CINDERELLA BRIDE

by Monica McLean

  "Well, actually…" Marly glanced at Carter, who pretended he hadn't heard the question, even though she knew he had. She took a hesitant breath and thought she might as well get used to saying it. "Carter's my fiancé. Do you know what that means?"

  Tyler shook his head.

  Marly cleared her throat delicately. "It means he's the man I'm going to marry."

  "When?"

  Marly looked at Carter. "When?"

  "Monday."

  She swallowed. Monday was only two days away. In two days, she would be Mrs. Carter King.

  "Are those pancakes?" Tyler's attention turned to a plate on the center island.

  "Sure are," Carter said, rising from the window seat. "You hungry?"

  Tyler nodded. She fixed him a plate and watched as he shoveled the gooey mess into his mouth. All the while, she noted how he kept stealing glances in Carter's direction. Carter must have noticed, too, because he busied himself straightening the kitchen.

  "Hey, Tyler?" Marly asked, when Carter turned on the sink faucet. "What would you think about taking a vacation with Carter and me?"

  "Where?"

  "Oh, a surprise place."

  Tyler eyes lit up for a second, but then the shadows came and chased away his momentary joy. "Mama won't let me."

  Marly's hands tightened on her wadded napkin. The longer she waited to tell him, the more she prolonged his grief. "Tyler," she whispered, willing herself to be strong, for his sake. She leaned over and wiped the syrup from his face. "There's something we need to talk about. Why don't we go over here, to the family room." She felt Carter's hand on her shoulder.

  "Do you want me to come?" he asked.

  "Please."

  Marly sat on the couch and pulled Tyler into her lap, dreading this moment more than she'd dreaded anything in her life. Considering several moments in her life, that said plenty.

  Carter sat down on the chair flanking the couch and nodded his encouragement. For some reason, his presence was a balm to her. She wasn't sure she would have been able to do this without him. The thought frightened her. She'd already relied on him on several occasions. And, damn him, he'd come through for her each and every time.

  Tyler stuck his thumb in his mouth. Marly gently raked his hair back, over and over, in what she hoped was a soothing rhythm.

  "Tyler, what I'm about to tell you, you're going to have a tough time understanding. Just remember that I'm here. I'm not going anywhere, all right?"

  "We're both here," Carter said. "We're both here for you, Tyler."

  Tyler's wide blue eyes turned to Carter.

  Carter smiled at him and, leaning forward, asked, "So tell me, who's your best friend at school?"

  Tyler's thumb made a popping sound as it left his mouth. "Miss Marly."

  Carter's eyes sparkled as he glanced at her. "Besides Miss Marly. Who's your best friend?"

  "Aaron Duncan," Tyler said after some thought.

  "He's a nice guy, huh?"

  "Yeah."

  "Who do you not like the most?"

  Marly frowned at Carter. She had no idea what he was getting at. He gave her a "trust me" look. Strangely, she realized—at least on some level—that she did.

  "Sammy Joe Franklin," Tyler said, wrinkling his nose.

  "He's a real creep, huh?"

  Marly felt she should protest. She didn't.

  "He's a creep," Tyler agreed. "He steals stuff."

  "So I guess you could say there are some good guys and some bad guys in class, right?"

  Tyler thought about that. "Right."

  "Well, that's exactly what it's like for grown-ups, too. There are some good guys and bad guys. Your daddy's men, for example. I think we can safely say they're bad guys, right? They're grown up Sammy Joe Franklins."

  "Yeah."

  "Now, take me, for example. I much prefer being a good guy. I'm like a grown-up Aaron Duncan. I would never, ever do anything to hurt you. In fact, I hope we end up being the best of friends."

  Tyler studied him. "Do you do crack?"

  Carter slowly shook his head. "I don't know why anyone would want to do crack."

  "Do you smoke reefer?"

  "I don't smoke anything. I hate smoke. It makes me cough."

  "Do you like to down a cold one?"

  Carter chuckled. "Well, now, there you have me. Yeah, every once in a while, I like to have a beer or two. Not more, though. I don't like feeling out of control."

  Now, there's an understatement, Marly thought.

