A Soldier's Return (8 page)

“Thank you,” she said coolly. “Too bad Jim didn’t stay here and get some work done, instead of wasting his time keeping me company.”

Jim stood stiffly beside Carrie’s desk. “I didn’t waste my time. I learned quite a bit by working with you.”

“Go learn from Will!” Carrie snapped. “I’m busy!”

W
HAT WAS WRONG
with the man? How dare he try to get on her good side by flattering her? She was trying so hard to keep her distance. It was so tempting to believe that he meant those casual words. But she wasn’t that gullible.

For the next hour she worked hard to concentrate on her job. Unfortunately none of the shots she’d taken at the Riley’s had proven helpful. Instead, she worked on other cases for the insurance companies.

Jim, after going into Will’s office for a few minutes, came back out and began organizing his desk. Even though he was ignoring her, he was distracting. Today he was wearing khaki pants and a knit shirt that hugged his broad chest and drew attention to his brown eyes. His dark hair framed a strong face, with dark brows.

Carrie sighed. She didn’t need to look at him. From all the time she’d stared at his picture on her desk—the
picture she’d safely stored away days ago—she knew exactly what he looked like. His handsome image was branded on her mind.

As she worked on the computer, she could hear Jim moving around, his well-conditioned body doing so effortlessly.

It made her picture his body. Stop it! she ordered herself, but she couldn’t get him out of her mind. He’d lived there too long before he even came home. Somehow, her dream Jim had filled in all the lonely parts of her life, and it was hard to keep him out now.

When it was almost five, she began putting things away. She’d fought the good fight long enough. She could only hope he’d go out on his own frequently.

Or maybe he’d decide this job wasn’t for him.

No, she couldn’t hope that. It would be devastating if Jim went away. But maybe it would be better than dying a slow death watching him find someone to love and marry.

She cleared her desk as she debated her choices.

“Is it time to leave, Carrie?” Jim asked.

“I thought we’d wrap things up, since we still have to do your grocery shopping.”

“Oh, yeah. I’d almost forgotten.” Jim hurriedly cleared his desk and stood, walking to Will’s office.

“We’re getting ready to go, Will. Carrie is going to take me grocery shopping.”

“I’m ready to go, too.” As he stood, Will added, “When I talked to Vivian a little while ago, she said there was a front moving in. A big storm is supposed to hit in an hour or so. Could be rain.”

Jim frowned. “This is Dallas. I thought it was always warm here in late October.”

Carrie smiled but said nothing.

“Wrong, Jim. In Dallas, the weather frequently changes. You have a jacket?”

“Not really. I have to shop for that, too.” He turned to Carrie. “Did you hear what Will said about the weather?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want to skip the grocery shopping until the weather is better?” he asked in concern.

“Don’t be silly, Jim. I don’t melt just because it’s raining. Besides, we might finish our shopping before the storm gets here. Ready?”

“Yeah. We’re going, Will.”

Will came out of his office. “You two could come to dinner at the house and shop another day.”

“No, we’re going to get it done tonight. Thanks, anyway,” Carrie said briskly. She didn’t want any future evenings spent with Jim. That would be too much.

When they reached the parking lot, Carrie automatically looked at the sky. There were storm clouds gathering in the northwest. She walked faster.

Once she and Jim were in her car, she told him they were going to the grocery store closest to their apartments.

“Is there something in particular you’re looking for?”

He gave her a surprised look. “No, not at all. I’m a beginning cook. Maybe you could help me learn a few tricks,” he said, looking at her expectantly.

She swallowed hard and looked away. “Actually, I believe in going to an expert when I want to learn something. I suggest you ask Betty for cooking tips.”

“Good idea,” Jim said, as if pleased with her suggestion.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she pulled her car into the grocery store parking lot.

The next half hour was more fun than Carrie expected. While shopping, Jim teased her about her taste for boxed macaroni and cheese, and peas. He’d had enough of them in the military to last a lifetime. She couldn’t help but laugh when he shared some of the horror stories from the mess hall.

When they came out of the grocery store, each carrying two bags of groceries, they discovered the temperature had dropped drastically and the storm clouds had come closer.

“We’d better hurry,” Carrie urged.

They stored the bags in the hatchback and jumped in the car. Carrie took the shortest route home.

Just as they got there, the clouds opened up and the rain poured down.

“Run on in, Carrie. I’ll bring the bags,” Jim ordered, assuming she’d do as he said.

