by Myra Scott
“I learned how to be tough from you and Dad,” I told her.
I heard her gasp. “Oh, not from me! Certainly not from me. Just the other day I was puttering around the garden and I stubbed my big toe on a clay pot, and wouldn’t you know it, I just about screamed! My neighbor, you know Mrs. Gordon, she came rushing over thinking someone must’ve shot me, I was crying so hard. When she found out I’d only stubbed my toe she just about laughed her butt off.”
“Mrs. Gordon is a busybody anyway, Ma,” I said.
She laughed. “Oh honey, that’s not very nice!”
“It’s true, though, and you know it,” I replied.
“You’re right, you’re right, of course.” She gasped again. “I just had the most wonderful idea! Why don’t you come on over here and we can chat in person?”
“Uh,” I said awkwardly, but she steamrolled right on.
“Yes! Oh, do come over. I’m bored out of my mind over here and I’ve got a chicken roasting in the oven for lunch. We could eat and talk and catch up on everything. I’ve even got a fresh pitcher of that rose lemonade I used to make for you when you were a kid,” she added, clearly trying to bribe me. I grinned and rolled my eyes, knowing there was no point in arguing with her. Besides, it wasn’t like I had any good excuse not to go see her. In fact, I reasoned that it might even be a welcome distraction from the stress.
“Alright, Ma. You won me over. I’ll head that way in a jiff,” I said.
She squealed with joy. “Oh, that’s so good to hear! Be careful driving, dear. I’ll see you soon!” She hung up, and I sighed, shaking my head. That woman could persuade anyone to do anything, she was so persistent. And so damn sweet.
I hurriedly got dressed and got in the car, driving across town to the pristine, idyllic suburban neighborhood where I had grown up. All the lawns were perfectly emerald green, the sprinklers going constantly. The houses looked like cookie-cutter dollhouses, not a peeling paint job or a shoddy roofing to be seen here. My mom’s place was one of the smaller houses, nearly a bungalow, with yellow siding and a cherry red door. The front yard was a paradise of well-manicured grass, bright flowers, and expertly trimmed hedges. I parked behind Ma’s little silver Volkswagen and got out, barely needing the crutches as I made my way up the stone path to the front door. There were birds chirping in the trees and fluttering around the bird feeder, brightly colored butterflies flitting around the roses. My mother was one hell of a homemaker. It was a wonder that she found the time to take such good care of her place, considering her long shifts as a nurse.
I knocked on the door and heard her call out, “Coming!”
She opened the door with a broad smile, her chin-length blonde hair curled perfectly and her blue eyes shining with joy. She was wearing the same sunny yellow apron she had always worn in the kitchen and she beckoned me in with a tight hug. “Oh, my sweet boy! It’s so wonderful to see you. Goodness, have you gotten taller?” she asked, her eyes wide.
I laughed. “Ma, I think by now I’ve stopped growing. Puberty ended about ten years ago, I believe.” She clucked her tongue.
“Well, you sure seem bigger to me! Come on in, honey, I’ll pour us some lemonade.”
I followed her into the eat-in kitchen, taking a seat at the little table. She hummed cheerfully as she went to the fridge and took out a pitcher of pink rose lemonade. She poured us each a mason jar of the sweet drink and then sat down next to me, beaming like the sun.
“So, sweetheart, tell me everything. I want to hear all about what you’ve been doing lately and give me all the details!” she commanded, taking a sip of her drink.
I smiled. “Well, I’ve been out of work with this damn injury, so I haven’t been up to much. Mostly just going to physical therapy and trying to relax a little.”
“Good, good. You deserve to relax, sweetie. What else?”
I looked at her for a long moment, then suddenly I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I burst out, “And I started seeing someone. A man. A good man. His name is Luke and he’s amazing. But now I think… well, I think I might have ruined it.”
Her eyes went huge and round. “Oh, my goodness gracious. A man? You’ve been dating? Wow! That is fantastic news, Casey! When do I get to meet him?”
