An Agreement (Summer in New York Book 3) Read online

  “How was the hotel?” Sally asked. “Did you sleep well?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” I grabbed a hunk of dough and started rolling it out with a pin.

  “I hope you’re feelin’ better after last night,” she said.

  I clammed up, feeling my cheeks sting with blush. “I am.”

  “Good,” Sally smiled. “I’m glad.”

  In no time, the three of us fell into light conversation. Sally and Beth were easy to talk to. I hated that Carter had stayed away for so long, because it meant that he’d given up seeing them.

  “He’s a real nerd,” Beth said about her boyfriend. “Like me.”

  We giggled, sprinkling flour over the dough. I helped with the crisscross pieces on top of the pie. It looked pretty and polished when we were done.

  “Now we just have to pop these in the oven,” Sally said.

  “I can’t wait to see how they turn out,” I said. “I’m sure they’ll be great.”

  “Mom’s the greatest cook in the whole world,” Beth said.

  “Stop it,” Sally replied.

  “You know it’s true!” her daughter chimed.

  “That must be where Carter gets it from.” I sat down with Beth on the couch as Sally brought three glasses filled with ice and a pitcher of sweet tea.

  “How is his restaurant doing?” Sally asked.

  “Great! He’s worked so hard. I’m really proud of him. My uncle owns a few restaurants in the city, so they’ve become friends. I think they are learning a lot from each other.”

  “I’d really like to see it sometime.” Sally looked at the ground, nursing her tea.

  “You’ve never been to the restaurant?”

  “No.” Sally put her tea down. “We were finally going to come last fall, but...”

  I shared a quick glance with Beth.

  “Well, that just didn’t work out,” Sally said.

  “I’m sorry.” I thought of a solution. “Why don’t you fly back to New York with us? I’m sure Carter would love to show you the restaurant.”

  “Oh, no. I couldn’t leave Robert.”

  “Yes, you could,” Beth interjected. “You just don’t want to. You’re so used to him by now, you don’t know any different.”

  “It could just be for a couple of days,” I suggested, trying to lighten the mood.

  “Yeah, Mom. Come on. When are you goin’ to stop lettin’ him control you and do the things you want to do?”

  “I love your father, young lady,” Sally said, pointing her finger. “And he isn’t always goin’ to be around. So I don’t want to hear another word of this talk.”

  I wandered to the fireplace while they argued back and forth. Carter’s wedding photo was still on the mantle. One of him and a smiling Vanessa. The same one I’d found in his nightstand.

  When the room was quiet, I turned around, holding the picture frame in my hands. “He really loved her, didn’t he?” I asked.

  “Yes,” Sally replied, morose. “We all did.”

  I looked at her beautiful face. I’d never be as pretty as her.

  “Vanessa was a sweet girl,” Sally said. “It’s a shame she got knocked up by that good for nothin’ boyfriend of hers. Then again, that’s what brought them together.”

  “She’s very pretty,” I said.

  “Yes. We all miss her very much.”

  I put the picture frame back and returned to my seat.

  “You should have seen Carter that night,” Sally said. “He was inconsolable.”

  “I can’t imagine.” Something tugged at my gut. “That must have been horrible.”

  “He’s so different now.” Sally smiled at the thought. “It’s like you pulled him out of the abyss.”

  “I don’t know about that,” I said.

  “It’s true!” Beth nudged my shoulder. “The first time I saw him around you, he had this look in his eyes.”

  “What kind of look?” I asked.

  “I don’t know. I couldn’t figure it out. That’s why I insisted you go to lunch with us.”

  “I’m glad I did,” I said.

  “Believe me.” Sally reached for my hand and squeezed it. “We are, too.”

  I might never live up to Vanessa’s legacy, but it was nice to know I’d earned someone’s approval.

  I heard the screen door shut as Carter came into the room. He got a glass of water from the kitchen and gulped it down. Sitting on the couch, I couldn’t help but admire his lean frame and the dewy sweat on his skin.

  “Did you find your father?” Sally asked.

