to have developed the talent for telling her what to do without ruffling her feathers, she guessed the best thing she could do right now was follow their instructions.
"Come on, Chloe. Let's go relax for a spell."
Chapter 12
Carrie loved the patio that stretched out at the back of the ranch house. The sun never directly shone down on this part of the yard, as the house shaded the space. They'd chosen a simple wicker set of furniture for out here - three chaises, four chairs, a round table, and a second glider - mainly because Carrie really loved the glider on the front porch.
They no sooner settled down when Chase came out with a tray that held two ice cold bottles of Shiner, a couple of glasses, and a bowl of tortilla chips with salsa on the side. He set them down on the table, then swooped in and gave Carrie a very nice kiss.
She lost herself for just a moment in the flavor of him, immediately wishing for more. When he withdrew and met her gaze, she had no trouble reading the passion in his eyes. He stroked her back, nodded to Chloe, and headed back into the house.
"Wow." Chloe shook her head, a look of amazement on her face. "Two of them. And both of them hot, hot, hot. I'm impressed - shocked, too - but definitely impressed."
Something about the way Chloe said that made Carrie really look at her sister. Chloe wore an expression Carrie found she couldn't interpret.
"Why are you shocked? Is it because there're two of them?"
Chloe took a drink from her beer - like Carrie, though Chase had brought out glasses for them, her sister preferred to drink straight from the bottle. Then she set the bottle down and faced her.
"No, that you have two lovers instead of one doesn't bother me in the least. I'm shocked because of that last foster home you were at." Chloe reached over and stroked Carrie's hand, lightly. "I knew something bad had happened to you there. It was in your eyes, that first moment I found you. I never asked, and I'm sorry for that. I should have. I should have made you tell me."
Carrie shook her head. "I wouldn't have told you, no matter what." Carrie thought it was a miracle that instead of dread or fear, all she felt inside her at the moment was a curious sort of detachment, wrapped in calm. Maybe she still needed to deal with her past. Maybe she'd think about finding some kind of a counseling service, just to talk everything over with a professional who understood what she'd been through. For now, she felt as if she'd faced a lot of what she'd previously pushed away, just in the talking she'd done with her men. She met her sister's gaze. "It was all tied up with losing mom and dad, and my anger over that and being separated from you. I acted out for a long time, and by the time I landed with the Lockwoods, I had a bad rep. When...when George attacked me that first time, there was a part of me that thought I deserved what he did to me." Carrie shrugged because there was no other explanation she could give.
"No one would tell me where you were."
"I know." Carrie did know. Chloe had told her that the day she'd found her, and many times that first year they spent together.
"You know I never stopped trying to find you."
"I know. And you know I got moved a lot. The important thing is, you did find me, and you helped me get out of a very bad situation."
"So...you're okay? With the sex?"
Once her sister had found her, the two of them had settled in Dallas, figuring the major city large enough no one would find them. They both could potentially have been in a lot of trouble with the authorities. Chloe had managed - she'd never said how - to get Carrie into school, so that she could at least matriculate. In every way that she could manage it, Chloe had filled the role of parent while remaining her sister.
They'd lived apart these last couple of years, but had stayed close, emotionally. Or as close as Carrie would allow herself to get with anyone.
"Yeah," she said now, answering the intimate question. "More than okay, to tell you the truth. They're both very good to me, and I think they're very good for me."
"Good." Chloe nodded once.