“Oh, I’m perfectly happy where I am. I don’t need to travel and I don’t see myself climbing a mountain anytime soon.” June chuckled as she scooped some tea leaves into a bone china porcelain tea jug. She liked to use her fancy wares whenever she could. What’s the point of waiting for a special occasion to use it, when we could make any day special by simply using this delightful tea set, she used to say.
“Is there anything you regret not doing?” Carly asked. “How about having a career?”
“Well, raising a family was my career. And looking after your father. Why do you ask?”
“Was that enough for you?” Carly asked.
“I wouldn’t say it was enough. That makes it seem like I’d settled.” The kettle whistled and June got up from her chair and poured some into the tea jug. “It was everything I ever wanted. Now tell me what’s on your mind, darling?”
Carly sighed. What was on her mind? Everything. One minute, she was waiting to meet NYJedi. And the next, she’d been stood up. Thankfully, she was saved the embarrassment of waiting alone when Mick joined her. She had even enjoyed every moment with him. “I don’t know. I guess I feel a little... lost.”
“That can be very disconcerting.”
Carly put one leg down and shook it nervously. “Mom,”—her voice trembled ever so slightly—“am I a disappointment to you?”
June gazed at Carly like only a mother could. “Now, why would you say that?” She stirred the tea and filled the dainty cups.
“I don’t know... maybe because I’m thirty-two and still living with my parents. I’ve never been anywhere outside of Willow Oaks. I’ve never had a serious relationship. And I’ve never had a real career.”
“Sounds like a lot of nevers to me.”
“I know. And that’s precisely what I mean.” Carly stared into the cup of golden liquid in front of her, willing it to give her a sign.
“What about that nice man you dated some time ago—what was his name? James?”
Carly wrinkled her nose. “A lot of good that did. Apparently, I was only good as a holiday fling.”
“Speaks more about him than it does you, if you ask me.”
“I mean—look at Caitlin and Courtney. They’ve both got their own families now. Both are living in big cities. And both are working mothers.”
“Mmm,”—June blew into her cup and took a sip—“and why are you comparing yourself to your sisters?”
“How can I not? I mean, look at me, Mom.”
“I see a young woman who has a good life ahead of her.”
Carly dropped her shoulders. Maybe her mother wasn’t the right person to speak to about all this. “Do you think that I’m driven enough? Am I wrong in not seeking out more?”
“Why must you seek when you are not wanting or needing?” June asked as she put her cup down.” You know, you remind me of myself when I was younger.”
Carly looked up at her mother. June’s face was calm and full of peace. Soft lines had replaced the smooth, ivory skin she’d once had. But her beauty remained; untouched by life and its troubles.
“Who says you have to be in a high-powered job? Or that you need to be living in the city to be considered successful? Darling, we each have our own purpose on this earth. Your life may be different to that of your sisters’, but it certainly doesn’t mean that it’s any less fulfilling. You’ve had a rough start to your young life.”
“I’m hardly a young woman anymore, Mom.”
June smiled. “Trust me when I say you’re still very young. You’ve still got a lot to experience. Just because it doesn’t happen today, it doesn’t mean that it can’t happen tomorrow.”
Carly stretched her neck out from side to side. “I think I might go for a walk.”
“That sounds like a good idea. There’s nothing that a good walk can’t cure. But don’t overthink things, Carly. Life doesn’t give us straight paths to follow. You have to carve out the path you want to take. Try things and enjoy the experience.” June took a sip of her tea. “It might do you good to start doing things for yourself, rather than trying to please others all the time.”
“I don’t try to please people.”
“Tell me—why are you still living here?”
“You mean here? With you and Dad?”
June nodded.
Carly bit her lip. As a young freshman art student, Carly had so many dreams. So many things to learn, to see, and to do. Dropping out of college after she’d gotten sick had derailed her life. “So, I can help you guys.”
“Help us with what, exactly?”
