by Unknown
Noah had a beautiful home and a little money in the bank. He had two healthy daughters brimming with talent and promise. And until Cassie said otherwise, he chose to think that he still had her.
All he needed to do now was pick himself up and move forward, knowing, like with Emma and her babies, that everything really would be okay.
“Let’s try it one more time,” Cassie said to the ten little girls staring back at her. All wore black shorts and red shirts with Monique’s School of Irish Dance scribbled across the front. They looked so darling and uniform. In the two weeks Cassie had been teaching, she’d learned so much from Monique about professionalism and how she wanted her own school to run. When Cassie got home, the first thing she’d do was locate a designer to create a logo for her school. Then she’d have uniforms made, and maybe by next year, she’d be ready to offer a summer program as well.
Cassie moved her feet slowly, showing the girls the steps while repeating them out loud. “Shuffle, hop back, and one-two-three. Yes, just like that.” Some of the girls could do it, some of them came close, and some of them didn’t come close at all. The discrepancy between their abilities reminded Cassie so much of Kajsa and Adelynn that a lump lodged in her throat, refusing to budge no matter how many times she swallowed or tried to focus on her class.
“Okay, everyone, it’s time to cool down.”
The girls all dropped to the ground for their stretches. Cassie watched Stevie, a little girl with brown hair and blue eyes, try so hard to reach her toes but not quite make it. From this angle, she looked a lot like Kajsa. Was Stevie horse crazy too?
Stop it, she told herself. Focus.
But, like every other day, her thoughts refused to stray far from a rough-around-the-edges, cookie-dough-loving guy and his two precious daughters.
The passage of time was supposed to make things easier, wasn’t it? Time heals all wounds and all that. Why then, did the emptiness keep growing and tearing inside her? Cassie didn’t laugh the way she did with Noah. She didn’t smile the same or feel the same. She wasn’t the same. Houston was a bustling, crowded place, with so much to see and do. But without Noah and Adi and Kajsa there to experience it with her, everything felt dull and lifeless. Cassie was back to being an empty geode, with no sparkles or color. And it stunk.
After all the parents had come and gone, Cassie stretched her arms behind her, trying to relieve the ache in her shoulders and the onset of a headache.
“Hey, girl.” Monique’s head appeared through the open door, her tight, black curls splaying around her beautiful, dark face. Monique was one of the few people who never had to wear a bun wig for performances. She simply pulled her hair up in a high ponytail, and it was as curly as everyone else’s. “Want to see a play tonight at the Alley? A bunch of us are going.”
“What play?” Cassie asked.
“The Foreigner, I think. It’s supposed to be a riot.”
Every night, Monique had something fun planned. Whether it was an Astro’s game, a progressive dinner, or a concert in the park, she made it her mission to see that Cassie made the most of her summer in Houston. Normally, Cassie agreed, thinking busyness was the best way to keep her mind off the Mackie family. But tonight, she couldn’t muster the will.
“If it’s okay with you, I think I’m going to pass. I feel a killer headache coming on, and I think I could really use a night in.”
“Shoot. I’m sorry. I hate headaches. But I have to go home and change anyway, so we can at least ride the metro together.”
“Okay. Let me grab my stuff.”
Cassie slung her bag over her shoulder and followed her friend outside. She’d been here two weeks already, and every time she walked outside, the hot and sticky air wrapped around her like a heavy , uncomfortable blanket.
“Can you believe the first summer session is almost halfway over?” said Monique as she locked up.
“No.” Though it wasn’t because time had flown by like Monique implied. It was because Cassie had thought the first two weeks would never end. It was now the middle of June, and she’d been in Texas for sixteen days. But it had been about a month since she’d seen or talked to Noah. It felt like a lifetime ago—like she’d return at the end of the summer to find him with gray hair, wrinkles, and grandchildren.
“Have I told you how grateful I am that you’re here?” said Monique, giving Cassie a one-armed hug as they dodged all the people on the sidewalk. “I have no idea what I would have done without you.”
“You would have found someone else,” said Cassie. “Anyone would be crazy to turn down the chance to spend the summer in this lovely weather.”
Monique laughed. “Isn’t that the truth. Bless you for coming. I couldn’t share my apartment with just anyone, you know.”
Cassie smiled and shook her head, but her thoughts were miles away. Nine hundred and fifty-seven to be exact. She’d looked it up the moment she’d stepped off the plane.
“Hey, you okay?” Monique asked after they’d boarded the metro. “You don’t seem like yourself.”
“Sorry. It’s just this headache. I’ll be better tomorrow.”
“You sure that’s all it is?”
“Yeah.” Cassie mustered a smile. “Tell me about this play and what I’m going to be missing.”
Monique launched into a description of all the things she’d heard and read about the new play that had recently opened.
Cassie tried to listen, but as they moved along the rail, her senses felt deprived. She missed the smell of the dry Colorado Springs air, the sound of her hard shoes echoing off her shiny new wood floor, and seeing Adi and Kajsa’s smiles. But mostly, she missed Noah. She wanted to hear him, see him, touch him, smell him, and taste him.
