“I don’t often bring guys home to meet my parents. And by often, I mean never.”
Carter leaned across the center console. “I’m happy to be the first. Last. Only. It all works out for me.” He kissed her forehead then got out of the truck as if he hadn’t said anything profound.
First.
Last.
Only.
Long-term didn’t scare him. That was nice because it scared the hell out of her. She liked to travel, to live out of hotels, to have a change in not only the landscape scenery but the people scenery as well.
“Your parents aren’t like the Eggersons, are they?” Carter met her at the front of the truck and reached for her hand.
“No, but that doesn’t mean we can have sex on the kitchen table.”
“Damn. There goes that plan.”
“What’s that?” She pointed to the bag he held with her basket.
“Dessert.”
“How did you have time to make or pick up a dessert?”
“My mom keeps my freezer stocked. It’s strawberry rhubarb.”
“That’s so not fair.” They walked up the path to the front door. “You skinny people can eat whatever you want and not get fat.”
Carter stopped and tugged her roughly back toward him. “First off, I don’t want to hear you talk like that. You’re a beautiful person inside and out, no matter what size you are, what the scale says, and definitely not what asshole people you’ve crossed paths have said to make you doubt yourself.”
His words stung and resonated at the same time. Carter was a nice person who could see past some of her ... layers, but if he’d met her eight or nine years ago when there were more layers, would he say the same thing? Would they even be here, outside her parents’ home?
“Hailey.” He tipped her chin up, forcing her eyes to meet his. “I love what’s inside here.” He lowered his hand to her heart.
Her reflexes took over, and she leaned away from him. What was inside there was beating so fast she could hear it drum in her ears. Did he say...? He did. He dropped the L word. Again.
He hadn’t even flinched until she moved away. She didn’t run, but the movement was noticeable enough. For some reason, the L word didn’t scare her as much as it surprised her.
Shocked her. Only her family had ever used that word with her. When she was at Brady’s house for dinner a few weeks ago, she’d heard Carter use it freely with his mother. He’d dropped it—sort of—before they played cards at the vineyard. It could be that he used the term casually and so often it didn’t really mean the same thing to him as it meant to her.
His gentle gaze hadn’t broken contact with hers. He licked his lips, and her gaze darted to his mouth. She didn’t know how to respond to him without hurting his feelings. Thank you sounded stupid. She wasn’t ready to return the sentiment; even though her heart and mind told her she loved him as well, ignoring it was a slap in the face.
“Hey, you two. You gonna come in and eat, or are you gonna stay out here on the front steps making goo-goo eyes at each other all night?” Rosie called from the open door, saving her from having to figure it out.
“We should, uh, go inside.”
“Whatever you want, Hailey.” He spoke low and soft, his words tender and not angry.
She reached for his hand again, showing him she wasn’t afraid—of him meeting her parents; of the L word, she wasn’t sure—and introduced him to Rosie.
“This is Carter. Carter, my stepmom, Rosie, although that sounds insulting. She’s my mother. We’ll just leave it at that.”
She gave Rosie a one-arm hug and let go of Carter’s hand so he could shake hands with her.
“It’s nice to meet you. I agree, Hailey speaks so highly of you that I think of you as her mother.”
“You two.” Rosie swatted the air in front of her as if shooing away the possibility of tears. “Come inside. Your father’s gonna be hangry if we don’t eat soon.”
“I’m sorry if I delayed dinner, Mrs.—”
“Rosie. And you didn’t delay a thing. If JR isn’t hangry it’s because he’s full from stuffing himself an hour ago.”
“She’s kidding.” Hailey held the door open for Carter, his hands full with the basket and her hand again. “Dad doesn’t have an angry bone in his body.”
“You keep talking behind my back like that, and your new beau’s gonna see a sign of Jolly Roger none has ever seen before.”
“Idle threats.” Rosie patted her father on the shoulder. “He’s a cuddly koala bear. Don’t let the belly and beard fool ya.” She took the food from Carter and retreated to the kitchen.