“Ma, I just said that I ruined it. Things were going so well. Luke is handsome; he’s smart; he’s successful; he’s so kind. But I messed up. He told me… well, he confessed his feelings for me, and I just got spooked, I guess,” I sighed.
The oven timer dinged, and she hopped up to retrieve the roast chicken, portioning it out along with the carrots and potatoes and bringing two plates back to the table. She fixed me with a worried, loving look. “Sweetheart, you’ll figure it out. I know you will. And when you do, you really must bring him over so I can meet him. Oh, I’m so happy for you! And your father will be so pleased to hear about this, too.”
“Dad? Why would he be happy about this?” I asked, frowning.
Ma tilted her head to one side, looking confused. “Well, why wouldn’t he be? He’s your father, Casey. He just wants you to find someone and be happy.”
“Even if I find that happiness with a man?” I asked. Had she lost her mind?
She smiled sweetly, taking a bite of chicken. “Oh, he doesn’t care if you bring home a man or a woman, as long as you’re happy. That’s all we want for you, of course. To be happy. To be loved. You deserve that, Casey.”
“But I thought…” I trailed off.
Ma seemed to catch on, her smile fading and tears springing to her eyes. “Sweetheart, did you really think that your father or I don’t approve?”
I nodded slowly. “All these years.”
“You never asked him what he thought?” she suggested with a shrug.
I shook my head. “No. Never. He’s not exactly the chatty type.”
She sighed heavily and reached over to lay her hands over mine. “Casey, that’s exactly the problem. Your father loves you. He always has. We both do. We are both so incredibly proud of you, of the man you have become. Neither of us could ask for a better son. Just because your father doesn’t tell you how he feels all too often doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you or approve of your choices. He’s proud of you. He really is. He tells me all the time.”
“He... does?” I breathed, totally in shock.
“Well, of course, silly. He’s your father. He’ll always love you, no matter what. Oh, he’s so quiet and serious all the time that it might be hard to tell. But I know that man better than anyone, and I can tell you that all he wants is for you to find a nice man who will love and protect you the way you deserve,” she explained, smiling gently.
“I never knew,” I murmured.
“I know, honey,” she sighed. “Your father has never been very good at expressing his emotions. To be perfectly frank with you, that is one of the main reasons we split up all those years ago. He just doesn’t know how to communicate. That’s why I try so hard to make all my feelings known. You just never know what the future holds, and I want you to understand how much I love you, so I tell you all the time.”
My heart was thumping wildly. “You’re the wisest person I know,” I told her.
She grinned and blushed. “You’re too sweet.”
I stood up. “No, Ma. I’m serious. I-I know what I have to do now.”
She looked surprised. “Oh? What is it?”
I smiled broadly, adrenaline pumping through my veins. “I’m not going to let this slip away from me. I can’t be like Dad. I have to make my feelings known instead of just hiding away like I have all these years. I know what I have to do now. Thanks for the talk, Ma. I’m sorry I can’t stay longer, but… I have something I need to do, and it can’t wait.”
She got to her feet and hugged me tightly. “Alright, sweetheart. Go get ‘im.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR - LUKE
When I came back into my office and saw my voicemail light flashing, my heart jumped, hoping to see Casey’s number on the screen. Instead, it was a number from one of the engineers involved in the investigation, and I felt my heart sinking.
The owners of the Sentry were about to start a meeting to decide once and for all what was to be done about the fire, because someone had to make a statement to the press, which meant there had to be a responsible party to take the blame, if there was one to be found. It was the meeting where I was about to be crucified.
Part of me didn’t even want to show up.
Since Casey got spooked and left, I’d felt nothing but static in my head.
My office was half-packed, and I was planning to hand in my resignation at the end of the day. I decided it was better to bow out gracefully before Bryce could really drag this whole affair through the mud any further.
