"Carter." She had to keep herself from clearing her throat. She reached for her tea, took a healthy swig to wet her parched tongue. "How are you?"
"Not bad. Just stopping in for a bite to eat." He took in her appearance, all nice and tidy in her suit. "You look nice."
"Thanks. Job interview." She gave her shoulder a slight hitch. "You look...."
"Dirty." He laughed as he spread his arms wide and looked down to survey his clothes. "I know. Actually, this is not bad compared to most days." He tilted his head, as if considering an idea. "Listen, I don't know how much time you have, but would you like to eat with me? I was just going to grab something to go, but I can hang around if you have some time."
"Well." Indecision tugged at her. She wanted to take him up on his offer so they could talk and get reacquainted, but didn't want to sit in an awkward situation if the conversation stalled. Curiosity won. "Yes, all right. I've already ordered, but Kari or one of the waitresses can bring it over if you want to sit at a booth."
Carter held out his arm in invitation so Lynn, grabbing her purse and drink, slid off the stool to precede him. The booth they'd sat at a couple of weeks ago was empty, so they each slid into the seats they'd had before.
"So, job interview, huh?" Carter asked as he picked up the menu from its stand at the end of the table. "Where at?"
"Riverview Regional."
"Nervous?"
"No." She smiled as he glanced at her over the top of the menu. "The interview was this morning."
"Really?" Carter set the menu aside, giving her his full attention. "How'd it go?"
"I guess it went pretty well, since you're looking at the newest employee in Human Resources."
"Congratulations!"
The waitress chose that moment to come over and take Carter's order. After listening to him order his cheeseburger and fries, Lynn told the waitress she'd already ordered at the counter. After assuring her that her order would be brought to the table, the waitress disappeared into the kitchen.
"So, when do you start the job?"
"Next week." She toyed with her straw, poking at the ice cubes that floated in her drink. "I'm looking forward to it, working in an office again. It'll be a little different from what I'm used to, of course, but the job is basically the same."
"I'm sure you'll do great."
"Thanks." Pushing her straw to the bottom of her cup, Lynn took a sip and looked at Carter. "Enough about me. Tell me something about you." The waitress came back, setting Carter's drink and straw on the table beside him before disappearing again.
"Well, there's my boys. They're pretty much my life." He slid his phone out of his shirt pocket, he flipped through his pictures to find one to show her. When he did, she saw the faces of two adorable boys. Arms around shoulders and looking into the camera, one had a mischievous grin, the other a shy smile, and both with blue eyes like their dad.
"They look like you." Lynn smiled as she studied the picture. She was right, they favored their father, except for the older boy's reddish hair.
"Yeah, and my mom says they are just like I was at their ages." His wry tone made her chuckle. "So there's that to look forward to," He slid the phone back into his pocket.
"And how's everything else going?"
"If by everything else, you mean my marriage?" He shook his head as he looked down at the table. "It's not."
"Carter, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry."
"You're not." He looked back up, into her face. "We've been in marriage counseling since the start of the separation. It's not working. In fact, things just keep getting worse." He took a deep breath, released it in a big puff. May as well get the rest out there. "I actually filed for divorce a few weeks ago."
"I'm sorry to hear that. It can't be easy."
"No, it's not." He fiddled with the straw wrapper, pulling off tiny pieces of it as he talked. "But it's better this way. We were both miserable together, and it affected the boys. They seem to be happier now. I'm getting there."
"It takes time," Lynn murmured.
"Yeah. We've been separated for over six months now. I think I realized around month three or four into it that there was no saving the marriage. But I kept trying, for the boys. And for myself, so that if I had to let it go, I could say I had given it everything I had."
Lynn nodded, not sure what to say. The waitress reappeared with their food, so no words were necessary. They were doctoring their sandwiches, him with ketchup, her with mayo, when Lynn caught sight of Kari out of the corner of her eye. Kari held out a hand, using gestures to ask how it was going. Lynn replied with a slight shrug and head shake before turning back to her meal.