  “Yeah,” he said after a few breaths. “He’s sulkin’.”

  I averted my eyes, feeling like I was somehow responsible.

  “I want to take Bailey out and show her around.”

  I watched him approach me, making my heart melt with the wild look in his eyes.

  “You want to go?” He reached for my hand.

  “Sure.”

  He pulled me off the couch and headed for the door. “We’ll be back.”

  “Be careful!” his mother yelled.

  I stopped when I saw an ATV in the front yard. Carter lingered on the steps, tugging at my hand.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “A four wheeler.”

  “No, I know what it is.” I crossed my hands over my chest as he looked up at me, laughing.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m not getting on that thing.”

  He smirked, coming towards me.

  “Carter, no! I’m serious.”

  “Come on.” He grabbed me by the waist. “It will be fun.”

  “No, it won’t.”

  He picked me up in his arms.

  “Carter, put me down! It’s not funny.”

  He set me on my feet by the ATV. “Okay, I put you down.”

  My heart was pounding. But he had his body pressed against mine, and it felt nice. Maybe it would be good for us to do something a little crazy.

  “Is this dangerous?” I patted the seat.

  “Sweetheart, do you really think I’d put you in danger?” He devoured me with those electric blue eyes.

  “Maybe not on purpose.”

  “Come on, I’ll go slow.” He opened his hand. “Don’t you trust me?”

  “Yeah,” I cooed, wrapping my arms around him.

  “Good.” He kissed me and climbed on the ATV. Then I got on behind him. “Put your arms around me and hold on tight.”

  I snuggled against him, circling my arms around his torso. “Now I see why you like this,” I said, grinning as he started the ATV.

  “Hang on!” he yelled, taking off with a kick.

  I screamed and pressed my cheek to his back. Then I closed my eyes. The wind rustled in my ears as I imagined trees flying by. When I was brave enough to look, I stared at the sky. It was so blue.

  I felt calm, relaxed with Carter in front of me. So I leaned back and lifted my arms in the air.

  There was a nice breeze on my face. It swept through my hair, blowing past my shoulders. I shut my eyes again and sighed, because I’d never felt so free before.

  Carter parked between two rows of trees. I gazed down the lane, feeling a bit like I was in Wonderland. I’d never seen any place quit like it.

  “What do you think?” He hopped down and helped me off. “Of the land, I mean.”

  “I love it,” I breathed. “How many acres does your family own?”

  “A few hundred.” He smiled and took my hand, guiding me to the water. It was a quiet river nestled in the woods. If he hadn’t shown me, I would have never known it was here.

  “Wow,” I whispered. “What is this place?”

  “We call it The Swamp.”

  We took a path that led to a white gazebo. It looked out over the water, providing a picture perfect view of the river. On a day like this, I’d love nothing more than to jump right in.

  “Why?” I furrowed my brow.

  He stood behind me. “Because of all the gators.”
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br />   “What?” I panicked, and he hugged me to his chest so I wouldn’t run away.

  “Just kiddin’,” he teased.

  “Not funny,” I said.

  “It was a little funny.”

  I turned around and smiled, giving him a kiss. He lifted me onto the railing and kissed me again. Then he grabbed a post and leaned into the gazebo, holding me against him.

  “It’s so beautiful here,” I said. “I can’t imagine why you left.”

  While that wasn’t completely true, family land was hard to come by these days. In New York, I couldn’t think of a landowner who hadn’t sold out eventually. Commercial real estate and all that jazz.

  He didn’t say anything for a few minutes. So I rubbed his shoulders and put my head on his chest.

  “There was a time when I thought I’d never leave,” he admitted. “I thought I’d be here forever.”

  I braided my fingers at the nape of his neck. “What happened?”

  He frowned, looking out at the water. “Vanessa died and I just didn’t want to be here anymore.”

  “Was this your place?” I asked.

  “No, not really.”

  “Did you bring her here?”

  “Sometimes,” he said, looking guilty.

  “Hey.” I touched his face. “It’s okay.”

