Second Chances

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Casey didn't sleep well that night. Troubled dreams of her future in a jail cell caused her to hover near consciousness. When she finally managed to drift off to sleep, she had an awful nightmare. Carter was frowning at her, holding Jon, and walking away from her as a bailiff led her out of the courtroom in handcuffs. She woke up crying, and as she stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror the following morning, Casey made a decision.

Standing under the pulsing spray of the shower, Casey concluded that there was nothing she could do about the Martinique that day. She would have to fight her battles one at a time. Since she had almost slept till noon to make up for her restless night, and with the prospect of their "date" facing her that night, Casey planned to concentrate on breaking through to Carter's heart. Maybe if she was able to make some major strides towards a reconciliation, she could confide in him about the Martinique and he could help her decide what to do.

Pulling the shower cap off, Casey shook her hair until it fell in loose waves down her bare back. She wrapped herself in a fluffy white bath sheet and came out of the shower, but she gasped when she heard a noise inside her walk-in closet. She was still standing, frozen in place, when Carter came out of the closet, his white dinner jacket and formal tuxedo trousers in hand.

Carter stumbled and froze when he looked up to see a half-clothed Casey. "Oh......I'm sorry......." He looked around almost frantically. "I thought.......well, I heard the shower running and I thought you'd take your usual hour......"

Casey was suddenly very conscious of how the towel barely covered her. She clutched the knot of the towel at her breasts with one hand while her other arm wrapped around her waist. "I....uh.....I slept in late today...."

Carter nodded, swallowing hard. "I miss......I, uh......well, Charles told me that you decided to pass on breakfast this morning since you had a bad night." He tried to stop himself, but Casey felt his eyes roaming her body like a tangible caress. Then Carter stared at the floor awkwardly. "Did...did Jon keep you awake?"

Casey shook her head and water droplets flew. "No. I just.....well, I had a lot of bad dreams."

Carter looked up into her eyes with sudden concern. "Like that one last week? About.....about dying?" Carter shifted his weight from one foot to the other, feeling like a pubescent school-boy. "Because I was thinking that maybe if you talked to someone about them, you might feel better."

"Like a psychiatrist?" Casey's voice turned cold.

Carter took two steps toward her, then stopped again. "No -- I'm not saying you're crazy, Casey." He ruffled his hair with his free hand, taking a deep breath before he spoke. "I'm sure that this whole dying and amnesia thing is a very traumatic experience for you. Maybe if you spoke with some kind of counselor they could help you.....adjust."

Casey nodded in understanding, breathing easier. "I'll think about it." They both stood there for several awkward, electric moments, but then Casey pointed to Carter's formal wear. "I saw that in the back of the closet. I never realized that you would need it for tonight."

Carter smiled a little, anxious to be discussing a safer topic. "Yeah -- I haven't worn in it so long, I thought I'd better have Charles send it out to be pressed before tonight's ......" He paused, then sent her a heart-melting crooked smile. "......date."

Casey decided that perhaps God was helping her after all. Maybe she had slept in late and showered at this time of day for a reason. She walked closer to Carter, a shy smile on her face. "So.....when you take a girl on a date, do you feed her, too? Or do I just have to starve until the ballet's over?"