The Marriage Contract (12 page)

“Yeah, but it’s
a few hours old.  Let me make a new pot.”

A twisting pain
she refused to call jealousy gripped her gut.  She glanced at the bathroom
door.  Open and empty.

“Up all
night?” 

“I slept an
hour or two, but mostly tossed in bed.”

I’ll just
bet.

“I’ll take the
dregs of the pot first.”

He grimaced and
jammed his fingers through his hair.  “That’s suicidal.”

So is dating
Penny Brunelle, but Devin would find that out soon enough.  Instead she said, “Running
at five thirty a.m. can be a bit life threatening, but you have no problem with
it.”

After pulling a
mug from the rack on the wall, Cara emptied the pot, and topped the coffee off
with a dab of milk and spoonful of sugar.  If the color of the liquid and the
bitter taste were any indication, Devin was right about the coffee sitting for
hours.

She dumped the
disgusting liquid down the drain and quickly helped Devin make a fresh pot. 
When it was finished brewing she poured them both a cup while Devin cleared the
cluttered kitchen table.

 He moved a
large stack of books, a laptop computer that was still plugged into the phone
jack and countless pencils and highlighters that were scattered about.

“I'll just be
another second with this,” Devin said.

As she pushed
aside one of the books that was about six inches thick, so she could put down
her coffee mug, she read the binding.  It was marked The People vs. Wendall
Palmer.  “A little light reading while you vacation, huh?” she teased.

“Just some
research for a court case.”

His lips lifted
on one side and her breath hitched in her throat.  She turned her attention to
the book again to rid herself of the longing she felt while Devin closed up the
computer and pulled the cords from the wall.  He cleared the area in front of
her and began stacking all the paraphernalia in a pile on the opposite side of
the table.

She gave an
exaggerated sigh.  “What was it you said to me yesterday about working
vacations?”

He gave her a
questioning glance, stopping short in his motion for a moment before returning
to his task.  “This was part of the reason I took time off.”

She placed her
hand over her chest, feigning dejection.  “And all this time I thought you came
for my birthday party.”

His tired
expression lit up.  “Speaking of which, what do you want for your birthday?”

“You mean a
present?  You don’t have to get me anything.  I’m just happy to see you.” 

The truth was,
she was too happy to see him.  Being this close to Devin, even seeing him
tousled and sleep deprived was messing up her thought process.  This wasn’t the
same as when they were kids.  This was different, deeper.

Cara cleared
her throat.  “But I’m not letting you out of going to the festival with me
tonight.”

He reached for
the last book and brushed passed her, his warm skin grazing her arm.  For a
split second, he paused in motion and stared at her.  His dark eyes grew
impossibly wide and soulful, suddenly full of life.  It was as if he’d finally
woken up with that single point of contact.  His arm lingered there where there
skin touched, teasing her with its electric current, bringing with it a fire
that started deep inside her, growing with every passing second and spreading
heat outward.  His lips were slightly parted as if in waiting.  His gaze
dropped to her lips, causing her pulse to pound.  Was he going to kiss her?

But he didn’t. 
As if startled himself by his own reaction, he pulled back and sat down
opposite her at the kitchen table, pushing his chair and balancing it on the
back legs until the back hit the wall. 

“Ah, the
festival, yes.  I still think you cheated yesterday,” he said, eyeing her over
the rim of his coffee mug. Despite the mug hiding his mouth, she could see the
slow smile creeping into his expression.  He was teasing her.  Or attempting to
at any rate.  But the heat she’d seen in his eyes a moment ago remained. 

He was going to
kiss her.  She drew in a slow breath of air, somehow vaguely disappointed he’d
chosen against it.

She
straightened in her chair and took a sip of coffee, waiting until the hot
liquid burned its way passed the lump in her throat.  “It’s the lawyer in you. 
You don’t have any plans for tonight, do you?” 

She was
treading in murky waters.  She waited with bated breath as he paused a minute
as if he needed to consult his mental calendar.  Had last night been so
wonderful with Penny that they’d made plans again?

Damn, men are
all alike.  They get all hot and bothered about some things and then sucked in
by a tight mini-dress and gyrating hips.

