Honeysuckle Summer (The Sweet Magnolias #7)(25)



He seemed startled by the offer. “You’d do that for a couple of girls you just met?”

“If it would help, of course.”

“Amazing,” he said, half to himself.

“Don’t nominate me for sainthood. As you can imagine, I love having company.”

He held her gaze. “Even me?”

She forced herself not to look away, even though the intensity in his eyes was unsettling. “Surprisingly, yes.”

His expression brightened. “Then we’re definitely making progress.”

“Carter,” she began, a warning note in her tone. Before she could continue, Tommy came bursting into the house, Libby right on his heels.

“Ray-ween, I hit the ball way far away and ran all the way around the bases today,” Tommy announced excitedly. “Daddy came and he saw me, and Travis said I was the best player on the team. He didn’t say it loud, though, ’cause he didn’t want the other kids to feel bad.”

Raylene knelt down to give him a hug. “Wow, what a great day! Congratulations!”

“I had pizza,” Libby said, then added sorrowfully, “but I couldn’t hit the ball. It was too fast.”

Libby wasn’t officially on the team, but then the whole activity was geared toward kids who were too young to play officially. Travis always made sure even Libby got a turn at bat, despite the groans of the slightly older kids.

“Next time,” Raylene assured her. “You’ll learn. In fact, I bet your daddy or Travis will practice with you this week.”

As Sarah and Travis walked into the kitchen, Sarah’s eyebrows rose when she spotted Carter. “Back again, I see.”

“He brought his sisters by to water the garden,” Raylene told her. “They’re out back now giving it a good soaking.” She winked at Travis. “They’re going to be very glad to meet you. They’re huge fans.”

Sarah rolled her eyes. “Naturally. He attracts females of all ages.”

As if to prove the point, Libby held out her arms to Travis. “Up?” she pleaded.

Travis scooped her up and tickled her. “Nap time, kiddo.”

“No nap,” Libby said, her little chin set stubbornly. “Me and you hit the ball.”

“Later,” Travis promised. “You could use a nap, too, Tommy. Let’s go.”

“While you put Libby and Tommy down, I’ll get your fan club to come inside to meet you,” Raylene promised. “They’ll probably want to touch up their lipstick and comb their hair. Can’t meet the town sex symbol without being properly primped up.”

Travis shook his head at the amusement in her voice. “You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?”

Raylene nodded. “As a matter of fact, I am. I love watching a grown man blush.”

Sarah poured her own glass of lemonade, then sat down opposite Carter and studied him over the rim of her glass. “Now you and I have a chance to chat,” she said meaningfully. “I get why your sisters wanted to hang out. It’s all about Travis. What about you? What’s the attraction for you?”

“Sarah!” Raylene chided.

Carter didn’t look the slightest bit disconcerted by the question. “Isn’t it obvious?”

“You do know she’s not going to make it easy for you, don’t you?” Sarah asked, as if Raylene weren’t sitting right there blushing furiously.

“Easy’s not much fun,” Carter said, his gaze catching Raylene’s. “I’ve suddenly discovered a fascination for more complicated women.”

“If you ask me, you already have enough complicated women in your life,” Raylene said. “Weren’t you saying not ten minutes ago that you didn’t know how to handle Mandy and Carrie?”

“Not the same,” he said easily.

“How so?” Sarah queried.

“If I get it right with my sisters, I’ll have the satisfaction of knowing I did my best and can send them out into the world. If I get it right with Raylene, something tells me the payoff will be far more rewarding and has the potential to change the rest of my life.”

Sarah looked impressed by his response, but it scared Raylene to death. It implied expectations and a future, two things that required guarantees she couldn’t possibly make.

“Carter,” she protested, “you shouldn’t be saying things like that.”

“Just calling it the way I see it,” he said evenly. “I wouldn’t want you to accuse me of not giving you fair warning about my intentions.”

“You don’t even know me,” Raylene said, then reminded him, “And when we met, you didn’t even like me.”

“I didn’t like what happened,” he agreed. “You, however, intrigued me. Nothing that’s happened since has changed that.”

“But that’s crazy,” Raylene said, feeling a little frantic and overwhelmed.

He held up a hand. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to panic you by getting so intense. One thing I learned when my folks died was that things can change too fast and when you least expect it. I’ve been too busy since then to think much about relationships, but I’m smart enough not to walk away when something looks promising.”

“And you think a relationship with a woman who hasn’t left the house in two years looks promising?” she asked incredulously. “Is that because you think I can’t run away?”

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