by Lee Crystal
We ate, talked, and laughed at some of Carter’s exploits. He was a total science nerd when he was young, Cedric told me. He once covered the entire kitchen in foam when one of his experiments went awry; he also set the garage on fire when he wanted real flames to come out of his oozing volcano. I could tell with every story or comment Cedric told of Carter, there was real pride and love.
By the time we were leaving the museum, my hip was on fire. I was trying not to show my pain, but Cedric, being as astute as his son, noticed. When we got to the truck, I opened my door only to have Cedric lift me onto the seat. I blushed fiercely, and tried to ignore his laugh. I now knew where Carter got his propensity to chuckle.
We met Carter at a small restaurant, and the relief at seeing him was staggering. I was comfortable with Cedric, which was amazing on its own, but seeing Carter waiting for me, and the smile that lit his face when he saw me, had me quickening my pace and beaming from the inside out with pure happiness.
He engulfed me in his arms and lifted me up off my feet, kissing my lips for a long moment before pulling back to study me. Being near him, and seeing him so happy to see me, obliterated any concerns about being in a restaurant full of strangers.
“I missed you today,” he said gruffly.
“I missed you, too,” I whispered. He set me down, and led me to a table, where Cedric was already seated with a big grin on his face.
After we were all seated, the waitress approached our table.
“Can I get you guys something to drink?” she asked, not looking up from her tablet.
Cedric ordered first, then Carter ordered a Pepsi, and at his voice she looked from her tablet to Carter. She smiled at him, then glanced at me and her smile vanished.
“Root beer, please,” I said, watching her as she left.
“So, did you get everything taken care of?” Cedric asked Carter.
“Yep, the apartment is listed, and all the paperwork was received from Felicia’s attorney yesterday. Gavin says there is nothing more she can try.” He looked down at me and smiled while he squeezed my hand.
“You sure you want to sell the apartment?” Cedric asked.
“Yeah, I don’t plan on making Tallahassee my home, and when we visit, we can stay with you.” He smiled at me again. The fact that he used “we” in that statement wasn’t lost on me. Actually, it made me a little giddy.
“Well, that suits me just fine,” Cedric smiled at me too, and I couldn’t help but smile back.
The waitress returned with our drinks, and took our orders, always with a lingering gaze at Carter. It was starting to piss me off, and again those feelings of propriety came over me. If I weren’t such a coward, I would have kissed him in front of her or said something like, “Hey he’s with me!” As I watched her quiet flirting, the idea seemed more and more appealing.
After she turned and strolled away to put in our orders, I told Carter about what Cedric and I had done all day. I think he was impressed, if the surprised smile was anything to go by. The waitress came back with our food on a round plastic tray, and I noticed when she slid a piece of paper under Carter’s plate. I was inexperienced, but not an idiot. I knew darn well that was her phone number. I pulled the paper out from under his plate, and looked at the phone number with I’m off at eight printed under it. I held the paper out to her indignantly. “Unless you are offering cleaning services, including laundry and toilet scrubbing, he doesn’t need your number,” I said, making direct eye contact and holding it there. “And I will warn you, he has a terrible case of irritable bowel syndrome, his shorts and the toilet require extra scrubbing.” I let out a huge sigh. “To be honest, it would be nice for someone else to do it. The biohazard suit and mask are uncomfortable, and all the scrubbing is really taxing on my back,” I stated and grinned broadly at her. My insides were shaking, but I felt invincible.
The look on her face was of disgust and outrage. I glanced at Carter, who was rendered speechless and whose face had turned so scarlet it looked like a beet. Without saying a word, the waitress turned and walked away with a huff, leaving the paper in my hand. At that moment, I lost the hold on my laughter and obviously so did Cedric. We both laughed hysterically and so loudly that every patron craned their necks to stare at us.
I squealed at the sudden grasp around my waist as Carter pulled me into his side. He bent down to my ear. “You’re going to pay for that, imp,” he growled. I looked up at him, saw the approving smile on his face, and giggled.
