Chapter 6 the date
"Hey thought you'd be studying." Ryan called as he shoved open his little sister's bedroom door. He was more surprised to find her applying a little makeup. She rarely ever wore that crap, only when she graduated or had an interview.
"You're getting dressed up?" He asked also taking in her soft pink sweater dress and gold hoop earrings.
"Um hmm." She said adding a little lip-gloss next.
"So when did you run into him?" Ryan asked wheeling over to sit near the foot of his sister's bed.
"Excuse me?" She asked meeting his gaze in her mirror.
"Carter, you're going out with him." Ryan said smirking. She hated that smirk. Why was it he knew things before she did? Had he planned this? But then no, Carter didn't seem like he'd make a good liar. Besides Ryan wouldn't have someone else do his dirty work. He'd have asked Carter to take her out right in front of her. Sometimes she really she had had a sister instead. Then when she'd think of how close they'd come to almost losing him she bit her tongue. Heavens it had been almost fifteen years and yet she remembered that night with horrifying clarity.
Ok she was so not going there tonight. She had a date with a really hot guy and she'd not be depressed by that one.
"What makes you say that?" She asked instead.
"Come on sis you almost never wear makeup and how often to you wear a dress like that?" He pointed to the outfit in question and she felt herself blush slightly, which just served to gain him a glare.
"Ryan I'm aloud to get dressed up with out having a date." She said wanly.
"True, but you have a date." He persisted and she rolled her eyes knowing he'd not stop until he had what he wanted.
"Ok, fine I have a date." She sighed in defeat. "I don't know why you care, it's my life." She said tossing her hands up in the air in exasperation.
"And you're my little sister." He pointed out easily, sitting back in the chair.
"Don't I know that?" She muttered good naturedly.
"Ok, miss sarcasm." He smirked. "So you gonna fess up?"
"Nope." She said hiding her chuckle when she heard him mutter something under his breath.
"Dana." He sighed in exasperation. "Either you can tell me or I'll just follow you two."
"Ryan why are you such a pain?" She asked wanly.
"Because I love you." He said sweetly, and it was true, Ryan and Dana were very, every close even for brother and sister.
"Yeah, well I think it's time I find you a date." She said and he quickly backed up a step. He'd let her fix him up five times and it had been five times too many.
"Ok," Dana flopped down on her bed. "So that time I was wrong, I'm not always wrong."
"How about Jena Adams?" He asked a golden brow raised in amusement.
"Look that's not the point. Ryan you need a life." She said silently adding. "So you'll stay out of mine.
"I have one." He said gesturing to the house about them.
"And a girlfriend." She said sweetly.
"Look just tell me about where you two caught up to each other." Ryan said finally easing off, if he didn't she'd have a date for him by dark.
"Fine, the caf at the university."
"He goes to the college?" Ryan was a little surprised. Most of the guys that worked with dad didn't go on to school.
"Yep."
"What's his major?" He asked.
"Don't know his friend Joel was too busy giving us a hard time to find out."
"A hard time?" Ryan frowned.
"You no like you are now."
"Oh, so their good friends."
"Looks like. Now will you give me time? I need to finish getting ready." She said getting to her feet even as the doorbell rang.
"Sorry sis, looks like time's up." Ryan shrugged.
"Stall a sec?" She asked as he reached the door and he nodded back to her.
"Ryan,"
"Yeah?" He asked looking at his baby sister, all grown up.
"I love you." She said and a lump rose in his throat preventing him from answering right away.
"You too sis, you too." He said and was gone at last.
***
Carter smiled as he and Ryan talked about this and that. It had been more than five minutes since the new comer had arrived. Still Carter wasn't' worried, he had a sister and knew that some women could take a while to get ready. Besides he liked Ryan, he was a nice guy. Carter did wonder how he'd ended up in that chair but he wasn't about to ask. He knew that some handicapped people didn't like prying. Not that he blamed them, in their place he wouldn't either.
"Here she comes." Ryan said and Carter turned to watch as Dana came down the hall. His breath caught, she was amazing, and the lamp light seemed to give her a halo. For that split second he wondered if she was sent from heaven. If she'd come down to save those in need and to brighten up his life but then she turned to him and he caught a whiff of her subtle yet unmistakable scent. He tried to pin it down but he thought it was a floral perfume.
"Hey, are you ready?" She asked him smiling a little shyly and Carter felt as if he were flying, soaring above the world for a split second as her hand touched his. What was this? They were just going out for dinner and a movie, not getting married. Yet he had a feeling it was something much more than just to get the others off their backs.
***
Carter and Dana caught a seven o'clock movie and then headed to a small Italian restaurant where they ate spaghetti and talked for hours about things they had in common. Afterwards they went for a walk in south Mariner Park.
"Hey I got a joke for you." Dana said and he glanced over at her. "What was the mummy's excuse for missing Dracula's Halloween party?"
"What?" He asked loving how her eyes sparkled as if she held all of the secrets of the universe.
"I was a little wrapped up." Carter rolled his eyes and she shrugged.
"I thought it was cute."
"It's not as cute as you.' He said and she froze, did he just call her cute?
"Carter…" She blushed and he grinned.
"Come on; let's go get an ice cream." He said tugging on her hand and then they were crossing the main path.
"Carter I think ice cream is crazy now, it's the middle of the night not to mention the middle of November."
'What's wrong with crazy? It's not at all boring."
"You sound like one of my old friends."
"Hmm?"
"Yeah, her name was Kelsey; she used to live next door to us when we were back in high school."
'She was crazy?"
"Oh yeah, she was into every sport you can imagine, she was your typical tomboy and…" Dana's mind was carrying her backwards when she felt the stop. She realized that they were at an ice cream vender and Carter was ordering his and so she ordered a pistachio cream cone. If she was going to eat ice cream in the fall she'd have what she liked best.
"So you and Kelsey were close?"
"Somewhat, she and Ryan were closer." Dana shrugged and as they walked towards a bench they talked more loosely about school, Joel and Ryan.
"You know it's funny but when I met you and the other guy that night in my hospital room I had the weirdest feeling as if I'd met you two before."
"Hmm, I felt that way when we were leaving, as if we'd done so before or something." He confessed.
"My mom used to say that our lives are not planned but certain things are set to happen, maybe that's what happened."
'Could be. I've seen some pretty weird things when I fight fires so anything is possible."
"Yeah." She murmured thinking of that first day they'd met, when she'd tended his shoulder. She knew that had been fate and so had their meeting at the college. She just wondered what would happen next.
***
As Carter pulled in the Mitchell driveway Dana wondered if he'd kiss her or if she could take matters into her own hands. But what if he didn't want to kiss her?
She felt a little better as he parked and got out, coming around to he side of the truck.
Walking with Dana to her door Carter thought about something he'd wanted to do since she'd come down the steps but he didn't even know if she wanted him to kiss her. He was finding he really liked this girl. He really didn't want to mess things up.
"I had a really great time."
"Good so did I." He said as she reached the door.
"Carter um, I don't' know if I'm being forward but wood you um…" She didn't have the chance to finish as the lips clamed hers, with a sweet passion. Dana didn't have to think, just wrapped her arms about his neck and kissed him right back.
TBC ***
So there's the big date, sorry if it's corny but neither of us date much. It's the best either of us could come up with. PlZ let us know what you think, and if you have any suggestions we're always willing to listen.