Page 38 of Carly's Heart

“I saw the necklace you gave her at the hospital. Oh, I didn’t know it was from you at first, but she let it slip that aside from Tanya and I, you were her only guest. I expected you to make a move then, but you didn’t.”

“How could I put that pressure on a new mom? I was falling harder for her; I didn’t want to make her life more difficult. Though I tried to help her when I could.”

“It’s impressive how you stayed away until her life was back under control. You treated her like a pesky sister. That had to be difficult. Then there were days when you hung out in the shadows. Watching. Eavesdropping. I swear to the good Lord above, I wanted to slap you silly and tell you to get your crap together and ask her out.”

“I wish you would have.”

She leaned back and mock slapped his arm. “Come on, son. You’ve got a woman to woo, and I have a future granddaughter to play with.”

Standing side by side, they knocked on the condo door. “Just a minute,” Carly called from inside. Thirty seconds later footsteps sounded behind the door. They were followed by a shuffling sound and a click as the door unlocked.

“Birch? Helen? What are you doing here? Is something wrong.” She looked frantically behind them as if disaster approached.

His mom bustled forward. “Absolutely, you aren’t ready.”

“Um, ready for what?” she asked.

“Why for your date, of course. Run along, get dressed in something pretty so Birch can take you out to dinner. I’ll stay here and play with Layla.”

Birch hid a smile at Carly’s confusion. “What?” she asked.

“I made us reservations for dinner.”

“But ... you didn’t even invite me. A woman needs some warning.”

“It’s a surprise dinner. I left nothing to chance. I even brought Layla’s favorite babysitter.”

Her confusion morphed into a grin. “Okay. Two minutes. Come in.” She darted up the stairs toward the bedrooms.

“Layla, Grandma’s here. Come give me a hug.”

“Grandma Helen,” Layla screeched as she ran out of the kitchen and flung herself into his mom’s arms. It was beautiful to see the love between the two. Pretty soon, if he had his way, he’d marry Carly, call Layla his daughter, and they’d be a real family. Not that he could love them any more than he did already. Layla was the child of his heart.

His mom was right. He’d waited way too long, played it too safe. He should have asked Carly out two years ago. He was on the right track now, and tonight was his chance to show her how important she was to him.

He sat on the sofa to wait. The condo had changed a lot since she moved in. The tattered sofa and chair were gone. They’d been replaced with sturdy brown leather pieces. The tables were a bit beat up, but solid wood. The boxes of books had filled not one, but two, bookcases which made an L-shape in the corner. Brightly colored quilts hung on the couch and both chairs. There were tiny quilts on the walls along with pictures of Layla and some decorative art prints. Every inch of the room reflected Carly’s personality. It was comfortable and homey.

The two minutes she asked for turned to five, then to ten. He was getting anxious. What was she doing up there? He didn’t worry about the reservation he’d made. His high school friend Vince owned Flax and Fig, Elk Valley’s top dinner spot. It wasn’t super fancy, but it wasn’t the diner either. It had a nice ambiance and was great for dates. Sort of an upscale pub.

He’d never taken a woman there before. He’d dated a bit while Carly was married, but as soon as she left her husband, all dating stopped. He didn’t have the heart for it anymore. Not when the woman he dreamed about was potentially available.

Fifteen minutes after Carly went upstairs, his mother and Layla were cooking noodles for dinner while he paced the living room, impatiently waiting. The light tap of a heel drew his attention to the stairs. He pivoted so fast he saw stars.

Carly came down step by step. With each stair she descended, she stole more of his breath. Her short flirty skirt showed off her long sexy legs and she wore her sparkly shoes from the wedding. Sweet heaven. His brain fell out when all his blood rushed south.

“Do I look okay?” she asked nervously and twirled in a circle. Her skirt spun higher exposing more leg while the stretchy fabric of her top enhanced every curve to perfection.

He swallowed hard. “Wow!” he whispered and cleared his throat. “You look...”

“Mama, you look like a fairy princess. You’re so beautiful.” She clasped her hands together in glee.

“I can’t say it better than that,” Birch declared. His fingers itched to touch her curls. He’d brushed against them enough times to know that they were silky soft and he wanted more. He strode forward to meet her at the bottom of the stairs. He brushed a kiss on her cheek. “You look amazing.”

“Thank you.” She blushed. “You look pretty good too.” She straightened his tie. “New suit?”

“Guilty.” He was thrilled that she noticed. “Mom, we’ll be gone a couple hours.”

“Don’t hurry home, dear,” she said. “Layla, say goodbye to your mom and Uncle Birch. You’ll be sleeping when she gets home. You two have a good time.”

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