“You’re right. My relationship to art is very primal. I suppose over the years I’ve learned to be more practical about it. It’s a business after all.” She’d learned that lesson shortly after graduating from art school and searching for an art position that would provide her with a decent income. Although it had been her dream to work with children, circumstances had forced her to alter that dream in order to keep a roof over her head. But that dream had never died. It still lingered in her heart.
“As long as you’re happy,” he responded in a low voice.
Happy? It had been a long time since she’d considered her own happiness. Did her life in Phoenix bring her joy? Yes, at times it did. She had her gallery, a group of close friends, loyal patrons and her artwork. But there was still a gaping void in her life she’d never been able to fill.
She turned toward him, admiring the strong tilt of his jaw and the masculine beauty of his face in profile. There was so much she wanted to tell him about her life and the path she’d been walking on for the past eight years. But the gap between them was too wide. They no longer had the type of relationship where such intimacies were shared.
“I still want to teach kids how to paint,” she explained, her voice sounding defensive to her own ears. “I just haven’t put the pieces together and figured out how to make that happen.”
“You will.” The simplicity of his words touched her in a place that hadn’t been breached in a very long time. He believed in her. Still, after everything that had come to pass between them. She felt a pang of longing so sharp it almost made her cry out. This is why she’d loved him. This is why she’d known at eighteen years old that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. This is why she still hadn’t been able to forget him and move past what they’d shared.
She shifted her body away from him and stared out the window, willing away the tears that she was holding at bay.
As Tate drove down Magnolia Drive, the street she grew up on, a feeling of nostalgia swept over her. So many memories were created on this very street—setting up lemonade stands with Regina and Jenna, selling Girl Scout cookies door to door with Holly and riding her bicycle with the neighborhood kids until night crept in and stamped out the sun. The street was still as impeccable as ever. A few things have changed, she realized, as she spotted a twentysomething couple pushing a stroller, as well as new construction under way on an older ranch-style home.
Tate came to a stop in front of her parents’ house. She let out a sharp intake of breath as she laid eyes on her childhood home. The white Victorian with the wraparound porch and the sea blue shutters looked exactly the same as when she’d left West Falls.
“Are you okay?” Tate reached out and placed his hand on hers. “It’s been a while since you’ve been back home. You’re bound to feel some kind of way about it.” His voice had softened, and although she longed to lean into his strong shoulders and rest her head there, she knew those days were over.
“It’s a little overwhelming,” she admitted. “But I feel fine. This is going to sound crazy, but it almost feels as if time stood still while I’ve been gone. I suppose that’s the beauty of having a place to call home. It seems like it was just yesterday that I was here, running out the front door to meet up with you or scrambling to get to school on time. I can’t believe it’s been so long.” She did her best to keep her voice steady and calm as the memories washed over her. Tears pooled in her eyes as she gazed at the place where she’d grown up. Home.
“Eight years is a long time, Cass. Give yourself a chance to soak it all in.” His words were warm and encouraging, serving as a memory of everything she’d left behind. Hearth and home. The people who loved her. The life she could have had with Tate.
As she stepped from the car, Cassidy’s eyes were drawn to the maple tree—it was still standing in the side yard, majestic and strong. A strong memory tugged at her—climbing up this tree with Regina and Holly while Jenna stood on the ground and watched. It had always been her father’s favorite tree, while her mother had favored the birch tree in the back yard. A few flowers were in full bloom in the garden on the side of the house—vibrant bluebells and white roses.
Tate pulled her luggage from the car and deposited it next to the walkway. He walked over and joined her in the side yard where she was admiring the garden.
“You know, I used to think you had the perfect life. Your father was the pastor of the biggest church in town. Your Mama was so devoted to your family. She reminded me of one of those perfect TV moms. And you...” His voice hitched a little and a wistful look settled on his face. “You were everything. Cheerleader. Prettiest girl in town. Prom queen. Beloved by all.”
