as amazing as Carla?
“I heard this from Jennifer!” the housekeeper said with a delighted clap of her hands. “Flint and I, we made your dinner that night at the mill. I like Carla very much. You have good taste in women. She has meat on her bones,” she said with satisfaction.
Flint had finished stacking the pots, pans, and bowls back on the pantry shelf in a haphazard fashion that was sure to topple back over at any moment, and was now busy tugging a chair over to the counter so he could stand on it as he cooked.
“Get the sugar and salt out and put them on the counter,” Carmelita told her little helper, and then turned back to Christian. “Now, you said you are dating Carla. What can I help you with?”
“A big picnic basket,” he said, figuring he’d better get to the point before Flint pulled her attention away again. “Carla surprised me one morning with a basket out in the field, and I thought it’d be fun to return the favor. Take her up into the mountains and treat her to a picnic. Get away from this heat.”
After their tractor date, they’d gone out almost every weekend, and after a meal at a local restaurant, would go on long walks around the lake, talking and laughing and getting to know each other. He had yet to take her back to his place – his single-wide trailer was not good enough for someone like Carla – but he hadn’t seen her place yet, either. Every time he offered to drop her off at her house, she would say she had a few more things to wrap up at the shop so he should drop her off there instead.
All of this meant that somehow, after a month of dates, they still hadn’t gotten past first base. But a picnic up in the mountains with no one around and a stream trickling by?
Christian had a lot of plans for this date, and only some of it included food.
“¡Excelente!” Carmelita exclaimed, and clearly excited about whatever would make his beloved abuelita excited, Flint began clapping. Carmelita laughed and leaned over to press a kiss to his forehead. “It is very exciting, no?” she said, pulling the boy in for a quick hug. “Christian here is a smart man.” She looked over at Christian. “I will make you a big basket filled with food. Something to make Carla fall in love with you,” and winked.
“I love you,” Flint said, and began banging on the counter with a wooden spoon.
“Yes, yes, but maybe not so much noise,” Carmelita said, rescuing the spoon from the boy’s hands.
With a wave goodbye at the pair, Christian slipped out the back door. Seeing Flint today reminded him all over again about his bond with Yesenia almost from the day she was born. Although he was damn proud of how she’d turned out, a part of him missed having his own little shadow, following him everywhere and “helping” him at every turn, whether he wanted the help or not.
He would be forty in another two years. If he was going to have kids of his own, he’d better get a move on.
Did Carla want kids?
It was too soon to ask, but he needed to gather up the courage to broach the topic soon. He’d always wanted kids – the more, the merrier – and watching Stetson’s kid grow up over the past three years had made that crystal clear for him, along with the hoards of his own nieces and nephews.
Kids and Carla…
Somehow, that wasn’t nearly as scary as it should’ve been.
Chapter 14
Carla
What he meant was, I love you.
~Grandfather in The Princess Bride
Hiking along a beautiful wooded trail, Carla was busy questioning her life choices. When Christian had promised her a “big date,” she’d taken her time picking out her sexiest underwear and matching panties.
Satin and lace, they made even her look sexy.
Unfortunately, satin thong underwear wasn’t the best choice for hiking, and as she tried to discretely un-wedge the material from her butt crack, she began to think she should’ve stuck to her granny panties. Not to mention that her bra, although it made her tits look fabulous, wasn’t really meant to hold the girls in place during athletic pursuits.
Note to self: Next time, ask more questions about what, exactly, you’re going to be doing on your “big date.”
After a few more switchbacks, the trail opened up and Carla gasped with surprise. Okay, so maybe it was