by Kit Morgan
“Wow, everything looks amazing,” Jake stuck a fork into the potato salad and took a bite. “Mmm, just how I like it.”
“That’s good,” Casey said with a tired sigh. “Considering it almost killed me.”
He laughed. “See what you’ve been missing all this time? Looking forward to spending more time in a kitchen?”
“Let me recover first.”
He laughed again as a man she hadn’t met entered the kitchen. “Sorry I’m late, Jake. Had a little trouble with the irrigation.”
“Uh-oh,” Jake said. “Control valve again?”
“Yeah. We’re gonna have to order another.”
Jake put his hands on his hips and shook his head. “Doggone it – that’s twice now.” He looked at Casey. “This is my big brother Tate.” He waved a hand between them. “Tate, Casey Woodrow.”
Tate pulled off a work glove and extended his hand, and she shook it. “A pleasure to meet you.”
He smiled warmly. “You too. Jake’s told me a lot about you.” His eyes flicked to his brother. “Once he finally spilled his guts.”
Casey wasn’t sure how to react – had Jake told his brother before their reconciliation, or after? Did he know about the trouble she’d caused back in New York?
The doorbell rang, thankfully diverting everyone’s attention. “Is it four o’clock already?” Samantha cried, pulling off her apron.
Jake laughed and put an arm around Casey. “She always gets like this when we entertain.”
Casey could relate. “Well, how a person entertains says a lot about them.”
“See? Someone understands!” Samantha tossed her apron at Jake.
He caught it, set it on the table, then steered Casey toward the back door. “Ready to party?”
Her smile was automatic. Truth be told, she was ready for a lot more than that, but this party promised to be a hundred times better than the last one they attended. “Oh yes,” she whispered.
He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. “So am I.” He ushered her out.
Casey was smiling, happy, and that made Jake happy too. He watched her interact with his friends and family and fought the urge to pull her aside and steal a kiss. For that he’d rather have her in private.
Hmmm, that gave him an idea. “I have something to show you,” he whispered in her ear.
She shivered in response. He knew his warm breath had tickled. “Oh?”
“Yeah, come with me.” He took her hand and began to weave his way through the scattered lawn chairs and milling guests, accepting birthday wishes as he went. Once he reached the edge of the lawn he maneuvered them past the parked cars in the barnyard and into the barn itself. “I want you to meet Colonel Jackson.”
“Your horse? I was wondering when you’d show him to me.”
Jake put on a pair of work gloves, then opened the barn door wide to let in more light. “Might as well feed them while we’re in here. It’s about that time.” The horses must have heard him – one by one they appeared in their stalls and softly nickered. He laughed. “See, they know what time it is. They don’t care there’s a party going on.”
Casey looked around. “Wow. This isn’t Dixie’s, but it’s still a big barn.”
“Yes, and an old one. Cool, huh?”
She nodded, watching him pull some flakes of grass hay from an open bale, enter the first stall and toss it into a hayrack. “How much do you feed them?” she asked.
“A flake in the morning and one in the evening.” He repeated the process in the next stall. When he got to the last one, he motioned her over. “The Colonel’s in here.”
She smiled and joined him. “He’s beautiful,” she said, admiration in her voice as the horse poked his head out of the stall. “He looks a lot different from Melanie’s horse.”
“That’s because he’s a quarter horse. Melanie’s is a warm blood.”
She sighed. “Shows how much I know.”
“You’ll learn if you have anything to do with these guys.” He waved at the stalls. “I’d love to teach you.”
She leaned toward him a fraction. “I’d love to learn.”
Jake smiled, tucked a gloved hand under her chin and tilted her face up to his. The kiss was soft, gentle and oh so sweet … until Colonel Jackson shoved him in the back with his head. The force caused him to crush Casey’s lips with his own.
“Ow.” She laughed and drew back.
“I’m sorry, but someone wants his dinner.”