“Taryn!” I was startled out of my musings by Carter’s booming voice. I looked at him. He was standing outside the truck with the door open, obviously waiting for me to get out.
“Sweetheart, I said your name three times. You okay?” The creases in his forehead and around his eyes showed his concern.
I smiled. “Yeah, I am,” I replied. “Just remembering your horrible case of IBS,” I said as I scooted to the door. He hoisted me up, and ran his nose up my cheek.
“You’re going to be sorry when I get you, baby. Just keep it up,” he said playfully before letting me down. I smirked at him, not caring about his threat. I was still on cloud nine over standing up to that encroaching cow.
After saying our goodbyes and promising to visit soon, Carter and I made our way through security and to our gate where they were loading the first-class passengers. We were soon seated in first class, waiting for the other passengers to board. I leaned my head against Carter’s shoulder, and was soon asleep.
“Taryn, come on sweetie, time to get up,” I heard Carter say as I opened my eyes. We were still on the plane, and it had landed. Good Lord, I slept the whole way? Carter kissed my forehead before standing and pulling our bags from the overhead bin. I was fully awake by the time we made it to the baggage claim, and felt myself getting excited to finally find out what this surprise was.
It was hot once we walked out of the airport and toward the rental car. The sun was blaring down on us, but it was a welcome heat from the stifling humidity of Florida. Here, the sun seemed to wick the sweat right off of us. Carter had rented an Escalade. It was roomy with leather seats, and an elaborate stereo system. Plus, the air conditioning was a dream when we cranked it up full blast. Once we were on our way, and I was cooled off, I felt my stomach rumble.
“Um, do you think we can get something to eat?” I asked as my stomach growled at the mere mention of food. I looked at my watch and saw it was already 12:30, and I hadn’t eaten anything since the restaurant yesterday.
“Yep, we’re going to stop on our way,” he said.
“On our way to where?” I asked.
“You’ll see when we get there,” he said smugly.
“Is this some kind of payback from yesterday?”
“Oh no, my little imp, you will definitely not have to ask when I decide to pay you back for that, you will know,” he said, and I turned my head to watch the scenery before I punched his arm.
He pulled into an In-N-Out drive thru, and once the smell of fries and beef assailed my nose, my mouth began to water. I didn’t even wait for him to pull away from the window before I was digging into the bags. He chuckled, then fished his burger out of the paper bag and bit into it, licking ketchup and pickle juice from his lips as he drove.
Forty-five minutes later, he slowed his speed as we entered the town of Ramona. He drove through and turned off onto a road that led to more rural housing. I was battling with nervousness and anticipation. I was curious to know what the heck we were doing all the way out here, and why all the secrecy.
Finally he turned down a gravel driveway leading to a large white house with palm trees surrounding a circular drive in the front. He parked the car, and smiled a huge smile as he turned off the ignition.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Ready for what, exactly?” I answered with uncertainty.
“Ready for your surprise. Don’t look so worried, this is going to be life altering.” His smile never wavered.
“Um, how life altering?�
� What in heaven’s name could be life altering out here?
“Well, I guess that depends on you, but I’m hoping for a happy extreme, now come on,” he said as he opened the door and stepped out. By the time I had my seatbelt undone, he was opening my door. Sheesh, in a hurry much? My nerves were starting to get the better of me, I could feel my insides starting to quake. I didn’t do the unknown, I didn’t do surprises, and too much could happen. The more I thought, the more devious this whole thing sounded.
“C-Carter, I-I don’t know a-about this,” I stammered, my nerves having made their way to my mouth. He leaned into me where his face was only inches from mine.
“I’m here with you, can you trust me enough to keep you safe?” he asked.
I felt like such a coward, obviously he had gone through a great deal for whatever this was, and here I was about to break down over a house. Granted it was a house I didn’t know, and there could have been anything or anyone inside said house, and we were out of town, how long would it take the cops to get here? Weren’t earthquakes common here? What if….
