Strong (Kindred #1) (36 page)

I wake up and I’m alone in bed, it takes my suddenly racing heart a few minutes to calm down when I remember it wasn’t a dream. Ten seconds later, Carmen comes into the bedroom holding two cups of coffee, she’s wearing absolutely nothing except the shirt I was wearing yesterday and the sight makes me grin like an idiot.

“Good morning, Carter.” she grins, handing me my coffee.

I watch as she places her cup beside the bed then unbuttons the two buttons she has done up and drops the shirt to the floor, before climbing back into bed next to me and snugging right up close.

“It’s freezing out there!” she shudders.

“I can tell.” I tease, running a finger over her nipple.

“You can tell Christmas is on its way.”

“Hey, no talk of Christmas yet, we have Thanksgiving to arrange first.”

“We don’t have Thanksgiving here, Carter.”

“Well, you do now Jack and I are both here, we’re going to be celebrating Thanksgiving and we’re going to watch the game.”

“Oh, are we?”

“Yes. Get used to it, if you’re going to love an American, you’ll have to do American things,” I bring her face up and kiss her. “Do you love an American?”

“I really, really do.” she smiles up at me.

“Good, because I really love this English girl.” I grin.

“So that means, you’re going to have to do British things,” her face lights up. “Like have fish and chips and mince pies at Christmas and Christmas pudding! And all the cold leftovers on Boxing Day.”

“We don’t really have Boxing Day. Plus, Jack’s birthday is the day after Christmas Day so it’s always about Jack.”

“His birthday is the day after Christmas?”

“Yeah.”

“That must suck! Everyone is getting presents and no one is thinking about a birthday.”

“It was always the opposite in our house, Mom kept all the Christmas decorations in the front room and the kitchen was always decorated for Jack’s birthday. After that she’d move some in but her and Dad always made sure he didn’t hate his birthday.”

“Your Mum and Dad are amazing, aren’t they?”

“They’re the best,” I agree taking a sip of my coffee then recoiling. “You made instant.”

“It was cold! I wasn’t going to wait around out there for your coffee machine to heat up, and anyway, this tastes just fine.” she takes a sip of hers and sighs.

“It really doesn’t, but I’ll slum it this once.”

“So, what do you want to do today?”

“Our first day as a couple,” I grin kissing her. “What do you want to do?”

“Well, I need to start my Christmas shopping.”

“So shall we go shopping?”

“You’re a guy who just asked if we should go shopping?”

“I need to do Christmas shopping too. Plus, I need to go and see Doug about a job.”

“What kind of thing are you after?”

“Anything right now, Harry says Doug is the man to talk to and he’ll want to help, I mean he helped with us getting this place didn’t he?”

“I still can’t believe you sorted this all out for me.”

“I can, I loved you then.”

“So shopping and lunch out?” she asks excitedly.

“Yes. After…”

“After?”

“After I make love to you and we take a shower together.”

“Oh?” she grins.

“Carter, come on in.” Doug smiles as he shows me into his office.

“Thanks for seeing me, I know you must be busy.”

“I have lots of people working for me, they can hold the fort as it were. Harry mentioned you’re looking for work?”

I take a seat across from him and nod.

“Yeah, anything really. I’d just like to be earning some money and doing something, now Carmen is better, I’m not needed and I’m not one for sitting around.”

“How is she?”

“Great, all clear and feeling good.” I can’t help but grin.

“And you two are…?”

“Together, officially.”

“Glad to hear it,” he grins. “So work? You’re skilled in manual work, not looking for an office job, am I right in thinking that?”

“Well yeah, back home, I worked on the building side of things, but honestly? I’ll try anything.”

“Well, you’re in luck. Sophie and I are looking to have some work done on the house, extending and so on. Is that something you could do?”

“Really? Yeah, I mean, I’d need some help but that’s exactly the sort of thing I can do.”

“After that, I’m sure we can find you something to do. We helped Jack.”

“So I hear, is Jonathan really trusting him to manage
Coopers
?”

“Yes,” he chuckles. “He’s really good at it actually, Jonny says he’s picking it up quickly. So, are you free to come over at the weekend? Talk through plans and ideas with Sophie?”

“Absolutely.”

We make a time and Doug gives me his address, telling me to bring Carmen along too if I’d like and that Sophie and Abigail would love to see her. I thank him for his time and head out to meet Carmen in the coffee shop just around the corner from Doug’s office. When I approach, she’s on the phone laughing with someone. The look of happiness on her face has me wanting to run to her and scoop her into my arms, I mentally slap myself before I remember, I can now, I don’t have to hide how I feel.

I walk in and right up to her, without even thinking about it, I kneel down in front of her and in the middle of the packed coffee shop, scoop her into my arms and kiss her. The phone drops from her hand and crashes to the floor, a surprised gasp leaves her lips and she grabs hold of my shoulders.

“What was that for?” she asks breathlessly when I set her back down in her seat.

“Because I can,” I grin. “Lunch?”

“I think you dropped this.” an older lady says, tapping Carmen on the shoulder and handing her back her phone.

“Thank you,” she smiles. “I was taken by surprise.”

“So I see, lovely young man you have there, you’re very lucky.”

“I know,” Carmen smiles at me then holds her phone to her ear. “Sorry Jose! Carter just got here, I’ll phone you back in a bit, but lunch and shopping sounds great, we’ll steal Megan too.”

