by Tina Susedik
Cassie lifted Jazmine onto her lap and maneuvered a limp arm into her coat. Charles did the same with Emily.
“What?” Cassie mouthed to her mother who answered with a pleased smile, tipped her head, and blew her daughter a kiss.
When he was done, Charles took Emily out to his car.
“Wow. Where on earth did you find him? I need some answers.” Cassie didn’t know if her Annie’s dreamy-eyed smile made her happy for her mother or jealous. In all the years since her father died, she’d lived for her daughters.
“I know, isn’t he a dream?”
“Mom, are you and he . . .? Well, you know.” Once started, she couldn’t seem put the question into words that wouldn’t embarrass them both.
Annie’s face went from a becoming shade of pink to the color of the claret she and Hogan drank Friday night. “Why, Cassie Jordan. I do believe that is none of your business.” She stood and put Billy into his car seat.
“Guess that answers that question,” Cassie mumbled when Charles came back into the house and took Billy outside.
When the kids and Charles were in the car, her mother turned to Cassie. “Thanks for taking the kids this weekend. You can’t know how much I appreciate it.” She wrapped her arms around her daughter. “I just wish you could be as happy as I am right now, honey.”
Before Cassie responded, Annie got into the car and Charles drove away. Cassie sighed as the taillights disappeared down the street. How weird was that? Mom was sleeping with a man? Ick, something she did not want to think about.
Walking back into her house and locking up for the night, Cassie resigned herself to being tired tomorrow. She’d be awake all night thinking about her mother, the weekend with Hogan, and her upcoming promotion. She had a feeling even soaking in the tub for several hours wouldn’t unwind her emotions.
Chapter 8
Cassie came in through her back door, dripping from the downpour. She dropped her keys on the counter, peeled off her wet jacket, and kicked off sodden shoes. After putting a cup of tea in the microwave to brew, she slid her arms from the sleeves of her sweater, slipped her arms through her dreaded bra straps, yanked the back to the front, unhooked, and tore it off, all without exposing any bare skin to the house’s cool air.
She took her cup of tea into the living room, removed the afghan from the rocking chair, and wrapped it around her shoulders. Then she curled up in a corner of the couch. She was so cold. It was hard to believe that just five days ago, she’d spent a warm day at the zoo. By Wednesday the weather had turned typically fall in Wisconsin; foggy in the morning, drizzly by afternoon, damp and chilly by evening. The cold seeped into her bones, reflecting her mood.
Like other nights lately, she ignored the feeling that someone had been in her house. While she didn’t believe in ghosts, thinking that maybe her grandmother was visiting from the grave was as comforting as the woman herself.
It had been a hellish week. Monday morning had come much too quickly. As she figured, sleep was an elusive dream. Tossing, turning, and slamming her pillow with her fist, she became more and more frustrated with thoughts centered on Hogan. She couldn’t stop thinking about how his simple kisses were hot enough to start a forest fire and how he’d promised to call on Friday night. Her mind wandered to more seductive thoughts and how her body would react when he finally kissed her properly. Her nipples puckered, and she became wet just thinking about it.
Work the following week was even worse than her sleepless night. She was in charge of setting up the new branch office in Wauwatosa and wanted to prove to the owners she was up to the task of being its manager. Anything that could go wrong had. Equipment arrived late, parts were missing, fellow employees down with the flu. She spent most of her time with phone calls and trips back and forth across town.
Most nights she didn’t leave work until after nine o’clock, exhausted, sick of phones, sick of computers, sick of her co-worker, Richard, the man in competition for the promotion, and sick of driving across Milwaukee. When she finally got home, she put her cell phone on vibrate and took her phone off the hook for some peace and quiet.
She especially didn’t want to talk to her sister. Cassie knew it was probably driving Bess crazy that she couldn’t tell Cassie about her wonderful weekend with her wonderful husband at their wonderful hotel. Cassie sighed. Other than knowing Hogan dropped by to pick up his shoes, her sister didn’t know about his joining them for the weekend. Anyway, since she hadn’t heard from Bess, she assumed she didn’t know.