Cassidy shook her head, lightly fingering one of the roses. “It was never perfect. I know it may have looked that way, but there were a lot of cracks in the veneer. And then those cracks turned into major fissures.” She let out a huff of air. “Being the pastor’s daughter was exhausting. I loved being a member of the congregation, but everyone in town expected so much from me, including my father. There was so much pressure to be perfect. I had to wear the right thing, say the right thing, do the right thing. And when I fell from my pedestal....” Her voice got small and a tightness seized her chest as the painful memories washed over her. “Well, I fell pretty hard. I was the town pariah.”
Cassidy looked up at Tate, and their gazes locked. He clenched his jaw tightly, his eyes swirling with turbulent emotions. A heaviness lingered in the air between them.
“You should consider yourself fortunate that we didn’t get married. I doubt you would’ve made sheriff if you’d been married to me.” She tossed the words out in a flippant tone, desperate to mask the hurt and pain that he’d uncovered.
The hurt and pain, she’d long ago realized, was always there hovering beneath the surface, waiting to rise up at moments like this.
Tate’s expression turned dark, and he gritted his teeth. “Like I said before, becoming Sheriff wasn’t my only dream.” He took a step closer to her. “And for the record, I’ve never considered it a blessing that you didn’t want to marry me.”
Her eyes widened. “Tate! It wasn’t—”
The sound of a slamming car door interrupted them and drew their attention to a dark stylish vehicle parked in front of her parents’ house. For a brief moment she wondered if someone had stopped by after hearing of her return to town. She began to bite her lower lip. Perhaps it was someone who wanted to yell at her. She squared her shoulders, lifted her chin a few inches higher and prepared herself for battle.
Lord, give me the grace and courage to greet my enemies with a smile.
A tall, broad-shouldered woman dressed in a red sundress came into view, a big bouquet of flowers cradled in her arms. With her brunette pixie hairstyle and round face, she was instantly recognizable from where Cassidy stood in the driveway. Although it had been years since she’d seen her cousin Regina, a sense of familiarity swept over her at the sight.
“This day just keeps getting better and better,” Cassidy muttered.
Tate raised an eyebrow. “I think I should stick around for this.” He edged a little closer to her so that their elbows were touching.
Regina took off her sunglasses and squinted in their direction. “Cassidy? Is that you?”
“Hi, Regina. It’s nice to see you.”
“Regina.” Tate tipped his cowboy hat in her direction. “How are things?”
Regina walked toward them with her mouth hanging open. As always, she tended to be on the dramatic side. “What are you doing here, Cassidy?” Her eyes pivoted to Tate. “And why is Tate here?”
Well, hello to you too, cousin. She didn’t quite know what to make of her cousin’s blunt questions. Why hadn’t her parents told Regina she was coming home? Years ago they’d hung out in the same social circle and had been the best of friends. Occasionally they�
�d struggled with petty jealousies and rivalries. But they’d been close, whispering secrets in Cassidy’s bedroom well after her mother called for lights out. Now Regina was staring at her as if she was as unwelcome as a raging thunderstorm on a summer’s day.
She took a deep breath, reminding herself that Regina sometimes had a gruff approach that hid a softer, more vulnerable side.
“I’m here to be with my mother,” she explained in a calm voice.
“Does she know you’re coming?” Regina asked.
“Of course she does. She asked me to come home,” she answered. Regina’s comments were making her feel like an outsider.
Regina’s eyes widened. “She did?”
“Yes, I am her daughter after all. Who better to nurse her back to health than me?”
“Enough with all the questions,” Tate said pointedly, his eyes flashing warning signs. “Cassidy’s had a long day that ended with her car breaking down over by the church. You can save the interrogation for later.”
Relief swept through her, and she shot him a look of gratitude. Dealing with her cousin wasn’t always easy. Somehow Tate had always possessed a knack for being able to handle her.
