Just a Memory (27 page)

But there was no big rush.

"I just got in. I want to see you, Caro, but Hines and I have some work that must be done tonight."

Not knowing exactly when Mac would return, Carolyn was surprised to hear his voice when he called from Hines's apartment Friday night. "I thought you weren't coming back until Sunday."

"Things changed and I finished up."

"I missed you," she said and held her breath.

"Me too," Mac replied, and Carolyn let out her breath. "Caro, I was thinking," Mac added hesitantly. "I've got a lot to tell you. Could you get someone to run the store for you tomorrow? I need you to go shopping with me and we can talk while we shop."

"I suppose so, though it's awfully short notice to find someone. What do I have to help you shop for that won't wait?"

"Well, I didn't intend to tell you on the phone, but I'm moving into that house on the little point on the lake. I'm going to buy it, in fact. I'd love it if you would help me buy some furniture for it."

"Oh, Mac! How wonderful for you!" He'd shown her around the house on one of their Sunday afternoon drives. With no key, they couldn't go in, but Carolyn loved what she'd seen from the outside.

Mac had said he wanted to buy the house so he would always have a tie to a place near Lakehaven. Carolyn's hand flew to cover her rapidly beating heart. So near and yet so far…

"Carolyn?"

She started. "Sorry, Mac," she said as casually as she could manage. "I got sidetracked. Sure. Shopping for your furniture would be fun."

"Then of course there's the matter of Christmas presents for the officers at the station," he added hesitantly. "I really
hate
shopping. Will you help me, please, please?"

Carolyn laughed at his dramatic pleading. "Okay, okay. I can't stand to hear a grown man beg. I'll see if I can get a sitter on such short notice. If I don't call you right back, I'll be ready to go in the morning."

"Wonderful." There was a pause. "Caro? Could the sitter stay the night? When we get back from shopping, I want to take you to the house. Hines and I are moving my stuff over there tonight. The view of the lake by moonlight should be spectacular. I'll make sure the first night there will be one you'll remember the rest of your life. I promise."

Carolyn felt goose bumps rise when she thought about the house on the lake, the moonlight, and Mac. They set the time for their excursion to begin and ended the call.

She called the temporary personnel service she sometimes used and arranged to hire a clerk who had worked for her before. All she had to do was deliver the shop key and change for the cash register to their office. The service would handle it from there.

This was one time her meticulous efficiency at work paid off royally for Carolyn. She always left the shop ready for the next day's business before she went home at night. Knowing the temporary clerk would have no problems, she also knew from working with her before that she knew what to do. She wouldn't get the dozens of things done that Carolyn did in between customers, but the shoppers would be waited on with pleasant efficiency. And with Thanksgiving now over, costumes would be coming back in, not going out. The temporary clerk should have an easy time of it.

Next, Carolyn called Judy. "Oh, this is
great,
" Judy told her excitedly after hearing what Carolyn wanted to do.

"You think it's great that Terri will be there for another sleep-over?" Carolyn asked.

"If it means you're going out with that hunk of a man again after all these years of being alone,
yes,
I want Terri over here again."

"You don't think I'm making a mistake?"

Judy was quiet for a few moments. "Only you can decide that, but if the wonderful times you have together are as great as I think they are, they are worth taking a gamble on what the future might bring."

"I hope it turns out that way because I can't say no. I want to be with him more than anything. When he leaves Lakehaven, I don't know what I'll do."

"All any of us can do is take one day at a time," Judy offered.

"Thanks, Judy." Carolyn sighed. "I really appreciate you taking Terri again," Carolyn told her, a relieved smile filling her face.

"What are friends for?" Judy replied.

Carolyn and Mac left early for the long drive to the biggest regional shopping area–Syracuse. They breakfasted at a little diner she suggested on the way. The walls of the diner were decorated for the holidays with handmade ornaments with embroidered detailing. On the counter by the cash register, a tall Dickensian caroler doll stood dressed in a red velvet gown with fur trim and a little fur muff on one hand. Behind her was the male counterpart in his three-piece suit with a long-tailed coat. A plaid cape and tall top hat completed the costume. Their mouths were painted open in ovals as if singing 'Deck the Halls.'

The breakfast was delicious and the service friendly and quick. Even though Carolyn had suggested the restaurant, Mac seemed surprised when the waitress and the owner called her by name. Carolyn thought Mac stared at the owner oddly. He'd given Carolyn a hug to greet her, and when he came to the table he put his hand on her shoulder. Mac had shifted in the bench seat. As soon as the owner went back into the kitchen, he asked, "Do you eat here so often they know you well?"

Surprised, she responded, "No, they're one of my best customers. I've known Hal and his wife for years."

Mac's body relaxed against the tall back of the booth as he listened.

"When the costume-making business is slack, which is most months but October, I make costumes for standing dolls like those and sell them to stores and restaurants who want something special for display." Her words trailed off as she realized she was complimenting herself.

