The Sometime Bride

and sat in the big easy chair that afforded her a view of the mountains. “Men!” she said, but her mood was lighthearted. He’d said he loved her. Loved her! And then that talk about making things permanent.
    “Indeed,” Grandma Russell answered. “But who, honestly, wants to live without them?”
    Carrie knew that she didn’t, not any longer than she possibly had to.
    “So,” her grandma asked. “We still on for the 23rd? The caterer phoned this morning, wanting the second half of her money.”
    Carrie hesitated. Talk about risky investments… But now was not the time to push Mike with a timetable. Her grandmother was right. At this point, it was important for him to take things on his own terms. To go at his own pace. Carrie thumped the table nervously with her free hand. “Sure,” she said, biting into her bottom lip. “Why not? It’s only money.”
    Grandma Russell laughed. “You, child, are probably the only person I know who could say that and really mean it.”

    Mike got down on one knee and looked up at his father. “Okay, Dad, tell me how this sounds…”
    “What you got your elbows all sticking out for? You trying to imitate a chicken?”
    Mike pursed his lips and stood. “Are you going to cooperate or aren’t you? I thought you liked her.”
    “Love her, son. She’s a regular doll. And, not so incidentally, probably way too good for you. But I can’t for the life of me understand what you’re all so hellfire worried over. You never practiced up for any of the others.”
    Mike blew a hard breath and ran his fingers through his hair. “Well, maybe the other times weren’t nearly as important.”
    His dad laughed and shook his head. “You, boy, are the only man I know who asks women to marry him just as easily as most ask girls out for burgers.”
    “You aiming to insult me?” Mike asked, setting his hands on his hips.
    “Nope. Just wondering. Does Carrie know about the long line of others before her?”
    “She knows about Alexia.”
    “And what about Marianne? The one with the big…” Jack made a curvy motion in the air with his hands.
    “You really do have a one-track mind, you know that?
    Jack twisted his lips in scrutiny. “You’re really going to do it this time, aren’t you? What about that island thing? You always said if you found the right girl to share your dream…”
    Mike felt the sweat form at his brow. “Carrie doesn’t even know about that island thing. Besides,” he said, unable to keep his face from falling just a bit, “like you’re so fond of saying, Dad, you can’t have it all. At least, not if you come from the same side of the tracks we do.”
    Jack raised his eyebrows and studied his son. “If you’ll recall, boy, another thing that I’m fond of saying is, it never hurts to ask. Have you even talked with her about it?”
    “Ridiculous,” Mike said, shaking his head. “The whole notion is pie-in-the-sky at this point. Besides, if she says yes to my proposal, I’m going to have to find a way to up my income here. Not go tossing pennies in a far-off well. I’ve been thinking that maybe I could talk my broker, Colleen, into making me a partner. My sales have been really high lately, after all.”
    “I thought Carrie was well-off.”
    “Exceptionally well-off. Precisely why I can’t let her think I won’t carry my weight. Maybe it’s old-fashioned of me, but I inherited my values from you.”
    His dad gave him a proud smile.
    “Now,” Mike said, dropping back down on his knees. “You going to help me with this or not?”
    Jack held out a leathered hand. “Yes, dear,” he said, in a high falsetto. “You were saying that I hung the moon…?”

    Carrie walked into her office and dropped some files on her secretary’s desk. “Mary?” Carrie said, looking down at the trim young woman. “Didn’t expect to find you here on a Sunday.”
    Mary pushed her gold wire-rim glasses up a bit higher on the bridge of her nose. “Yes, ma’am. Well, it seems that we’ve fallen a bit…uh, behind this week.”
    Carrie flushed, knowing that was because of her series of unexcused absences.
    “Just here catching up.”
    “Great,” Carrie smiled. “Me too.” Since she and Mike had slept in, they’d completely missed the opportunity for the Ashton Academy reunion picnic. Yet somehow that thought hadn’t mattered to either of them.
    Carrie walked back to her desk, dismayed to find the pink message notes practically spilling off it. She