"So." Lynn cleared her throat as she picked up a triangle of her thick sandwich. "Kari tells me that Bethany's planning a bonfire."
"Yeah, she's done one every year for quite some time now. Except for one."
"The year that Shane died."
"Guess it was too hard for her, being surrounded by all his work buddies. A reminder of what happened, and who it didn't happen to." He grabbed a fry from his plate, munching as he remembered.
"After the funeral, when I had to go back to Germany, she and I did a lot of talking on the phone." Lynn thought back to that dark time in her friend's life. "A lot of emails, letters, texting. I felt awful not being able to be here for her, in person."
"I'm sure she understood."
"Yeah, but still, I felt like the worst friend." She pulled a piece of bacon from her sandwich, gesturing with it before popping it into her mouth. "I'm glad she's doing better and back to hosting those bonfires. They were always so much fun, and she enjoyed having everyone around her."
"Did Kari say when this year's is happening?"
"No, just that Bethany was planning. So more than likely soon. Couple weeks, tops." She sipped her tea, watched as Carter bit into his burger. "You plan on going?"
"I try to make it every year." Carter swallowed, wiping his mouth with his napkin. "Even when I have the boys, I try to go. They run around and play with the other kids, so we all have a good time." He turned questioning eyes to her. "What about you?"
"Oh, I'm expected to show." Lynn smiled, held up her glass. "Kari is turning part of it into a Lynn-got-a-job celebration." Setting her glass down again, she picked up another portion of her sandwich. "Even without that, I'd still go."
Carter polished off his burger, and with his plate now empty, pushed it off to the side as he checked the time.
"Crap, I gotta get going." He took a quick drink. "Before I do, can I ask you a question?"
"Fire away."
"If I wanted to see you before the bonfire, as in on a date, would you be okay with that?"
"A date?"
"Yeah. That thing where two people get together, eat, maybe do some sort of activity." He gestured between the two of them, at the table. "Kind of like this, only planned."
"Oh. Um. Sure, okay."
"Friday night? Dinner and a movie?"
"Sounds good."
"Great, I'll pick you up at six-thirty."
"Um, you'll need my address." She watched him glance up from reaching for his wallet. "I found a place, moved in over the weekend."
"You don't waste any time."
"No, not when it's important." She held out a hand, wiggling her fingers in a hand-it-over gesture. "Give me your phone. I'll put my number in so you can text me and I'll give you my new address."
While Lynn put her number into Carter's phone, he checked the ticket for their lunch, calculated a tip, and pulled the appropriate amount of money from his wallet. As she handed him back his phone, he tucked the cash under his plate before sliding out of the booth.
"I have to run, before my boss has a fit." He leaned over to kiss her cheek. "I'll be in touch about Friday. Lunch is on me." With that, she watched him stride out the door. And through the window, continued to watch as he climbed into his work truck and drive away. Lynn's attention was pulled back inside when Kari bounced into Carter's no
w-empty seat.
"Tell me." Kari leaned forward, pressing her palms on the table. "Tell me everything."
"Anyone ever tell you you're nosy?"
"All the time. Never stops me though."
"I've noticed."
"So? C'mon, spill it. I'm dying here!” Kari did a little wiggle in her seat.
"Spill what?" Lynn picked at the bread on the last section of her sandwich. "We chatted about my new place, my interview. He told me about the boys and things with his wife."
"Yikes. Like what?"
"Like the fact he filed for divorce."
"Wow." Kari, somewhat surprised at the news, sat up straighter. "Not that I blame him, 'cause the chick he’s married to is nuts, but I figured him to be a stick-it-out kind of guy."
"He tried. For the boys, he said. And so he'd have no regrets about not giving his marriage his all."
"Admirable."
"Yeah."
"Anything else?"
"Why?" Lynn looked at Kari, who was the picture of curiosity.
