ringing." She moved to the fridge and held it open, peering inside. "Have you had lunch?"

"No. You?"

"No. But I don't have much to offer." She smiled over the top of the door. "Cheese and

crackers that we had last week."

"That's fine."

"And I've got a bottle of wine. How about we spend the afternoon down at the pier?"

v o t e c i n e b l l ' t I . l u f r e d n o W " . d e s u a p n e h t , d o o t s l l i J " . e m i t e h t h c t a w o t g n i v a h t u o h t i w t i si"Or do you have to get back?"

Carrie shook her head. "I'm all yours."

"I can't believe she said that to you. My mother-in-law would never interfere like that,"

Carrie said. "Even though I'm sure she's wanted to on occasion."

"Most of my shortcomings usually involve Angie but today she was focusing on Craig too. I

really think the woman hates me."

"I'm telling you, it's because he's an only child. In her mind, no woman will ever be good

enough for her baby."

"I know. I keep telling myself that," Jill said, holding out her glass for Carrie to refill.

"Thanks. But I sometimes wonder if there's not some truth to what she says. We hardly

spend any time together as it is. And I mean, even though I hate basketball, shouldn't I be

more supportive and go to his games? I know other wives do."

"Did you in the beginning?"

Jill nodded. "Yeah. I used to make all the home games, at least. But it just became a chore.

Something I hated to do. I was resenting the fact that on my time, I felt obligated to

follow him around like some groupie." She laughed nervously. "God, that sounds so awful."

"It doesn't matter how it sounds. You should be able to voice your feelings, Jill."

"Yeah, but it sounds so selfish. I mean, what's wrong with me? Why don't I want to spend

time with him?"

"Is that what you think it is?"

"I don't know anymore."

Carrie looked out over the lake then stretched her legs out as she got more comfortable on

the bench. Jill turned sideways, watching her.

"I often wonder how my own marriage survived," Carrie said. "But in the beginning, I was

the one never at home. Every weekend, I was out showing houses, meeting buyers and

sellers alike, never home for James, never home for the boys. It's just a miracle my kids

have turned out to be such sweethearts." She turned slowly, meeting Jill's eyes. "Then, of

course, the stores took off and James was gone all the time." She turned back to the lake.

"And our kids still love us."

"What school do they go to? It's not Kline, is it?"

Carrie shook her head. "Private school. Brookhaven." She held her hands out as if to catch

the sunshine. "Such a gorgeous day. I'm so glad you're here to share it with me." She

smiled. "And it's good to see you like this, in everyday clothes. You look comfortable. You

look nice."

Jill blushed then rubbed her hands on her jeans. "I hate business suits but Mr. Tutt

insisted on them. Now that his son runs the business, he's not as particular but I've

already got a closet full of them."

"That's the first thing I did when I got out of the real estate business. I tossed all my

suits. I swore I'd never put on another pair of high-heeled shoes." She picked up the wine

bottle and held it up. "We've about killed it." She laughed. "God, I love lazy days like this."

"Yes. It's so nice out here." Jill reached over and touched her hand. "Where are your boys

today? How is it that you're alone?"

Carrie stared at their hands for a long moment then raised her eyes. Jill went to pull her

hand away, embarrassed, but Carrie stopped her.

"You only wear a wedding band," Carrie said quietly.

Jill raised her eyebrows.

"No diamond, just the band," Carrie explained, touching her ring finger. She held up her

own left hand. "Me too."

Jill nodded. "Craig and I couldn't afford much when we got engaged. I didn't see the point

in spending an obscene amount of money on a diamond when we didn't even have a house to

live in."

"You got married in college?"

"No. A month later. We both graduated in May. Got married in June. Started teaching—

both at Kline—in August." She shook her head with a smile. "A whirlwind summer."

"Why here?"

Jill shrugged. "Craig's from here."

Carrie gave her a sympathetic smile. "I can't believe your in-laws live three doors down."

Jill laughed. "Most days, neither can I."

Jill turned her attention to the lake and stretched out, much like Carrie was doing. The

garden bench was small and she was aware that their hands still brushed, aware each time

Carrie's fingers moved across her skin. She finally turned, not surprised to find Carrie's

eyes on her. Their eyes held for a long moment. Again, that feeling of familiarity—of

connecting—settled around her. She liked it. It felt peaceful.

"I'm really glad you came today," Carrie said quietly.

"Me too."

"I wish we could do this more often."

Jill nodded and smiled. "Perhaps we should exchange phone numbers," she suggested.

"And I'll give you the code to the gate. Because even if we can't be together, there's no

reason you can't come out here and enjoy the peace and quiet."

"Oh, I wouldn't come out if you weren't here."

"Why not? I'm offering. Besides, you are the only other soul who even knows this place

exists."

Jill paused. "Do you feel guilty you've not shared this with your family?"

Carrie shook her head. "No, not at all. For one thing, James could never slow down enough

to enjoy it out here. He's all go, go, go, all the time. Now the boys would probably enjoy the

lake in the summer, would enjoy going swimming, but they both have their own things going

on now. Josh will graduate in May and go off to college. He doesn't have a clue as to what

he wants to do but he wants to leave home, go someplace new. And I'm all for that. He's

far too young to be stuck in one place. But Aaron, now he's his father's son. He so smart,

he could do anything he wanted—engineering, computer science, anything. But damn if he

doesn't want to stay here and run one of James's stores."

