He gave her a pensive look. “You always wanted to teach. Is that what you’re doing?”
“I will when I go back to Oroville next week. Well, in two months when the school year starts.” She paused, hoping he’d continue. “You still haven’t told me what you’re doing.”
“Trying to seduce you.”
“Come on.” She gave him a playful jab, but her insides were already turning to butter. “I’m serious.”
He took a swig of beer, and faced her, determination and desire blatant in his eyes. “So am I. But—” He held up his hands in surrender. “We’ll take it slow.”
“Thank you,” she said, her voice a breathless betrayal. “Let’s talk some more.”
“Oh, brother.”
She ignored his grumpy expression. “How are your parents?”
“Divorced.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Why the surprise? It happens to couples all the time.”
“So they don’t work together anymore?”
He gave her a mocking look. “That’s about the only thing they could do together without fighting.”
“I didn’t know,” she murmured. As a boy he’d told a different story. To him they were like gods.
“No big deal.” He set down the beer. “If we’re going to talk, sweetheart, it’s not going to be about the past.” And then he reached for her. “Let’s talk about what we’re going to do tonight….”
4
“IN CASE you’ve forgotten, this room has only one bathroom.” Disgusted, Carly pounded on the door for the third time. The lighting at the desk was too dim and she had only five minutes left to finish applying her makeup.
“Hold on.” Ginger’s impatient tone only made Carly more annoyed. “This humidity is doing a number on my hair.”
“Your frizzy hair will be the least of your worries if you don’t open this darn door.”
It opened suddenly. Ginger frowned at her. “What the hell has gotten into you?”
“We have only five minutes before we meet the guys for dinner.” Carly jabbed a finger at her watch. “You can do your hair out here. I need the bathroom light for my makeup.”
“No kidding. You look like a clown.” Ginger threw her a cool look as she pushed past, curling iron in hand.
Tempted to make a crack about her frizzy hair, Carly held her tongue. Ginger always hogged the bathroom and Carly seldom minded. But this evening she was in a strange mood. Edgy. Uncertain. Scared to death.
It was only dinner, she told herself as she set down her makeup bag, looked in the mirror and sighed. She did look like a clown. Too much blush. The unfortunate bluish eye shadow made her look eerily like her mother’s high-school graduation picture.
She loved her mom, but yuk… Carly was used to wearing a more natural shade when she bothered at all. So why was she making herself crazy? She knew in her heart that Rick wasn’t a candidate for her week of therapeutic debauchery. No, actually she knew intellectually he wasn’t the right one. Her heart foolishly wanted to jump in head-first.
“What are you scrubbing all that off for?” Ginger stared at her from the doorway. “Shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it about you looking like a clown.”
“You were right. This isn’t me.”
“It’s going to be dark. You’ll want to wear more makeup than usual.”
“Mascara and blush will be enough.”
Ginger sighed. “Yeah, I guess he’s pretty much a sure thing.”
Carly slid her a sidelong glance. “What do you mean?”
“I saw the way Rick looked at you.”
“We’re friends. That’s all.” Carly turned back to the mirror and inspected her bald face before reapplying the tinted moisturizer.
“Friends?” Ginger chuckled. “Okay, but don’t tell me you’re not ready to jump his bones.”
“I am most certainly not ready to jump his bones. I haven’t decided yet.” Carly smoothed in some foundation to blot out several obnoxious freckles. “Are you ready?”
“Pretty much.” She reached around Carly for the hairspray. “I don’t understand you. The guy is gorgeous. He obviously wants you. You’ve been doing a little drooling yourself. What’s the problem?”
“You have to ask? This whole week was supposed to be about anonymity.”
“So? Isn’t it better that you know and like him, and who knows what could develop? You said yourself you’d eventually like to get married.”
“Nothing can develop. That’s the—” Carly cut herself short. She didn’t want to get into this discussion with Ginger. Or anyone. It was too hard to explain. Her longings were a mystery even to herself.
Yes, she eventually wanted to have a husband, start a family, and she wanted to do it in Oroville. She loved her home, and she wanted her children to have the same advantages she’d had growing up in a small loving community. The problem was, the guys who lived there were conservative and boring, with not much more ambition than to own a new pickup every three years.
Not like Rick. He’d been exciting and adventurous and had brought out a reckless streak in her she hadn’t known she possessed. The discovery had been both exhilarating and scary, and the careless behavior not always easy to suppress.
Even now she could clearly recall the time he’d suggested they explore the old Colby mine. Condemned since she’d learned how to talk, the mine had been strictly off limits and all the kids in Oroville knew it. None of them would even dream about ignoring the no trespassing sign. But all he’d had had to do was dare her…
She smiled. That was one of her best afternoons ever.
Darn it. She could really like Rick. Heck, she already did. But, at this point, it wasn’t like she’d go home and pine away for him. Intimacy could change that. Then where would she be?
“Damn it. Look at the time. We’re late.” Ginger squeezed her eyes shut and aimed the hairspray at her French braid.
Spray went everywhere, and Carly grabbed her makeup bag and exited the bathroom in a fit of coughing. She applied some blush with a far lighter touch this time and decided to forgo any eye pencil.
“Okay.” Ginger surfaced from the bathroom, and slung her purse over her shoulder. “Ready for action.” She adjusted the top of her turquoise sundress to get maximum cleavage. “I’m talking really ready.” She grinned. “Tony isn’t going to know what hit him.”
Carly laughed
