weight if I did.”
“I’ll warn Vivian that it can’t be a constant thing. Okay?”
Jim nodded. “Is Carrie coming?” He held his breath,waiting for Will’s assurance that Carrie would be present. No matter how he wanted to deny it, he was attracted to Carrie Rand. She impressed him with her strength, but at the same time, he was bowled over by her femininity. By her sexy curves and shapely legs. No matter how much he tried telling himself it was because he was in the military too long and had spent endless days and nights with men, he knew that was just an excuse. It wasn’t any woman who attracted him. It was Carrie.
His disappointment was palpable when Will told him she wouldn’t be there tonight.
“Does she usually turn down your invitations?”
“On occasion. She’s allowed to have a life, Jim.”
Jim thought about that idea as they walked down to their cars. “So Carrie has a…significant other?”
“Not that I know of,” Will replied.
“So if you called her and said I wasn’t coming, would she change her mind?”
Will stopped and faced Jim. “No, I don’t think so. Carrie wants things to work out for you. There may be a slight adjustment period, but it will work out.” He clapped Jim on the back. “Put Carrie out of your mind and come enjoy your family.”
J IM WAS TRYING to do as Will had suggested, but as soon as he entered the Greenfield house, Vivian asked, “Where’s Carrie?”
Will frowned. “She told me to tell you she said she had plans.” He bent down to kiss his wife and launched right into the discussion Jim dreaded.
“By the way, Jim is looking for an apartment. Do you know of any in the area that have vacancies?”
Vivian stared at him with her big does eyes. “I was hoping you’d move here, Jim.”
He slowly shook his head. “I appreciate the offer, Vivian, but I’m used to being independent. I’d appreciate any recommendations you might have.”
“Well, we’d want it to be somewhere close. I’m not sure—”
Vanessa’s entrance interrupted their discussion. “Jim! I wasn’t sure Mom was telling the truth until now. I’m so glad you’re here! It brightens my day—and it needs brightening. I took a test today that I’m sure I failed!”
Jim frowned, concern in his eyes.
To his surprise, Vivian laughed. “You’ll have to get used to Vanessa’s dramatics. She probably got an A on it. She always assures me she did horribly, then she brings home a good grade.”
Jim looked at Vanessa. “Is that true?”
She gave a rueful grin and shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe.”
“You can’t do that to me. My heart can’t take it,” Jim said.
Vanessa looked stricken. “I didn’t mean to upset you!”
“No, of course,” Jim said, and, to even his surprise, he put an arm around Vanessa and hugged her. “I just want the best for my sisters, that’s all.”
“Wow,” Vanessa said in surprise. “He’s going to be an even tougher taskmaster than you, Mom.”
“Good,” Vivian said with a smile.
Vanessa looked at Jim. “Even when I was little, Mom always said if I did my best, it was okay. It always made me feel guilty if I hadn’t.”
“She’s a smart lady.” Jim smiled at Vivian.
“Well, now that we’ve got that settled, maybe Vanessa knows of some apartments,” Vivian suggested.
“For whom?” Vanessa asked.
“For me, honey,” Jim said. He raised a hand when Vanessa opened her mouth to protest. “I can’t live here. I’m used to taking care of myself. So, do you know of any apartments in the area?”
A huge smile lit up Vanessa’s face. “Actually, I do know of an apartment. And if you move into it, you’ll have Carrie as your neighbor!”
Chapter Five
It wasn’t Jim’s fault.
Since last night Carrie had been telling herself those words over and over again. And she believed them. She knew whose fault it was that she’d eaten a hot dog at the theater and watched a silly movie, instead of dining on one of
“I’ll warn Vivian that it can’t be a constant thing. Okay?”
Jim nodded. “Is Carrie coming?” He held his breath,waiting for Will’s assurance that Carrie would be present. No matter how he wanted to deny it, he was attracted to Carrie Rand. She impressed him with her strength, but at the same time, he was bowled over by her femininity. By her sexy curves and shapely legs. No matter how much he tried telling himself it was because he was in the military too long and had spent endless days and nights with men, he knew that was just an excuse. It wasn’t any woman who attracted him. It was Carrie.
His disappointment was palpable when Will told him she wouldn’t be there tonight.
“Does she usually turn down your invitations?”
“On occasion. She’s allowed to have a life, Jim.”
Jim thought about that idea as they walked down to their cars. “So Carrie has a…significant other?”
“Not that I know of,” Will replied.
“So if you called her and said I wasn’t coming, would she change her mind?”
Will stopped and faced Jim. “No, I don’t think so. Carrie wants things to work out for you. There may be a slight adjustment period, but it will work out.” He clapped Jim on the back. “Put Carrie out of your mind and come enjoy your family.”
J IM WAS TRYING to do as Will had suggested, but as soon as he entered the Greenfield house, Vivian asked, “Where’s Carrie?”
Will frowned. “She told me to tell you she said she had plans.” He bent down to kiss his wife and launched right into the discussion Jim dreaded.
“By the way, Jim is looking for an apartment. Do you know of any in the area that have vacancies?”
Vivian stared at him with her big does eyes. “I was hoping you’d move here, Jim.”
He slowly shook his head. “I appreciate the offer, Vivian, but I’m used to being independent. I’d appreciate any recommendations you might have.”
“Well, we’d want it to be somewhere close. I’m not sure—”
Vanessa’s entrance interrupted their discussion. “Jim! I wasn’t sure Mom was telling the truth until now. I’m so glad you’re here! It brightens my day—and it needs brightening. I took a test today that I’m sure I failed!”
Jim frowned, concern in his eyes.
To his surprise, Vivian laughed. “You’ll have to get used to Vanessa’s dramatics. She probably got an A on it. She always assures me she did horribly, then she brings home a good grade.”
Jim looked at Vanessa. “Is that true?”
She gave a rueful grin and shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe.”
“You can’t do that to me. My heart can’t take it,” Jim said.
Vanessa looked stricken. “I didn’t mean to upset you!”
“No, of course,” Jim said, and, to even his surprise, he put an arm around Vanessa and hugged her. “I just want the best for my sisters, that’s all.”
“Wow,” Vanessa said in surprise. “He’s going to be an even tougher taskmaster than you, Mom.”
“Good,” Vivian said with a smile.
Vanessa looked at Jim. “Even when I was little, Mom always said if I did my best, it was okay. It always made me feel guilty if I hadn’t.”
“She’s a smart lady.” Jim smiled at Vivian.
“Well, now that we’ve got that settled, maybe Vanessa knows of some apartments,” Vivian suggested.
“For whom?” Vanessa asked.
“For me, honey,” Jim said. He raised a hand when Vanessa opened her mouth to protest. “I can’t live here. I’m used to taking care of myself. So, do you know of any apartments in the area?”
A huge smile lit up Vanessa’s face. “Actually, I do know of an apartment. And if you move into it, you’ll have Carrie as your neighbor!”
Chapter Five
It wasn’t Jim’s fault.
Since last night Carrie had been telling herself those words over and over again. And she believed them. She knew whose fault it was that she’d eaten a hot dog at the theater and watched a silly movie, instead of dining on one of
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