From Heartbreak to Mate

Chapter 6

Carissa felt the warmth of the house as she stepped through the door. She closed it behind her and turned to see Alice waiting for her, smiling her warm, welcoming smile. When Carissa saw the woman, her shoulders dropped, and she let out a deep sigh.

“Carrie, what’s wrong, sweetheart?” Alice asked as she hurried to take the bags from Carissa.

Carissa tried to smile as she shrugged and replied, “Everything, but there's nothing you can fix.”

“Kyle did something, didn’t he?” Alice asked as she hugged Carissa.

“He did, and what’s worse is that I’m not sure he even understands that what he did was wrong,” Carissa said as they walked.

Alice made a sound that was remarkably close to a growl. Carissa was surprised to hear something so fearsome from Alice that it made her pause before hurrying to keep pace with the woman.

“Sorry,” Alice said, looking embarrassed. “I know he is your boyfriend, and you love him, but I have always felt you deserve better than him. He should cherish you, and instead, you are a possession that he shows off when he thinks he will gain from it.”

“You sound like my mom,” Carissa sighed as she and Alice walked into the kitchen to drop off some of the bags before continuing.

“Your mother is a smart woman,” Alice said, her eyes twinkling as they turned into the hallway that led to the room that had been prepared for Carissa and Kyle. “I made up your favorite room for you. Would you like me to make up a separate one for Kyle? Sleeping alone might be a good reminder of what it would be like without you.”

That made Carissa giggle. Alice always seemed to know just what to say.

“Thanks, but it’s OK,” Carissa said as they entered the bedroom. “We will figure it out. It might end up with me moving to Missoula before the end of winter break and trying to find a job teaching there, but we will work it out.”

“Excuse me?” Alice asked as she took Carissa’s bag and placed it on the bed. “What do you mean by that?”

Carissa dropped onto the bed and said, “What I mean by that is that Kyle applied to law school and was accepted. He starts in January. Don’t ask me why, then, and not in the fall like normal, but that’s what he is doing. He has already looked for apartments for us and has it all planned how I will just pick up and move with him in a matter of a couple of weeks. None of this would be bad, except he just told me. As in, we were in the driveway pulling up to the house. He has known for months and not said a word.”

“Again, I know you love him, but that man needs to be left in the forest for the wolves to eat,” Alice scowled. She tried to smile as she changed the subject. “Did you find a dress for the party, or are you borrowing one from Hailey?”

Carissa lit up as she thought of the dress. She grabbed the bag and said, “I found one! It isn’t fancy, but I love the color, and it fits perfectly. I brought plenty of jewelry, and with the right hair and makeup, I think it will be perfect.”

She got to her feet, pulled the dark green velvet dress from the bag, and held it up to herself. Carissa chewed on her lower lip as Alice studied the dress. She was holding her breath when Alice smiled at her and nodded.

“I love it, Carrie. That is one of your best colors. The style might be simple, but the velvet makes it perfect for tonight’s party,” Alice said, still smiling.

Carry let out an exaggerated sigh and laughed, “You had me worried at first.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that,” Alice laughed. “I’m sure Hailey will help you get ready as always. But if you need any help, yell, and I will come running. I do have to drive into Bozeman later to pick up someone who is flying in for the party, but that shouldn’t take long.”

“Thanks,” Carissa said as she laid the dress on the bed. “Hailey has already planned everything she wants to do to me, so hopefully, it won’t take long. She even helped me pack my makeup and jewelry, so I didn’t forget anything.”

“Well, to be on the safe side, I will check with you before I go into town. If you have forgotten something, like your mascara or eyeliner, I can swing by the store and pick it up for you,” Alice offered with a smile.

“Knock, knock,” Hailey said from the doorway. She stepped in with Kyle trailing behind her. “Sorry, we got waylaid in the kitchen on the way here. Carrie, are you ready to start making ourselves even prettier than we already are?”

Carissa frowned as she looked over Hailey’s shoulder at Kyle. He stood picking lint off his shirt. Kyle was acting as if he had not said anything or blown Carissa’s life to bits, leaving it for her to pick up. Alice did not miss Carissa’s expression and tried to remove the one thing that was causing her distress.

Alice broke the tension by saying, “Kyle, why don’t you come with me? John bought us an absurdly large and extravagant coffee machine. Why don’t we have a cup before we bring some to the ladies? That will give them a chance to start getting ready and leave plenty of time for me to pick up anything they might need when I run into town later.”

