The Price of Trust (22 page)

"Will you make the men's lunch? I was just going to make sandwiches from leftovers."

"I would love to. Don't worry about a thing. If you need anything, let me know." Penny nodded feebly.

Carly went to the kitchen to prepare lunch. She was just finishing up when Tom and Todd came in, stamping their feet and rubbing their hands expectantly.

"Where's Mom?" Todd asked curiously, washing his hands in the sink.

"She's sick," Carly said uneasily, looking for Joe.

"Sick?" Tom asked in surprise, going to their bedroom to check on her. Carly avoided Todd while she quickly set the table, unsure of how he would react to her after seeing them argue.

He sat down at the table and smiled at her. She finished setting the table, not meeting his eyes.

"Joe won't be here for lunch," he said calmly as she set out enough plates for all four of them. She looked up in surprise and sat down across from him. "He's out at the house if you wanted to know," he said casually, fixing his plate.

Carly looked down at her fingernails, fighting back the urge to cry. "Well, I guess I should go home now," she said finally, getting up to leave.

"He's miserable, you know," he said, looking at her seriously. "Do you want my advice?"

"Yes." She sat back down across from him.

"Go over there and talk to him. He'll forgive you as soon as he sees you." He winked, taking a big bite out of his sandwich.

"Thanks." Carly smiled. "I appreciate it." She got up and quickly packed a lunch for her and Joe.

"Where are you off too?" Tom asked, coming back into the kitchen.

She shrugged on her coat, her back to him. "I was going to take Joe's lunch to him."

"Good girl," Tom said proudly. "Here." He handed her a set of keys. "You can't take Sam's truck out there, so take mine."

"Thank you. I'll be careful," she said, hurrying out the door.

She drove to the house and turned off the truck, her heart beating in her throat. A thousand worries accosted her mind as she slowly walked up to the porch, carrying their lunches. She knocked softly on the front door and waited, unsure if she should walk in uninvited or not.

Joe opened the door, surprised. "You don't have to knock, Carly," he said, turning and walking away from her. "This isn't the fanciest place, but it's yours if you still want it," he said gloomily.

Aggravated, Carly put his lunch down on the fireplace frame and walked back outside to the truck, intending to leave. She was just starting the truck when Joe came out to stop her.

"Where are you going?" he said, opening her door.

"I'm going to take your dad's truck back, and I'm going home."

She put the truck in reverse.

"No, you're not," he said, grabbing her left arm. "Don't, Carly." She stepped on the brake, looking at him.

"Why should I stay so you can ignore me and make me feel terrible about Ian? I can stay home and do that."

"Because," he said with difficulty. "I need you to stay."

Slowly, she put the truck in park and scooted over to let him climb in.

"Joe," she said quietly. "I didn't tell Ian about us because I am afraid that he will come here and hurt you. You don't understand how mean he is." She put her hand on his arm imploringly. "I could never be ashamed of you. I love you with all my heart, and I want to be the best wife I can possibly be for you."

Joe looked out the front window, ill at ease. "I know I can't afford to buy you everything I want to, and it bothers me that Ian can."

She looked at him tenderly. "If I wanted the things Ian could buy me, I'd still be with him. You've got to believe me, Joe. I want you and that's all I need."

"And it bothers me that you were engaged to him," he said sullenly, taking her hand in his.

"I hate to bring it to your attention, but you were engaged once before too, you know." She smiled, leaning to look into his face. "I don't like it either, but God stopped both of us before we married the wrong person."

He grimaced in disgust. "You don't have to remind me. I would rather forget that I ever knew her."

"Now you know how I feel about Ian."

"I'm sorry I was such a jerk," he said suddenly, pulling her close to him.

"I'm sorry I made you feel bad," she said simply, kissing him lightly. "I love you."

"I love you so much," he said, taking her face in his hands and kissing her. "I don't want to lose you." He hugged her tightly, taking a deep breath. "I don't want to wait to get married. Let's just run off somewhere."

Carly giggled, pulling away from him. "Where would we live?"

"We could live at your apartment until the house was finished," he said reaching for her.

She scooted out of his reach playfully. "My place? It would drive you crazy, it's so small." He scooted closer to her, forcing her back against the door. "Be reasonable, Joe," she said, putting her hand on his chest.

"You're the one being unreasonable," he said, taking her hand and kissing it. He scooted closer.

"Me?" She opened her door and stepped out quickly, laughing at the surprised look on his face.

