An excerpt from Love Triangle

CHAPTER ONE

"I don't want to say goodbye," Carley Madison whispered sadly. Her usually sparkling sapphire eyes now clouded with unshed tears as she stared at the floor.

Dax gently raised her chin with his index finger and stroked her cheek lovingly. "Then don't," he said softly in return. "Thanks to that glorious thing called fate we will never have to say goodbye. This will just be a momentary pause in our relationship until we're together again tomorrow."

The idea of what was to come in the near future was enough to make a ravishing smile spread from ear to ear across Carley's oval face. Dax was absolutely right-it had to be fate. Only one week before, Carley had arrived in Mountain View to spend spring break with her father. Less than twenty-four hours later she had unexpectedly plowed into Dax Peterson at the ice skating rink. For the remainder of the week the two had been inseparable-leaving one another only long enough to get a few hours sleep before reuniting.

It wasn't just their meeting and the unmistakable electricity they instantly felt between them that had been fate. Over the course of the week and conversation Carley soon learned that Dax and his family would be moving to her hometown, in Somerville, at the end of the week. Their newly found relationship, which they had expected to last for no more than seven days, never had to end after all.

"I'll call you the minute I get to town on Sunday," Dax vowed almost in a whisper, brushing his lips against Carley's forehead.

"Last call for flight 717 now boarding at gate 'E'," a forceful voice announced over the airport speakers. "All passengers of flight 717 to Somerville must board immediately."

"That's me," Carley breathed, pushing a strand of her strawberry blond hair out of her face, gazing deeply into Dax's soft baby blue eyes one last time. She knew they would be together again in less than twenty-four hours but the plane, the distance that would be between them made the hours almost unbearable.

Dax slipped his arm around her and drew her close. Slowly, passionately, and tenderly he kissed her. The feeling of a million butterflies escaping from some hidden place in her stomach overwhelmed her as the kiss lingered on her lips long after they parted.

"I'll see you soon," she smiled seductively. Finally building the willpower to walk away, she spun around and straggled down the long tube-shaped gate to the plane.

Carley gazed around at the other occupants of the plane as she made her way to her window seat by the wing. She had been on quite a few airplanes and seen many different cities in her lifetime but it still amazed her to see how contrasting people around the world could be. From the way people dressed-some in T-shirts and blue jeans, others in business suits and ties-to the different languages and accents they spoke with.

Although she was surrounded by nearly two hundred people, an eerie feeling of loneliness swept over her as she settled in her seat.

Minutes later, the plane began it's decent down the runway. Once the plane was safely in the air, Carley fished in her carry on bag for her favorite novel. But after reading only a few short paragraphs she slammed the paperback shut, tossed it in her lap, and peered out the window.

Thoughts of Dax reeled through Carley's brain as she gazed out the window at the fluffy satin white clouds. Pictures of bouncing around on those clouds with Dax flashed through her mind. All her life she had dreamed of that special guy who would sweep her off her feet. Although being pounded into solid ice hadn't exactly been what she'd had in mind, suddenly there he was-tall, dark, and handsome. Definitely perfection to the max! And he had literally taken her off her feet. It had been, without a doubt, love at first sight.

As she became lost in her own little world, she reminisced about all the wonderful, fun filled things she and Dax had explored together in the past week. Even though their crash to the surface of the ice at the skating rink had been what brought them together, they had immediately decided ice-skating was far too dangerous for their inexperienced selves. Instead, they had spent the remaining days going to the movies, playing extensively long games of monopoly, and checking out the local tourist's attractions. They had drooled over the antiques, trinkets, and do-dads that filled many of the boutiques that lined the streets of town. And at night they had sat in the swing in his backyard and stared at the stars. It had been cold but their body heat had kept them warm. Before long they had realized they enjoyed the same time passers that had made their time together even more special.

An insatiable pang of guilt made Carley wince as her thoughts jumped from Dax to her father. She had flown to Mountain View for a weeklong visit with him and, instead, had spent nearly every waking moment with Dax. Of course her father really hadn't seemed to care. He had been so wrapped up in business he had hardly realized she wasn't around. It had been her first visit with him since he and her mother had divorced three years before. Her father had never spent time with her then and had made it perfectly obvious the moment she arrived that, although he had been the one who had begged her to visit, he had no intentions of changing.

The screeching sound of the airplane's landing gear touching ground and the slight jolt of the breaks roused Carley from her reverie. Standing and stretching from hours of sitting in the same uncomfortable seat, she casually pushed her way off the plane, gathered her luggage from the baggage terminal, and sought out her mother.

"How was your trip?" Kimberly Madison asked enthusiastically as she pulled the car slowly out of the airport parking lot.

"Long, exhausting, but absolutely incredible," Carley replied, propping her feet on the dashboard. A quick picture of the tall, dark haired boy of her dreams flashed through her mind and a dazzling smile stretched across her rosy red lips.

