When Juliet awoke in the morning, she felt more refreshed than she had in years. The supremely comfortable pillow her partner made surprised her to an extent, but the moments of sweetness she had seen from him over the years assured her that this was the real Carlton that had always been hiding just beneath the surface. These past few days had shown a softer side of Carlton Lassiter than even she had ever seen before, and she couldn't help but like what she saw.
Careful not to disturb him, she extracted herself from beneath his arm and walked out to the living room.
She spotted a similarly-colored head to her own just visible over the top of the couch.
"Mommy?"
Maryanne turned around. "Good morning, Julie! I woke up extra early this morning, and I didn't want to risk waking anyone else up."
Juliet nodded, looking up at the television displaying the morning news. "Ooh, it looks like the weather is supposed to be really nice, today!"
Maryanne smiled and looked back up from her book. "What did you have planned for today?"
Juliet shrugged, turning toward the kitchen. "Carlton and I have a list of places we thought you may like to see, so we can decide from there. I figured I would start breakfast, then ask Carlton when he gets up."
"Ask me what?" Carlton asked, appearing from the hall in running clothes.
"What you would like to do today," she answered, pulling down some cinnamon from the overhead cabinet.
He shrugged. "I was hoping to go for a run. You're both welcome to join me."
Maryanne shook her head. "I'll pass. My running days have long been over, but I do appreciate the invitation."
Juliet gestured to the food on the counter. "I planned on making breakfast."
He nodded as he walked toward her. "I'm in no hurry."
She smiled, then pulled down four mugs from a different cabinet. "I wanted to try a recipe I saw the other day for an easy mug coffee cake. I'm not sure if it will be entirely filling, but it looks fun to make."
He put one of the k-cups she preferred into her Keurig and started the machine. "I can whip up some scrambled eggs."
She smiled brightly. "Would you? Thank you, Carlton!"
He waved her off as he handed her the now-complete cup of coffee. "It's not a big deal, Juliet. Takes only minutes, really."
She set her mug down and hugged him. "You're the sweetest man I know."
He turned bright red, then quickly changed the subject as he prepared his own coffee.
The mug cakes turned out delicious, and the eggs were swiftly declared just as amazing. By 7:30, Carlton and Juliet were both well-fed and ready to go for a run. While on the run, they passed Stearns Wharf.
"Juliet, have your parents ever been to Stearns Wharf?"
She shook her head. "I don't believe so."
"Well, we could show them the wharf and the museum. They eat shellfish, right?"
She nodded as they turned the corner away from the beach.
"We could take them to the Shellfish Co. for lunch in between."
She smiled. "Great idea, Carlton!"
After both detectives had a chance to shower and change, the small group headed down to Stearns Wharf.
"Oh, this is that cute little boardwalk we saw when we drove in!" Maryanne's eyes sparkled with excitement. "I had so hoped to check this place out."
Juliet smiled. "It's beautiful."
"When no one is dead," Carlton added under his breath.
"What was that?"
Juliet laughed. "Nothing, Mom. What would you like to see first?"
Carlton reached out and took her hand, and Juliet privately smiled.
"Is that a palm reader?" Maryanne asked, pointing at a small shop.
"I once helped out a palm reader who was being audited," Lloyd began. "His finances were all in a tizzy, and- What?"
The other three burst into laughter.
"Honey, not everything has to be about accounting," Maryanne told him as she walked toward the palm reader's shop.
Juliet looked up at Carlton and whispered, "Would you mind if we were to check out the palm reader? I know it's not your thing, but my mom seems like she's really into the idea."
Carlton nodded. "As long as she doesn't touch my palms, I'm okay with going in."
Juliet smiled and began to follow her parents.
As soon as they entered the shop, Carlton tried to let go of her hand.
Juliet groaned, but kept a tight hold on him. "Shawn, what could you possibly be doing here?"
"The spirits told me your mom wanted a palm reading, and I sensed that Madame Rose-stinka is on a break."
"So what you really mean," Carlton began, "Is that you heard Maryanne express an interest while you were pigging out at the corn dog stand nearby, and you decided to take the chance to convince Madame Rosinka to go on a break so you could give some made-up crap show to Lloyd and Maryanne."
"Well, uh..." Shawn sputtered, then trailed off.
Carlton smiled triumphantly.
"Don't be the squeaky wheel that always needs the grease, Lassie."
"Did you just quote a James Taylor song?" Juliet asked.
Shawn sighed. "Jules, I can't help if the spirit of James Taylor wants to help me."
"James Taylor isn't dead," Carlton pointed out.
Shawn shrugged. "I've heard it both ways."
"I doubt that," Maryanne told him, turning to exit the shop.
"I liked him," Lloyd told them when they got outside.
"Of course you did," Maryanne responded with a laugh.
After stopping at quite a few shops, one of which left Carlton with his arms full of bags of candy, they decided to grab lunch.
