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Summer Rain And Roses |
Chapter 6 |
Millicent delicately placed her hand within the one that was outstretched towards her and stepped out of the limousine. "Thank you, Fred," she acknowledged, giving the driver a brief smile.
"Will you be going out again later today?" Fred inquired.
"I don't believe so. You may take the car back to the garage."
"Yes, Madame." After touching the brim of his hat with his fingertips, Fred turned away to park the limo.
Standing at the edge of the curb, Millicent took a moment to inhale deeply, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her skin. It really was a lovely day. A pleasant breeze was blowing and she could detect a hint of fragrance from her rose garden, even from this far away.
"Hi, Gamma."
She looked to the source of the voice, finding her grandson striding towards her. Although he'd been living at the carriage house for a full week now, she hadn't seen much of him. He'd been keeping a low profile. As he came closer, she noticed that he was developing a nice tan. He still appeared to be on the thin side, but hopefully this 'R and R' away from the hospital would do him some good. And perhaps it was already having an effect on him. He seemed to have more bounce to his step today.
"Hello, John. You're looking well. If I didn't see your Jeep parked here now and then, I wouldn't even know you were living here."
Obviously she was implying that she didn't see enough of him, and John felt a sliver of guilt as he stood before her. "I've been pretty busy," he murmured.
"Well, I'm glad I ran into you. I just spoke to your parents last night and they're coming back from Germany this weekend. I'm planning a dinner for Sunday night. I do expect you to be there." Her tone left no room for argument.
Somehow, he managed to suppress a sigh. "What time?"
"Eight o'clock."
Promising to be there, he kissed his grandmother's cheek and climbed into the Jeep. He was doubly glad now that he had made plans to see Rose tomorrow night. At least he had something to look forward to for the weekend.
***************
"Don't get me wrong. I'm flattered you asked me out." Kevin gave her a teasing smile, swallowing a mouthful of salad. "But I've been curious all day. What's this all about?"
Rose stabbed a wedge of tomato with her fork, clearly distressed. Kevin's attempt at humour wasn't helping to lighten her mood. Earlier today at work, she had asked him to have dinner with her. She needed his advice.
"I have a problem, Kevin. I like John. I mean I really, really like him."
"That's great! Why would that be a problem?"
Exhaling noisily, Rose put her fork down, the tomato still stuck to the end. "You know why! This could never work between us. I shouldn't have gone out with him the first time. And now I can't believe I'm going out with him again tomorrow."
It had been a difficult decision; one that she'd mulled over for most of the week. But she'd decided to turn down any offer of a second date when and if John called. And then he *had* called. And her resolve had melted the second she'd heard his rich, mellow voice over the phone. Before her brain had caught up to her mouth, she'd agreed to see him again on Saturday night.
"I think you're worrying over nothing, Rose."
"It's not nothing and you know it." She watched as Kevin continued to calmly crunch on his salad, his gaze steady and unperturbed. It was in direct contrast to her bundle of nerves. She didn't think she could eat another bite. "I've got to tell him the truth," she said abruptly.
Her announcement gave him pause and he too placed his fork down. "And what purpose would that serve?"
"It would ease my conscience, for one thing. I don't like secrets."
"You have nothing to feel guilty about, therefore your conscience doesn't need easing," Kevin stated firmly. He then softened his tone. "It happened a long time ago, Rose, and it had nothing to do with you. Look, I know John pretty well. Very well, in fact. Even if he knew the truth, he wouldn't care. But right now, John is living with someone who would care very much."
She grimaced slightly. "Your grandfather."
"You know it. We've managed to keep things under wraps for this long. Why spill the beans now?"
"Why do you seem so keen on the idea of John and I being together?" Rose countered.
Kevin hesitated before answering, his expression thoughtful. "Because you both deserve happiness but neither of you have found the right person yet. Even though you won't admit it, there's a void in your life. And in John's life too. Just give this a chance. I think you'll be good for each other. I really do."
Rose was touched by his simple, heartfelt speech. It gave her hope that maybe this wouldn't be a total disaster after all. Besides, this would only be their second date, not a lifetime commitment. They might even find that they weren't as compatible as they'd first thought and end it right there. Anything was possible.