She laughed, then much to his surprise, wrapped her arms around his neck, stood on tiptoe and kissed him.
He pulled her close. “We should take care of the Colonel, then get back to the party.” He dipped his face to hers. “Not that I want to.”
“It’s your party,” she whispered. “Do what you want.”
Colonel Jackson nickered in protest.
Jake tossed his head back and groaned. “All right already!” Reluctantly he let Casey go and smiled. “Let me get him taken care of, then we can …”
They heard a loud crash, followed by several screams. “What the …?” Jake didn’t finish – he grabbed Casey’s hand and ran from the barn back to the house.
By the time they got there they saw what the commotion was about – a car had careened into the Sullivans’ gas grill. Thankfully the grill was on wheels and just got shoved into a table. But it was the over turned table that held most of the food – the glass bowl of pasta salad had fallen and shattered against the concrete patio, and several others had taken damage. His mother stood to one side in shock. Thankfully, it looked like no one was hurt.
Jake looked at the car and began to seethe. “Sammi …,” he growled. “What in blazes is the matter with you?” He went to the driver’s side door, opened it and reached for the occupant.
Casey gasped. It wasn’t Gabby Sammi that Jake pulled from the car. It was J. Wayne Woodrow.
Chapter 14
“Dad?!” Casey cried.
Jake was holding Mr. Woodrow up by the back of his jacket. Mr. Woodrow just stood there, looking bewildered. “Casey?” he said lamely, coming to grips with his surroundings. “Oh dear. So sorry …”
Jake managed to steer him to a chair and released him just as the older man’s knees gave out. “Whoa, there. You all right, sir?” Tate rushed over and helped keep him propped up.
“Dad!” Casey ran to over. “What are you doing here? Are you all right?”
He glanced up at her and weakly nodded. “Sorry,” was all he could manage. He reached into the breast pocket of his suit, pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his brow with it.
“I think he’s just shook up,” Jake assured her. He looked at his guests. “Anyone hurt?”
People shook their heads in shock. “The pasta salad’s a goner, I’m afraid,” Mrs. Sullivan said dryly.
Jake turned to Tate. “Bring him a glass of water.”
Mr. Woodrow looked up and wiped his brow again. “Got anything stronger?”
Casey stared at him a moment. “Dad, what were you doing driving a car?!”
He looked at her. “Not very well, it seems.” He loosened his tie. “I thought I could pick it up again, but it’s been what, forty years?”
“Dad …” came out somewhere between a laugh and a sob. She went to her knees, took his hand in hers and kissed it. “But why?”
Tate reappeared, a glass of amber liquid in hand, and gave it to him. He took a long swallow. “I was trying … cough … to find you.” He wiped his mouth. “Seems I’ve made an awkward entrance.”
She bit her bottom lip, not sure what to think. Was he going to try to bully her into coming back to New York once he recovered?
Jake’s family and guests stared at Mr. Woodrow, the car, the smoking barbeque, overturned tables and spilled food. “Should he be having alcohol?” Jenny asked.
“He’s not drunk,” Casey said in her father’s defense.
“Then what was he doing driving like a madman?” Jenny asked.
; “Because he can’t drive.”
Several people gasped while others tried not to laugh. Mr. Woodrow glanced around and shrugged. “I was fine until I hit that gravel road. Couldn’t keep control, and then I had to really hit the brakes … well, you see what happened. Terribly sorry – I assure you, I’ll cover any damages.”
“Well, I think mostly you’ll owe us fifteen pounds of pasta salad,” Jake’s mother put in. “And Casey worked so hard on it too. I’m just glad the potato salad survived, or it might’ve ruined Jake’s whole evening.”
“Casey?” Mr. Woodrow said in shock. “Casey made something in a kitchen?” He turned his shocked expression on his daughter. “You cooked?”
“Believe it or not, yes. But it was more chopping and mixing than actual cooking.”
“Are you sure you’re all right, Mr. Woodrow?” Jake asked.