She continued when Mac said nothing but nodded in agreement. "I really love creating them. I design the costume and make it from scratch. I made a dancer for a new Thai restaurant and used real gold leaf for the ornate headpiece. I can do whatever the customer wants. Most of the time it takes longer to make the doll's dress than it would to make the same thing to fit a person. It sure is a lot more handiwork."

Mac reached for her left hand over the cleared table and ran his thumbs across the backs of her knuckles. "You have very talented hands."

Carolyn felt her cheeks warm when she thought of what she'd done with her hands when they made love. She stared at him and felt a new warmth spreading lower. Studying his face, she thought he might be thinking of that too. "Thanks."

He paused his stroking and looked at her hand. "You're not wearing your wedding ring," he said softly.

She shook her head and looked down at her bare ring finger. "No. I put it away for Terri to have some day when she's older." She looked up and her gaze locked on his. "I've discovered the ring was like a security blanket for me, and it tied me to the past."

"I'm very glad you aren't tied to the past anymore," he said softly.

The waitress broke the mood by dropping the bill on the table and pertly wishing them happy holidays. Mac paid at the counter and they got back on the road.

In
Syracuse
, they headed right for the furniture stores where Mac first picked out a comfortable king-size mattress set. Carolyn felt embarrassed at his insistence that they both lie down on it to test its firmness. The sales associate assured her that she and her husband would love it. That embarrassed her even more.

Mac seemed oblivious to anything being wrong and made no effort to correct the sales person. "I like the bedroom suite too, don't you? It'll look great in the master bedroom. I can put my old bedroom set in the guest room," he told Carolyn. He turned to the clerk waiting on them. "We'll take this bed, and the dresser, and that bookcase for the master bedroom. Oh, and the bedside tables too." The clerk went to get his order pad. "I like to read in bed and I like the lamp right beside me. But when I look at you, reading is the last thing I want to do in bed. Maybe I should cancel the order on the tables."

Carolyn grinned and hugged his arm.

In other departments they found a kitchen table and chairs they liked and an enormous sofa and matching oversized recliner for in front of the massive fireplace in the living room. Mac wanted to sit on it in the store with Carolyn on his lap and see if it was comfortable to neck in, but she skittered away from him, laughing.

After the clerk added all the items to the sales slip, Mac learned he would have to wait over a week for delivery. "The truck only goes down there once every two weeks," the clerk explained.

Mac signed the credit card slip and left his work number to call when they came so he could drive out from work and open the house.

At a large mall they got linens and a quilt for Mac's new bed.

"We'll have to wait until you can measure the windows to get drapes," Carolyn explained.

"Nobody out there to see me," he responded with a shrug. He paid for the linens and as they exited the store, he pulled out a list. Carolyn peered over and read "Christmas list." She looked up at Mac. "Now comes the hard part," he told her. As their shopping excursion continued, they laughed often over outlandish gift ideas.

Carolyn always felt amazed that they laughed together so easily. Laughing was something both Carolyn and Mac admitted they seldom did in their lives before meeting each other. She knew their laughter was a more precious gift than any they could shop for. More precious and more fragile.

"I wish I'd met you years ago," Mac said suddenly as they completed their final purchase.

Carolyn shook her head. "No, Mac," she said, her arm on his. "We wouldn't have been the same people then."

"I suppose you're right," he allowed, not sounding convinced.

Carolyn knew she was right. There was a lot to be said in favor of meeting at their ages. While they had eagerly shared the ultimate fulfillment of their caring relationship the night of the snow storm, they were mature enough to know they shared so much more of each other as well. If only it all didn't feel too wonderful to be real. Too wonderful to last.

It was already dark when they walked out of the last mall toward Mac's car. They each held some of the packages so they could hold hands as they walked.

Mac was the first to see the red lights flashing. He held Carolyn's hand tighter and quickened the pace of their steps toward a patrol car parked in the drive behind Mac's car. Carolyn could see the uniformed officer in the front seat. He got out when they approached the car. Mac spoke first. "Is something wrong, Officer?"

"That your car?"

"Yes, it's mine."

"Could I see some identification, sir?"

"Sure." He handed the bags he'd carried to Carolyn and turned back to the officer. "It's in my inside blazer pocket," Mac said, his hands relaxed at his sides. "I'm armed. A shoulder holster on my left side, the same side as my ID."

Mac waited for the nod of approval from the uniformed man. Then with one hand lifting his jacket and blazer open wide enough to expose the gun in its holster, Mac reached slowly with two straight extended fingers and pulled out the wallet. He flipped it open exposing the badge on one side and his photo ID card on the other. He held it out for the trooper who shone his flashlight in Mac's face to compare the photo with his face.

Carolyn watched his deliberate movements with wide eyes. She'd only seen this kind of thing happen on television shows, but this was real. They were just out shopping and Mac had been carrying his gun. When they were horsing around in the store and her arms had been around him, she never felt the gun under his arm through his coat. She hadn't even thought–

"Thank you, sir. I had to be sure. I'm here to deliver a message for you. You're to call the Lakehaven station at once and speak to Officer Hines."