Thwarting Cupid (18 page)

She followed him to another room further down and across the hall. He opened the door. “Now this is a room.”

Carissa walked in and looked around. It was a good thing she hadn’t had any expectations because she never would have expected this. Not after seeing where he lived now.

A twin sized bed was shoved into the far corner to make room for four card tables to squeeze into the space. Each table had a different kind of project on it in various stages of completion.

One table was full of electrical components. All kinds of wires and screws and things she had no way to identify surrounded a small robot. A larger robot stood in a nearby corner. Carissa looked at Hutch astounded.

“Did you make those?”

“I dabbled. I’m not even sure they still work.”

Another table held a dusty microscope and chemistry set. The third table was piled high with an assortment of notebooks and sketch pads. Colored pencils filled a worn shoe box next to them. The pad on top was open to an unfinished landscape. She picked it up.

“This is familiar, but I can’t quite place it.”

“Probably because you’ve only seen it the one time.” He pointed to the window overlooking the rear of the property. “It’s the back yard. I was bored one day. Seriously bored. I hate landscapes.” He put his rolling case on the bed, freeing up floor space. She flipped through the book and stopped on a drawing of a girl shouting at an angelic looking young boy. The girl’s hand was planted on her hip and she was wagging a finger at him. The pink and purple bows dangling from her pigtails were the only color on the page.

“Sarah was always yelling at me about something or other.”

The over exaggerated innocence in his tone, along with the halo over his head in the drawing, told Carissa there was more to the story.

“Sure. What did you do to her?”

He glanced at the drawing and smiled. “That might’ve been the time I disassembled her Easy Bake oven.” He took off his ball cap and tossed it on the fourth table, which had stacks of worn textbooks on it. An obvious overflow from the nearby bookcase.

“In my defense, I was sure I could put it back together. I just wanted to know how it worked.”

She flipped to another page. “Okay, by definition, not knowing how something works is a pretty good indicator that you won’t be able to put it back together.”

“Details.” Hutch wrapped his good arm around her waist and looked over her shoulder at the drawing of an older couple in the kitchen they’d just walked through. “My parents.”

“This is lovely. I’m surprised your mother didn’t have it framed and hanging somewhere.” Carissa said, never taking her eyes off the drawing. His mother and father didn’t seem to be aware of anyone else in the room. They were so focused on each other. The love on their faces radiated from the page.

“If Mom knew about it, she probably would have.”

Carissa looked at him over her shoulder. “You didn’t show her this? Why not?”

“It’s not that great. Just something I dashed off. Not really worthy of hanging anywhere.”

Carissa opened her mouth to contradict him, but didn’t get the chance.

“There you two are,” Trudy said from the doorway. Hutch plucked the sketch pad from Carissa’s grasp and closed it before the woman could come any closer.

“Just giving Carissa the grand tour,” he said with a smile and turned around.

Trudy entered the room. “I can see that.” She fiddled with the strand of pearls around her neck. “We have a lot to go over before I have to start dinner for the guests. Well, ‘guest’ really. Our new prosecuting attorney has taken up residence here. I think he’s still trying to feel the place out. I get the impression that he’s from some big city and isn’t quite sure country life is for him. Otherwise, I’m sure he’d have bought a house by now.”

“What do we need to go over besides the speech? I’ve been to more of these celebrations than I care to count.” Hutch turned to face Trudy square on for the first time without his cap on and the woman frowned.

“Umm…what happened to your face?”

Self-consciously, he reached up to touch the area. Carissa stopped him. “A little too much sun,” he flat out lied.

“But your eyebrows. They’re…missing.”

Hutch shrugged. “I’m trying a new style. Which is why the sunburn got so bad.”

Trudy’s eyes flicked to Carissa like his sudden shift in style was all her fault. “Okay. So why don’t we go downstairs where it’s a little less…cluttered.” Her eyes swept over the contents of Hutch’s room with a bit of disdain. “I’ll give you the rundown of your activities for the weekend.” The three of them headed out in the hall. When Trudy saw Carissa’s intent to join them, she added. “Boring stuff. No need for you to suffer, too.”

Carissa looked to Hutch. He shrugged. “I’ll be right back. Why don’t you relax for a bit?”

Carissa paused a moment to study Trudy. She smiled and nodded at Hutch. “Sounds like a plan.”

He squeezed her hand before following Trudy back downstairs. The woman was already running off at the mouth again. Maybe Carissa was the one getting off light in this deal after all.

* * * *

Quincy made a magnificent entrance. Too bad no one could see him. He unfurled his massive wings to their full breadth and sailed through the crisp, cool air toward the huge mansion set high on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It was nice to stretch his wings every now and again. He scanned the house until he found Carissa and aimed for that spot on the roof.

He pulled in his wings when he sliced through the upper section of the wall. The room was still dark in the dawn hours, but he could see fine like always. The room was a crazy mix of pink and purple and he was so glad he didn’t have to spend any significant amount of time here.

Quincy sighed and stared at Carissa where she was curled up in the pink monstrosity of a bed fast asleep. She was alone for a change. He liked it. Ever since that James person had reappeared in her life, they’d always managed to find some excuse to share sleeping quarters. He ignored the fact that he had been responsible for one or two or those excuses and paced the room.

When he’d gotten back from yet another emergency on the other side of the globe, he had been dismayed to find her apartment empty. He’d thought for sure a last minute trip home for James would separate them. Quincy was tempted to regret calling in those favors to book the elder Hutchingtons on that sudden dream cruise. Except, he’d looked in on them before coming up here and they were having the time of their lives.

That settled, he regarded Carissa. He was a little relieved she was rid of James for the time being. It could be a whole different story in a few hours. Which is why he settled in at the desk to wait for the household to stir.