“Taryn!” Carter’s abrupt voice stopped the tumultuous thoughts screaming through my head.
I took a deep breath and exhaled it through my nose. “I got it,” I said.
He kissed my forehead. “Good, now get that cute bottom out of the car.” He smirked.
Slowly I slid from the seat, and I was comforted when he took my hand. I counted my breaths, picturing the water flushing out my worrisome thoughts—never mind that it was as dry and hot as the Sahara out here. We walked up to the door, and Carter rang the bell, squeezing my hand in reassurance.
The door opened and a woman not much taller than me stood there. She had bobbed blonde hair and lovely blue eyes, and her waistline and full bosom bulged over the top of her jeans. She was wearing a white tank top, and had what looked like a leash draped around her neck.
“Mr. Belmont?” she asked.
“Yes, are you Grace?” Carter answered, holding out his hand.
“Yes, it’s great to finally meet you,” she accepted his hand and shook before turning to me. “This must be Taryn.” Okay, so what exactly had Carter told her? Who was she? God, she was staring at me. Oh, right. Shake, answer. Good grief.
I reached for her hand. “Yes, Taryn Dalton,” I said, hoping she didn’t feel my hand shaking. If I could go through an airport, fly on a plane, meet Cedric, survive a crazy woman, and see Carter naked without dying, I could do this. I shored up all my bravery, stiffened my spine, and smiled my best smile. “It’s great to meet you, Grace.” That sounded good, strong, and confident, like I wasn’t some wimpy, crazy person.
“Well, come on in,” she said as she moved aside, holding the door open. Carter ushered me through the doorway, where we waited for Grace to lead us. We followed her through the entry and into a large great room bordered by windows. There was navy and peach floral furniture throughout the spacious room with a round coffee table, and a stone fireplace adorned with pictures, most with dogs in them. The room gave off a feeling of warmth and welcome, its ambiance soothed my frazzled nerves.
“Have a seat, I will be right back,” Grace offered. Carter and I both sat on a loveseat and watched as Grace left the room.
“You’re doing great. I am so proud of you,” Carter whispered, then smiled.
“What are we doing here, Carter?” I whispered back, but before he could answer, Grace came back, and she had a huge German Shepherd with her. I couldn’t seem to take my eyes off of the dog. He was formidable looking, but there was a striking beauty, and keen intelligence in his eyes. He was tan and black in color with a long coat. He sat at Grace’s side, and seemed to be studying me as intently as I was him.
“Taryn, this is Barlow. Would you like to come meet him?” Grace asked me.
“Uh, is he friendly?” I hesitated. “I mean, of course he is, or you wouldn’t have asked me. Sure…Yes, I’d like that,” I rambled. I heard Carter chuckle, and Grace was smiling an understanding smile. I stared at Barlow for a few moments. He panted slightly but otherwise was silent, sitting attentively beside Grace.
“Taryn, it might be easier if you come over here to meet him,” Grace said kindly.
“Oh, right.” I stood and slowly walked to Barlow and Grace, not taking my gaze from Barlow. He didn’t stop watching me, either. When I reached him, I paused, unsure of what I was supposed to do. I looked to Grace.
“Just hold out your hand, let him smell you,” she instructed. I held my hand out, and was pleased to note how steady it was. At the first touch of his cold nose, I gasped, and he cocked his head to the side, studying me. He must have decided I was safe, because his tongue gave a quick swipe to my palm, and I giggled.
Grace put her hand on the top of Barlow’s head, and said “okay,” which must have released him from sitting. He was on all fours and sniffing every part of me, nudging me gently with his snout, while I was petting him. I kneeled down, and he began snuffling my neck and licked my cheek. He was such a cool dog—I had always loved dogs.
After a few minutes of petting, sniffing, giggling, and tail wagging, Carter joined in, and after Barlow’s initial sniff of Carter, he gave him a lick and on it went until Grace cleared her throat. “Let me tell you about Barlow,” she said.
