I'm sorry about the delay with this chapter. I'm hoping that the next chapter will be finished much more quickly.

To those who have reviewed the story…thanks so much for the reviews! I love reading them.

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Chapter Four: I Think I Love You

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Ed looked dazed. "I have to sit down," he said.

"Ed," Molly whispered, "you are sitting down."

"Right," he said blankly.

Suddenly Jim reappeared, carrying two hot dogs. "Hey, Carol," he said jovially, oblivious to the tense situation he was interrupting.

He sat next to Molly and handed her one of the hot dogs. "Here you go, sweetie," he said, kissing her on the cheek.

Carol gaped at them.

Jim misread her expression. "I guess you heard the news, huh, Carol?" he inquired, smiling broadly.

"Wh-wh-what news?" she stammered.

"About the engagement," he replied. He grabbed Molly's hand and held it up for Carol's inspection. "Do you like the ring?"

Carol was becoming more baffled by the second. "This is all very confusing. Would someone please tell me what's going on?"

"Has Molly asked you yet?" asked Jim.

"Asked me…asked me what?"

"To be my maid of honor, of course," Molly answered, grinning at Carol.

Carol moved toward the chairs. "I have to sit down," she said, unconsciously echoing Ed. She sat down heavily next to Molly. "Would someone, anyone, please, please tell me what's going on here?"

Phil Stubbs ambled over to the group. "Congrats to you, Moll-ster, Jim-ster," he said. "I just heard the news. A June wedding, is it? Do you need a minister? Because I am officially ordained, you know. Or perhaps you need a wedding planner? Here's my card…" He began searching his pockets and finally produced a hot pink business card.

"Phil," said Ed, regaining the power of speech at last, "go away."

"No need to get huffy, there, Bosco," said Phil. "I can tell when people want to be left alone. You don't have to hit me over the head with a brick. I can take a hint." He handed Molly the business card. "Call me with all of your wedding needs. Ah, young love is such a beautiful thing! Farewell, young lovers!" He blew Jim and Molly a kiss and sauntered away.

Carol looked from Ed to Jim, then stared at Molly. "You're engaged to Jim?" she asked quietly, her voice full of hope.

Molly hugged Carol quickly. "Of course I'm engaged to Jim. You didn't think I was engaged to Ed, did you?" Her eyes twinkled merrily.

"That was a very mean trick," said Carol. Then her face broke into a sunny smile. "Congratulations! I'm so happy for you!" She hugged Molly again. "I'd love to be your maid of honor!"

Ed cleared his throat. "Now that this is all straightened out, I think Carol and I need to talk." He rose to his feet and offered Carol his arm. She stood and linked her arm through his. "Molly, Jim, would you excuse us?" And he led Carol to his office.

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Ed sat at his desk and Carol sat across from him in an old wooden chair. He was twirling a pencil between his fingers like a baton--an old habit that returned whenever he was thinking hard about something. Carol sat with her hands folded in her lap. Neither spoke for several minutes. Then Ed looked directly at Carol, his expression unreadable.

"Did you mean what you said back there?" he asked.

Carol looked steadily back at him, knowing immediately what he was referring to. "Yes," she replied, "of course I did."

"You…you're in love with me?" His tone indicated disbelief. But there was a hopeful glint in his eyes as he stared unflinchingly into Carol's face.

"Yes," she whispered. Her voice became stronger and she stared into his amazingly blue eyes as she spoke. "Ed, I've been in love with you for…well, for a long time now, ever since you moved back to Stuckeyville. The others…Dennis…I knew things would never work out, never get serious. I didn't want things to get serious."

"Carol, you've known how I felt since the very beginning. I don't understand why--why, if you were in love with me, too--why you wouldn't date me. Why you pushed me away constantly."

"I was afraid," she said softly, looking away from his unflinching gaze and instead staring down at her hands. "I knew that with you, it would be forever…and I was afraid of forever."

"Are you still afraid of forever?" he asked gently.

"Not anymore. I think I'm ready for forever," she answered, raising her face to meet his gaze.

Ed shook his head slowly, his eyes sad. "I don't think you are," he said. "I think you still see me as your old buddy, your backup, your safety guy. And I think the only reason you started to want me is because you thought I was with Molly. I don't think you really want me…I think you just don't want me to be happy with anyone else."

Carol's eyes were filling with tears. "I've been asking myself why I never wanted you to be with anyone else. And I finally figured it out. Don't you see? It's because I love you!"

Ed looked at her thoughtfully. After a few moments, his expression cleared, and he smiled slightly. "I think you mean that," he said softly.

"Ed," she said plaintively, "how many times do I have to say it?" She stood, stepped up to his desk, and fairly shouted at him, "I LOVE YOU!"

Ed walked around to the front of the desk and looked down into Carol's face. A smile played at the corners of his mouth. "Well, there's only one thing to do about that," he said.

Carol looked up at him. "What?" she inquired in a whisper.

"This," he whispered back, and took her into his arms and kissed her.

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