would do a thing like that? “What are you talking about? Why would I send you away?”
“Mom did. She has Mr. Brinker now, and you have her. You don’t need me.”
Tony felt like a boulder had slammed into his chest. “I won’t send you away, ever.”
Carrie leaned against the newel post. “And I wouldn’t let him. You belong here. Maybe tomorrow after school, you can help me wash windows and dust shelves in the library.”
Chad looked up. “I’ll do a good job.”
She sat beside him. “I know you will.”
Tony studied the pair. Carrie was a wonder. Somehow she’d managed to defuse Chad’s tantrum. She’d also subtly promised something that had been missing since Chad had arrived, a sense of family.
“Could you take me to buy a costume for the Halloween party at school on Saturday? That’s instead of Trick or Treat. Dad works late most Tuesdays and I’m afraid the good ones will be gone.”
“We could do that. Maybe even eat out.” Carrie laughed.
Tony wondered what had amused her. “Care to share the joke.”
“Just remembering the time we made suits of armor.”
Tony chuckled. “I’d forgotten. They were a success, and a failure.” He looked at Chad. “We won first prize at the parade. Then it rained and the cardboard got wet and fell apart.”
“The poster paint ran and got all over our clothes,” Carrie said. “We even had gray hands and faces.”
“Wow,” Chad said. “Could we make one for me? No one else would have a knight suit.”
“We’ll do it then.” She pushed away from the stairs. “I have some ideas for improvements...Now, it’s back to work. We need fresh water.”
Tony lugged the bucket to the kitchen. He should punish Chad for his behavior, but the truce between his son and his wife was important, and fragile.
* * *
“What about this?”
Carrie headed toward the sound of Chad’s voice. He held a piece of silver cloth. “Perfect.”
“My costume’s going to be way cool.”
“You bet it will.”
“Can we make it when we get home?”
“Not tonight. We have to be fresh, and I have to make a pattern. I’ll measure you tonight. We want perfection, not a mess.” She paid for the cloth and a roll of iron-on seam fastening with her credit card. “Besides, there are some things I have to pick up when I go to my apartment.”
“You gonna live there?”
She heard a note of anxiety in his voice. “I need to let the movers in and then get back here before they do. If my friend, Grace, remember her from the wedding, hadn’t volunteered to be there Thursday while they pack, I would have had to stay overnight.”
“I’m glad you don’t have to.”
They added the package from the fabric store to the one holding heavy, yet flexible, poster board, a step up from the cardboard boxes she and Tony had used.
“One more stop,” she said.
“The grocery store for foil.” He got in the back and fastened his seatbelt. “Did you know there’s a haunted house in the woods?”
“Sure didn’t.”
“It’s way cool. There was a murder there a long time ago and the woman still haunts the place. Sure wish I’d see her sometime.”
“Does your dad let you go there?”
“Sort of...no...not alone. Would you like to go with me?”
“Maybe. I’m not sure a haunted house is very appealing.”
“They’re going to have one at the party. ‘Cept it’s not for real.”
By the time they reached the house, Tony was home. He met them at the door. She studied the way his tee shirt and jeans covered his muscular body. This man made her feel weak and energized at the same time.
“Hi, buddy...Carrie. Buy out the store?”
His voice made her feel shivery, but at the moment, there was no way to let him know. Chad was the perfect barrier between desire and the impossible.
“Just the essentials,” she said.
“Anything else to bring in?”
“Chad and I managed.”
“Yeah, Dad, we managed.”
Tony grinned. This was the kind of rapport
“Mom did. She has Mr. Brinker now, and you have her. You don’t need me.”
Tony felt like a boulder had slammed into his chest. “I won’t send you away, ever.”
Carrie leaned against the newel post. “And I wouldn’t let him. You belong here. Maybe tomorrow after school, you can help me wash windows and dust shelves in the library.”
Chad looked up. “I’ll do a good job.”
She sat beside him. “I know you will.”
Tony studied the pair. Carrie was a wonder. Somehow she’d managed to defuse Chad’s tantrum. She’d also subtly promised something that had been missing since Chad had arrived, a sense of family.
“Could you take me to buy a costume for the Halloween party at school on Saturday? That’s instead of Trick or Treat. Dad works late most Tuesdays and I’m afraid the good ones will be gone.”
“We could do that. Maybe even eat out.” Carrie laughed.
Tony wondered what had amused her. “Care to share the joke.”
“Just remembering the time we made suits of armor.”
Tony chuckled. “I’d forgotten. They were a success, and a failure.” He looked at Chad. “We won first prize at the parade. Then it rained and the cardboard got wet and fell apart.”
“The poster paint ran and got all over our clothes,” Carrie said. “We even had gray hands and faces.”
“Wow,” Chad said. “Could we make one for me? No one else would have a knight suit.”
“We’ll do it then.” She pushed away from the stairs. “I have some ideas for improvements...Now, it’s back to work. We need fresh water.”
Tony lugged the bucket to the kitchen. He should punish Chad for his behavior, but the truce between his son and his wife was important, and fragile.
* * *
“What about this?”
Carrie headed toward the sound of Chad’s voice. He held a piece of silver cloth. “Perfect.”
“My costume’s going to be way cool.”
“You bet it will.”
“Can we make it when we get home?”
“Not tonight. We have to be fresh, and I have to make a pattern. I’ll measure you tonight. We want perfection, not a mess.” She paid for the cloth and a roll of iron-on seam fastening with her credit card. “Besides, there are some things I have to pick up when I go to my apartment.”
“You gonna live there?”
She heard a note of anxiety in his voice. “I need to let the movers in and then get back here before they do. If my friend, Grace, remember her from the wedding, hadn’t volunteered to be there Thursday while they pack, I would have had to stay overnight.”
“I’m glad you don’t have to.”
They added the package from the fabric store to the one holding heavy, yet flexible, poster board, a step up from the cardboard boxes she and Tony had used.
“One more stop,” she said.
“The grocery store for foil.” He got in the back and fastened his seatbelt. “Did you know there’s a haunted house in the woods?”
“Sure didn’t.”
“It’s way cool. There was a murder there a long time ago and the woman still haunts the place. Sure wish I’d see her sometime.”
“Does your dad let you go there?”
“Sort of...no...not alone. Would you like to go with me?”
“Maybe. I’m not sure a haunted house is very appealing.”
“They’re going to have one at the party. ‘Cept it’s not for real.”
By the time they reached the house, Tony was home. He met them at the door. She studied the way his tee shirt and jeans covered his muscular body. This man made her feel weak and energized at the same time.
“Hi, buddy...Carrie. Buy out the store?”
His voice made her feel shivery, but at the moment, there was no way to let him know. Chad was the perfect barrier between desire and the impossible.
“Just the essentials,” she said.
“Anything else to bring in?”
“Chad and I managed.”
“Yeah, Dad, we managed.”
Tony grinned. This was the kind of rapport
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