18. Feeling Out

18

FEELING OUT

“ C arolyn,” Sloane said on Monday morning. “Bright and early.”

“I am,” Carolyn said.

Another connection to Dane. It felt like in the past few days she was getting hit with everyone outside of their relationship wanting to know what was going on.

Well, maybe not everyone was the case, but it felt like it.

Her staff were asking questions and all picking on her knowing that Dane had another appointment scheduled next week. Many were making sure they were here to meet him.

She’d talked to Chloe last week about Dane.

Dane hadn’t talked to his ex about her, but he had brought up that he was upset about his kids meeting Ethan before he was told it was happening.

She didn’t get the feeling he was jealous as much as he hoped to avoid the confusion that the kids were going through.

She knew at some point, he’d want her to meet his kids, but she wasn’t going to push it .

One part of her wasn’t sure she was ready for it and the other she felt Dane wasn’t.

They’d get there on their own and that was how it was going to have to be.

“What are we working on with you today?” she asked. “Anything special?”

“Just an overall body massage is great,” Carolyn said. “Retirement is a wonderful thing and the most stressful part of my days are what I’m cooking for dinner.”

She grinned. “I look forward to that at some point in the far, far future.”

“You’re young yet,” Carolyn said. “You need to live some more. Get yourself a nice partner and maybe some kids if you want them. I know not many do.”

She lifted her eyebrow at Carolyn. Maybe Carolyn wasn’t aware that Sloane knew the Fierces knew she was dating Dane.

This could be one of those matchmaking things they were feeling out.

She’d let it play out a little.

“I would like kids one day,” she said. “Not today, but I’m open to anything. Why don’t you change and get under the covers on your stomach and we’ll start with your back.”

She shut the door quietly and went to wait in the hall.

After a few minutes, she knocked on the door and opened it after Carolyn told her to come in.

“I’ve been looking forward to this for weeks. I guess the summer got away from me and I haven’t had one in a while. I didn’t want you to think I wasn’t coming around anymore for anything other than a pedicure.”

“I’d never think that,” she said. “I know everyone is busy. I appreciate all the business you’ve sent my way, but life gets in the way too. ”

“It does,” Carolyn said. “I had to bring my grandson to the doctor a few weeks ago. Poor kid had a double ear infection and my son and his wife were both in surgery. You know Wyatt is a doctor and Adriana an OR nurse.”

“I do know that,” she said.

“The daycare called me when neither of their parents could be reached. It allowed me to visit with Dane. That’s the pediatrician I told you about before.”

Sloane had oil on her hands and started to smooth them over Carolyn’s back and grinned but knew her client couldn’t see it.

“Do we want to play this game and see how long it takes for one of us to crack? I do enjoy it. But I bet you’re a worthy foe.”

Carolyn started to laugh. “I do like you a lot, Sloane. That is why I knew you’d be a good match for Dane. I’m right, aren’t I?”

“I think he’s a great guy though I hope you aren’t thinking of taking credit for this.”

“No,” Carolyn said. “Though I’d like to. I hear Dane’s daughter thought this would be a great gift for him months ago and fate put him in your hands. Literally.”

“You could think of it that way,” she said. “About fate. I’m not sure I believe in that. But I will admit that once he started talking I realized who he was.”

“Ahhh,” Carolyn said. “So maybe I did play a part in it. Just a little?”

Carolyn had moved one arm up and held her thumb and finger together.

“We’ll let you think that too,” she said, smirking.

“I’m excited to hear about it,” Carolyn said. “How long has it been going on? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“I don’t mind,” she said. “My coworkers know too. At this point a little over a month since our first date. Two months since I first met him, but that doesn’t count. All I did was give him a massage and we chatted.”

“He’s a great guy.”

“And he told his sister to tell you and Diane he’s off the market,” she said.

“How did you find out?” Carolyn asked. Her voice almost seemed sad and then she perked up. “Did Dane tell you?”

“No,” she said. “Chloe was here last week. She told me. She filled me in on things, but Dane is fully aware of that conversation. Just like I might have to say I spoke to you today.”

“You better,” Carolyn said. “Let him know I’m so proud of the fact he asked you out.”

Guess Carolyn knew quite a bit more than them just dating, but she wouldn’t add anything.

She was onto these ladies. They were going to try to get information out of her.

She might confirm or deny something, but she wasn’t volunteering.

