Kitabı oku: «A Sweet Magnolias Novel», sayfa 6

6

The following Saturday the kids had gone to the ball field with Sarah and Travis, and Raylene was alone in the house, when Carter’s truck pulled up out front. Two teenagers climbed out. Raylene guessed these were Carter’s sisters. The girl who appeared older wore the sulky, bored expression of someone who wanted to be anywhere else but here. The other teen was gazing around with frank curiosity as her brother led the way to the front door.

Filled with a mix of anticipation and annoyance, Raylene held it open as they approached.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you today,” she said, her tone light but chiding.

The younger girl frowned at Carter. “You didn’t call to say we were coming or to see if she’d be home? What is wrong with you? That is so rude.” She grinned at Raylene. “You have to make allowances for him. Our parents did try to teach him some manners. Honest.”

Raylene smiled. “I’m sure they did. Do you suppose he’ll remember to introduce us? I’m Raylene.”

“And I’m Mandy,” the young teen replied. “Sourpuss here is Carrie.”

“That’s no way to talk about your sister,” Carter scolded.

“Oh, come on,” Mandy protested. “She’s been cranky all day.”

“I can wait in the truck if you find my company so objectionable,” Carrie snapped, then glanced apologetically at Raylene. “Sorry. You shouldn’t have to listen to our family squabbles.”

“I don’t mind,” Raylene said, feeling an unexpected sense of camaraderie for this girl who’d lost her parents just when she was entering the vulnerable teenage years and needed them the most. “Come on inside, all of you.”

“I wanted the girls to see the garden and to check to see if it needs watering or weeding,” Carter told her. “I hope that’s okay. We won’t stay long.”

“Of course it’s okay. How about some lemonade or sweet tea before you go outside again?” Raylene asked. “Even for June, it’s miserably hot today. And I baked sugar cookies yesterday.”

“Sounds good to me,” Mandy said eagerly. “Nobody bakes at our house. Carrie used to, but then she discovered that cookies have…” She lowered her voice to an exaggerated whisper and added, “Calories!”

Carter nodded sadly. “It’s true. That was the day our source of home-baked cookies died.”

Raylene watched Carrie’s expression. Even though her brother and sister were obviously teasing, the barbs clearly hit home. Carrie looked as if she might cry. Again, Raylene felt an unexpected connection to her.

“Well, consider me your new source for cookies,” Raylene told them. “I bake two or three times a week. Travis grabs a handful every time he passes through the kitchen, which he seems to find excuses to do a dozen times while he’s here every day. He’s like some kind of bottomless pit when it comes to sweets. I can’t tell you how much Sarah and I envy him.”

Interest flickered in Carrie’s eyes. “Are you talking about Travis McDonald, the guy on the radio?”

Raylene nodded.

“He lives here?” Carrie said, clearly excited by the possibility that she’d stumbled into the home of a local celebrity.

“No, but Sarah does. They’re engaged, so he’s over here a lot.”

“Then you see him all the time?” Carrie persisted.

“Quite a bit,” Raylene confirmed.

“Oh, my gosh! He is so sexy on the air. That voice…” She made an elaborate show of fanning herself.

Raylene grinned. “Yeah, he has that effect on me, too.”

Carter appeared fascinated by that news. “Okay, I’m a guy. You’re going to have to explain it to me. What does Travis McDonald have that, say, I don’t?”

Carrie rolled her eyes at the question, but Raylene met his gaze. “Sorry. It’s the voice. Not that the package is anything to sneer at, but that deep, slow, sexy drawl is something else.”

“Does Sarah know her fiancé gets you all charged up?” he asked.

To Raylene’s regret he sounded more curious than jealous. “It took a while, but I think she’s gotten used to women swooning every time he opens his mouth,” she said.

“Do you think we could meet him sometime?” Mandy asked.

Carter regarded her as if she was a traitor. “Not you, too?”

“Hey, I’m a girl, too,” Mandy said, then regarded Raylene hopefully. “Is he coming by today?”

Raylene nodded. “He and Sarah should be back soon. They take the kids out for pizza after they play T-ball, but they usually get Tommy and Libby back here for their naps.”

Carrie regarded Carter hopefully. “Can we stay?” She turned to Raylene. “Would you mind?”

