Chapter 9

“Hey, Mom.” Carissa walked into the kitchen and kissed her mother’s cheek. “Dinner smells good. What’re you making?”

“Hi, honey. Lasagna with my homemade sauce, fresh garlic bread from the bakery that your father likes, and a salad with veggies from the farmer’s market.” Mom wiped her hands on her apron, then eased it off over her head. She draped the apron across the back of one of the stools that surrounded the small breakfast bar in the middle of the kitchen.

Carissa’s mouth watered, and her stomach grumbled. “Yum,” she said.

Homecooked Sunday dinner was one of the very few benefits of attending college so close to home. Even though she complained about the weekly obligation, and she hated that she couldn’t invite her boyfriend, she secretly liked the tradition.

“Your brother and his friends are outside. So is Cayla.”

Carissa’s heart fluttered at the thought of Bradley being in her backyard. She wasn’t sure what to say to him, or how to act after the events of last night. Danny was right—she had been throwing a tantrum, and Bradley had witnessed the entire, mortifying thing.

“Those two boys… Bradley and Jeremiah…” her mom said.

“Jeremy,” Carissa corrected.

“Right.” Mom smiled. “They’re very nice boys. Extremely polite.” She grabbed a crystal Swarovski vase from the windowsill above the sink and held it out. “Look at these flowers Bradley brought for me. Aren’t they gorgeous?”

Carissa’s eyes widened at the full, colorful bouquet of roses that must have cost a small fortune. “Yeah, they are.” She leaned forward to sniff the flowers. “Need any help with dinner?”

“No, I’ve got it under control.” Mom set the vase back on the windowsill and turned her attention to the oven.

Carissa headed for the sliding glass doors that led to the backyard. When she stepped outside, the sun reflecting off the water in the lagoon-style pool nearly blinded her. She shielded her eyes and looked around. Her sister Cayla lounged on a nearby chair, sunglasses covering her eyes. Was she even awake? Cayla had a bad habit of falling asleep outside. She’d suffered more than one blistering sunburn as a result.

“Hey, sis.” Carissa claimed the empty chair next to Cayla. “How’s school?”

Cayla was a third grade teacher at Harmony Falls Elementary School—her dream job, she’d said when she was first offered the position. Cayla sat upright. “Exhausting.”

Carissa laughed. “Didn’t you just go back?”

“Mm-hmm, and my kids are already running me ragged. I have this one little boy who doesn’t understand the concept of waiting his turn to speak.” Cayla shook her head, but then grinned. “I wouldn’t trade my job for the world, though.”

“I don’t know how you do it.”

Cayla shrugged. “It’s a gift, I guess.” She lifted her sunglasses just enough for Carissa to see her big, brown eyes. “So is that.” Cayla nodded at something behind Carissa.

Turning to look at whatever had Cayla’s attention, Carissa found Garrett, Cory, Jeremy, and Bradley playing basketball on the full-size court Dad had built for Cory shortly after he’d made the high school team.

Carissa’s gaze zeroed in on Bradley. He wore black, Nike basketball shorts and white sneakers. He was shirtless, the gold chain with the cross still secured around his neck, and his tanned skin glistened with sweat. If that wasn’t hot enough, he had a worn baseball cap turned backward. She had no idea why, but something about that look was so sexy, and Bradley owned it.

“You know they’re all my age, right?” Carissa said, forcing herself to stop staring.

“So?” Cayla laughed. “There’s no crime in looking. You have to admit, the view is pretty incredible.” She let her sunglasses fall back down on her face, and she settled in the lounge chair.

Carissa shifted so she could watch the game—or so she told herself. She didn’t care about the stupid game or who was winning. Her sister was right, though. The view was fantastic.

Hoots and hollers sounded from the court, and the guys gave each other high fives. Bradley jogged to the edge of the court, grabbed a water bottle from the ground, and took a long drink. Then he poured the remainder over his head before snatching a shirt and wiping the remnants of water from his face and chest.

Her mouth went dry at the sight, and for a brief moment, she felt like a pervert for staring so intently. There were no doubts in her mind that Bradley was a walking sin, and everything about him tempted her.

Bradley glanced up and caught her ogling him. He grinned, then winked. Her face flushed with heated embarrassment. What she wouldn’t give for a pair of sunglasses right about now. Maybe then she could try to pretend she hadn’t been staring. He gave a small nod in her direction before jogging back onto the court to resume the game.