  "Do you think we might become friends?" Carter asked.

  "Do you play basketball?"

  "Love to. I even have a hoop out in the driveway."

  Tyler's eyes nearly bugged out. "You do?"

  "Sure do. And a swimming pool out back. Do you like to swim?"

  "I don't know. I ain't never been swimming." Marly read understanding in Carter's eyes and something unfurled in her chest as she watched him try to win Tyler's trust. Oh, yes, Carter King would approach fatherhood as he approached everything else in life. He'd excel at it.

  "I'll teach you to swim if you'd like," Carter said, and Marly could see the muscles in his jaw working.

  Tyler looked at Marly. "Can you ask Mama if I'm allowed?"

  She swallowed and blinked back tears. "I'm afraid I can't do that, sweetheart."

  "Why not?"

  She took one more look at Carter for reassurance. He gave it to her in the form of a sad smile. "Honey, your mama's gone to Heaven to be with God."

  "When's she coming back?"

  Marly pressed a kiss to Tyler's forehead, overcome for the moment with emotion. Then she sat back and looked him in the eyes. "She's not coming back, Tyler. God took her forever."

  Something flickered in the little boy's eyes. An age-old wisdom that had no business being there. "You mean she's dead?"

  Marly nodded.

  His eyes widened, tears already brimming. But if Marly was expecting an outburst, she didn't get one. Instead, Tyler's fingers curled around the bunched fabric of her sweatshirt, and he buried his face against her shirt, sobbing quietly.

  "It was them drugs," he said in a small voice, his lower lip quivering.

  "What drugs, Tyler?"

  "Them drugs Mama took. That's how come I ran away."

  "You mean the night in Mrs. Barton's car?"

  "Yeah." His voice cracked. "Mama made the powder into a line on the table and put a straw in her nose, and then she sniffed it all up. Then she stuck a needle in her arm, but it didn't work. It never works. Those shots ain't never made Mama better, just sicker."

  Marly shuddered at the ease with which this five-year-old boy told of his mother's drug use. He knew so much, too much, about drugs. And yet, some vestiges of innocence remained. But for how long? She wrapped her arms around him, holding him close, trying to fight back her tears.

  "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm so sorry."

  "Tommy Redding's dad got sick and died, too. And Johnny Cooper's mom, too. And Mama. When I seen her lying there on the floor, I knew she was gonna be dead this time and Daddy was gonna take me away," he whispered. "I don't want to go with him. Please, Miss Marly. Don't make me go."

  "I won't." She held him closer. "I swear it, Tyler."

  Carter, bless him, spoke up. "We're going to do everything in our power to keep you safe."

  "Really?" he asked.

  "Really. You have my promise on that."

  Tyler stuck his thumb back in his mouth, curling his index finger around the bridge of his nose. Though he clung to Marly, his gaze remained on Carter, and newly won trust shone in his eyes.

  Marly imagined her own expression was the same.

  * * *

  Carter watched Marly's expression out of the corner of his eye as he tossed some items into their cart—toys, comic books, a deck of cards and some candy. "Just this once," he whispered to her, adding a tube of bubble gum-flavored toothpaste to the assortment. They had stopped at an outlet mall in Burlington so they could buy some c
lothes for Tyler.

  Marly didn't argue, and he knew she wouldn't. Not at a time like this. Spoiling was one thing, consoling another, and Tyler would need a lot of the latter in the days and weeks to come. He seemed to understand with relative ease why he had to go away, why he had to hide from Daddy's men, but the thought of being alone frightened him.

  "Miss Marly?" he asked in a small voice from the back seat. "How come you and Carter can't stay with me?"

  "Oh, sweetie." Marly turned in the seat and loosened her seat belt, drawing one leg up and angling it for balance. "I wish we could, but Carter and I have to work. Otherwise, who's going to run the center? And who will run Carter's bank?"

  In the rearview mirror, Carter saw Tyler's head droop. "We'll come visit you every weekend," he felt compelled to repeat.

  Marly smiled. "And remember, you're only going to be gone for a very short while, and you'll make so many new friends. Remember when you were new to Little Learners?"

