“I prefer to think he’s keeping me young,” Leanne told her with a soft laugh.
“I bet after a day with Owen you’re wondering why I need to lose weight. You’d think I’d be as skinny as a toothpick,” Nichole joked. “But I want to lose these ridiculous five pounds before Jake and I have a second baby.”
“You’re going to try to get pregnant again soon?” Leanne asked, not bothering to hide her delight.
“We’ve talked about it.” She wasn’t sure she should have said anything just yet—it was really Jake’s place to share this with his family. Nichole liked her in-laws, but she hadn’t bonded with them the way she would have liked. Leanne was nice but oblivious—Jake’s father had run around on her for years. Nichole and Jake hadn’t been dating long when she’d first heard the rumors.
“Another grandbaby would be wonderful,” said Leanne.
Nichole hoped for a girl, because Jake and she intended on having only two. Having the two close like this was a necessity; if she was going to be home full-time when her children were little, she wanted to have them close in age, so she could go back to work before too much time had passed. Her degree was in French literature, which hadn’t proved to be much of an employable skill, but Nichole was determined to find a way to make use of it. She loved all things French. She wasn’t sure how to do that just yet, but she’d figure it out.
They ended the call and Nichole reached for her own e-reader, although she wasn’t sure it would hold her attention. Laurie lounged next to her, reading as well. This was the sign of a strong friendship, Nichole thought. They were content to be together without having to chat the whole time.
Nichole’s phone dinged with another text message. She reached for it and sighed with exasperation. “Karen again,” she announced, before Laurie could ask. “She’s waiting for an answer.”
“She’s going to be a pest until you call Cassie, so just do it,” Laurie advised.
Her friend was right. Karen wasn’t going to let up until Nichole reached out to Cassie. She needed to put aside her dread and just do it, like Laurie advised, so she could enjoy her vacation.
Karen had included Cassie’s cell number with the text, which saved Nichole the hassle of finding it. Her hand shook slightly as she pressed the button that would connect her with her sister. While the phone rang, she rummaged through her brain, searching for how best to start the conversation.
“Hello.” Cassie sounded hesitant, unsure. Nichole wondered if her number was saved in her sister’s phone, and if her name had popped up.
Nichole barely remembered the sound of her sister’s voice. It was hard to believe this was Cassie, her own flesh and blood.
“Cassie, it’s Nichole.”
“Nichole.” Right away Cassie’s voice elevated with glad excitement. “Oh Nichole, it’s so good to hear from you.”
“You, too, Cassie,” she said, and genuinely meant it. She immediately felt bad. She should have made the effort to connect with her sister long before now. Already her mind was full of all the things she wanted to tell her, to explain.
“The last time we talked,” Cassie continued, “it sounded like you’d rather I didn’t bother you.”
“I’m sorry … it was a shock hearing from you,” Nichole said, making up a weak excuse and then feeling sorry she had. It shouldn’t be this difficult to tell the truth.
“I know. I would have called again, but I assumed you’d rather not hear from me.”
Unfortunately, Cassie was right. “It was a few months after Mom died and I wasn’t myself.” Again, a half-truth.
Cassie’s voice dipped. “I know. I wasn’t myself, either.”
Nichole was afraid her voice was about to betray her. She yearned to say more but was worried the words wouldn’t be able to make it past the lump in her throat.
“I know you and Karen were upset with me that I couldn’t be at Mom’s funeral. I would have given anything I owned to be with you, but it was impossible.”
“None of that matters now,” Nichole whispered. Because she was afraid to say anything more about their mother or their last conversation, she quickly changed the subject. “Karen said you were over to the house last weekend.”
“A friend drove me and we collected Mom and Dad’s furniture. I can’t tell you how grateful I am. I had no idea you still had the piano. I was sure Mom would have sold it long ago.”
“Dad wouldn’t let her,” Nichole told her. “He was convinced you’d come back one day.”