“Um, yeah, sure,” Kyle muttered as he set his bag beside the door.

“If you girls need anything before we bring your coffees, let me know,” Alice said as she hugged the women. She turned and marched toward the door, glaring at Kyle. “You, kitchen, now,” Alice ordered the man.

Kyle’s eyes grew wide at her order, but he did not argue. He turned and hurried toward the kitchen ahead of Alice. She closed the door as she left the room, leaving Hailey and Carissa alone.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Hailey asked.

“Yes and no,” Carissa sighed as she dropped back onto the bed. “I need to figure out what to do about what Kyle said and has planned, but at the same time, I just want to enjoy the day.”

“When he told me, I yelled at him. He should have told you from the start,” Hailey said as she sat on the bed beside Carissa.

“You knew?” Carissa asked, not believing her ears. “You knew, and you didn’t tell me?”

“I found out last week, and he begged me not to tell you. Kyle said he was going to tell you the day I found out, and clearly, he did not. The big jerk.”

“You should have told me,” Carissa quietly said. She felt betrayed by one of her oldest friends.

“I know I should have, I am kicking myself for not saying anything,” Hailey insisted. “But, I also did not want to be the meddling friend who looked like they were trying to break up your relationship. Please don’t be mad at me. I was caught in the middle, and no matter what I did, I was going to be the bad guy in someone’s story.”

“You’re not the bad guy,” Carissa sighed as she took her friend’s hand. “Kyle put you in a no-win situation, and you did what you thought was best. I’m not mad at you. I am mad at him. I also have to figure out what to do about this mess.”

“Well, I say the first step should be you taking a nice, long, relaxing shower. That way, you can wash your hair, and we can make those curls of yours the star of the night. After that, we can think of ways to punish Kyle for what he has done. Maybe by the time the party rolls around, we will have made it to the part where we look at the logical ways to deal with the problems that Kyle had created.”

“I like that idea,” Carissa said with a forced smile as she rose to her feet. “If I am still in the shower after an hour, come in and rescue me.”

Hailey laughed, “You got it. While you shower, I will go to my room to get my stuff. By the time you’re out of the shower, I should have everything we need laid out and ready for us to use.”

“Hurry,” Carissa giggled as she strode toward the in-suite bathroom. “I don’t want to miss out on the coffee Alice promised us.”

Hailey was already out the door when she yelled back, “I’ll be back in two minutes! Enjoy your shower!”

-

Alice was silent as she walked Kyle to the breakfast nook where the coffee machine had been installed. Three staff members who were assisting with the party were gathered around it. One look at the scowl on Alice’s face was all it took for them to scurry back into the kitchen to avoid what was coming.

“What would you like, Kyle?” Alice asked. “We can make almost anything with this contraption.”

Kyle looked at Alice and smirked, “I’ll make it easy on you. I’ll have an americano.”

“Fine. If that’s what you want,” Alice said as she started to make his coffee.

Kyle’s eyes narrowed as he watched Alice work. He watched her deftly operate the coffee machine, which looked remarkably similar to the one at the coffee shop he preferred in town.

“Is something wrong, Alice?” Kyle asked, not understanding the can of worms he was opening with that question.

“Is something wrong?” Alice repeated, not bothering to look at him. “Kyle, Carrie told me about the conversation the two of you had before you arrived. What you did was sneaky and underhanded. If you are committed to someone, they should be included in major decisions, especially when they are also impacted by it. You cut Carrie out of the decision and expect her to lose everything she has worked so hard for, to follow you to Missoula. I know you claim to love Carissa, but doing that is not how you show your love.”

“Carrie won’t lose anything,” Kyle argued. “The only thing she will have to do is teach at a different school. I have already found an apartment near one of the city's best schools. She will be fine. Carrie might not like it, but it won’t last forever, and then we can move back here or stay in Missoula, whichever one she wants to do.”

Alice finished his coffee and gave it to him. He took a sip and nodded approvingly.

“Thanks for the coffee, Alice,” Kyle said with an oily grin. “If you don’t mind, I will see if I can find John and have a chat with him about work.”

He did not wait for Alice to respond before he walked away. Alice bit her tongue. She wanted to tell Kyle off, and although it was not her place, she would thoroughly enjoy it. Alice waited until he was well out of hearing range before she spoke.

Alice murmured under her breath, “Leaving him in the forest for the wolves to eat is too good for him, and it might make the wolves sick. The last thing we need are wolves grumbling about bellyaches.”