“Don’t be ridiculous. If we each take two bags, there won’t be a need for a second trip.” She looked outside the window at the driving rain. “But we’ll need to hurry.”

“Okay, if you’re sure.”

They got out of the car and ran to the back of it, each gathering up the paper bags. Then they raced to the shelter of the apartment hallway.

When they reached safety from the storm, they skidded into each other, both laughing at their antics. Water
was dripping off their hair onto their faces as they grinned at each other.

Suddenly Jim stopped laughing and stepped closer, lowering his head to Carrie’s for a kiss, inch by tantalizing inch.

Everything went into slow motion as Carrie stood there, mesmerized by Jim’s chocolate-brown eyes. She could feel his breath on her face, smell his musky scent, and her heart leapt in anticipation of his lips on hers. She already knew what they would feel like. Hadn’t she dreamed of his kisses for over a year?

Jim was a hairsbreadth away from her mouth when she suddenly realized what she was about to do. Kiss Jim Barlow? That was exactly what she wasn’t supposed to do. At the last minute, she pulled back and stammered, “W-we’d better get these groceries up to your apartment before they spoil.”

With that she spun away from him and raced up the flight of stairs. She heard Jim follow a few moments later, leaving her to wait by his door, her heart pounding not from her run up the steps but from their near-kiss.

When Jim came up alongside her to unlock the door, she sidestepped him and then zipped inside the open door, setting her bags on the kitchen counter. Then she hurried back to the door, skirting around Jim as he entered.

“Well, good luck. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said hastily as she exited the apartment.

“Carrie!” Jim called in protest, but she ignored him. She was heading for safety to her own apartment with the door locked behind her. No more temptation tonight. She’d almost made a big mistake, and she wasn’t taking any more risks.

“D
AMN
!” J
IM MUTTERED
under his breath as he stood, his hands on his hips, in his empty kitchen. He hadn’t intended to— No, he had to be honest. He had wanted to kiss Carrie. She’d looked so cute with rain dripping off her hair, her eyes shining, a big smile on those lips. Yeah, he’d wanted to taste them. To feel her warmth against him.

What was wrong with him? He’d told himself that he shouldn’t fall for another woman. It would only cause heartache and pain. Who knew what would happen if he let himself fall for Carrie?

He couldn’t do that to her.

Sighing, he began putting away his groceries. Maybe he’d been too long without a woman. Yeah, that was it. It couldn’t have anything to do with Carrie’s beauty, her intelligence, her strengths. No, nothing to do with those things.

With a wry laugh, he paused in his activity. Okay, so now that he’d been honest with himself, what was he going to do about it? He couldn’t pursue her. Not after she’d indicated she didn’t want anything to do with him. She was his sister’s best friend. He was going to have to be around her. Hell, he’d even arranged to work with her.

Talk about making a mess of things!

Should he tell Will he didn’t want the job? But he did. It seemed to him the job was suited to his particular skills. He felt comfortable with Will. He didn’t want to walk away.

He didn’t want to leave Carrie.

Whoa! That was one of those thoughts he needed to bury deep within him. His future might lie with Will and Carrie for work, but not personally. He needed to keep that in mind.

A
T THE OFFICE
the next morning, everything seemed to have calmed down, much to Carrie’s relief. She’d made sure she’d left the apartment before Jim could ask for any favors. She thought it was strange that neither he nor Will had come to the office, but she was sure they were both busy.

As she was determined to be.

She was so successful, she almost didn’t notice the men’s footsteps until they reached the office. She looked up, a smile on her lips. “Good morning.”

“Hi, Carrie,” Will called out cheerfully. “Come see Jim’s new car!”

“Oh! I forgot— Was I supposed to drop you off to pick it up? I didn’t think—”

“It’s okay, Carrie,” Jim responded. “Will volunteered to drive me.”

“Wait until you see it, Carrie. It’s great. I’m thinking of getting one just like it,” Will said.

“Will Vivian like that?” She couldn’t quite picture the delicate and elegant Vivian climbing into an SUV.

Will grinned wryly. “Probably not. But you’ll like it. Come see.”

She couldn’t refuse Will’s enthusiastic invitation, unless she wanted to look like a sourpuss. So she followed them down the stairs to the parking lot, where Jim had parked his new blue SUV. He unlocked it and insisted Carrie get behind the wheel.

“Jim, I’ll never be driving it. Why should I—”

“You never know, Carrie,” Will said. “Jim could borrow your car for surveillance and you’d have to drive his. But it wouldn’t be a problem for you. See? You’re a perfect fit.”

