Tilly shrugged. “Enough. Nobody cares, Cassie. In fact, knowing made it a whole lot easier for them to put up with your mood swings. Child, we are all waiting for you to birth something so we can get our old Cassie back.”
“I’m not pregnant,” Cassie said slowly, still a jumble of emotions when it came to how she felt about it.
Tilly looked on with sympathy. “Well, I’m sorry about that. I know you’ve been trying for a while.”
Cassie clasped her hands on the table and focused on a design on the wall behind Tilly. “It’s probably for the best. Maybe some people aren’t meant to have children.”
Tilly slapped her hand down on the table loudly. “You stop yourself right there. I won’t sit here while you wallow in pity and put yourself down. I can’t stomach listening to people do that to themselves.”
Cassie sat up straight. “No one said you had to stay.”
Tilly waved a finger at Cassie. “You’re going to throw me out? Throw everyone out? That’ll make you happier.”
“Why should I want you to stay when you just said you don’t care how I feel?”
“You, Cassie, need to start listening to people better. I didn’t say I don’t care. Stop being such a mamby pamby.”
“I don’t even know what that means,” Cassie said angrily and stood, “but I think it’s better if you go.”
Tilly took another sip of her coffee.
Anger left Cassie as quickly as it had come. Once again, she felt her emotions getting the best of her. She sat back down across from Tilly. “I’m sorry, you’ve been nothing but a good friend to me, and I—”
Tilly rolled up her sleeves and pointed to the bottle on the counter. “I’m going to need another shot of whiskey if you start crying.”
She was so serious that Cassie felt a laugh bubble within in. “No one would call you warm and fuzzy.”
Tilly didn’t look the least bit bothered by that observation. “No, but I’m here.” She reached out and took one of Cassie’s hands in hers again. “Now tell me what happened between you and Lover Boy, and let’s see if we can fix it.”
Cassie probably wouldn’t have admitted to anyone else what she’d done, except possibly to Bonnie, if she’d used her staring trick on her. “He said he had to go back to New York because his mother is in the hospital.”
“And?”
“And he didn’t want me to go with him, so I got angry and threw him out.”
Tilly made a whistling sound as she took the story in. “What we have here is a clear case of one of you being an asshole.”
Cassie’s eyes rounded, and she held in another laugh. She never quite knew what Tilly would say.
“Either Lover Boy is married or into something immoral and was lying to you, or you just sent a good man packing because his mother is sick. What are you going to do about it?”
“What can I do?”
Tilly studied Cassie’s face. “Before I answer that, I want you to tell me something. Be honest.”
“Okay.”
“Do you love him?”
Cassie sucked in a gulp of air. “I could. That’s probably what made me freak when he said he was leaving. I thought we had something special.” She looked down at her hand in Tilly’s. “I was getting ready to tell him about the artificial insemination treatments.”
“Don’t do that.”
Cassie’s eyes flew up to Tilly’s. “You don’t think he deserves to know?”
Tilly shook her head. “My husband died not knowing about every man I’d been with, and hell, your last one was a turkey baster. It’s best to leave some mystery in a relationship.”
Cassie wasn’t sure she agreed with that, but she was feeling better about everything, and it was because of one little old woman who wouldn’t leave even if Cassie told her to. “Tilly, I love you.”
Tilly smiled but pulled back her hand. “Don’t go getting all sentimental. You still need to figure out what’s going on with your man. I say you fly out there and surprise him.”
Cassie swayed in her chair. “You mean fly to New York City. Just like that?”
Tilly took another sip of her coffee. “If he’s married, you’ll know it. He won’t have time to come up with a good lie. And if he’s not, if his mother is actually sick, then you belong by his side anyway.”
“He told me he didn’t want me there.”
“Which is exactly why I’d go.”
“Plus, I have a business to run. I have orders to fill. I can’t just leave. Even if I could, I can’t afford it.”
