Their Forever Home

by Syndi Powell

  Then she stepped back, breaking the contact. He swallowed and let go of her hand. “We should go.”

  She nodded. “We must be tired. That’s why I kissed you.”

  “You mean I kissed you.”

  She peered at him. “It was mutual.”

  “Cassie, since the project is over, what happens to us?” The thought had been simmering in the back of his mind. Now that they weren’t seeing each other every day at the house, what next? Were they friends? Something more? They’d never talked about it, and he wanted some clarity.

  “Us?” She gave a shrug. “Is there an us?”

  “That’s what I’m asking.”

  Her phone buzzed, and she pulled it from her pocket, checking the screen. “It’s Andromeda. I need to take this.”

  “We need to talk.”

  “Later,” she said, offering him a smile, and walked away to answer her call.

  The thing was, he didn’t know if there would be a later for them. Sure, he’d be with her at the farewell gala when the winners would be announced and they’d celebrate the end of the contest. But what then? Did they find a way to work together? They’d made a good team on this project, and he had no doubt that they could translate their success from the contest into future projects.

  But that wasn’t the question that kept him awake at night. Did Cassie feel the same way he did? That their partnership had evolved into something more? More than friendship?

  He watched her walk to her truck and get inside. That talk couldn’t wait forever.

  * * *

  CASSIE FELT RELIEF as she hung up the phone. Andie had said that Daddy was being held at the county jail until his trial, but he seemed to be okay. However, the relief wasn’t from Andie’s call but from escaping the awkward conversation with John.

  Part of her wanted to explore the possibility of them being an us, while the other, more rational, side reminded her that she wasn’t in any position to pursue a relationship. Her life was a mess and required more attention than she’d been giving it. The contest had served to distract her from the reality of being unemployed. Her father’s business had been sold off piece by piece until nothing was left for her to build on. Not even the Lowman name would be left to her without bringing her father’s baggage with it.

  She shouldn’t be thinking about kissing John or wondering how he felt about her. She had to keep her head focused on the next steps in her career, whatever was left of it after the contest.

  Yes, that was what she’d do. She would figure out where she was going in her career and put the question of a relationship with John on a back burner to explore later.

  But how much later? She was getting tired of being lonely after putting in long hours at work. She’d like to come home to someone more than her dog. To have someone to eat dinner with. To curl up on the sofa and watch TV with. Someone who would kiss her like John did.

  She leaned against her truck and glanced at the Murphys’ house. He was right there, and he seemed to like her. Could she have a future with him? Did she want one?

  No, any future that she had with John or anyone would have to wait until the question of her career was settled. How could she go to John with nothing?

  She got in her truck and put the key in the ignition and drove away.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  IT WOULD END in the same ballroom that they had started the contest in. Cassie looked down at her dress, the same one she’d worn then, as well. She didn’t have the desire to purchase a new outfit that she wouldn’t wear again. Even though Andromeda had insisted she needed to wear something else. “What if they compare the pictures from the first party? They’ll know you’re wearing the same dress,” she’d said. But Cassie figured that her money would be better spent on necessities like food and shelter if they didn’t win the grand prize.

  And they had to win.

  Her mother joined her, looking elegant in a silk dress in the same color of blue as her eyes. Though she hadn’t approved of Cassie entering the contest, she seemed to have come around, if her presence at the finale was any indication.

  Cassie nodded toward the bar. “Can I get you a drink? Wine, maybe?”

  “White wine, please.” Her mother glanced around the ballroom and narrowed her eyes at someone across the room. “Is that Bill Swenson?”

  Cassie followed her mother’s gaze. “He wasn’t happy that he didn’t get picked or that I was chosen.”

  “When your father left us, that man called me and volunteered to help me out.” She shuddered and tugged the lapels of her silk jacket closer together. “I won’t give you the details of how he intended to help, but it wasn’t decent for young ears.”

  Cassie glanced back at Bill, frowning. “He hit on you? But you’re...”

  “I’m not quite dead, Cassandra. Some men tell me that I’m still attractive.”

  “I was going to say you’re still married to Daddy.”

  Her mother’s eyes glistened at the mention, but the look was brief and returned to its usual cool composure. “Right. Your father. Think I’ll go powder my nose.”

  “Mother, I didn’t mean to...”

  But her mother had already left. Cassie walked to the bar and ordered a beer for herself and a glass of white wine for her mother. She’d told John that she’d meet him here at the event. The same with the Buttucci brothers. But none of them had yet arrived.

  Taking the tall stein and wine glass, she found an empty table that lined the dance floor. That was one thing she hadn’t expected when the invitation for this gala had arrived. They were serving dinner and dancing before the winners were announced. She would much rather just get to the results that would determine her future.

  “There you are.” John stood in front of her. “But we’re not at this table.”

  She frowned and looked at the empty seats. “There’s no one here.”

  “We’ve been assigned table number seven. Didn’t you check in with the hostess when you got here?”

  “My mother was busy getting reacquainted with a group of people, so we walked inside.”