“It’s our stop.” Monique’s voice pried Cassie away from her self-pitying thoughts. They exited the car, and Monique continued to prattle the rest of the way back to her apartment. Then she quickly changed, grabbed a banana off the counter, and was off in a flurry of energy.
The moment the door closed, Cassie leaned against the back of the small, cherry red sofa. Outside, horns blared, voices shouted, and engines roared, but the apartment had never felt quieter. Cassie looked around, wondering what to do. Read a book? Take a bubble bath? Watch a movie? Go to sleep early so she could cross one more day off her calendar? Too bad she wasn’t remotely tired.
She pushed away from the sofa and yanked open the freezer door, grabbing the half-gallon-sized container of cookie dough ice cream she kept for her missing-Noah-like-crazy moments. It made her feel closer to him somehow. She liked to imagine him eating the mint version and thinking of her at the same time. She pressed the frozen container against her perspiring forehead as she grabbed a spoon from the drawer.
After the second bite, a ringing sounded, and for a second, Cassie thought it was coming from outside. But then she realized it was her phone. Almost frantically, she dropped the spoon and dug through her purse, searching for it like it was a lifeline. When her fingers finally closed around it, she pulled it out, hoping she’d see Noah’s name on the screen. But it wasn’t him.
She tried to keep the disappointment out of her voice as she answered. “Hey, Mom.”
“I’m just calling to check in on you,” said her mother. “I haven’t heard from you this week.”
“Sorry. Monique keeps me busy,” said Cassie. “But things are good.”
“You don’t sound good.”
“It’s only because I have a headache.”
A pause. “It sounds worse than a headache.”
Her mother was too perceptive. “Okay, so maybe I’m feeling a little homesick tonight. But that’s normal, right?”
“Homesick for whom?”
“My family.”
“Which one?”
“Ours. Yours. Dad’s. The only family I have.”
“Liar.”
“Mom!”
“Honey, I’m sorry, but you went two years without much contact with any of us. You can’t re
ally expect me to believe that after only two weeks you’re homesick.”
Cassie slumped against the back of her chair. She really hated it when her mother called her out like this.
“You miss Noah, don’t you?”
“Maybe.”
A quiet chuckle sounded. “Honey, what are you doing there? I mean, really.”
“I’m getting away. I’m giving us a much needed break.”
“I didn’t realize you were in need of a break.”
Cassie was quiet. She hadn’t told anyone about Noah’s impromptu proposal and wasn’t sure she wanted to. But how else could she explain? “Things were just moving… too fast.”
“You were only dating.”
“He proposed, Mom,” the words came out before Cassie could swallow them whole. Why had she said that?
Silence. And then, “When?”
“A while ago. Before you met him. Which is the whole point. He hadn’t even met my family and he proposed. Who does that?”
“Your father.”
“What?”
Her mom chuckled again. “It only took him five weeks.”
“Are you joking?”
“Nope.”
Why hadn’t Cassie heard this before? Why hadn’t she asked? “What did you say?”
“Yes, of course. I was head over heels in love with that man. And we were married two months later.”
Two months plus five weeks equaled just over three months. Her mom had only known her dad for three months? Cassie suddenly felt like she’d just discovered a deep, dark, family secret. “What did Aunt Jane say?”
“She thought I was crazy. And maybe I was. But being in love makes you do crazy things, and that’s okay. I kind of like how my life turned out.”
Cassie breathed in deeply, allowing this new revelation to settle in her mind. Her parents were so good together. So happy. So lucky. Not many couples could get away with dating only three months and still be married forty years later.
“How did you know it would last?”
“I didn’t,” her mother answered. “I knew I loved him. I knew he made me happy. I knew I connected with him in a way I’d never connected with anyone else. I knew I wanted to marry him. And that was it. The rest we had to work out along the way.”
“You didn’t feel like it was all happening too fast?”
“Of course I did. I nearly backed out three or four times.”
“Dad too?”
“Heavens no. You know your father. Once he makes a decision there’s no changing his mind. He decided he wanted to marry me, and that was that.”
“Wow.” Like mother, like daughter. “If you were that nervous about it, why did you go through with it?”
A heavy sigh sounded on the other line. “Honestly? I had no reason not to. There were no red flags with your father. He was a good man, and I loved him. So I took a leap of faith and married him. Scariest day of my life.”
Cassie laughed, but when thoughts of her failed marriage invaded, she soon sobered. “I didn’t think there were any red flags with Landon either.”
“On, there were plenty. Believe me. You just didn’t want to see or hear about them from anyone else.”
Wasn’t that the truth. Cassie had been so blind. So naïve. So ready to walk down the aisle and say “I do” to the man of her dreams. But everything about Landon had been superficial. Cassie’s dreams had been superficial. Find a handsome, debonair man, and it will follow that he’s also kind and good and wonderful.
Yeah right.
“Cassie?” Her mom’s voice cut into her thoughts. “You still there?”
“Sorry. I was just thinking about how stupid I used to be.”
“‘Used to’ being the operative phrase.”
Once again, her mother was right. From the beginning with Noah, Cassie had looked for more in him than suave or debonair. She’d looked for depth and sincerity and humor and kindness. His hard work ethic had impressed her, along with the close relationship he had with his daughters. Noah was the whole package. The whole, red-flagless package. Nothing should be keeping her from saying yes and walking down that aisle.