Tilly stood up, took out her cell phone, and said, “I’ll probably regret doing this, but it’s better than watching you mope around until Lover Boy does or doesn’t come back.” She held up a hand and spoke into the phone. “Myron, I’m at Cassie’s house. We need your help.” She covered the phone. “I hope I don’t have to sleep with him for this.”
Cassie’s mouth fell open and she pointed to the phone, which had a speaker nowhere near where Tilly had covered. “He can still hear you.”
Tilly turned the phone over to inspect it, then shrugged. “Cassie needs to fly to New York City. I have a project for your girlfriends at the Senior Center. Don’t think I don’t know who you hang out with every weekend. Go round them up and bring them over to Cassie’s. We’ve got baking to do, and tell them to each bring fifty bucks.”
Cassie watched Tilly with a mix of fascination and admiration.
“If you get them over here real quick, I may . . . and this is completely relying on how fast you do this and how well they can bake . . . I may give you that kiss you’ve been asking for.”
Cassie didn’t know what Myron said to Tilly, but she actually blushed. “I doubt you’re even physically capable of that anymore, Myron, but if Cassie comes home with her man we’ll reopen the topic.” She hung up on him and grinned. “Men.”
Cassie walked over and gave Tilly the longest, tightest hug she’d ever given anyone. Tilly didn’t seem to mind one bit.
Chapter Thirteen
Cassie hitched her purse higher on her shoulder and glanced again at the long security line. She looked back at Bonnie who had insisted on driving her to the airport. “Well, here goes nothing.”
Bonnie held up a hand. “You have the address to the hotel in case you need it?”
Cassie patted the pocket of her jacket. “Right here.”
“Your cell phone? Cash for the cab? Although I read you can use credit cards, too, but don’t flash those around.”
“I’ll be fine, Bonnie. I grew up in a big city.”
Bonnie nodded. “I think I’m more nervous than you are. Someone should be going with you.”
Cassie hugged Bonnie tightly. “Everyone has already done more than I know how to thank them for. You. Tilly. Myron. He sure is popular with the ladies, isn’t he? There were six ladies working in my kitchen when I left.”
Bonnie smiled. “People always want what they can’t have, and Myron only has eyes for Tilly. He’s been that way as long as I can remember.”
Cassie checked the time on her phone. “I need to get in there.”
“Text me as soon as you land.”
“I will.”
Bonnie bounced with excitement. “This feels just like the part of a romantic comedy where the heroine goes after the hero, and they run into each other’s arms as the credits roll.”
“He may not want me there, Bonnie. Just because the Turners said he’s not married doesn’t mean he’s not in a serious relationship.”
Bonnie pursed her lips briefly. “That’s why you have the hotel room. But don’t think like that.”
Cassie closed her eyes for a moment. It was hard not to. Going to New York was a huge leap of faith, and Cassie didn’t make those easily.
As if she knew what Cassie was thinking, Bonnie said, “You took a chance on Defiance, and that worked out for you. Now, defy the status quo and go get your man.”
Cassie nodded with determination. With one final hug, Cassie hea
ded into the security line. She walked to her gate with her head held high and took her seat on her plane with resolve. With Bonnie and Tilly’s help, Cassie had planned each part of her trip. She had a hotel room to check into upon her arrival. Once there, she would contact Luke. Depending on his response to her unexpected arrival, she would either be staying at the hotel longer, staying with Luke, or flying back to Defiance in the morning.
Tilly and Myron’s ladies were running her bed and breakfast in her absence. Between her credit cards and the money she’d tried to refuse but eventually accepted, she could afford to stay in New York for one week. That was plenty of time to figure out if she’d made the right choice by following him.