Regina turned to Tate, her eyes filled with remorse. Her voice softened. “I’m sorry. I was just so surprised to see the two of you together after all this time. I had no idea Cassidy was coming back to town, so it was a little jarring running into her out of the blue like that.”
Cassidy sighed. “My car broke down right outside Main Street Church. Thankfully Tate drove by a few minutes later. He called the auto shop and gave me a ride over here.”
Regina grinned. “That’s our sheriff. Always riding to the rescue.”
Cassidy didn’t miss the way Regina leaned toward Tate and playfully jabbed him with her elbow. She felt a twinge of irritation. Some things never change. Regina had always been a little bit of a flirt. She wasn’t proud of it, but she’d always been a tad jealous of the playful interaction between the two of them back in the day. A tightness constricted her chest as the realization hit her that Tate and Regina might have connected over the years, perhaps even dated. It wasn’t as if her mother ever mentioned Tate’s love life in any of her phone calls or emails since Cassidy had told her long ago that he was a taboo topic of conversation. The sole exception had been when her mother had given her the news that Tate was the new town sheriff.
Regina and Tate? No, Cassidy told herself. Tate wouldn’t do that to her. He knew that she and Regina loved each other despite their ups and downs. He wouldn’t betray her like that with her own cousin. Or would he? He’d been so angry with her when she’d called off their wedding. Although she’d tried to explain herself to him, he hadn’t wanted to hear a word of it. She remembered vividly their last moments together. When she’d ended things, Tate had slammed his fist into the barn door of his family’s ranch. His hand had been bruised and bloodied. It was the first time since she’d known him that his actions had frightened her. The look of intense anger in his eyes had chilled her to the bone and left her quaking with unsettled emotions. Love, fear, guilt. It had been so confusing dealing with all her jumbled feelings, so much so that all she’d wanted to do was leave town and all her troubles behind her in the rearview mirror.
And in doing so, she’d earned herself a permanent place in West Falls’s hall of shame.
“Tate driving by at that exact moment was a godsend,” she replied in a calm, even tone. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if he hadn’t driven by.”
Regina’s eyes twinkled. “Well, you know what they say. God works in mysterious ways.” Regina was smiling and looking back and forth between them. She was trying to insinuate that God had placed the two of them together for a reason.
Tate was shooting daggers at Regina. Clearly he hadn’t missed her innuendo and wanted nothing to do with it. Heat burned her cheeks as she turned her gaze away from Tate. It had been ages since she’d felt so embarrassed. She sent her cousin a pointed look. She wasn’t in the mood for Regina’s matchmaking. Did she seriously think that they could just walk back into each other’s arms after all this time? Didn’t she realize that the truth about the accident stood between them like a wedge?
The sound of a car crunching on the pebbled driveway caused them to turn away from each other and focus instead on the gray sedan idling in the driveway. With her heart in her throat Cassidy watched her father exit the car and scramble around to the passenger side, where he opened the door and gingerly pulled her mother from the car. Her mother, dressed in light blue slacks and a short sleeved polo shirt, leaned on her father’s arm and walked with measured steps.
The sight of her mother walking toward her pulled at Cassidy’s heartstrings in a way that nothing else could. She was thin, she realized, so much thinner than she’d ever seen her. The color in her face was unlike her usual healthy complexion. She looked sallow and worn out. Although her father had warned her about what to expect due to the chemotherapy treatments, nothing could have prepared her for the sight of her ailing mother.
Maylene Blake had always been a beautiful woman, and she still maintained traces of that beauty, despite the illness ravaging her body. With auburn hair that fell around her shoulders, emerald-green eyes, bow shaped ruby lips and a pair of dimples that would make the angels cry, Maylene had been a Miss Texas and competed in the pageant circuit. She was wearing a wig, Cassidy noted, no doubt to mask her thinning hair and bald patches. Although her lips had lost a little color, her eyes still lit up like the bulbs on a Christmas tree as soon as she spotted Cassidy.
