by Unknown
“Seriously.”
“And I’m her older sister,” said Tina, bringing the attention back to her.
Noah held out his hand. “Good to meet you, Tina. I’ve heard a lot about you and the rest of your family.”
Her handshake was strong and confident. “Wish I could say the same about you.”
“He was kind enough to go shopping with me this morning,” blurted Cassie. “We picked out a vanity for the new bathroom in the basement. What do you think?”
Noah didn’t appreciate her use of “we.” He wanted no credit for anything involving that vanity. Especially not the picking out of it.
Tina eyes widened when she saw the piece, and not in a good way. “You’re not really going to put that in your basement, are you?”
A snicker escaped Noah’s mouth, which earned him a glare from Cassie. “Yes, I am,” she said. “I happen to like it.”
“Only because Landon would have hated it,” Noah felt the need to explain.
“Ah,” said Tina, nodding slowly. “In that case, I think I like it too.”
“Really?” Cassie asked.
“It’s gorgeous.”
“Thank you.” A genuine smile spread across Cassie’s face, and Noah could have hugged Tina for putting it there. Even the vanity looked a little less gaudy. Sort of.
Noah could only hope Cassie got over her hatred of all-things-Landon-would-have-liked before it came time to pick out her family room furniture.
“So…” Tina was back to studying Noah, this time with an open curiosity. “Tell me, Mr. Friend-who’s-now-a-date, would Landon have hated you too?”
“He would have loathed me,” said Noah. “Despised. Detested. Abhorred…”
Cassie laughed, and a tiny smile lifted the corners of Tina’s mouth. “Why?” she asked.
Apparently, Noah was being sized up and grilled, which was fine with him. He liked Tina. She was blunt, no nonsense, and apparently very protective of her little sister. He admired that. He just had no idea how to answer the question.
“Because I like cookie dough ice cream,” he finally said.
Cassie snickered, and Tina arched an eyebrow. She looked so much like Cassie in that moment, that Noah couldn’t help but like her more.
“That means he’s complex, interesting, and a little doughy.” Cassie’s eyes were bright with the humor of an inside joke.
“Exactly,” Noah agreed.
Cassie turned back to her sister. “He’s like that vanity.”
“Pardon?” Noah’s smile immediately disappeared. Being compared to cookie dough ice cream was one thing; the vanity another.
It was Tina’s turn to snicker. “You’re a little on the ostentatious side too?”
“No.” He was nothing like that vanity. Not even in the same universe as that vanity.
“I meant he’s nothing like Landon,” said Cassie, linking her arm through Noah’s in a protective gesture. She looked up at him, and in her eyes he saw admiration, warmth, and a confidence that melted away any offense he’d taken at being compared to a gaudy piece of furniture. Somehow, Noah had earned some of her trust. He didn’t know how or when, but he had. And he’d take it.
Then another thought occurred to him. When Cassie’s Landon-hating blinders came off and she came to her senses about that vanity, would she come to her senses about him too? He hoped not.
He glanced at his watch, relieved to see that his girls would be home soon. “Sorry, but I need to run.”
Cassie nodded. “Will I see you tomorrow?”
“I’ll be the guy covered in drywall mud in your basement.”
“Can’t wait.” Her eyes widened when she realized what she’d said. “I mean, I can’t wait for the basement to get done.”
“That was a Freudian slip if I’ve ever heard one,” muttered Tina, making Cassie duck her head and a goofy smile appear on Noah’s face.
Taking a few steps back, he said, “I’m glad you dropped by, Tina. It was nice to meet a member of Cassie’s family.”
“I’m sure everyone else will be anxious to meet you as well.” She looked pointedly at her sister. “Which will be when, by the way?”
Without waiting around for the answer, Noah strode to his truck, leaving the two sisters to sort things out in the garage.
The goofy smile stayed on his face the entire way home.
Pink and blue helium balloons decorated the entire ceiling in Emma’s front room, with coordinating pink and blue streamers swirling and cascading down all around. It was a really cool sight—one that had Adelynn and Kajsa transfixed.