“I don’t know—paying bills, doing dishes, other chores around the house,” Carly rattled off. She knew more than anyone else that staying at her parents’ house gave her a sense of security. The fact was, she needed them more than they needed her.
“We don’t have many bills. And you know that I enjoy doing the dishes. As for the chores around the house, they keep me going.”
“What are you saying, Mom?”
“I’m saying that you shouldn’t worry about your father and I. We’re still very young, you know. You, on the other hand, you have the rest of your life ahead of you.”
Carly knew that was true. It would probably even do them good to have the house to themselves. As for the part about Carly having the rest of her life ahead of her... she had no idea just how long that might be. “But the garden—harvesting the vegetables and fruit...”
“I love doing them, Carly,” June said with a smile. “Don’t put your life on hold for us.”
There was much to be debated when it came to whether it was Carly who put her life on hold for her parents, or the other way around. Carly sighed. “How much older is Dad than you?”
“Your father? He’s older than me by five years.”
“He’s sixty-one, right?”
“Yes, he is. And yet he still acts like he’s twenty-six,” June chuckled softly.
“Right.” Carly sighed and stood up. She emptied the rest of her tea into the sink. “I’ll be back soon—don’t wait up.”
Chapter 9
Mick walked along the path across the road from the B&B, which led straight to the lake. The sun had gone down and all that remained was the darkening sky. The moon cast its light over the water, and ripples of silver danced across the lake. He stopped on the waterfront and took it all in. If there was one thing he couldn’t fault the town for, it was the beautiful lake.
“Mick?”
Mick turned around at the sound of a familiar voice calling his name. “Carly?”
“Over here,” she said. “By the bench. Follow the stone path.”
He followed the stone path up to a set of benches. “Hey,” Mick said when he spotted her.
“Hey, yourself,” she said. “What are you doing out here at this time?”
“I should be asking you the same thing.” Mick sat next to her on the bench. “What brings you out here tonight?”
Carly blew out a breath and tucked her hands into the pockets of her hoodie. “It’s my thinking spot.”
“It’s certainly a great spot for doing just that.” Mick leaned back into the bench and turned to face the lake. The view was fantastic. There weren’t many people around—a few nighttime joggers, but that was it. “Amy suggested that I come out here. She suggested either this or the Town & Country Tavern.”
“I take it you’re not keen on the Tavern, then?”
Mick shook his head. “Nah—that was never my scene.”
Carly shifted and sat facing Mick. “Do you not drink?”
Mick shrugged. “Yeah, from time to time—mostly social. Depends on who I’m with. Clients, that sort of thing. You?” He already knew the answer, but he’d asked it anyway. It was something they’d discussed online as NYJedi007 and WillowCup717.
“Never fancied it,” Carly said.
“So what do you do for fun?”
“Anything, really.”
“Like what?”
“Jams,” Carl
y said. “I like to make jam.”
“Jam.” Mick turned to face her and scrunched his face up. “What’s fun about making jam?”
“I don’t know. I guess I find it relaxing,” Carly said. “It’s a bit like being in a lab creating some kind of experiment.”
Mick laughed. “I have to say I have never heard anyone describe jam-making like that.”
Carly laughed along with him. “It’s true! Like, you never really know how it’s going to turn out.”
“Don’t you follow a recipe?”
“I mean, yes I do. It’s pretty much a standard ratio using the same set of ingredients—fruit, sugar, and some water. But the science is in the fruit.”
Mick stifled a laugh.
Carly playfully slapped his arm. “I’m being serious! The timing of when you pick the fruit has to be just right. If you pick it too early, there’s not enough pectin, so you end up with a runny jam. Too late, then it just doesn’t taste right. You know, people say that you’ve got to stand over the pot and constantly stir it. But stirring it produces too much steam, which you don’t want. A low flame and as little disturbance as possible are what you want.”
Mick couldn’t handle how adorable she was. He wanted to take her in his arms and just kiss her—right there, right then. “Okay, I’ll bite,” he said with a grin. “What kind of jams do you like to make?”