“I’ll pass it on,” she said.

There was some silence there while she got to work. She knew Carolyn was planning her next line of attack and she’d let her client go at it.

“Do you think you’ll meet Tiffani and Tyler soon?” Carolyn asked.

“That would be up to Dane,” she said. “The timing of it. We know I’m the first woman he’s dated since his divorce, so he gets to call those shots.”

“I don’t think he got to call too many of them before,” Carolyn said drily .

“I wouldn’t know that,” she said. Though she agreed from what she’d heard between Dane and Chloe.

“I’m sure you know enough,” Carolyn said.

She only smiled, knowing Carolyn couldn’t see her.

“How is your grandson doing now?” she asked after a minute of silence. Might as well throw Carolyn off track.

“Which one? I’ve got so many.”

“The one you brought to Dane for an ear infection,” she said.

“Oh, Nate. He’s fine. He rebounded quickly like all my grandkids do. They don’t mind going to the doctor when so many kids hate it.”

“I’m sure it’s easier having so many medical professionals in the family,” she said.

“Just Wyatt of my kids, but he’s such a jokester of the family that the kids don’t think of doctors as scary. Then there is Sam, my nephew. The kids all love him too. My boys and Diane’s, they are all big kids themselves.”

“Jade was all alone,” she said. She’d heard this before.

“She was. And now she has a boy and a girl of her own. There are still more grandsons than granddaughters, but at least they aren’t lonely.”

“And how many do you have now?” she asked.

“I know what you’re doing,” Carolyn said.

“What’s that?”

“Getting me to brag about my grandkids so I won’t ask more questions about you and Dane.”

“You are a smart one,” she said, laughing. “But no grandparent can resist talking about their grandkids.”

“You’re right,” Carolyn said. “Quickly, I’ve got Olivia, Zoe and Ainsley as my granddaughters. The rest are boys. And you’ll ask their names so I’ll give them to you too. Owen, Drew, Chase, Lucas and Nate. Eight total. Diane will have eight when her next is born. All boys but Emma and Riley.”

The way Carolyn was speed-talking through that, she knew she’d have to be fast on her feet to come up with anything else.

“I’m sure you’d love more grandkids,” she said.

“I would, but I think they all might be done,” Carolyn said. “Jade for sure. The same with Paige, who is Noah’s wife. Adriana is done, so that leaves Kara, who is Drake’s wife, and I think she might be done too.”

“A nice full family,” she said.

“There is nothing better,” Carolyn said. “Even if the family is blended.” Carolyn snickered when she said that.

“You’ve got a one-track mind.”

“I do,” Carolyn said. “Might as well let me have my way while I’m here.”

“I didn’t get very far,” Carolyn said to Diane.

“How come?” Diane asked. “You were in there for ninety minutes.”

She started her car and the call went over the speakerphone, then she pulled out.

“Sloane is a tough nut to crack. She’s good too.”

“We like that trait,” Diane said. “That’s why you and I thought she’d be great for Dane. He needs someone like that in his life.”

“He does. And he’s got it. Sloane and I kind of danced around a bit, but then she said she knew I knew about her relationship. She kept asking questions about my grandkids. ”

“Trying to divert you,” Diane said. “Do you think things aren’t going well with her and Dane?”

“It’s been about a month,” Carolyn said. “And Dane told us to back off after a few weeks. That tells me it’s going great.”

“But you couldn’t get Sloane to give up much?”

“No. She confirmed things but didn’t volunteer. It was almost exhausting. Then mix into the fact I’m getting this nice relaxing massage and I was losing my train of thought.”

“I could see that happening,” Diane said. “How are we going to keep up with what is going on then?”

“We might have to rely on Chloe.”

Diane laughed. “That isn’t going to work. Though Chloe is happy now about all our interference, she wasn’t when it was happening.”

“You make a good point, but unless you’ve got a better idea, the most we can do is ask the kids to let us bring our grandbabies to the doctor or keep scheduling with Sloane. Which I’m not complaining about. Not in the least. I booked another massage for a month.”

“Guess I’ll have to give it a shot. Maybe I’ll get a facial next. I’ll ask for Sloane and we’ll try to work some information out the best we can.”

“As long as things are going well, we are set,” she said.

“We are never set, but it’s nice you think that way.”

The two of them laughed. Considering they were always right, she’d call this one now.