A knock on the door startled him. That wasn’t very long. Quincy looked at Carissa. She never even budged. There was another knock and a pause. The door opened a crack.

“Carissa?” After a beat, James peeked into the room. Quincy glared at him, but decided to watch and see what the man wanted. To his surprise, a tender smile lit the man’s face when he saw that Carissa was fast asleep.

James crossed the room on tiptoes and sat down on the bed next to her. Quincy tensed, ready to spring into action if he did anything untoward. He needn’t have worried. The man tucked an errant strand of hair under the ridiculous looking head scarf she always slept in, then stroked her cheek.

“Jimmy?” a woman called in a shrill voice from somewhere outside the room. The man tensed and rolled his eyes.

“We’ve gotta go. It’s a long drive.”

Quincy watched the man’s chest rise and fall with the deep breath he took. James looked like he was preparing himself for some very unpleasant experience. He looked back at Carissa, then stood. He bent to kiss her cheek. “I’ll see you later.”

He crept back to the door where he paused to take one more look at her. He closed the door with a quiet click. She’d never even know he’d been there. But Quincy did. Had he been wrong about James? Perhaps he would be good for Carissa after all.

Quincy looked back to where she slept in the bed. And in a few years, James could have her. But for now, she was Quincy’s.

Chapter 17

Carissa was bored out of her mind. She never should’ve agreed to come here with Hutch. It turned out there was a whole lot less “with Hutch” than she’d imagined. It was almost two in the afternoon and she had yet to see him or figure out what she was supposed to be doing while he was handling celebration business. Or at least that’s what she assumed he was doing. She had no way of knowing because she hadn’t seen him or Trudy since dinner the night before.

Now that she’d gotten in a little practice, it was getting easier for her to follow Trudy’s diatribes. The woman hadn’t been exaggerating when she’d said the event list for Founder’s Day had been expanded. Carissa knew Hutch was expected to give the State of the Town Address that morning followed by a Business Leader luncheon. The Graveside Service and a Flag Service for fallen vets followed. The day would end with the Visiting Dignitary Dinner.

When Trudy had laid out the day’s plan the night before, Carissa assumed she’d be attending everything with Hutch. However, when she’d woken up that morning, she’d found the huge house completely empty. Even Del, the prosecuting attorney who was living at the B&B, was already gone about his business for the day.

Why hadn’t Hutch woken her up in time to go with them? Carissa tried to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he thought she’d be bored at all the events. Still, he could’ve talked to her about it first. She’d much rather be out and about instead of cooped up in an unfamiliar home.

She heard a car door close out front. Hopefully that was Hutch returning to get her. Carissa hurried through the maze of halls she’d managed to master in her boredom to the front reception area. Her excitement took a nose dive when Del came through the door instead of Hutch.

She gave him a lackluster greeting. “Oh, hi.”

He gave her a half smile and pushed the door up with his hip since his arms were laden with files. “Hi.”

“I thought you were Hutch.”

“Sorry to disappoint.”

“That didn’t come out right. Sorry.” She scrunched up her nose. What was the matter with her?

“No need for apologies.” He frowned. “Have you been here by yourself all day?”

“In general, I’m good alone.” She gestured toward the huge house. “But this is a little too much alone for my taste.”

“Why not go to the celebrations, then? They’re pretty boring, but full of people if that’s all you want.”

“I might have if I’d known where they were.” She shrugged. “Or even where the town is.”

Del’s face grew quite thoughtful. “You must’ve come in from the west. You wouldn’t have come through town entering from the west.” He dropped the stack of files on the reception counter and gestured away from where they’d come in. “The town is just a bit further up the road. Trust me, if you blink you’ll miss it.” He shrugged. “That’s why I’m not quite understanding all this hoopla over the founders. No offense.”

“None taken.” She eyed him with a curious gaze. “That why you’re not still in the thick of things?”

He chuckled. “I’m an outsider. I’ve never been in the thick of things.” Del nodded toward the files. “But the judge is, so I decided to come home to get a bit of work done since the courts are closed until Monday.”

Carissa eyed the files. “Whoa. This town must have a lot of crime.”

He gave a non-committal shrug. “It has its fair amount.”

She blew out a frustrated breath. “How is it that everyone has something to do except me? I’m never not busy. I’m not sure I like this turn of events.”

“Tomorrow will be better. With the parade, picnic and ball all going on, you might end up wishing you had nothing else to do.”

She frowned. “Wait. Did you say ball? As in fancy dresses and tuxedoes and such?”

He nodded. “It’s already being billed as ‘the’ social event of the year. If a town this small could actually have such a thing. It’s amusing to watch. Until the arrest reports start piling up on my desk Monday morning, anyway.”

“Great. I can do the parade and picnic. I was expecting those. But a ball? I don’t have any formal wear with me. Neither does Hutch.”

“Well, there you go. An activity for this afternoon. Shopping.”

Carissa groaned. “You can’t be serious. I’d much rather stay here and gouge my eyes out with a dull, rusty spoon.”

“What? A woman who hates to shop? I can’t believe that.”

“Seriously. Other than book stores, I avoid shopping whenever possible.”

“This I gotta see. Meet me out front in twenty minutes.” He picked up the files and took them upstairs. Carissa stared after him for a moment. Shopping? Browsing the promenade with Hutch was one thing. Shopping for something she needed the next day was quite different. However, if Carissa wanted to go to the ball, she needed appropriate attire. Resigned to her fate, she headed back to Sarah’s room to grab her wallet.

Three hours later, Del opened the trunk of his SUV for Carissa to place her purchases inside. He helped her smooth the garment bag across the floor since it was too long to just hang straight and placed the bag containing her shoes and other accessories under the seat. He closed the rear hatch and looked at her shaking his head.