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After Fletcher left, Carly went back into the kitchen to get Mick’s order. Watching her dad and Mick was like watching a train wreck. Carly brought a hand to her stomach. What a horrible mess. Why did Mick glance at her when her dad asked him how long he was staying? Fletcher Matthews never missed a cue. Those Friday night poker sessions with the town farmers have made him a pro at reading people. She was certain they’d exchanged words when she wasn’t there. “Are you okay?” Carly asked Mick, setting a plate of the house special in front of him.
Mick nodded. “Yeah, sure.”
“And... Dad?”
“Seems like he’s doing well,” Mick said.
Carly grabbed a cloth and some kitchen spray. She went around the counter and began cleaning the empty tables, hoping that the morning crowd would come in already—anything to keep her busy.
“What are you doing?” a voice whispered in a hiss.
“Goodness! You startled me,” Carly said to Charlotte.
“What’s going on with you?” Charlotte whispered. “Why are you cleaning what’s already clean?”
Carly turned her attention back to the tables. “I’m just getting ready for the breakfast crowd.
Charlotte took hold of Carly’s elbow and led her to the kitchen.
“What are you doing?” Carly asked after Charlotte let go of her once they’d entered the kitchen.
“No—what are you doing?”
“I told you,” Carly said with a whine.
“What’s going on between you and Mick?”
“Nothing!” Carly said almost too defensively.
Charlotte rolled her eyes. “Yeah right.”
“I mean it—there’s nothing going on between us.”
“Right! First, Mick turns up in town—out of the blue, I might add. And then you get a call from Ella and tell her to stop spreading rumors. And Fletcher! What was your dad doing here? He’s never here.” Charlotte crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot. “Spill it.”
“Mick is here on business. It’s got nothing to do with me. Ella is a gossip. And Dad—who knows? He said he was going to take his truck to the mechanic.” Carly spoke quickly. “Nothing to do with me!”
“Nothing, huh? Then what are you doing out there cleaning like a maniac when there’s nothing to clean? Service hasn’t even started.”
“Uh—because it’s my job.” Carly rolled her eyes and tried to step past Charlotte.
“Okay, fine.” Charlotte stepped in front of her, blocking her way. “I just don’t want you to get hurt, okay?”
Carly threw her head back. “Why will I get hurt?”
Charlotte looked at her, and Carly returned her gaze. “Look, I know Mick.”
“So do I.”
“He’s just passing through, Carly. He’s not going to stay.” Charlotte ran a hand through her hair. “When we were younger—you know Mick’s just a few years older than me, right? When we were younger, Mick worked really hard to get out of here. He didn’t even come back when his own father was dying. I mean, he did... but it took a while for him to come back.”
Carly tried to hold back her tears. She knew that Charlotte was right.
“He’s never been in a serious relationship—at least none that I know of. Mick only looks out for one person. He looks out for himself. No one else.”
“Why are you doing this?” Carly moaned.
“He’s—what?—twenty years older than you?” Charlotte continued. “You’re from different worlds.”
“Oh, so now you’re saying I’m too young. Am I too immature for you, Charlotte?”
“Carly, that’s not what I’m saying. What could you possibly have in common with someone like Mick?”
“Because I’m not good enough, right?” Carly could feel her nerves rising. “What could a handsome, intelligent, wealthy man like Mick possibly want with a dumb, small-town girl like myself? Is that right?”
“Carly—he’s old enough to be your father.”
“That’s disgusting, Charlotte!” Carly spat.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“No, I’m sorry”—Carly undid her apron—“I’m suddenly not feeling too well. I’m taking a sick day.” Carly tossed her apron on the work counter and walked out of the kitchen to get her bag.
“Carly, please—”
As the doors swung shut behind her, Mick looked up. “Everything okay, darling?”
“Yeah.” Carly shook her head. “I’m not feeling too well, so I’m gonna head back home.”
Mick got up from his seat and pulled out a fifty-dollar bill. “I’ll take you home,” he said to Carly.
“No, no, I’m fine. You haven’t even finished your breakfast yet,” she said, taking note of his full plate.
“I’m not too hungry anyway,” Mick said, leaving the money under his cup of coffee, still half-full.
Carly didn’t wait for Mick and instead rushed out the door without looking back.
* * *
“CARLY, WAIT UP!” MICK called after Carly as she rushed out the door. “Is everything okay?” he asked as he fell into step with her.
“I’m fine.” Carly didn’t look at him when she spoke.
“It’s obvious that something happened back there.”
Carly continued to walk.
“Okay—well at least let me take you home. We can go in my car.”
“No, thank you.”
Mick has had his fair share of silent treatments to know when he was being given one. And like most silent treatments, he didn’t know why he was getting one. Mick followed as Carly crossed the street in a hurry. He reached for her arm to slow her down. “Carly, what’s going on?”
Carly yanked her arm back and turned to face him. “What are we doing, Mick?”
“What?”
“This”—Carly waved a hand between them—“what is this?”
“What do you mean?”
“First you tell my dad that you’re only here for a few days. And, and,”—Carly stammered—“is it true that you left Willow Oaks because you hated it here? I mean, you’re never home. You apparently hate this place so much that you didn’t even come back when your dad died!”
Carly’s words hit Mick like a punch to the stomach. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“Just leave me alone, Mick! I’m not looking to get hurt.”
“Carly, what do you—where is this all coming from?”
“I’m thirty-two, you’re fifty. What could we possibly have in common?”
Ordinarily, Mick would have asked the same question. But having gotten to know her in the last six months, as NYJedi, there was more to them than the age difference. He should have just told her straight away that he was NYJedi. But what’s done is done. “Plenty! That’s all part of getting to know each other.”
“What if after you get to know me, you realize that we have nothing in common?”
“Carly,”—Mick took Carly by her arms—“look at me.” He leaned in and looked into her eyes. “Isn’t that the way life is? We try things out? Get to know each other. Build a relationship. What does your heart say?”
Carly shook her arms off. “I’m not something for you to try out, Mick.”
Mick sighed her name. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Everything alright, guys?” Mick turned around to find his sister Jenna walking towards them. He let out an exasperated breath. Can’t I go anywhere without seeing someone at every turn? “It’s fine, Jenna.”
“You okay, Carly?” Jenna asked as she joined them.
Carly gave a weak smile. “I was just going home. I’m not feeling too well. I’ll be seeing you guys.” And with that, Carly turned around and walked away.
Mick wanted to go after her. But what could he say? She was right. He hated the town. He disliked everything about it. And yes, there was a large age gap between them.
Jenna leaned against Mick’s arm, following his gaze. “Isn’t she too young for you?”
Mick shrugged. “Too young for what?”
“You’re my brother, Mick. And I’m not stupid. You have that same look you had when Jodie Ann Keller and her family moved away when we were in high school.”
Jodie Ann Keller. That was a name he hadn’t heard in a long time. A name he’d worked hard to forget. “What are you doing here anyway? Don’t you have kids to look after?”
“They’re at school now. I’m here to see Charlotte, as usual. Not that you would know what’s usual since you’re never home.”
“This isn’t my home, Jenna.”
“Then what are you doing here?”
Mick knew that Jenna was digging for information. “I told you—I’m here on business.”
Jenna turned to look back at Carly as she disappeared into the distance. “Looks like you’re going to have to work extra hard on your business.”
Mick glared at her. “I’m outta here.”
“See you tonight for dinner! Don’t forget!” Jenna called after him as he walked off.