Nothing.
So why was she here?
“He called the other day,” said her mother.
“Who? Noah?”
“Yes. He was wondering if I knew of anyone who might be interested in watching his daughters for the summer. I guess his current sitter isn’t working out.”
Cassie sat up straighter. “What about Emma and Becky?”
“Who?”
“His sister and neighbor.”
A pause. “He didn’t say anything about them. Only that he needed someone to start next week. That’s all I know. I felt terrible because I couldn’t think of anyone. After all he’s done to help us fix things around the house over the past several weeks, I—”
“Mom, I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go,” said Cassie as she slammed the lid back on the ice cream. “I have to make some calls.”
“To Noah?”
Cassie smiled at the hope in her mother’s voice—hope that had never been there with Landon. “No. I need to find another teacher for my class so Monique doesn’t kill me. I’m coming home.”
Noah drove home from work as fast as he dared. One of the more talkative homeowners had dropped by the job site at quitting time and engaged Noah in conversation. He’d tried to be polite, but after twenty minutes and still no wrapping up in sight, Noah had finally excused himself.
The light ahead of him turned yellow, and Noah punched on the gas, breezing through the intersection as it turned red. He rubbed his bleary eyes, hating that he was late. Hating that homeowner for making him late. And hating the fact that Adi and Kajsa didn’t like their new babysitter.
In the two weeks since summer vacation had begun, his daughters had been through two. Sam’s friend had been the first attempt, but she’d been more interested in socializing with her friends than playing with his daughters. So he’d replaced her with the niece of one of Becky’s clients—Kelly, a girl who felt the need to text him about every little thing.
Kajsa wants to wear her boots to the park. Is that okay?
Adi spilled grape juice all over the family room floor. How do I get it out?
Kajsa and Adi want to go to their Aunt Emma’s for a few minutes. Can I let them?
Noah couldn’t handle all the interruptions anymore—or the concern that Adi and Kajsa would sneak off to Emma’s because they’d rather be with a bed-ridden aunt than the babysitter.
His truck lurched into the driveway and squealed to a halt. Seconds later, he was out the door and in his house.
“Sorry I’m late,” he blurted before he realized he was talking to no one. The front room and kitchen were empty.
Voices and giggles sounded from down the hall, and Noah hesitated. Giggles? Did he really just hear his girls giggle? Were they actually having fun with Kelly? Come to think of it, Noah hadn’t gotten a text from her anytime in the past—he glanced at his phone—two hours. Was it a sign that Kelly might actually work out?
Please yes.
Not wanting to disrupt what sounded like a happy moment, Noah walked quietly down the hall, pausing outside his girls’ door. Through the crack, he saw the backs of three heads from the other side of Kajsa’s bed—one blond, one brown, and one strawberry blond. Was Kelly’s hair that color? Noah couldn’t remember, which was strange, because it looked so much like Cassie’s that he would have noticed.
“This is me at this really cool mall called The Galleria. And that’s Monique hanging from a tree in a huge park called Memorial Park. You should see it. It makes your neighborhood park look teeny tiny.”
Noah froze. Cassie was here. Now. Six weeks ahead of schedule. Was Noah imagining things?
“It’s kind of blurry, but that’s me in front of the Water Wall. It’s the largest, man-made fountain in America. It’s pretty amazing.”
“What’s that?” Kajsa said, pointing to something on Cass
ie’s phone.
“Only the most amazing burger place ever. One day I’m going to take you both there so you can try their steak fries. But not during the summer. We’ll go in January when the climate is more reasonable.”
“Will you really take us?” asked Adi. “All the way to Texas?”
“Of course, silly.” Cassie tickled her, and another giggle sounded. “I never make promises I don’t intend to keep. Maybe we can go to a play while we’re there.”
“Can Daddy come too?”
Cassie paused, and her voice quieted. Noah had to strain to hear the words. “I would love it if he did.”
Something that felt like hope swelled in Noah’s heart. He pushed the door open all the way, and a floorboard creaked when he stepped inside the room. All three heads spun to face him.
“Daddy!” Adelynn hopped up on the bed, looking happier than he’d seen her since summer vacation began. “Look who’s here.”
“Guess what?” Kajsa said. “Cassie got to go on a horseback ride through the country. I’m so jealous.”
“Pretty crazy,” Noah said with his eyes locked on Cassie. She looked beautiful with her hair framing her face in soft, silky curls. He wanted to run his fingers through it and hold her close.
But why was she here? Was this just a weekend trip home?
Cassie stood and nervously smoothed down her denim skirt. “Why didn’t you tell me Emma was put on bed rest?”
“Um…”
“He got strangers to watch us,” Adelynn said, sounding outraged. “Strangers.”
“They wouldn’t have been strangers for long if they’d done a decent job,” Noah muttered.
Cassie walked around the bed and stopped in front of him. “You should have called. I would have—”
“What? Walked out on Monique?”
“Yes. That’s exactly what I would have done—what I did do. My mom called. I came as soon as I heard.”