“I got home a little after six.” She didn’t turn from the stove, so she couldn’t see his expression, but she heard him almost choke on his juice. She smiled to herself.
“You what?”
“I’m pretty sure you heard me, so I’m not going to repeat myself.”
“You spent the night?”
“Technically, no, since I got home before any normal people would be out of bed on a Sunday morning.” Cass flipped the bread over and finally turned around to face him.
“You never spend the night. Ever. I mean, seriously. Never.”
“You, Barb, and Mom finally got through to me. You should be happy.”
Danny set his glass of juice on the table and seemed to notice for the first time what she was doing. He looked at the stove and then back at her, his confusion more than apparent. She laughed at him, mostly because she couldn’t help herself.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“I’m making breakfast for everyone. Is that a problem?”
“It is if you don’t know what you’re doing, and trust me, I’ve known you long enough to know you don’t cook. Again, never.” He sat at the table, shaking his head. “I won’t protect you from Barb if you burn down the house. Or ruin her griddle.”
“Really? Ruining the griddle is on the same level as setting fire to the house?”
“You don’t know Barb and her griddle. She’ll have a conniption fit if anything happens to it.”
“I won’t let anything happen to her precious griddle. Just because I don’t cook doesn’t mean I can’t. I’ve watched Mom cook French toast enough. Seems fairly simple.” She removed the bread from the griddle and put two pieces on a plate before setting it in front of him. “Taste it and tell me if it’s okay to serve to everyone.”
“What happens if I keel over?”
“Then I’ll clean up all evidence I’d even tried to cook, and tell the cops I have no idea what happened to you.”
“How in the world can you be in such a good mood so early in the freaking morning?” he asked, but he made no attempt to butter his French toast. Cass decided to do it herself. “You’re acting really strange.”
He reached out to try and place his hand on her forehead but she stopped him by threatening him with the butter knife.
“Keep your filthy paws to yourself.”
“Did you bring Erica home with you?” he asked when he’d finally stopped laughing, no doubt it was humorous to him that he could ruin her good mood so easily.
Little did he know the high she was riding wasn’t going to end anytime soon. At least it wouldn’t if she had anything to say about it. But she was fine letting him think he got under her skin.
“I let her sleep.” She finished pouring maple syrup on his plate and stood back to wait for him to taste it.
“She was still sleeping and you snuck out?”
“I didn’t sneak out. I left a note.”
“At the risk of hearing TMI, you two did…” He paused as he was obviously trying to come up with a word that wouldn’t sound crude. He looked at her for help, but she just shrugged.
“You’re on your own here, little brother.” Cass heard more movement upstairs and went back to the stove to get more food ready for whoever would walk into the kitchen next.
“You had sex, right?” he finally managed to spit out.
“She’s a big girl, sweetie,” Barb said as she walked into the room. “She can do whatever she wants, though I’m sure she wouldn’t want to talk to you about it.”
Cass barely suppressed the laughter she felt building, because she knew before she even looked at him that his face would be a fairly deep shade of red. He’d always embarrassed easily, ever since he was a small child.
“If she were my brother she would without even thinking about it,” Danny said.
Cass turned and placed a fist on her hip as she waited for Barb to defend her. Barb glanced at her and rolled her eyes before going over and slapping Danny on the back of his head. Without breaking stride, she continued on to the coffee pot.
“You’re probably right, but you never seem to quite grasp the fact she’s your sister, not your brother,” Barb said, her back to him as she refilled Cass’s cup before tending to her own. “This is something she would talk to her sister about, am I right?”
Cass did a double take and she heard Danny laughing as he stood to leave. Cass realized where this was going when she ran the words through her head, trying to process them. She had no sister, but Barb considered herself to be just that. Cass didn’t want to kiss and tell, but she also knew Barb wouldn’t give up until she knew everything. She found herself wishing she’d just answered Danny’s question.
“Sit, and I’ll finish breakfast after we talk.” Barb pulled a chair out for her then occupied the seat Danny had vacated.
Cass weighed her options. She could bolt out the back door, but she wouldn’t put it past Barb to run her down. Yes, she’d given birth not too long ago, but the woman could flat out run. Cass wouldn’t stand a chance. After a second, she walked toward the living room and looked at the stairs to make sure her mother wouldn’t be walking in on them, like Barb had done to her and Danny.
“Tell me the truth,” Barb said when Cass settled in with her coffee mug between her hands. “It sucked, right?”
“What? No!” Cass couldn’t hide the incredulity in her voice. Apparently, it was the response Barb was looking for, because the smirk on her face caused Cass to slam her mug down on the table. There was no way she could plausibly deny it now. Might as well own up to it. She leaned forward and lowered her voice in case Danny was lurking about. Or her mother. Wouldn’t that just make the morning complete? “It definitely did not suck.”
“Was it the best you’ve ever had?”
“Barb, come on.” Cass felt her own cheeks burning now. “It was good, and that’s all you’re getting out of me.”
“Want to bet?”
“I’m not doing this.” Cass folded her arms over her chest and shook her head.
“Are you going to see her again?”