“Cassidy!” her mother cried out. “You’re here. Oh, the Lord is good to me.”
Cassidy took two long strides and quickly reached her mother’s side. With all the tenderness she possessed, she pulled her mother into an embrace. Her mother kissed her on the cheek and murmured thanks to the Lord for bringing her back home. The scent of her mother’s Chanel No. 5 perfume rose to her nostrils and hurtled her straight back to childhood when she’d played dress up in her mother’s closet and spritzed herself with enough of the scent to last a lifetime. She couldn’t help but feel her mother’s rail thin body through her shirt when she wrapped her arms around her. If nothing else, she was determined to cook for her mother and put some meat back on her bones.
She watched as Tate leaned down and planted a kiss on her mother’s cheek, then turned to shake her father’s hand. Genuine warmth flared between them. Her mother’s eyes twinkled as she gazed upon the man who’d been slated to be her son-in-law.
“I’m going to leave you all to your reunion,” Tate drawled, with a polite nod in her parents’ direction.
“Please come inside for some lemonade before you leave. It’s mighty hot out here,” Maylene suggested, her face lit up with a warm smile.
“No, Ma’am. Thanks for the offer, but I’ve been away from the Sheriff’s Office for a while now. I need to get back and check on things.” Tate’s firm tone brooked no argument.
“Thanks for the rescue. And the ride.” Cassidy forced herself to smile, despite the lead weight lodged in her gut. He was leaving! She wanted him to stay, to come into the house and sip lemonade with her family. More than anything, she wanted him to smile at her again, to joke with her about trivial matters and tell her his innermost thoughts. A strong force tugged at her. She wanted things to be the way they used to be.
Tate nodded curtly, his expression unreadable as he turned and walked away, his stride full of purpose.
He can’t get out of here fast enough! Her heart sank as the realization kicked in. Tate was rushing away as if his pants were on fire. Any illusions she’d been harboring about him wanting to spend time with her vanished as she watched him speed away. What did she expect? A kind deed and a few civil words didn’t change Tate’s feelings toward her. She’d seen it all in his eyes—the mistrust, the pain, the regret.
&n
bsp; As Regina rushed ahead to open up the house, her father linked her mother’s hand with his and began walking toward the door with her. Cassidy positioned herself on her mother’s right side, supporting her as she walked up the steps and onto the porch. Cassidy cast a glance backward, only to see the squad car turn off the lane and zoom out of sight.
Once inside Regina began running around fluffing up pillows, bringing bottled water and a stack of magazines to read. Cassidy watched Regina flit around the house with an ease that she envied. She battled a rising sense of irritation as her cousin played the role of doting daughter while she stood on the sidelines.
Lord, please help me to deal with these feelings of resentment. I shouldn’t be jealous of my cousin’s closeness to my parents. I should be grateful that she’s cared for them in my absence.
Gratitude was the last thing she felt as Regina clapped her hands together and cried out, “Why don’t we do one of our puzzles, Aunt Mylie? I can run to your sitting room and bring down a few.”
Her father gently pulled his niece aside and began talking to her in hushed tones, his expression earnest. Regina’s eyes widened and a look of dismay came over her face. Cassidy heard her cousin murmur, “I... Oh, of course. I really just stopped by to see how Aunt Mylie was doing. I’m sure you want to spend some quality time together.”
Regina spun around and grabbed her purse off the end table. “I’m going to go do a food run,” she said briskly. She looked at her watch. “I should get going before the shops close.”
“I’ll walk you to the door, sweetheart,” Maylene said as she patted Regina reassuringly on the back.
Regina walked over to Cassidy, wrapping her arms around her once she’d reached her side. Cassidy felt her body relax as she gave in to the rush of warm feelings. This was home. “I forgot to say welcome back, Cassidy,” Regina whispered. “I’ve missed you.”
“I missed you too,” Cassidy said in an earnest voice. And she had missed her. Terribly.
Reunited with the Sheriff Page 3