24. Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Four
H e was late.
It couldn’t be helped.
Jackson’s return to Bayberry was hampered by the winter weather. Everything he’d planned for Carrie would be ruined if he didn’t get there before she grew tired of waiting for him.
At a long red light, he reached for his phone. It was dead. He hurried to plug it in before the light changed, but the charger cord was missing. Then he remembered taking it into the house the night before. He must have forgotten to grab it that morning.
He checked the clock. He was already thirteen minutes late. He inwardly groaned.
Earlier, his mother had told him to leave, that someone from the treatment center would pick her up, but he’d refused to leave her side. He’d already left her alone for too long. He wasn’t going to make that mistake again.
He had been ready to call Carrie and postpone their dinner when the nurse walked in with his mother’s discharge papers. He knew he would be cutting it close to make it for dinner, but he wasn’t giving up.
How long would she wait for him? Or, would she think he had a change of heart?
Where is he?
Carrie sat at the corner table in Romano’s Ristorante. She stared at the flickering candle in the middle of the table. Jackson was more than twenty minutes late. This was not the way she imagined this evening going.
She reached for her phone. There were no new messages. No missed calls. She tried to call him, but it went directly to voicemail.
Where is he? She was so confused. He’d gone through so much trouble to arrange this evening. Why would he skip out now? Was he having doubts about them?
Was this her fault? Did she resist her feelings for him for too long? Had she caused him to have doubts about them? Had the moment passed them by? The tormenting thoughts weighed heavy on her heart.
“Can I get you anything to eat or drink?” The young woman looked at her with sympathy in her eyes.
“You know what? I think I’m just going to go.” Carrie reached into her purse and pulled out a tip.
When she held it out to the woman, the woman shook her head. “I can’t accept that. I didn’t even do anything.”
“You let me sit here. If you would have had people at this table who ordered, you would have been tipped much more. So, please, take it. It’ll make me feel better.” She pressed the money into her hand.
The woman accepted the money. “Thank you.”
Carrie slipped on the white dress coat and headed for the door. She felt as though when she walked out the door, she would lose any chance she had with Jackson. But she knew that was silly because that chance had already slipped through her fingers, or he would have been there with her.
Her gaze lowered as she headed for the door. She didn’t want to talk to anyone. And she certainly didn’t want to explain why she was all dressed up and out to dinner alone.
Someone held the door for her. She thanked them. When she stepped outside, she bumped into someone. Her heels slipped on the ice. The other person reached out to her, catching her by the upper arms.
Once she regained her balance, she looked up. Her gaze met a pair of warm-brown eyes. Jackson . Her heart pitter-pattered. “You came.”
“Of course I did. Did you really think I would miss the most important evening of my life?” He held a dozen long-stemmed red roses out to her.
She accepted them. She would never see another red rose again without thinking of him. She sniffed them. “Thank you. They’re beautiful.”
“Not nearly as beautiful as you.”
Heat rushed to her cheeks. But before she could speak, a couple exited the restaurant. Both Carrie and Jackson had to step aside to let them pass. It was then she noticed the big snowflakes that twirled and danced through the air forming a halo of snowflakes on top of Jackson’s head.
“Do you want to go back inside?” she asked.
He hesitated. “Did you eat?”
She shook her head. At the moment, her stomach was so full of butterflies she wasn’t sure she had room for food.
“I’m so sorry,” he said. “Could we start this evening over again?”
“I’d like that.”
He opened the door for her. Once inside, he helped her take off her coat. “Wow!” He stared at her. “You are a knockout.”
Heat rushed to her cheeks. “Thank you. The dress and shoes are so pretty.”
“I’d love to take all of credit for them, but your grandmother was a big help. I’m just so glad that you like them.”
Once they were seated, she had a million questions for him. She struggled to ask one at a time. “Why were you late?”
He sighed as he lowered his gaze to the red-and-white-checkered tablecloth. “I really wanted to be here. Everything was on track, and then I got a call from the hospital.”
“The hospital?” Concern pulsed through her veins.
He nodded. “It’s okay. I mean, my mother is okay now. She tripped and fell. She sprained her wrist, banged up her shoulder, and has some bruises, but luckily she didn’t break anything. She isn’t happy that she has to wear a sling for a while.”
“Thank goodness she’s all right.” Carrie felt guilty for thinking that Jackson had blown her off. She should have had more faith in him. She was just so nervous about this big step they were about to take. And then she had a thought. “What are you doing here? You should be with her.”
“I’m right where I need to be.” He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “My mother is back at the treatment center. When I left, she was going to lie down and rest.”
“Oh. Okay.” Her mind was racing, and so was her heart.
Just then the server appeared to take their order. Carrie hadn’t even considered what to order. After a quick glance at the menu, she ordered chicken parmesan with a side of pasta. Jackson said it sounded good, so he had the same.
When they were once more alone, Jackson said, “I tried to call you, but my phone died. I wanted this evening to be perfect. And now it’s ruined.”
“Nothing is ruined.” Her gaze met his. “We’re here together.” She slid her hand across the table, turning her palm to him. When he placed his hand over hers, she said, “And now we can have a nice dinner and talk.”
“There’s so much I want to tell you. But first, did you like your surprises this week?”
“I loved them. You were so sweet and thoughtful. I can’t believe I convinced myself that the gifts weren’t from you. Why didn’t you just come out and tell me they were from you?”
He shrugged. “You made such a point about us remaining friends that I figured you needed some time to warm up to the idea of being something more.” His gaze met hers. “And it worked.”
She wasn’t sure how she felt about him knowing her so well. “And what makes you think that?”
He smiled at her. His eyes twinkled in the candlelight. “You’re here, aren’t you? And you’re wearing the pendant.”
Her free hand moved to her chest, where the diamond heart hung. She fingered it. “Thank you for the necklace. It’s beautiful.” Feeling overwhelmed, she said. “Thank you for all of the thoughtful gifts.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I can’t believe you planned all of this. If your intent was to impress me, you certainly did that.”
He laughed. “And the evening isn’t even over yet.”
“What does that mean?”
Just then their drinks and salads were delivered. It wasn’t until their server walked away that Jackson said, “Just enjoy the moment.”
She tried to. She really did, but she kept trying to figure out what else he had planned. Or perhaps he was just teasing her. Because he’d already gone above and beyond. To say she was impressed was an understatement.
So, she took his advice and enjoyed the moment. Throughout dinner, they talked about her business, his mother, and her grandmother. It felt good to share a meal with him and just talk like they used to do. She missed this. She’d miss them together.