Casey’s father looked at him a moment before his eyes widened. “You!”
“Dad,” Casey said in warning.
“She’s here because of you!”
Jake’s hands went to his hips. “Yes, sir, I believe she is. Only I had no idea until a few weeks ago.”
“What?” her father said confused.
“Never mind,” Casey said. “How did you find me? How did you know I’d be here today?”
“Well, you did leave a forwarding address. Your landlord told me where you worked. I went by the café, but your boss said you had the day off. Some crazy woman overheard me and told me she’d tell me where you were so long as I brought her along.”
Casey, Jake and Jenny exchanged a look. “Sammi,” they said in alarm.
“Naturally, I didn’t. But for fifty bucks she gave me the address.”
Tate looked at Jake. “Is this the crazy chick Jenny hooked you up with awhile back?”
“That’s the one,” he said flatly.
“Crazy is too kind,” Mr. Woodrow said, then looked at Casey and grimaced sheepishly. “I … wanted to surprise you.”
“I think you succeeded,” Jenny quipped.
“Jenny,” Jake said. “Don’t.”
Jenny was about to anyway, then saw her mother glaring at her and subsided.
“Well, more than just surprise you,” the old man continued. “Also to … to apologize.”
Casey’s hands fell to her sides. “Apologize?” she said weakly.
He nodded. “I didn’t realize how you felt, how I was making your life miserable. It was Douglas Haeger who set me straight. I guess he’d been talking to his daughter, your friend Melanie – he probably understood your thoughts better than I did at that point. After that, I knew I couldn’t let things lie, and I couldn’t just send a letter or make a phone call – I needed to do it in person.”
“Oh, Dad …”
“I’m sorry, honey. Sorry for the way I’ve treated you these past ten years. Sorry I didn’t move on with my life like you’ve been able to. You’re much braver than I am, I’m afraid.”
Casey shook her head as her eyes filled with tears. “Oh, Dad,” she whispered. “I’m sorry too.” She wrapped her arms around his neck.
He pulled her close, tears in his own eyes, whispering into her hair. When he pulled away he said, “I want you to come home.”
Casey froze.
He looked at Jake and the rest of the crowd. “If you want to. I don’t want to disrupt your life any more than I already have.”
Casey stared at him. “You … you really mean that?”
He nodded. “Yes, I do.”
She choked on a sob and hugged him. “Thank you, Dad. Thank you!”
“You don’t have to thank me, Casey. You’re a grown woman now. Just be sure you and your young man come visit now and then.”
Casey pulled away from her father and looked at Jake.
He smiled at them. “I’ll make sure she does.” His hands went to his hips as they so often did when he was feeling emotional. She’d learned that about him. He turned away a moment, then looked back. “She can do whatever she wants.”
So Casey made amends with her father. Now what? Jake thought as he watched the pair catch up over steaks and potato salad (which had survived the plunge from the table admirably). He took a sip of lemonade, then turned the next batch of steaks on the grill and continued to watch as father and daughter laughed, cried and mended fences. He did his best not to think about what it all meant.
“They done yet?” Tate asked as he joined him, an empty platter in his hands.
“Almost.”
Tate looked at Casey and her dad. “Can you believe that guy?”
“Yeah, I think I can.”
“Do you think she’ll leave?”
Jake fought against a grimace. “That’s up to her. I won’t stop her if she does. She’s had enough of one man trying to run her life – I don’t want to be another.”
“I understand. But I’ve seen the way you look at her. So has Mom. I’m surprised she hasn’t called Aunt Penny yet to plan the wedding.”
Jake glared at him.
“Ha! Whenever you look like that, I know I’m right.”
“I won’t stop her, Tate. Out here is totally different from what she’s used to.”
“She can learn to deal with it.”
Jake sighed and looked at his brother. “I care about her too much to see her unhappy.”
“Does she look unhappy to you?”
