Her Last Love (Small Town Hearts Trilogy #1) (26 page)

"Yeah, a little. I wanted to make sure I could lend a hand if you needed any extra help." 

"I could use it, since we forgot to get extra ice. Would you mind running and getting a few bags for me?"  

"Sure, no problem." 

"Thank you." She reached around him to grab her purse where it hung on the rack. "This saves me from having to run back out at the last minute."

"Don't worry about it." He placed his hands on hers to keep her from going for her money. "I've got this. If it's okay to leave the boys here, I can be back in a few minutes." 

"That's no problem at all." Lynn looked around, then back at Carter. "Where are the boys?" 

"Probably in the kitchen with the girls. I heard something about taste testing a cookie." He gave her the sad puppy dog eyes, letting her know he wanted his cookie too. 

"You'll get one later, I promise." She laughed as she walked him to the door. 

"I will hold you to that." 

"Counting on it." With a kiss to his cheek, she wiped off the lipstick smudges as she told him to drive safe. 

By six-thirty that night, the party was in full swing. Guests were everywhere, it seemed. They sat on the sofa, stood by the fireplace, and even out on the back porch where they could enjoy a cigarette or quiet conversation. Under the hum of conversation, Christmas songs played, with the likes of Bing Crosby and Brenda Lee singing about the holiday. 

Carter had been a man of his word, hauling bags of ice and lending a hand when it became evident that furniture would need to be rearranged to accommodate everyone. And the kids were a pure joy to see with the guests. Nathan and Logan alternated between charming her mother and admiring the gifts under the tree until they found packages with their names on them, shaking them in attempts to guess their contents. Kristine and Jenna showed off their cookies, even making sure that Carter got a few to help Lynn keep her promise. And Harper, playing the little hostess, helped Lynn make sure that trays and drinks stayed full. 

"Everything looks great." Carter came to stand beside her, another cookie in hand. "And everyone seems to be having a good time." 

"Yeah, they do." She eyed the cookie before looking back at him. "How many of those have you had?" 

"Lost count." He smirked before taking another healthy bite. 

"Keep it up, and that six pack of yours will turn into a keg." She laughed as a wounded expression crossed his face. 

"Why do you have to be so mean? It's Christmas." He pouted, before grinning again and finishing the cookie.  

"Aunt Lynn?" Lynn looked over to see Harper standing next to her. "Mom wants to know where you keep your rubber gloves. She's going to do some dishes." 

"Oh no, she's not." She draped an arm around Harper's shoulders and began to lead her back towards the kitchen, before calling over her shoulder to Carter. "I'll catch up with you later." 

Carter observed Lynn as she led Harper into the kitchen, where he was sure Lynn would read Bethany the riot act about trying to clean instead of joining the party. Sure enough, five minutes later, the women emerged, Lynn's arm linked through Bethany's as if to make sure her friend didn't run. He laughed to himself as he shook his head, took a drink of the soda he held, and studied her as she worked the room and chatted with her guests. 

"So." Kari sidled up next to him, startling him from his thoughts. She'd been watching him watch her friend all night, and now it was time to see what he was made of. 

"So... what?" 

"I'm just wondering what your intentions are towards my friend there." Kari looked over to where Lynn stood, talking and laughing with friends from work. A glance up at Carter, and she could see he was watching her, too. And since she knew he was on the hook, she smirked.  

"Carter." 

"Yeah?" he asked, turning his attention back to her. 

"Gonna answer the question?" 

"Question?" 

"About your intentions towards Lynn." 

"Shouldn't this be a conversation I'm supposed to have with her parents?"  

"Yeah. But consider me to be.... practice." She cocked her head to the side, watching his face. The wrinkled brow, the irritated eyes. She couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, so perhaps you don't have to have this conversation with me. But will you at least answer one question for me?" 

"That depends." His eyes back on Lynn, he took another drink. 

"On what?" 

"The question." 

"Right." She nodded before continuing. "Are you doing to do something about this thing with her soon?" 

"Something?" 

"Think about it, Carter." Frustrated, she bore her gaze into his to get her point across without having to come right out and say it. "You know, the next step?" 

"Hmmm." Carter, having understood from the beginning what Kari was hinting at, was enjoying the fact that she was pumping him for information and the well was coming up dry. "Maybe. Maybe not." With that, he gave her a cocky, lopsided grin before walking away, leaving her standing with her hands on her hips and confusion on her face. 

While Carter may not have been subtle about watching Lynn from across the room, she always knew of where he was without having to look. Take right now, for instance. He was standing over by the fireplace, chatting with her parents. The conversation seemed animated, with Carter talking with his hands and everyone smiling. Then Lynn noticed her mom seemed to have tears in her eyes, and she watched as her dad clapped Carter on the shoulder and shook his hand. What in the world could they be talking about? 