As we sat on the floor with Barlow laying his head in my lap, Grace told us that Barlow was trained in protection. She went through the different commands, his care, and his previous vet visits before it finally dawned on me why we were meeting Barlow.
“Barlow is for me!” I blurted, cutting off Grace. Carter laughed. Him and his darn chuckling, this was serious. I glared at him. He let out a sigh.
“Yes, Barlow is for you,” he confirmed. “He will be able to go with you wherever you want to go, and he will help keep you safe.”
“Wow, a dog,” I said aloud to myself, letting this information sink in. “Barlow, do you want to be mine?” I looked down at him, gently scratching underneath his chin. He responded with a lick to my fingers. A dog—a big dog, a big scary dog—that liked me. This dog could probably eat the balls off of anyone who came near me. The effort behind finding him, flying here, the research it must have taken, arranging to meet with Barlow—all of it hit me harder than a ton of bricks. The lengths Carter would go to, for me to be safe, were mind blowing.
I turned and wrapped my arms around Carter’s neck, buried my face into his neck and snuffled a “thank you,” before returning to Barlow. It took all the willpower I possessed to not break out in sobs. I was so overwhelmed with gratitude and love that for the first time in my life, I wanted to be with someone. I wanted to be part of every aspect of Carter’s life. I wanted a life together, and was finding I was brave enough to have it.
After we spent two more hours with Grace, she demonstrated Barlow’s abilities to attack an assailant. I tried really hard not to piss myself. I mean, in the comfort of her great room, he was like a sweet teddy bear. Yet at a command he transformed into a terrorizing, snarling beast with extremely huge, sharp teeth. He scared the crap out of me.
After he had attacked a man named Robert, who was dressed in a thick burlap suit, Barlow returned to my side and nuzzled into my thigh. It was hard to describe what I felt: relieved, saved, fearful, but mostly humbled. This regal creature, who just met me, would put his life in harm’s way to protect me. I couldn’t not love this dog, and I didn’t care how pathetic it made me sound.
When I felt comfortable enough with Barlow’s commands, we said our goodbyes, and loaded all the “dog stuff” Carter had pre-arranged for Grace to get for Barlow. The three of us drove back to San Diego, where Carter had reserved a dog-friendly hotel room.
“I assume since you have carefully planned everything so far, you have a plan for getting home with Barlow?” I asked as we were sitting at the small table in our room, eating pizza.
“He’s flying with us,” he said simply.
“Where?” I asked as he chewed a strip of crust from the last slice
of pizza.
“First class, where else?” he mumbled with his mouth full.
“He’s going to sit with us?” I was surprised. I didn’t know dogs could do that, not that I had much experience flying.
“Honey, he goes wherever you go, and I mean anywhere. He is trained to keep you safe, as well as guide you away from danger. He is considered a service dog, and therefore he goes where you go,” Carter explained. He smiled before reaching down to pet Barlow’s head.
I wasn’t sure how to feel after that statement. Relieved, for sure, knowing I had this scary-as-sin dog to ward off anyone who could hurt me. But I also felt weak, like I was disabled or something. I didn’t want anyone to see me as weak, even if I was. But, the possibilities I had conjured in my mind, the thought of going into town on my own, of driving a car by myself, of possibly going to college, excited me, and the more I thought about it, the more comfortable I was. I decided I didn’t give a hoot what other people might think. It wasn’t as if I had any friends to impress, anyway.
“I’m going to take a shower,” I stated, getting up from the table, trying to ignore the hunger in Carter’s eyes as he watched me. Between him and the new hope he had evoked, my emotions were a whirlwind, making my chest hurt. I didn’t think it was possible to love him more, but I did. I wanted to give him as much as he had given me, and I wanted more than anything to finish what he had started in the shower at his apartment. The thought of him caressing me between my legs ignited a tingle deep in the pit of my stomach. I couldn’t stop replaying the moment in my mind, again and again, as I showered. I thought of his strong hands massaging the shampoo into my scalp, of his rigid erection pressing up against me, of his fingers dipping inside me, exploring.
