The Sometime Bride (13 page)

Carrie slid in the earrings, then stood to examine the total effect. The dress was exquisite, the shoes and jewelry the perfect compliment. But what shone out among it all was the light in her eyes. The fresh color in her cheeks. The first dewdrops of love everlasting.

If Mike could do this to her now, Carrie realized, she’d be a real stunner by the time she reached Grandma Russell’s age.

****

Chapter Thirteen

Mike took the winding country road that snaked through the
 
open trek of undeveloped land. As per Carrie’s instructions, he started counting mail boxes when he got to the top of the hill. When he hit number four, he made a hard right and steered down the gravel drive that led through a covering of trees. And then,
 
his passage through the cluster of woods spilled out into open pasture. A huge purple-blue sky draped with lazy clouds danced high above the nearby mountains. The scenery took his breath away.

Mike spotted the small white stucco house, nestled back against the edge of the property. And, as he drew closer, he spied its immaculate gardens forming a meticulous border around the cottage’s outside. Boxwoods and azaleas, tastefully interspersed by wild flowers, lavender and zinnias. And nearer the railing of the small wrap-around porch, towering sunflowers strained skyward to catch their last glimpse of the fading day.

Up on the porch there was a swing, patently built for two. Mike sighed, taking in the idyllic picture, thinking the only thing that would make it complete would be a passel of kids playing in the grassy yard that butted up against the neighboring orchard.

 
Mike suddenly looked down at his watch, realizing he’d been sitting there day-dreaming. Day-dreaming about a home and a houseful of kids. His kids, he realized, with vibrant shock. His and Carrie’s.

Mike scrambled from the car, warning himself to take things slow. Follow through with his premeditated plan. For all of his previous slip-ups, this was one thing he was going to get right.

Mike stepped up onto the porch, straightened his tie, then rang the doorbell. When nothing sounded inside, he tried waiting a few moments, then knocking instead.

A few seconds later, Carrie pulled back the door. “Oh, I’m sorry, did you try knocking? I’ve been meaning --”

But Mike stopped her with a deep, rumbling, “Wow! Carrie, you look like a million bucks.”

Another point she’d made plans to discuss with him, Carrie reminded herself, making space for him to scoot by her into the room. “Thanks, you look terrific, too."
 
And, boy did he ever. Very stylish in his charcoal gray with muted pinstripes.

Carrie shut the door behind them and looked down at her dress. “You sure this isn’t too much for tonight? I mean, I didn’t really know how formal the dinner-dance was going to be.”

“You look perfect,” he assured her, a panther-like look in his eyes. “Absolutely perfect. In fact,” he said, pulling her into arms, “if I hadn’t already promised you dinner...”

“Mike!” she protested, pushing back on his shoulders, “you’ll muss my hair!”

“That won’t be all,” he said, kissing her sweetly, but then pulling back when she exploded in laughter.

“Have my skills deteriorated that badly?” he asked, offended.

“Oh no,” she said, laughing as she reached for a tissue from the entrance table and dabbed his lips. “It’s just that you’re wearing my Magenta Rose."
 
She chuckled again. “And, I’m not so sure that’s the impression you wanted to give at this reunion.”

“Ah,” Mike said, smiling and kissing the tissue in understanding. “Better now?”

“Don’t know."
 
Carrie brought a hand to her chin. “Maybe we ought to try it again, just to be sure?”

Mike gave her a teasing wink. “Why, Carrie St. John, if you keep threatening me with kisses...”

“No, no,” she said, lifting her purse off the table. “You promised your Dad we’d be there at six and it’s already half-past. If we’re going to have any opportunity for a visit before the dance, we’d best get going.”

“Only if you promise we can play that little lipstick game later on.”

“All you want,” she said, beaming up at him as he held back the door.

Mike pulled open the screen door of the trailer, letting Carrie inside.

Jack Davis stood from his chair at the kitchen table with a cat-calling whistle.

“Dad!” Mike admonished, standing beside Carrie just inside the door.

Carrie’s cheeks alighted with color, but she remained composed as she crossed the small room and extended a warm hand in the older man’s direction. “Mr. Davis --”

“Nope,” he broke in, taking her hand and surprising her by pulling her into a bear hug. “You, young lady, can call me Jack.”

Carrie returned his firm squeeze.

“Jack,” she said, patting his back. “Mighty glad to meet you.”

Jack pulled back and gave her a broad, welcoming grin. “She’s even prettier than you let on, boy,” he directed at his son. “Might just think about keeping this one for myself.”

Mike walked over and whisked Carrie out of his father’s arms. “Sorry about that, old man. But I got to her first, and you know what they say --”

“Finders, keepers,” Mike and Carrie parroted together.

Jack’s eyes sparkled. “Quite a handsome pair the two of you make. So, when’s the big day?”

Mike swallowed hard.

“June 23rd,” Carrie raced in. “The church has been reserved for months.”

Jack shot Mike a quizzical look. “That so? I was under the impression the two of you had only recently met.”

“Yeah, but I’d been hoping,” Carrie said, giving Mike a megawatt smile.

June 23rd? What on earth...? Oh, Okay, Mike got it. Maybe this was all a little part of the rehearsal for Carrie’s big performance at the reunion. Well fine, he could play along with that. For now. Assuming Carrie accepted his authentic proposal -- and that was still a big “if,” his dad certainly wouldn’t mind a change in dates later on. Jack wasn’t, and never had been, a stickler for details.

“It’s a really long story,” Mike said, reaching down and taking Carrie’s hand. “The important thing is, we’ve already set some of those...uh, wheels in motion.

