Part 11 (1/2)
”I do what I have to do.”
”But they've only postponedthe wedding. They didn't cancelit.”
”Give it time, my dear.”
”When I went down for a gla.s.s of milk last night, Elmo was still in his study. It was after midnight.”
”That's good. The more time he spends on the computer, the less time he spends with her.”
”Well, I just feel sorry for him. He's doing all that work to help you because he thinks you're sick.”
”Don't feel sorry for him. He brought this on himself. He should have had the good sense to steer clear of that money grubber.”
They both heard the car driving alongside the house. Somebody was leaving. Macy rushed to the window.
”It's Carsie. Looks like she's alone.”
”Good. Now we just need to lose the sister.”
”Oh, I'm sure she's coming back,” said Macy.
”Not necessarily...”
”I'll find out what's going on.”
Macy went down to the kitchen and poured coffee into one of Elmo's favorite cups. Then she put a few of Hadley's chewy chocolate chip cookies on a plate. They were still warm.
She peeked into the study. ”How about a little snack.”
Without looking away from the monitor, Elmo said, ”Not right now, Macy. I'm very busy.” Then he caught a whiff of the coffee and the freshly baked Hadley's. He smiled at her. ”On second thought, sure, that would be great.”
Elmo took a big bite of a cookie. ”Mmm. n.o.body makes them like Hadley.” He washed it down with a sip of coffee.
”Yeah, they're irresistible,” said Macy. ”By the way, uh, I just saw Carsie leaving in her car.”
”She's going to Jefferson. Gonna spend a few days with her grandmother.”
”Oh.”
”It'll be good for her. I just can't spend any time with her right now, and I know she's feeling neglected.”
”I see. Any idea how long she's staying?”
”Not really. Probably a week or two. Why?”
”Just wondering. Well, if you need anything, you know I'm always here for you.”
”I know. Thanks, Macy.”
As she spun around to walk out of the study, her flowered skirt twirled to catch up with her body. She pictured Elmo watching her, admiring her perfectly shaped calves, waiting for her skirt to settle back down across her cute little b.u.t.t.
Macy knew she could make Elmo forget about his fiancee. She only wished she had pursued him before Carsie came along. She had wasted years of opportunity, spending all those nights alone with him watching movies. She should have grabbed him one night and seduced him with a mind-blowing kiss. A kiss that encompa.s.sed all the pent-up l.u.s.t hidden deep in her heart. She had done it in her mind a thousand times. But instead, she just kept waiting for him to make the first move. And he never did.
Carsie had said that when she accidentally b.u.mped into Elmo in the supermarket she had finally found the man of her dreams. Or had she found the moneyof her dreams? That's what Mallie Mae thought. Macy actually believed Carsie's feelings were real.
But that didn't change the fact that Macy wanted Elmo for herself. And she had been feeling pretty desperate until the wedding was postponed. Maybe there was still hope for her and Elmo. She promised herself that if she didget another chance, she would not be so timid.
”Thanks for helping tonight. But I hate that you're missing choir rehearsal,” said Cynthia.
”It's okay. Henry didn't mind filling in for me,” said Greg.
They rode along in silence for a few minutes. Beverly had offered to make dinner, since they would get to her house by 6:00. Then they would pack more of her things. Greg had reserved a U-Haul for Sat.u.r.day.
”I had another one of my crazy dreams this morning,” said Greg.
”What happened thistime?
”Well, we were lying in bed and-”
”-in bed? I guess our morals aren't as good in your dreams.”
”No, no. We were married.”
”Oh. Is that where you think we're headed?”
”Uh, I don't know. It was just a dream.”
”Okay. Go on.”
”Anyway...we were making love and-”
”-you had a s.e.x dream about me?”
”But we were married.”
”In your dreams.”
”I see,” said Greg.
”No-I didn't mean it thatway. I wasn't saying we'd never get married,” she said.
”So, you're saying we willget married? Can I take that as a yes?”
She grinned at him and blushed.