I never accepted anything but the best all my life, and this is what it got me. Everything was blowing up in my face, and whatever wasn’t blowing up was just falling through my fingers like loose sand.
More bad news couldn’t kill me.
I checked the message and listened as the man’s voice droned through the receiver.
“Mr. Reynolds, I’ve been going over the security footage in greater detail with some of the security staff. We’ve been trying to corroborate all the angles we can possibly get on the equipment the night of the incident. We found something you’ll want to see immediately. I’m forwarding you the email with the video on it, and I’d like you to call me back if you see the same thing the security staff say they’re seeing.”
With that cryptic message, I furrowed my eyebrows and checked my email. Sure enough, there was a video in my inbox.
I watched it, and it showed the concert just before the show got started. People were already gathering at the front of the stage, and there was a lot of bustling going on amid the preparations as people got drinks.
Then, as a couple of technicians walked by, my eyes widened.
Bryce was following behind them, and I watched him crouch by one of the machines and start fiddling with something. Nobody paid him any mind—he looked like he was supposed to be there, and the crowd was busy getting ready for the show, and the band busy with setup. Of course, nobody noticed him.
He was the one who started it all, and he was the one who benefitted from it. With me gone, it wouldn’t take much for him to worm his way up the ladder, especially if he came out as the one who concluded the whole investigation as technical oversight on my part.
The second I finished the video, I put my hand on my phone.
And the next second, my office door flew open.
The sight of Casey standing there with a wild look in his eyes hit me like a bolt of lightning.
“Luke!” he said, and when he stormed in, I saw my secretary behind him, looking flustered.
“I’m sorry, sir, he just pushed right past me, and—”
“Luke, we need to talk,” Casey said, putting his hands on my desk, and I was already on my feet.
“I’ve got this,” I said to my secretary, giving her a curt nod. “Give us the room, please.”
Reluctantly, she nodded and shut the door, leaving us in privacy.
“Luke, I’m so sorry I ran out on you,” Casey blurted as I moved around the desk. “But I wanted to come back to tell you—”
I silenced him with my lips, wrapping my hand around the back of his head and giving him a hot kiss on his mouth before pulling back.
“You hold that thought,” I said. “We have to get to a meeting, right now. I have proof that’s going to set everything straight, but we have to act fast.”
“Wait, what?!”
“There’s no time, just follow me,” I commanded, and I took Casey’s hand to lead him out the room.
We rushed down the hallway, past the bewildered secretary again on our way to the conference room.
Without a second thought, I flung the door open, and Casey and I stormed in.
Bryce was standing in front of a screen with a list of damages from the fire, and he looked mildly surprised to see me. Mick, Zane, Gage, Bart, and a number of other higher-ups all turned to look at us like we were madmen—because that’s what I felt like right then.
“Ah, Luke, joining us a little late?” Bryce said with fake politeness.
“Cut the crap, Bryce,” I said, moving to the center of the conference table and putting my hands down, looking around at everyone else gathered with us. “Everyone, I have an announcement directly relevant to this meeting. Up until about ten minutes ago, I was preparing to resign from my position and take full responsibility for the events at the concert. Until,” I said, glaring daggers at Bryce, “the engineers and our security staff took the initiative to review some of the indirect angles on the security footage and follow through with a hunch one of the band members had.”
Everyone looked at me in surprise, even Casey.
I pulled out my phone and started to forward the email that had been sent to me to everyone present at the meeting—including Bryce.
“I’m sending you video evidence that will put this case to rest,” I said, hitting send before looking squarely at Bryce. “Bryce here is directly responsible. He sabotaged the equipment after the technicians on stage set it up.”
“That’s a serious accusation, Luke,” Bryce snarled at me, but Casey was already crossing the room toward him. I lunged forward and grabbed Casey by the arms, pulling him back, because he was heading to knock Bryce’s lights out if I didn’t stop him.
“Arson is a serious crime, Bryce,” I retorted while I held my man back.
