Starry Night (14 page)

His mother started to laugh. “He gave you the toaster?”

“Yes. I have it in my kitchen … I’ve been using it.”

Joan exhaled and seemed to be gathering her thoughts. “Paul bought that toaster for me when we were first dating. My goodness, I had no idea he’d kept it. That toaster is
nearly forty years old. It was the first sign I had that Paul had any feelings for me.”

“Why do you think Finn would want me to have it?”

“My dear, isn’t it obvious?” she asked, and appeared to get real enjoyment out of the telling. “My son is crazy about you. He’s repeating what his father did when he first fell in love with me. Finn is telling you the only way he knows how that you’re important to him.”

“He’s important to me, too.”

The line went silent for a moment. “Oh, dear. Are you in love with my son?”

“I think so,” Carrie said, lowering her voice. She wasn’t sure why she hesitated. “Yes,” she said, plainly, distinctly. They’d known each other less than a month and yet her heart knew. No man had ever made her feel the way she did about Finn.

“Proceed carefully, my dear,” Joan warned. “If Finn is anything like his father, and I suspect he is, then he doesn’t give his heart lightly; he loves deeply, completely, and when he’s hurt he’ll react like a wounded grizzly bear.”

Carrie mulled over Finn’s mother’s words the rest of the afternoon. The conversation with her own mother lingered in her mind as well. She and Finn were very different people, living in entirely different worlds. She was a girly girl, just as her email address claimed, and he lived and worked in the Alaskan wilderness. The practical side of Carrie reminded
her that they had little in common, but her heart was unwilling to listen.

Carrie’s mother had referred to this as the honeymoon part of the relationship, when they were so caught up in the intensity of their feelings that they willingly ignored their differences. It was easy to do, which was exactly what her mother was trying to tell her.

Finn’s mother, too, had issued her own dire warning. It seemed everyone she told about her and Finn was filled with doubts about the two of them. One reason Carrie hadn’t told Sophie about Finn was because she knew her best friend would become a naysayer as well, and Carrie didn’t want to hear it.

That evening Carrie was anxious to talk to Finn. She sat on the sofa with her legs tucked under her and the phone clenched tightly in her hand, ready to answer the instant he rang. Her thick, wild hair was tied at the base of her neck with a scrunchie.

By the time he phoned, Carrie felt ready to weep. “I’m so glad you called,” she blurted out the minute she heard his voice.

“What’s wrong?” He was immediately concerned.

“Your mother. My mother.”

“What’s going on? You talked to my mother?” He didn’t sound happy about it, either.

“Oh, sure, get upset with me, too, that’s all I need.”

“Carrie, take a deep breath and start at the beginning.”

She inhaled deeply and then exhaled. “My mom and I spoke recently, and she warned me about falling for you … she said right now nothing seems impossible, but eventually we’re going to have to face our differences.”

The line went silent as he seemed to take in her mother’s words of wisdom. “And my mother said the same thing,” he said gruffly, sounding annoyed.

“More or less.”

“And that worries you?”

“Yes. I don’t want it to, but it does. It’s been nearly three weeks since I last saw you and it feels like an eternity. Is it really possible to feel this strongly about someone I’ve known only a short while?”

“Do you want to call it quits now and save us both a lot of hassle and heartache?” he asked starkly.

“No.” Her response was vehement and instant. “Are you saying that’s what you want?”

“No way. I found myself whistling the other day. I haven’t whistled since I was a kid. I climbed into bed at the cabin the other night and I felt your presence from just that small amount of time you slept in my bed. I rested better than I have in years.”

“Oh, Finn, you make me want to cry.” Carrie didn’t know why she’d thought this man couldn’t be romantic.

“Sawyer just looks at me and shakes his head, as if he no
longer recognizes me. I’m not alone, either. Hennessey mopes around the cabin, looking lost and miserable.”

“It’s the same with me. What’s happened to us? I think about you and then my insides get all mushy and I feel like I want to cry because I have no idea when I’ll see you again,” she whispered.

She heard the sound of him exhaling. “We don’t have to make any decisions tonight, do we?”

“No,” she agreed.

“I can’t give you up yet, Carrie.”

“Do you have to give me up at all?” she asked. “Do I have to give you up?”

“Not now, and hopefully not for a very long time.”

“Good,” she whispered, “because I don’t think I could bear it.”

“Great,” he said with some enthusiasm. “Now that we have that settled, let’s talk about something else. Tell me about this hot date of yours.”

“Oh, Finn, honestly, you have nothing to fear from Dave.”

“Ah, so his name is Dave.”

“He’s a nice guy, but he would never think to give a woman a toaster. He doesn’t have a heart nearly as big as yours.”

“You realize I’m going to be worrying about you with this guy the entire time you’re out with him.”

His words cheered her considerably. “I’m glad to hear it.”

“You are?”

“Well, sure. It will keep you on your toes. If this kind of competition continues, I could end up with a can opener that matches that toaster.”

Chapter Ten

The night of her dinner date with Dave, Carrie hurried home from the office in order to change clothes. Cool, suave, sophisticated Dave. Finn had been suspiciously quiet all day. She hadn’t received a single text from him in nearly twenty-four hours, which was unusual. She knew he was concerned about her going to the theater, even with a friend, and seemed to view any man she saw as a potential threat. It was clear he didn’t have a clue how head-over-heels nuts she was over him.

Perhaps she was living in a fool’s garden, not thinking about the future. Frankly, she didn’t care what chances anyone gave their relationship. Finn felt as much a part of her now as her arms and legs.