“Can we do this for my next birthday?” Adelynn asked in hushed tones.
“Mine too,” added Kajsa, whose birthday was only two months away. “Only I don’t want pink. Just blue and orange.”
Noah ducked his way through all the streamers, eventually finding his sister in the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on white frosted cupcakes with crystal sugar sprinkles. “Way to go, sis. You’ve now set a new precedence for birthdays. Kajsa and Adi are already planning a helium balloon extravaganza.”
“Isn’t it pretty?” Emma said. “I rented a helium tank, and Becky and I went to town this afternoon. It was fun.”
“Yeah, you guys definitely went to town.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the counter. “So… want to tell me which color we’ll be popping?” Emma’s ultrasound appointment had been earlier that day. Her plan was to make the announcement, then give everyone a pin and let them pop whichever color didn’t apply. The remaining balloons would be set free in the sky as a tribute to her unborn babies.
“Nuh uh.” She wagged a finger at him. “Not yet. You’ll have to wait until everyone gets here.”
“Good luck telling Kajsa and Adi that.”
The girls burst through the streamers, eyes glowing with excitement. “Are they boys or girls?”
Emma gave them a playfully stern look. “Is Uncle Kevin home from work yet?”
Their expressions fell. “No.”
“Is Aunt Becky or Uncle Justin here yet?”
“No.”
“Can you see Sam and Grandma and Grandpa Grantham on FaceTime yet?”
“No.”
“Then do you really think I can tell you that?”
“No.” They sounded so glum that Noah laughed.
Emma leaned across the island as far as her protruding tummy would allow. “Will two cupcakes cheer you up?”
“Really? Before dinner?” Wide-eyed, Adelynn looked at her father for permission.
“Go ahead,” he said. “This is a special occasion.”
“Yay!” Adi went for a pink one while Kajsa snatched up a blue. Adelynn delicately removed the wrapper from hers, and Kajsa ripped hers off before taking a large bite.
“Kajsa, really?” said Adelynn, her tone one of rebuff.
“What?” Kajsa said through a mouthful of cupcake.
Noah chuckled, and Emma came around to kiss the tops of both their heads. “My babies are going to have the best babysitters in the world.”
Not long after, they heard the garage door open and Kevin’s voice call through the mass of balloons. “Holy cow, Emma. Where did our house go?”
The girls giggled, and Emma smiled. When Kevin emerged, he pulled his wife into his arms and kissed her soundly. “I should have known you couldn’t keep it small,” he murmured. “It looks awesome.”
“I can’t wait to tell everyone our news.”
“I’m impressed you’ve kept it a secret this long.”
“It hasn’t been easy.”
Kevin excused himself to change and get the grill started while Emma finished frosting the cupcakes. The girls helped with the sprinkles, and Becky and Justin arrived soon after, carrying a salad and rolls.
“Can you believe she’s making me wait, too?” Becky said to Noah the moment she saw him.
“For good reason,” said Noah. “I’m her brother. I should know first.”
“Yes, but I was the one over here hel
ping her blow up all those balloons this afternoon. Where were you?”
“Working.”
“On what? How to get Cassie to date you? I thought you spent the day shopping with her.”
Noah glanced at his girls who were too busy playing with the balloons to pay attention. He dropped his voice. “Trying to get Cassie to date me is work. She’s not making it easy.”
“Good for her.” Becky grinned. “But I still think I should get to know Emma’s news before you.”
“In your dreams.”
“How old are you two?” Justin said, stealing a cupcake. “Emma will tell all of us when she’s good and ready so stop bickering.”
“Thank you, Justin,” said Emma.
Becky swatted his arm. “Honey, you’re supposed to be on my side.”
“I am on your side,” he said. “Your left side, to be exact.” He was rewarded with a laugh from Noah and another swat from his wife.
After they’d eaten dinner, Sam’s call was the first one to come through on Emma’s iPhone. Kevin then called his parents, and as soon as everyone was listening in, all eyes turned to Emma and Kevin.