"Come here!" He laughed, getting out after her. She smiled impishly, backing slowly toward the porch. She turned and ran up the steps, Joe in close pursuit. He caught her arm as she fumbled with the doorknob and turned her around, kissing her firmly, oblivious to everything around them.

"Did you two make up yet, or are we too early?" Todd called out, opening the door to his truck and getting out.

Joe groaned, leaning his chin on top of Carly's head.

"Are we interrupting anything?" Tom asked, getting his tools.

"No." Carly laughed merrily as Joe reluctantly let her go. "We were just getting ready to eat lunch."

Todd shook his head, shocked. "You haven't eaten yet? That must've been some argument to keep you from eating. I don't think there's a fight out there that would keep me away from food!"

"Get on in there and eat while we bring the tools in," Tom said, bringing his tools up to the porch.

Joe took Carly's hand and led her inside, pulling her down next to him on the fireplace frame. Quietly he kissed her and prayed for their food. They ate in silence, watching Tom and Todd set up the tools on the porch.

"Carly," Joe said, turning to her after he was finished eating, "I can't wait long to be married. Do you think you could live here if I finish our bedroom, bathroom, and part of the kitchen? I can't stand it when you're not with me, and I don't like you living so far away. I need you here." He kissed her quickly, putting his arms around her waist.

"Joe…" she began softly.

"It's either that or your apartment," he said, interrupting her. "I'm not giving in."

"How long will it take you to finish our room and the kitchen?" she asked, shivers of anticipation running up and down her spine.

"I figure it'll be right before New Year's if I work at it every day." He kissed her ear. "Could you live like that?"

"Hmm." She grinned playfully. "I think we could make it work." He hugged her, grinning.

"Where do we start today, Joe?" Tom asked merrily. "You are finished eating, right?"

"By the look of things, he just started on dessert!" Todd said, coming in behind Tom.

"Well, I'm going to go," Carly said, disentangling herself from Joe's grasp.

"Are you going back to our house?" he asked, letting her go reluctantly. He helped her pack the lunch things.

She grinned saucily. "I have to if I'm going to drive Sam's truck back."

"Cat," he said, pinching her arm and making her jump. "You really don't have to go."

"Yes, she does if we're going to get you to do anything around here!" Todd said, one eyebrow arched.

"I'll probably check on your mom before I go home," she said, putting on her coat.

"What's wrong with Mom?" Joe asked, following her onto the porch.

"She started feeling bad just as we finished this morning. Bye, Tom; good-bye, Todd!" she said just as Joe closed the door.

"Oh wait!" She turned to go back inside. "I need to know if I can drive your dad's truck back."

"Take mine instead. I've already got all the things I needed out, and I don't know if Dad will need anything." He reached into his pocket and handed her his keys.

"Okay." She smiled, exchanging keys. "Will you give these to your dad?" She gave him a kiss and climbed into his truck. "I love you, Joe."

"I love you too," he said, closing her door. He watched her leave and walked back into their house, whistling.

"I'm glad to see you two made up," Tom said approvingly. "Holding a grudge isn't good for marriages. Where do you want to start?"

Joe grinned, tossing his keys to him. "Well, I need the fireplace, the bedroom and bathroom, and some of the kitchen done before the New Year."

"Why before the New Year?" Todd asked curiously.

"Because she promised to marry me when I get those things done," he said, putting on his tool belt.

"You two are going to live here without the house being done?" Todd asked, dumbfounded.

"Why not?" Tom said, coming to Joe's rescue. "That's the way your mom and I did it." He clapped Joe on the back. "We've got a lot to do, and just a little time to do it in, so let's get started."

Carly parked Joe's truck and quietly went inside, setting the lunch stuff on the counter.

"Penny?" she whispered, peeking in the bedroom. "How are you feeling?" She sat on the edge of the bed next to her.

She opened one of her red-rimmed eyes. "Not too good."

Carly felt her head and went into the bathroom, wetting a washcloth.

"You've got a fever," she said, putting the cool washcloth on Penny's burning forehead. She went back into the bathroom, filled a glass with water, and brought it back, helping Penny sit up to take a sip.

"Thank you," she said weakly, lying back down. Carly tucked her in gently, and got up to leave.

"I'll go make some soup for you to eat," she said quietly.

She managed a smile, closing her eyes. "I'll be fine. Tom will be back soon."

"I'm not going to leave you alone here by yourself, so if you need anything, call me," Carly said, leaving the door open in case Penny needed her.