“So, how are things with Danny?” Cayla asked as she shifted in the lounge chair to get more comfortable.

Carissa groaned. “We got into a huge fight last night and haven’t spoken since.”

“A fight about what?”

Even though Cayla was almost five years older than Carissa, they’d always had a close relationship, and Carissa never had any issues sharing secrets and girl talk with her sister. But this was one thing she couldn’t confide in her about.

“I don’t even know.” Carissa huffed, playing up her lie. “It was stupid. We were having fun. Drinking. He wanted to have sex, and I didn’t. Everything blew up after that.”

Cayla turned her head to look at Carissa. “He got mad because you wouldn’t have sex with him?”

“Yeah. Stupid, right?”

“I’m not sure stupid is how I’d describe it.” Cayla turned her head so she was staring up at the sky. If she hadn’t been fully dressed, Carissa would’ve thought her sister was sunbathing with the way she was laid out in the chair.

Carissa wanted to ask how Cayla would describe it, but doing so would open up a can of worms Carissa didn’t want to open. Other than Cory, who really only tolerated Danny for her sake, no one in Carissa’s family liked her boyfriend. Granted, Danny hadn’t made the best first impression, but so what? Didn’t he deserve a second chance? Couldn’t her family at least do that for her?

“How’re classes going?” Cayla asked, and Carissa sighed with relief at the change of topic.

“Good. Tiff and I got bids to pledge Theta Omega Pi.” Excitement filled her voice.

“That’s great.”

“Dinner’s ready,” Mom called from the back door.

Carissa’s stomach rumbled again, and she quickly got up and walked inside. Cayla wasn’t too far behind. Carissa’s father emerged from his den and smiled at her.

“Hi, Daddy.” She gave him a hug.

“Hi, pumpkin. How’s school?” he asked and led the way into the dining room.

“Good.” Carissa didn’t tell him about the sorority—he’d freak out and lecture her about how he wasn’t paying thousands of dollars per semester for her to party.

Dad took his seat at the head of the table, and Cayla sat to his right. Carissa sat beside Cayla. The chair to Dad’s left was reserved for Mom, and the seat beside her was for Cory.

Ruckus near the back patio filtered into the dining room, then dissipated before the guys entered the room several minutes later. They’d all changed and wiped away the sweat that had been clinging to them.

Carissa tensed when Bradley walked in. He hesitated until Cory told him to sit wherever he’d like. Of course, he had to claim the seat next to Carissa. Not that she minded all that much, but having him so close rattled her.

“Who won?” Dad asked.

“Me and Bradley,” Cory said with a proud grin.

“Yeah, by two points.” Garrett laughed.

Mom carried the food into the dining room and set the bowls and platters in the center of the table. Once she was seated, Dad helped himself to a generous piece of lasagna before passing the dish around the table.

Conversation stopped as everyone filled their plates, the only sound that of silverware on Mom’s nice China. When Carissa handed the breadbasket to Bradley, his fingers grazed hers, and he held on longer than necessary. She sucked in a sharp breath and pulled her hand away.

“Carissa, are you free Thursday evening?” Dad turned his full attention to her.

“I think so. Why?” She poured dressing over her salad.

“I’m having dinner with a business associate, and I thought you might like to go with me.” He looked at her expectantly.

She shifted uncomfortably in her chair. The only time her father invited her to a business dinner was when someone her age would also be in attendance—usually a guy. Single and worthy in her father’s eyes.

“So?” Dad asked, a single brow arched.

“Is this another attempt to set me up?”

Beside her, Bradley choked on his food. He coughed and reached for his drink.

She ignored his reaction, not wanting him to see how horrified she was that her father would choose now to do something like this. Why couldn’t he ever ask her in private, without putting her on the spot in front of everyone?

“Jack’s son is a respectable young man.” Dad took a bite of his lasagna.

Carissa clenched her jaw, then exhaled slowly in an effort to keep her temper in check. “Dad, you know I’m with Danny.”

No one else at the table bothered to look up, all of them suddenly very interested in their food. Maybe that was better. The less people involved in this trainwreck, the better.

Dad huffed and pointed his fork at her. “And you know that boy is nothing but trouble. You can do better.”