Cassie had been tempted to tell him she was coming. He’d texted her several times, but both Tilly and Bonnie thought the element of surprise was needed if she wanted his true reaction. Tilly had given her a list of things to watch for as indicators that she should come home. If Luke wouldn’t introduce her to his friends or family, it was probably because he didn’t want them to know he was cheating. If he didn’t want to take her anywhere, that would be another bad sign. Luke had taken her to meet Noah and JoAnne. That had to mean something, didn’t it? Neither Tilly nor Bonnie thought Luke was the type to lie, but they admitted he was a man, and no one in the town knew him well.
“Keep your heart open, but be smart,” was Tilly’s advice.
***
Nothing about the day had gone well. With his mother still unable to speak for herself and her lawyer battling it out with Gio’s, the hospital was scrambling to not only follow the letter of the law but also to appease their largest donors—the Andrades.
Although some of his mother’s health issues were heart related, others were arising with no traceable cause. His mother’s nurse had described reoccurring low blood pressure, dehydration, and seizures. She’d told the EMT she had grown more concerned when blood had become visible in Patrice’s urine. She stated in her admittance paperwork that Patrice’s physician had told her it was a side effect of her medication. According to the EMT, his mother’s nurse was young. The nurse had begun to lose faith in the competence of the attending doctor when Patrice’s health continued to decline.
Luke could understand why.
Dr. Duce had sent over his mother’s medical records, but they were in such disarray Luke couldn’t imagine allowing another doctor access to them. Notes were half-written. Pages were missing. Test results lacked dates, names of facilities, or both. It was no wonder Dr. Duce was proving difficult to locate. In Luke’s entire career, he’d never encountered such incompetence. Sorting through the paperwork was time-consuming and more than a little frustrating when time was one thing they didn’t have a lot of. Patrice’s health continued to deteriorate. Her kidneys and liver were close to shutting down. Luke conferenced with the best doctors in every field connected to her symptoms. Everyone required more testing. They were treating Patrice’s symptoms as they arose, but Luke was beginning to fear they wouldn’t get their answers in time.
Luke returned to his mother’s private hospital room and looked down at the frail woman before him, fighting for her life. He regretted every bad thought he’d had about her. She hadn’t been the perfect mother, but she hadn’t always been the bitter woman she’d become, either.
“How is she?” Gio asked from beside him.
“Worse. If she continues as she is, she won’t make it through the weekend.”
Luke felt Gio’s hand on his shoulder. “I’m glad you’re here, Luke.”
Luke shook his head in self-disgust. “Why? I haven’t figured out what’s wrong with her.”
With a sad sigh, Gio said, “Even if you don’t, you’re here, and you’re doing everything you can. If she doesn’t make it, you’ll be able to look yourself in the mirror and know you did everything you could. I’m not sure you could have done that if you’d stayed in Ohio.”
“You’re right.”
“Did you locate her doctor?”
“Not yet. No one has seen him. Mother’s records were delivered by a courier.”
“Do you find that strange?”
“Extremely.” Luke’s head snapped around as he sought Gio’s eyes. “Why?”
Gio raised and dropped one shoulder. “Maddy said something to me a week ago that I haven’t been able to get out of my head.”
Luke rolled his eyes skyward. “Maddy.”
Gio made a self-deprecating sound. “I know. Usually I don’t put much stock in what she says, but there’s something you need to know.” He let out a long sigh. “I’ve been working with Dominic Corisi’s security specialists, and I believe Mother was behind both instances of money being siphoned out of Cogent. Every ugly paper trail leads back to her. She had someone inside Cogent on her payroll. He’s hiding in Argentina now.”
“I can’t believe she needed the money.”
“She didn’t. Not for herself. She funneled it to everyone from politicians to CEOs. And she was careful. If we didn’t know what to look for, it’s possible no one would have ever discovered what she did.”
It was too much for Luke to absorb while his mother lay before them unconscious. “I’m sorry, but what you’re describing is hard to swallow. She wasn’t into politics. What possible reason would she have for bribing politicians?”
