Carter (Bourbon & Blood Book 3) (12 page)

“Get your things and go home,” Doris snapped. “I can’t fire you, but I can suspend you. And if the commissioner doesn’t like it, now I have witnesses to your unprofessional behavior. And don’t think you fooled anyone here. We all know you’ve been carrying on with Carter Hayes!”

“You’re right,” Josie said. “I have been carrying on with him. In my house. His house. In his truck. Wherever and whenever we can! But I haven’t done it here at the library, Doris, so you can’t use that against me… What I do on my own time, in my personal life, has no bearing on my ability to do my job here. The only thing that keeps me from being an asset to this library is the fact that you’re such a nepotistic jackass you won’t let me be! And you go ahead and suspend me. With pay. I’ll be filing a formal complaint with the County Commissioner about the hostile work environment you’ve created here… and I’ll be formally requesting an audit of just how library funds have been spent.”

Josie marched past Doris, as an afterthought she turned around and thrust the steamy romance novel at her. “You should read that. It might improve your disposition.”

Gathering her purse and her coat from behind the desk, she ignored the curious stares and all the whispers from all the people who had somehow gathered in the library’s central hall while she’d been all but shouting at her boss. One day, she thought, I will learn to control my temper and my mouth. But she was glad she hadn’t done it yet. Doris needed to be told off, among other things.

As she walked out, Josie realized exactly what she’d done and all that she’d said. It would be all over town. She had to warn Carter, but first, she had to get to the County Commissioner’s office before Doris twisted everything around on her. Before she did anything though, she was going home to change into something that didn't induce depression. If she never put on another pair of those godawful khaki pants as long as she lived, she’d be a happy woman.

One of these days, she thought, I will learn to just keep my mouth shut.

C
arter was moving
another cabinet for Savannah. She’d decided that the antique quilts didn’t need to be displayed on a rack but should be folded up in an armoire the way they might be displayed in someone’s home. She’d also changed her mind about fifteen times on which piece of furniture she wanted to use for the display and where in the store she wanted it.

The bell above the door chimed again and Carter looked up, noting the remarkable number of people milling about. All of them seemed to be giving him the side eye and whispering. What the fuck was going on?

“What have you done?” Savannah asked.

Carter snapped his head back around and glared at her, ignoring the stabbing pain behind his eyes. “Why do you just assume I did something?’

Savannah leaned in and grabbed him by the ear the same way their grandmother used to. “The last time we had this much foot traffic on a non-holiday, it was right after Bennett dove into the creek after Mia. People aren’t here to buy furniture, Carter. They’re here for gossip… so what have you done? Oh, this better not be bad!”

He didn’t know. Truly. But he had a sneaking suspicion that the truth about him and Josie had hit the fan. He swatted at Savannah’s hands. “Let go of my damn ear! Jesus! You’re vicious!”

“Tell me, Carter,” Savannah demanded. “I am not playing with you!”

“I really don’t know,” he said quietly, “But I suspect that maybe they might have heard I’m dating Josie Marcum.”

Savannah glowered at him. “Everyone else’s definition of dating, Carter, or yours?”

“What the hell does that mean?” he demanded.

“Most people call dating going out to dinner, being quasi-committed and monogamous… you call it dating if you’re willing to go back for the underwear you left behind rather than writing it off as a loss!”

“I’m dating Josie,” he said. “We’ve been seeing each other discreetly for a while… but I’m taking her on a real date tonight. And I’m going to church with her in the morning.”

He watched as Savannah opened and then closed her mouth several times, not quite able to speak. Finally she blinked at him and asked. “Church, really? With her dad staring down at you from the pulpit?”

Yeah, the thought of
that
made him sweat. “I know. But this is serious, Van. She’s it for me.”

“How long has this been going on?” she asked in a whisper.

“About a month and a half.”

Considering that he’d barely ever gone out with the same woman more than twice, and he had never referred to any woman as being
it
for him, they both knew what he was saying.

“Holy shit.”

“I need to take off… I’ve got to get some things ready before tonight, and I don’t think me being in here is such a good idea.”

