The Dating List (24 page)

Soon it was only Janice, Delia, Leah, Grey and
Carrie. They sat around drinking champagne.

"Is everything ready for the wedding?" Janice
asked.

"Only a few little details to deal with…"

"I really don't like the raspberry color for the
wedding party, Carrie," Janice said.

"Mom, it's too late…"

"No, wait!" Delia held up her hand. "I want to hear
what she has to say. She's been itching to attack me for weeks. Go
ahead, Janice."

"I don't think it's masculine…I mean the cummerbunds
are raspberry to match the dresses and I think it looks a
little…feminine. Raspberry is pink, after all."

"Raspberry is NOT pink! We have a man here, let's ask
him. Grey!"

He emerged from behind the bar and held up his hand.
"Don't get me involved in this discussion."

"Janice you have criticized every decision I've made.
I've discussed everything with Carrie. She doesn't have a problem
with my ideas…so let's get to the root of the problem here. You
don't want me to be involved at all, do you?"

Janice shifted in her seat for a moment before
answering. "No, I don't. She's my daughter. This is my moment with
her. You've butted in, insinuating yourself in a place where you
don't belong. You decided not to have children. Your choice…but
Carrie is mine…"

"No, I didn't, Janice."

"What?" Janice stopped and looked at Delia. "That's
what I always thought."

"Well, you thought wrong. Jack and I wanted children.
Very much," Delia's voice shook. "After three miscarriages, I had
to have a hysterectomy. That's why we had no children."

"Oh…I didn't know," Janice said, her voice quiet.
"I'm sorry."

"When Carrie came into our lives, we considered
ourselves blessed. She was a joy for us every single day," Delia
whispered.

Silence hung heavy in the air, like smoke. A queasy
feeling settled in Carrie's stomach.
Here it comes…the
storm.

"I've always been grateful for Carrie's closeness.
The fact that you were too wrapped up in your work to give her the
proper amount of time and attention was fine with me. I've built a
relationship with her while you were busy elsewhere, Janice."

"Why, Delia Tucker, you lying, scheming…" Janice got
up to approach Delia.

Tears stung her eyes as she chewed her
fingernail.

Grey stepped in. Gently he eased Janice back to her
seat. "Ladies!"

The women stopped talking and looked up at him.

"I've tried to be patient, kind, forgiving. But
enough is enough. I can't believe how selfish
both
of you
are. You are upsetting my soon-to-be wife. You have stepped over
the line. I've seen Carrie grappling with your prideful,
insensitive behavior for weeks. It's eating her up and I won't have
it anymore."

Carrie smiled at him, her eyes shining.

When both women tried to speak, he raised his hand
and they fell silent.

"This is her wedding…and frankly I wouldn't give a
damn if she called the whole thing off and flew to Las Vegas with
me. Hell, I'd take City Hall. I want to marry this woman like
nobody's business and I don't care if I have to wear a loincloth to
do it. I also don't care what the food is like, who's invited and
who's not or anything else. Marrying Carrie is the only thing on my
mind. So she has my complete blessing to do anything she wants with
this wedding and I will go along happily. The same is not true of
you two. One more episode of bickering and I will spirit my fiancée
off for a private wedding and leave you to kill each other."

Delia and Janice sat back abruptly as if they had
been slapped.

"I mean every word. Ask Carrie. She knows how I am.
You've pushed her and me too far. Now back off or be ready for the
biggest disappointment of your life."

In the silence that followed his outburst, Leah and
Carrie gathered up the gifts and stowed them in shopping bags.

"You should talk! You're cheating on my daughter!"
Janice stood up and hollered.

"What?" Grey turned to face her.

"All those trips to Boston. I don't believe you were
in Boston and I don't believe they were business trips, either. And
those private phone conversations with someone named Giselle. What
were those about?" She sank down on the sofa.

The doorbell rang. Leah answered it, admitting Harvey
and Colin.

"I don't have to account for my whereabouts or who I
talk to on the phone to you or anyone else but Carrie. She hasn't
questioned me one bit. You have some nerve, Janice."

"Nerve, do I? Carrie, don't do it. I know what it's
like to be married to a cheater."