“It’s very nice, Jim,” she assured him as she slid down from the high-profile vehicle. “Now I’d better get back to work.”

Will shot Jim a puzzled look. “Did something happen last night?” he asked when Carrie had left them.

“What do you mean?” Jim replied, his gaze fastened on the door through which Carrie had disappeared.

“Come on, man, you know what I mean. Did you and Carrie have another argument?”

Jim turned to look at Will, pulling his thoughts together. “No, not at all. In fact, our grocery shopping was quite successful.” Then, crossing his fingers that he’d manage to distract Will, he said, “She suggested I ask Betty for cooking lessons. What do you think?”

“Good idea. Betty will like that.”

“Oh, terrific. Well, as Carrie said, we’d better get to work. My week is almost up. I’d like to have something to show for it.”

“V
IV, IS
V
ANESSA THERE
?” Will asked when his wife answered the phone.

“Why, yes, she is. Why?”

“I need to ask her something.”

As soon as her mother passed the phone to her, Vanessa asked, “Hello, Will. What’s up?”

“Honey, have you talked to Carrie lately?”

“Sure. I saw her night before last when she and Jim got in from shopping. It was like Christmas, they had so many packages.” She chuckled.

“Did you talk to her alone?”

“Not really. Why? Is something wrong?” Vanessa asked, alarm rising.

“I don’t know. But she hasn’t seemed the same since Jim got here. I want him to work with us, but…I owe my loyalty to Carrie. Can you try to find out what’s going on?”

“Sure. I’ll ask her to lunch today. Is that all right?”

“That would be great.”

After hanging up the phone, Vanessa turned a puzzled face to her mother. “Will is concerned that there’s something going on between Jim and Carrie.”

“Did he indicate anything in particular?”

Vanessa frowned. “He said Carrie hadn’t been the same since Jim got here. He wants them all to work well together, but…”

“And I thought my husband was a smart man,” Vivian said with a laugh.

“What, Mom? What do you mean?”

“Have you looked at your brother lately?”

“Well, of course I have. He’s so handsome— You’re saying Carrie is attracted to him?”

“Is she alive?” Vivian drawled. “Any red-blooded American woman would be.”

“But that would be perfect!” Vanessa exclaimed. “Then Carrie would really be part of the family!”

“That would certainly be a happy ending. But are you sure Carrie would risk that ending?”

“What do you mean, Mom? Why not?”

“Because if she misjudged Jim’s response, what would happen? They would have to work together. Spend their free time together if they were associating with the family. Carrie could lose everything if she fell for Jim and he didn’t fall for her.”

“What are we going to do? I don’t want to lose Carrie again. Or Jim, either.”

Vivian patted her daughter’s shoulder. “Of course not. Here’s what you need to do.”

C
ARRIE ANSWERED
the phone. “Greenfield and Associates.”

“Carrie, it’s Vanessa. Do you have time for lunch today?”

“Not really, Vanessa. I’m in the middle of something. How about next week?”

“It’s important, Carrie. Can’t you work me in today?”

Not wanting to disappoint her friend, Carrie said, “Okay, but we have to make it quick.”

“Great! I’ll see you at eleven-thirty.”

Carrie hung up the phone, puzzlement on her face. What was so important that Vanessa just had to see her?

“Anything wrong?” Jim asked from his desk.

Carrie jerked her head up and looked at him. “No. Nothing is wrong.”

Will came out of his office, having just gotten off the other line. “Was that Ned Browning? I’ve been waiting for him to call.”

“No, it was Vanessa. She wants me to go to lunch.”

Will turned to Jim. “I guess we’ll go when you get back. That okay with you?”

“Sure. I ate breakfast this morning. There’s no hurry.”

“Did you cook it yourself?” Will asked with a grin.

Jim returned the laugh and went along with the joke. “Absolutely. I boiled an egg and made toast. I’m a fast learner.”

“Carrie taught you that?”

“No, I figured it out on my own,” Jim immediately said, but his gaze shifted to Carrie.

Quickly she looked down at the papers on her desk. It was important that she not be involved in Jim’s personal life. It was bad enough that she had to work with him every day.

The phone rang again. This time it was the call Will was waiting for.

“Thanks, Carrie. I’ll take it in my office.” He entered his office and closed the door.

“Who is Browning?” Jim asked.

“He’s head of security for Global Life,” she said as she turned back toward her computer.