“Jolly Roger?” Carter whispered in Hailey’s ear, causing another ripple of shivering lust through her body.
“Daddy, meet Carter. Carter, this is Roger, or Jolly Roger as he was first nicknamed in middle school. Sometime in his old age his buddies shortened it to JR. You can call him whatever you want.”
Her father lifted himself up from the recliner, which was not an easy feat with his six-foot frame and three hundred plus pounds—and looked Carter up and down. “You’re not what I expected.”
“Dad!” Totally not the response she expected from him. A joke, a quiet handshake, maybe.
“What? I figured you’d pick someone more like your dad. A big, bearded, and tatted up bad boy.”
Rosie barked another laugh from the kitchen. “You’re big and bearded, but nowhere near a bad boy. Only in my dreams.”
“I can assure you, sir, I am neither big nor bearded.” Carter stuck out his hand, and her father’s oversized belly shook with laughter.
“I like this beardless, skinny one.” He patted Carter on the back. “Rosie’s cooked up a ham. I’ve been suffering here in silence for hours with delicious smells from the kitchen. What do you say we go get some grub?”
“Your parents are nice.” Carter kissed Hailey’s temple and placed his hand on her lower back, guiding her—unnecessarily—to the kitchen.
She came from a long line of big-boned genes. Her brother was a big guy, her uncles and aunts as well. The last memories she had of her birth mother was of a large woman. Other than Mommy Dearest, her family were good people. It saddened her that they were judged by their size more often than not.
Spending time with the Marshalls and all Carter’s friends, she’d been self-conscious at first, but the other night at poker she hadn’t thought once about her being curvier than the men’s wives.
It wasn’t about being around skinny people or those who were more rounded. It was what was inside that mattered most. It took her a helluva long time to learn that, but here she was with her gorgeous boyfriend, introducing him to her parent’s tiny, outdated home. What her parents lacked in material things they made up for in the size of their hearts.
She looked for judgment in Carter’s eyes and voice, and saw none. The L word hammered out the rest of the letters in her chest.
“Joel couldn’t make it today. Maybe next time you’ll be able to meet Hailey’s brother.”
Her father opened the fridge and took out a pitcher of iced tea. He enjoyed his Sunday afternoon beer, but had stopped drinking it when Hailey moved back to Maine. According to Rosie, he dropped ten pounds with the small change.
Hailey got down four glasses and placed them on the table. “Is iced tea okay?” she asked Carter.
“Of course. Unsweetened, I assume.” He winked at Hailey, and suddenly all her nervous energy fell by the wayside.
After she told Carter about giving up alcohol, she hadn’t seen him take a sip. There were bottles of beer in his fridge and two bottles of wine from Coastal Vines on his counter, but he hadn’t poured any during their time together.
Her father carried the ham to the table while Rosie set the mashed potatoes next to it.
“What can I do to help?” Carter asked.
“You sit and look pretty,” Rosie said. “I like him,” she whispered loud enough for the neighbors to hear.
When all the fo
od was on the table and they were all seated, her father held out both hands and bowed his head. She wasn’t sure how Carter would feel about a dinner prayer. His mom and brother hadn’t done one when she’d had dinner at his house.
Without missing a beat, he took her father’s hand and Rosie’s, and winked across the table at Hailey before bowing his head.
Yeah, she loved him too.
After the prayer, her father looked up. “You gotta serve up quick around here, son. I know I hide it pretty well, but I’m a big man and need my fuel. You snooze, you lose when it comes to Rosie’s cooking.”
“And Hailey’s Brussel sprouts. I always detested those things until she started making them.” Rosie held out the serving dish for Carter, who took a healthy serving on his plate.
Hailey skipped the potatoes and filled her plate with salad, the sprouts, and ham. “Carter’s a graphic designer. We worked on a couple of projects together. You should check out the websites and branding he’s done.”