“It’s fine with me,” Raylene told her as she took glasses from the cupboard and poured lemonade for everyone. She opened a tin of freshly baked cookies and put them on a plate. Mandy and Carter reached for them eagerly, but Carrie ignored them and went to the back door to look out at the garden. After a minute, she turned, an expression of shock on her face. “Carter, you did that? You planted all those flowers?”

He winked at Raylene. “I had a lot of guidance.”

“Can we go check it out?” Mandy asked, joining her sister at the door.

“You may,” Carter said, subtly correcting her.

Mandy stuck out her tongue. “May we?”

“You may, if you’ll get the hose and water everything while you’re out there,” Carter said. He turned to Raylene. “It needs it, right?”

“It does, and I would appreciate it,” Raylene said, then almost regretted giving permission when she was left alone with Carter, who was studying her with what was becoming an increasingly unnerving look of fascination.

“Thanks for not slamming the door in my face,” he said.

She bit back a smile. “Unlike you, I remembered the manners I was taught. And I’m sure you knew I’d never slam the door if you turned up here with your sisters, especially with all my lovely flowers out there drooping from the heat.”

“I was hoping,” he admitted with an unrepentant grin.

“They’re lovely girls.”

“You can say that even after Carrie walked in here with an attitude?”

“She’s sixteen, right? It comes with the territory. Believe me, I remember that stage all too well.”

“She’ll be sixteen in a few months, but I get what you’re saying. Does that mean Mandy’s sunny disposition will vanish and she’ll be transformed into an impossible little diva in another year or so?” He looked shaken by the thought.

“More than likely,” Raylene confirmed.

“Gee, something to look forward to.”

“They’re at a tough age to have lost their parents,” Raylene said sympathetically. “It’s an especially hard time for a girl not to have a mother.”

“And, believe me, I’m a poor substitute. I encourage them to talk to me about anything, but sometimes they have questions I don’t have any idea how to answer.”

Raylene hesitated, then thought of the lost, lonely and scared look she thought she’d seen in Carrie’s eyes. “Bring them by here anytime,” she told Carter. “I’d be happy to listen, at least. And I won’t offer advice on anything important without talking it over with you.”

He seemed startled by the offer. “You’d do that for a couple of girls you just met?”

“If it would help, of course.”

“Amazing,” he said, half to himself.

“Don’t nominate me for sainthood. As you can imagine, I love having company.”

He held her gaze. “Even me?”

She forced herself not to look away, even though the intensity in his eyes was unsettling. “Surprisingly, yes.”

His expression brightened. “Then we’re definitely making progress.”

“Carter,” she began, a warning note in her tone. Before she could continue, Tommy came bursting into the house, Libby right on his heels.

“Ray-ween, I hit the ball way far away and ran all the way around the bases today,” Tommy announced excitedly. “Daddy came and he saw me, and Travis said I was the best player on the team. He didn’t say it loud, though, ’cause he didn’t want the other kids to feel bad.”

Raylene knelt down to give him a hug. “Wow, what a great day! Congratulations!”

“I had pizza,” Libby said, then added sorrowfully, “but I couldn’t hit the ball. It was too fast.”

Libby wasn’t officially on the team, but then the whole activity was geared toward kids who were too young to play officially. Travis always made sure even Libby got a turn at bat, despite the groans of the slightly older kids.

“Next time,” Raylene assured her. “You’ll learn. In fact, I bet your daddy or Travis will practice with you this week.”

As Sarah and Travis walked into the kitchen, Sarah’s eyebrows rose when she spotted Carter. “Back again, I see.”

“He brought his sisters by to water the garden,” Raylene told her. “They’re out back now giving it a good soaking.” She winked at Travis. “They’re going to be very glad to meet you. They’re huge fans.”

Sarah rolled her eyes. “Naturally. He attracts females of all ages.”

As if to prove the point, Libby held out her arms to Travis. “Up?” she pleaded.

Travis scooped her up and tickled her. “Nap time, kiddo.”

“No nap,” Libby said, her little chin set stubbornly. “Me and you hit the ball.”

“Later,” Travis promised. “You could use a nap, too, Tommy. Let’s go.”

“While you put Libby and Tommy down, I’ll get your fan club to come inside to meet you,” Raylene promised. “They’ll probably want to touch up their lipstick and comb their hair. Can’t meet the town sex symbol without being properly primped up.”