She changed clothes but kept her cell phone handy, hoping to hear the ding that would tell her she had a text message.
The earlier one she’d sent him remained unanswered. Perhaps he’d returned to the lake cabin, but it seemed he would have mentioned it, if that was the case.

Once she refreshed her makeup, she glanced out the window and saw that the snow, which had been threatening most of the afternoon, had started to fall in thick flakes. With the holidays so close, everyone seemed preoccupied. Carrie had gotten three invitations to parties and other social events from friends. Sophie had invited Carrie to join her family for Thanksgiving. Knowing she would be alone, even Harry had extended an invite. Carrie had declined both invitations, feeling she would be an add-on. She would have her own Thanksgiving, she decided, and make the best of it by herself.

The last time she’d seen snow she’d been with Finn and Hennessey. The reminder made her miss them both dreadfully.

Unable to bear this silence any longer, she reached for her cell and typed out with practiced ease.
Miss you.

Almost right away she got a response.
Good.

Where have you been all day?
Finn had to know she’d been anxiously waiting to hear from him.

In the air. Still have your hot date tonight?

In the air? That didn’t make sense—a flight to Fairbanks from his cabin was less than thirty minutes.
Are you jealous?

You bet.

Carrie grinned, and a warm sensation came over her.
It’s snowing here; makes me miss you all the more.

I know it’s snowing in Chicago.

You know it’s snowing?????

Big, fat flakes.

Carrie gasped, and her fingers moved with urgency across the tiny alphabet on her cell phone.
Finn, where are you?

Chicago.

She hardly had time to take in the fact that Finn was in town before her phone rang. She hit the answer button so hard the cell nearly dropped out of her hands.

“Surprise,” he whispered.

Carrie wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Laugh because she was so happy and excited and then weep because she had this stupid date and wouldn’t be able to see him until the end of the evening.

“Where are you?”

He named a local hotel about two blocks from her condo. “I know it’s crazy, my being here. I didn’t want you to be alone over Thanksgiving.”

“I don’t care if it’s crazy or not; I’m too happy to care.” Carrie just hoped she didn’t embarrass herself when she first saw him by launching into his arms and bursting into tears. She’d dreamed about seeing him again. He hadn’t said a word that he was planning this. Not a single solitary word.

“Do you still have to go to the theater?” he asked, and
then instantly withdrew the question. “Forget I asked. Of course you do. I’ll be here at the hotel waiting, and when you get back to your apartment, let me know.”

Her doorbell chimed, announcing Dave’s arrival. “I hope you realize this is torture,” she told Finn on her way to answer the front door.

“For you or for me?”

“For us both.” Carrie had no idea how she was going to get through this evening, knowing Finn was in town.

“Go. It’ll be fine,” Finn encouraged her.

“Okay, but you’re going to suffer for doing this to me.”

He chuckled and ended the call.

Carrie took a moment to compose herself before she opened the door. Dave was impeccably dressed for the evening. He really was an attractive man, but she didn’t feel even the slightest stirrings for him. Just thinking about Finn waiting for her in his hotel room had her pulse spinning at the rate of a jet engine.

The Christmas musical they went to see, which had gotten rave reviews, didn’t hold Carrie’s attention, but to be fair, she doubted she would have appreciated anything outside of a five-alarm fire. Somehow she got through the evening, although she felt it was only fair to tell Dave that she’d met someone else. Their relationship had never really gone beyond friendship, and he took her news well.

Straight from the theater, Dave drove her to her home
and briefly parked outside the condo complex. The snow had stopped, but traffic was a mess. It went without saying that he didn’t need to see her up. She thanked him for the evening, and then before she climbed out of the car she impulsively hugged him. He’d been decent and thoughtful, and she was grateful for his friendship.

“I hope it works with you and the other guy,” he said, and didn’t seem to have any hard feelings.

“I do, too.” Carrie wished that more than anything.

“He’s a lucky guy.”

“I’ll let him know you said so.” She smiled as she said it.

Climbing out of the car, she gathered her coat more securely around her and made a dash for the building’s entrance. Dave waited until she was inside the foyer, and Carrie waved before he drove off. The instant he was out of sight, she opened her clutch to retrieve her cell phone. Right away, she sent Finn a text.

I’m home.

I know.

She glanced up to find Finn standing on the other side of the building’s glass door. For a moment, all she could do was stare at him. She shivered with the cold, but he wore no jacket. All he had on was a yellow-and-black plaid shirt, jeans, and boots. In her entire life she’d never seen a more strongly appealing man. Hurrying to the locked security
door, she opened it for him. Even before he was inside, she was wrapped in his embrace.

Carrie looped her arms around his neck, hugging him and laughing with joy. Right away, Finn swept her off her feet. With his arms around her waist, he lifted her so that her shoes dangled several inches off the ground. With her hands framing his bearded face, they kissed as if they couldn’t get enough, as if they meant to consume each other right in the center of the lobby.

A man’s voice broke through the fog of longing and joy. “Ms. Slayton? Ms. Slayton?”

Reluctantly, Carrie ended the kiss and looked over her shoulder to find Lester, the security guard, closely studying her.

“You know this man?” Lester asked.

She smiled and nodded. “Lester, this is—”

Finn released her and stretched out his hand to the guard. “Paul. Paul Dalton.”

“Glad to meet you, Paul. I apologize if I was rude earlier.”

“Not a problem.”

Carrie was curious to know what that was all about. “Let’s go upstairs,” she said, and steered Finn toward the elevator. She waited until they were inside and the doors had closed. “I’m glad you were clearheaded enough to tell him your name is Paul.”

Finn smiled down at her “Clearheaded? You’re joking, right?”