He glanced at Casey, who was laughing and wiping away tears. “No.” He rubbed at the back of his neck. “I’ll ask her, I guarantee that. But the decision is hers. And don’t you forget it.”
“What decision? Ask her what?”
Jake met his brother’s gaze. “You know what.” Then he focused on the steaks again.
Casey went to the food table that hadn’t been hit and refilled her father’s glass of lemonade. If only they’d been able to talk like this years ago, her life might’ve turned out quite different. But the past was the past, and just as she and Jake had to deal with theirs, she and her father would have to deal with theirs also. Hopefully it would be just as worthwhile.
J. Wayne Woodrow really did seem to be a changed man. He said he’d help her get a nice apartment in Brooklyn if she wanted, would support her in her career and keep his nose out of her private affairs. But best of all, he wanted to start spending time with her – even suggesting a trip to Europe, just the two of them, to make up for all the years they’d missed out on. She could return to New York and pick up where she’d left off. All would be well.
The problem was, she didn’t really want to go back to New York.
Her gaze drifted to the barbeque. Jake was talking with his brother Tate, them glancing her way now and again. Jake smiled, and she smiled back. She looked around at his family and friends. Despite her father crashing their party – literally – everyone was happy and having a good time. She looked at the chocolate cherry cake Jenny had made (which was luckily still in the fridge when the accident happened) and remembered the big wonderful mess in the kitchen.
Jake had an honest-to-goodness family, one that stuck together through thick and thin. She hadn’t had that since her mother died … if she ever had. Her parents were always busy at work or some social function; she’d spent more time with nannies than her parents. By the time she’d reached middle school she didn’t need the nanny anymore, but then her mother was taken from her. Thank Heaven she’d met Melanie.
If she went back to New York, how much would have changed? Sure, she’d have more time with her father, and he promised not to try and run her life. But if she wanted to stay here, would he really let her, or would he badger her until she screamed “uncle” and returned to New York?
She suddenly straightened and smiled as Jake headed her way, a plate in his hand. “More steak?” he asked.
“I’m fine, but Dad might like some.”
“How’s he doing?”
“Good, but still a little shook up. Kind of like I was after I fell off Bojangles.”
“Yeah,”
he said with a grin. “You were in poor shape. But you got right back on.”
“Because of you,” she said softly.
His eyes darted to her mouth. “I only did what was best for you.”
She gazed up at him. “Dad really wants me to come home to New York.”
He looked into her eyes and swallowed hard. “What do you want, Casey?”
She looked at the ground. “You asked me that once before, remember? Actually, you asked if I knew what it was I wanted. I didn’t then.”
“And now?” He leaned a little closer. “What do you want?”
She licked her lips and closed the distance between them. “I … I don’t know how to work out the logistics.”
He smiled. “Logistics?”
“Yeah, I said that.” She looked at him, and her heart took flight. “Jake …”
“Whatever you decide, Casey, I’ll support you,” he said gently. “Just promise me that you’ll make sure it’s what you want.”
“I’m sure.” And suddenly, she was. She put her arms around him and leaned into his chest. “I want you.”
She felt his body relax, and he wrapped his free arm around her, then set the plate down so he could hold her properly. “Stay and I’ll make an honest woman out of you.”
“And if I go?”
He took a deep breath. “Then I’ll go too. I love you, Casey. I have for awhile now.”
“But your family, your ranch…”
“We’d make it work.”
She smiled as a laugh escaped. “You won’t have to. I’m not going back. I just have to figure out how to tell him.” She glanced at her father, who was now watching them.
“I don’t think you have to, princess. Judging from the look on his face, he knows.” He turned back to her. “So will you marry me?”
She took a breath. Her lower lip started trembling and she couldn’t get it to stop. “Oh heck yeah,” she blurted.
“Amen to that!” Tate cried as he headed their way with more steaks.
Casey and Jake glanced around. Everyone was watching them. “Why do we always seem to be the center of attention?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” she said with a laugh. “But I love you, and I want to marry you.”