I sit down and just watch her, something has happened to her overnight; she’s carefree and happy. She’s relaxed and smiling and every single one is reaching her eyes. I’m not egotistical as to assume the change is me, but my admitting I love her, has clearly had some impact on her. She finishes her call and puts her phone away before turning to look at me and smiling again.

“What would you like?” I ask her.

“Right now? You.”

“Well, you’ll have to get that to go.”

“Can I get it with chocolate sauce, marshmallows and whipped cream?” she grins at me.

“Ummm,” I choke. “I think… Maybe…?”

Damn.

Where has this Carmen been hiding all this time?

“I’ll just have a ham and cheese toastie for now then… And a vanilla latte.”

“Comi
—
” I stop myself and change what I’m about to say when she laughs at me, “You got it.”

I walk to the counter and pick out what Carmen asked for, opting for a BLT for myself, I grab two bags of chips and place our drinks order adding a chocolate chip shortbread to it knowing she loves them and hoping maybe she’ll share. While I’m waiting for our drinks my phone rings, Mom is calling.

“Hey, Mom.”

“Hello sweet boy, how are you doing? How’s Carmen?”

“She’s great, Mom,” I smile as I look over at her, “We’re well… together.”

“Finally, I knew it would happen.” she laughs down the phone.

“How are you and Dad? Lex okay?”

“We’re all fine sweetheart, I was just phoning to see what your plans were for the holidays?”

“I don’t know… I haven’t really thought about it yet. It’s weird enough not being home for Thanksgiving this year.”

“I know…” she sighs. “But you’re in love and you’re starting your life there, we’ll all miss you though.”

“Can I get back to you? Maybe Carmen would like to see how the Manning’s do Christmas?” I say hopefully.

“I really hope she will, with Jack and Josie just getting the house, they won’t be coming back. I wouldn’t expect them to, not with Josie being pregnant.”

“I’ll ask Carmen and let you know and hopefully… I’ll see you in a few weeks.”

“Okay, look after yourself and that beautiful girl of yours. Send her our love.”

“I will, Mom.”

“Bye darling.”

Our orders are ready then and I carry them over to Carmen. She looks at me like she heard everything I just said, even though there is no way she could have.

“That was Mom.” I tell her, taking our drinks and cookie off the tray.

“How is she?”

“Good, she was just asking what our plans are for the holidays?”

“Well,” she asks, leaning forward for her cup. “What are our plans for Christmas?”

“I said I didn’t know… What do you want them to be?”

“Whatever you want them to be.”

“So if I wanted to go home, show you Chicago?”

“Then I’d say, we best book our flights because they’re only going to get more expensive.”

“It’s that easy? You’ll come home with me for the holidays?”

“You have given up everything to be here with me, if you want to go home, we’ll go home. I’d love to see where you grew up.”

“And I really want to show you.”

“Then I guess we’re in Chicago for Christmas.” she laughs.

I’m about to get up out of my seat and scoop her into my arms, ready to kiss her until we’re both breathless, when a young guy brings over her toastie.

“Thank you.” she smiles at him.

I notice it.

I’m not sure she does.

The dude’s eyes linger on her for just a little too long.

Yeah, isn’t she beautiful?
I want to say.
Hands off buddy, this beauty belongs to me.

I don’t say that though.

“Thank you.” I say, waking him up out of his daze.

“Errr, you’re welcome.” he coughs, before scuttling off.

“So what is Christmas like in Chicago?” Carmen asks as we eat lunch.

“Fun, Mom cooks, buys too many presents and doesn’t stop smiling. Dad uncorks too many bottles of wine and she drinks a little too much then starts singing,” I laugh. “And snowy. We always get snow. Do you get snow here?”

“Not at Christmas no.”

“So it will be your first white Christmas in a while?”

“In a while? Try ever. I’m excited!”

“Will your Mom and Dad be okay?”

“I’m sure they’ll be absolutely fine. We’ll tell them soon, and let them know the good news.”

“Good news?”

“That you and I finally got together, Mum knew it was going to happen.”

“So did Mom apparently.” I chuckle.

“Just us who didn’t then?” she raises an eyebrow at me.

“Looks like it.”

After lunch, we do more shopping. Carmen loves buying people presents, I realise that after she gets so excited when she finds the perfect present, only to go into another store and find a better one. She always buys them and she always has the biggest grin on her face when she does. I pay attention, trying to work out what she wants for Christmas but she doesn’t give me any hints. We pick out some incredibly cute outfits for Henry and even a couple for my niece or nephew.

“They aren’t born yet, is it okay to buy them stuff?” I ask her as she looks at a fluffy looking bear snowsuit.

“Of course, Josie said we could, I already asked.”

“Then we have to get the bear thing, Jack will love it.”

“Because it’s a bear?”

“Yeah, it’s silly but it’s true.”

“Will I get to see these famous Bears play one day?”

“You can bet you will, and you’ll wear my jersey and nothing else.” I tell her, dropping what I’m holding and stepping closer.

“Will I?” she breathes as I lower my lips to hers.

“Oh yes.”

We stand and kiss, right in the middle of the baby clothes. I’d be happy to kiss her all day except she pulls back and reminds me we’re in the middle of said baby clothes. We finish our shopping and head home, when we get to the apartment, Jack and Josie are just pulling up outside.

“Hey!” Carmen grins, running over to hug Josie.

“You’re looking so bloody well!” Josie yells, then promptly bursts into tears. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”