She looked at all the people just milling around, not buying anything. One of them was so busy watching Carter that she backed into a glass fronted cabinet, sending everything in it wobbling. “Go. Get the hell out before they wreck everything.”

Carter went out the back, using the workroom exit to get to the alley and his truck. He stopped short at the sight of Josie standing there. It was just after lunch which meant she was late going back, an unlikely occurrence, or she wasn’t going back.

“You playing hooky from work, cupcake?” She was wearing her coat, open over the sweater dress that clung to every curve and a pair of black high heeled boots that made him think very dirty things. Leaning against the hood of his truck, she looked like a pinup girl from days gone by. His eyes raked over her from head to toe and it dawned on him that he didn’t want to date Josie. He wanted to marry her.

“I kind of think I might not be employed anymore,” she admitted. “I, in perfectly professional terminology, kind of told Doris to kiss my ass.”

“You’re feeling a little impulsive today, aren’t you?” he asked. There was an idea flitting around in his mind. It was crazy. It was completely crazy. But then so were they. Everything about them defied convention.

“Just a little bit… I may also have managed to get her fired. At the very least I’m getting her ass audited.”

That raised his eyebrows. “Remind me not to piss you off… On the off chance, did you telling her to kiss your ass also involve you telling her about me? Because half of Fontaine is traipsing through the store right now trying to get the scoop.”

Josie closed her eyes, leaned her head back against the truck and let out a frustrated groan. “What is wrong with people, Carter? Why is everyone so tangled up in everybody else’s business?”

“Come upstairs with me,” he said.

“You’re not getting out of taking me on an actual date. Even if you do con me into your bed, we’re still going somewhere for dinner,” she insisted.

“I’d never dream of starving you, baby… but hanging out in an alley is hardly going to improve either one of our reputations.”

She shrugged to concede the point and then preceded him up the stairs. Inside, he took her coat and draped it over the rack behind the door. “Sit your butt on that couch and just close your eyes for a minute… I have something for you.”

“Are you trying to trick me into giving you a blow job?” she asked.

He laughed. “That hadn’t been my plan, but now that you bring it up, it sounds like a great idea.”

When Josie was on the couch, eyes closed, Carter retreated to the bedroom and dug through the dresser drawers until he found what he wanted. The engagement ring had belonged to his father’s mother. It was the only thing he had from his father, but more to the point, it was the only engagement ring he could lay hands on at the moment.

Walking back into the living room, she was still sitting there, eyes closed, and a vaguely amused smile on her face. “What’s so funny?”

“I was just thinking that I don’t know whether you’re a bad good influence or good bad influence on me… but whatever you are, I like it.”

Carter dropped down onto one knee in front of her. “I’m kind of glad you said that, all things considered… Open your eyes, Josie.”

She did. He saw confusion first as she looked at him kneeling in front of her, and then the tiniest spark of hope flared in her eyes. “Carter, what are you doing?”

“When I saw you down there, waiting for me as I left work, I thought I don’t want to date this girl… I want to marry her. So, I’m asking, Josephine Marcum, if instead of going out to dinner with me tonight, if you’ll get in my truck with me and drive to Tennessee … and come back as my wife.”

She stared at him for a minute before speaking. “On one condition.”

“What’s that?” he asked, fearing the worst.

“We can’t take your truck all the way to Tennessee, Carter. We’ll never make it there.”

Carter didn’t argue the point. He would lose. Instead, he took the ring from the small box as Josie held out her left hand. He slipped it on her finger and it fit perfectly, like it had been meant for her. “It’s not much—.”

“It’s everything,” she corrected. “Let’s just go. Right now. I don’t want to wait another minute. I love you… and I know it’s quick, and I know people will say we’re crazy, but I don’t care. I just want to be with you.”

He kissed her, claiming her lips, hungry for the taste of her. But she pulled back. “Don’t sidetrack me, Carter Hayes. We’re not doing any more of that until this ring is legal and binding.”

Carter rose to his feet and pulled her up with him. “Did I mention that I’m really looking forward to being bossed around by you for the next fifty years or so?”