Travis shook his head at the amusement in her voice. “You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?”

Raylene nodded. “As a matter of fact, I am. I love watching a grown man blush.”

Sarah poured her own glass of lemonade, then sat down opposite Carter and studied him over the rim of her glass. “Now you and I have a chance to chat,” she said meaningfully. “I get why your sisters wanted to hang out. It’s all about Travis. What about you? What’s the attraction for you?”

“Sarah!” Raylene chided.

Carter didn’t look the slightest bit disconcerted by the question. “Isn’t it obvious?”

“You do know she’s not going to make it easy for you, don’t you?” Sarah asked, as if Raylene weren’t sitting right there blushing furiously.

“Easy’s not much fun,” Carter said, his gaze catching Raylene’s. “I’ve suddenly discovered a fascination for more complicated women.”

“If you ask me, you already have enough complicated women in your life,” Raylene said. “Weren’t you saying not ten minutes ago that you didn’t know how to handle Mandy and Carrie?”

“Not the same,” he said easily.

“How so?” Sarah queried.

“If I get it right with my sisters, I’ll have the satisfaction of knowing I did my best and can send them out into the world. If I get it right with Raylene, something tells me the payoff will be far more rewarding and has the potential to change the rest of my life.”

Sarah looked impressed by his response, but it scared Raylene to death. It implied expectations and a future, two things that required guarantees she couldn’t possibly make.

“Carter,” she protested, “you shouldn’t be saying things like that.”

“Just calling it the way I see it,” he said evenly. “I wouldn’t want you to accuse me of not giving you fair warning about my intentions.”

“You don’t even know me,” Raylene said, then reminded him, “And when we met, you didn’t even like me.”

“I didn’t like what happened,” he agreed. “You, however, intrigued me. Nothing that’s happened since has changed that.”

“But that’s crazy,” Raylene said, feeling a little frantic and overwhelmed.

He held up a hand. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to panic you by getting so intense. One thing I learned when my folks died was that things can change too fast and when you least expect it. I’ve been too busy since then to think much about relationships, but I’m smart enough not to walk away when something looks promising.”

“And you think a relationship with a woman who hasn’t left the house in two years looks promising?” she asked incredulously. “Is that because you think I can’t run away?”

He laughed at the suggestion, which wasn’t exactly the reaction she’d been going for.

“I can’t say I have a lot of experience with women trying to get away from me,” he said. “It’s mostly been the other way around.”

Carrie and Mandy came back into the house just in time to overhear.

“It’s true,” Carrie said with an expression of sisterly tolerance. “Women chase him all the time. It’s really pitiful. They should have more pride, you know.”

“I do know,” Raylene said. “I don’t think that will be an issue with me.”

Carrie studied her, then nodded. “Good for you.” She finally spotted Sarah and realized the implication of her presence. “You’re Sarah Price, right? If you’re home, that must mean Travis is here.”

Sarah nodded. “He’s with the kids. He should be back any minute.”

Carrie stood up a little straighter. Even Mandy, who was clearly more of a tomboy, fluffed her hair in a purely feminine gesture.

“And here he is now,” Sarah announced, barely containing a grin as both girls stared at Travis with open-mouthed awe.

“Carrie and Mandy Rollins, meet Travis McDonald,” Raylene said.

Travis grinned and held out his hand, first to Carrie, then to Mandy. “Nice to meet you, girls.”

The tongue-tied girls just stared.

Carter shook his head. “Manners,” he muttered.

“Very happy to meet you,” Carrie murmured, suddenly looking everywhere except at Travis.

“Hi,” Mandy said. “You’re even hotter than I thought you’d be.”

“Amanda Rollins!” Carter scolded.

Mandy gave him a defiant look. “Well, he is.”

“Thank you,” Travis murmured, his cheeks flushed.

“On that note, I think it’s time for us to go,” Carter said, standing up. “Come on, girls. I think we’ve made enough of an impression for one afternoon.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Sarah told him, walking to the door with them. “It happens all the time to Travis.”

“And to you,” Raylene said. “You have your share of admiring fans.”

Sarah cast a pointed look at Carter. “And apparently so do you.”

“Gee, it seems as if there’s plenty of embarrassment to go around this afternoon,” Raylene commented wryly.

