Thursday's Fourth Scene A Marriage Takes Two #MFRWAuthor #BWLPublishing #Eomance #Medical

The sound of Tony’s deep voice woke her. “Chad, time to be up and at ‘em.”

The order made her smile and raised an eagerness to see him, an eagerness she had to hide. She sat on the edge of the bed and listened to a sleepy child beg for a few more minutes.

“Come on, buddy.”

“Five minutes, please.”

“On your feet.”

She scurried to the bathroom that adjoined the guest room. The green silk underwear she’d washed the night before hung on the shower curtain rod. After putting on the wisps of silk, she slid into her jeans and pulled a sweater several shades darker than her bra over her head. Then she finger-combed her hair.

When she opened the door into the hall, she stifled a sigh. Tony looked better than he had in her dreams. What if he said no?

“Don’t borrow trouble,” she whispered. She stepped into the hall and caught her first glimpse of Tony’s son. He was his father’s image in miniature. Her thoughts rocketed to her first encounter with Tony -- the day he’d become her hero and her best friend.

The boy stamped his foot. “It’s not fair.”

“Life often isn’t.”

Carrie’s breath caught. Tony leaned against the wall. Faded jeans covered his long legs. He wore no shirt. Her gaze focused on the mat of dark hair on his muscular chest. The man was a walking anatomy lesson for the muscular-skeletal system. She itched to explore the lines of his pectorals, intercostals and muscles she’d forgotten how to name.

“Not fair. It’s not fair.”

“And who promised it would be?”  Tony asked.

Carrie held in a chuckle. How many times had he said those words to her?

“Son, just get on with what you have to do.”

This time, she laughed. Tony and Chad stared at her. The boy’s blue eyes turned hostile, but in Tony’s eyes, she saw memories and promises.

“Can we do something special tonight?” Chad asked.

“Count on it.” Tony grinned. “Carrie, come and meet my son.”

She clutched the promise she’d seen and strode toward them. “You certainly can’t deny he’s yours. He has the Flynn look.”

Tony winked. “There are times…” He ruffled his son’s dark curls. “Carrie, this is Chad. She’s an old friend.”

The boy’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t look that old.”

Carrie smiled. “You’ve got that straight. I’ve known your dad since I was your age.”

Chad grinned. “That’s forever. Guess you are old.”

“Hey,” Tony said. “She’s four years younger and was like my little sister.”

“Okay.” Chad headed down the hall. “Hazel’s here. I smell the coffee. Bet she makes pancakes ‘cause we have company.”

Once he started downstairs, Carrie forced her gaze away from Tony’s chest and met his eyes. “What did you decide?”

“Patience. Tell you later.”

Their gazes meshed. Warmth that had nothing to do with comfort and everything to do with desire flooded her system. She swallowed. Feeling this way was a sure recipe for disaster.

He thought of her as a little sister, and from what she’d heard in his voice last night, he still loved his ex-wife. Still, he might agree to a marriage of convenience.

That’s what she wanted. If she repeated those words for the next ten years, she might believe them.

“See you downstairs. Follow the coffee trail, but don’t drink it unless you like rocket fuel. Usually smells better than it tastes.”

“I already made the mistake of having a cup. Strong is a joke.”

Until he vanished into his room, she lingered in the hall and considered the situation. If he agreed to marry her, she was in trouble. With her feelings for him, the marriage would rapidly become very inconvenient.