Chapter eight

" I can't believe you've never been in a canoe, " Carrie said as they tossed bread to the ducks later that week.

" I've been in a paddleboat. Does that count? "

Carrie fixed her pale blue eyes on her, a slow smile forming. " When the weather warms, we'll rent one."

Jill nodded, then lifted her shoulders inside her jacket, trying to stay warm. " It's downright frigid today."

" And didn't your mother warn you about being outside without your head covered? "

Carrie took the wool cap off her own head and covered Jill's, pulling it down around her ears. She laughed then brushed Jill's hair out of her eyes.

" There."

Jill laughed, staring at Carrie's short hair, the salt-and-pepper strands standing in disarray. " Maybe you should keep it, " she teased. " You might scare off the ducks."

" Funny girl. You know, I haven't seen you eat lunch all week. Am I cutting into your time? "

" And I haven't seen you sketch. Perhaps it's me cutting into your time."

" I can sketch anytime. I enjoy our visits too much to interrupt them."

" Do you? "

Carrie stopped and turned, her eyes serious. " Yes, of course. You've become the highlight of my days."

" God, if that's the case, you must have very boring days."

" Boring? No, not really. But I look forward to seeing you. It's funny, you know. I'd watched you for over a week, sitting on your park bench. And as a people-watcher, you try to guess who they are, what they are, what their life is like. But you, I couldn't quite nail it. You were doing your own people-watching too. You never brought a book to read, you just sat there and looked around. I always wondered what you were thinking." She tossed the last of the bread to the ducks then dusted off her hands on her jeans. " You seemed a bit unapproachable, so I had already decided I wouldn't interrupt your days. That didn't stop me from sketching you, " she added with a laugh.

" Did I really seem unapproachable? "

" Well, let me ask you this. In all the time you've been coming here, has anyone ever just walked up to you and started a conversation? "

Jill frowned and shook her head. " No. I guess not."

" You probably didn't realize it but you always picked a spot that was away from others, away from the footpath and away from the lake." She shrugged. " Away from traffic. Away from people."

Jill smiled then slipped two fingers under the warm wool cap to scratch her ear. " You overanalyze, don't you? "

Carrie laughed, again scattering the ducks. Jill loved her laugh, deep and rich. It echoed around them.

" You just say what's on your mind, don't you? "

" As do you."

Carrie nodded. " Yes, I tend to overanalyze. So, my depiction of you as hating people is not true? "

It was Jill's turn to laugh. " I don't hate people. It's just teenagers, remember."

" And mothers-in-law, " Carrie added.

They retraced their steps, heading back to the park bench that Jill normally occupied. As usual, the hour had flown by. And tomorrow was another Friday.

" Do you have plans for the weekend? " Carrie asked.

Jill nodded. " Craig has an out-of-town basketball tournament on Saturday. I've promised to take Angie and a couple of her friends to the games. It'll be an all-day affair, I fear."

" Teenagers, " Carrie said with a laugh. " I hope you survive."

" I hope they survive. My patience just isn't there anymore. What about you? "

Carrie stared out at the lake, her voice low. " Birthday party. James turns forty-five."

" You don't sound excited."

" It's a surprise party the boys and his mother insisted on. James hates surprise parties. He'll kill me."

" You could always secretly tell him, " Jill suggested.

Carrie laughed. " Now there's an idea. But knowing James, he would simply refuse to get home in time for the alleged dinner at his mother's house."

" Then go with plan B—act as surprised as he is."

Carrie nodded, her smile causing the laugh lines around her eyes to show. " I like the way you think. That I might just try."

Jill shoved up the sleeve of her coat, glancing at her watch. She turned regretful eyes to Carrie.

" Time."

Carrie nodded. " I know."

" See you tomorrow? "

" For sure."

Jill nodded then turned, only to be stopped by a light touch on her arm. She paused, her eyes going first to the hand still resting on her sleeve, then to the eyes that waited for her. It was the first time they'd touched.

" Gonna steal my stocking cap or what? "

As their eyes held, Jill slowly nodded. " Yeah, I think I am."

Carrie let her hand slip off of Jill's arm, her blue eyes still holding Jill. She finally nodded too. " Then be my guest, " she said quietly.

" I'll take care of it, don't worry, " Jill said equally as quietly.

" I'm not worried. See you tomorrow."

As soon as Jill drove away, she slowly pulled the cap off her head, pausing to hold it to her face, breathing in what she assumed was Carrie's scent. She smiled and placed the cap securely in her lap as she headed back to work.