His eyes filled with humor, Carter leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “See you soon. I think next time I’ll leave the girls at home.”

“Don’t,” Raylene said with heartfelt urgency. Because as long as he brought chaperones along, there was no chance he’d act on that unexpected glint of desire she’d seen in his eyes.

He met her gaze, his expression knowing. “We’ll see.”

After they’d gone, Raylene had to steady herself before she could even take the few steps into the living room. No man had left her weak kneed like that in years. Sarah regarded her with amusement.

“Living with you has suddenly gotten very interesting,” she said.

“Bite me,” Raylene retorted.

Sarah merely laughed. “I hope you’ll remember to thank Tommy at the wedding.”

“Excuse me?”

“If he hadn’t tried to chase after the ice-cream truck that day, who knows how long it would have taken before the two of you crossed paths. You owe my son.”

“You actually think what’s going on here is some kind of blessing?”

“I do. You haven’t looked this rattled or this excited since you came back to town.”

“Maybe I don’t want to be rattled or excited,” Raylene grumbled.

“Doesn’t matter. Fate doesn’t always wait around until you’re ready. It’s time to start living again, sweet pea.”

“This has nothing to do with fate,” Raylene declared emphatically.

“Kismet? Destiny?”

“Insanity,” Raylene corrected. “The man thinks he’s falling for a woman who’s locked away in some emotional prison and it’s his job to save her.”

“Very romantic, if you ask me.”

“No, it’s nuts,” Raylene insisted.

And maybe, if she were being totally honest, just a little bit romantic.

Carter had been on patrol all morning on the opposite side of the county from Serenity, mostly driving up and down the streets of some of the new developments that were being built. It seemed a shame to see so much rural land being gobbled up by cookie cutter houses, but the region was growing. He supposed there was no way to stop progress.

When his cell phone rang, he was surprised to hear Mayor Lewis’s voice.

“Son, do you have time for a break?” Howard asked. “There’s something I’d like to discuss with you. It’s important.”

“It shouldn’t be a problem. Let me check in with dispatch. Where’d you want to meet?”

“Wharton’s is as good a place as any, if that’s convenient for you. I’ll go now and get us a table.”

“Can I call you back on this number if there’s a problem?” Carter asked.

“You do that. Otherwise, I’ll see you when you get here. No rush. There’s always someone around I can talk to.”

Carter cleared the break with Gayle, then drove to Serenity. Since it was close to lunchtime, most of the parking spaces in front of Wharton’s were occupied, so he parked over on Azalea near the radio station. As he passed the studio with its view of the town green, he waved at Sarah, who was still on the air. She gave him a thumbs-up. A couple of other people he recognized gave him knowing looks, as if they were in on some secret he wasn’t yet privy to.

When he walked into Wharton’s, the men sitting with the mayor immediately got up, shook his hand as Howard introduced him, then moved to another table.

“You didn’t invite me over here for a casual chat, did you?” he asked Howard, who had a discernible glint in his eyes.

“Nope. I did tell you it was important, didn’t I?”

That part had slipped Carter’s mind. Maybe he’d just mistakenly assumed that everything was important to Howard. “What’s going on?”

“Haven’t seen you at any of our town meetings, so I’m guessing you don’t pay a lot of attention to local politics, is that right?” Howard asked.

“I’ve read the local paper, but that’s about it. The move over here came up pretty quickly. I’ve been busy settling into my job and getting my sisters settled in school. I wanted to be sure they met some kids their own age before school let out for the summer.”

“As it should be,” Howard said. “You may not know just how much this town has grown recently. Development in the county’s taken off, too.”

“Now, that I do know,” Carter said. “I was just patrolling out at the Oak Haven and Willow Creek developments. Once those houses sell, it wouldn’t surprise me if the county doesn’t need another new elementary school at least.”

“Already being discussed,” Howard confirmed. “And here in town, we’ve been talking about wanting to start our own police department. The sheriff’s going to have his hands full with all the outlying areas, and we want a department that’s accountable to the folks right here in town.”

“Makes sense,” Carter said. He knew firsthand that the sheriff’s department was stretched thin trying to cover an increasingly populated region. So far, there’d been no local tax dollars allocated to add new deputies. His own job had been created because the county had gotten federal stimulus money to add an extra deputy.