“You’re teasing me, aren’t you?” Carly rolled her eyes.
“No,” Mick laughed. “I’m genuinely interested—what kind of jams?”
“Any kind of jam. I use up whatever fruit is in season.”
“What’s the difference between jam and jelly, anyway? I never really understood if they were the same thing or not. You know how people say PB&J and you think they’re talking about peanut butter and jelly, but some are actually saying peanut butter and jam. What gives?”
Carly laughed. It was a sweet laugh that came from a happy place. “Right—well, let me tell you then.”
“Okay, Professor Jammin’, give it to me,” Mick said in the most reggae way he could. He sang a few short lines of Bob Marley’s song, Jamming, as he gazed into her eyes. Should I kiss her? he wondered.
“Okay, Mr. Marley—”
“Please, call me, Bob,” Mick teased.
“Bob,” Carly said with a laugh.
As he gazed in to her dancing eyes, Mick was convinced that all he wanted to do was to make her laugh for a lifetime.
“Seriously now. Jelly is basically fruit juice and sugar. Sugar, sugar, sugar!” Carly stretched her legs, lifting them up in front of her with her ankles crossed. “But jam... uses chopped up fruit. Real fruit. You can use a medley of fruit to create a beautiful tasting jam. Spread it on some toasted bread with churned butter and a drizzle of honey. A good jam should taste like you’ve gone to Heaven and back with every bite.”
Mick beamed approvingly at her.
“What?”
“Nothing,” he said, still smiling.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I’ve never met anyone who talks so passionately about jam.” Mick threw his head back and laughed.
“Oh, so now you think I’m funny, huh? Okay then—let’s hear about you.”
“No, no, no... I think it’s cute. I really do.”
“Whatever!”
“Really—it’s endearing to hear you talk about jam,” Mick said. “What’s your favorite?”
“Apple, rhubarb, strawberry, and cinnamon,” Carly said with a nod.
“Apple, rhubarb, strawberry, and cinnamon, huh?” Mick rubbed his chin. “Hands down?”
“Hands down. What about you?”
Mick crumpled his face. “I don’t think I have a favorite—I haven’t tasted any jam that I’d go out of my way for.”
“Hmmm, that’s sad. We’ll have to try to find the right jam for you then.”
“Will you make some for me?” Mick asked.
“Nope—you’ll make it!”
Mick shook his head. “I don’t do very well in the kitchen.”
“I’ll be right there with you. You can’t go wrong, I promise. We’ll get your jam figured out.”
“So we’ll be jammin’, huh?”
Carly smiled. “We’ll be jammin’.”
Mick gazed into her eyes and crooned, “Oh, and I wanna jam it with you.”
“Stop it,” Carly said as she playfully slapped him on the arm.
Mick caught her hand and kissed it.
“If not jam, what’s your breakfast go-to, then?” Mick noticed how Carly carefully slipped her hand from his.
“Bacon, poached eggs, and creamy mushrooms on ciabatta bread,” he said without skipping a beat.
“What’s wrong with normal sliced bread?”
“It’s lifeless,” Mick said.
“Well, then you’ve been having the wrong bread.”
“Don’t tell me you make bread as well?”
“It’s one of my favorite things to do. I love the smell of bread baking.” Carly inhaled and grinned with satisfaction.
“You sound like Betty Crocker,” Mick teased.
“Betty Crocker’s not a real person—but you can call me Martha,” Carly chided.
“As in, Stewart?”
“The one and only!”
“I didn’t know Betty Crocker wasn’t a real person.”
“Betty Crocker is a marketing strategy that became wildly successful. People thought they were buying products from a real person—and went crazy for it. But really, she’s just a brand name.”
“Mmm—I guess you learn something new every day.”
“Glad to be of service,” Carly said.
Mick battled with his thoughts. Everything inside him said yes, but his mind was saying, no.