She would just have to keep an open mind.
***************
The doors of the movie theatre opened and a throng of people headed for the exit. Rose walked alongside John, both continuing to chuckle over the final scene. The comedy had been a good choice. Neither of them had been in the mood for a noisy action film or a teary drama.
Earlier, they'd gone to an Indian restaurant for dinner. John had never had that type of cuisine before, so Rose had introduced him to her favourite dishes. He'd taken a liking to the various appetizers, curries, rice and bread. One of the sauces had been so hot and spicy, he'd choked on it and promptly drained an entire glass of water. Rose had laughed at him, stating it wasn't any good unless it made you cry.
Driving home now in the Jeep, they were fairly quiet. John turned up the radio and lowered the window. Rose gazed at the passing sights and enjoyed the wind on her face. Feeling very comfortable, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes.
John smiled to himself as Rose drifted off to sleep. First her head nodded forward until her chin almost touched her chest. Then she shifted slightly, her head angling to the left until it came to rest against his shoulder. He tried to minimize the movement in that arm so he wouldn't awaken her.
He'd been looking forward to seeing her again for days, and he hadn't been disappointed. He found her absolutely charming and delightful. She had an energy; an inner light that seemed to infuse him as well, whenever he was near her. These past few months, he'd almost forgotten what it was like to laugh. All of his co-workers attemps to coax him out of his shell had only caused him to withdraw even further. Being with Rose was a breath of much needed fresh air. What was it about her that he found so intoxicating? Perhaps it was the unique combination of her strength, her boldness, her gentleness, and her spirit.
John turned into the driveway of her home, grateful that he hadn't gotten lost. Shifting into park, he glanced down at the sleeping form beside him. She was still oblivious to the world. He gently shook her shoulder. "Rose, we're home. Wake up." Getting no response, he bent his head closer to her ear. "Rose..."
She jerked her head up suddenly, connecting fully with his nose.
"Ow!"
"What...oh, God, I'm sorry!"
"It's okay." His voice was muffled, one hand partially covering his mouth as he rubbed his nose.
Rose brought her own hand to her mouth, mortified at what she'd done. "Are you sure? It's not broken, is it?" Blinking in the darkness, she couldn't see any sign of bleeding.
Pressing tentative fingers over the tender cartilage, he shook his head. "No, not broken. Just a little sore." Hearing a quiet giggle, he turned to look at her with raised eyebrows. "Oh, you think this is funny?"
Trying to compress her lips tightly together, she managed to say, "No, it's not funny." Then the dam broke and she couldn't contain her fit of giggles.
Drawn in by the infectious sound, John succumbed to his own bout of laughter. His chuckling came to an abrupt halt, however, when he felt the heat of the soft, feminine mouth against his own. Caught off guard, his eyes widened for a fraction of a second, then closed as he surrendered to the moment.
This felt so good, so right. Rose felt her pulse quicken to match the beat of her heart. As John moved his mouth against hers, the kiss intensified, her lips parting of their own volition. The shiver shooting down her spine sent conflicting messages to her hazy mind. One was pleasure; pure and simple bliss. The other was a warning bell. She was treading on dangerous ground.
John's eyes popped open as the warmth left his lips. Her face was cast in shadow and he tilted his head, trying to gauge her expression. "What's wrong?" he asked softly.
She avoided his gaze, hoping he wouldn't be able to read the confusion and doubt in her eyes. Although Kevin's words from yesterday still echoed in her head, she couldn't risk losing everything she had worked towards for the past five years. This had to stop now, before it went any further. If she let this continue, she knew she would lose her heart. He had already claimed a small piece of it tonight with just this one kiss.
Her silence troubled him. It was similar to how she'd reacted last week when he'd said he wanted to see her again. He sensed her sadness but didn't understand it. "What's wrong, Rose?" he asked again. "Talk to me."
"I shouldn't have done that." Her voice sounded low and strained.