“A compliment about anything design related from Hailey’s as good as gold. You must be quite talented.” Her father pointed at him with his fork. “How did you two cross paths?”
“I was shooting a wedding—”
“My girl. Always the talker. Did you know her brother didn’t speak his first words until he was two because Hailey would do all the talking for him?”
“Dad.”
“It’s true. I may not have been around, but I’ve heard the story enough times to believe it myself,” Rosie added.
Carter stretched his feet out and trapped hers between his. “Like she was saying, I was attending my friends’ wedding and was more interested in the woman behind the camera than my friends saying their vows. I tried hitting on her while she was taking a break, and she pretty much kicked me to the curb.”
“I did not.”
“Did so.” He ignored her and told his story to her parents. “I followed her around the vineyard like a lost puppy, helping fluff Mia’s wedding gown and veil and held props just so I could be near your daughter.”
Well, hell. She hadn’t thought about that. He had been out of his element helping her.
“Even after that, I followed her to her car and asked her out. And you know what? She didn’t give me the time of day. You’d think she’d be at my mercy, but nope. Your daughter blew me off until we ran into each other later at my family’s farm.”
“You make me sound like a bitch,” she mumbled around her ham.
“Selective, honey.” Rosie patted her hand. “And a gentleman should have to work for his lady’s hand.”
“You’re sounding more like the Eggersons every time I come over.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment. If you tell me I’m moving around like them, that’s another story.”
“Your family owns a farm?” her father asked.
“Yes, sir. Marshall Farm in Crystal Cove. My brother runs it, and my mom does more than she should. I help out during the busy season.”
“That’s good. That’s nice, working as a family. Did you learn your graphic design trade in college?”
“In an unconventional way, actually. Through the military. I was stationed in Virginia and spent some time in Afghanistan helping communities with their technology, gradually moving my way to help small business owners build up their companies.”
Her father set his fork down. “Thank you for your service, son. I think that makes up for the lack of beard and belly.”
Carter laughed. “If you invite me back, I’m sure the belly will come soon enough. Dinner is delicious, Rosie.”
“Oh, I like him, Hailey May.” Rosie smiled at Carter but spoke to Hailey. “Bring him back.”
“I’d be honored.” Carter shot a wicked smile at Hailey and dove into his ham.
“What branch did you serve in?” Her father asked while scooping up another portion of potatoes.
“The Army. I enlisted after the holidays, the year after I graduated from high school.”
“Your parents must have been proud.”
“My father died when I was twelve.”
“Oh, honey. I’m so sorry to hear that.” Rosie got up from her chair to hug Carter. She was like that, always hugging, always making people feel loved.
“Thank you.” Carter’s cheeks turned pink with embarrassment. “My brother stepped into his role around the farm while I had fun being a teenager. I knew farm life wasn’t my calling, so I gave the service a try. Fighting wasn’t my thing either, but the military provided me with an education and excellent training. If it wasn’t for the US Army, I never would have stumbled across technology.”
“Well, God bless America then.” Rosie kissed the tips of her fingers and then held them up to God.
“And your trade led you to Hailey.”
“Dad,” Hailey warned. He’d made it sound like they were a permanent thing. A match made in heaven.
“What? A good woman is hard to find. Carter should count himself lucky to have you in his life.”
“Ohmygod.” She lowered her head and shoveled a forkful of Brussel sprouts in her mouth.
“She can be a bit high maintenance at times, but I wouldn’t trade her in.”
Hailey whipped her head up. “I what?” she asked, not caring how much food she had in her mouth.
“Her temper can be a bit fiery as well,” her father chimed in. “As I’m sure you’ve already experienced by the look in her eyes.” He let out a Roger-style belly laugh.
“I do not have a temper.”
Everyone but her laughed.
“Has she told you about the time her brother took her Barbies and used them for target practice?”
“I can’t picture Hailey playing with Barbies.”
