Page 14 of Christmas in His Arms

"Oh, just Marge being nosy again. I swear this town is cursed. How anyone in this place ever keeps a secret is beyond me." I rubbed my face and leaned back in my seat.

My own words felt like a vise on my chest. They could very well become a self-fulfilling prophecy if I wasn't careful. Carrie and I had sex right on my kitchen counter, and while there were no cameras to record it or spying eyes to see it happen, just the fact that her father's car was parked in my driveway was enough. The town knew Walter was in no condition to drive, and they'd either start rumors about Helen cheating on Walter with me or they'd figure it out and start talking about Carrie being at my house.

"Yeah, well ignore her. People like to talk, and most of the time, they're just entertaining themselves. There are men like me who don't give a fuck, and those are the ones who matter." Sam sounded like a smart guy, but he'd never been at the receiving end of the gossip mill destroying a reputation.

I changed the subject and got us focused on running numbers and the tax prep that was happening, but my mind was still lingering on the interaction with Carrie. I wondered what she was thinking today and how she was feeling. I also wondered if there really would be a "next time" like she said. I was more than willing to pursue this and see where it went, even though I knew Walter would have his strong opinions.

Carrie was a grown woman and more than capable of making this decision for herself. I knew Walter, and I knew how he felt about his daughter. If she told him she wanted this, he'd be unhappy about it, but he'd support her. Helen was another story, but I'd cross that bridge if I came to it. Right now, all I wanted was a conversation with Carrie to find out if there would even be a next time for us, and if so, what that might mean.

11

CARRIE

Ilay sprawled on my bed with my phone propped up on the nightstand facing me. Ethan sat on the subway with his wired headset plugged into his phone for our video chat. I missed him so much. It'd been weeks since we spoke, and I never really got a chance to tell him all the details yet. When he called me over an hour ago, I almost burst into tears. I missed life in Chicago.

"It's so good that your dad is doing better now. I was so worried." Ethan was such a sweetheart. He'd sent me good morning texts every day, and while my regular text-message updates kept me connected to him, this call made me so homesick for my life in the city.

"How did the date go with Jack?" I asked, purposefully using the wrong name. I liked to pick on him and he knew I did it with love.

"It's Jake," he said with a playfully harsh tone. "And we've been out a few times now. He's a good guy, but I'm just not feeling it. Might have to let him down easy." Ethan frowned at me, and I chuckled.

"You're such a perfectionist. You're never going to find a guy if you're so picky," I chided softly, but even as I did, my mind drifted to Ryan and what happened on Sunday.

It was Thanksgiving Day, and the week had been so busy with Dad's therapy and doctor's appointments, not to mention Mom and her church friends prepping for the Christmas bazaar and forcing me to help. I'd barely spoken to anyone, Ryan included. He stopped by to bring Mom something, but I was out.

"You have room to talk, Momma. You can't even land a real date. One-night stands don't count. When are you going to find someone?"

I reached over and turned the volume on my phone down a few notches so Mom and Dad didn't overhear my conversation. They were downstairs in the living room, and Mom hadn't even been upstairs in two days since moving everything down to the guest room downstairs, but I knew where this conversation was headed and I wasn't taking any chances.

"So, I'm sure this is just a fling and nothing will come of it, but I met someone." I was giddy inside at the idea of telling Ethan about Ryan. I hadn't said a word to a single soul and I was bursting with emotion. There was no way in hell I'd ever tell anyone here in Evergreen, but Ethan was hundreds of miles away in Chicago. My secret was safe with him.

"Oh, girl, now you know you have to dish."

I was so happy to finally have someone to talk to about all of this. It felt like I'd bottled up a year's worth of nervous energy as I spilled all the juicy details of how Ryan flirted with me and how sweet and kind he was. And I even told Ethan how Ryan stopped by to shovel the walk and help the family. When it got to thepart about the hot sex on his counter, followed by round two in Ryan's bed, Ethan was just as giddy as I was.

"Sounds like you're graduating," he joked. "My girl has moved on from single flings to something more serious. Now tell me… What does he look like?" Ethan, more than anyone else in my life, was always so supportive. I was a bit nervous to tell him how old Ryan was, but I knew he'd take it in stride. He was so non-judgmental like that.

"Well, brace yourself," I told him, taking a deep breath. "He's forty-five." I bit my lower lip, and Ethan shrugged his shoulders.

"And?" he asked, leaning in. "I want to know what he looks like, honey. I have to picture this hunk who's stolen your heart."

I snickered again, thankful I had the best friend in the world. "He's so cute, and my God, his body is ripped. You'd be jealous."

Ethan and I carried on for a bit longer. He asked me details about Ryan and then cautioned me to be upfront and honest, not only with Ryan about what I might want, but also my parents. Thankfully, the conversation had mostly shifted back to the topic of when I might return to Chicago when Mom knocked on the door.

"Oh, gosh, I gotta go, Ethan. I'll text you later." I reached for my phone to end the call, but Ethan had one more thing to say.

"Oh! I forgot!" he said excitedly. Mom was already opening the door up, and I sat up holding my phone in my hands, praying his "one more thing" wasn't about Ryan. "I saw this epic marketing job available in New York and I put your resume in. I hope you don’t hate me."

"What?" I smiled at him, feeling honored that he'd think of me. "Why would I hate you? What firm is it with? How soon are they hiring?" Just hearing about this made me feel hopeful. Not that I didn't love working at Cox, but if Ethan thought this was a step up, I trusted him.

"It's Ogilvy, babe. They need a brand strategist, and they're hiring new creative directors." His words were music to my ears. I couldn't believe my luck.

I glanced up at Mom with a grin on my face, but she not only didn't have a clue how huge this could be, but she also didn't look happy to hear the news. Just seeing her glower at me as she listened to Ethan talk made me feel sad instead of energized.

"Okay, I’ll call you later, Ethan. I have to go now." I waited for him to say goodbye, then I stashed my phone on the nightstand and climbed off the bed. "What's up?" I asked her, pushing my hands into my jeans pockets. I knew she'd been cooking all morning to prepare our Thanksgiving Day feast and wondered if she needed some help.

"I'd like you to come downstairs for dinner… Everything is ready now, and Ryan just got here." Even the tone of her voice was stiff and cold now. She was clearly upset about Ethan talking me up for a job even farther away from home, and while I knew the conversation would be had, I hoped she'd have the courtesy of bringing it up another time when we had more time to actually discuss what it might mean. I didn't even know Ethan had done that.

---