Created In Fire (Art of Love Series) (28 page)

“I’ve known Michael a long time, even though we just got together a few months ago. There are just some men that turn out to be your destiny no matter how much you think otherwise,” Carrie said quietly. “Or how temporary or permanent they end up being for you. The Larson men make an impact.”

“Well, maybe UK contains Dr. Destiny for me. I’ve told Mom I’m going to marry a tenured professor. I have an interview there tomorrow,” Brooke said. “If I get the job, I’ll be moving back to Lexington.”

The front door banged opened with Michael leading the pack carrying a box almost as big as he was. He was followed in by Will and Jessica carrying other packages. It took three trips until it was all in the house.

“Wonder what on earth all that is?” Carrie mused aloud, laughing as she watched.

“Baby furniture, isn’t it?” Brooke asked, not missing the genuine shocked expression suddenly covering Carrie’s blushing face. “Mom wanted me to come help with assembly tonight. She said we’d have pizza and beer and put it together this evening.”

“Oh,” Carrie said, overwhelmed. “I guess I forgot. Wow. Baby furniture. Of course.”

“Carrie? You’re not going to pass out on me are you? Your eyes just went glassy,” Brooke said, alarmed.

Carrie shook herself. “No. No—I’m okay. The doctor said I had a blood sugar issue. I just get a bit dizzy at times, but I’m okay. Really. I’m okay.”

“Well, I imagine with the wedding on Saturday, you have a lot going on this week,” Brooke said softly.

“Yes,” Carrie told her. “I have a lot going on.”

And furniture for the baby that she still hadn’t really accepted yet was low on Carrie’s list of stressful things to handle.

“Brooke, I’m going to have to be rude and go lie down for a while. It was nice to meet you. Sorry I was bitchy when I came in,” Carrie said, standing and leaning on the table until the dizziness passed.

“Forget that. Need some help?” Brooke asked, concerned again at her weaving form.

“I use the wall to help me when I need it,” Carrie said. “I’ll see you later. Michael will probably wake me when the pizza comes anyway. He’s obsessed with feeding me.”

“Nice problem to have,” Brooke told her, happy when she smiled.

“I suppose it is,” Carrie said, leaning one hand on the wall as she went down the hall to the bedroom.

When she got there, she collapsed on the bed and lay very still until the room stopped spinning.

Chapter 19

Friday morning, Michael’s brother and best man came over early. Shane was supposed to be helping with last minute preparations, but Michael thought his brother’s mind seemed to be on everything else but the wedding.

“Sorry I missed her. What’s she like?” Shane asked, retrieving Michael’s drawing pad from the top of the refrigerator.

“I see I’m going to have to find another hiding place for my paper,” Michael said, remembering hiding his art supplies from Shane throughout their childhood.

Shane would take the finest grain artist paper and doodle cartoons all over it without any idea how murderously expensive it was. Michael had finally bought his brother a box of printer paper. At five hundred pages a ream, it had kept Shane occupied for quite some time. Maybe it was time to stock up on it again.

“I’ll buy you a new pad. I need to draw,” Shane told him, taking the tablet to the table. “You were going to tell me about Brooke.”

Michael narrowed his eyes. “Brooke looks like a younger version of Jessica. She has a warped sense of humor, but seems to be a keen judge of character. I don’t think much gets by her. How come you didn’t show up to meet her and help us?”

“Deadline,” Shane said. “I’m blowing it. Depression is hell on creativity. That whole depressed artist thing is bullshit. I am ten times better when I’m moderately happy.”

“This is still about the girl you picked up isn’t it?” Michael asked, bringing two cups of coffee to the table.

“Not girl—woman. Don’t make me talk about her. She’s all I think about as it is,” Shane said. “Go ahead and laugh. You cursed me and it came true.”

Michael sipped his coffee. “A couple weeks ago I probably would have laughed, but I’m a humbled man. I live every day knowing Carrie doesn’t really want to be married to me or to be pregnant with my child.”