Before she could actually get started, Jim asked, “Have I done something wrong?”

Carrie spun back around and stared at him. “No! I
mean, I didn’t see you this morning so, of course, you didn’t.”

“And last night?”

“No. We both got a little wet, but I dried out just fine. Nothing to worry about,” she insisted, but she avoided looking at him.

“Guess I just imagined it,” Jim said.

Carrie risked a quick glance at his handsome face. Then she buried her nose in her work and didn’t look up until Vanessa arrived.

“Big brother!” she exclaimed, and hugged Jim’s neck as he stood to greet her.

“Hi, Vanessa. How are you?”

“I’m fine. I just visited Rebecca and little Jamie. She wants to know when you’re going to pay them a call.”

“I’ve had a lot to get settled, but I plan on dropping by soon.”

“Good. That’s what I told her.” Vanessa smiled at Jim and turned to Carrie. “Are you ready for lunch?”

“Let me just shut down my computer, and I’ll be ready,” Carrie said as she closed the file she’d been working on. Then she shut down the computer and stood.

“I’ll be back in an hour,” she said to Jim. Without waiting for a reply, she strode out of the office, but not before seeing Vanessa look over her shoulder and wink at her brother on her way out.

“H
OW’S EVERYTHING
going?” Vanessa asked casually after they ordered.

“Fine. Everything’s fine.”

“Good. I’m so thrilled that Jim is here.”

“Maybe you should’ve asked
him
to lunch instead of me.” Carrie regretted her words as soon as she heard them, but it was too late to take them back.

“Carrie, is something wrong?”

“No. I mean—everyone keeps asking me what’s wrong. Nothing’s wrong. I’m just trying to do my job.”

“And I’m sure you’re doing a good job. Will always has high praise for your work,” Vanessa said soothingly.

Carrie drew a deep breath. “I’m sorry for what I said. I’m a little on edge this morning, that’s all.”

“That’s okay,” Vanessa said with a smile. “I guess you’re wondering why I invited you to lunch. I want to pick your brain.”

Carrie’s eyes widened. “About what? Don’t tell me you want to become a P.I., too?”

“No, of course not. But I want Jim to stay here and to be happy.”

“He seems happy to me,” Carrie replied.

The waiter interrupted their conversation to deliver their meals. Carrie immediately began eating.

“I know, but he doesn’t know anyone here except us, of course. I was thinking of having a party and inviting some eligible friends.”

“Eligible?” Carrie asked, but the word stuck in her throat.

“Yeah. You know, single. I want Jim to find someone to settle down with, to be happy with.”

“And you think he needs help?”

“Well, Carrie, he only knows family. We’ve got to ex
pand his horizons a little. So tell me, what do you think about the women on this list?” She pulled a folded piece of paper from her purse.

Carrie started to refuse. Then she reached for the paper and unfolded it. “Stella? She’s not single.”

“Yes, she is. She and her boyfriend broke up.”

“Well, there’s no way I’d introduce her to
my
brother.”

“Silly, of course not. You don’t have a brother.”

“Yes, but she’s a Dolly Parton wannabe!”

“I think Dolly is a very nice person. She’s always so sweet to everyone.” Vanessa smiled.

“You can’t say that about Stella!”

“Maybe not, but—but Stella has two large assets that men appreciate.”

Carrie shoved the paper back to Vanessa. She picked up her fork and continued eating, only saying, “Your list is fine. I’m sure Jim will enjoy meeting so many eligible ladies.”

“Well, when shall we have it?”

Carrie looked up, surprised. “Who is ‘we’, Tonto?”

“You and me, of course. I thought we’d play hostesses for the party. We can have it at my house and Betty will provide the food. We’ll have to figure out what we can do to keep everyone having fun.”

“Why don’t you hire a band and roll up the rug in the family room? That should keep things hopping,” Carrie suggested.

“Good idea! Now, let’s see—”

“Vanessa, I was kidding. Poor Danny wouldn’t get any sleep if you did that.”

“Oops, I forgot about my baby brother. Okay, we’ll just play CDs but we can dance. That would be fun.”

“I—I don’t think I’ll be able to come.”

“How can you say that? We haven’t even picked a date yet.”

“You know I’m not a party person, Vanessa. I never have been.”

“But Jim will need all the support he can get.”

“With all the women fawning over him? I don’t think so.”

“We’re going to invite some men, too, of course. There wouldn’t be much dancing going on with only Jim there. Shall I make a list of men we know?”