by J. D. Faver
That’s okay, baby. One more difference between us. He glanced back at her. But, at least you’re here.
~*~
Cassie and Skyler remained seated when the entire Bailey family stepped into the aisle to stand in the slow moving line to receive communion. Cassie slid to the far end of the pew, with only the outside aisle between her and the wall of the chapel. She was deep in thought.
Sky was really into Zach. He might just be the perfect man for her. He was great looking and made Sky’s toes curl.
Cassie liked his steady, level-headed approach. He wasn’t a hot-head. Sky needed that. Cassie also liked the little things he did to reveal his feelings for Sky. The way he looked at her and how he stood close, never missing an opportunity to touch her hand or stroke her hair. She sensed that Sky had been starving for this kind of affection.
Especially since the accident.
Sky was staring at Zach as he made his slow advance toward the altar, a little smile on her face.
Cassie turned to see if Zach was doing something to merit such rapt attention.
Her breath caught in her throat when her gaze lit on the tall, dark and handsome Javier Rios. He wore a white dress shirt, open at the neck, blue jeans, western belt and boots.
He stepped into the aisle, turning his back. Cassie regarded the broad shoulders tapering down to his incredibly cute butt and wondered if she would go to hell for lusting in church.
Javi’s image was sending little feathers of sensation skittering around her insides while she sat demurely clasping a hymnal containing songs she didn't know.
His height kept him visible for a while, but she lost him in the crowd. After an interval, she spotted him walking purposefully down the far aisle toward the back of the church.
Cassie felt a slight wave of disappointment that he was leaving. She huffed out a sigh. It didn’t matter, because she was still mad at him for instigating the incident in the game room. His pal, Dave, was right. Javi did have women dripping off of him.
Well, I’m not one of them.
“Cassie, I need to speak to you.”
She started, frightened by Javi’s deep voice close to her ear.
He was standing in the aisle beside her, looming over her and holding out his hand. “Come on. Let’s get this over with.”
She hesitated, then placed her hand in his. He drew her to the back of the church and out the door.
He stepped down onto the next lower step, bringing him closer to her eye level.
Cassie swallowed. His eyes were eating her up. “What?” she whispered.
“This.” He threaded his fingers through her hair at the back of her neck and pulled her close. He gazed into her eyes and lowered his mouth to hers.
Javi’s powerful arms embraced her, swinging her off the steps. Crushed against his muscular frame, she gave in to the breathless swirl of desire raging through her as he plundered her mouth.
In spite of her best intentions, her arms slipped around his neck. Cassie had no control over them.
“You,” he breathed against her lips. “You’re mistaken about me.”
Cassie was incapable of speech. A shiver ran down her spine as she gazed into Javi’s hungry eyes.
A tiny little muscle twitched, lifted one side of his mouth. He kissed her again, one hand sweeping down her backside to squeeze her bottom.
A strangled whimper escaped from Cassie’s throat.
Javi raised the skirt of her sundress, his fingers stroking her thigh.
Cassie’s legs wrapped around Javi’s hard torso, holding him in a death grip. Her heart throbbed in her ears and throughout her being. She couldn’t breathe.
Javi tore his lips away from hers. “Cassie.”
She was breathing hard, well aware of the man holding her, of the muscled form she clung to.
He buried his face in her hair and pressed her against his body, then kissed the side of her neck, his lips grazing her racing pulses.
“Cassie, don’t play games with me. I’m not one of your boy toys. I’m a man and I’m trying to love you like a man.”
She gasped. “You’re molesting me in front of a church.”
He grinned. “I’m kissing you in front of my church and if you don’t screw this up, I’ll kiss you inside my church someday soon.”
Anger flared inside her. She glared at him through half-closed lids. “What do you mean, if I don’t screw this up? Your slimy girlfriend attacked me last night. I don’t think...”
He interrupted her with another kiss. His fingers slipped under the leg of her panties and stroked the soft skin on her bottom.
Oh, yeah. This man knows his way around a woman’s body.
“I had nothing to do with that? Why can’t you give me the benefit of the doubt? Have men always lied to you before?” He slowly released her, allowing her to slide down his solid body with his arm still supporting her.
Cassie swallowed hard, gazing up at him. “I have to go back inside,” she said.
He nodded. “Tomorrow morning. Meet me on the beach and we’ll talk. Really talk.”
He cupped her face in both his palms and kissed her again before walking briskly to his big red truck and driving away.
Cassie took a deep breath, fighting tears that threatened to swamp her. She suddenly felt abandoned and empty.
~*~
Javier's hand shook when he tried to get his key in the ignition. He sucked in a breath of air between his clenched teeth and tried again, this time successfully. He turned the key and listened to the sound of the truck's motor roaring to life.