Gio shook his head sadly. “I don’t know. And we may never know. Part of me wants you to wake her up so we can find out. Then I ask myself: why would she be honest now when she’s spent a lifetime lying to us?”
Luke brought the conversation full circle. He didn’t want to talk about his mother’s indiscretions further, but he was curious about something. “How is any of that connected to her present condition?”
“Maddy warned we shouldn’t trust Mother’s doctor.”
“I’ll give her that. He was negligent to the point that I’ll be reporting him to the hospital review board. He’ll be lucky to keep his license once they investigate his incompetence. I think he deliberately exaggerated her illness at first then covered it up as she actually became ill.”
“And . . . why would anyone do that?” Gio asked slowly.
Luke didn’t like the expression in Gio’s eyes. “What are you suggesting?”
“I’m suggesting you test for everything, even things you wouldn’t normally consider.”
“Such as?”
He knew the answer even before his brother voiced the word. “Poison.”
Chapter Fourteen
Cassie paced the modest hotel room she’d rented. Her luggage was still packed and by the closet. She didn’t allow herself to think beyond the steps of her plan.
Get to New York.
Contact Luke.
Deal with whatever she discovered.
She took out her phone and read over the messages he’d sent that she hadn’t yet responded to. Four in all. None of them impatient with her. The first apologized for pressuring her. The second said he wished he didn’t have to go. The third said he’d be back soon. The fourth said he missed her.
Cassie closed her eyes and clutched the phone to her chest. Luke was a good man. A patient and kind man. When she searched her heart for any real doubt about his integrity, she found none. Although she’d followed Tilly’s advice and arrived in New York unannounced, Cassie regretted that decision. Luke didn’t deserve to be surprised like that. He had never given her a single reason to believe he would lie to her. She should have called him, told him his absence was unbearable, and offered to come to him.
Should have. Could have. But I didn’t. I’m here now.
She sat on the corner of her bed and dialed Luke’s number. When he didn’t answer, she left what she considered the world’s most awkward request for him to call her when he got her message.
Restless, Cassie began to pace her room again. One hour stretched into two. Unable to take it anymore, Cassie left her room and went down to the lobby of the hotel. She sat in the lounge, sipped on water with lemon, snacked on a pret
zel and cheese appetizer plate, and tried to distract herself by reading a novel on her phone. She was, however, too distracted to enjoy the story. Each time someone walked into the lounge, Cassie looked up as if it might be Luke—which didn’t make sense since she hadn’t told him she was there—then, disappointed again and again, she returned to reading even though she couldn’t remember the plot of the story.
Still, it was better than sitting alone in her hotel room.
Maybe.
The lounge was mostly empty, outside of a man and woman who were seated at separate tables and were both actively working on their laptops.
A clean-cut man in a business suit, handsome by most standards, walked in and approached Cassie’s table. “May I join you?”
Cassie shook her head.
He didn’t walk away. “Are you in town for business?” He leaned closer as he asked the question, and Cassie could smell alcohol on his breath.
She looked away, hoping the physical dismissal was enough. It often was.
This particular man, however, was persistent. He put his hand on Cassie’s forearm. Whether it was to get her attention or to slow her if she decided to bolt, Cassie’s response was the same. She stood, bringing herself to her full height, and looked him directly in the eye. “If you don’t get your fucking hand off me, I will send you to the floor with whatever means I have to. Ever been stabbed with a dull knife? You’re about to find out how it feels.”
The man raised both hands in the air and his face twisted with disgust as if he’d accidentally bumped into a mentally unstable person. “Hey, take it easy. You were sitting by yourself in a bar. Women do that when they’re looking to meet someone.”
Cassie glared at him and didn’t back down. “I would try to explain to you how obnoxious that sounds, but I doubt it would be worth my effort.”
As he looked around the room and realized the two other people in the lounge had stopped working and were watching him, the man’s face reddened. He opened his mouth to say something, thought better of it, then walked out of the lounge.
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