He chuckled. “I could tell.”
“I understand your construction company is one of the major sponsors.” She continued raking, as if getting every last twig and leaf was of immense importance.
“We are. You’ll be there, right?”
“I’m working at the event.” It would be a fun way to work off a few equity hours.
“But you won’t be working the entire time, will you?”
“I … I don’t know. I don’t think so.”
“When you’re done with your shift, maybe you could save a dance for me … you know, us being friends and all.”
Cassie grinned. “Yes, I suppose I could manage that.”
“Good.” He continued to rake, but with far more enthusiasm than he had earlier.
Chapter 21
Tuesday evening Karen tossed her car keys into the basket just inside the garage door. Garth was busy in the kitchen fixing dinner—God bless him! For the last two weeks, he’d been home by the time she arrived. Seeing that he was salaried, his shorter hours hadn’t made a difference in his paycheck, thankfully.
“Hi, sweetie,” Garth said, looking up from the salad he was mixing. “How was work today?”
“Busy.” She reached over and grabbed a radish, munching it. “What about you?”
Garth expelled a sigh. “Okay, I guess. I’m still working on the Weyerhaeuser account.”
Karen kissed her husband’s cheek and reached for another radish. “You’ve been working on that same account for months.” He’d never talked much about work, and most of the time she had to pry information out of him.
“The job is winding down now, which is good and bad.”
“Any new work on the horizon?”
“Some.” He continued to slice the tomatoes.
Garth’s job as a consultant for one of the large lumber companies had been demanding in the past. The company had gone through a slump over the last few years as less and less timber was harvested in Washington state, but thankfully there’d always been enough work to keep her husband in a job.
“What’s for dinner?” Karen asked, glancing toward the stove.
“Spanish rice.”
“Buddy’s favorite,” Karen said, smiling. Garth had served it twice in the last couple weeks, and with Buddy going through a growing spurt, there were rarely leftovers.
“I want to call my sister before we eat,” Karen said, as she slipped out of her heels and wiggled life back into her toes. “There’s enough time, isn’t there?”
Garth glanced up. “You’re calling Cassie?”
“Nichole. I haven’t told her about the weekend yet. I was avoiding her calls—I guess I just needed time to digest it all.”
“I thought after your sister left that you said you wanted to make an effort to connect more often.”
“I do,” she said.
Her husband braced his palms against the kitchen counter and his look grew intense. “You haven’t been sleeping well the last couple nights since Cassie’s visit.”
Garth was right; she’d been uneasy ever since their visit with Cassie. When she’d learned Cassie was coming to Spokane, she’d been determined to remain aloof and distant. Karen had never been able to forget the huge fight they’d had shortly before Cassie disappeared. Her sister had said things that Karen would never be able to forgive. Cassie must have shared her feelings, since nothing else explained the cold silence for the last eight years. When they did hear from Cassie again it hadn’t been to apologize. She’d made no reconciliation efforts. Instead she’d been looking for a handout. She was in trouble and needed help. Well, where was Cassie when their parents needed her? Nowhere to be found—that was for sure.
As Saturday had approached, Karen had grown anxious. She wanted to meet Cassie, take her to the storage unit, and send her on her way. Garth had been the one to suggest they at least offer Cassie and her friend lunch. Karen had reluctantly agreed.
And then Cassie arrived. One look assured Karen that her sister was as nervous and anxious as she was herself. Karen had steeled herself, hoping to get this meeting over with as quickly as possible. Yet Cassie was nothing like what she’d anticipated. Oh, she looked basically the same … only different. She’d come a long way from that rebellious, headstrong teenager she’d once been. Her sister seemed so much more mature and wise, humble and gracious. When Cassie broke into tears at the storage unit, emotion she tried desperately to hide, Karen had fought back tears herself.
“Are you going to suggest Nichole reach out to Cassie?” Garth asked, cutting into Karen’s thoughts.
“I … I don’t know yet.”
Karen got her cell from her purse and sat down in the living room. She dialed Nichole, and sitting back in the chair, she crossed her legs and waited. While the phone rang, Garth brought her a tall glass of iced tea, with a thick slice of lemon on top, and she smiled at him.
Nichole answered on the second ring. “Hey!”
“Hi, Nichole.”
“I’ve been hoping to hear from you. How did it go with Cassie?”
Karen hardly knew where to begin. “It went … okay.” Even now she wavered, uncertain of her feelings. She was conflicted, sad, weary, and she stifled the urge to cry.
“What was she like?”
“Well, she’s obviously grown up like the two of us. I can see so much of Dad in her. She’s definitely got his eyes.”
“What about … everything else?”
This was a far more difficult question to answer. “She’s not angry or defiant any longer, determined to prove how she’s right and everyone else is wrong. My memories of her revolved around how angry she was, how eager to argue with Mom and Dad, especially over Duke. She’d always been so smart, and then, after she met Duke, she became a completely different person.”
“I remember her that way, too. What’s she like now?”
Karen searched for how best to respond. “She seems much more … humble.”
“Cassie, humble?”
