I made Carrie and Jens a care package after I had the pastries baked and finished. A basket filled with scones, cookies, muffins, plus juices and I juggled a cup carrier with Jens' favorite- "Cappuccino Extra Cinnamon Are You Sure You Don't Do The Art On Top" I murmured to myself as I made it while Keli chuckled and a cup of Carrie's regular hint of vanilla cappuccino that got no snark from my managing employee.
"Tell Carrie we hope she's feeling better," I was smiling at how empathetic she sounded, far from her regular muttering snark and she rolled her eyes. "Stacy worked at Enzo's for a while, and Carrie treated us like family." I felt a rush of shame go through me at the feeling that I lacked as a boss and a human being. "You haven't been as shitty as you think, Char, stop looking like that." Another eye roll. "You want some help getting your burden to the car?"
Once I had everything buckled into my car with Keli's help, I pulled away from the curb and headed to Carrie's house. She'd been released from the hospital, an overnight stay and a few extra hours for observation was all it took, but according to Clay Jensen was working from her side. If it couldn't be done virtually, then the team had to count Jensen out. Instead of sounding put upon, Clay had sounded pretty fucking proud of his hacker. And so was I.
Carrie's house didn't look very different from my childhood home, either of them actually. It was quaint, like the entirety of our coastal town, the only difference was that it was smaller. I'd called from the car, giving the couple a head's up that I was on my way, and Jensen must have been keeping an eye out because he was opening my car door as soon as I put the damn thing in park.
"Could you grab the cup carrier?" I asked, looping my arm through the basket handle and grabbing my purse. "I think I have the rest handled." He was grinning as he took a whiff of the scent of cinnamon and I could see the appreciation on his tired face. The fact that he looked so exhausted was caused by my smart ass mouth wasn't lost on me, and for the second time in the span of ten minutes I felt a rush of guilt. "How is she?" We were walking up the pathway and I was happy to see his smile didn't drop when I glanced at him.
"She's good, Char, honestly she's bouncing back-" he didn't get to finish because 'she' was standing at the front door looking like thunder.
"I'm not an invalid or deaf," Carrie was glaring down at the two of us as we made our way up the steps of her porch. "For fuck's sake, I want to leave the damn house already."
I shook my head and rolled my eyes. Carrie's face was as bruised as mine, we could be twins, but I flinched when I saw her arm in a sling. "I'm sorry," I felt my eyes burning, knowing that whatever she suffered it was all my fucking fault. "I shouldn't have-"
"Would you stop," she shook her head and pulled me in with her one good arm. "Get your ass in here, Char," she sighed and hugged me to her, muttering in my ear. "I'm fine and if you start blubbering, I'll start blubbering and this big dumb meatball is gonna force me back into that fucking bed and it's NOT fun if we're not naked."
I laughed in spite of myself. "I'm sorry, Carrie, I shouldn't have baited them." I was pulling back as Jensen took the basket from me to see what goodies I'd brought and to get away from my emotional ass, I imagined.
That made her laugh. "Are you kidding?" Her eyes met mine and I saw the fierceness that I'd known her for blazing back at me. "If you hadn't told his ass that shit, I would have. Fucking pansy assholes. I'm glad you puked all over that hideous fucking suit of his too." She was tugging me into her living room, where we sat on the sofa while Jensen handed her the cup of coffee that was clearly hers. He sat behind her, just like Clay would have done to me, and I smiled at the ease of it. "I wish their dumb ass minion hadn't gone psycho mode on my shoulder," my eyes landed on Jens' hand where it was gently adjusting her sling. "He dislocated it, freak that he was."
I sat with the two of them, listening as they spoke as easily and lovingly as I imagined Clay and I did. The way their eyes met and how Jens seemed to anticipate what Carrie needed or wanted, I had to wonder, was that how we looked? By the time I was ready to go, I had more questions than answers, about that damn question of Clay's.
Hugging Carrie carefully, then being bear hugged by those muscled arms of Jens' I was in the car on the way back to my own place when my cell rang. George insisting on family dinner with Clay included, and I hoped beyond hope that my uncles wouldn't be pressing for me to make a choice so soon.
Clay was waiting for me when I got back. He looked happy as a lark and it was contagious. Grinning he kissed me in the middle of the shop, making the few late afternoon customers chuckle at the display and Keli roll her eyes so hard and snicker loud enough to make me giggle when he pulled away.
"What was that for?" I was staring up at him, the fluffy curls of his hair flopping on his forehead, the caramel of his eyes making me want to get lost in him forever.
"I love you," simple enough, but not the total answer. "And I'm officially alive again, so-"
"I'm not a necrophiliac," my smile grew and he shook his head at my terrible, long running joke. "Good, then dinner with George and Davey tonight will be a REAL celebration."
His lips quirked and he bent lower, his lips brushing my earlobe. "It could be a REALLY REAL celebration if you said a three letter word, Char." Then his tongue touched the sensitive skin and I thought about a lot of words I wanted to say, but not in answer to that damn question.