"Lynn?" She turned to see a couple, one of her co-workers and her husband. "We have to get going so we can relieve the sitter. But thank you for inviting us. This was a lovely party." 

"I'm so glad you could come, Annette." Lynn looked at the husband who stood with his hand at the small of his wife's back. "And it was a pleasure to meet you, Ben." 

"Same here. Once the weather turns nice again, we'll have to have you over for a cookout. I run a mean grill." Lynn laughed as Annette rolled her eyes. 

"I'll look forward to it. Have a Merry Christmas, and drive safe!" She watched the couple as they made their way to and out the door, then went to check the food trays, the thought of Carter talking to her parents now gone from her mind.  

She was debating whether to refill trays when Carter approached her from behind, snagged an elbow and spun her around into his arms. 

"Oh, you scared me!" 

"Sorry. I realized something a minute ago. Two things, actually." He slid her hand into his as he led her away from the table. 

"What's that?" 

"One, I haven't kissed you under the mistletoe yet." He stopped in the doorway where the greenery hung, took her into his arms, and dipped her backwards. The kiss, while not long, was intense and resulted in whistles and cat calls from on-looking guests. He brought her back up with a flourish and a grin. 

"Wow." She fanned herself, cursing her pale skin as she felt the blush creep up her face. "I'm almost afraid to ask what the second thing is." 

"It's tame, compared to that." He slid an arm around her waist, took her hand in his in the classic dance pose. Lynn heard the opening strains of 'I'll Be Home for Christmas' play as they swayed. 

"Did you plan for this song to play?" she asked. 

"No." He looked down at her so she could see he was being sincere. "But it's appropriate, wouldn't you say?" 

"Yes." With the added height her heels provided, Lynn was tall enough to lay her cheek against Carter's. So she did, closing her eyes and enjoying the moment. 

"You've thrown a great party." His breath tickled her ear as he spoke. "Everyone's enjoying themselves, and all the kids are having a blast." 

"I'm glad." She inhaled the scent of his cologne, pressed her face into his shoulder. "But I'll be even more glad when it's over." 

"Tired?" 

"Yes." She pulled back far enough to look into his eyes. "Tired. But happy. So, so happy." 

"Then that makes two of us." As the music ended, Carter pulled her close and pressed a soft kiss to the tip of her nose. "What do you say we let the kids open their gifts from you so we can move this party, and these people, along before you're asleep on your feet?" 

"I'd say bless you, sir."  

"Well then, let's do it." He took her hand and lead her to the couch where she was soon surrounded by the people she cared about most in the world, and watched as the children in her life celebrated the joy of the season.  

17

Christmas Eve began around mid-morning for Lynn. She woke up, bleary-eyed and cursing at her alarm clock as it blared at her from the nightstand. After giving the snooze button a slap or two, she dragged herself from her bed, groaning about being awake. Never having been much of a morning person, she stumbled to the shower, where she stood under the steaming spray, letting the hot water wash away the cobwebs of sleep that still lingered. Awake, but still none too happy about it, Lynn dried herself and dressed. Feeling halfway human, she made her way down the hall and into the living room. She growled a little, low in her throat, at the after-party mess that waited for her. She shuffled into the kitchen, and decided that it was going to take a lot of strong coffee and sheer determination to make it through the day.

The party had been a huge success, the remnants of which remained scattered throughout her house. As much as she loved opening her home to her friends and family, and as much as she had enjoyed herself, she was glad the rest of the Christmas festivities were taking place elsewhere. She sighed and started to put her rooms back to rights.  

With her coffee in one hand and a large black trash bag in the other, she walked around the house, picking up party debris. There were stray napkins left on the coffee table, the mantle, on the floor. Leftover cookies, probably from children who were trying to be everywhere at once, were various places throughout the living room. Bits of tinsel that had been cheerfully flung among her guests clung to the couch and hung from the seats of dining room chairs that had been brought in for additional seating. The food trays, now empty save for the crumbs, still sat on the refreshment table, next to a punch bowl that sported a sticky red ring at the bottom and a dozen leftover cups. Casting a glance at her tree, she saw that it still looked as beautiful as it had the night before. Only now instead of gifts under the tree, there were scraps and small wadded balls of wrapping paper that had been overlooked in the excitement of opening gifts. 