“What would you think about taking on the job of chief and building the police department here from the ground up?” Howard asked.

Carter sat back in shock. “You’re considering me for the job? Why? I barely know my way around the region.”

Howard leaned forward. “Here’s the way I see it. You’re young. You’re energetic. And you’re sensitive. I liked what I saw and what I heard about the incident with Tommy Price. You didn’t just go through the motions. You cared about what happened to that boy.”

“And I also jumped to conclusions and misjudged Raylene,” Carter reminded him.

“The way I hear it, you’ve apologized. I admire a man who can admit his mistakes, who doesn’t pretend to be perfect. It’s a good quality to have in a leader. You’ll listen, and I’ll bet you won’t be leaping to any more conclusions.”

“You really think I’m the right man for this job?” Carter asked, still incredulous that a relative stranger would be the town’s choice.

“I do,” Howard said emphatically. “And I’m not alone. The sheriff and I have talked and he backs up my thoughts about this. So do most of the council. Tom McDonald’s our town manager and you’d be reporting to him, so the two of you need to talk some more. You should spend some time thinking about how you’d see a police force being created, what kind of staff you’d need, the kind of equipment. Tom has a rough idea of our budget. You two can sit down and compare notes, hash out the details. That is, if you’re interested.”

Carter didn’t have to think about it for long. “I’m interested,” he said at once.

Starting a department would be a challenge. While it would probably entail a lot more paperwork than he’d prefer, it might also give him more regular hours, which would give him more time with Carrie and Mandy. As safe as the area was, he still hadn’t been looking forward to leaving them at home alone when he had the night-shift rotation.

Howard nodded with satisfaction, then looked Carter directly in the eye. “One thing you should know. We’re going to want a decent commitment from you. If you have any reason to think you’re going to want to leave for a bigger police force anytime soon, then we should call this off now.”

“I understand. And I’m sure you’re aware that I left a bigger police force to come here. I have no desire to go back. My younger sister won’t graduate for another four years, and I intend for it to be from Serenity High School.”

“Good to know. I’ll tell Tom to expect your call. I’ll get him working on the details of an offer, and we’ll see if we can’t move this along. Council will have to approve your deal and a budget for the department before we can go forward, but I don’t anticipate any problems. The sheriff will work with us on a timetable.”

“Thank you for thinking of me, Mayor Lewis.”

“Call me Howard. I’m looking forward to working with you, son.”

Carter walked slowly back to his cruiser. When he neared the radio station, Sarah was off the air. She’d apparently been in the studio and had seen him, though, because she popped her head out the door.

“Did you say yes?” she asked.

He regarded her innocently. “To what?”

“The chief’s job. I know Howard was going to talk to you about it.”

“Now, how did you know a thing like that?”

She gave him a pitying look. “You really haven’t been here long, have you? Small town, active grapevine. Grace Wharton knows everything, and now that I’m on the air here, I’m the first person she likes to tell.”

“So all of Serenity will know about me maybe taking the job of Serenity police chief by tomorrow morning when you go back on the air?”

“I’d say sooner than that. It’s lunch hour at Wharton’s. Grace has probably told most folks already that you and Howard were huddled together over coffee.”

“Are there any secrets in a place like this?”

“Not for long,” Sarah said. Her expression sobered. “Which is why if you’re not serious about Raylene, you should probably back off. The word’s already out that you’ve been hanging around. It’ll embarrass her if it turns out you’re playing some kind of game.”

He frowned at the suggestion. “Why would I be playing games?”

“You wouldn’t be the first man who couldn’t resist a challenge.”

“I’m not interested because she’s a challenge,” he said. “You’re selling her short.”

“Not me,” Sarah said. “I know Raylene. I know how amazing she is.”

“And I’m just starting to figure that out.” His gaze steady, he gave her a warning. “Keep an eye on me, if you feel the need to, but don’t make the same mistake I did with Raylene and jump to conclusions. It would be a disservice to Raylene and to me.”

To his surprise, she beamed at him. “Good answer. You dropping by later to share your news?”

“If the Serenity grapevine is so hot, what makes you think she hasn’t already heard?”

“She probably has, but I’m sure she’d like to hear the details straight from the horse’s mouth.”

“Then I’ll be sure to drop by on my way home.”

In fact, he thought, it would be the perfect ending to a very surprising day.