She cleared her throat and announced. “I guess now’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for.” A pause and then Emma elbowed her husband.
“What?” he said.
“Drumroll. I need a drumroll.”
“Do I look like a drum to you?”
“Dum dada dum!” Noah said before the argument could go any further.
“Thank you, Noah,” said Emma. Then she turned to the group and raised her voice. “Okay, so now is the news you’ve all been waiting for. Today, we learned that I was right.” She paused, then squealed, “We’re having a girl!”
“And a boy,” added Kevin. “Which makes me right too, though she’ll never admit it.”
Suddenly, everyone was talking and congratulating them at once. Kisses were blown on FaceTime screens, hugs were given, and happiness filled the spaces in between.
It wasn’t until all the excitement died down that Kajsa finally said, “Does this mean we can’t pop any of the balloons?”
“It means we get to let them all go,” said Emma. “Won’t that be cool?”
“Is it okay if I keep a few?” Adelynn asked, her fingers tangled in several streamers.
“I have a better idea,” said Emma. “Why don’t we let all of these go, then you and Kajsa can make as many balloons in as many colors as the remaining helium in the tank will allow. I bought some multi-colored packs just for you.”
“Thanks, Aunt Emma!” Adelynn hugged Emma’s expanding waist, and Kajsa followed suit. Once Emma had freed herself, she opened both sides of the French doors leading out to her backyard, and everyone gathered as many balloons as they could carry, forcing them outside. The chilled air felt good after being in a room filled with bodies and balloons.
“Five, four, three, two, one, go!” Over a hundred pink and blue balloons floated into the sky, rising up as one giant, colorful mass, then gradually separating and growing smaller and smaller. The girls ran around to the front to see if they could get a better view, but Noah stayed where he was, thinking of his own daughters, of heaven, and of Angie. He still missed her smile and the confidence that came so easy to her. He missed their late night conversations and the closeness they’d once shared. Was she looking down on them now and watching over her family? Did she see the beautiful young girls that Adi and Kajsa were becoming? Did she agree that they needed a mother?
What do you think, Ang? Would Cassie be a good mother?
A pink balloon danced away from a small grouping, tossing and twirling in the wind and reminding Noah of the way Cassie danced. A pleasant sensation registered in his heart and spread through his body, warming him. Yeah, he thought so too.
The wind hissed and howled outside, causing the door of the dance studio to shudder and shake. It was a sound that belonged in late October, along with jack-o’-lanterns, creepy costumes, and cackling—not the sound Cassie wanted to hear in early spring. She placed her palm on the door to still the vibrations and squinted through the late snowstorm for headlights. But all she saw was a swirling mass of white mixed with gloomy gray clouds.
Where are you, Noah?
All of the other parents had come and gone, and Adelynn and Kajsa had already removed their ghillies and were now sitting on the chairs, waiting for their father. Through the reflection in the glass, Cassie could see the worried lines across their foreheads and feel them on hers. Noah had been late before, but never this late.
Maybe she should call to make sure he was okay.
Cassie snatched up her phone and noticed he’d sent a text nearly an hour earlier. It must have come through during class.
My old boss called and wants me to drop by for a bit. I might be a few minutes late picking up the girls. Is that okay?
Cassie quickly responded.
Sorry, only just got this. And yes, it’s fine. Take as long as you need.
His response came through moments later.
Taking a little longer than I thought. Sorry. Be there as soon as I can.
Drive safe.
Relieved that he wasn’t stranded on the side of the road somewhere—or worse—Cassie set the phone down.
“Your dad just texted. He’ll be here soon. But in the meantime, how about we play a little game?”
Adelynn nodded, but Kajsa looked skeptical. “What kind of game?”
“Definitely not one that involves Irish dancing,” said Cassie with a smile.
Kajsa smiled back. “Okay.”
Cassie pulled a chair around and sat in front of the girls. “Okay, so we need to come up with a category for the game.”