"It's okay. I thought maybe you'd meant to kiss my nose to make it better, but missed. I don't mind." He'd hoped the little joke would make her smile but it fell flat. She still wouldn't look at him. Starting to grow impatient, he lifted her chin up with two fingers. The moonlight reflected off her dark blue eyes, and he was dismayed to find them awash with tears. His impatience quickly dissolved into concern. "I don't understand this. Please tell me what's wrong. Is it something I've done?"
"No, it's not you. It's me." She gave a hollow laugh. "I know that sounds like a terrible line, but it's the truth. I'm sorry, John. This is my fault. I...I shouldn't have agreed to go out with you."
He tried to find the hidden meaning in what she was saying but it only left him confused. "I don't understand," he repeated. "I thought things were going well."
*Yes, too well* she thought. *I'm doing the right thing. Better to end this now*
"I'm sorry for the mixed signals, but I can't see you again." She spoke in a rush, anxious to get this over with and retreat to the safety of her home. "Goodbye, John."
"But..."
He was left open-mouthed as Rose swung the door open and practically leapt outside. Still not clear on what had just happened, he could only watch as she disappeared into the house without a backward glance.
After a minute of sitting there in stunned disbelief, John finally backed into the street and drove away.
After dismissing the babysitter and looking in on her son, Rose curled up on her bed and finally gave in to her tears. If she was doing the right thing, why did she feel so miserable?
***************
Coughing discreetly into her hand as the cigar smoke tickled her nostrils, Nicole Carter suddenly realized her son was no longer in the room. Glancing around, she spotted him on the balcony; getting a bit of clean night air, no doubt.
Rising to her feet, she patted the shoulder of the man seated next to her. "I'll just be outside, dear."
Roland Carter nodded, exhaling slowly. "Smoke getting to you?"
"Mmm hmm." With graceful steps, she came to stand beside the younger, masculine version of herself. John had inherited his dark good looks from his mother's side. His stubborn streak, however, was a product of the Carter genes. Both Roland and Laird were a testimony to that particular characteristic. "Beautiful night, isn't it," she said, gazing towards the pinpoints of stars in the sky.
"Yeah."
Even in heels, she had to tilt her head back to clearly see his profile. Height was another trait that came from his father. "You're awfully quiet tonight. Is something wrong?"
John speculated whether his mother wanted the truthful, pained answer or the easy, glossed-over response. He looked down into the face that was so youthful for its age. Her skin was smooth; unmarred by worry or frown lines. He gave his standard reply. "I'm fine."
As usual, she took him at his word and didn't pry any further. She was content in believing he was fine and that all was right with the world. Her world, at least. The one that revolved around her family and friends. The rest of the world might be falling to pieces, but it didn't concern her. That's why she never watched the news.
They both turned around as more voices floated from the drawing room. John was surprised to see Kevin with his parents. "Did you know they were coming?"
"No, I didn't." Her voice was stiff from obvious displeasure. She would have a word with Millicent about forgetting to mention this little detail.
"Be nice, Mom."
She sniffed. "I'm always nice."
John walked over to the group and was warmly greeted by Robert Carter. After shaking hands, John turned to the tall, brown-haired woman beside him. "Hello, Aunt Claire. You're looking very well." He hadn't seen her since the brief visit she'd paid him after the stabbing. He knew she had been reluctantly dragged to the hospital to make a one-time appearance. Kevin and Robert had made subsequent visits on their own.
"Hello, John," Claire responded, her tone cool as John quickly kissed her cheek.
Nicole went through the same ritual greetings, smiling at Robert with genuine fondness. Then the two women faced one another with identical expressions of haughty, feigned politeness; a false veneer that didn't hide their mutual, intense dislike.
Robert, Roland's younger brother, was truly a dear man. But Nicole had never liked Claire. She was a brash woman who had an opinion on everyone and everything, and never failed to express her views. In addition to her unladylike manner, she came from a lineage of questionable background; an undistinguished working-class family.