“She’s thankful for every little thing,” Karen rushed to explain. “We had lunch ready for her—”
“You cooked lunch? I thought—”
“I know,” she said, cutting her off. “Garth thought it was the least we could do. The truth is I was sure she would have eaten before they arrived and it would be moot.”
“Was it awkward having her there?”
It had been, especially in the beginning. “We were both on edge. You know, other than a few short, painful phone conversations, I haven’t talked to her in years.”
“So what did you have to talk about?”
“Mostly we talked about our kids. She was eager to hear every detail I had to tell her about Lily and Buddy. She showed me pictures of Amiee and you wouldn’t believe how much her daughter looks like her … and Dad. She mentioned that Amiee is full of questions about her cousins. From what she said, we’re the only family Amiee has. I asked about Duke’s side, and from what Cassie said, she never met any of his relatives. Odd, don’t you think? Anyway, she said they aren’t in contact anymore.”
Karen had realized later that in her nervousness at lunch she’d missed a lot, and was able to read a bit more between the lines. “She didn’t talk much about Duke, but I have the feeling this marriage wasn’t a happy one from the very beginning.”
“Yet she stayed.”
“Yes, she stayed.” Karen couldn’t help wondering what price she’d paid for her pride. It was more than obvious that Cassie had come out of the marriage with nothing.
Nichole was quiet for a moment, as though taking time to absorb the conversation. “Did Cassie ask about … anything?”
By “anything,” her sister seemed to be asking about far more than the cameo or the inheritance. “No, nothing. She was overwhelmed with gratitude with what we gave her. It meant the world to her to have the very things neither you nor I considered important.”
“The piano was worth something, but we both knew she would want that.”
“I’m glad we decided to give it to her.” Karen’s throat clogged with the memory of how happy Cassie had been to see the piano. It was right in front when Garth opened the door to the storage unit. Cassie’s reaction had been immediate and overwhelming.
“We hugged before she left.” That was a slight exaggeration. Cassie had reached out and hugged her. It took a moment before Karen had hugged her back. They’d both struggled with tears. Karen had been determined to keep an emotional distance from Cassie, and yet brick by brick that wall was beginning to be dismantled.
“You hugged. So what happens now?”
“I don’t know yet,” Karen hurried to explain. “But I think we need to be open to Cassie. We don’t need to rush into anything. We should take this slow, a little at a time. Perhaps you could phone her.”
“Me? What about you? You’re the one who’s communicated with her most. I hardly know her.”
“The thing is,” Karen said, “we don’t know her and she doesn’t really know us, either, but I think it’s time we changed that.”
The sliding glass door slammed and Buddy came into the house, automatically going to the refrigerator. He opened it up, reached for the pitcher of iced tea, and drank straight from it.
“Buddy!” Karen shouted, appalled at their son’s behavior. She looked for Garth and saw that he was no longer in the kitchen.
Her son whirled around, obviously surprised to see her. “Oh, hi, Mom.”
“I’ve got to go,” Karen told Nichole, frowning at her son.
“Okay.” Nichole sounded eager to get off the phone herself.
“Call me soon and we’ll talk more about what comes next with Cassie.”
“I’ll be in Arizona.”
“Arizona?”
“I’m going with Laurie. Jake arranged for us to stay at this exclusive spa. I’ll be away five days. I still can hardly believe it.”
“Wow! Have fun.”
Nichole sighed. “We plan to. I swear I’m married to the most wonderful husband.”
“We both married good men,” Karen added. Her thoughts instantly went to Cassie, and she wondered what had happened with Duke. Karen wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to know. Perhaps one day Cassie would tell her.
“We’ll connect soon,” Karen said, as she ended the call. “Have a great time in Arizona.”
By the time she set down the phone, Buddy had put the pitcher back inside the refrigerator.
“Where’s your father?” Karen asked.
Buddy, his face red and sweaty from a game of neighborhood baseball, shrugged. “He was on his cell like you.”
Karen went in search of Garth and found him in the far end of the backyard, pacing by the fence line, his head bowed and shoulders hunched, and deep in conversation. He looked up when Karen approached.
“I have to go,” he said to whoever was on the other end of the line. “Yes, yes, I understand, but there’s nothing I can do about it now. I’ll call you in the morning.” Her husband didn’t look the least bit pleased. His face tightened as he listened. “Okay, okay,” he said, and snapped the phone shut. For a moment it looked as if he was about to toss it down on the grass in a fit of anger.
Garth was an easygoing sort of guy, and to hear him this upset was a rarity.
“Everything okay?” Karen asked.
Garth shook his head. “It’s just work.”
“Problems?”
“You could say that,” he muttered, and then surprised Karen by reaching for her and wrapping his arms around her and holding her close as if he needed someone to cling to.
“Garth?” she asked, because it was obvious that something was terribly wrong.
“It’s nothing. Just leave it, okay?”
This, too, was uncharacteristic of her husband. Karen hugged him back and after a few minutes they returned to the house with their arms around each other.
Buddy had set the table without being asked, which was a shocker, thought Karen, smiling. “Where’s Lily?”
“She’s got dance class this afternoon.”