“Will it be
just you and me, or is Roger going, too?”

She’d mentioned
it to Roger and while he wasn’t thrilled with the idea of going on “kiddie”
rides, as he put it, he did give her his word that he would go.  She knew the
real reason was to please her after working so much these past few days.

“Actually, he
decided to come with us.  Is that okay?”  He frowned and her heart sank a notch
or two.  What was he getting at?  Was he afraid of being paired up or was it
that he’d hoped to invite Penny?  Before he could think to ask otherwise, she
blurted out, “I was hoping you’d ride the double Ferris wheel, just like old
times.”

His smile
widened and her heart leaped to her throat.  Devin Michaels had a way of making
her forget who she was.  Or remember who she used to be.  She wasn’t quite sure
which.  But when he looked at her like this, all she could think about was the
way his smoky eyes devoured her with his gaze.

He dropped his
coffee mug on the table and leaned closer.  His voice was rich and husky,
making her heart sing.  “I’m all yours.”

* * *

Now this was a
bright idea.  As they walked through the wall-to-wall crowd of people all
gather along the wharf in New Bedford where the yearly Portuguese Festival was
held, Devin seriously considered leaving.  Maybe it was him, but it seemed
every person who passed by had the arm of someone else.  And what was he
doing?  He was alone, chasing Cara and Roger's shadow, wishing he was the one
taking Cara's hand in his.

He laughed at
the irony.  Even the thought of having her next to him, just holding her small
hand in his, was enough to make his body respond.  All he could think about was
how he wanted to make this incredible woman, his best friend, become his lover.

He wasn't
exactly sure when it had happened, but somewhere over the last twenty-four
hours his feelings for Cara had changed. 

He should have
asked Penny Brunelle if she wanted to come with them.  Not that he’d actually
wanted to date her again.  No, he’d seen women of Penny’s caliber more times
than he cared to remember.  But at least if she were here, this sudden sexual
urge for Cara that had come out of nowhere wouldn't be taking control of him.

He sighed as
they walked through a crowd of people waiting in line to have their faces
painted by a make-up artist.  Cara turned back, as if to make sure he was still
there and she gave him a crooked grin.  That smile alone almost made the
uncomfortable feeling nagging at him bearable.

“Want to get
painted?” Devin mouthed, waggling his eyebrows. 

Cara darted a
glance to the people in line and giggled.  But then her eyes caught sight of
something past the crowd and her whole expression changed to wonder.

“Oh, look,” she
said, sprinting to a display table.  Curiosity had him following her, or maybe
it was just the bright look in her eyes that reminded him of a child's on
Christmas morning. 

He was happy
enough she wasn't glued to Roger's side at the moment.  The thought of Cara
with another man, one that she'd been intimately involved with for almost two
years nagged at him.  He'd been naked with plenty of women.  Beautiful women,
he vehemently reminded himself.  But the twisting knot that clutched him hard
when he was with Cara and Roger wouldn't ease up.  It was high time he stopped
denying it was jealousy.   

“These
carousels are beautiful,” Cara said to the woman behind the booth.

The woman
returned a warm smile, obviously pleased with Cara’s appraisal.  “They're hand
made by a local craftsman.” 

Cara placed her
finger on one of the painted wooden horses lined up on the outside of the
wooden stand.  With a gentle motion, she pushed it around and around.  The
ribbons adorning the center pole and strung out to each of the twelve horses
wound around the center pole.  She let go and the carousel spun as each horse moved
up and down with the motion, like a real carousel.

Devin stared at
Cara’s childlike expression.  He couldn’t help it.  God, she was just too
damned beautiful.  She wore her long wavy hair down tonight, and the cool ocean
breeze lifted her natural curls.  He’d always like it when she wore her hair
down, giving her an air that was almost untamed.  He had the most incredible
longing to tangle his fingers in her wild curls.

“Do you
remember-” she started to say, but stopped short, glancing sheepishly at him and
then the saleswoman as if she’d forgotten anyone else was there with them.  

 Devin knew
exactly what memory had made its way back to her mind.  He’d been thinking of
the same night. 