Her words were met with a sudden, abrupt silence, and then it sounded as if Cassie had stopped breathing.
“I shouldn’t have said that,” Nichole whispered. She’d known her calling Cassie would be a bad idea. She was going about this all wrong, saying the wrong things, upsetting this tentative start between the sisters. “I’m sorry.”
“No, no, it’s all right,” Cassie said. She seemed to have found her composure. “I just want you to know how grateful I am to have it.”
What Nichole said was true. Their father refused to sell the piano with the hope that one day Cassie would return home. He never seemed to give up on her, even though her leaving had devastated him. Before he died, he let both Karen and Nichole know that he’d forgiven Cassie for running away with Duke. In fact, he blamed himself that there’d been no contact through the years. Nothing anyone said could convince him otherwise. But Nichole would never tell Cassie this—she couldn’t lay that on her sister.
“It was good to see Karen and Garth.” Cassie, too, seemed determined to turn the conversation to more pleasant topics. “Lily and Buddy were away for the afternoon. Hopefully, they’ll be there next time and Amiee will meet her cousins. How are Jake and Owen?”
“Great. I’m with a friend this weekend, so Owen is with Jake’s mom.”
“That’s wonderful.”
“Anything exciting happening with you?” Nichole asked, struggling to keep the conversation going.
“Well, I’m going to a hoedown on Saturday.”
“A what?”
Cassie laughed. “I know it sounds crazy, doesn’t it? It’s a charity event for Habitat for Humanity. I’m working it … did Karen tell you that I’m getting a house through Habitat? Amiee and I are going to have our very own home for the first time in her life. Every time I think about how much my life has changed in the last few years I get goose bumps. It just doesn’t seem real that I should be this fortunate.”
Nichole hardly knew how to respond. “You sound happy.”
“I am, oh Nichole, I am happy, and hearing from you doubles my joy. Thank you for calling. It means the world to me.”
A lump in Nichole’s throat grew to the size of a golf ball. “I should have reached out much sooner. I won’t wait so long next time.” She had a dozen questions she wanted to ask, but she feared it would destroy this fragile thread that felt so tentative. How was it that after all this time Cassie would come out of her marriage with so little? Although Cassie had never come out and said it, Nichole had the feeling Duke hadn’t been the husband Cassie deserved.
“Can I … would it be all right if I called you next?” Cassie asked.
“Yes, of course. Please do.”
“Bye, now.”
“Bye.” Nichole ended the call to find Laurie closely watching her.
“How’d it go?” her friend asked, carefully studying her.
Nichole covered her mouth for fear she was about to break down and cry. “Better than I expected,” she whispered, and then swallowed down a sniffle. “My sister is heading to a hoedown this weekend,” she said, in an effort to make light of the conversation. The last thing Nichole wanted was to sit by this beautiful pool and cry. And yet that was exactly what she was doing—tears leaked from the corners of her eyes and wove crooked paths down her cheeks. How could she have been so insensitive to her own sister?
Chapter 24
All week Cassie had worked feverishly to put Steve out of her mind, but it hadn’t worked. She couldn?
??t wait to see him, and a week had never dragged on for so long. Nothing felt the same without him at the construction site, running the project.
Saturday morning, Cassie was up early. The Hoedown was being held in an airport hangar, and a lot of work had to be done in order to get the space ready. Several other volunteers arrived to work off their hours by putting up long folding tables and chairs, placing red-and-white checkered plastic tablecloths across the tables, and then setting the tables, lining each place setting up perfectly.
To the front of the hangar was a mechanical bull quartered off with stacks of hay. In the middle of the room were tables displaying items for the silent auction. Cassie was touched by the number of companies and individuals that had donated. It made her hope that sometime soon she’d be in a position to help others in the same way she had been lent a hand up. At the other end of the hangar was a stage with room for the band, plus a faux jail for funny pictures. People could stand behind the bars and have their snapshot taken.
