Page 22 of Valentine's in Bayberry

Carrie’s eyes widened. She didn’t say anything. The unspoken questions shone in her eyes.

“I finally talked her into going to get help. It wasn’t easy. She didn’t want to admit she had a problem—not even when I showed her all of the overdue bills or the notice that she’d overdrawn the checking account. She swore that she was going to get caught up. She just needed a little more money and time. She swore her luck would turn around. It was like I was talking to a total stranger.” He closed his eyes as the painful memories played out in his mind.

“I’m so sorry.” Carrie reached over and took his hand in hers. “This must be so hard for both of you.”

He opened his eyes and looked at her. In her eyes, all he saw was compassion. There was no recrimination or disappointment. “She’s in a treatment program. They say she’s suffering from depression. I guess it has been going on for a long time.” This is the part that he didn’t understand. “How did I not see that my mother was suffering? Am I that bad of a son?” It was a rhetorical question because he knew the answer.

Carrie tightened her grip on his hand and stopped walking. When he stopped, too, she said, “That’s not true.” Her gaze met his. Sympathy shone in her blue eyes. “You’re a loving son.”

He lowered his gaze to the crack in the sidewalk. “I was too far away when my mother was gambling away her retirement money and suffering from depression.”

“None of that matters now.” Carrie’s voice was firm. “Both you and your mother are where you need to be now. You’re doing everything you can to help her. I suppose this explains your sudden need to fix up the space next door to my shop.”

He nodded his head. “I thought if I sold it, that the money could pay off her debts and the remainder could go into her savings.”

Carrie smiled at him. “You might not believe it, but I happen to think you’re a very good son.”

He wanted to believe her, but there was one thing still nagging at him. “But why didn’t I see what was going on? There were all of her bus trips that I now know were not to go see plays but rather to go to the casino.”

“My guess would be that she didn’t want you to know. She didn’t want anyone to know. She hid it from you because there was still a part of her that knew she’d lost control and was spiraling.”

His gaze met hers. “Do you really believe that?”

Carrie nodded. “I’m certainly no expert when it comes to this stuff, but I know people and when they want to hide something from themselves or others, they can be quite convincing.”

He suddenly wondered if they were still talking about his mother, or if they were talking about him. For so long, he’d hidden the way he still felt about Carrie. He’d hid it from not only her but also himself because he was afraid of her rejecting him—again.

He figured that time and distance would diminish his feelings for her. But now that he was back in Bayberry, he realized he still cared for her. If anything, their separation had made him miss her all the more.

Maybe since he was confessing things, he should finally tell her how he felt about her. Before he lost his nerve, he said, “Carrie, I...”

Buzz. Buzz.

“Sorry.” She reached for her phone, which was in her pocket. She pressed it to her ear. “Hey, Alice, I’m almost there.”

There was silence as she listened to whatever Alice was saying.

“Okay. I’m coming.” She ended the call and looked at him. “I hate to leave right now, but Alice is having a problem with one of the display cases. And the mayor is supposed to stop by this afternoon.”

He nodded in understanding. “It’s fine. Go.”

“Thanks.” She hesitated for a moment, before she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him.

His arms slipped around her waist and drew her closer. His heart pounded. Jackson found himself drawn to her in a way that he was never drawn to anyone else. He’d dated a number of women through the years, but none could compare to her.

The thought caused his mind to grind to a halt. Was that it? Was he comparing everyone he dated to Carrie? The confirmation came rushing to him like a big billboard on the side of the highway. How had he not known this until now?

The truth was that he’d been in love with Carrie since high school, but when she’d turned him down on prom night, his bruised ego refused to let him broach the subject again. He didn’t think he could handle another of her polite rejections.

But if he was going to try to win her affections again, it couldn’t be now. He wasn’t going to start a long-distance relationship. There was no way it would work when it spanned the Atlantic Ocean.

She pulled away and he reluctantly let her go. He watched as she rushed inside the chocolate shop. When he turned away, he saw Mark grab something from his pickup.

Jackson continued along the sidewalk. He paused when he reached Mark. He noticed Mark was giving him a strange look. “What?”

Mark smiled and shook his head. “After all of these years, you still have it bad for Carrie.”

“I do not.” The rushed words weren’t believable, not even to Jackson’s ears.

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