Everyone gasped. Harv turned red.

"Mom…come on. You don't mean…" Carrie began.

"I certainly do. It's about time you took your father
off that stupid pedestal you keep him on. He cheated on me. Maybe
only once, but once was enough. I know what I'm talking about and I
don't want it to happen to you."

"Janice, did you have to do that?" Harvey whined, his
hand on his forehead.

"I'm tired of pretending."

"Okay…I admit it. I strayed…once. I was young and
foolish, stupid. But we've dealt with it and come through it
together."

"Maybe you have. But that's a pain that never goes
away. I don't want my daughter to go through that."

"Dad, did you really?" Carrie's eyes widened.

"I'm sorry, Bunny. I made a mistake."

"How could you?"

"I hope you can forgive me." He took a step toward
his daughter.

Carrie's eyes filled with tears. She looked first at
her mother, then her father, then Grey before running up the
stairs. Grey shot an angry look at Janice and Harv then quickly
followed his wife up the stairs.

****

"Maybe we should all go home, let them have some
alone time," Delia said.

Janice threw open the door and stalked out, not
waiting for Harvey who kissed Delia on the cheek and scurried after
his wife. Delia hugged Leah and Colin then followed Harvey out the
door.

Leah sank down onto the sofa and let out a sigh.

"Wow! Talk about TMI. Things I never ever want to
know about anyone."

"Janice wasn't wrong about my brother," Colin
muttered.

"What do you mean?"

Before he could answer her, his cell phone rang.

"Hi, Dean."

Leah sat up.

"What? No…I mean yes, sure. I can."

More silence as Colin stood, nodding his head.

"Wow, really? That's great. Terrific. Uh huh. Uh huh.
Sure."

More silence.

"When? July?"

Colin swallowed. "Right. Yes, I'll get back to
you…uh, tomorrow? Is that soon enough? Good. Thanks so much. Yes. I
won't let you down."

Colin closed his phone and stood still. Leah held her
breath.

"That was Mac Caldwell. That asswipe harassed the
lady dean and was fired. So I've got the job."

Leah broke into a big grin. "Wonderful! Colin! I'm so
proud of you!" She hugged him.

Closing her eyes she drank in his masculine scent
mixed with her favorite soap. He turned away from her, his face
frozen, his gaze avoiding hers.

"But I have to start July first."

"July first? Why? The semester doesn't start until
the end of August, right?"

"They want me to start the wrestling program this
summer. They're recruiting students for the team now."

Leah glanced down to see if someone had thrust a
knife into her gut. There was none there but the pain slicing
through her didn't stop. Tears stung the backs of her eyes as she
choked down a sob and took several deep breaths.
You have your
dream. This is his dream. Step away.

Leah tried to focus, to force her lips to smile but
they were frozen. She reached out to touch his arm. His gaze
followed her hand all the way up to her eyes.

"What should I do?"

"You should take the job! Are you even thinking of
turning it down? Why?" Even to her, her positive attitude sounded
forced. She fisted her hand, pushing it into her stomach trying to
stop the agony.

"Because if I take the job, I can't go to Paris."

"This is your dream, Colin. You must go for it. I
have my dream and now you have yours, too." She touched his
cheek.

"But my dream is about us, too, our dream together?
Paris…living together."

"We'll see each other at Christmas." She fought to
keep the tremor out of her voice.

"That's six months away. A lot can happen in six
months." He placed his hands on her upper arms.

Leah turned away from him taking another deep breath
as she walked across the room. She bit her lip for control.

"We've had a good run. Nothing lasts forever." She
bowed her head.
Liar.

He strode over to her and whirled her around, holding
her still.

"Face me and say that." His voice angry, his eyes
flashed. Her pulse pounded in her ears.

She turned her face away from him.

"Come on, say it again…speak up…I can't hear you."
His hands on her arms held her captive while he gave her a shake.
Lie to his face? I can't.
She cringed.

"I thought so. Can't, can you?" He nodded.

"You have to take that job." Her head snapped up, her
gaze connected with his.

"I will. But I don't have to be happy about it. What
about us?"