Cassie blew across the hot tea and took a tentative sip. She missed the kids; their noise, their body heat, their laughter. At least spending so much time at the office reduced the hours of enduring the tomblike silence of her home until bedtime. But once she got to bed it was the same thing as Sunday night. Tossing. Turning. Punching her pillow.
Now the long week was over. She slouched on the couch and propped her feet on the coffee table. She was exhausted, but so excited her hands shook. Tea splattered from her cup as she brought it to her lips.
No taking the phone off the hook tonight. Hogan was going to call. Cassie moved the phone across the end table, willing it to ring. A replica of her grandmother’s forties-style phone, the heavy black receiver lay nestled in the cradle. Cassie loved the clicking sound made when she inserted her finger in the metal holes and spun the dial. Bess called it old-fashioned, but Cassie couldn’t get rid of it. A duplicate sat on the end table in her bedroom.
Grandma’s grandfather clock bonged the half hour. Five-thirty, the earliest she’d been home all week. At long last, by early afternoon, the computers were up and running in the new office. Pleased with everyone’s performance, her boss told them to leave early. In anticipation of Hogan’s call, she’d nearly skipped out the door, ignoring invitations from co-workers to stop for a drink.
Cassie stared at the phone. The phone stared back. A yawn cracked her jaw. What time zone was Hogan in? He hadn’t said. She yawned again and closed her weary eyes.
In the distance, Cassie heard a bell ringing. She tried to open her eyes and clear her mind. Both were heavy with sleep. The phone. Oh, my god. It’s Hogan. Her eyes just wouldn’t open. Blindly Cassie grabbed for the phone, knocking it onto the floor. Frustration swept through her as she searched for the receiver. Don’t hang up, Hogan. Please don’t hang up. I’m coming. Finally she grabbed the cord and dragged it toward her then slapped it to her ear, stinging the lobe.
“Hello. Cassie Jordan speaking,” she answered in a shaky voice.
No response.
“Hello? Hogan is that you?”
It took her a few seconds for her foggy mind to realize there was no one at the other end. Cassie took the receiver from her ear. Why Hogan wasn’t at the other end? She slammed it back on the base.
“I must have been dreaming,” she muttered, disheartened.
When she heard pounding on the front door, it dawned on her it had been the doorbell, not the phone. She jumped up from the couch, knocking her empty cup from the table to the floor.
“He came instead of calling.” She giggled, then glanced down at her wrinkled slacks. She ran sweaty palms over the fabric, straightened out her sweater, and briefly thought about slipping her bra back on. The pounding became more persistent. Her hair was always a disaster anyway, so she dismissed trying to repair the damage. “Ah, hell, he’s seen me looking worse.”
She rushed to the foyer, took a deep, calming breath, planted a smile on her face, and opened the door.
“Well, it’s about time you answered!” Bess swept into the room, Billy in her arms, her daughters following. “I’ve been ringing the bell and pounding for ten minutes. This kid is getting utterly heavy. What were you doing?”
Cassie ignored her sister and peered around the corner of the door. Seeing no one else on the porch, she slammed it shut. A bad feeling settled into th
e pit of her stomach rather like the feeling she got whenever her mother said they were having liver for supper.
“What are you doing here?” Three expectant faces and a drooling one stared back at her. “Bess, where’s Rob?”
Bess sat on the couch and took off Billy’s jacket. He reached for the phone. “Isn’t he cute?” Bess’s voice dripped with pride only a mother could use when she thinks her child is the most precious thing in the world. “He’s learning to talk on the phone. Of course no one can understand him, but it’s still cute.” Billy babbled into the earpiece, sounding like an alien in a space movie.
“Don’t let him play with that.” Cassie grabbed the receiver from his hand and moved it from his reach. He immediately wailed.
“What on earth is the matter with you?” Bess asked. “You’re sure acting weird. I’ve never seen you be so rude to anyone, let alone your only nephew.”