  She stood and followed him to the correct table, where an older woman sat. She reminded Cassie of her own mother, the regal way she held herself, the elegant dress and coiffed hair. John motioned to the woman. “Cassie, this is my mother, Beatrice Robison.”

  Cassie shot her hand out. “Mrs. Robison, a pleasure.”

  The woman returned her handshake. “Johnny has told me so much about you. And the house, of course.”

  “I hope he took you over to see the final product.”

  “He did. Thank you.”

  John pulled a chair out for Cassie and waited until she sat before pushing it closer to the table. He turned to his mother. “Can I get you something to drink?”

  Beatrice eyed Cassie’s beer. “That looks pretty good to me.”

  That surprised Cassie. She figured that she would have been more of a martini drinker. Or would have preferred a glass of wine, like her mother usually did.

  Beatrice asked Cassie, “Did you invite anyone to join you?”

  “My mother had to step out for a moment, but she’ll be back.” Cassie smoothed down the front of her dress. “I hate these kinds of fancy events. I feel like I’m going to make a mistake or say the wrong thing.”

  Beatrice eyed her. “Johnny told me that you were more comfortable in T-shirts and jeans than in a dress.”

  He had? Cassie took a sip of her beer, considering that bit of news. “What else has he told you?”

  But John’s mother gave her a mysterious smile and didn’t elaborate. Tiny and Biggie entered the ballroom, and Cassie motioned them over. She’d never seen the brothers in tuxes before. She gave a whistle as they got closer. “You guys look great.”

  “If we’re going to win and be on that stage, I wanted to make sure w
e looked respectable.” Tiny turned to Beatrice. “And who have we here?”

  “This is John’s mother, Beatrice.”

  Tiny started to put his hand out to shake hers when Biggie cut in front of him and took the woman’s hand in his. He pressed a kiss to her hand. “Mrs. Robison, I am Luigi Buttucci, but you must call me Lou. You are enchanting.”

  Beatrice blushed and tried to wave away the compliment, but Cassie could see that she was pleased. Even more so when he took the seat on the other side of her.

  Tiny raised eyebrows at this. He held out his hand to Beatrice. “And I’m his brother, Tiny.” He leaned closer to Cassie. “I’ve never heard him say so many words to a woman. This should be interesting.”

  John brought drinks over to the table and greeted both the brothers. If he was surprised by Biggie seating himself next to his mother, he didn’t say a word. But Cassie had a feeling that he was going to keep an eye on the two of them the rest of the evening. Her mother returned from the ladies’ room looking more composed than she had before and greeted both brothers before John introduced her to his mother.

  Mr. Belvedere walked up to the microphone and called for everyone’s attention. “Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to welcome you to the Belvedere Foundation’s contest finale. We’ll be serving dinner in about ten minutes if you’d like to find your seats.”

  As promised, the servers started bringing out trays of salads and rolls. Out of breath, Jo and Donny arrived at their table. It looked like Jo had gone to the salon, since her long dark hair was piled expertly on top of her head. She and Donny gave everyone hugs before taking a seat. “Sorry we’re late,” Jo said. “The babysitter didn’t get there until the last minute. Did we miss anything?”

  John made the introductions as he passed the basket of rolls to the couple. Talk around the table centered on the contest, conjecturing who would win. Jo was convinced that Cassie and John would take home the grand prize, while those who had worked on the project tried to hang on to that hope but not state it out loud. Cassie, especially, wasn’t sure if they had won. Of course, she hadn’t seen the other houses, but she would stand by the work they had done on the Tanner home any day.

  With the arrival of the entrées of beef and chicken, conversation changed to smaller groups. John leaned over to Cassie, so close that she could smell the scent of his aftershave. “I wish I was as confident as Jo about our chances. What do you think?”

  Cassie shook her head. “I honestly don’t know. But everything rides on winning.”

  “About that, Cassie. I’ve wanted to talk to you about what happens after this contest.”

  She still wasn’t ready for that conversation. She wanted to focus on eating her dinner and keeping it down before the butterflies in her belly revolted. “Now?”

  “Well, you’ve been avoiding me ever since we finished the house.”

  She knew she had. And she knew that it had hurt him when she hadn’t answered his calls. But she couldn’t talk about them working together. Or as anything else. Part of it was doubt since she didn’t know what would happen in her life if they didn’t win. But most of it was fear, if she wanted to be honest. She was afraid of trying to see a future with John, professional or personal. She had no clue what her future would be after this contest. She had spent so much time concentrating on that outcome that she hadn’t thought beyond tonight.

  They had to win. They just had to.

  “I’m sorry, but this isn’t a good time.” She wiped the corners of her mouth with the linen napkin before returning it to her lap. “We’re at a table with our mothers, the Buttucci brothers, the Tanners. I don’t want to talk about us with an audience listening in.”

  “Fair enough. But we need to have that talk.”

  “I agree, but later.”

