mention the start-up costs and the endless hours I’d have to put into the job. I think Carter didn’t want me to get caught up in a job that would keep me from being the kind of wife and mother who spends a lot of time at home. He never really said it, but I got the sense that he wasn’t close to his mother because of the fact that she was always traveling for work.” She shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“From what I can tell in the short time since you’ve been here, you have a knack for this. And when people have a knack for something, they should go for it.”
“Really, it’s more of a hobby,” Brianne said. She didn’t hold any illusions that she could make a career out of interior design.
“Some hobbies turn into the best careers, because you’re doing what you love.”
“And some hobbies are meant to be just that.”
“Don’t say that. I loved sports and adventure. It’s why I started Outdoor Gear. Same for Carter. I’m really surprised that he tried to steer you from your dream.”
Brianne had thought the same thing at the time, that if anyone should have understood her passion it was Carter. But she also knew how important it was to Carter to marrya woman who would stay at home and raise the children, since he would be providing for her.
She didn’t like the memory, so she changed the subject. “I didn’t expect you to live in a place like this.”
“What kind of place did you expect me to live in?”
“I guess I figured you’d live in the typical bachelor pad, not something with character like this. The condo on the water. Black leather sofas. Maybe a pool table in one of the bedrooms. A revolving door to keep the women coming and going.”
“Ouch.”
“Sorry…I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Why did you?” Alex asked, giving her a pointed look.
Brianne withered under Alex’s gaze. She wished now that she had kept her thoughts to herself. Because she could tell that Alex wasn’t going to drop the matter until she answered his question.
“It’s just that…Carter always talked about how you liked to date a lot of women but would never settle down.”
“ Carter said that?”
“He said that’s why you liked dating models. Because they were always traveling and wouldn’t be around to suffocate you.”
“Wow.” Alex planted his hands on his hips.
“Come on,” Brianne said, keeping her tone light. “Did you or did you not have a thing for models?”
Alex was inwardly seething, but tried not to show it. “I did date one model,” he admitted. But not for the shallow reason Carter had told Brianne. “Actually, two.”
“See?” Brianne said.
What he saw was that for some reason, Carter had seen fit to bash him to Brianne. Why? Had Carter suspected that Brianne had been attracted to him?
“You realize the place you described seeing me in is the kind of place Carter had.”
Brianne’s eyes flew to his. And Alex instantly realized how his words must have sounded.
“No, I don’t mean that way. Not the revolving door part. But the bachelor pad bit.”
“I know.” Brianne smiled, but it was a sad smile. “Carter always said that I was the one woman who was able to lure him from his bachelor ways.”
Alex turned, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Carter had lied to Brianne about who he was. He’d had her fooled and enjoyed that he had so easily been able to manipulate her.
Why had Alex never suspected that he had lied to him?
Alex turned back toward Brianne, saw the expression on her face. Within seconds, it had gone from nostalgia to grim.
“Hey, we’re going to find him,” Alex said, stepping toward her. He placed a hand on her shoulder.
Brianne looked up at him and smiled softly. “Don’t mind me,” she said. “I’m just…it’s tough dealing with this news. Yes, I’m hopeful, but I’m all emotional, too. I never thought I’d ever hear you say that we were going to find Carter. Yet here you are, saying exactly that.”
“I mean it,
“From what I can tell in the short time since you’ve been here, you have a knack for this. And when people have a knack for something, they should go for it.”
“Really, it’s more of a hobby,” Brianne said. She didn’t hold any illusions that she could make a career out of interior design.
“Some hobbies turn into the best careers, because you’re doing what you love.”
“And some hobbies are meant to be just that.”
“Don’t say that. I loved sports and adventure. It’s why I started Outdoor Gear. Same for Carter. I’m really surprised that he tried to steer you from your dream.”
Brianne had thought the same thing at the time, that if anyone should have understood her passion it was Carter. But she also knew how important it was to Carter to marrya woman who would stay at home and raise the children, since he would be providing for her.
She didn’t like the memory, so she changed the subject. “I didn’t expect you to live in a place like this.”
“What kind of place did you expect me to live in?”
“I guess I figured you’d live in the typical bachelor pad, not something with character like this. The condo on the water. Black leather sofas. Maybe a pool table in one of the bedrooms. A revolving door to keep the women coming and going.”
“Ouch.”
“Sorry…I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Why did you?” Alex asked, giving her a pointed look.
Brianne withered under Alex’s gaze. She wished now that she had kept her thoughts to herself. Because she could tell that Alex wasn’t going to drop the matter until she answered his question.
“It’s just that…Carter always talked about how you liked to date a lot of women but would never settle down.”
“ Carter said that?”
“He said that’s why you liked dating models. Because they were always traveling and wouldn’t be around to suffocate you.”
“Wow.” Alex planted his hands on his hips.
“Come on,” Brianne said, keeping her tone light. “Did you or did you not have a thing for models?”
Alex was inwardly seething, but tried not to show it. “I did date one model,” he admitted. But not for the shallow reason Carter had told Brianne. “Actually, two.”
“See?” Brianne said.
What he saw was that for some reason, Carter had seen fit to bash him to Brianne. Why? Had Carter suspected that Brianne had been attracted to him?
“You realize the place you described seeing me in is the kind of place Carter had.”
Brianne’s eyes flew to his. And Alex instantly realized how his words must have sounded.
“No, I don’t mean that way. Not the revolving door part. But the bachelor pad bit.”
“I know.” Brianne smiled, but it was a sad smile. “Carter always said that I was the one woman who was able to lure him from his bachelor ways.”
Alex turned, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Carter had lied to Brianne about who he was. He’d had her fooled and enjoyed that he had so easily been able to manipulate her.
Why had Alex never suspected that he had lied to him?
Alex turned back toward Brianne, saw the expression on her face. Within seconds, it had gone from nostalgia to grim.
“Hey, we’re going to find him,” Alex said, stepping toward her. He placed a hand on her shoulder.
Brianne looked up at him and smiled softly. “Don’t mind me,” she said. “I’m just…it’s tough dealing with this news. Yes, I’m hopeful, but I’m all emotional, too. I never thought I’d ever hear you say that we were going to find Carter. Yet here you are, saying exactly that.”
“I mean it,
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