  He looked at me like a little boy.

  “I know you had another life before you met me. I would never try to make you erase that.”

  “I know you wouldn’t.” He cupped my cheek and pressed his forehead to mine.

  “I love you,” I whispered.

  “I love you, too.” He looked into my eyes, but it felt like he didn’t quite see me.

  We walked down to the river bank and talked for hours. Mostly about the life he’d lived in Baton Rouge with Vanessa. From the way he told it, she’d been a good wife to him. He still loved her. It was written all over his face. Being here was bringing all of it back to him.

  That was the first time I realized that her shoes were ones I might not be able to fill.

  On the way back to the house, my insecurity deepened. I started second guessing myself. Vanessa would always be there. His immortal first wife. And what if I couldn’t compete with that?

  We came in the front door and found Sally and Beth where we’d left them. While we were talking, Robert came in and slammed the door. The wedding photo of Carter and Vanessa crashed to the ground. The same one I’d been looking at just an hour earlier.

  Sally gasped, jumping up to fetch a broom. “What have I told you about slammin’ doors, Robert? Now you’ve gone and broken something.”

  Carter knelt down and turned the picture over. Then he stared at it and swallowed.

  “Isn’t that the one you were askin’ us about?” Beth said.

  “Yeah,” I answered. “Carter, I’m so sorry.”

  “You touched this?” He was rigid as stone.

  “Well, yeah. I mean, I looked at it for a minute.”

  “But did you touch it?”

  “I picked it up,” I said. “But I put it right back.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about it.” Sally swept up the broken glass. “I’ll buy another frame.”

  “You should watch your girl puttin’ her hands on our things,” Robert said.

  Carter clenched his jaw, glaring at his father. “Come on.” He grabbed my hand. “Let’s go.”

  “But I thought you wanted a slice of pie?” Sally said.

  “Maybe another time.” He kissed her cheek. “Sorry, Mom.”

  Carter was silent on the ride to the hotel. I felt awful about what had happened, like it was my fault. Maybe I had put the picture frame back wrong. If I’d never touched it, maybe it wouldn’t have fallen.

  “I’m really sorry,” I said. “I never should have picked it up. It wasn’t my place.”

  He stared straight ahead. “First of all, my mom probably has a hundred copies of that picture. So it won’t be that big of a deal to reframe it. Secondly, it wasn’t your fault.”

  I felt terrible, like my insides were quicksand. “But I picked it up.”

  “You also put it back.” He pulled into the hotel parking lot.

  “Yeah, but—”

  “Listen.” He parked the truck and turned to face me. “The only reason that picture fell is because my father slammed the door. This is his fault, not yours. Stop apologizing for him. He doesn’t deserve it.”

  “Did you talk to him in the woods today?” I asked.

  “Not much.” He grabbed the keys and opened his door. “He’s not someone I like to talk to.”

  That felt like a touchy subject, and I didn’t want to tread where I was unwelcome. I’d been doing enough of that here in Louisiana. So I followed him to the hotel room without saying a word.

  He shut the door and pressed me up against it, crushing his lips to mine. I whimpered as he slid his hands under my dress, caressing the soft skin on my stomach. My eyes rolled back into my head as I held on to his shoulders, loving the strength and warmth of him. He was such a real man.

  He lifted me in his arms and carried me to the shower as I coiled my body around him. When the water came on, I squealed because it was cold. He laughed and looked at me, turning serious all of a sudden.

  “I love you, Bailey,” he said. “Don’t ever doubt it.”

  I held his gaze, those fierce blue eyes burning bright. He caressed my cheek with the back of his fingers until I trembled. Then he moved us out of the water and planted his lips on my neck. I tangled my fingers in his hair, remembering the first night I saw him. The way his hair curled at the nape of his neck.

  Even then, I’d felt like he was irrevocably out of reach. That if I claimed his attention, it wouldn’t last long. Because he was superior to me, in a class of his own. And there was no way I could ever dream of measuring up.

  “You don’t even know how beautiful you are,” he whispered, tainting my mouth with a soul-stirring kiss.