“He’s not hurt, just upset.” Cassie handed her nephew a book from the box of toys she’d left in the living room. The book went instantly to his mouth, quieting him. “I’ll ask you again, Bess. Where’s Rob and what are you doing here?”
“Rob had to work late. We’re going to have a late supper together.”
Cassie slammed her fists on her hips. It dawned on her why her sister was at her door on a Friday night. She held out her hands as if to ward off an oncoming attack of killer wolves. “Oh, no, you don’t. Not tonight. You can just put the kids’ coats back on and leave right now.”
Bess’s frown didn’t daunt Cassie from getting them out of her house before Hogan either called or showed up. She was not going to babysit for her sister again.
“What are you talking about? Why should we leave? We just got here. Besides, it’s only six. What’s so important about tonight that your only sister can’t come and visit?” Bess paused. “Is something special going on?”
Ignoring Bess’s questions, Cassie looked at her watch. Six o’clock? She’d slept for only half an hour? It felt more like twelve hours.
“I’m not watching the kids tonight, Bess. You can leave right now,” she repeated.
“Why would I want you to watch the kids? I told you we’re meeting Rob for supper.”
“No, you didn’t. You didn’t say all of you were going for supper. It’s Friday night. Just like last week when you showed up at my door unannounced. I love them dearly, but not tonight.”
“Oh? Is there something going on tonight?” Bess asked, an innocent tone in her voice.
“Well, no. It’s just that I’m tired. I worked late every night this week.”
“That’s why I haven’t been able to get hold of you. I’ve called and called, but didn’t get an answer. A couple of times the line was busy. I suppose you took the phone off the hook again and turned off your cell.”
Now that Cassie knew she was safe from babysitting, she felt more inclined to visit, but still wanted them gone before Hogan called. She lifted Jazmine onto her lap and gave her a kiss and hug. “Yes, I take the phone off the hook, but I didn’t tonight, so you could have tried calling me. I haven’t had a chance to check my cell phone messages.”
Bess turned to Emily, who was leaning against her mother, holding a shopping bag. “Honey, I think it’s time we give Auntie Susie her special gift.”
“Here, Auntie Susie. Thank you for taking care of us last weekend.” She gave Cassie the bag and a kiss. “I love you.”
Guilt washed over her as she thought about how she wanted to get rid of them. Cassie opened the bag. “What on earth?”
Emily leaned on her aunt’s legs and poked her finger at the box. “It’s an answering machine.”
“You’ve heard of them, haven’t you?” Bess’s teasing tone set Cassie’s teeth on edge. “You hook it up to your phone, and then instead of, oh, let’s say, taking your phone off the hook, you leave the answering machine on, and it takes messages for you.”
Cassie turned the box over in her hands and opened it. A bright pink plastic machine was nestled in cardboard. “I certainly know what an answering machine is, Bess. But pink? Really? And why an answering machine? I didn’t realize people still used them.”
Emily smiled. “Isn’t it pretty? Jazmine and I picked it out.”
“It’s lovely, honey.” Cassie gave each of her nieces a kiss. “Thanks, I think.”
“Well, you’re always turning off your cell and taking your landline off the hook.” Bess fingered the box. “I’m tired of not being able to get in touch with you. This way I can leave you a message. You can turn the ringer off your phone, but still receive messages. You can also screen calls so if some creep-a-zoid rings you up, you don’t have to talk to him.”
Cassie chuckled at the name Bess had given to the guys that she despised who insisted on calling her in high school.
“Can we hook it up now, Mommy?” Emily asked.
“Not now, sweetie. I want to talk to your aunt first. Take Jaz upstairs.”
“Whoa, wait a minute. Why should the kids go upstairs?”
“Geez, you’re flighty tonight,” Bess commented. “Jazmine left her favorite doll in the spare bedroom. That’s one of the reasons I’ve been trying to call you all week. We stopped by a few times, but you weren’t home. I was hoping you’d be here tonight. She goes to sleep with it each night. Let me tell you, it’s not easy getting a three-year-old to sleep when her bedtime buddy is missing.”