“Maybe.”
“You’re almost as infuriating as my husband.”
Cass was surprised when Barb got up and went to finish making breakfast. Something was off. It wasn’t like Barb to give up so easily. It made Cass worry for what would no doubt come later. She just prayed Barb wouldn’t embarrass her in front of Erica.
A shudder ran through her body at the thought of it.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Erica finished the dishes from the night before and looked at the clock. Eight o’clock. She was tired from being up most of the night, but it was a good tired, and she in no way regretted the reasons for her fatigue. Or her sore muscles. She reached into her pocket and smiled when her fingers brushed over the piece of paper she’d folded and put there when she’d gotten dressed. She pulled it out and read it again.
Erica,
To say I had a wonderful time last night would not only be a cliché, but it couldn’t come anywhere near what I’m really feeling. I wanted to wake you up and bring you home with me, but you looked so peaceful as you slept. Also, I knew I’d never make it out of the bed if you were awake, and I’m sure you know why.
Call me when you’re up and about. I have someone I want you to meet.
I love you. God, I hope I didn’t dream the conversation we had in the middle of the night.
Cass
Her belly made a strange fluttering sensation as she reached for the phone to call Cass. She’d been dismayed when she found nothing but the note when she’d awakened, but the words Cass had written made her smile. And they still made her smile after reading it now, for about the tenth time.
“Good morning,” Cass said when she answered the phone, her voice low.
There was the strange fluttering again. Erica put a hand on her belly and pressed on her abdomen as her eyes slid closed. She thought she could listen to Cass’s voice forever.
“Good morning,” she answered.
“I’m sorry I left you alone earlier, but I figured you needed the rest.”
“And you didn’t?”
“No, I did, but going back to sleep wasn’t really an option after waking up with your naked body pressed against my back.”
“Next time you aren’t leaving the bed until we’re both awake.”
“If we’re in bed together, and we’re both awake, I think it’s safe to say getting out of bed would be the last thing on our minds.” Cass’s words caused a rush of heat between her legs, and Erica whimpered as she crossed her legs in a pointless attempt to stop the arousal.
“Jesus,” she murmured, and she heard Cass chuckle on the other end of the line. “You should be here. With me. Right now. In bed.”
“Hold that thought for now, even though I’d like nothing more,” Cass told her. “You’ve missed breakfast, but my mother wants to meet you. Can I pick you up in a few minutes?”
“I need to go see Kyle,” Erica said, feeling a bit of panic set in. Her mother? She wasn’t sure she was ready to meet her quite yet.
“You don’t have to stay long. She’s been bugging me about you for weeks. And she’s only going to be here for a few more days before she heads back to Japan.”
Erica groaned inwardly. No matter how much she wanted to, there was obviously no way in hell she could say no to Cass.
“All right, but I’ll drive myself. Then I can just go to the hospital from there.”
“Let me pick you up,” Cass said. “I’ll go with you to see him. Unless you don’t want him to know about us just yet.”
“I’m pretty sure he knew about us before we did.” Erica couldn’t help but laugh, and it made her inexplicably happy to hear Cass joining her.
“I think you’re probably right,” Cass replied.
“You’re more than welcome to go with me, but it’s pointless for you to drive here and pick me up,” Erica said, knowing Cass’s house was a little closer to Buffalo than hers. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
After they hung up, Erica filled Willie’s food bowl, cleaned out the litter box, and grabbed her keys before heading out the door. She was nervous to be meeting Cass’s mother, but she realized it was only because she didn’t have a mother of her own for Cass to meet.
*
“Swear to me you won’t do or say anything to embarrass me in front of Erica,” Cass said to her mother after looking at the clock on the stove for what seemed like the tenth time since getting off the phone. Erica should be arriving any moment.
“If I had any naked baby pictures of you, they’d be spread out on the table here just waiting for her.”
Danny laughed and Cass kicked him under the table without looking at him. He let out a yelp and grabbed his shin.
“Serves you right,” Barb told him.
“Mom,” Cass said, dreading how this meeting was going to go. Maybe if she’d ever brought someone home to meet her before she wouldn’t be so anxious about it now.
“Don’t worry, dear. I won’t embarrass you.”
Cass let out a sigh of relief and glanced at the clock again.
“When are you going to move in together?” her mother asked, sounding as though she were asking nothing more important than what they wanted for lunch.
Cass felt her heart leap into her throat and she knew her expression gave away her dismay by the way Danny was laughing again.
“Come on, husband,” Barb said. She got to her feet and pulled him up too. “They don’t need you here for this.”
“But—”
“Thank you, Barb,” Cass said. When they were gone, she looked at her mother again. “See, you can’t say things like that around Erica.”
“Why not?” her mother asked, looking surprised. “It’s a valid question, isn’t it?”
“No, it’s not!”
“Did you tell her you love her?”
“Yes.”
“Did she say it back?”
“She said it first.”
“Well then, it’s an extremely valid question,” her mother said with a grin.
Cass rolled her eyes when she heard the doorbell ring. She stayed put, knowing Barb would answer it, and hoping to dissuade her mother from speaking to Erica at all.