“What do you mean?” Adelynn asked.
“Oh, you know. Like countries, ice cream flavors, animals—”
“Animals. Let’s do animals,” Kajsa said.
“Animals it is.” Cassie scooted her chair a little closer. “How about we start with you, Kajsa? You say the name of an animal, then Adelynn and I will have to think of another animal that starts with the last letter of the one you say. Make sense?”
They nodded.
Kajsa didn’t waste any time. “Horse,” she said.
“Okay.” Cassie looked at Adelynn. “Now your turn. What’s an animal that starts with an E?”
“Elephants.”
“Good,” said Cassie. “Now my turn. Hmm… an animal that starts with an S… Oh, I know. Sheep.”
“Pony,” said Kajsa.
A few seconds later, Adelynn chimed in with, “Yak.”
Wow, these girls were good. “Koala,” said Cassie, wondering how fast Kajsa would be with the letter A.
“Andalusian.”
“Anda-what?” Adelynn said exactly what Cassie was thinking.
“Andalusian,” repeated Kajsa. “It’s a kind of horse.”
Adelynn rolled her eyes. Then she scrunched up her adorable little face, presumably thinking of an animal that started with N.
Good luck with that, Cassie thought.
Her expression finally brightened. “Nemo!”
“That doesn’t count,” said Kajsa.
“I think it does,” said Cassie. “Very creative, Adi.”
Adelynn shot her sister a triumphant, so-there sort of smile.
“My turn,” announced Cassie. “Hmm… an animal that starts with an O.” The first animal that came to mind was an ox, but Cassie immediately dismissed it, not wanting to stick Kajsa with an X. Instead, she said, “Octopus.”
“Shire,” Kajsa announced.
Adelynn groaned. “Is that another horse name?”
“Yep.”
The chair squeaked as Adelynn flopped back. “All Kajsa reads about is horses. She’s obsessed.”
Cassie was starting to figure that out. No wonder Kajsa always wore the same faded and tattered sweatshirt with the horse galloping across the front. The little girl loved horses. Not Irish dance. Horses. Why hadn’t Cassie figured that out
before?
“Have you ever ridden a horse, Kajsa?” she asked.
Her expression fell. “Only a pony at a fair one time. It didn’t go very fast.”
“Daddy says real riding lessons are too expensive,” Adi added.
“They are expensive,” Cassie agreed. “It takes a lot of money to care for them.”
“I know.” Kajsa kicked at her ghillies on the floor, looking dejected.
Cassie’s heart went out to the girl who showed up ever week for lessons she wasn’t thrilled about. A little girl who was so sure her dreams were beyond her reach.
But they weren’t. Not really. If Cassie lowered her pride and opened yet another door she’d closed after meeting Landon, she could make them come true.
“You know, Kajsa,” Cassie said. “I have a wonderful uncle who happens to own a ranch. The last time I was over there”—over two years ago—“I noticed they had a lot of horses. Maybe one of these days, if your dad says it’s okay, we can drive out there and visit them. And if you’re really nice, I bet we could even talk my cousin, Colton, into giving you a riding lesson. He’s a pretty good teacher. He taught me how to ride.”
Kajsa’s eyes moved from the ground to Cassie. They had never looked so large or so blue. “You can ride?”
“I used to.”
“And you really think he’d teach me?”
“I really do. But only if your dad says it’s okay.” Though Cassie couldn’t imagine Noah not being okay with it.
“Can I come too?” Adelynn asked, apparently not liking the idea of being left out.
“You bet. You can even invite your dad if you want.”
“I can’t believe it!” Kajsa jumped out of her seat. Her entire body shook with excitement as she walked around the room, shaking her hands and jumping. “I want daddy to come right now so I can ask him.”
Approximately fifteen minutes later—after Cassie had been bombarded with question after question about the ranch and the horses—Noah walked through the door, bringing a gust of chilly snow-filled air with him.
“I’m so sorry” was the first thing out of his mouth. “I tried to get out of there sooner, but—”