Garth froze. “It’s not my turn to pick her up, is it?”
“No, you drove last week,” Karen reminded him.
Garth released a slow exhale. “I’m telling you I need a personal assistant to keep track of whose turn it is to drive in all these carpools.” He brought out the salad he’d mixed and set it in the middle of the table.
As if on cue, the front door opened and Lily came in and dropped her backpack just inside the door. “I had the worst day of my entire life,” she complained with a loud groan. “Michael turned twelve and got a Facebook account and the first thing he did was post a horrible picture of me and now people are sharing it.”
“Oh boy. It looks like you could use a hug,” Garth said to his daughter.
“Oh, Dad, a hug isn’t going to help.”
“Sure it will,” he countered. “A hug always helps.”
Karen dished up the Spanish rice and removed the green beans from the microwave.
“Spanish rice again?” Lily complained.
“Hey, hey, count your blessings. We could be having liver and onions. That’s what my mom always made.”
Lily’s head came up and she grimaced. “That is just gross.”
“Count your blessings,” Karen repeated, as the four of them sat down at the table for the evening meal and joined hands.
The banter around the table was lively. It wasn’t until later that Karen realized that Garth had had very little to say. As they readied for bed that night, she noticed how withdrawn he’d become. Whatever had happened at work had deeply bothered him.
Both read for a half hour or so before turning out the bedside lights. As soon as it was dark, Garth reached for her.
“I love you, Karen.”
“I know. I love you, too.” She nestled her head against her husband’s shoulder. But it was a long time before she went to sleep, and she knew it took just as long for Garth, too.
Chapter 22
Steve hated the thought of leaving town for even one day, let alone five. Normally he looked forward to these short business trips even if he was troubleshooting a job. Not this time.
The simple truth was he hated to leave Cassie. While she might choose to deny it, something strong and powerful was happening between them. He hadn’t stopped to analyze it, mainly because it felt too good. It was as if his heart had come alive again. After Alicia died, for all intents and purposes it seemed as if he had as well—at least emotionally. For the first year he’d had to will himself to get out of bed each day. It felt as if there were heavy weights attached to his feet and his heart.
It didn’t seem right that the world kept on going as if nothing of significance had happened. He fought it, struggled with depression, let business matters lapse when he should have been paying more attention. Thankfully, Stan had his back and did for Steve what Steve seemed incapable of doing for himself.
It was partially because of Stan that he’d gotten involved with Habitat for Humanity. His general manager had left Brody Electrical for a full-time position with Habitat, working as a project manager. Stan had half dragged Steve to the first job site. Steve hadn’t been a willing volunteer until he saw how hard these families worked to have a home to call their own.
Alicia had strongly believed in the work of Habitat and had volunteered countless hours herself. For the last two and a half years, working with Habitat had been his salvation. He’d been able to pull himself out of the black hole of grief and loss by investing in others. Stan trusted him to run the housing projects from start to finish, stopping by every now and again to make sure the building was coming along as it should.
Then Steve had met Cassie. They’d clashed in the beginning, and looking back, he realized why. Right away he knew she was a threat to his shriveled-up, dried-out heart. It’d been only in the last year that he’d been comfortable in this new role life had given him. He wasn’t big on change, and then there she was with h
er purple hair and a chip on her shoulder, challenging him at every turn. She didn’t back down and she made sure he understood that she wasn’t going to let anyone, in particular a man, railroad her.
He’d been attracted to her, almost from the first, and then he’d decided to drive her to Spokane. Even now he wasn’t sure what had happened on Saturday. It’d never been his intention to kiss her. But to witness this strong, independent woman dissolve into heart-wrenching sobs had shaken him. When he’d pulled into the rest stop he’d meant to only hug and hold her, to comfort her. Before he could stop himself, they were kissing. Rarely had anything felt as good or right as to have Cassie in his arms.
Now it was Wednesday and the feeling of holding her still lingered with him. She’d tasted of sweetness and goodness and everything he held dear. This was a woman who had walked through fire and instead of coming out scorched and bitter was as refined as gold.
Seeing her Sunday had been an unexpected bonus, although he had to admit she’d shaken him with her talk of just being friends. He got it. He really did. She was scared. Frankly, so was he. This was as new to him as it seemed to be to her.
The truth was he’d planned to give them both a bit of breathing room. Sunday morning he’d picked up Jeremy and intended to take the boy to a park where he could ride his bike, which they’d done. Later he’d gone to the plot of land that would one day be Cassie’s home because—this was a bit embarrassing—it was a way to feel a connection with her. Jeremy had enjoyed building a fort with dead branches from the property, and so they’d lingered there.
And then Cassie arrived with Amiee. Right away happiness had stolen over him, and while the early afternoon had been overcast and cloudy, it felt as if the entire day had suddenly brightened and grown unexpectedly sunny and warm.
While Steve wasn’t sure where the relationship between him and Cassie was headed, he was content to let it take him where it would. In time she’d come around. He was willing to be patient. Maybe going out of town was good—it would give her some time.
“Steve,” his foreman said, breaking into his thoughts.