  I pulled his head back so I could look him in the eye. “Carter?”

  He steadied himself against the shower wall with an arm on either side of me. His eyes burned right into mine, and I knew I couldn’t tell him how insecure I’d been feeling. I didn’t want to hurt him.

  “What is it, sweetheart?” He nuzzled his nose against my cheek.

  “I love you so much,” I confessed. “I always will.”

  He saw the tears in my eyes and covered my mouth with a kiss. “Bailey, are you—”

  “Just love me,” I begged, running my hands down his naked back. “Love me.”

  He wrapped his arms around me as I closed my eyes. Even in his touch, I felt how much he loved me. That’s why it was so hard to hide things from him. Like the fact that I didn’t think Robert would ever accept me. And I couldn’t bear being the cause of Carter continuing to stay away from his family.

  As he lay beside me in bed, I ran my fingers through his hair. He had fallen asleep quickly, which was usually the case after we made love. But I loved watching him sleep, the way he was so vulnerable with me. Even in his dreams, he kept one arm around my waist to let me know he was always by my side.

  I stared at my Adonis and tried to sleep, caressing the stubble on his face. But I felt tears running down my cheeks even though he was right here with me. He was in such a deep sleep, that when his mother called, he didn’t even stir. So I grabbed his phone and went in the bathroom to talk.

  “Hi,” I said, drying my eyes in the mirror. “Carter is asleep. He didn’t even hear the phone ring.”

  “He always was a heavy sleeper,” she said. “Do y’all have any plans for tomorrow?”

  “Well.” I blinked to keep new tears at bay. “I’m not sure. He hasn’t said anything.”

  “Great. We’re all goin’ out tomorrow night, and we would love for you to come! It was really Beth’s idea, but I thought I’d give y’all a call now. It’s nothin’ big, just dinner and dancin’.”

  “Dancing?” I perked my ears up
at the thought.

  “Well, it’s a local honky tonk. Carter hasn’t been in years, but he always loved it. We usually get dressed up in cowboy boots and hats. We’re not in Texas, but have you seen Urban Cowboy?”

  “Yeah.” My heart was pounding. “Yeah, I’ve seen it.”

  “Well, it’s not as big. But it’s just about like that,” she chuckled, and it was sweet.

  “Mrs. Boudreaux?”

  “Sally,” she corrected.

  I shut my eyes. “Yes. Sally. I’d love to go, but I don’t have anything to wear.”

  “Oh, don’t you worry about that! I have what you need. Just stop by the house tomorrow afternoon and I’ll take care of everything.” It was a very generous offer. I kept trying to figure out how such a nice lady had ended up with a total jerk of a husband.

  “Thank you. I’ll talk to Carter about it.”

  “All right. Thanks, Bailey. You take care.”

  My bottom lip quivered. “You too.”

  She hung up and I put Carter’s phone on the counter. Then I looked in the mirror and ran my fingers through my hair. Something was wrong with me. I hadn’t been seeing my therapist consistently, and it was beginning to feel like a huge mistake. Some days, it was almost like I couldn’t breathe.

  “Hey.”

  I gasped when I saw Carter standing in the doorway. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

  He stood there in his boxers, crossing his arms over his chest.

  I looked in the mirror and dried my eyes. “Did you sleep well?”

  Carter knelt down by my chair. It was one of those fancy ones for luxury bathrooms. I’d been thankful to find it today, because I could barely stand on my own two feet.

  “Bailey, what’s goin’ on?” he asked.

  I looked at him. His face was one I couldn’t lie too. So I broke down crying all over again. “I don’t know.”

  He wrapped me in his arms and I cried on his chest, feeling like a failure. “Are you gonna tell me what’s wrong?”

  “I would if I knew what it was!” I said in frustration. “I don’t know. I’ve just been having a really hard time.” I pointed at my head. “Up here. And the nightmares. It’s like they always come in waves or something.”

  He nodded, cupping my cheek in his hand. “Is there anything I can do?”