haven’t given back her phone. She’s…unhappy.”
“I know she is, Therese, but it’s not your fault.”
“Who else does she have to take it out on? Paul? Catherine? Her grandparents?”
Carly reached for a cookie. That had been Abby’s second choice for living arrangements after her father died. All her grandparents had been kind and sympathetic and apologetic, but that hadn’t made their refusals any easier to bear.
“Life sucks, doesn’t it?” she commiserated.
Therese studied her for a moment, then said, “Not always. You look…lighter. One might even say almost giddy. What have you been up to?”
“Nothing. Just shopping at the PX. Having a pizza for dinner.”
Carly wasn’t a big shopper, and she knew Therese knew it. Her friend also knew how much she disliked eating out alone, so she locked in on the second part. “With whom?”
Stuffing the last half of the cookie in her mouth, Carly poured herself a glass of tea, chewed a bit longer, then finally washed down the crumbs with a big gulp. “Dane Clark.”
Therese’s eyebrows practically arched into her hairline. “Dane from the cave? You just happened to run into Dane again and had dinner with him?”
“Yeah, I know. Coincidence.”
“Or fate. Or an answer to our prayers.” Therese shrugged when Carly looked at her. “I pray for you. I pray for all of us to be happy and safe and content.” She stared into her tea. “I’m glad God’s listening to some of my prayers.”
Even God needed time to deal with Abby.
“So come on, share. Tell me everything.”
That was why she’d come here, Carly realized. She’d wanted to tell someone . “I ran into him in the paint section at the PX. He picked out some colors for me to try on the living room walls. I decided this afternoon that I really need to paint, but there were so many choices. The ones he picked are really pretty. Do you want to see—” Automatically she reached for her purse, and Therese playfully slapped her hand away.
“No, I don’t want to see the colors. I want to hear how you went from discussing paint to having dinner together.”
“It wasn’t really dinner. I mean, not like a date or anything.”
“Was it the evening meal?”
“Yes, but—”
“Did you sit at the same table and talk?”
“Yes, but—”
Therese interrupted with an imperious wave, her point made. “Tell me. Everything.”
Carly related parts of the conversation, feeling like a fourteen-year-old girl with her very first crush. She and her best friend had whispered and giggled for days, until something else had caught their attention.
When she was done, Therese sat back and stared at her. “You gave him your phone number.”
Still feeling about fourteen, she shifted awkwardly. “Well, yeah. The way he said it…‘I’ll see you?’ rather than ‘I’ll see you.’ I just thought…I mean, sure, we’ve run into each other four times in less than a week, but—”
“Wait, wait, wait. I only know about three times. The cave, the WTU, and today. When was number four?”
Carly’s cheeks warmed. “Oh. Uh, coming back from the bathroom at dinner the other night. He was in the bar, and we said hello.” And a little bit more.
“And you didn’t mention it to us. Hmm, wonder why.” Therese tapped one fingertip thoughtfully against her chin before raising her brows again. “Maybe because you didn’t want to share him with us? Maybe you wanted to keep him all to yourself.”
Now her face burned, as if she stood in front of a blazing fire. “No, it was just…he seemed…as a group, we’re a little intimidating…”
Therese’s fingers wrapped around hers in a tight squeeze. “Hey, sweetie, I’m glad you like him. I’m glad he likes you. He knows about Jeff?”
She bobbed her head.
“Good. Really, really good.”
Carly hesitated over the question on the tip of her tongue, then gave herself a mental shake. She’d asked a virtual stranger about his ex-wife. Surely she
“I know she is, Therese, but it’s not your fault.”
“Who else does she have to take it out on? Paul? Catherine? Her grandparents?”
Carly reached for a cookie. That had been Abby’s second choice for living arrangements after her father died. All her grandparents had been kind and sympathetic and apologetic, but that hadn’t made their refusals any easier to bear.
“Life sucks, doesn’t it?” she commiserated.
Therese studied her for a moment, then said, “Not always. You look…lighter. One might even say almost giddy. What have you been up to?”
“Nothing. Just shopping at the PX. Having a pizza for dinner.”
Carly wasn’t a big shopper, and she knew Therese knew it. Her friend also knew how much she disliked eating out alone, so she locked in on the second part. “With whom?”
Stuffing the last half of the cookie in her mouth, Carly poured herself a glass of tea, chewed a bit longer, then finally washed down the crumbs with a big gulp. “Dane Clark.”
Therese’s eyebrows practically arched into her hairline. “Dane from the cave? You just happened to run into Dane again and had dinner with him?”
“Yeah, I know. Coincidence.”
“Or fate. Or an answer to our prayers.” Therese shrugged when Carly looked at her. “I pray for you. I pray for all of us to be happy and safe and content.” She stared into her tea. “I’m glad God’s listening to some of my prayers.”
Even God needed time to deal with Abby.
“So come on, share. Tell me everything.”
That was why she’d come here, Carly realized. She’d wanted to tell someone . “I ran into him in the paint section at the PX. He picked out some colors for me to try on the living room walls. I decided this afternoon that I really need to paint, but there were so many choices. The ones he picked are really pretty. Do you want to see—” Automatically she reached for her purse, and Therese playfully slapped her hand away.
“No, I don’t want to see the colors. I want to hear how you went from discussing paint to having dinner together.”
“It wasn’t really dinner. I mean, not like a date or anything.”
“Was it the evening meal?”
“Yes, but—”
“Did you sit at the same table and talk?”
“Yes, but—”
Therese interrupted with an imperious wave, her point made. “Tell me. Everything.”
Carly related parts of the conversation, feeling like a fourteen-year-old girl with her very first crush. She and her best friend had whispered and giggled for days, until something else had caught their attention.
When she was done, Therese sat back and stared at her. “You gave him your phone number.”
Still feeling about fourteen, she shifted awkwardly. “Well, yeah. The way he said it…‘I’ll see you?’ rather than ‘I’ll see you.’ I just thought…I mean, sure, we’ve run into each other four times in less than a week, but—”
“Wait, wait, wait. I only know about three times. The cave, the WTU, and today. When was number four?”
Carly’s cheeks warmed. “Oh. Uh, coming back from the bathroom at dinner the other night. He was in the bar, and we said hello.” And a little bit more.
“And you didn’t mention it to us. Hmm, wonder why.” Therese tapped one fingertip thoughtfully against her chin before raising her brows again. “Maybe because you didn’t want to share him with us? Maybe you wanted to keep him all to yourself.”
Now her face burned, as if she stood in front of a blazing fire. “No, it was just…he seemed…as a group, we’re a little intimidating…”
Therese’s fingers wrapped around hers in a tight squeeze. “Hey, sweetie, I’m glad you like him. I’m glad he likes you. He knows about Jeff?”
She bobbed her head.
“Good. Really, really good.”
Carly hesitated over the question on the tip of her tongue, then gave herself a mental shake. She’d asked a virtual stranger about his ex-wife. Surely she
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