"Oh." Kari made a show of studying her nails. "I saw him kiss your cheek, is all." She smirked at Lynn, quirked an eyebrow. "What was that about?"
"He asked me out." Lynn blurted out, still stunned by this. "We have a date Friday night."
"I knew it!" Kari, triumphant, stabbed her finger into the air.
"We are supposed to be giving being friends a shot. Not going on a date." Lynn's eyes looked a little wild, a little panicked. "One minute we're talking about bonfires and the next I'm giving him my number so he can text me. How the hell did this happen? Is this crazy?"
"No, but you will be if you don't calm down." Kari laid her hands over Lynn's on the table. "It's not like he's asking you to run away with him. You're just going on a date. What's the plan for Friday night?"
"Dinner and a movie."
"Perfect. It's laid back, relaxed. You'll be fine." After a quick pat on Lynn's hands, Kari drew her arms back from the table.
"Kari?"
"Yeah?"
"Is it wrong to be scared?"
"Scared of what, honey?"
"Falling in love with him again." Lynn looked down at the table, ran her thumb over a worn spot on its surface. "Because I am. I'm afraid that I will get involved to the point where I can't help tumbling back into love with him. And that it will leave me even more shattered than before."
"Lynn." Kari, her voice now holding a serious tone, waited until Lynn lifted her head. "You are never wrong in how you feel. You can change it, or it can change you. The choice is yours." With that, Kari took the money Carter had left, along with the check, and left her friend to her thoughts.
* * *
Friday night came and Lynn found herself in what southerners termed a tizzy. The butterflies in her stomach had morphed into full size birds, and her anxiety reached new heights when she decided that she had nothing in her closet worth wearing. She hadn't agonized over a date this much since she was in high school, she thought to herself as she flopped on her bed to stare at the ceiling.
She could still recall her first date with Carter. Back then, they'd both worked at the same store, and he'd asked her to dinner and a movie. Much like what they were doing tonight. They had arranged for him to pick her up after work, and she remembered everything about the moment he pulled up to the curb. Lynn had worn a favorite black skirt, paired with a blue-striped shirt and black heels. She took great care with her hair and makeup, wanting to look her best. Carter had driven a little red Camry, which he had washed and polished to a high shine. He had given her that charming grin, complete with dimples, as she’d climbed into the passenger seat. She'd grinned back, clicked her seatbelt into place, and he'd taken off. One hand on the wheel, the other on the gear shift. That date was the beginning of a wonderful tumble into a relationship that would forever change her life.
Lynn sighed and closed her eyes and tried to bring herself back to the present. She had about an hour and a half before Carter arrived to pick her up, and she was nowhere near ready to go. Lifting her hip off the mattress, she reached into the back pocket of her jeans, pulled out her phone, and sent out a call-for-help text to Kari and Bethany. Their kids were all at sleepovers, so she hoped they could get away long enough to come rescue her.
Sure enough, her phone dinged as the text messages came back, both saying they would be at her house soon. Lynn closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to pull herself together. Thoughts kept running through her head, tripping over themselves, leaving her even more distracted and restless than she'd been before. She'd worked herself into a state of near panic by the time she heard her front door open, and Bethany calling her name.
"In the bedroom!" she yelled back in reply.
"Hey," Bethany said as she appeared in the doorway. "Kari's right behind me. Everything okay?"
Lynn, her eyes still closed, shook her head.
"No, not really. But I'll wait till Kari's here to go into it."
"I'm here!" Kari rushed in, a little breathless. "So, go into it."
"Okay." She opened her eyes, and dragged herself back up to sit cross-legged on the bed. Her friends joined her, one on either side. "I've just freaked myself out, is all. I got thinking about the date tonight, and what I should wear, and got to remembering other dates we used to have back in the day. The memories all crowded together in my head, and I asked all the 'what ifs’ of things that could go wrong tonight. It all went downhill from there."