  * * *

  JOHN ADMITTED HE was hurt that Cassie had pushed him away. They had worked on the Murphy house, but they hadn’t shared more than a dozen words during that time and none since they’d completed the house. He had thought they had become more than coworkers, maybe more than friends even, if their few kisses had meant as much to her as they had to him.

  That was the part that stung the most. Maybe they hadn’t meant anything to her. She was the first woman who had ever truly captured his heart. That had made him yearn for something more. That Cassie didn’t feel the same way left him feeling a little lost.

  Hadn’t they discovered that they made a good team? That the project became better because they respected each other’s ideas? That when they combined, they created something stronger, something special, and more than their parts?

  He scooted his plate forward, no longer interested in picking at the prime rib or the half-eaten baked potato. His thoughts made him sound like he had a crush on Cassie. But what he felt ran deeper than that. It was hard to imagine a future without her. Did that mean he loved her? He glanced at her as she laughed at something Donny said. Yes, he loved her. Wanted her. He had to get her alone.

  The music changed to something people could dance to, and John noticed that several had gathered in the center of the ballroom to do just that. He put his napkin on the table and stood. Tapped Cassie on the shoulder. “Would you dance with me?”

  Cassie’s eyes widened at his suggestion. “Dance?”

  Tiny chuckled from the other side of the table, but John ignored him. “Yes. Dance.” He motioned with his thumb to the dance floor. “You and me.”

  Cassie slipped her hand into his and he led her onto the dance floor. He put his hands on her small waist. She glanced around her, seeming to be unsure of what to do. He leaned forward. “Put your arms on my shoulders.”

  She did so. “I don’t know how to dance.”

  They swayed in time to the tune. “You seem to be doing okay.”

  She might have been a little stiff at first but soon followed his lead. He looked down at her as she turned her head toward their table. Then, shaking her head, she closed her eyes and leaned forward so that her cheek rested against his chest.

  He moved them around the floor smoothly and slowly until they were across the room from their table. He didn’t want an audience at the moment. “Cass, there’s something I want to tell you.”

  She looked up at him, fear behind her eyes. “Don’t, John. Don’t say it.”

  “You don’t know what I’m going to say.”

  “You want us to start a business together. And I don’t know if I can after tonight.”

  He paused. Maybe he should keep it safe. For now. “Yes, I do want us to keep working together. We could have a great business future.”

  “You don’t know that. If we don’t win—”

  “This is about more than winning.” He stopped moving and dropped his hands. “This is about you and me. It’s about continuing what we’ve just started. Win or not tonight, we made a beautiful home together. And I don’t want to walk away from that partnership.”

  “We think it’s beautiful, but what if the judges don’t?”

  “I don’t care about the judges. I care about you.”

  The song had ended, making his words carry across the ballroom. Cassie turned back and saw that everyone at their table was watching them. She shook her head. “Don’t do this.”

  “Do what? Tell you how I feel?”

  She started to walk away, but he called to her to stop. “Please, Cass. Talk to me. Now. Before they announce the results. Because they don’t matter to me. You do.”

  When she turned to look at him, the fear in her eyes had been replaced by frustration. “Winning may not matter to you, but it does to me. I have to win. I can’t bring back the company without the money or the national attention winning the contest will bring.”

  “So we’ll start smaller. It will be okay, Cass. I promise.” He reached out and touched her cheek. “We can do it together.”

  “No.” She hu
ng her head. “I need to do this on my own for once. To prove that I’m just as good as my father.”

  “You’re wrong about that. You’re so much better than him.”

  She refused to be convinced, and John realized in that moment that it wasn’t just prize money or recognition at risk for her. Failing at this would mean losing her identity. He grasped her to his chest, longing to take away her fear. “You are more than this contest. You are an incredible woman who I’m falling in love with.”

  She backed away from him to look into his eyes. Instead of joy at his confession, she looked lost and unsure. He peered into her eyes and said, “Win or lose, I love you.”

  She blinked several times, a single tear falling on her cheek. He reached out and wiped it away with his thumb. “You don’t have to be scared, Cass. It’s all going to work out.”

  “I don’t know about this, John. I just don’t know.”

  Any further conversation was lost at the arrival of Mr. Belvedere on the stage.

  * * *

  MR. BELVEDERE WAS at the microphone again, but now the tension in the room had significantly increased. Cassie put a hand to her belly. She shouldn’t have eaten that prime rib. Her nerves had tied her stomach in a knot, and she was paying for it now. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. Someone clasped her hand, and she peeked to find that John had returned to her side.

  She had regretted the words after she’d said them. Hated how the look in his eyes had dimmed and been replaced by hurt. She wanted to take them back but they had been said, and she couldn’t change it. Maybe she was placing too much importance on this win. But she couldn’t help how she felt, right? This had been her entire focus for the last few months, and it would all end in a few minutes. No matter the outcome.

  Mr. Belvedere smiled and nodded to the band. “Thank you for the wonderful music provided by Sally Hart and the Hartbeats.”

  Polite applause. But was everyone thinking “let’s get on with this,” like she was?