Willow Brook Road(107)
“Then why are you wasting even one second of that time in here lecturing me, when you could be alone with your husband?” Carrie demanded. “I’ll even keep Jackson for the next couple of hours and bring him with me to Grandpa Mick’s.”
“A tempting offer, to be sure,” Cait said, her regret plain. “But I’m on a mission to figure out whether or not you’re about to ruin your life. Noah said things were awfully tense between you and Sam when he brought Bobby in the other day. He got the feeling Sam didn’t really want you there.”
Carrie gave up trying to avoid the whole discussion. “He had his reasons. We’ve worked it out. Like you said, that’s what adults in a committed relationship do, right? They work through things. Not every day is a festival of love and laughter.”
Cait laughed. “I wish. Okay, so things are fine with Sam. How fine? Any talk of a future?”
“Not beyond whether he and Bobby will be at Grandpa Mick’s today. I’m thinking I should warn him to stay home.”
“Don’t you dare. I want to see him for myself and see you with him.”
“We’re not that interesting.”
Cait put an arm around her shoulders. “Hey, you’re my baby sister—”
“By two minutes,” Carrie reminded her.
“It still counts. I have to look out for your best interests.”
“Don’t you think I get enough of that from the O’Briens right here on the scene?” Carrie asked wearily. “Mom, Trace and Grandpa Mick have made me their pet project lately.”
“But I have special insight,” Cait claimed, then linked an arm through Carrie’s. “Now show me around in here. I still can’t believe you’re opening a day-care center.”
“Believe it. If there are no more last-minute glitches, the doors open after Thanksgiving. The inspectors found a half dozen nits to pick on their last visit.” She sighed. “Oh, well, it was to be expected they tell me. My only real regret is that I still haven’t found the perfect assistant manager. I’ve hired a couple of great people with experience with kids and good educational requirements, but I’d really like someone with a solid background at a day-care center.”
“Are you excited?”
“Excited, terrified, all of that,” Carrie admitted. “What if the kids are miserable and the parents yank them out? Maybe I should have stuck to babysitting O’Brien babies on Willow Brook Road.”
“Stop that! The children will be safe and blissfully happy. You’re not going to fail,” Cait said with total confidence. “And not just because O’Briens don’t fail, but because you’re you and even I can see that this is the perfect fit for you. Mom was right. We all should have seen it much sooner.”
“And saved me the disaster that was my life in Paris?”
“Something like that,” Cait said.
In an example of perfect timing, or more precisely, perfectly terrible timing, Carrie’s cell phone chirped out its alert for an incoming text. She ignored it.
“You’re not going to check that?” Cait asked, her expression curious.
“I’m busy with you. Whatever it is can wait.”
“And you know that how?” Cait asked suspiciously. “Do you know who’s texting, Carrie?”
“I have some idea.”
Before she could react to prevent it, her twin grabbed the cell. Her eyes widened in dismay. “Marc? You’re in touch with Marc?”
“I am not in touch with Marc,” Carrie replied defensively. “He’s been texting.” She hesitated, then added, “And calling. I’ve been ignoring him. Usually I just shut off my phone, so I don’t have to be bothered looking at the texts. I’ve deleted the voice mails without listening to them.”
“Good for you,” Cait said. She studied Carrie a little too intently. “You’re not even a little curious about what he wants?”
“Not enough to open that door again,” Carrie said firmly. “My life is falling into place just the way I want it, too. Marc is not a part of it.”
“Okay, then. I won’t freak out over him trying to contact you. Now, show me just how fabulous this place is going to be.”
For the next half hour, Carrie showed her sister every nook and cranny of the center, watching her face closely. That, rather than her words, would tell the real story about what she thought of Carrie’s seemingly impulsive career choice.
“Noah, isn’t it fantastic?” Cait said at last, whirling around in a pool of sunlight in the middle of the main room. “It’s such a happy place.”