“Just don’t get into anything. Okay?”
Bess shooed her daughters out with a flap of her hands. “Go ahead, girls.” She took some toys out of the box and placed them in front of her son.
For the life of her, Cassie couldn’t figure out what her sister wanted to talk to her about. “Do you want something to drink?” she asked, delaying what she thought was probably bad news. Like maybe Cassie having to host Thanksgiving this year or something.
“Sure. Just some water would be fine,” Bess answered, walking behind her. “By the way, what’s this I hear about you having a baby?”
Cassie stopped short. Bess ran into her back. “What?” she shrieked. “A baby? Whatever gave you that idea?”
Bess crossed her arms under her breasts and frowned at her sister. “Well, are you? Because if you are, it would have been nice to tell me before you tell my young and easily influenced children about it.”
A baby? Cassie jerked her head back and placed a hand at her throat. What the hell was Bess talking about? She opened her mouth to ask her sister just that, but when Bess started a tirade, there was no stopping her.
“And while we’re on the subject, what was Hogan doing here all weekend when you were supposed to be watching my children? I thought you were a better influence on them. You of all people should know better than to have a man in the house, kissing, carrying on in front of innocent babies. Why, who knows what ideas they’ve gotten from you or what they’ll remember about you and Hogan that’ll affect them the rest of their lives? I’m ashamed of you, Susie. You and a man you just met.”
Bess took a deep breath, and before she could start in again, Cassie shoved a glass of water into her hands.
“Bess, shut up.”
“What? Well, there you go, being rude again. I should just leave and go talk to Annie about your behavior.”
“Bess, I said shut up and listen. It’s your fault, anyway.”
“My fault?” She followed Cassie back into the living room. “What did I do?”
Cassie flopped down on the couch. Bess took the rocking chair. “Don’t act so innocent. Remember last Friday night, when you dumped the kids on me?”
“Yes, but I did try calling you, remember?”
“I remember you saying that, but even though I told you I wasn’t busy for the weekend, you assumed my plans hadn’t changed. Right?” When Bess agreed, Cassie went on. “Good ol
’ Cassie, always alone on weekends, always available to help out her little sister. Isn’t that the way it goes, Bess?”
Bess glanced into her glass. “I guess that’s right. But you always are available.” She slammed the glass on a magazine on the coffee table. “Damn it, Cassie. Don’t make me feel guilty.”
“Well, you should feel guilty. Then without even asking me if it was okay, you send a man to my house to pick up a pair of horrible, stinky, revolting shoes.”
Bess tilted her head. Her eyes were suspiciously shiny. “So it wasn’t all right to have Hogan stop by? Why didn’t you say so?”
“Did you give me a chance?” Cassie asked, choosing to ignore the fact that having Hogan show up at her door was actually a good thing. She could get on a rampage when necessary, too. “No, you just barged in, kids and their stuff in tow, spouting off about how you were going to have a wonderful weekend with your wonderful husband, and then barged right out again. Exactly how long were you even in my house that night? Five, ten minutes?”
Tears formed in Bess’s eyes, but Cassie wasn’t going to let them sway her anger.
“I am really sorry. I guess I’m so used to you helping out. You’ve always been there for Annie and me.” Bess paused. “And I know you wouldn’t do anything wrong in front of the kids.”
Cassie tamped down her annoyance when she remembered being on top of Hogan and practically wanting him to have his wicked way with her right there on the kitchen floor in front of those kids.
“I was just upset when the girls talked about Hogan and you together all weekend. As far as I knew he was just going to pick up his shoes.” She paused, picked up her glass, and took a swallow. “So. Was that a problem?”
Cassie loved her sister dearly, even if she was a royal pain in the behind sometimes. She always found it difficult to stay angry long. That was probably why it was easy for Bess, and her mother, to take advantage of her. They knew she was a softy.