going.”
Mike raised one sexy eyebrow. “Well, personally I like it better --”
“Don’t you even say it, you beast!” she said, climbing into her car. “Heavens, I’ve become involved with an animal.”
“Aw, come on now, Carrie,” he said, leaning in over her door, “you know you love it.”
The truth was she did. But for now, she decided, the satisfaction of that knowledge would be hers and hers alone.
****
Chapter Twelve
Carrie unfolded the tissue and heartily blew her nose. “Oh. Grandma Russell,” she sobbed. “It’s no use. There isn’t going to be any wedding!" She’d decided it was time. Time to tell the truth about the whole sordid affair. Now that she’d fallen in love with Mike, she couldn’t have her grandmother go on thinking he was Wilson. And -- with Wilson out of the picture -- there was that little matter of a wedding to cancel. Something that she’d been putting off and putting off, and finding excuses not to do.
“Now, now, honey,” her grandmother said, reassuringly patting her hand. “Don’t go blowing things all out of proportion like you sometimes do. I swear, you must get that from your Aunt Nellie.”
Grandma Russell leaned forward and lifted her china tea cup off the low table top in front of them. “Drink your chamomile, dear. It will make you feel better.”
Carrie wrung her tissue in exasperation. Her grandmother apparently hadn’t heard a word she’d said. She’d come here first to confess and secondly to beg moral support. Possibly even to seek approval -- and forgiveness -- for her new choice. But all she’d received thus far had been tea and crumpets with some prattle on pre-wedding-day jitters.
“You don’t understand,” Carrie sniffed. “Tonight’s the big night.”
“The reunion. Very sweet.” Grandma Russell smiled, as if in fond remembrance. Dear Wilson told us all about it. He was so very proud at the prospect of having you on his arm. Never knew that New York man of yours had such local roots." She shrugged with a thoughtful smile. “Well, I suppose that does explain the accent.”
Carrie set down her tea cup and rummaged through her purse for her aspirin.
“If you ask me,” her grandmother offered, unsolicited. “You keep popping those things, you gonna get a hole in your stomach.”
Carrie ignored that bit of advice and downed two tablets with her, by now, room temperature tea. “It’s not just the reunion, grandmother. It’s looking serious. He’s taking me to meet his father!”
“Wonderful!” Grandma Russell said, clapping her hands together. She paused a moment, looking puzzled. “Are you saying you’ve not yet met him? And what do you mean by serious. Of course, it’s serious. You’re getting married, aren’t you?”
“No,” Carrie said, dropping her eyes to the sofa and wishing with all her might she could sink right between its cushions. “No Grandmother, I’m so sorry. There isn’t going to be any wedding.”
Grandma Russell set her cup down so firmly on its saucer the two pieces rattled. “Nonsense, Carrie girl! That’s just pre--”
“Grandma,” Carrie said, looking up through streaming eyes. “No. I’m sorry. Really, really sorry I waited until now to tell you. But, I...”
Her lower lip began a violent tremble that prevented her from finishing.
Grandma Russell turned sideways and swept her into her arms. “There, there, child. Everything’s going to be alright. I promise it will. Nothing at all that Wilson could have done could merit all this. There is always a way --”
“He left me, Grandmother,” Carrie said, finally finding her voice. “Just like that. No warning at all. And,” she said, her voice taking on a renewed tremble. “For another woman.”
Grandma Russell stiffened in shock. “That letch! I never in a million years would have believed that charming man capable of --”
“Not that charming man,” Carrie corrected with a shake of
Mike raised one sexy eyebrow. “Well, personally I like it better --”
“Don’t you even say it, you beast!” she said, climbing into her car. “Heavens, I’ve become involved with an animal.”
“Aw, come on now, Carrie,” he said, leaning in over her door, “you know you love it.”
The truth was she did. But for now, she decided, the satisfaction of that knowledge would be hers and hers alone.
****
Chapter Twelve
Carrie unfolded the tissue and heartily blew her nose. “Oh. Grandma Russell,” she sobbed. “It’s no use. There isn’t going to be any wedding!" She’d decided it was time. Time to tell the truth about the whole sordid affair. Now that she’d fallen in love with Mike, she couldn’t have her grandmother go on thinking he was Wilson. And -- with Wilson out of the picture -- there was that little matter of a wedding to cancel. Something that she’d been putting off and putting off, and finding excuses not to do.
“Now, now, honey,” her grandmother said, reassuringly patting her hand. “Don’t go blowing things all out of proportion like you sometimes do. I swear, you must get that from your Aunt Nellie.”
Grandma Russell leaned forward and lifted her china tea cup off the low table top in front of them. “Drink your chamomile, dear. It will make you feel better.”
Carrie wrung her tissue in exasperation. Her grandmother apparently hadn’t heard a word she’d said. She’d come here first to confess and secondly to beg moral support. Possibly even to seek approval -- and forgiveness -- for her new choice. But all she’d received thus far had been tea and crumpets with some prattle on pre-wedding-day jitters.
“You don’t understand,” Carrie sniffed. “Tonight’s the big night.”
“The reunion. Very sweet.” Grandma Russell smiled, as if in fond remembrance. Dear Wilson told us all about it. He was so very proud at the prospect of having you on his arm. Never knew that New York man of yours had such local roots." She shrugged with a thoughtful smile. “Well, I suppose that does explain the accent.”
Carrie set down her tea cup and rummaged through her purse for her aspirin.
“If you ask me,” her grandmother offered, unsolicited. “You keep popping those things, you gonna get a hole in your stomach.”
Carrie ignored that bit of advice and downed two tablets with her, by now, room temperature tea. “It’s not just the reunion, grandmother. It’s looking serious. He’s taking me to meet his father!”
“Wonderful!” Grandma Russell said, clapping her hands together. She paused a moment, looking puzzled. “Are you saying you’ve not yet met him? And what do you mean by serious. Of course, it’s serious. You’re getting married, aren’t you?”
“No,” Carrie said, dropping her eyes to the sofa and wishing with all her might she could sink right between its cushions. “No Grandmother, I’m so sorry. There isn’t going to be any wedding.”
Grandma Russell set her cup down so firmly on its saucer the two pieces rattled. “Nonsense, Carrie girl! That’s just pre--”
“Grandma,” Carrie said, looking up through streaming eyes. “No. I’m sorry. Really, really sorry I waited until now to tell you. But, I...”
Her lower lip began a violent tremble that prevented her from finishing.
Grandma Russell turned sideways and swept her into her arms. “There, there, child. Everything’s going to be alright. I promise it will. Nothing at all that Wilson could have done could merit all this. There is always a way --”
“He left me, Grandmother,” Carrie said, finally finding her voice. “Just like that. No warning at all. And,” she said, her voice taking on a renewed tremble. “For another woman.”
Grandma Russell stiffened in shock. “That letch! I never in a million years would have believed that charming man capable of --”
“Not that charming man,” Carrie corrected with a shake of
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