She’d hated leaving it all for today and had turned down offers last night of help in cleaning it up from Carter and Bethany. A decision she was now regretting. But by the time the night was over, all she wanted to do was to shed her now slightly wrinkled dress, kick off the pretty shoes that felt like they had shrunk a size, and slide blissfully under the warm comforter of her bed. Between planning the party, the event itself, and the general rush of the holidays, she was exhausted by the time everything was said and done.  

An hour later, her house was back to being neat and tidy, the vacuum had been run over the carpets and the trash had been taken to the cans outside. She glanced down at her watch as she made her way back up the front walk and went through her mental list of what she needed to get done for the day. There were still a few presents left to wrap for the gathering of the extended family at her parents' house that night. She had also promised to bake some of her special fiesta fudge cookies to take with her, as well. As she walked back through her front door, she reminded herself to check her cabinets for the ingredients in case she needed to run to the store. And, perhaps the highlight of her plans, Carter had asked her last night if he could take her out for an hour or so before she went to spend time with her family today. He hadn't said where they were going or what they were doing, but he had told her to dress warmly. The anticipation of this last-minute date was almost more than she could handle. 

* * * 

Carter anxiously waited all day to for the moment when he could climb into his truck and go pick up Lynn; he felt like he had found a hundred and one new ways to kill time today. Since the boys would be with grandparents on Christmas day, they had celebrated their Christmas that morning. They'd gotten up early, gasped and shouted in delight over the gifts Santa had left them, and ripped open the colored wrapping paper on all the presents piled under the tree. They had eaten a manly breakfast of tall stacks of thick pancakes drowned in butter and maple syrup alongside thick sausages and fluffy scrambled eggs, along with big glasses of cold creamy chocolate milk. Afterwards, while the boys had played with their haul of new toys, Carter had picked up all the shredded paper in the living room, as it looked like Santa's elves had waged a small war, complete with shiny metallic bow grenades and wadded paper ball bombs. He'd played with the boys for a while, each waging another kind of war on the Wii with the new video games they'd gotten, groaning whenever one of them beat him in battle. After lunch, the boys had run and grabbed the overnight bags they'd each packed yesterday, so they could head over to their other grandparents' house for their Christmas 
there
 before Carter dropped them off at with his mom for the night.  

He was exhausted. 

Exhausted, but exhilarated. He'd spent plenty of time planning this outing with Lynn; he'd suffer the tortures of the damned before he'd confess that he had actually gone onto Pinterest to see how to make his ideas become reality. Once all of his plans had slid into place, he'd called in a few favors and shanghaied buddies to help him to create it all. Carter had thought of every detail, and he couldn't wait to see her face when they got to where they were going. He hoped it would be exactly as he envisioned it. 

He took a deep breath as he pulled into her driveway, and he couldn't help but smile at the sight of her coming down the front steps. Carter could see she'd followed his directions to dress warmly to the letter; she wore a heavy black winter coat paired with bright blue gloves and a matching scarf, over jeans and boots. She didn't wear a hat, so her auburn hair was loose, flowing over her shoulders and fluttering in the slight breeze. Her porcelain cheeks were rosy from the chilly temperatures, her green eyes sparkling with excitement. He didn't think he'd ever seen her more beautiful. 

The cold air blasted him as she opened the door to climb into the truck and was blocked out again once it closed. This morning the weatherman on the local news had talked about the possibility of a white Christmas, but Carter was keeping his fingers crossed that Mother Nature would hold off on that for a while, at least until their date was over. 

Lynn shifted in her seat, leaned over to give him a kiss before pulling back and smiling into his eyes. 

“Hi, there.” 

“Well, hi right back at ya.” 

“So,” she began, as she settled into her seat again, pulling on her seatbelt. “Are you 
finally
 going to tell me where we're going?” 

“Nope.” He put the truck into reverse and looked over his shoulder to back out of the driveway. 

“Carter, 
please 
tell me! I've been trying to figure it out all day, and it's 
killing 
me!” She groaned as she batted her long eyelashes and threw out her lower lip in a pout before grinning again. 

He laughed as he put the truck in drive and picked up speed. He knew how she was with surprises; if she wasn't the one giving them, they drove her crazy. He'd been counting on that to be the case today, and it looked like it was working. 

“You'll know when we get there, I promise. Now, are you going to behave or am I going to need to blindfold you?” 

Lynn's only reply was a mischievous grin. 

“You have such a one track mind.” Carter gave an exaggerated shake of his head in mock disapproval before grinning back at her. “But I do like the way you think, so I'm going to file that under the category of 'for another time'. Are you warm enough?” 

“Toasty.” 

“Good.” He turned his concentration to the road which already had salt down in anticipation of the coming weather.  

“Sure you don't want to tell me where we're going?” She asked hopefully, and got a slant of the eyes and a pointed finger in response. 