“Fourth of July
at Revere Beach.”

Her face lit up
like a blazing star.  Of course, all the flashing white and red lights from the
carnival displays might have had something to do with that, too.  But no, he
knew she was deep in the memory of their first and only real kiss.  And so was
he.  It was amazing how vividly he remembered the feel of her soft lips pressed
against his.  And how much he wanted to relive that memory, see if her lips
still were as soft as they looked right now.

They gazed at
each other, both transfixed with the memory for a lingering moment.

That is, until
Roger broke in.

“I went to Revere
Beach once because my girlfriend at the time wanted to see a soap opera star
who was going to be there.”  He reached up to his neck, which was covered with
pink calamine lotion and began to scratch.  “I think it rained.”  

“How much is
it?” Cara asked, pulling her gaze away.

Without looking
at the tag, the woman advised, “Three hundred and fifty dollars.”

“Let's go,”
Roger sputtered, tugging on Cara's arm.

Cara's
expression faltered slightly.  “Thank you,” she said to the woman.  She dug her
hands in the pockets of her cutoff shorts and started walking away from the
table with Roger at her side, the light in her eyes fading. 

Devin couldn't
help but notice the sneer on Roger's face.

Or how much
Cara truly loved that carousel.

Devin fell into
step with her.  “Aren’t you going to get it?  I know you'd love to have it.”

Cara’s face was
almost regretful.  “I didn’t bother to bring my checkbook tonight,” she said
quietly.

He laced his
fingers with her, not caring anymore that Roger was there, and tugged her back
a step.  “Come on.  Maybe she’ll hold it for you.  We can come back later or--”

Roger waved his
hand.  Although they were out of earshot from the table, he kept his voice
low.  “The wooden ones aren’t worth as much as the porcelain ones.  What
they’re asking for here is highway robbery.  It’s not worth it.”

Worth it to
who? Devin wondered.  Where did this guy get off bursting Cara’s excitement
over a price tag?  It wasn’t as if any of them were in a position to have to
cut coupons and eat nothing but macaroni and cheese.

Glancing at
Cara, he saw a trace of embarrassment etched in her expression and decided not
to press the issue.  He got the distinct impression this wasn’t something new
to her, just annoying.

“If you really
want a carousel, we can get one when we get back to Boston,” Roger added,
taking her by the hand again.

Anger coiled
deep inside Devin and it was all he could do to keep from taking a swing at
Roger.  Cara couldn’t help it if Roger was a jerk, but what had gotten into
her?  If it were him making those same statements, Cara would think nothing of
turning around and telling him where to stuff it.  At least the old Cara
would.  What had this Roger guy done to his Cara?  His Cara?

“Cara?”

She smiled
weakly.  “It's just one more thing to bring home to my condo with all the other
boxes I've packed.  Really, it's okay.  There's a shop on Newbury Street that
has carousels like this.  I can always pick one up there.” 

Devin pointed
through the crowd.  “Well, let’s at least ride the carousel.  You always loved
that.”  With their hands still joined, Devin pulled Cara through the crowd to
the ticket line.  

“I haven’t done
anything like this since...” 

She looked up
as if she were searching the deepest recesses of her mind.  Then she looked at
Devin, laughing.  God, how he missed that fanciful laugh.  He never realized it
until just then. 

“I think I was
with you the last time I rode a carousel.”

Roger shook his
head.  “Look at you two.  Don't you get tired of this kind of thing?”

“No,” they both
said in unison, laughing.

Devin bought
enough tickets for a couple of rides and they waited in line until it was their
turn.  It was no surprise that Roger decided to remain on the sidelines.  All
this togetherness was beginning to give Devin the hives as bad as Roger's
poison ivy.  Well, maybe not.  Roger was getting pretty red under the collar.

Devin was just
seeing red.

They climbed
aboard the carousel and Cara chose a pretty white mare wearing a golden bridle
with painted roses trailing off the mane.  He chose the black stallion just
opposite her.  All the stars in the sky were drowned out by the flashing lights
of the carnival and the zillions of red and white lights ablaze on the carousel
ceiling.