While the two women managed to icily get along with each other for the sake of family peace, they had almost come to blows over Chase. Claire's eldest son had been the light of her life. She still loved her son, of course, and always would. But even now, after visiting Chase at the Kenner Institute, she would sometimes go home and sob, thinking of the way Chase used to be. If John had only told her about Chase's heroin addiction, she could have found a way to help him. But he had taken things into his own hands and look where it had gotten her son. Most days, he didn't even know his own mother. He was alive, but not in the truest sense of the word. It broke her heart. And her heart found no room for forgiveness where John Carter was concerned. No matter what Robert said. It wasn't in his nature to hold a grudge but in her opinion, he had forgiven John all too easily.
When Nicole had found Claire practically screaming at John one day, it had taken all of her willpower not to slap the woman on the spot. Claire had been hysterical and John had been silently accepting her tirade, tears coursing down his cheeks. Unable to bear seeing him in such pain, Nicole had angrily ordered Claire to calm down. She still remembered the look of shock on the faces of her son and sister-in-law. Neither of them had ever heard her shout before. Her outburst had surprised even herself, but she hadn't been sorry. Not then, and not now. Chase had gotten himself into trouble. John had only been trying to help him, the same way he tried to help anyone he cared about. As long as Claire wasn't willing to understand that, there would always be animosity between the two mothers.
John approached his cousin and with a look that passed between them, they moved to the back of the room. "Surprised to see us?" Kevin asked.
"Yeah, a little. Gamma didn't mention you were coming."
"Figures. She wants us all to get along, and she thinks the only way to do that is to force us together every once in a while. I don't think it's working, though," Kevin stated wryly.
"I need to talk to you. About Rose." John realized the change in subject was rather abrupt, but she was the only thing on his mind today.
Kevin sensed the urgency in John's tone and he kept his own voice low. "Why? What happened?"
"She says she can't see me again. That we shouldn't have gone out together." John had thought about last night's events over and over again, but he was still completely baffled by Rose's behaviour. It just didn't make any sense. "I know she likes me. And I...well, I'm crazy about her, Kev."
"I knew you guys would hit it off." It pleased Kevin to know that John liked her so much. It had been a long time since he'd heard his cousin say he was interested in anyone. Things were going to get complicated now, but he was confident that everything would work out in the end. "She didn't give any explanation?"
"No. Nothing." John slapped the wall with the palm of his hand, venting his frustration. "You're friends with her. I thought you might know what's going on." It was a long shot, but he looked at Kevin hopefully.
"Yeah, I...Hi, Uncle Roland."
"Hello, boys." Roland extended a hand, offering Kevin a cigar. "I thought you might like one."
"Maybe after dinner," Kevin declined.
"Very well. I know you don't smoke, John."
"That's right. And neither should you."
This was a familiar conversation and Roland expressed his typical disdain. "Please, spare me the doctor bit. So you two seem to be having quite the conversation. Something I can join in on? Or is John boring you with one of his emergency room stories?"
"Believe me, those are never boring." Kevin's tone was mild but there was a glint in his eyes. Roland's snide comments never failed to annoy him. He glanced at John, but he didn't appear to be bothered. Perhaps he'd heard those comments so often he managed to tune them out. Or more likely, he simply had other concerns to dwell on tonight.
All conversation stopped as Millicent entered the room, her voice ringing out clearly. "Hello everyone. Thank you all for coming. I'm sorry that I couldn't join you earlier. There was a phone call that I had to take care of. But I've just been told that dinner is ready, so we can all go into the dining room."
John and Kevin hung back as everyone started to move towards the hall. Roland walked on ahead of them so they were able to resume their chat. "Listen, I probably won't be able to talk to you later," Kevin spoke quietly. "I promised a friend that we'd get together tonight after dinner. But I'll definitely call you tomorrow. Let me talk to Rose first and we'll get this sorted out."
"So you do know what's going on. Why am I getting a bad feeling about this?" John couldn't quell the anxious feeling in his stomach.
"Don't worry, it'll work out," Kevin assured him. "You haven't mentioned her to anyone, right?"
"No. Why?"
"Just don't. Don't mention her name."
This warning only served to intensify John's distress. What the hell was going on? But at this point, all he could do was agree. "Okay. I won't."
He absolutely had to continue seeing Rose. Something special was growing between them but it had to be given a chance to develop; a chance to blossom before the roots were yanked out completely. One thing he knew for certain - he wasn't going to give her up without a fight.
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