“Fine.” She heaved a sighed. “I'll behave.” 

She turned her head to study the views through her foggy window. It was early in the evening yet, but the sun had already started to set. She could see houses that were showcasing their houses and lawns with strings of multicolored twinkle lights, with matching tall and decorated trees in various windows. She smiled to herself and imagined the kids inside those houses, so eager and excited that Santa would come to visit with his bag full of goodies soon. She also imagined the parents of those children, expecting a long night of trying to keep eager little ones in bed so they could put together the bikes and other toys that Santa would be bringing. As she watched the houses go by, she noticed that the scenery was changing. The homes were becoming fewer, the trees were getting thicker. Puzzled, she turned to study Carter's profile, and feeling her watching him, he turned his head to glance her way before turning his focus back to the road. 

“I think I know where we're going.” 

“Do you now?” His voice was laced with a hint of amusement. “And where would that be?” 

“Well, you're either trying to take me across state lines, or we're going to the park.” 

Rather than answer her, he let out a low hum under his breath, which only aggravated her even more. 

“God, you're frustrating!” she laughed despite herself. “Tight lipped to the end. I have to both admire you, and hate you, for that.” 

“Okay, yes. We're going to the park. But that's all you will get out of me.” At her huff of breath, Carter let loose a laugh, and reached for her hand, brushing a quick kiss over glove-covered knuckles before resting their joined hands back on the seat again. They rode in comfortable silence until they neared the turn that led to the park's entrance. 

“Now, I need you to close your eyes – and keep them closed – until I tell you to open them,” he instructed. 

“Why?” She slid a doubtful sideways glance in his direction as he gave a deep sigh. 

“Do you trust me?” 

“Of course I trust you. You know I do.” 

“Then please, just close your eyes and keep them that way. I promise it will be worth it.” 

Lynn studied him for a few more seconds before she, too, sighed and closed her eyes. She concentrated on the rattling of the truck as it bounced along the road, the squeak and squeal of its various parts when the road got a little rough. She focused on his hand warm in hers, his strong calloused fingers linked with her slender ones. The subtle scent of his cologne that filled the cab of the truck, how it was both woodsy and spicy.  

Her eyes were still shut tight when she felt the vehicle slow down, and the slight lurch as Carter steered the truck into a pull-off to the side of the main road to the park. She lost his hand when he reached up to turn off the ignition and immediately missed the connection. 

“Eyes still closed?” 

She turned her head toward his voice so he could see for himself that she was still obeying his directive. 

“That's my girl. Stay there, I'll come around and get you.” 

She heard the driver's side door squeak open, the rush of cold air on her face before hearing the door close again. The silence seemed to stretch out while she waited for Carter to round the hood and open her door. Once he did, he unbuckled her seat belt and took her by the elbow to help her down from her seat. Still holding onto her, Carter reached over to swing the door shut before stepping in front of Lynn to take both her hands in his.   

“I'm going to lead you to where we're going, but I won't let you fall.” He slowly walked backwards. 

“For heaven's sake, Carter.” 

“Hush and concentrate on walking. We're almost there, it’s not much further.” 

Lynn huffed out a breath of impatience as she continued walking. She was tempted to peek out from under her long lashes to see where she was, but it seemed important to Carter that she didn't. So, she continued to take small steps, her hands in his, until he told her to stop. He let go of her hands, and moved around to stand behind her, placing his hands on her hips, leaning forward to press his cheek to hers and whisper in her ear. 

"On the count of the three, open your eyes. One.... two.... three." 

The sight before her caused Lynn to gasp in surprise as she brought her hands to her cheeks. In the simple park setting, Carter had created a romantic fairy land with candles in glass jars, hanging from thick tree branches at varying heights that gave off a quiet glow in the fading light. In a small open patch under the candles, an old faded blanket spread out on the ground; more candles glowed in jars around its edges. On the blanket itself were several throw pillows, a thermos and a pretty plate of her favorite cookies. Before she could turn to him, Carter pointed up into the trees. 

"Look up there, and around here. Is this spot familiar?" 

Gazing up into the trees, then taking a wider look around, Lynn recognized the place where she was standing. When they had been dating the first time, they had come to this spot to pick mistletoe during the holidays. Now, she turned to face him, kissing his face as she threw her arms around his neck, feeling him pull her in close. 

"I can't believe you remembered!" She pulled back to give him a dazzling smile. 

"Of course I remembered. I used to look forward to coming here with you. Even after you left, I came here alone sometimes. I didn't want to, but I couldn't seem to stop myself." He pulled her back to him, and held her for a moment, with his chin resting on her head, his arms around her and his fingers toying with the ends of her hair.