Shane stopped drawing and looked at Michael. “You still going through with the wedding with all those doubts?”

“Yes,” Michael said sadly. “Even if she doesn’t love me. I want her and the baby, but if I end up losing her—I will have our child. It might be enough for her to come back to me.”

Shane stopped his drawing and laid down his pen.

“If there was no baby and no reason for Carrie to marry you, what would you do? Would you still want to marry her?” Shane asked.

“Yes,” Michael said.

“Would she marry you?” Shane asked.

“You know the answer to that as well as I do,” Michael said sadly.

Michael studied the half-drawn picture on the tablet in front of Shane. It was a lot like his relationship to Carrie, only half of what it should be. If not for the baby, he’d have no hold on her at all. She’d managed to ignore the sexual chemistry between them for years. Without the circumstances being exactly as they were, Carrie Addison would be married to another man right now. He couldn’t let it happen again.

Despite their flirtatious teasing, Carrie had fallen asleep the moment they’d gone to bed last night. Pale and exhausted, she had slept fitfully beside him. For several hours, Michael had lain awake by her side soothing her while he’d done something he hadn’t done since his parent’s divorce.

He’d prayed that he was doing the right thing for him, her, and the baby by forcing Carry to marry him.

Then he’d prayed for the strength to let Carrie go if he ever found out it wasn’t right—or if she ever truly wanted completely out of his life.

“Michael?” Shane asked, shaking his brother’s shoulder to bring his attention back to the present. “She may not want to love you, but last weekend Carrie walked into your arms to cry. Women don’t cry in the arms of men they don’t trust. Trust is a critical thing in any relationship.”

Michael nodded. “How bad do you think it is that I don’t remember her from college?” he asked.

Shane shrugged. “I don’t know. I would say it’s as bad as it is in Carrie’s head.”

“She’s forgiven me for dating the women where she works. Funny thing is the more sure I am of that; the more ashamed I am about it. The night of the show—I noticed there wasn’t a single person there I dated. I think something else besides Erin happened, but she isn’t sharing it,” Michael said. “And I guess I don’t want to ask because I’m trying my best to convince her they meant nothing to me.”

“I get that now,” Shane said. “I didn’t before, but I absolutely do now. Maybe Dad is a lot wiser than we think. He certainly seems right about women.”

Michael snorted. “Wise? Dad went from Mom to Jessica without a woman in his life for over a year. I never want to be that wise.”

Shane laughed. “I went without one for five months. Sure, it was hard at times.”

“Get real, dude. You mean it was
hard all the time
,” Michael said, joking.

“Okay you’re right,” Shane admitted, laughing. “But celibacy wasn’t the reason I fell in love with the first woman I slept with after that. Michael, one minute she was telling me about where to buy shoes to fit and the next she was showing me what having an equal partner in bed was like. Not only was the sex phenomenal, there was innate trust between us from the beginning and not a single awkward moment. I liked her. I don’t think that happens often.”

“It doesn’t. That’s why I’m marrying my perfect partner tomorrow,” Michael said.

“I’m still adjusting to you getting married, but seeing Carrie with you—that just seems normal now,” Shane said.

“That’s why tomorrow you have to help keep my future in-laws in line so they don’t drive Carrie crazy and make her change her mind. Your job as my best man is to keep it sane,” Michael said.

“Best man at my brother’s wedding. It sounds so—
mature
. Do you want me to get a haircut in honor of the occasion?” Shane asked, grinning.

Michael snorted. “No. Keep those damn shaggy locks you love so much. Hell, just shave, okay? You can even wear your bling. I want you to look intimidating, just stop short of the serial killer look. You and Dad look demented when you don’t shave.”

“Hey, I already went all out and bought a new suit for the occasion. I’d put on a few pounds and needed one anyway,” Shane said at Michael’s sigh. “And maybe I think I might use it again when my dissertation has to be defended.”

“Bet that super tall, athletic cut you need cost you quite a few dinero. Want your thousand back?” Michael asked with a grin.