She went into the kitchen and started some broth for Penny, cleaning up the kitchen while she waited for it to be done.

"Here you go," she said a little while later as she brought the warm soup in for her. She set it on the nightstand and propped her up on some soft pillows.

"You don't have to eat much," she said, spooning some broth into her mouth. "Just enough to keep you from getting dehydrated."

She smiled weakly, swallowing the soup slowly. She leaned back into the pillows after a few more spoonfuls and shook her head. "I'm done," she said softly. "What kind was it?" she asked quietly, closing her eyes.

"Turkey broth," Carly said, setting the bowl back on the nightstand. She got up and rewet the washcloth, wiping Penny's flushed face. She smoothed some hair away from her face, tucked her in, and left quietly.

She sat down at the table, drumming her fingers, wondering what she could find to do. She looked at the clock, knowing it would be a while before the men got back. Bored, she got up and checked in on Penny, who was sleeping fitfully.

She went into the living room and turned on the television, turning it off a moment later. She tidied up some newspapers that Tom had left by his recliner, straightened up some knick-knacks, and re-fluffed the throw pillows on the couch. Sighing, she walked upstairs to Joe's room and stood in his doorway, undecided as to what she should do. She glanced around, noticing his dirty laundry and unmade bed.

Smiling to herself, she quickly gathered up his dirty clothes, put them in the hallway, and made his bed, lovingly patting his pillows into place. She stood over his desk, straightened up a few loose papers, and left the rest for him to deal with. She picked up the dirty clothes and carried them down to the laundry room, emptied the laundry hamper, and started a load of jeans. Opening the dryer, she found some towels Penny had washed that morning, and folded and stacked them neatly into a laundry basket. She was about to put them away when she heard Penny calling for her.

Hurriedly, she put down the basket and went to find Penny crouched on the floor in the bathroom, shaking uncontrollably.

"Penny!" she said, helping her up and leading her to the bed. "Here you go." She tucked her in, wiping her face gently. "Are you okay?"

"Did I make it?" she asked, shivering.

Carly looked around. "I don't see any messes. Were you sick?" Penny nodded feebly, pulling the blankets tighter around her. "Here," she said, bringing the water glass to her lips.

Penny took a small sip and lay back down. "I'm sorry," she said, closing her eyes.

She wiped her forehead comfortingly. "Don't be sorry. I helped my dad take care of my mom when she was sick, and I took care of Dad when he got sick, so it's nothing to be sorry about. You just rest and feel better." When she was sure Penny was resting, she got up and checked the laundry, putting the jeans into the dryer.

She kept herself busy with laundry, dinner, and Penny until the men came back later that night. She was sitting at the table resting her head in her arms when they came in.

"What's that smell?" Todd asked, grinning hungrily. "Dinner," she said, getting up from the table.

"I didn't think you'd still be here," Joe said, coming and putting his arms around her.

She smiled, kissing him tenderly. "Who else is going to make sure you guys get to eat?"

"How's Penny?" Tom asked coming inside, rubbing his hands together.

She pulled herself away from Joe and started to set the table. "She's got the flu."

Todd groaned and slumped into a chair. "The flu? You know what that means, Joe."

"What?" Carly asked anxiously, looking at them both.

"We always share the flu," Joe said miserably, sitting next to Todd.

"And those things you wanted to finish in your house won't get done," Tom said ruefully, going in to check on his wife.

Joe groaned, putting his head down.

"That's okay," Carly said, trying not to be disappointed. "It'll get done." She sat next to him, rubbing his back.

"It's not just that," he said, looking at her. "It's always harder to do the farm work when one of us is sick. It takes us twice as long to do it all, and by the time the work is finished, there won't be much light left to work on the house."

"So we have to wait longer to be married; it'll be okay," she said, squeezing his arm.

"I don't want to wait longer to get married. I want to get married right now." He pulled her over to him and set her on his lap.

"Neither do I, but sometimes we have to," she said softly, tracing his jaw with her finger.

"You don't want to wait to get married?" he asked, grinning wickedly.

She shook her head earnestly. "No. I want to be married just as much as you, but we just have to have somewhere to live."

"We always have your apartment," he said, winking mischievously. She smacked him playfully on the chest and stood up, finishing the table.

"Her apartment?" Todd asked skeptically, one eyebrow raised. "Kelly told me how tiny that thing is. You wouldn't last a day there, Joe."

