Carey Bell strolled out of the front door of the B&B. He had decided to get a bite to eat.
He strolled out into the bright sunlight. He had dropped by Fi and Molly's room to see if Fi wanted to come, but Molly said she was exploring, and neither Clu nor Jack were hungry (which was an historical event not likely to repeat itself)— so he guessed he was on his own.
As he reached the side walk he shaded his eyes and looked the building up and down. On the top floor he thought he saw shadows moving in one of the windows.
Probably just some other guests, he thought.
"This really is a very cool B&B!" Fi exclaimed as she and Colin were finishing up their tour.
Colin laughed.
Fi gave him a slightly dirty look. "What's so funny?" she asked.
"You're just really cute when you're enthusiastic." He replied.
Fi could feel her cheeks flaming.
"You are also really sexy when you blush." He said, his voice husky, moving closer to her.
Fi's blush deepened. Colin was close enough that she could smell his cologne. She looked down. He moved his finger under her chin and gently tilted her face upward so that she was looking him in the eye and brushed his lips against hers.
Fi was melting into his body. The kiss was sweet. And short.
Carey sat in a booth close to the front windows and door. He was in a little country café, waiting for his order and watching the people coming and going and passing.
He was disappointed that Fi wasn't with him—he could've really used a laugh right about then. When he was alone like this—especially on days like this, where the air were crisp and the foliage was just beginning to change—he began to remember Callie. The smell of her hair, the sound of her laugh, the way she would gaze at him through her long eyelashes when she was embarrassed…
Carey shook himself, if he kept thinking that way he would be depressed, very soon… Too late, already there.
Carey sat there in his little booth, sipping his iced tea (unsweetened and extra strong), and wallowing in his darkening mood.
Why hadn't he gone looking for Fi when he'd decided to go (if she were there, at least he'd have someone to distract him!)? He knew it was because deep down he felt he should suffer for not going after Callie. He had brought this on himself, and he deserved to suffer the consequences.
Colin walked Fi to her door.
"See you at 6, for dinner?" he asked.
Fi nodded and smiled, "See you then."
Colin gave her a small peck on the cheek. Then, he turned and made his way back down the hall.
Fi watched his retreating back for a moment (ok, his butt, she watched his butt. It was a nice butt.), then she turned and let herself into the room.
She felt as if she were floating on cloud nine.
"Whoa! What's gotten into you?" Molly asked as she took in her daughter's dreamy (if a little goofy) expression.
"I met the owner's son."
"Ahhh…" Molly smiled a knowing smile. It was unusual for Fi to act this girly, but sometimes the right guy could do that to you.
Suddenly she remembered that Carey had stopped by to see Fi. She didn't know why, but she felt sympathy for Cary, "Carey, stopped by earlier." She said, "He wanted to see if you wanted to go to lunch with him."
"Oh, ok." Fi said, still distracted.
Carey finished his lunch, paid, and made his way to a park that he'd spotted on the way to the diner.
Carey sat in a swing and watched some little kids play Hide and Seek. Three little boys and little girl. He remembered when he used take Clu, Jack, and Fi to the park and they would play Hide and Seek. And when he got older he watched them play.
Jack and Clu would gang up on Fi and she would come running to Carey and he would help her get them back.
He remembered the way that she used to look at him when he made Jack and Clu be nice to her. And when she skinned her knee, she ran to Carey, not Jack. He remembered that it always used to bother Jack, maybe it still did.
After about twenty minutes, the kids' mother told them it was time to go. They whined for just five more minutes, Mom! But their mother was adamant and they reluctantly left the park.
Carey looked at his watch: 5:30. The sky was already darkening. He got up and left the park, watching the sunset as he walked back to the B&B.
The sunset made him think about Callie and how they would watch the sunset and just talk.
When he got back, Carey went by Molly and Fi's room to see if Fi was done exploring. He found he in front of the mirror holding up a light green top and a dark red top, trying to decide which one looked better on her.
Carey was a little surprised, Fi was hardly ever worried about her clothes.
"Which one do ya think, Care? The red one or the green one?" Fi asked, turning to face him.
"Uh, the red one."
Fi nodded and disappeared into the bathroom to change.
"So, where'd you go for lunch?" she called from the bathroom.
"This little café a few blocks over." He replied. "Uh, Fi, why're you getting dressed up?"
"Oh, when I was exploring this afternoon I met the owner's son. He showed me around and we made a dinner date.
"How do I look?" she asked, reappearing from the bathroom. Her hair up in bun at the top of her head and a few wavy tendrils of hair framing her face and back of her neck. The dark red top looked amazing on her, and the jeans she had on fit just right.
"A—amazing, you look amazing."
Fi's face lit up. There was a knock at the door. "That's Colin," she said nervously. "Wish me luck!"
"Good luck." Carey said as Fi answered the door and left.
Before she left he caught a glimpse of—what did she say his name was again? He looked slightly familiar, like he'd seen him somewhere before, a while ago.
Carey sighed; he couldn't get the way Fi looked out of his mind. Only this afternoon he'd remembered her as a child—when had she grown up?
A.N. I know, I know, it's been forever and a day since I updated this fic; if anyone out there is still reading, God bless you. Please let me know what you think. And I shall try my best to do better.