"You'll have to tell me about it later," her mother said noticing the twinkle in her daughter's sapphire eyes. Then her expression turned serious. "Sweetheart, are you sure you don't mind if I go out tonight?" she asked, gripping the steering wheel so hard her knuckles began to turn white. "You haven't been home in a week. I just don't feel right leaving you as soon as you get back."

Carley turned sideways in the passenger seat and glared at her mother with total compassion. She had the perfect mom-always putting her daughter first, always fun and loving. Who could ask for more? "Mom, I told you on the phone when I was away, it's all right," she reminded, touching her mother's shoulder gently. "Quit worrying about me so much and think of yourself for a change. You haven't been on a date in ages!" she shrieked, throwing her hands in the air. "I know you want to go out with this guy. I can see it in your eyes."

"Well-" her mother hesitated, gritting her teeth as she darted a quick glance at her daughter. "If you're absolutely sure you don't mind."

"Mom, go!" Carley ordered in a kind yet forceful tone as her mother pulled into the driveway of their two-story brick house. "I'll be fine," she assured, stepping out of the car. "Besides, you know I'll probably spend the evening catching up on everything I missed while I was away. A lot can happen in this town in a week!"

Kimberly Madison inserted a key in the lock and swung open the front door of the house, flicking on the light switch in the foyer as she cascaded inside. "So I take it you're going to Heather's," she presumed, slinging her lather handbag on a near by table. Heather Rissman was Carley's best friend and almost like a second daughter to Kimberly Madison.

"I'm going upstairs right now to call her," Carley informed, lugging her suitcases up the staircase to her bedroom. A homey sensation crept through her as she set down her luggage and pulled the chain on the lighted multicolored ceiling fan. "Whoa!" she gasped, cupping a hand over her mouth as her sapphire eyes darted around the ramshacked room. "I don't remember it looking this bad when I left," she said aloud, falling back onto the unmade queen sized bed. "Mom must be furious with me. I can't believe she didn't murder me on the spot at the airport."

"Darling," her mother said, tapping softly on the doorframe. "I'm going to my room to dress for my date with Johnny," she informed, peeking into the room. "And please clean this pig pin soon," she added with a snarl of her nose.

"Someone evil has been in my room," Carley declared with a fake horrid expression. "I know this room wasn't like this when I left."

"Yeah, right," her mother chortled, raising one perfectly plucked brow. "Just clean it for me, okay."

"I'll clean it tomorrow," Carley promised, sighing with relief that her mom didn't hit the roof as she disappeared down the hall.

The instant her mother was out of sight, Carley leaped for the phone on the oak nightstand and punched the speed dial set with Heather's number. After three rings an out of breath female voice picked up the line.

"What are we doing tonight?" Carley asked, skipping the usual greeting when she immediately recognized the voice.

"Carley!" Heather shrilled with excitement. "Your back!"

"Yep and you have to catch me up on everything I missed," Carley informed with a chuckle at her friend's enthusiasm.

"I have to finish doing some chores for my mom. Meet me at the Burger Hut in two hours," Heather commanded. Before Carley had a chance to say goodbye, her friend slammed down the phone.

Carley stood from the bed and gazed around the room. She had two hours to kill. She had promised her mom she would clean the room the next day, so why spend that two hours doing it before then? She didn't have anything to do the next morning anyway except catching up on some well-deserved sleep. Besides, cleaning was the last thing she felt like doing after a long grueling day on an airplane.

A nice, soothing, hot bubble bath! The sudden idea sounded like sheer paradise. Quickly slipping off her shoes and jewelry, she sauntered to the bathroom across the hall. Nearly an hour later she emerged with a towel wrapped around her body and hair, felling relaxed and refreshed.

Retrieving her favorite pair of lavender shorts and mauve tank top from the drawer of the oak bureau, she quickly dressed and sat down at the vanity to dry her hair and put on her makeup. She applied just a touch of pale rose blush to her cheeks, raspberry flavored lip-gloss to her lips, and brushed her long, wavy blond hair until it glistened with moisture. Then she took a swift glimpse in the full-length mirror, which hung on the back of the closet door. It felt so wonderful to be back home so she could wear her summer clothes. Just one of the many things she loved about Somerville-the gloriously warm sunny weather the residents were blessed with practically every day of the year.

An hour and a half after she hung up the phone with Heather, Carley stepped into a pair of white thong sandals and exited her room.

"Mom, I'm going to meet Heather at the Burger Hut," she hollered through her mother's closed bedroom door. "I'll see you later."

"There's a list of messages I left for you on the kitchen table," her mother yelled in response from the other side of the door. "All the people who called for you while you were gone."

"Okay, have a good time tonight," Carley said, bouncing down the stairs to the kitchen. A yellow sheet of paper with about ten different names lay on the round mahogany table waiting for her. Scanning the list she discovered Sandra Walker, the captain of the cheerleading squad, had called with an urgent message to return her call, several of her other buddies from school, and Zander Dalton.

Carley stood planted to her spot, staring at Zander's name as if it were written in blood. After a moment she shook her head vigorously, shoved the list in her pocked, and bolted for the car. Her return phone calls would just have to wait until the next day.

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