"We have two weeks left. Let's make the most of those
two weeks." Leah pushed away from him.
If I don't get out of
here, I'll be begging him to turn down the job and come to Paris. I
need to leave.
"I'm not feeling too well. All that drama on a
full stomach. I think I need to be alone."

"What?" He grabbed her, squeezing hard.

"You're hurting me."

Colin loosened his grip. "Sorry. I need you
tonight."

"Maybe tomorrow?"

"I'm going back tomorrow."

"Logistics…Nina and Clint are in town. I didn't think
it would matter because we'd soon be in our own place for the
summer, but now…"

"You could stay here with me."

She shook her head.

"Why not?"

"Stomach." She wrapped her arms around her
middle.

Colin let go of her and stepped back. "You don't seem
too upset about this."

"I'm in shock…I'm surprised. I wouldn't do anything
to stand in your way…ever." Emotion gripped her sending a tremor
through her fingers. Her mouth dried out as she swallowed another
sob.

"I know you wouldn't. One of the many things I love
about you. But you don't seem to care…"

"Of course I care, if you believe that, you don't
know me very well," She said, clasping her hands together to keep
them from shaking.

"Then show some emotion." His eyes flamed.

"I can't do this," she said, flinging open the front
door and running out.

She ran into the street as tears broke through her
defenses. A taxi stopped with a screech, almost hitting her. It was
empty so she jumped in, croaking out the address before her voice
gave out. All control gone, Leah sobbed for ten blocks in the
backseat of the cab.

"He ain't worth it, lady."

"Yes, he is," she replied.
Colin is part of my
dream now. When did that happen?

Light traffic allowed her to make it back to Nina's
apartment house quickly. She paid the driver and blew her nose.
Lance arrived to open the cab door. He smiled warmly at her. Leah
shuddered, waited a few seconds then swung her legs out of the cab.
He helped her up. Once the door closed and the cab sped away, Leah
lost her control. Tears streaked down her face as her body slumped.
Lance cocked his head.

"Missy?"

"Oh, Lance!" Leah threw herself into his arms,
sobbing.

Holding her up, he escorted her inside the building
and into the back room, where the doormen kept their uniforms. He
sat her down on a bench. Leah clung to him, crying.

"Did Colin do something to you?"

She shook her head, unable to speak.

"Then, what?"

She took a calming breath then explained what had
happened.

He closed his arms around her and held her against
his soft belly. Her small arms didn't reach all the way around him
but it didn't matter. His presence soothed her.

"What am I going to do, Lance? I love him so much. I
can't let him go but I can't stop him either."

"Maybe he'll stick, Missy."

"Six months?"

"He's a good man. Give him some credit."

Leah stepped away from him to search in her purse for
a tissue. Lance offered his man-sized handkerchief. She accepted
with a feeble smile.

"Can you make it upstairs?"

"I think so." She gulped air as she nodded.

Lance cupped her elbow and accompanied her to the
elevator. When she reached her floor, Nina was waiting for her.
Leah fell into her embrace as tears cascaded down her face.

"What happened?" Nina eased her friend through the
door.

"I've lost Colin…" Her face contorted in pain, she
laid her head on Nina's shoulder.

Saturday, June 25, Shelton, Connecticut

Brilliant sunshine burst through the window, waking
Carrie.
It's my wedding day!
Shoving the sheet down from the
bed she swung her legs over the side, stood up and stretched. A
huge grin spread across her face.
Tomorrow morning I'll wake up
Mrs. Grey Andrews.

A small doubt about Grey's fidelity nagged at her
mind.
Nope. Go away. I trust Grey.
She threw on a cotton
robe and padded downstairs. Delia's quiet house was filled
completely, people in every room but Carrie was the first one
awake. She checked the clock…six-thirty!
Time for coffee.
She filled the coffee maker and pushed the start button.

Taking a mug, she plopped down on the sofa by the
picture window facing the back. Tents were already set up and soon
people would be coming to set up for the four o'clock wedding. She
rubbed the goose bumps on her arms, her pulse kicked up. A noise
diverted her attention to the stairs where Leah was standing, tying
the sash on her robe. They exchanged greetings.