A Soldier's Return. Judy Christenberry

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      “I know, for Vivian. But they’ll get to see him often and he’ll get used to a big family after a while.”

      “I guess it has been kind of sudden.” He stood. “We’d better head for the office.” He waved the waitress over for their bill.

      “Can you show him what we need done on the computer?” Will asked as he paid.

      “That shouldn’t be a problem. It’s not that difficult.”

      “Then what will you do?”

      “Fieldwork, like you said.”

      “Nothing dangerous, right?”

      Carrie shrugged her shoulders. “I have a couple of specific cases in mind.”

      “Which ones?” Will asked.

      “The Moore case…and maybe the Riley case.”

      “No! I’ll do that one, Carrie. I told you that one is dangerous. That man is amoral. He won’t hesitate to kill anyone who’s trying to stop him from getting his money.”

      “And that’s why I have to do it. He would suspect you, but he won’t suspect me.”

      “No. I won’t allow you to go alone.”

      “Trouble in paradise?” Jim asked, coming up alongside them.

      “Carrie wants to do something dangerous, and I won’t let her,” Will said firmly.

      “It’s obvious you just want to protect her,” Jim said, raising one eyebrow.

      “I am. But she thinks she has to protect me.”

      “Vivian made me promise,” Carrie said with a light chuckle that defused the situation.

      “Uh, I’m ready to go,” Jim said, garnering Will’s attention.

      “Fine. Do you want to turn in your rental car? We could follow you and pick you up.”

      “No, thanks,” Jim said, “I’ll keep it until I buy a car.”

      “I’m just trying to save you some money,” Will explained.

      “I never said I was penniless,” Jim protested.

      Carrie stepped closer to the two men. “I think Jim can handle his personal life. Shall we go to the office?”

      “Yeah,” Will said. “Sorry, Jim. I’m used to— I try to take care of the family.”

      “I appreciate that, Will, but I’m pretty independent.”

      “Well, we’ll see you at the office. You can follow us if you want. Or better yet, Carrie can ride with you and show you how to find the office.”

      “I managed to find it yesterday, Will,” Jim pointed out.

      “Ride with him, Carrie,” Will said, and walked off.

      Chapter Four

      “I’m sorry,” Carrie said softly as they watched Will walk away.

      “For what?”

      “For Will forcing you to take me in your car. It was obvious you didn’t want to.”

      Jim stared straight ahead, his jaw squared. “I never said that.”

      Carrie shrugged her shoulders. “You said it, just not in words. I know enough about people to read their body language.”

      “Is that so?”

      He didn’t sound impressed with her claim.

      “Yes, but I won’t bother to apologize again.”

      They got in his car and drove in silence.

      Finally Jim spoke. “So, you like working for Will?”

      “I work with Will,” she said, leaving him in no doubt that she considered the partnership a reality.

      “So you bought in?”

      She stared at him. “Why did you ask that like you didn’t believe my buying in was a possibility?”

      “I didn’t mean to. I asked that question because I was wondering how much money I’d need if I wanted to buy in, assuming the week goes well.”

      “Oh.” Carrie turned to stare out the window.

      “So you’re not going to tell me?”

      “I’m a junior partner, not a full partner. You’d have to discuss that with Will.” She kept her face averted. She didn’t want him to see the hope in her eyes. It might scare him away.

      “Okay. I’ll wait until the week is up before I talk to Will.”

      “Yes. That’s a good idea.”

      “Okay. Why did Will try to get me to move in with him and Vivian?”

      “Because Vivian really does think all Vanessa’s siblings should have been part of their family. She wants the best for all of you.”

      “I’m an adult, not an orphan,” Will protested. “That’s not necessary.”

      Carrie shrugged again. “There’s a spirit in Vivian that draws you to her. And she never sees the flaws. She acts like a mother to everyone. I appreciate her even more now since my mother is gone. I don’t have any real family. But I have Will, Vivian and Vanessa and everyone that comes in contact with them.”

      “I don’t need to be mothered,” Jim said tightly.

      “Don’t hurt Vivian’s feelings. That’s the best advice I can give you.”

      “I don’t look for ways to hurt people, Carrie. But I’m not used to being…involved in a family.”

      “I think you’re not used to being loved,” she replied.

      His jaw clenched again. “It doesn’t pay to love me! Ask Wally! Ask my parents! Ask my sisters! Ask Lani!”

      “Who is Lani?” Carrie asked at once.

      “Never mind.” He wheeled the car into a parking space beside the office building where Greenfield and Associates was located. He threw the gearshift into Park and stepped out of the car as soon as Will pulled up next to them.

      Clearly Jim was through talking.

      “IS THAT IT?” Jim asked, frowning as he looked over Carrie’s shoulder. After he’d met with Will, she’d taken a couple of hours to teach him how to use the computer to track down information.

      “Yes,” she СКАЧАТЬ