  Tyler shook his head.

  "Well, you were, once upon a time. But you made friends so quickly, and you know why? Because you are always nice to everyone, and that's why they all want to be your friends."

  "Like Aaron?"

  "Yes, like Aaron."

  "And Betsy Jean?"

  "Umm-hmm. And even Sammy Joe."

  "Miss Marly?"

  "Yes?"

  "I love you."

  "I love you, too, Tyler."

  Carter cast a sideways glance and caught Marly blinking back tears before she turned toward the window. Her words echoed in his mind and churned something deep in his gut, but he knew better than to entertain any foolish hopes of hearing her say them for him. He'd already been down that road before, and look what it had cost him. No, Carter King was through tempting fate. By winning Marly, he'd already reaped much more than he ever deserved.

  They drove five hours that day, across the North Carolina piedmont and high up into the mountains. Marly had put the middle seat of the Caravan down and thrown a comforter, along with some pillows over it. Tyler finally curled up with his security blanket and fell asleep in the makeshift bed, worn from their journey.

  At a little past two in the afternoon, Carter snapped on his directional signal and took the exit ramp off the interstate. An hour later, they pulled into a small town with a motel where they would stay for the night. They could eat and rest up, then take Tyler over to show him the school. Then tomorrow morning, they would say their goodbyes.

  Carter pulled the car into the parking lot. When they came to a stop, he could hear Tyler's soft, even breathing in the back seat. "Be right back," he told Marly, leaving the keys in the ignition.

  The motel was nestled in a small valley, with the foliage of autumn all around. He walked the short distance to the main entrance, breathing in the fresh mountain air.

  Inside, a dark-haired, lanky teenager sat on a stool, with one eye on the front door and the other on a college basketball game.

  Carter squinted at the small television. "Is that the Carolina-Duke game?"

  "Yeah, Tarheels are ahead by six."

  "Won't last. They're playing on Blue Devils' turf."

  At the sound of the buzzer, the teen stood and mocked a free throw. "God, would I ever like to go there."

  "Nice form. You thinking about playing hoops in college?"

  "Nah. I ain't going to college."

  "How come?"

  The teen rubbed his fingertips together. "No money."

  Carter shook his head. "Don't let that hold you back if it's something you want. There's plenty of financial aid out there. You just have to tap the right sources." He took the notepad from the front desk and tore off a sheet. "Here, write your name and address. I'll send you some information."

  "Really? Hey, great." He scribbled a few lines and handed the paper back to Carter. "So you need a room?"

  "Two beds, if you've got them."

  "Sorry, no double doubles left."

  "I'll take whatever you have, then."

  "Single double?"

  "That's fine. Just one night." Carter paid cash for their room and pocketed the receipt along with the teen's address.

  "Everything okay?" Marly asked when he climbed back into the car.

  He nodded and handed her their room key. "Hungry? The clerk says there's a restaurant next door."

  "Yeah, I am. And I'll bet Tyler is, too. Maybe we can wash up first?"

  "Good idea." He circled the vehicle around the back of the motel and parked in front of their room. After getting out, he opened the back door and carefully lifted Tyler into his arms. The boy opened his eyes, disoriented for a moment, before he settled his gaze on Carter. Then he looped one arm around Carter's neck and closed his eyes again.

  Carter swallowed, a barrage of paternal instincts coming at him hard and fast. He looked up to find Marly smiling at him as if she could read his mind.

  "One day," she whispered, then turned to walk ahead of them. She turned the key in the knob and pushed open the door, coming to a standstill once inside. "Carter?"

  "I'm sorry. This is all they had. You two can take the bed. I'll sleep on the couch."

  She frowned and closed the door behind them.

  That afternoon they ate burgers and fries, before venturing over to check out the school. The guard posted at the gates asked for identification, then checked a computer for their names.

  "Hope you didn't have any trouble finding the place," he said, returning Carter's driver's license.

  "No, the directions were quite sound," Carter replied. Once inside the gates, he murmured. "That's the password."

  Marly nodded and stored the information. As they drove around the grounds, she pointed at two youngsters riding ponies. "Look, Tyler."