“It was a short-lived phase, and you would have snapped too if Joel took your favorite toys and filled them full of lead.”
“Your brother used to use my candles for targets,” Rosie said.
“And my beer cans.”
“That doesn’t count, Dad. He used the empty ones.”
“That I couldn’t return after he shot them to pieces.”
“I don’t see how you can compare a five-cent returnable to my dolls.”
“I can’t believe you played with Barbies.” Carter raised an eyebrow as his left foot stroked her calf.
The man was insatiable. Plastic dolls shouldn’t be a turn-on, and she would have called him on it if her parents weren’t glowing with excitement over her new boyfriend’s obvious interest in her.
Boyfriend.
It had a nice ring to it, even if it wasn’t permanent.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
They fell into a steady rhythm over the next few weeks. While Hailey worked most Friday nights and all day and night on Saturdays, Carter kept himself busy keeping up with his clients’ demands.
The Freemans were beyond thrilled with Hailey’s photos and Carter’s web design, and he eventually learned from Hennington, the attorney who rush ordered new stationary, website, and business cards for his firm, had been the one to sing Carter’s praises.
Hennington’s wife had demanded a weekend away at Acadia Falls or she’d divorce him. Apparently, the whole business debacle nearly cost him his marriage as well as his firm. He ended up two-for-two and gave Carter glowing reviews.
Carter was tempted to leave a review on the Freemans page as well since the workshops and games had done wonders for his relationship with Hailey. And his sex life, not that he’d ever openly admit he needed any help in that department. He’d never had any complaints before.
Glancing at the clock, he saved the project he was working on and checked his phone. No messages from Hailey. They’d fallen into a habit of her sleeping at his house on Mondays and Thursdays. She was worried what the Eggersons would say if she was gone too many nights a week.
Part of him was enamored by her concern, and the other part, the part behind the zipper on his jeans, didn’t give a rat’s ass what they thought. Hailey was a matur
e, consenting adult, and they both had needs.
It wasn’t to say they hadn’t found time on Tuesdays and Wednesdays to get hot and sweaty. And on Sunday night, on their way back from her parents, they’d pulled over in the parking lot of the elementary school for a serious hot and heavy make out session.
Life was good. Hailey was amazing. His sex life was beyond comparable. With a ridiculous skip in his step he’d had ever since meeting her, he drifted to the kitchen to start on dinner. Earlier, he’d washed his sheets and cleaned the bathroom. Having a woman in his home encouraged him to keep the place cleaner than he usually did, not that he was a slob.
He took the vegetables out of the refrigerator and chopped them up in tiny pieces, exactly how Hailey liked them in her salad. He added feta cheese—her favorite—and put a handful of walnuts on a tray in the toaster oven. A trick she’d taught him last week.
He lit the grill and heard tires on his dirt driveway. Carter glanced down at his gym shorts and stained Celtics T-shirt and cursed. He’d been so gung-ho making sure the house looked good for Hailey, and that he’d prepared the food the way she liked, that he forgot to shower and change after his workout.
“Hi.” He greeted her at the bottom of his deck steps with a kiss. “Give me a few minutes to shower and change.”
“Need any help?” She slid her hands under the elastic of his shorts and squeezed his butt.
“I most definitely need some help.” Blindly, he reached behind him to shut off the grill, and then tugged Hailey through the door and to his bathroom.
Twenty minutes later, they were both satisfied and clean. Carter threw on a pair of jeans and a short sleeve shirt while Hailey put on her jeans and bra.
“And here I thought I forgot to make us appetizers.” He kissed her and pushed her hands away so he could fasten her bra.
“Are you sure you’re trying to help?” She nipped at his chin while he struggled with the clasps.
“I’m used to taking this off, not putting it on. I don’t know how you girls do this behind your back.”
“Girls?”
He paused and looked down at her. “You.”
“And all the other girls you’ve taken bras off of.”
All of You (A Well Paired Novel Book 7) Page 19