“Enough!” Mick said loudly, standing up and moving between us. He glared at Bryce. “Bryce, I’ve suspected that you were capable of low blows, but if this evidence holds up, this is a new low, and I hope I don’t have to tell you what the consequences will be.”
“If you had given me any of the credit I deserved, maybe I wouldn’t have to take matters into my own hands!” Bryce snapped, and the whole room bristled. “This is nothing but favoritism, Mick, and you know it!”
“I’ve heard enough,” Zane added, looking up from the video with a red face. “Bryce, consider your employment here terminated, effective immediately.”
Bryce looked at Zane in disbelief while Bart stood up and crossed the room to grab him, wrestling his arms behind his back. “You’ve got more than that about to be terminated,” he growled as he pulled Bryce toward the exit. “I’ll get the police heading down here in a few.”
“And I think we can adjourn this meeting for now,” Mick said, looking around at everyone else in the room, who nodded with raised eyebrows at each other. Mick then looked to me with a weary smile. “And I don’t think I have to tell you we have a lot to talk about in my office.”
“I can’t disagree,” I said with a grin.
One by one, the people filed out of the room, and I felt like I’d just lived through a tornado. Even Casey looked shocked by how fast everything had happened.
That was just how life was here in Vegas—a man could go from rock bottom to top of the mountain in the blink of an eye.
“So,” I said to Casey, rounding on him. “With that little detail out of the way, what was it you wanted to tell me?”
Casey just stared at me with a look of disbelief for a few moments, then his shock melted away into a laughing smile, and he threw his arms around me in a tight hug that I met, both of us laughing and nearly crying, cheek pressed against cheek.
“That I love you too, you stunning bastard.”
EPILOGUE - CASEY
SIX MONTHS LATER…
“Raise your glasses!” announced Zane from the end of the long banquet table. Everyone was here at our favorite French restaurant, celebrating the fully restored events hall of the Sentry after the grueling rep
airs it had undergone. With the help of an exceptional engineer, the expertise of the fire station, and a team of very well-paid construction workers, the area was good as new. In fact, it actually looked a little glitzier and more glamorous than before.
I was sitting next to Luke, holding his hand under the table. We were all coupled up, cuddling and chatting together happily without a care in the world. There was nothing left to be afraid of, no worries hanging over our heads. Life went on, smoothly and joyously, all of us carried along on the wings of bright, sunny love.
We all raised our champagne flutes in a toast. I caught Luke’s eye, and he grinned, giving my hand a tight squeeze. Zane looked around the table at everyone, smiling as he held his glass aloft. Diego was next to him, gazing up at him with lovesick eyes. Geez, we were one embarrassingly happy bunch.
“I wanted to congratulate every single one of you on a job well done. We have had some seriously tumultuous years here at the Sentry and La Torre. We have met some incredibly stacked odds and taken on enemies from both outside and, regrettably, from within our ranks. But there is no doubt in my mind that the team we have gathered together now is the strongest it’s ever been. As a group, we can take on anything. Guys, we are the dream team,” Zane declared brightly.
“Here, here!” cheered Gage.
“Nobody’s going to take away the glory. Not this time,” Nico chimed in. Bart kissed him on the cheek, making us all groan and laugh.
We were all a little tipsy, admittedly, but what the hell. We deserved it. I wasn’t directly involved with the company, but I had my own reasons to celebrate along with the group. I had come back to work full-time as a firefighter, returning to the job I loved. My leg had healed completely, and with Luke as a workout partner, I was in better shape now than I had ever been before. But now that I had Luke in my life, I didn’t want to work the same brutal hours I used to, so with Chief’s blessing, I was working normal full-time hours rather than constantly taking on overtime and picked-up shifts. Luke knew he couldn’t keep me from doing what I love, and he didn’t dream of taking my career away from me, but he wanted me to himself, too. So, I had recently discovered an all-new meaning to the phrase “work-life balance” and so far, it had been amazing.