“Don’t mess with my love karma, Michael. Cash the damn check,” Shane told him. “It’s my deal with the universe to get my woman back.”

“
Your woman?
You don’t even know her name,” Michael laughed at Shane’s evil look. “Fine, I’ll cash your check. I can’t wait to meet the woman you think is worth forfeiting a bet for that much money.”

“Cash it today,” Shane told him. “Missing her is affecting my work. I don’t want to be heart-broken and broke at the same time.”

“I’ll deposit it on the way to the wedding rehearsal,” Michael promised.

“Is Brooke coming to dinner after?” Shane asked.

“She said she’d try,” Michael said lightly. “You’re going to like your new stepsister.”

“I’m going to like my new stepmother for sure,” Shane said, returning Michael’s grin. “Speaking of that—have Jessica and Dad set a date?”

“No, but he said they’re looking for a bigger house,” Michael said. “The primary criterion is a work area for both of them. I’m going to miss them being around the corner if they move away.”

“Lexington is not Los Angles. It’s not that bad being across town,” Shane said, rolling his eyes. “Who knows? You may want a bigger house sometime yourself.”

“Not unless I have more children,” Michael said sincerely. “I like living mortgage free. Paying off the house is the smartest thing I ever did.”

“I can’t even imagine owning a house, but I’m giving it some thought,” Shane said. “Thanks for setting a good example.”

“
Right—I am a model of responsibility
,” Michael said sarcastically. “Enough sentimental crap, let me see what you’ve drawn.”

He took the pad from Shane and studied the woman’s face. This one showed her eyes laughing at the viewer, full of secrets. He had to hand it to his brother—she was very cute with that teasing look in her eyes.

Michael looked up at Shane, surprised to see his brother’s tortured gaze locked to the picture.

“Dude, how did you get so bad off in one night?” Michael demanded.

“How long did it take you to be sure?” Shane asked, both of them already knowing the answer.

Michael laid the pad back down and slid it over to his brother, who looked at it reverently.

“That’s why I’m going through with tomorrow,” Michael said. “The idea of missing any more nights with Carrie terrifies me. I’m happy just sleeping next to her, much less the rest.”

“Then cash my check, Michael,” Shane pleaded, his gaze never leaving the woman he had captured in ink. “I’ve drawn at least two or three of these every day since I drew the first one. I remember every moment of my time with her.”

“Shane, I gave up, and yet here I am getting married to Carrie,” Michael said tightly, sympathetic at last, realizing the genuine distress his brother was in. “Anything is possible.”

Shane nodded and tore the picture from the pad to add it to his growing collection.

*** *** ***

The rehearsal went smoothly, and Carrie insisted on paying for the dinner afterward. The only reason Michael didn’t argue about it was because she didn’t look capable of a real debate. They could hash it out later.

Both sets of his parents and Carrie’s parents left as soon as dinner ended. Michael couldn’t help noticing how relieved Carrie seemed to be when they left.

She sank into her chair at the restaurant and looked like she’d rather be anywhere else but there. He frowned at how tired and defeated she seemed.

Michael figured she would give him hell over the “BRIDE” T-shirt he’d surprised her with, but Carrie had shrugged into it without comment, pulling it over her other clothes without uttering a single complaining word.

“Just how sick are you?” Michael asked, putting his hand on her back to rub. “You’ve not been your usual contrary self this evening.”

Carrie looked at Michael’s chest with “GROOM” all over it. Sick? She wasn’t sick, at least not in the way he meant. Well, dizziness still came and went randomly, but at least she hadn’t spent too much quality time hugging the toilet today.

What she was at the moment was terrified of getting married tomorrow.

She was worried about giving Michael Larson a legal claim to her as his wife when he’d already staked a claim to most of the rest of her. She was worried about marrying a man she had to admit she still loved but didn’t trust completely. She was worried about being tied to a baby she hadn’t planned on before she could work out how she felt about its father.