told me he loves me. Today, after basically threatening me, he tells me he loves me. Pissed me off something fierce.”
Lauren let out a soft chuckle. “Only you would be pissed off over a declaration of love.”
Carrie smiled reluctantly. “You did hear the ‘threatening me’ part, right?”
“Did you threaten him first?”
Lauren knew her so well. “Maybe. I was mad as hell, Laur. But after thinking about it, I just can’t figure out any other reason for him to say those words unless...unless he meant them.” New hope filled her chest to near bursting. Matt was gorgeous, smart, sexy, rich, and he wanted her .
“Carrie,” Lauren reached across the table and covered her hand. “Of course he meant it. Caleb knows Matt better than anyone in town and he thinks the world of him. And I trust Caleb’s instincts.”
“So, what do I do?”
“I think a more important question is, do you love him?”
So much so it hurt. “Yes.”
Lauren smiled and winked at her. “Then you wait until he’s worked up enough nerve to face you again, and magnanimously forgive him. And while we wait,” she added, grinning, “I tried a new pie recipe today—Orange Creamsicle.”
Carrie laughed softly. “Sounds like heaven.”
* * *
By Friday, the work on the coffee shop was complete. The new tables, chairs, and booths had been delivered and installed, the drive-thru window was ready to open. Yet Carrie still hadn’t heard from Matt. The contractor assured her everything had been paid in full, but that’s all he would say.
Carrie decided to take a drive past Matt’s house, and her heart dropped into her stomach with a splash. A For Sale sign was staked in the front yard. She stopped in the middle of the street and gazed at it in disbelief, praying her eyes were playing tricks on her. Realizing her sight was just fine, Carrie squealed her tires in her haste to get away, not caring if she left a block full of people gawking in her wake.
She drove home and parked in her garage, unable to move, unable to breathe. He’d left her. He’d told her he loved her, then left without so much as a “See ya later, it’s been fun.” The ache in her chest grew until she thought she would suffocate. Tears burned her eyes, and she squeezed them tight, too angry to let them fall. He’d said he loved her, and she’d believed him. Like a damn idiot, she’d believed a rich and powerful man like Jacob Spalding had fallen in love with her. God, what a joke.
Of course, the humiliation she’d felt after seeing her face plastered on every rag mag at the checkout line with captions that read “Jacob Spalding Jr. found in the ‘bosom’ of small town America” and the like had been bad enough, but at least she’d been able to console herself with the knowledge that Matt loved her—despite the fact he still hadn’t called or stopped by. It was simply par for the course when you dated someone from that world.
Now, just thinking about the stories that were sure to follow once Matt was back in circulation was enough to tempt her into packing her bags and moving to Siberia. One thing was for damn sure, though. It would be a cold day in hell before she let another man into her life—or into her heart.
She took a deep, shuddering breath and climbed out of the car. She’d fix herself a sandwich, curl up on the couch, and finish the book she hadn’t been able to concentrate on for days. With any luck at all, she wouldn’t have to cry herself into an exhausted sleep again tonight.
Armed with a chicken salad sandwich and a can of Pringles, Carrie headed into the living. A movement outside caught her eye and she hurried over to peer out the window. Her plate slipped from her grasp and clattered to the counter. Sitting on the hammock was Matt. He had a bottle of water in one hand and a manila envelope in the other. Carrie hated the anticipation that quickened her pulse. Matt was here...but why? Then it dawned on her. To sell her back his
Lauren let out a soft chuckle. “Only you would be pissed off over a declaration of love.”
Carrie smiled reluctantly. “You did hear the ‘threatening me’ part, right?”
“Did you threaten him first?”
Lauren knew her so well. “Maybe. I was mad as hell, Laur. But after thinking about it, I just can’t figure out any other reason for him to say those words unless...unless he meant them.” New hope filled her chest to near bursting. Matt was gorgeous, smart, sexy, rich, and he wanted her .
“Carrie,” Lauren reached across the table and covered her hand. “Of course he meant it. Caleb knows Matt better than anyone in town and he thinks the world of him. And I trust Caleb’s instincts.”
“So, what do I do?”
“I think a more important question is, do you love him?”
So much so it hurt. “Yes.”
Lauren smiled and winked at her. “Then you wait until he’s worked up enough nerve to face you again, and magnanimously forgive him. And while we wait,” she added, grinning, “I tried a new pie recipe today—Orange Creamsicle.”
Carrie laughed softly. “Sounds like heaven.”
* * *
By Friday, the work on the coffee shop was complete. The new tables, chairs, and booths had been delivered and installed, the drive-thru window was ready to open. Yet Carrie still hadn’t heard from Matt. The contractor assured her everything had been paid in full, but that’s all he would say.
Carrie decided to take a drive past Matt’s house, and her heart dropped into her stomach with a splash. A For Sale sign was staked in the front yard. She stopped in the middle of the street and gazed at it in disbelief, praying her eyes were playing tricks on her. Realizing her sight was just fine, Carrie squealed her tires in her haste to get away, not caring if she left a block full of people gawking in her wake.
She drove home and parked in her garage, unable to move, unable to breathe. He’d left her. He’d told her he loved her, then left without so much as a “See ya later, it’s been fun.” The ache in her chest grew until she thought she would suffocate. Tears burned her eyes, and she squeezed them tight, too angry to let them fall. He’d said he loved her, and she’d believed him. Like a damn idiot, she’d believed a rich and powerful man like Jacob Spalding had fallen in love with her. God, what a joke.
Of course, the humiliation she’d felt after seeing her face plastered on every rag mag at the checkout line with captions that read “Jacob Spalding Jr. found in the ‘bosom’ of small town America” and the like had been bad enough, but at least she’d been able to console herself with the knowledge that Matt loved her—despite the fact he still hadn’t called or stopped by. It was simply par for the course when you dated someone from that world.
Now, just thinking about the stories that were sure to follow once Matt was back in circulation was enough to tempt her into packing her bags and moving to Siberia. One thing was for damn sure, though. It would be a cold day in hell before she let another man into her life—or into her heart.
She took a deep, shuddering breath and climbed out of the car. She’d fix herself a sandwich, curl up on the couch, and finish the book she hadn’t been able to concentrate on for days. With any luck at all, she wouldn’t have to cry herself into an exhausted sleep again tonight.
Armed with a chicken salad sandwich and a can of Pringles, Carrie headed into the living. A movement outside caught her eye and she hurried over to peer out the window. Her plate slipped from her grasp and clattered to the counter. Sitting on the hammock was Matt. He had a bottle of water in one hand and a manila envelope in the other. Carrie hated the anticipation that quickened her pulse. Matt was here...but why? Then it dawned on her. To sell her back his
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