Santa Barbara Shellfish Company was pretty packed for late morning on a Thursday, but they still managed to find seating.
Lloyd ordered the Dungeness Crab, while Maryanne went for shrimp. Juliet and Carlton went for their usual crab cakes and clam chowder to share.
"So what's the real deal behind that Shawn guy?" Maryanne queried. "For someone who claims to be psychic, he can't seem to take a hint."
Carlton full-on laughed.
Juliet smiled widely, happy to see her partner so relaxed. "He has some weird obsession with me. At first it was cute, but it's gotten increasingly weirder."
"Especially because he has a girlfriend," Carlton added.
Juliet nodded, "There is that."
Maryanne shook her head, but smiled. "I don't like him, but I guess I don't really get a say in your friends, anymore."
Juliet laughed. "I guess we're friends, but we certainly aren't as close as we once were."
Under his breath and soft enough that no one could quite understand, Carlton whispered, "Thank God."
After lunch, they decided to drop off the bags at the car so they would not need to carry them around the museum.
To the surprise of literally no one, Shawn Spencer was leaning against Carlton's car and playing a game on his phone.
"Spencer, get off my car," Carlton called.
Shawn jumped, then tried to cover it up by continuing to jump. "Lassie, Jules, hey! What are you doing here?"
"Don't take offense, but you seem like kind of an idiot," Maryanne told him.
Shawn looked shocked. Carlton laughed, put the bags in the backseat, locked the car, then turned back toward the wharf.
Shawn continued to stare, mouth agape, as Juliet retook Carlton's hand and smiled up at him. He still hadn't moved when the group disappeared from sight.
Upon arriving at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center, they realized they had no idea what to look at first.
They decided to find a map and decide which exhibits were must-see and which could wait for later.
They picked the "Jellies and Friends" exhibit to look at first, as neither Lloyd nor Maryanne has ever seen a jellyfish up-close. They then decided to hit the minerals exhibit, followed by the Chumash Indian Hall.
Upon finishing, they headed to the planetarium.
"YMCA, I need all eyes on me," a woman in a bright pink shirt called to a large group of children and adults sitting off to the side near the entrance.
Maryanne looked over at Juliet and Carlton. "YMCA? They have a YMCA in the museum?"
"The Santa Barbara Family YMCA Summer Day Camp Program," he answered. "They visit the museum a lot. It's their go-to when anything falls through."
"How do you know?" Lloyd asked.
"Oh, Carlton's baby sister used to work there every summer."
He nodded, then proudly added, "She's an aspiring filmmaker, now."
"Mr. Carlton?" a young woman in a shirt marked "Staff" queried. "Is that you?"
She rushed over and threw her arms around him.
"Mr. Carlton?" Juliet asked in amusement.
The younger woman smiled widely and stuck out her hand. "My name is Casey. Mr. Carlton was my favorite counselor back when I went to Y-Camp. In fact, he's the reason I became a counselor myself!"
He blushed.
Juliet shook the girl's hand, then lightly smacked Carlton. "You never told me you worked there, too, Mr. Favorite Counselor."
Casey nodded. "He worked there every summer from when I was in Kindergarten to when I went off to middle school. In fact, didn't you also used to do B&A?"
He nodded.
Casey looked over at the YMCA group. "I gotta go, but it was so great to see you again! Bye!"
Juliet waved, then turned back to Carlton.
"When I was in high school, I was going through a bunch of stuff. The head detective at the time, the man that later became the chief right before Vick, saw me making some bad choices after school one day and decided to help me turn it around. He helped me get a job working in Before & After-School Care for the Y so that I would have a productive use of my off time. I used the money to help take care of my younger siblings when Dad and Delaney needed help, and I also used it to get some of my friends some help. It didn't work for any of them, but I tried."
He shrugged, then began to lead them toward the entrance to the planetarium.
Maryanne leaned over to whisper in Juliet's ear, "He amazes me more and more every day," before walking away after him.
Juliet smiled and spoke to herself. "I know the feeling."
When they got home, Carlton and Juliet set about making Garlic Chicken with Caeser Salad. Carlton put the chicken into the oven, and Juliet began to prepare the salad.
Juliet found herself distracted momentarily as she watched him putter about the kitchen. He seemed to belong there, she noted, as he found all the dinnerware for the meal with ease. She turned back to the salad as he walked over to set the table.
Dinner proved to be an affair enjoyed by all. Shawn didn't try to make an appearance, much to the relief of everyone. Carlton somehow managed to pour four full glasses from the remaining wine, and Juliet was delighted to discover he had picked up a Pinot at some point before her parents arrived.
By the time they retired to bed, Carlton was exhausted and Juliet was more than a little in love. Both couldn't wait to cuddle up in bed, and that's exactly what they did.
I hope y'all are enjoying this. Between New Years, work, friends, and the party I'm throwing on Friday, life has been crazy! I don't know when I will have the chance to write again for exactly all of those reasons, but I am truly enjoying this journey!