"Yeah, I'd say 'freak out' is the term I'd use," Kari replied. "Honey, it's normal to be nervous and anxious about tonight. You and Carter have a long history, even if this is the first date you've had in years. Those memories will be there. Would you want to erase them if you could?"
"No," Lynn admitted. "I wouldn't."
"Well," Bethany said, rubbing Lynn's knee in comfort. "Learn how to separate the relationship you had back then from the now as much as possible. Give yourself, and Carter, a chance to get reacquainted with each other as the people you've become. Not the people you were. Once you do that, you'll be able to visit those memories again, and it won't be as painful to remember them."
"You're right. I know you're right." Lynn acknowledged her friends advice as she squeezed her eyes shut. "But it's hard."
"I know, sweetie. But we're here for you."
"So here for you, in fact," Kari said, jumping off the bed. "That you no longer need to worry about picking out what to wear. I've got you covered. Literally."
"Something simple and casual, please. We're just doing dinner and a movie."
"Casual but sexy. Got it." Lynn laughed as her friend dug through her closet, sliding hangers across the rod, looking for just the right clothes for the outfit she had in mind.
"How about I help out in the hair and makeup department?" Bethany asked. At Lynn's nod, she gathered the things she needed, and settled back on the bed in front of Lynn.
"Where are you guys going to eat?" Bethany asked as she applied Lynn's make-up.
"Corker’s.” The local bar and grill was popular for its casual atmosphere and fare.
"Nice. They've got good food." Bethany swiped eyeshadow onto Lynn’s lids, nodded in approval.
"Yeah, but I don't know how much I'll be able to eat. I've got butterflies the size of bald eagles, and my stomach is in knots."
"Make sure you eat something. Even if it's just a salad or breadsticks. Get some food in you."
"Just as long as she doesn't get it on her!" Kari bounded back over to the bed, holding up the outfit she'd picked out. A long soft sweater with a cowl neck, the color of ripe plums, over a pair of dark skinny jeans. Silver hoop earrings and black knee-high boots with a short heel completed the style.
"Kari, that's perfect. Thank you!"
"Are you kidding? This is easy." She laughed, before stopping to study her friend. "You should wear your hair down, let it tumble over your shoulders. A very relaxed look."
"I don't know...."
"I do. You're going on a da
te. You're not in the military and meeting with other officers, so there's no need for pulling your hair back. Down is casual, sexy. Relax. You'll look great."
It was easier to go along than to argue. Lynn told herself it wasn't a big deal, seeing as how she carried elastic hair bands in her purse out of habit. She could always pull her hair up in the bathroom if really got on her nerves.
Her friends finished primping and fussing over her and declared her ready with time to spare. Lynn looked in the mirror, not believing that it was herself that she was seeing. Bethany's deft and skilled hand with the makeup had made her already near perfect skin flawless, had made her eyes somehow wide and mysterious at the same time. Kari had nailed it with the outfit and her suggestion about Lynn's hair; she looked just as she had hoped she would, both beautiful and casual.
"Wow," she breathed. "I look...."
"Yeah, you do." Kari grinned.
"You guys are the best." Lynn turned to face her friends again.
"Well, we do what we can," Bethany sassed. Her expression changed to serious, concerned. "Do you need us to stay with you until he gets here?"
"No. I think I've got myself under control now. Thanks for dropping everything to come help me out of my self-created crisis."
"Anytime, honey," Bethany assured her as she folded Lynn into a hug.
"As payment, we want full details of tonight," Kari teased, as she hugged her friend as well. Lynn laughed with her friends as she walked them to the door, promising to call them tomorrow as she clicked the door closed behind them.
* * *
Lynn's butterflies were still in full swing as she rode next to Carter in the truck on the way to the restaurant, but she was feeling more in control. Though the place was busy, they were seated promptly at a plush booth and were soon sipping cold drinks and looking over the extensive menu.
Her Last Love (Small Town Hearts Trilogy #1) Page 6