“Nope. But I’ll remind you of that whenever it’s necessary,” she retorted.

They left his apartment, took the steps down to the alley and climbed into her car. She let him drive since she couldn’t pull her eyes away from the ring that winked on her left hand.

“Are we really gonna do this?” she asked.

“I can’t think of anything I want to do more,” he answered honestly.

“Then drive… get me the hell out of this town and make an honest woman of me.”

She didn’t have to ask him twice.

I
t had taken
them close to two hours to get to Tennessee. They’d crossed the border into a tiny little town that wasn’t even half the size of Fontaine. But when they’d stopped at the rest area and talked to the security guard, he’d told them where to go.

They’d gotten to the County Clerk’s office with five minutes to spare and gotten the license. Now, standing in the middle of a grocery store, between a sale display of snack cakes and left over fireworks, the grocery store manager who was also an ordained minister was looking at them like they were crazy.

“We can go to the church. It’s just down the street.”

Carter looked at Josie and she shook her head. “She wants to do this here… and I try to give her what she wants. It goes better for me that way.”

The manager/minister scratched his head for a second as if he was completely confounded by them. “All right. I’ll do my best to remember all the words.”

Carter took Josie’s hand in his. He had the matching band to her engagement ring in his pocket. She didn’t have one for him, but they’d remedy that later.

“Dearly beloved—.” He stopped because there was no one gathered. Over the electronic hum of all the coolers and the beeping of cash registers in the distance, they could hear the wonky wheel of a grocery cart rolling past in another aisle. “Just join hands.”

Josie looked pointedly at their hands that were already linked. The minister blushed and Carter did his best not to grin like an idiot.

The minister looked at the license, “Do you, Carter, take this woman, Josephine Odette Marcum, to be your lawfully wedded wife, forsaking all others, to have and to hold, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, so long as you both shall live?”

“I do,” Carter said with complete certainty.

The minister nodded, clearly satisfied with that answer. “Do you, Josephine, take this man, Carter Jefferson Hayes, to be your lawfully wedded husband, forsaking all others, to have and to hold, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, so long as you both shall live?”

“I do,” Josie said.

“Do you have a ring, son? Cause we don’t sell those here,” the man offered, more than a little concerned. He clearly thought they were insane and he wasn’t entirely wrong.

Carter couldn’t keep from laughing at that. “I’ve got that covered,” he said and pulled the matching band from his pocket.

The minister nodded, clearly relieved that at least some part of the whole thing seemed to be going according to plan. “Place the ring—.”

A tinny voice came over the loud speaker. “Clean up on aisle five, please. Clean up on aisle five.”

The intercom shut off and the minister just shook his head. “Why you’d want to do this here I’ll never know.”

“It makes about as much sense as we do,” Josie answered. “Trust me, this is it.”

“Place the ring on the third finger of her left hand.” Carter did so. “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

Carter didn’t hesitate, he swung Josie up into his arms and kissed her like his life depended on it. “I love you, Josie Marcum.”

“Hayes,” she corrected. “Josie Marcum-Hayes.”

He grinned. “You’re parents are going to kill us.”

She nodded. “Probably… so make my wedding night count.”

Carter reached behind her and grabbed a package of cupcakes from the display rack. “It’s not exactly a wedding cake, but it’ll do for now.”

She laughed. “It’ll do. It’ll definitely do. Where do we go now? Home?”

“Whose home?” he asked with a frown. “Where are we gonna live?”

She smiled. “I really like your apartment… but I need closets.”

“I’ll build you one,” he offered.

“Then take me home.”

Eating cupcakes in the car, the drive back to Fontaine seemed infinitely longer. Maybe it was because Carter knew exactly what was waiting for him on their return. Josie sang along with the radio, her voice sweet and soulful. He hadn’t know she could sing. There were many things he didn’t know about her but that didn’t cause alarm or make him question what they’d just done. Instead, he was looking forward to discovering new things about her every day.

Josie started to laugh. She kept laughing until tears were streaming down her face.

“What the hell is so funny?”

She was gasping for breath, trying to form words. “Clean up… clean up on aisle five.”