the infant over reluctantly. Her arms felt empty. She felt absurdly alone, an oddity, in the midst of her large, affectionate family.
I want to be half of a married couple, she thought. I want to get pregnant and have a baby. I want to be a wife, a mommy, a married daughter and granddaughter and sister.
She could have what she so badly wanted.
I’ll do it, Cara promised herself silently. She sucked in a breath of deep relief as the vapor of indecision evaporated. In its place grew an urgency to talk to Roy as soon as possible. She would tell him right away, before she even said hello. Yes, yes, yes, I will marry you.
Cara didn’t want to waste a minute getting things in motion now that her mind was made up.
“That’s really eye-catching,” Cara said. She’d walked up behind Neil. He was near the front of the store setting up a display of car waxes and polishes. “Is that a new product? The bright blue can?”
“Yes, it’s supposed to be the hottest new car wax on the market.”
“Really. I’ll have to tell Roy. He keeps that car of his so shiny you can see your reflection in it.”
“Yes, he does keep it waxed to a high shine. But then cars are his business.” Neil managed to keep his voice even, not an easy feat when he was talking about Cara’s husband-to-be. The more he was around Roy Xavier, the more Neil disliked the man.
And since Cara had gotten engaged to Xavier two weeks ago, the car salesman had taken to dropping by the store often. Neil’s gut instinct told him that, despite a phony show of friendliness, Xavier didn’t like him, either.
“Roy is coming by to pick me up. We’re meeting with Father Kerby at the church.” Cara had tipped her head back and hunched up her shoulders.
“What’s wrong? Tense muscles?” Neil asked.
“Planning this wedding is killing me,” she declared, rolling her head in a circle. “I try not to get uptight, but there’s so much to be done in such a short time.”
“You’re pushing yourself too hard. Here. Let me work out some of the knots for you.” Neil turned her so that she faced away from him. Then he began to massage her neck and shoulders.
“That feels so good,” she said. “I need you to do this before I go to bed at night. Then maybe I could fall asleep right away.”
Roy Xavier spoke from behind Neil. “Hey, I object. The only man who’s giving my woman a massage at bedtime from now on is me.”
“Oh, hi, Roy,” Cara said, her voice lazy with relaxation. “Just give me another minute or two of this heaven.”
“We’re kind of short on time, baby,” he replied.
“Are we? Too bad. Thanks, Neil.” With a sigh, she pulled away reluctantly, and Neil dropped his hands just as reluctantly.
“How are things going, Roy?” he asked, striving to sound genial. Hearing Xavier address Cara as baby in a tone of ownership had grated on Neil’s nerves.
“Couldn’t be better,” the other man replied. His clipped tone jarred with his usual smooth salesman’s manner.
Cara didn’t seem to notice anything amiss. “I’ll be about thirty minutes late tomorrow morning, Neil. I have to run by the printer’s on my way to work and look at some sample wedding invitations.”
“Take your time,” he said. “You need to slow down a little. You’re running yourself ragged getting your wedding organized.”
“Ready, baby?” Xavier drew Cara close and kissed her on the mouth. He would have turned it into a lingering kiss if Cara had cooperated, but she didn’t, Neil noticed, his fists clenching with repugnance.
“I just need to get my handbag. Bye, Neil.”
“See you tomorrow.” Neil averted his head, fixing his gaze on the display instead of watching them leave together, Xavier’s arm around Cara’s waist, staking possession.
The guy wasn’t nearly good enough for Cara. Why couldn’t she see what a mistake she was making? She was just settling for Roy Xavier because she was ready to marry somebody, but mainly because she so badly wanted to make her grandmother happy. Neil was convinced that the business about Sophia’s dream had tipped the scales for Cara.
He didn’t know how he was going to force himself to attend the wedding. Just the thought of watching the ceremony made Neil want to do something to intercede.
Cara was making a mistake. She wasn’t going to be happy as Roy Xavier’s wife. No way.
“Roy, it’s fine to give me a peck on the lips to say hello in front of Neil, but I wish you wouldn’t kiss me as though we had privacy,” Cara said after she and Roy had left the store. “It embarrasses me and makes Neil uncomfortable.” Her cheeks still felt flushed with her annoyance.
“He looked way too comfortable putting his hands all over you,” Roy replied, his voice angry.
“Don’t be ridiculous! He didn’t have his ‘hands all over me’! He was massaging my neck and shoulders. Neil has never touched me in any sexual way.”
“Every time I come into the store, he’s hugging you or patting you. I don’t like it one bit.”
“That’s an exaggeration. Even if it were true, Neil and I are like brother and sister.”
Roy grunted skeptically.
They got into his car. Cara wanted to say more, but she decided to let the subject drop for now. Before she could start up a friendlier exchange, Roy spoke in a more conciliatory tone.
“Let’s don’t fight, baby. But try to see things from my point of point. How would you like walking into the dealership and seeing me being familiar with one of the secretaries?”
“I wouldn’t like it. But you haven’t had a lifelong friendship with one of them, have you?”
Roy held up his hand, and Cara interpreted the gesture as signaling the end of the discussion. She stayed silent while he pulled out onto the street, deciding to let him start up a different conversation.
“Griffin was right about one thing.” Roy took his right hand off the wheel and rested it on her thigh. “You are running yourself ragged organizing our wedding and working a full-time job. I say go ahead and quit the job now. Give him two weeks’ notice, of course.”
“Quit my job?” Cara was staring at him in utter surprise.
“We both want to start a family right away, right? Didn’t we agree on that?” He rubbed her thigh suggestively. “At the risk of bragging, I expect to make you pregnant during our honeymoon.”
“I never said anything about quitting my job when I got pregnant. I’m sure Neil will give me maternity leave the last month or two, if I need to take leave.”
“You’ll have plenty to do to keep you busy without working. Things like decorating a nursery for the baby. Plus keeping house and cooking meals.