Carly set dinner on the table, staying out of Joe's reach. "That's what I've been trying to tell him."

"I could handle it for a little while," he protested, getting up to wash and be in Carly's way. She giggled and pushed him away lightly, bringing the forks to the table.

Todd shook his head doubtfully. "I don't think so."

"What's for dinner?" Tom asked, coming out of their bedroom and closing the door softly.

"Turkey pot pie," Carly said, cutting the steaming pastry into servings.

"I thought you didn't know how to cook," Todd asked suspiciously, his eyes narrowed.

"I said I didn't get the practice."

"Turkey pot pie?" Joe asked doubtfully, sitting down. "Where did you learn to make that?"

"Sounds great to me," Tom said, rubbing his stomach.

"Well," Tom said after praying, helping himself to dinner. "I think your house isn't going to be done before the New Year."

Joe scowled with disappointment. "I know."

"What can I do to help you guys?" Carly asked.

"You know, we might not even catch it," Todd said optimistically before anyone could answer. He cautiously tasted a small bite of food. "This is really good, Carly," he said, surprised, taking a more generous bite. "You really need to teach Kelly how to cook."

Joe laughed. "I think it's funny that you asked a girl that couldn't cook to marry you."

"Not bad," Tom said approvingly. "Thank you, by the way, for taking care of Penny today."

"You're welcome," Carly said, blushing with pleasure. "I wasn't able to do much to help her though."

"What did you do then?" Joe said, teasing.

Her eyes twinkled mischievously at him. "Well, I didn't do much, just cleaned up your room."

Joe looked mortified.

"You cleaned his room?" Todd asked incredulously. "That must've taken you all day!" Joe shot him a withering look.

"It was tough." Carly laughed, rolling her eyes. "I didn't know it would be such hard work."

"Better get used to it." Tom laughed heartily, enjoying the playful banter. "He's notorious for not keeping things neat."

Joe turned crimson. "Hey now, I've had other things on my mind lately."

"Uh huh," Todd muttered skeptically, keeping his head down.

"Back to our other conversation," Carly said, anxious to be of help to them.

"Well now," Tom said kindly, leaning back in his chair. "We appreciate your help, and I'm sure we'll be able to find something for you to do, right?" He winked at Joe, who gave an enthusiastic nod of his head.

Todd snickered. "Yeah, she could keep his room clean."

"That would work pretty good for me," he said, unruffled.

"How are you going to let me know if you need my help or not?"

"I'll call you at five every day and let you know," he said simply, finishing his dinner. "That was good, babe." He winked, leaning his arm on the back of her chair.

"Babe? Is this something new?" Todd asked, raising his eyebrows. Joe grinned, shrugging his shoulders. "I think I'm going to be sick." Todd groaned and held his stomach.

"I think I'll start cleaning up now," Carly said, blushing charmingly.

She cleared off the table, washed the dishes, and finished the laundry she had started while the men sat at the table drinking coffee and discussing how they were going to divide the work.

"Carly," Tom said, standing up and stretching. "Thank you for dinner, it was good. I'm going in to check on Penny, so I'll see you three later."

"You're welcome," Carly said kindly as he walked out of the kitchen.

"Well, I'm not staying in here. You two make me sick," Todd said, going into the living room and turning on the TV.

Joe got up and silently helped Carly finish the dishes. Carly folded her towel and hung it up on the oven handle.

"Well," she said awkwardly, aware that she was alone with Joe. "I guess I'll get on out of here."

"You don't have to," Joe said quietly, walking toward her.

"I've been here all day," she stammered, backing toward the door.

He caught her arm and drew her to him, kissing her lightly. "And I like it. You have to get used to it, you know," he whispered in her ear.

"I know," she said breathlessly. "But I've really got to go," she said, pushing him away.

He pulled her back to him. "Why? What are you going to do? Don't you want to stay a little longer?" He kissed her ear.

"Yes, but I don't think that would be a good idea," she said, placing her hand on his chest.

"Why wouldn't it be a good idea?" He caressed her cheek tenderly, holding her face in his hand, looking longingly into her eyes.

"Because I don't want any regrets."

"Ah," he said softly, after a short silence. "I understand. I'll see you at church then, Lord willing." He walked her to the door, helping her on with her coat.

"I love you," she said quietly, standing on her tiptoes to give him a kiss. "I'll see you later." She walked away quickly before she could change her mind.

"Drive careful," he called as he watched her drive slowly away.