"Yeah, baby. Let me get outta here before I do something really stupid." He shoved it into gear and drove out of the church parking lot. Only then did he glance into his rear view mirror to see her standing outside the church, staring after him.
A squeezing sensation in his stomach reached up to his chest, stifling his ability to breathe or for that matter, to think rationally. All he wanted to do was roar back to the church and carry her away with him.
He had to force himself to drive in a straight line and not hook a uey in the middle of the street. He drove a few blocks without consciously choosing a direction, then passed by the fire station and finally drove across the Queen Isabella Causeway. He needed to put a little distance between himself and those pouty baby lips, those crystal blue eyes...He let out a loud snort. That smart-assed mouth of hers.
He opened the windows and let the tangy Gulf air ruffle his hair, cleanse his spirit.
What's happening to me? I'm not that guy...Not some stupid idiot obsessed with a young, hot female. Not bowing down to her every whim. Not making an ass out of myself...Not jumping through hoops for her.
He recalled how soft her mouth felt when he'd captured it. Her kiss was sweet, almost naive. Surly a girl that hot had been kissed a thousand times.
He reached the island side of the causeway and turned toward the jetties.
Yet, there was that look that came over her face when he'd first kissed her. She appeared to be almost stunned.
He pulled up to the jetty and threw the truck into park. He let it idle for a few minutes before turning off the motor. The sound of the waves breaking over the jetties calmed him, brought him a sense of peace, cooled the passions raging within him.
Javi stared through the windshield at the clear blue sky, so near the color of her eyes. He felt he was being pulled in opposite directions. If he turned his back on the beautiful little girl child he might be able to retain some semblance of his sanity and keep his macho reputation. He sat up a little straighter; considered the local women who constantly pursued him. He reached out a finger and traced a giant C on his windshield where the salt spray had misted it. "Cassie, baby...I'm coming after you."
~*~
CHAPTER TEN
Participation
Sunday dinner with the Baileys was like participating in a well organized riot. Sky gazed around the park-like back yard at all the happy, chattering people.
; Two dogs frolicked and played among the assortment of children, running and shrieking.
Sky felt a pang as she remembered her beloved dog and wished she had been able to prevent his being killed. She pressed her lips together to keep them from trembling. At least she was here now among a crowd of normal people who seemed genuinely glad that she was with them.
She felt a little more confident because Zach didn’t let go of her. He kept a protective arm around her shoulder or held her hand.
She wondered how she could have fallen so far so fast. She thought it was because he wasn’t rushing her. He wasn’t making demands or pushing her into bed, although she was ready whenever he led her there.
She’d kissed him first. It was up to Zach to make the next move.
When he arrived at his parent’s house with Sky and Cassie, he’d proudly introduced them both to the crowd, but subtly allowed the huge extended family to know that she was special to him.
Whenever she glanced at him, she found his green eyes fixed on her.
Zach’s mother, Millie, embraced her and Cassie in turn. She seemed delighted that Zach had brought the Danforth girls into the fold.
Tom Bailey drew Cassie aside to talk about the Biology and General Science classes she would be taking over soon.
Darla, the only Bailey daughter, and the wives of the two married Bailey sons, set to work getting the meal on the tables. A seemingly endless supply of food was presented, some cooked on site and the rest brought from the other Bailey homes as contributions.
Sky glanced outside to where Zach’s father and several of the red-headed sons clustered around the grill, with Cassie reigning as the only female privy to their conversation.
When everyone was seated around three large tables set up in the great room, Tom said grace and the family began passing dishes and helping fill the children’s plates.
Sky found many smiles sent in her direction as Zach made sure she had plenty of food on her plate and subtly fended off questions that might make her uncomfortable. Everyone made her feel welcomed and relaxed, but she got the impression that being invited to the Bailey Sunday family dinner was a serious event.
“You should have seen Cassie last night at the game room.” Woodrow launched into retelling the tale.
Cassie turned a becoming shade of pink as all eyes turned to her.
Darla, Zach’s lone sister, stood up and leaned across the table. “I heard all about it from Germaine. All right! Way to go, Cassie!” She gave Cassie a high five and grinned her approval.
Zach chuckled. “Darla is a Deputy with the Sheriff’s Department. She knows how to kick butt, too.”
Cassie smiled at Darla across the table. “You are? That is so cool!”
Tom winked at his daughter. “Darla is an expert marksman. She’s the designated sniper if there’s a situation.”
That information sank in on Sky. A sniper in the family...a situation... “You work with Rafael Solis?” she asked.
Darla nodded. “That I do. He’s a great guy. Have you met him?”