Chapter 10
Carly hadn’t expected to run into Mick—or anyone else, for that matter. She’d hoped to sit by the lake and sort her thoughts out. In this case, her thoughts had materialized and there he was sitting right next to her. Just inches away. “Mick?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m sorry about the way I acted earlier this evening. I was really looking forward to meeting the Jedi guy, but it turned out to be a waste of time.” Carly looked away from Mick. She didn’t want him to see the hurt that plagued her. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you. You were only trying to help.”
Mick leaned back into the bench. “Tell me about this guy. Why is he so important to you?”
Carly didn’t say anything. Did she even know why NYJedi was important to her anymore?
“Okay, how about this—if you could talk to him right now, what would you say?”
Carly sighed. “I don’t know.”
“Give it a try.”
“Well,”—Carly paused for a moment—“first, I would ask him why he didn’t—”
“Here,” Mick said as he turned to sit facing Carly. “Turn around so you’re facing me and then give me your hands.”
Carly hesitated at first, but she turned to face him and brought her hands forward.
Mick took her hands in his. “Pretend I’m this Jedi dude—tell me everything you want to tell me. Ask me. Berate me. Do anything you want to do to me.”
Mick’s hands felt warm wrapped around hers. Carly felt her heart plummet to her stomach and bounce back up to her chest.
“I’ll start,” Mick said. “I’m sorry I didn’t come today,” Mick began and pretended to be NYJedi007.
Carly felt a shiver up her spine as Mick gazed into her eyes as he spoke. It was as if he was really talking to her. She liked his dark brown eyes. They were just like coffee, only a darker, deeper shade. His eyes were two heartwarming cups of espresso. “I waited for you,” she whispered, casting a glance at the lake to escape his intense gaze.
“Look at me,” Mick said.
“I can’t.”
“Look at me,” he said softly.
Carly turned back to face him. “I thought we had something special,” she continued.<
br />
“We did—and we do.”
“Then why didn’t you come?”
MICK’S THOUGHTS RACED. What should he say? Why didn’t NYJedi come to see her? What excuse could make it better? “I—I couldn’t get away.”
“That’s not good enough,” Carly said. He could see the tears gathering in her eyes.
She was right. It wasn’t good enough. What they had—what they’d shared in the last six months deserved more than ‘I couldn’t get away’. “You’re right,” Mick said. “It’s not good enough. I’m not good enough.”
“That’s a cop out.”
Mick leaned forward, his forehead against Carly’s. “Forgive me.”
Carly shook her head.
Mick looked into Carly’s eyes—sweet, beautiful, Carly. A tear escaped from her eyes. He caught it, kissing it away. And when Carly didn’t protest. He kissed the other cheek. With his forehead still against hers, Mick asked, “Can I kiss you?”
Without saying a word, Carly closed her eyes.
“Are you afraid?” Mick asked.
Carly slowly nodded.
“What are you afraid of?” Mick wiped the tears that cascaded down her smooth cheeks.
“What will people say?”
Mick caressed her cheek. “It’s not their business.”
“But—Jenna—she’s your sister,” Carly said. “She’s so good to me and she’s Charlotte’s best friend.”
“Sssh.” Mick leaned in and kissed her forehead.
“And my parents—the age gap between us—what would they think? I don’t want anyone to get hurt,” Carly whispered.
“I will never hurt you, Carly. I swear to you.” Mick held her gaze and slowly sealed his promise with a kiss on her sweet lips.
Chapter 11
Carly closed her eyes. This can’t be happening. This shouldn’t be happening, she thought to herself. But she kissed him back. Shy—at first, and then with more confidence.
“I’ve been wanting to do that since I first saw you at the cafe.” Mick brushed her hair back with his fingers.
Carly bit her lip and smiled. It was as if that kiss had knocked her off her feet. All she wanted next was to be in his arms.
Love Me Timeless--A Willow Oaks Sweet Romance Page 4