Steve had said on Wednesday he’d definitely see her at the Hoedown. She could only hope nothing had kept him in eastern Washington longer than he anticipated. His electrical company was one of the major sponsors, so she was pretty sure he’d make at least a token appearance.
Cassie feared that telling Steve about the letter from Duke had upset him. He’d grown quiet after asking her what she intended to do, and it wasn’t long afterward that he’d made a convenient excuse to end the conversation.
By the time the work crew finished with the setup, it was mid-morning. Cassie didn’t have a chance to relax, though—she was scheduled to work at Goldie Locks until three that afternoon. Amiee had gone camping with her friend Claudia’s family for the weekend. It was her daughter’s first camping experience and she was excited. Claudia was back to being her BFF—or was that BAE?
The apartment felt empty without her when Cassie returned from work. After quickly showering, she dressed and paid special attention to her hair and makeup. This was a big night for Habitat and for her, and she wanted to look her best.
Steve had said he wanted a dance. He’d just been making conversation, but her mind had blown it up into something it was never meant to be. One night she’d actually dreamed of them dancing together. Steve’s arms had been around her, holding her against him as though he never intended to let her go. The dream had been so good that when she woke, she had wanted to hang on to it for as long as possible, lingering in bed with her eyes closed, reliving it. Several minutes passed before she forced herself out of bed.
Once she was dressed and ready, she drove to the Hoedown. By the time she arrived back at the hangar, her stomach was in knots. It wasn’t nerves about her job for the night—that would be fun—it was all about seeing Steve. It felt like weeks, months, when it had been only a few days since she’d last seen him.
By six-fifteen the first guests started to arrive. Fourteen Bones, the local barbecue restaurant, had set up shop in the parking lot, with three huge portable barbecues. The scent of mesquite and smoke filled the evening air.
One of Cassie’s assignments was to greet the guests and escort them to their tables. Although she kept a look out for Steve, she didn’t see him anywhere.
Once everyone was seated, volunteers from the restaurant and Habitat worked inside a large tent outside the hangar, preparing the appetizers of stuffed jalapeños, crispy fried chicken wings, and plump pink skewered shrimp. Cassie helped dish up the trays of food. Every chance she got she peeked outside, scanning the hangar, but Steve wasn’t anywhere in sight.
By the time dinner was served, she’d lost hope that he’d been able to come. Something at the job site in eastern Washington must have prevented him from leaving. Her heart was heavy with disappointment.
Still, there was work to be done, and she couldn’t allow herself to be too distracted. This Hoedown, she’d learned, was one of the major fund-raisers for Habitat for Humanity, and seeing that she had a vested interest in its success, she needed to give her full attention.
With or without Steve.
During the buffet dinner, Cassie was responsible for replenishing the large bowls of cole slaw for the two buffet lines. At first it hadn’t sounded like much of a job, but to her surprise she was continually hurrying to and from the makeshift kitchen, carting out bowls.
Most everyone, she noticed, had come dressed in cowboy and cowgirl gear. The men wore Stetsons and boots and many of the women had donned fringed vests, red neck scarves, and fancy, colorful boots.
Cassie was too busy working to pay much attention. At one point, however, she saw a familiar face—an unwelcome one. It was that woman Britt, the one who had seen to it that Cassie had lost her job at CenturyLink Field, and who Steve was involved with. She was with an older gentleman and there was enough resemblance for Cassie to guess the man was Britt’s father.
The band, which had been warming up earlier, took the stage and an announcer stepped forward. Cassie was busy carting empty serving dishes into the kitchen and didn’t pay much attention until she heard Steve’s name announced. She held a tray of corn bread and nearly stumbled when she saw a male figure move toward the front of the room. Steve had arrived at the Hoedown, after all.
As Steve climbed the steps leading to the platform, he glanced her way. When he saw her, he momentarily paused. Their eyes met and locked. In that brief half second, Cassie’s heart leaped straight into her throat. It was then that she realized Steve had been looking for her, too.