Mike didn’t know the half of it, Carrie thought, giving his hand a squeeze. Not only did they have a church and a reception hall reserved, but also a caterer and a three hundred dollar wedding cake. Mint chocolate, through a little creative rearranging, on Carrie’s part, she thought, feeling rather proud of herself. The only thing standing in their way was the minor detail of the formal marriage proposal. And that little nuance of Mike’s admitting he loved her, which, by now, she was quite certain he did. He’d brought her home to meet his father, hadn’t he? Even Alexia, as it turned out, hadn’t gotten that far.

“Yes,” Carrie said, taking the chair at the table Jack had offered.
 
Mike pulled out another and sat beside her. “But we can get to all those details later. We still have plenty of time.”

Jack shook his head with an eye on his wall calendar. “Looks more like two weeks by my calculation. Now I don’t know much about women stuff, planning weddings and all that, but it really seems to me the two of you might be cutting things a bit tight here.”

Carrie and Mike looked at each other.

“Not that I’d want to do anything to discourage ya!” Jack said, whacking Mike across the shoulder in a sign of approval. “You just tell me what I’ll need to do from my end.”

“Not a thing, Dad. Not a thing.”

“You could walk me down the aisle,” Carrie raced in impetuously. She bit her lip in hesitation as Mike dropped his jaw and stared. “I mean,” she continued tentatively, “I never knew my father, and Grandpa’s been gone for years...”

“I’d be honored,” Jack said, a barely perceptible moisture gathering in the corner of one eye.

Holy cow! Was she nuts! How could she even do this to him?! Why would she even to this do him? Nothing like this was in his presupposed plan. Though he’d hoped to ask that big, big question. He was still smack dab in the middle of finessing the hows and whens.
 
Now, if he didn’t act soon, he’d been lunch meat in his father’s eyes. Just look at him! Less than ten minutes flat, and his Dad was already eating right out of Carrie’s hand!

“Uh Carrie, sweetheart,” Mike said, laying a hand on her forearm resting on the table. “Don’t you think that invitation is a little -- premature?”

“Premature? Heaven’s no!” she said, wriggling her arm out from under his grasp and glowing at Jack. “Like your Dad said, our wedding is only two weeks away.”

Our wedding. It was the first time Mike had actually heard her say it. And it sent simultaneous shivers of delight and terror straight through him. This was really going to happen. He and Carrie. All pretending aside. Holy cow.

Mike withdrew a hanky from his breast pocket and dabbed his dampened brow.

“I agree,” Jack said. “Two weeks is no time at all. Besides,” he said, looking very pointedly at Mike, “she asked me, not you, young man. So, stay out of it!”

Jack returned his affectionate gaze toward Carrie. Though his hair had gone completely gray, Carrie could definitely see where Mike had gotten the gorgeous green eyes from. “So, young lady, tell me a bit about yourself. You from these parts?”

“Yes sir, grew up in Mill Creek, right around the bend. And Mike and I, as it turns out, both went to the university.”

“Not together, I would guess? You seem a good bit younger than Mike.”

Carrie grinned. “Only a few years, sir. But, you’re right, we’re far enough apart that we weren’t in school at the same time.”

“Ships passing in the night,” Jack commented with a rather melancholy smile.

“More like swimmers,” Mike mumbled under his breath.

“What’s that?” Jack asked, when Carrie burst out laughing.

“He’s just being silly,” Carrie said, kicking Mike under the table.

“Won’t be the first time,” Jack said. “Well, at least it’s good to see his taste in women has improved. Are you working in the area?” he asked Carrie.

“Yes, I’m an investor.”

Jack whistled. “Big money in that, here tell.”

“Dad...” Mike cautioned in a low vibrato.

Not here, not now, Carrie told herself. “Uh, yes sir. Yes sir, there is.”

Carrie glanced down at her styled gold watch, the one she reserved just for evening ware. “Oh my gosh, will you look at that! Seven-fifteen. How far a drive did you say it was?” she asked, turning to Mike.

“Hey yeah, we’d better get going,” he said standing from his chair. “Dad,” he said, giving his father’s shoulder a pat. “You take care, now. And no more flirting with those nurses. If I get one more call from Dr. Shafer’s office about your hitting on the staff...”

Carrie laughed all the way to the car.

“Does your dad really hit on the nurses?” Carrie asked, once she’d adjusted her seat belt.”

“Only the pretty ones.”

Carrie smiled and shook her head as Mike started the ignition. “Now, I definitely see where you get it from."
 
But what Carrie secretly found herself wondering was if any of her and Mike’s children would be half as bad.

****

Chapter Fourteen

The parade of oaks leading up to Ashton Hall were magnificent. Though Carrie had heard of the all-boys boarding school, she’d never once been there. Likely because the high school circles she’d run with didn’t exactly involve a “moneyed” crowd.

Carrie had plans to discuss her financial “predicament,” meaning the fact that she was exceedingly wealthy, with Mike tonight. The time for pretense was over. He’d proven well enough, in a million different ways, that the woman he cared for had nothing to do with her bank account. Of course, he’d seen her car and knew she worked in finance. What he didn’t know was that her title in New York was Venture Capitalist and that her account balance registered in the seven digits.

Carrie prayed inwardly that it wouldn’t make too much difference. Mike certainly didn’t strike her as the sort of man who would feel emasculated by a wife who made more money. The impression he’d given her was that Alexia had been well-off, and that in and of itself, apparently hadn’t phased him in the least. “Thank you for doing this,” Mike said, shutting off the engine and pulling his keys from the ignition. “You don’t know what it means to me to have you on my arm tonight.”

Oh yes, she did. Because whether or not he suspected it, it meant just as much to her. And not simply because she planned to pose as his fiancée for the night. But, more importantly, because she hoped to soon make that role a legitimate position.

Mike walked around the car and opened her door. “You ready to be my bride-to-be?” he asked, with a grin that sent her stomach all a-flutter.