How many times had her father told her that? How many other worse things had he said about Danny? Normally, she’d bite her tongue and endure the Danny-bashing portion of dinner, but today, something inside of her snapped.

She stood, threw her napkin onto her plate of uneaten food, and stormed outside. Kicking off her shoes, she sat on the edge of the pool and dipped her feet into the cool water. Sitting out here usually calmed her, but she continued to seethe with anger.

She knew her father hated Danny, and that was fine. She could deal with that, but she couldn’t handle her dad constantly trying to replace her boyfriend. Didn’t he realize she was legally an adult and could make her own choices? She was almost twenty-one, for crying out loud. She didn’t need her father to dictate her life.

“You alright?”

She glanced over her shoulder to find Bradley standing a few feet away, hands tucked into his pockets. “You must think I’m a spoiled rotten brat.”

“No, I don’t think that at all.” He toed off his shoes and sat beside her, his feet dangling in the water, too.

“Yeah, right.” She rolled her eyes. Twice now, he’d been witness to her getting angry and storming off. Toddlers behaved that way, not grown women.

“I don’t. Promise.” He gently nudged her shoulder with his. “I think you’re dealing with a lot of stuff, and people keep piling more on you.” He shrugged. “Anyone would crack eventually.”

Well, she hadn’t expected that. She swirled her feet beneath the water, momentarily mesmerized by the ripples. “My dad thinks Danny’s dangerous.”

Bradley was silent for a moment, then asked, “Do you think he’s dangerous?”

“No,” she answered without hesitation. “I know he’d never hurt me. Not in the way my father seems to think he will.” She leaned back on her hands and closed her eyes, letting the midday sun warm her face.

“Then it doesn’t really matter what anyone else thinks, right?”

Carissa straightened, dusted off her palms, and shifted so she was facing him. “I guess not.” She tilted her head. “But it’s hard to be with someone when everyone close to you can’t stand the person you’re with.”

He nodded but didn’t say anything.

“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “Maybe everyone is right. Maybe Danny isn’t the right guy for me.”

“Is that how you feel?”

She scrunched up her face. “You sound like a shrink, you know that?” Carissa laughed. “Let me guess… you’re a psychology major?”

“Business, actually.”

“Oh.” She chewed on her bottom lip and concentrated on picking at her cuticles—a nasty habit she had when she was nervous or in a situation she wasn’t sure how to handle.

“Want to know what I really think?” he asked.

“Yes, please.”

He graced her with a breathtaking smile, and she had no idea how she didn’t fall backward with how hard that simple gesture hit her. She held her breath, waiting for whatever he might say next.

“I don’t know you or Danny all that well, but from the moment I met Danny, something about him rubbed me the wrong way. I have no idea what happened last night, but the specifics don’t matter. He made you cry, and in my book, that makes him a jerk.” Bradley eased his feet from the water and angled his body toward her. “I keep wondering how in the hell a guy like him got a girl like you.”

A whoosh of breath rushed out of Carissa, and then she sucked it right back in. Eyes wide, she blinked, attempting to process his words and to stave off the impending tears that were threatening to spill free.

“From what little I’ve seen so far, I don’t think he treats you the way you deserve to be treated,” he said with a shrug.

No one had ever said anything so sweet before, and she was at a loss for what to say in response. Somehow, “thank you” didn’t seem like enough. So, rather than say anything, she leaned closer, her gaze dipping to his mouth.

But to her utter horror, Bradley moved away from her. She jerked back, heart thundering, the tips of her ears burning with embarrassment. What the hell? He’d been more than willing to kiss her the other night. Why wasn’t he now?

Scrambling to her feet, she scooped her shoes from the ground. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to…”

Bradley stood. “Carissa, wait.” He gently clutched her arm to stop her from running away.

His hand was warm and soft, his touch caring and so unlike Danny’s. She swallowed the lump in her throat and faced him, even though every instinct she had was screaming at her to run.

“I need you to know something.” He licked his lips.

“What?” Her tone was cool.

“I really do want to kiss you again. Hell, it’s all I’ve been able to think about.” He dropped his hold on her arm and raked his fingers through his hair. “But I’m not this guy, Carissa.” He shook his head sadly. “I don’t steal another man’s girlfriend, and I don’t sneak around behind anyone’s back, either.”

She pursed her lips and gave a single, curt nod. “Good to know.” Without another word, she walked away, head held high and back ramrod straight.