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“Hey,” I said, nearly panting from the sudden stress.
“Hey, yourself!” He held up Savannah’s bag of food. “I brought Thanksgiving—”
“Who is it, honey?” Penny yelled and I winced.
“Oh.” Carter’s face fell. “You’ve got people over. Of course.”
Oh, he was disappointed. I could see it on his face and it was the last thing I wanted. “Please, Carter, it’s not that I don’t want you here—” It’s that I can’t have you here.
“Zoe? What are you doing?” The door was pulled out of my hand and I knew that I couldn’t avoid this. I could only hope that whatever Carter felt for me would survive Penny’s stubborn, protective love for me.
“This is my mom, Penny,” I said.
“Nice to meet you,” Carter said, sticking out his hand, the perfect gentleman. I wanted to tell him to run while he could, because mom was going to eat him alive.
Penny shut right down, nothing but bricks behind her eyes.
“Humph,” she said, looking him up and down as if he were roadkill before she walked away, yelling, “We don’t have enough food,” over her shoulder.
I rested my head against the door, my eyes shut. “I want you to come in, but if you do, there’s a good chance that by the end of the night you’ll never want to see me again.” I lifted my head and looked him in the eye. “And I’m not exaggerating.”
“I’m tough, Zoe. And what I feel for you is pretty tough, too.”
Oh. Oh. Well, that was just the nicest thing anyone had ever said to me.
He capped it off by leaning forward and pressing a kiss to my cheek.
“Your mom doesn’t scare me. Much,” he whispered.
“In that case, come on in.”
I opened the door to my home and my family, and it all felt better with him here. Warmer, brighter, a better place to be, and I really hoped he was right about the strength of his feelings. Because they were about to take a beating.
“I know I’m unexpected, but I come with food,” he said, swinging the bag of food up onto a clear patch of counter. “Including sugar pie—it’s sort of a family tradition.”
“Oh, we know all about your family traditions, Carter O’Neill. I read the paper,” Penny said, her look poisonous.
“Well you can’t believe everything you read, Ms. Madison, but I will admit we’re a colorful crowd. And damn good cooks, especially my sister. Please make use of whatever you can.”
I had to admit, Carter was as smooth as a calm lake, and I exhaled the breath I’d been holding. I tucked my arm in his and turned him toward warmer waters.
“This is my friend Phillip and his partner, Ben—”
“Ben Grovener?” Carter asked, shaking Ben’s hand. “I heard a rumor—”
“That I had died?” Ben joked. “Well, you know what Twain said—the rumors were greatly exaggerated.”
Carter laughed appreciatively before replying, “No, I heard that you were back at work. That’s fantastic.” His enthusiasm was sincere and it made me like him even more, as if that were possible. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I was hit by a car, but every day is better than the last, so I can’t complain.” Ben poured Carter a glass of wine from one of the three bottles that Phillip had brought. “And you, running for mayor, that’s good news for this city.”
“Well, I hope so,” Carter said, taking the glass. I shared a long look with Phillip.
“We can double-date now,” Phillip whispered, and I smiled, happiness building up inside me like champagne bubbles.
“I have some big plans,” Carter said, “some neighborhood initiatives and some ideas that I think would help us bring in more national conferences and tourism…” Carter trailed off and smiled, embarrassed, and I just wanted to curl him up and put him in my pocket, he was so sweet. “I’ve been alone working all day,” he said. “I’m afraid I can’t quite shut up.”
“Don’t shut up on my account,” Ben said. “The truth is…” He glanced back at Phillip, who only shrugged.
“It’s your life, sweetie,” Phillip said. “You gotta do what you gotta do.”
“The truth is, I would love to hear more about your ideas in an official capacity,” Ben said.
Carter’s eyebrows elevated. “If that’s you asking for a job, you’re hired. You’re a fighter, Ben, and I have admired your work for a long time. I know you’re active in the state building, but if you’re interested in city politics, I’d love to have you on my team.”
Ben blinked and I rocked back while Phillip stroked Ben’s shoulder, the most colorful political wife the city had ever seen. “I’ll call on Monday,” Ben said. “We can talk more then.”
“I look forward to it,” Carter said and took a sip of wine before turning to me.
“Look at you,” I said, cupping my hands over his elbows and giving him a little shake and a squeeze. “Handing out jobs and sugar pie—you’re going to be a great mayor.”
