Free He's Her by Mimi Barbour Page B

the flap in his wallet? He coerced me to remove it. Said we’d have need of it, and we did. We used it to come to you for help.”
    “ Carrie, my love, you’re a genius. We’ve got him.”
    Ashley rubbed his stomach as he got slowly to his feet. Carrie sympathized with his actions. She knew the feeling well. Since Rhett had moved in, stomach pains were a daily occurrence.
    “I need a drink, a double.” Ashley headed toward the bar, stopped and turned. “Join me?”
    “No, I’m fine.” At that moment, Rhett rejoined the fray and demanded, “I’ll have a whiskey, my special brand, and make mine a double, also.”
    “What is your special brand?” Ashley whirled around, his finger pointed demandingly at Carrie. His eyes were narrowed, one eyebrow higher than the other.
    She smiled sympathetically as Rhett hollered, “For God’s sake! It’s Crown Royal, same as always. As if you didn’t know. Stop being such a disbelieving pain in the ass.”
    Ashley’s shoulders slumped. He carried both drinks to the table in front of Carrie. She started to laugh and couldn’t stop. Her infectious giggle caught at Ashley’s funny bone and he joined in. The tension, which only moments ago had permeated the room, dissolved.
    The lovely young woman and the handsome man discussed the diabolical miracle that had occurred, while the spirit glowered, frustrated, in the background, and wasn’t allowed out. The double whiskey never passed Carrie’s lips.
    ***
    Carrie explained, in detail, the happenings of the last week, purposely leaving certain personal tidbits of information out. Her calm, detailed account, along with the prior appearances Rhett had made, soon convinced Ashley she was the real deal. “Of course we’ll go back. It’ll take a few days to make the arrangements, but I’ll start first thing in the morning.” Ashley’s attitude was genuine and caring and went a long way toward soothing Carrie’s qualms.
    “Where is Rhett’s body now?” Carrie wanted to see him as soon as possible. She needed the assurance that he hadn’t suffered from his long journey, travelling back to the States.
    “He’s been living in a secluded care facility. Their reputation is the best in the city. I’ve been up to visit him every day. The doctors here suggested talking to him, trying to stimulate him. I’ve done my best, but nothing has helped. We’ll go early in the morning and get the paperwork started.”
    “Ashley, I commend you for the care you’ve given your brother, and for looking after his business interests. I know how important this place is to him. He really does appreciate what you’ve done. He’s just sulking right now.”
    “Humph!”
    “If he does, it’ll be the first time he’s ever cared about anything I’ve done. Maybe he did when we were younger, but not now.”
    “That’s not true. In fact you’re the only one he’s ever cared about.”
    Tears welled up in the young man’s eyes as he stared into hers, trying to see into her, inside her, searching.
    “You’re saying that for him, aren’t you?”
    “No, she’s not,” replied the deeper voice. “I’m saying it for myself. It’s true, kid. You’re the only one who ever mattered to me. In my whole miserable life, you’ve been the one steadfast person I could depend on, who cared if I lived or died. You near drove me crazy when we were kids, following me around everywhere, and you’re still doing it. But had you stopped, my life would have been empty and even more shallow.”
    A laughing sob broke from the young man’s lips as he gathered the shaken girl in front of him into his arms and admitted in a broken voice, “I’ve been terribly scared. I thought I’d lost you.”
    Carrie rocked him back and forth, patting his back and shushing him like a mother would do to a weeping child.
    “Enough of this nonsense.” A brisk voice, coming from Carrie’s lips, was ready to break up the touching scene. The sentiments made him