  His face was already pressed against the glass. "Am I gonna get to do that?" he asked, his voice a mixture of skepticism and awe.

  "You sure will," Carter answered. He could tell Marly was relieved by the summer-camp atmosphere.

  The headmaster of the school was a close friend of Anil's, and he greeted them heartily, before taking them on a tour of the grounds. Tyler held Marly's hand, his eyes wide with curiosity. Everywhere they went, they saw kids laughing and playing.

  "What's that?" Tyler asked, pointing to where several kids had gathered around a watering hole with their fishing rods.

  "That's a lake where we go fishing. Note the life preservers," he said to Marly, who nodded her approval. "You think that's something you'd like to do, Tyler?"

  Tyler shrugged. "I don't know. I ain't never been fishing before."

  The headmaster crouched and gestured for Tyler with a just-between-us nod of encouragement. When Tyler went over to him, he confided. "We put extra fish in the lake so they're easier to catch."

  Just then, a peal of laughter drew their attention to a group of kids around Tyler's age who were playing freeze tag. Those tagged stood frozen in their spots like petrified trees. One little girl hung back, watching from the fringes. She had dark-brown hair, tied back in a ponytail with a bright-red ribbon. From the expression on her face, she obviously wanted to join in the fun, yet every time she took a step forward, she would hesitate, then step back again.

  Tyler pointed toward her. "She looks like Betsy Jean."

  "You're right. She does," Marly agreed.

  The headmaster smiled. "Do you like playing tag?"

  "Yeah." He looked up at Marly.

  "It's his favorite game," she explained. "He's a great runner."

  The headmaster raised an eyebrow. "Would you like to join in?"

  Tyler shrugged and kicked a rock.

  "Sweetie?" Marly lifted his chin and gave him an encouraging smile. "Why don't you go see if that little girl wants to play. I think she might need a friend."

  Tyler squinted at the figure in the distance. "'Kay." He let go of her hand and started down the hill, gradually gaining speed until he was running.

  Marly took a step toward Carter, followed by another, until
she was standing beside him. His hand moved automatically to the small of her back. Together they watched Tyler approach the little girl.

  Tyler pointed at the other kids. The girl shrugged, noticeably shy. They appeared to converse for a bit, and then he took her hand, once more gesturing toward the others. This time she nodded once, and together they ran into the field.

  "That's my boy." Marly smiled, turning to gaze up at Carter.

  God, she had the most beautiful lips he'd ever seen. "It's going to be all right, isn't it?" she whispered. He returned her smile, glancing down at his stomach, where one of Marly's hands rested. "Yeah, I think so," he said, resisting the urge to scoop her into his arms and swing her around.

  They ate dinner in the school's cafeteria, then spent the rest of the night back at the motel playing cards. Each time Tyler started to get melancholy, they tried to distract him. Marly taught them some games, and Carter did a few magic tricks.

  "How'd he do that?" Tyler asked Marly. She shrugged. The boy turned to Carter. "How'd you do that?"

  "A magician never reveals his secrets."

  Tyler tilted his head to the side and grinned. "Aw, come on. I ain't gonna tell no one."

  Carter laughed. "Okay, how about this. Each time we come visit you, I'll show you how to do one trick. What do you think?"

  "Okay, but can you show me just one trick now?"

  "Yeah, I think I can do that. Here's what you do." He taught Tyler how to separate the deck into two piles by color. "See, you have them pick a card from the red deck and put it back in the black deck. Then you can tell which one they picked."

  "'Cause it's the only red one!" Tyler laughed.

  Carter glanced over at Marly. She sat cross-legged on the floor beside them, a sad smile on her face. He wanted to tell her that it would all work out, that time healed all wounds, but he settled for a gentle squeeze of her hand. She squeezed back.

  "Come on, Tyler," she said, getting to her feet and holding out a hand for him. "Let's get you washed up for bed."

  "Aw, is it time already?"

  "It's past time. You want to thank Carter for teaching you the magic trick?"

  "Thanks," he said, stacking the two piles of cards together and handing the deck to Carter.

  "You're welcome."