While introductions and announcements were made, Cassie finished her duties. Megan Victory from Habitat’s office thanked the volunteers for their participation. The cleanup crew would take over from this point and she was free to go or to stay, whichever she wished.
Earlier Cassie had been smart enough to bring a change of clothes. She quickly escaped into the ladies’ room and slipped off her red T-shirt with Soon to Be Home Owner scripted across the back. She put on a buttoned blue checkered shirt that was about as western as her closet held, and a pair of blue jeans. She didn’t have cowboy boots, so sneakers would have to do.
By the time she reappeared the music had started and couples had taken to the dance floor. It seemed Steve was waiting for her, because the instant she reappeared she made eye contact with him. He was on the other side of the dance floor, but right away he started walking toward her, weaving his way between couples, sidestepping around the dancers.
Cassie met him halfway.
They stood in the middle of the dance floor, doing nothing more than foolishly gazing, wide-eyed, at each other. Neither spoke as the music swirled around.
“I didn’t see you,” she said quietly.
“I arrived late … dinner was already served.”
His eyes held hers. One of the dancers bumped into him and apologized.
“We should dance,” he suggested, reaching for her.
Cassie stepped forward into his arms. “Sorry, I’m … I’m not much good at this.”
He ignored her protest, pulling her close to him. He held her the same way he had in her dream. Their feet barely moved. If this wasn’t heaven, she decided, then it was pretty darn close.
Cassie closed her eyes, wanting to savor each moment, hold on to it before this happiness that bubbled up inside of her fizzed away and vanished.
“I missed you,” he whispered, close to her ear.
The words washed over her. She wanted to tell him how empty her world had felt without him, but discovered she couldn’t speak. It was better that way. She had too much on her plate to add romance to the mix. Still, for one night, she would indulge.
“Have you decided about Duke and Amiee?” he asked.
She lifted her head in order to look into his eyes. “Are you worried I’m going to let Duke back into my life?” she asked. “I’m not that stupid.”
He grinned and seemed to relax his grip on her. “I didn’t think you were.”
“I’m going to wait until Amiee is thirteen, then I’ll let
her decide if she is interested in reconnecting with her father.”
He nodded. “That seems like a good decision.” Then he brought her head back down close to his shoulder and whispered as he had earlier, “I thought about phoning you every day.”
“But you didn’t.”
“No. But I wanted to. Talking to you, being with you—it’s addictive.”
Wrapped in the warmth of his words, Cassie smiled. This was what she’d hoped to hear, and at the same time it was the very thing she feared. Although she was reluctant to admit it, she had strong feelings for Steve. He was constantly on her mind. And yet she couldn’t allow her thoughts or her life to get tangled up in him. Not when she had so much else happening.
After all these years she had finally found a connection with her sisters. Cassie needed her sisters, they were her family, her last link with her roots. Now, at last, the first tentative steps had been taken. Little by little, Cassie was gaining the stability she’d so wanted to give her daughter. As tempting as it was, she couldn’t allow her heart to get involved with Steve. Not yet. Not when she had so much else to accomplish first.
“You’ve been messing with my mind,” Steve added.
She lifted her head long enough to look up at him. She wanted to say something but didn’t know what. Tonight, all she wanted was this one night. She didn’t want to mislead Steve, but she was selfish enough to indulge in this warm romance fantasy. Even Cinderella had one night with her prince.
His arms squeezed her closer as if to absorb her body into his own. “I have dreamed of this moment, of holding you like this.”
Cassie thought of her own dream.
Just then someone tapped hard against her shoulder. Cassie lifted her head to find Britt standing next to her. “My turn,” Britt said, smiling sweetly at Cassie and Steve.
“Britt?” Steve said with a frown. He didn’t release Cassie.
“You haven’t danced with me even once,” she protested. “In fact, you’ve barely said hello. Dad wants to say hi, too.”