“Yes, he came to the hospital emergency room with some drunken man who had caused an accident. He was pretty upset about it.”
“That’s my boss!” Darla laughed and poked a bite of mashed potatoes into the open mouth of one of her sons. “Rafael takes it all very seriously. He doesn’t want any bad guys within his jurisdiction.”
Cassie and Sky locked eyes. Yes, Maybe I’ll have to have a discussion with this sheriff.
Millie turned to Sky with a sweet smile. “Are you getting enough to eat, honey?”
Sky laughed. “Yes, Ma’am. Zach keeps adding more food to my plate.”
“And you’re a nurse. That must be a very rewarding profession. I hope that our little hospital proves to be challenging enough for you.”
“It’s a small facility, but there are a variety of needs. It’s been really interesting, so far.”
Millie reached to pat the back of Sky’s hand. “I hope you stay with us for a long time.”
Sky felt her blush reflex kicking in.
Zach sent his mother a “back off” glare.
After the table had been cleared, dessert was served. They had their choice of several homemade cakes and pies with vanilla ice cream on the side.
Amid an ocean of protests that the guests shouldn’t have to work, Sky and Cassie began gathering dishes and headed for the kitchen. The rest of the women joined them and in a short time all the food had been put away and the dishwasher was running. The rest of the dishes were rinsed and waiting in the sink for the next load.
Andrew’s wife, Jill, was in an advanced state of pregnancy. Sky chatted with her about her upcoming due date.
When the women emerged from the kitchen as a group, Sky saw that the men had taken the children outside. She stood on the deck and observed Zach interacting with his loving and rowdy family.
He was so handsome it gave her pleasure just to stare at him from afar. And, when he spotted her, there was a subtle change in his expression to let her know she pleased him too.
He held out his hand and she walked to meet him, aware of the eyes that followed her. He enfolded her in an embrace and kissed her in front of his entire family.
One of his many nephews ran up to swat Zach on the leg. “Uncle Zach’s got a girlfriend!”
“Bout time!” Darla said, a twinkle in her large brown eyes.
Sky colored as Zach drew her away from the group, amid catcalls and whistles. They walked down a narrow pier and he helped her step into a small sailboat. He lifted the mast and, in minutes they were under sail. He caught the freshening breeze in the triangle of fabric and headed into the Laguna Madre.
Gliding along with Zach gave Sky a sense of peace. “This is beautiful.” She gazed up at him and smiled.
“You’re beautiful. I thought the whole family thing might have overwhelmed you.”
She smiled at him. “You have an amazing family, Zach.”
He gave her a rueful grin. “Yeah, but to the uninitiated it can be like joining the circus or being kidnapped by a band of gypsies.”
“I loved it. You made it easy for me to feel comfortable.”
“Come here,” he said, his voice low and smoky.
His tone sent a little shiver down her spine. She moved to settle against his chest. “Is this why you brought me out here?”
“I thought you could use a break.” He kissed the side of her face. “And I wanted to be alone with you.” He grazed more kisses along her cheekbone and temple. "And I thought you needed kissing."
Sky looked up into his eyes and felt something she’d never felt before. It was as though she’d finally found her way home. She lifted her chin and he stroked her face with his fingertips before lowering his mouth to hers for a lingering kiss.
“Sky, I...I know that you’ve been through a lot recently, but I don’t know if you’re ready for a relationship.”
“I’m ready for you,” she said.
“Are you?” He searched her face as though he might find some assurance there. “Because, I don’t want to lose my heart to you and have you leave me. I don’t think I could survive that.”
She nodded, her hair making a scrunching sound against his chest. “I understand, Zach. I’m frightened too.”
He chuckled, the sound reverberating deep in his chest. “You can’t be afraid of me. I’m not a scary guy.”
“I’m afraid of getting hurt,” she said. “My heart can be broken too.”
“Not by me. I’m the guy who wants to love you.”
Sky sighed. “I’ve always danced away from the fire. I didn’t want to get burned.”
He wrapped both arms around her and snuggled her close. He exhaled, his breath warming her cheek. “You’ve been burning me up since I first set eyes on you, but I promise not to hurt you.”
“What do you want from me, Zach?” She turned to face him.
“I want you to promise me that you won’t leave, no matter what.”
&
nbsp; An icy finger trailed a path down her spine. She wasn’t sure she could say the words Zach needed to hear. “I wouldn’t want to leave, but the stalker might find me.”
His brow puckered. “Don’t you think I’ve thought of that? I wouldn’t let you face him alone. I want to be with you. I want to keep you safe. We need to get this guy and put him away.”
“I’m so scared that he’ll find me and hurt someone else that I love.”