling. He finally seemed to pull himself together and spoke.
“I had to come, Babe. I had to make sure you were okay.”
“I’m fine.”
“You certainly are. And I can see you’re okay too,” he added.
She sent him a gaze with all the warmth of a winter day in the Arctic Circle.
Crash...and...Burn.
He took a deep breath and released it, looking as though he was fighting the urge to turn tail and run back to Kenton.
You can run but you can’t hide, Langley.
His presence here proved one thing to her...he was into her something fierce. So much so, he was willing to put up with her wrath...as long as it meant her keeping him around. And she would, but not without seeing a little fancy footwork.
Carrie fought to keep her unaffected gaze in place.
Show me what you got, Sammy.
You can run but you can’t hide, Langley.
His presence here proved one thing to her...he was into her something fierce. So much so, he was willing to put up with her wrath...as long as it meant her keeping him around. And she would, but not without seeing a little fancy footwork.
Carrie fought to keep her unaffected gaze in place.
Show me what you got, Sammy.
“Carrie, I want to apologize for what I said over the phone. I wasn’t angry at you. I was frustrated at not being able to be here with you to protect you.”
She frowned
. Why would I care if you were angry? Come on, Langley...Surely you can do better than that.
. Why would I care if you were angry? Come on, Langley...Surely you can do better than that.
“When you told me you’d confronted Dave, all I could think about was how and what he’d do to get back at you, Carrie. I was terrified for you, can you understand that?”
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