said goodbye and hung up the phone. Then the door opened and Will, with Jim beside him, came out. “Carrie, can I talk to you while Jim tries out the computer?”
“Of course.” She followed Will back into his office. He indicated she should sit down in front of his desk.
“How are things going?”
She dropped her gaze to her hands. “Fine.”
“Jim seems to feel you don’t want to work with him.”
Carrie didn’t look up, nor did she know what to say. Finally she answered honestly, as she always did. “It’s—it’s difficult having him around, but I’ll adjust. If he stays and he gets his own cases and his own computer, it will be fine.”
“Are you sure? We need the help, but I owe you a lot. You’ve hung with me a long time. If you can’t work with Jim, then I’ll help him find another job.”
“No, Will. He’s family. I’m not. I’ll try harder to be…polite to him.”
“I’d appreciate it, honey. I really do think he’s going to be good at this job.”
“Yes, I’m sure he will. If you don’t mind, I think I’ll go home early. That will give Jim time at the computer without me hanging over him.”
“Sure. Do you feel all right?”
“Yes, of course. Oh, and Vivian just asked me to dinner, but would you tell her I can’t make it? I’ve got other plans.”
“All right. But it would be nice if you came to dinner tonight.”
“Thank you, but I can’t.”
She slipped from his office before he asked more questions.
When he realized she had come out of Will’s office, Jim started to get out of her chair.
“No, that’s all right,” she said. “I’m going home early. You can use the computer the rest of the day. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Carrie, are you going home because of me?”
“No. Yesterday was such a long day, and I’ve made plans for this evening, so I’m going to go home and have a bubble bath.”
She got her purse out of the desk drawer and waved goodbye. If she’d had any more excuses, she’d have used them. But she was all out. Fighting tears that suddenly appeared in her eyes for no reason at all, she hurried to her car.
Better to get away from the handsome man she’d dreamed about for months now. It was so tempting to throw herself into his strong arms. But that was her dream, not reality. She had to fight those dreams.
When she reached her apartment, she sat down on the couch, unsure what to do with herself. Finally she pulled out the paper and looked at the movies playing. She chose a romantic comedy showing near her apartment. That was how she would spend her evening.
Anything to escape reality. The Jim Barlow of her dreams was a wonderful, accommodating man. The realJim Barlow was a stubborn, difficult man. He was intruding into her world, making her life unsettled. But while she was still fascinated with him, he wanted her to keep her distance.
She was being torn apart by her unreasonable emotions, longing to feel his arms around her, but reading his resistance in his eyes.
Maybe the film she chose would relieve her frustration.
P ER HIS WIFE’S instructions, via the phone, Will asked Jim to come to dinner. He immediately said no.
“You have other plans?” Will asked.
“No, but I ate dinner at your house last night.”
“And it was so bad you can’t bring yourself to come again?” Will asked, grinning.
“Of course it wasn’t. Betty cooked it,” Jim said, laughing in response. He knew what Will was doing. “You’re not going to shame me into accepting. Besides, I need to look for a place to live. You yourself said it was too expensive to live in the hotel.”
“Well, yeah, but Vivian and Vanessa might know of someplace nearby. Besides, Rachel and J.D. are leaving to go back home in the morning. They’d really like to see you again.”
Jim stared at the man being so reasonable. Finally he said, “Okay, I’ll come tonight, but I can’t get in the habit of eating Betty’s cooking every night. I’d double my
“Of course.” She followed Will back into his office. He indicated she should sit down in front of his desk.
“How are things going?”
She dropped her gaze to her hands. “Fine.”
“Jim seems to feel you don’t want to work with him.”
Carrie didn’t look up, nor did she know what to say. Finally she answered honestly, as she always did. “It’s—it’s difficult having him around, but I’ll adjust. If he stays and he gets his own cases and his own computer, it will be fine.”
“Are you sure? We need the help, but I owe you a lot. You’ve hung with me a long time. If you can’t work with Jim, then I’ll help him find another job.”
“No, Will. He’s family. I’m not. I’ll try harder to be…polite to him.”
“I’d appreciate it, honey. I really do think he’s going to be good at this job.”
“Yes, I’m sure he will. If you don’t mind, I think I’ll go home early. That will give Jim time at the computer without me hanging over him.”
“Sure. Do you feel all right?”
“Yes, of course. Oh, and Vivian just asked me to dinner, but would you tell her I can’t make it? I’ve got other plans.”
“All right. But it would be nice if you came to dinner tonight.”
“Thank you, but I can’t.”
She slipped from his office before he asked more questions.
When he realized she had come out of Will’s office, Jim started to get out of her chair.
“No, that’s all right,” she said. “I’m going home early. You can use the computer the rest of the day. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Carrie, are you going home because of me?”
“No. Yesterday was such a long day, and I’ve made plans for this evening, so I’m going to go home and have a bubble bath.”
She got her purse out of the desk drawer and waved goodbye. If she’d had any more excuses, she’d have used them. But she was all out. Fighting tears that suddenly appeared in her eyes for no reason at all, she hurried to her car.
Better to get away from the handsome man she’d dreamed about for months now. It was so tempting to throw herself into his strong arms. But that was her dream, not reality. She had to fight those dreams.
When she reached her apartment, she sat down on the couch, unsure what to do with herself. Finally she pulled out the paper and looked at the movies playing. She chose a romantic comedy showing near her apartment. That was how she would spend her evening.
Anything to escape reality. The Jim Barlow of her dreams was a wonderful, accommodating man. The realJim Barlow was a stubborn, difficult man. He was intruding into her world, making her life unsettled. But while she was still fascinated with him, he wanted her to keep her distance.
She was being torn apart by her unreasonable emotions, longing to feel his arms around her, but reading his resistance in his eyes.
Maybe the film she chose would relieve her frustration.
P ER HIS WIFE’S instructions, via the phone, Will asked Jim to come to dinner. He immediately said no.
“You have other plans?” Will asked.
“No, but I ate dinner at your house last night.”
“And it was so bad you can’t bring yourself to come again?” Will asked, grinning.
“Of course it wasn’t. Betty cooked it,” Jim said, laughing in response. He knew what Will was doing. “You’re not going to shame me into accepting. Besides, I need to look for a place to live. You yourself said it was too expensive to live in the hotel.”
“Well, yeah, but Vivian and Vanessa might know of someplace nearby. Besides, Rachel and J.D. are leaving to go back home in the morning. They’d really like to see you again.”
Jim stared at the man being so reasonable. Finally he said, “Okay, I’ll come tonight, but I can’t get in the habit of eating Betty’s cooking every night. I’d double my
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