"Well, I'm sure James is happy at least one of them wants to follow in his footsteps," Jill

said.

"Oh, of course he is. I think he was secretly afraid he was working his ass off all these

years for nothing," she said with a laugh. "But in the summers, Aaron goes with him every

day. And this coming summer, James has promised him an assistant manager‛s job. I have

this horrible fear he'll graduate high school and move into a manager's position and never

go to college. And Aaron would be perfectly happy. So would James, for that matter."

"Well, at least your kids have interests. Angie's world revolves around boys and makeup. I

know she's only a freshman but she shows no interest in anything. I asked her once what

she wanted to do and she said she'd probably end up being a secretary, like me," Jill said

with a smirk.

Carrie laughed and squeezed Jill's hand.

"I know. If she knew my salary was more than her father's, she'd die. I don't know how it

happened but she's very old-fashioned." Jill leaned closer, liking the feel of Carrie's

fingers on her hand. "She has this vision of fathers working to support the family and

mothers being home to cater to the kids. And I know she gets that from her grandmother."

"She spends a lot of time with her?"

"Yes. Especially when she was younger. After school, she'd go over there until I got home

from work. Even now that she's older, she still goes over after school most days. I cringe

when I think of all the crap they must be filling her head with."

"Does Craig know all the things his mother says to you?"

"No. In the beginning when she'd say something to piss me off, I'd tell him, but usually he

would just laugh it off, or worse, take her side. The only time he didn't take her side was

when I quit teaching. He knew how miserable I was."

"So you tolerate her and pretend everything's fine?"

"Yes. And she informed me we're having dinner with them tonight. Craig apparently forgot

to tell me."

"Ouch."

"Yeah. What a way to end a perfect day."

"Was it a perfect day?" Carrie asked quietly.

Jill smiled. "Well, let's see? It didn't start out all that great, no. But sitting here at the

lake in the sunshine, visiting with you ... yeah, it was perfect."

"I'm glad you think so."

But after sitting through dinner, silently listening as Craig gave play-by-play descriptions

of the basketball games he'd watched that day, Jill thought how truly perfect the

afternoon with Carrie had indeed been.

Carl, her father-in-law, looked at her once, his eyes questioning, but she smiled and turned

her attention to Craig. She tried—she really did—to muster up some enthusiasm for what

Craig loved. Unfortunately, it just wouldn't come.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

"Five sunny days in a row," Carrie exclaimed one day weeks later. "Do you think spring is

really here?"

Jill laughed. "March is barely here. I don't think you should lay claim to spring too."

"It feels like spring. It even smells like spring. And look how swollen the trees are," she

said. "Everything will be budding out soon." She turned to Jill. "I can't wait for green."

"I know. And this would be a good weekend to start on your flowerbeds."

Carrie nodded. "Yes, it would." Then she grinned. "Are you sure you have to go?"

"As much as I would love to be with you, Craig and Angie would never forgive me if I missed

the state tournament."

"Oh, I know. I was being selfish."

"No you weren't," Jill said as she reached over and squeezed Carrie's hand. She wasn't

surprised when Carrie's fingers closed over hers. They had been doing that a lot lately.

Touching. "And if I could get out of it, I'd ask you for the whole weekend," she said

quietly. "The lunch hours seem shorter and shorter."

"Yes. It's probably because the weather is nice and we're out here, not stuck inside, that

makes the time race." She slowly let Jill's hand slip away before turning back to the lake.

"But the state tournament is a big deal, right?"

"Yeah, it's a big deal. Once in a lifetime thing for most of these kids. And Craig about

passes out from excitement just talking about it. I can't imagine what he'll do at the

game."

"Well, believe it or not, Josh even made mention that Kline was going to State. And Aaron

tells me they've painted up the windows at both stores in town."

"Yes, everyone is excited. Arlene bought us all matching T-shirts to wear at the games. I

have this fear that she's going to hold up a sign saying we're the coach's family."

Carrie laughed. "I can tell how enthused you are."

"Don't think I haven't thought about staying behind, because I have. But I'm sure the

wrath of the basketball gods would rain down upon me!"

"Oh, well. Maybe soon we can find a weekend."

"Maybe." Jill turned on the bench, waiting until Carrie looked at her. Her blue eyes looked

bright in the sunshine. Jill couldn't decide which color she liked best, this or the pale blue

she saw more often. "I... I really miss talking to you, Carrie. I mean, on the weekends." She

paused. "I don't understand it," she admitted softly. "I've never had a friend like you. I've

never talked to someone so much."

"I know exactly what you mean." Carrie sat up, resting her elbows on her thighs as she

gazed out over the lake. "I don't know what it is about you but when you're around,

everything seems so brilliant, so beautiful." She glanced at Jill quickly, then away. "I'm

almost afraid of the colors I'll see this spring," she said with a laugh. "If you don't mind, I