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Authors: Catherine Anderson
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friends, but the thought of trying to explain the exact nature of their relationship kept her from correcting that impression. When Mrs. Coulter gave her the number, Carly signaled Bess to jot it down as she repeated the digits.
“He’ll be outside working yet,” Mrs. Coulter said. “At this time of year, he doesn’t quit until almost dark. That’s his cell phone number I gave you. If he has it turned on, which he generally does, you should be able to get through to him. If not, you can leave him a voice message or call the Lazy J.”
“The Lazy J. Got it. Thank you, Mrs. Coulter.”
After Carly broke the connection, Bess quickly dialed the cell phone number before Carly could lose her nerve. Carly groped for Bess’s hand when the phone started to ring. A man with a deep voice answered. “Yo?”
Carly gulped and said, “Hank?”
“Yeah, this is Hank.”
Carly threw Bess a desperate look. “I, um—this is, um, Carly Adams.”
“Who?”
A chill moved through Carly. She shut her eyes, scarcely able to believe her ears. For a week and a half, this man’s face had haunted her dreams, and for the last few days, she’d spent more time hugging the toilet than not because of him. Yet he didn’t remember who she was?
For several awful seconds, she could do nothing but stand there. Then fury pulsed through her in searing waves. She slammed the receiver down in its cradle with such force that the jolt went clear to her elbow.
“What?” Bess asked. “Oh, God, Carly, what did he say?”
“ ‘Who?” ’
Bess’s expression remained uncomprehending. “What?”
A sob welled in Carly’s chest. “ ‘Who!” ’ she repeated shrilly. “That’s what he said. Who . He doesn’t remember me.”
All the color drained from Bess’s face. “He what ?”
Carly was seldom given to displays of temper, but the anger building within her demanded release. She picked up the phonebook and threw it across the small living room with all her strength. “He can go stick his head in a lake, for all I care, and I hope he drowns!”
“Carly, calm down. You’re pregnant, remember. This isn’t good for you or the baby.”
“Calm. Right.” Carly covered her face with her hands. When she looked at Bess again, she said, “I don’t know why I’m upset. The truth is it suits me just fine.” She took three paces, then whirled back around, jabbing her chest with a finger. “This is my baby, mine and only mine. He just forfeited all rights. I never want to speak to the creep again.”
Bess followed Carly into the living room. “How could he not remember you, Carly? It’s only been a week and a half.”
“Because he’s a conceited, self-serving jerk ! He came on to me, and then he got me drunk, and then he—he—” Carly sent Bess a miserable look. “It didn’t mean a thing to him, Bess. I wasn’t even a blip on his radar screen.”
“Oh, honey.”
Carly held up a hand to ward off another hug. “Don’t. The last thing I need right now is sympathy. Just tell me I was an idiot and that he’s a world-class creep.”
“If he doesn’t remember you, he’s definitely a creep.”
“Right.” Carly exhaled in a rush. “I want to forget I ever met him. From this moment forward, my baby has no father. I never want to hear his name again.”
Carly went to her bedroom, slammed the door, and threw herself down on the bed. Who? Oh, God. She hated him. How could he have sex with a woman and not remember her a little over a week later?
Hank turned on the overhead lights and stepped into the center aisle of the stable to stare at his cell phone. An awful suspicion slammed into his brain. Carly, Charlie . The two names were very similar, and he’d been pretty damned drunk that night. With all the noise, had he misunderstood her name? As he stood there, mulling it over, he dimly recalled her correcting him on her name at some point during the evening, but he’d been too drunk to care if he got it right.
“He’ll be outside working yet,” Mrs. Coulter said. “At this time of year, he doesn’t quit until almost dark. That’s his cell phone number I gave you. If he has it turned on, which he generally does, you should be able to get through to him. If not, you can leave him a voice message or call the Lazy J.”
“The Lazy J. Got it. Thank you, Mrs. Coulter.”
After Carly broke the connection, Bess quickly dialed the cell phone number before Carly could lose her nerve. Carly groped for Bess’s hand when the phone started to ring. A man with a deep voice answered. “Yo?”
Carly gulped and said, “Hank?”
“Yeah, this is Hank.”
Carly threw Bess a desperate look. “I, um—this is, um, Carly Adams.”
“Who?”
A chill moved through Carly. She shut her eyes, scarcely able to believe her ears. For a week and a half, this man’s face had haunted her dreams, and for the last few days, she’d spent more time hugging the toilet than not because of him. Yet he didn’t remember who she was?
For several awful seconds, she could do nothing but stand there. Then fury pulsed through her in searing waves. She slammed the receiver down in its cradle with such force that the jolt went clear to her elbow.
“What?” Bess asked. “Oh, God, Carly, what did he say?”
“ ‘Who?” ’
Bess’s expression remained uncomprehending. “What?”
A sob welled in Carly’s chest. “ ‘Who!” ’ she repeated shrilly. “That’s what he said. Who . He doesn’t remember me.”
All the color drained from Bess’s face. “He what ?”
Carly was seldom given to displays of temper, but the anger building within her demanded release. She picked up the phonebook and threw it across the small living room with all her strength. “He can go stick his head in a lake, for all I care, and I hope he drowns!”
“Carly, calm down. You’re pregnant, remember. This isn’t good for you or the baby.”
“Calm. Right.” Carly covered her face with her hands. When she looked at Bess again, she said, “I don’t know why I’m upset. The truth is it suits me just fine.” She took three paces, then whirled back around, jabbing her chest with a finger. “This is my baby, mine and only mine. He just forfeited all rights. I never want to speak to the creep again.”
Bess followed Carly into the living room. “How could he not remember you, Carly? It’s only been a week and a half.”
“Because he’s a conceited, self-serving jerk ! He came on to me, and then he got me drunk, and then he—he—” Carly sent Bess a miserable look. “It didn’t mean a thing to him, Bess. I wasn’t even a blip on his radar screen.”
“Oh, honey.”
Carly held up a hand to ward off another hug. “Don’t. The last thing I need right now is sympathy. Just tell me I was an idiot and that he’s a world-class creep.”
“If he doesn’t remember you, he’s definitely a creep.”
“Right.” Carly exhaled in a rush. “I want to forget I ever met him. From this moment forward, my baby has no father. I never want to hear his name again.”
Carly went to her bedroom, slammed the door, and threw herself down on the bed. Who? Oh, God. She hated him. How could he have sex with a woman and not remember her a little over a week later?
Hank turned on the overhead lights and stepped into the center aisle of the stable to stare at his cell phone. An awful suspicion slammed into his brain. Carly, Charlie . The two names were very similar, and he’d been pretty damned drunk that night. With all the noise, had he misunderstood her name? As he stood there, mulling it over, he dimly recalled her correcting him on her name at some point during the evening, but he’d been too drunk to care if he got it right.
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