“Please, Mom,” she said. “Maybe it would be best if you didn’t say anything.”
“Like that’s going to happen,” her mother said with a smile as she patted Cass’s hand.
Cass put her head down, resting her forehead on the arm she had on the table. This was not at all the way she wanted Erica to meet her mother. Ever since she’d woken up that morning, she’d been thinking about asking Erica to move into the cabin with her, but now it wouldn’t seem like it’d been her idea at all.
“You seem far too awake for someone who was up all night having sex,” her mother said quietly.
Cass whipped her head up to respond just as Erica walked into the kitchen. She was mortified, and she could feel her cheeks on fire. Her mother just laughed as she stood and went to introduce herself.
*
“Your mother seems like a wonderful woman,” Erica said when they were finally on their way to Buffalo.
“That’s only because you don’t really know her,” Cass answered, wondering if Erica could tell she said it with affection. Her mother hadn’t said anything at all to embarrass her, and she was forever grateful. And they both seemed to genuinely like each other, which had been a welcome outcome.
“It’s obvious she loves you,” Erica said. “So at least I have something in common with her.”
Cass smiled. She looked out the passenger window at the fields where crops were just starting to grow. It was a long-awaited sign indicating winter was finally over.
“Are you going to tell Kyle about us?” she asked.
“Not if you don’t want me to, but I think he’ll know if we show up there together.” Erica placed a hand on her thigh, and Cass covered it with her own.
“I think we should tell him,” Cass said. “Unless you think we shouldn’t. Maybe he won’t be happy about it.”
“When I told him we were having dinner together yesterday, he asked me if I thought you’d want to be his legal guardian too,” Erica said.
Cass waited for the panic to set in, but it didn’t. When she started to pull her hand away, Erica turned hers over and laced their fingers together.
“I’m not asking you to do that, all right? I’m just trying to tell you he definitely wouldn’t have a problem with us being together.”
Cass smiled and nodded as she gave Erica’s hand a quick squeeze. It worried her to realize this all felt so natural. If she asked Erica to move in, it really would be a ready-made family situation. And much to her surprise, the thought actually made her happy.
*
“I’m glad you two finally came to your senses,” Kyle said after they told him they were giving the relationship thing a go. He looked genuinely pleased, and it made Erica’s heart swell in her chest. “It was getting exhausting constantly being in the middle of it all.”
“Whatever,” Cass said with a laugh.
“So, who’s moving where?” he asked.
“Excuse me?” Erica asked, genuinely confused.
“Is she moving in with us, or are we moving in with her?”
Erica didn’t know what to say. She looked at Cass, but Cass was staring at her shoes and was of no help at all. She looked back at Kyle, but he was just waiting expectantly for someone to answer his question.
“I think it’s a little too soon for that, don’t you?” Erica asked. She was surprised when Cass raised her head and looked at her. Had she and Kyle actually talked about this? Because Cass looked as though she was hurt by Erica’s words. Erica turned her attention back to Kyle. “We just decided last night to see where this might go. It isn’t something we’ve even talked about.”
“Fine, but it isn’t something you should wait too long for. Life is s
hort.”
“And this is something you’ve realized because of your near-death experience the other day?” Erica asked, her tone teasing.
“Exactly.” Kyle nodded once to emphasize his point. He looked at Cass. “Don’t you have anything to say about this?”
“I’d be lying if I said it hasn’t crossed my mind,” Cass said.
Erica stared at her. Was this really happening? Two days ago, she’d resigned herself to the fact they would never be on the same page as far as relationships went, and now this? Not that she would be opposed to moving in together, but she wondered if this was really what Cass wanted, or if she was only saying it to make Kyle feel better.
“But I don’t think it’s something anyone should rush into,” Cass said as she took Erica’s hand. “We’d need to talk about it and decide if it was right for all of us.”
Kyle’s smile lit up his whole face. Erica thought maybe it lit up the entire room. They stayed for another forty-five minutes and never once hit on the subject again. In fact neither of them brought the subject up on the drive back to Cass’s either. They didn’t talk about anything more exciting than the weather and how Kyle was due to be released from the hospital in two days, barring any complications. Erica agreed to come inside the cabin with Cass and promised herself she’d put the topic on the table. Somebody had to, right?
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Cass woke up at three thirty that afternoon, her arm around Erica, who had her head resting on Cass’s chest. Her breathing was deep and even, indicating she was still asleep. Cass debated whether or not to wake her, because they needed to talk about what Kyle had brought up earlier. Erica tried when they’d gotten inside the cabin, but Cass had more pressing things on her mind. The fact they’d both fallen asleep shortly after spoke to how exhausted they both were.
Cass figured she’d appeal to Erica’s practical side. Did it make sense not to live together? Cass didn’t think so. She could see how this would end up. Because she couldn’t seem to get enough of Erica, she knew she’d end up spending most nights at the trailer. She certainly didn’t have anything against the trailer, but she loved this cabin with its vaulted ceilings and the loft for a master bedroom. She was pretty sure she wasn’t going to give it up without a fight.
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