The Marriage List by Jean Joachim Page A

all
three criteria on his list.
    She arranged the roses he brought in a vase
and put them on the coffee table, then stopped to give him a quick
"thank you" kiss and returned to the kitchen. He stood in the
living room looking around at the pieces of original artwork on her
walls, each perfectly framed and artfully arranged, until he heard
a scream, then a clatter. He ran into the kitchen to find Carrie
clutching her hand, tears in her eyes.
    "What happened?"
    "Sometimes I forget…I picked up the pan
without the mitt," she said.
    Grey quickly and calmly reached into the
freezer and grabbed a few pieces of ice. He took her hand, gently
placed the ice on the burned skin and held it there with one hand.
With the other, he took a small bowl out of the cabinet and filled
it with cold water. Then he plunked the ice in the water and led
her to the dinner table. She sat down and he put her hand in the
ice water.
    "Keep it there. I'll get the food," he said,
kissing the damaged area before putting it in the bowl, wiping away
a tear on her cheek with his thumb.
    Carrie sat back, keeping her hand in the icy
water. She watched Grey handle the casserole adeptly and get the
noodles and salad to the table.
    "You have experience, I see," she said,
trying to light the candle with one hand.
    "In a big family, everyone helps at
mealtimes," he replied, removing the matches from her hand and
lighting the candle with one sweep.
    "Where did you grow up?"
    "Upstate New York, in a small town…you've
probably never heard of it, Pine Grove."
    She shook her head.
    "Country boy, eh?" Carrie put her burned hand
back in the ice water.
    "Easily transplanted to the big city." He
returned to the kitchen.
    "Ever get back home?"
    "For every holiday." He raised his voice so
she could hear him as he turned off the over and put away the oven
mitts.
    "You're lucky."
    "Don't you visit your parents?" He asked,
sitting down at the table.
    "They have busy lives. Sometimes I go at
Christmas, but traveling then is such a zoo."
    "What about your brother?"
    "He spends time with them, it's not as far
for him and he's a teacher, so he has the time."
    He heard a tinge of sadness in her voice. A
woman with all these talents and she wasn't married or engaged…or
was she?
    "You're not involved with anyone, are you?"
He poured more wine.
    "Would I be dating you if I was?" She looked
up at him.
    "I hope not."
    "I'm available, if that's your question. I'm
not seeing anyone…anyone regularly." She took a sip of the wine he
brought and smiled her approval.
    "To the cook, long life and much happiness,"
he said, bringing the glass to his lips.
    She smiled and drank, too.
    "Then there is someone else?" His head jerked
up slightly as his eyes gaze made contact with hers.
    "Not really. There were…uh…was. You didn't
think I was sitting at home every night waiting for your call, do
you? I had one or two men in my life when you came along."
    "And now?"
    "Now?" She blushed.
    "Are you still seeing them?" He shook out the
cloth napkin and spread it on his lap.
    "Actually…well…"
    "Well what?" He demanded, staring into her
eyes.
    "I'm not," she admitted, dropping her gaze to
her plate.
    "Good. I don't share," he said, taking his
first bite.
    "And you?" she asked, eyeing him keenly.
    "You're my one and only now." Yesterday he'd
decided not to call Monica again. Or Louisa either. He had no
interest in either of them, or any other woman since he met
Carrie.
    "Now? I don't share either," She stated,
raising an eyebrow.
    Whew! Close call. Never thought about her
having another guy.
    "This is amazing," he said, closing his eyes,
rolling the food around in his mouth for a few seconds.
    "It's good, isn't it?" She cut the tender
meat with the side of her fork, avoiding using her injured
hand.
    "God, it's more than good, it's incredible.
You made this?"
    "From mom's secret recipe." Her smile grew
wide.
    She's got the first two on the list nailed,
cold.
    He felt nervous and giddy, watching her