“Uh, no. I don’t think you did. Is there one?” Caroline teased. The word boyfriend conjured up images of Jackson’s eyes in Caroline’s mind and she suddenly felt as though she was drowning in a sea of blue…only she didn’t mind.
Bailey brought her finger to her lips and bit at it seductively. “Ooooh, is there ever.”
Caroline burst out laughing. “You’re such a nut! This is why I love you.”
“It’s funny how things fall into place when you’re on the right path.” Bailey’s eyes twinkled with delight and Caroline’s entire face was aglow. “Remind me again why you’re not moving in with Jackson?” Bailey picked up a pair of jeans and aligned the legs before folding them.
When a chuckle came out mixed with an exasperated breath, Caroline coughed. “I’ve told you this, like what? A million times already?”
Bailey huffed. “Just tell me once more.”
“You writing a book or something?”
“Ha! You wish. Just tell me why, after everything that has happened between the two of you, you aren’t seizing every moment like it could be your last?”
“I didn’t want to rush things.”
Bailey handed down the jeans. “Didn’t want to rush things? Why should you? I mean, you only called off your wedding for the guy…and he only almost died.”
Caroline grabbed the jeans and smacked Bailey’s arm with them. “Shut up. Seriously, this is a huge step. I just want to be smart about it.”
“No, you’re right, he’ll probably be sick of you in a week anyway.”
“You’re pretty much the worst friend ever.”
“Yay right! You know I’m kidding.” Bailey nudged Caroline’s ribs with her foot.
“I know. But that thought does linger in the back of my mind,” Caroline admitted.
“What thought? That he’ll get sick of you?”
“Not that, necessarily. But what if it doesn’t work out between us?”
“Do you really think it won’t?” Bailey asked with surprise.
> “No, but you never know. I mean, things happened really fast since his accident. I don’t want to be careless. So until we’re sure, I’m living with Tracey.”
“Makes sense.” Bailey nodded with approval.
Caroline folded the last box top and ran tape across it before wiping the dust off her hands on the leg of her jeans. “All done.”
“Should we start loading them into your car?”
“Yeah. We need to get on the road soon.” Caroline glanced at her watch.
“Will it really take us six whole days to get there?” Bailey whined and let out an annoyed breath.
“I don’t know,” Caroline admitted. “I’ve never driven to New York from San Francisco before.”
“I was just asking, jeez.”
“I swear if you annoy me, I will ditch your ass in the middle of Nebraska or something,” Caroline warned, wagging her finger.
“You will do nothing of the sort or so help me God, I will hunt.you.down,” Bailey threatened.
“You’d have to catch me first,” Caroline challenged and tossed the box she was holding at Bailey.
The cell phone’s ring broke up the horseplay. Caroline scrambled around desperately trying to locate the sound until Bailey pointed toward the couch. Caroline dived over the couch and pulled the cell phone out from under a throw pillow.