by JoAnn Durgin
Amy’s gaze softened as she looked into her eyes. “Cassie, I apologize for my brother if he acted inappropriately in any way last night. I have to ask, though—and I’m not judging—but did you spend the night with him?”
“I can’t believe this! Give me some credit for propriety.” Mitch’s tone was incredulous.
“We did spend the night together,” Cassie sputtered, “but not in the. . .biblical sense.” Oh great. That hadn’t come out right at all and would only fuel the fire. She raised her hands to her cheeks, knowing they had to be positively flaming. “After the ceremony, we—”
“What ceremony?” Amy slapped a hand on her forehead. “Please tell me this isn’t happening.”
Marc paused on the stairs with Natalie beside him. From the looks on their faces, they weren’t going anywhere.
“Mitch, a little help here, please?” Cassie stared him down.
“An English-speaking ecumenical mass marriage ceremony.” Mitch grinned in smug satisfaction.
“You didn’t!” Cassie wasn’t sure which of the women said it.
“We did not get married!” Cassie raised her voice and clenched her fists. Now everyone would think the worst since her co-hort in crime sure wasn’t doing anything to stop it. In fact, he was encouraging it. What happened to the sensitive, compassionate man who’d comforted her last night? The romantic man she’d enjoyed getting to know the past few days? Apparently, he’d gone missing.
Winnie pushed forward to stand beside Cassie, slipping an arm around her shoulders and squeezing. “Cassie’s important and special to all of us. We can’t allow you to disregard her feelings like this and take your smooth New York manners back to the big city along with our friend’s good reputation and virtue.”
“I’d never do that, Winnie.” Mitch lowered his voice, but the set of his jaw hardened. “Cassie and I need to make plans. She’s an incredible woman and I care for her. I definitely want to see her again after this weekend.” Stopping, Mitch stared at Winnie, open-mouthed. “Wait a second. Did you say her virtue?”
“Yes, I believe I did.” Winnie gave him a defiant stare.
Mitch’s jaw gaped. “Anyone else in this room have a comment about that, too?”
Amy put one hand on his arm. “Mitch, you know how much I love you—how much we all love you—but if you did something reckless, I hope you intend to make this right. Think of Cassie, after all.”
“Make what right, exactly? Now isn’t the time to turn puritanical on me, little sister. That has got to be one of the most ironic things you’ve ever said considering you barely knew Landon before you were kissing him from Baton Rouge to Texas and points in-between, not to mention spending the night with him.”
“Let’s leave me out of this, shall we?” Amy said. “Completely different situation. We didn’t have a choice in the matter.”
“Well, to be fair, he is right,” Winnie said.
Cassie felt the urge to say something. She couldn’t stand idly by and let Mitch take the brunt of Amy’s anger. She cleared her throat and squared her shoulders. “I was a party to what happened yesterday, too, you know. Not that anything happened.”
Inhaling a deep breath, she was determined to get it out and not stop until she was done. “If you must know, we fell asleep. Together. As in next to each other. Fully clothed. All night. And that’s all. End of discussion.” She hoped the indignation in her tone would convey her disappointment in their assumptions.
“Thank you, Cassie.” Mitch shot her a grateful glance. “Now maybe the sanctimonious finger pointing can stop”—he glared at Amy—“since some in this room seem to automatically assume the worst about me.”
Amy raised her hands. “You have to admit it looks bad, sneaking back into the house this early in the morning. You didn’t answer your phones last night, and none of us knew where you were.” She stopped and drew in a breath. “My point being, there are consequences for your actions.”
“We know that.” Both she and Mitch said it in unison. At least they were in sync about something. A positive sign. If ever a morning could be erased off the slate of time and repeated, this would be the one.
The kitchen door swung open. “Someone care to explain what’s going on?”
Sam.
Mitch’s face drained of color as he slowly turned around. Cassie almost wished she was prone to fainting so she could escape this madness although Sam’s calm authority and presence gave her a sense of relief. He might give them a stern lecture, and they’d deserve it, but he’d be fair and truthful. And Lexa would encourage and support her, as she always did. If anyone understood being young and impetuous, it was Lexa.
Putting his keys in the bowl on the hall table, Sam removed his suit jacket and tossed it over the nearest armchair. “I think we’d better take this into my study. All of you, come with me.”
Rebekah, Kevin, Lexa and Josh filed in behind Sam from the kitchen, also dressed in business attire. Cassie collapsed against her as Rebekah wrapped her arm around her shoulders. “Are you okay? What’s going on?”
“Long story,” Cassie mumbled, leaning her head on Rebekah’s shoulder.
Mitch gently pulled her aside with a pleading look in his eyes. “When this is over, we need to talk privately.”
“I think you’ve done enough talking for now. But. . .you’re right.” Cassie moved ahead of him into Sam’s spacious study, plopping down on the floor in front of the loveseat where Kevin and Rebekah were seated. The day had only begun and she felt like she’d already hiked a mountain. Somehow she knew she wouldn’t be skipping down the other side of that mountain.
“Have a seat wherever you can find one,” Sam told them. “I’ll bring in more chairs if we need them.”
“I’d better go check on the kids,” Lexa said. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“They’re fine,” Natalie told her. “Chloe and Joe are up reading together. Gracie, the twins and Luke are still sleeping.” Lexa nodded and took a chair closest to Sam’s desk.
“Cassie, you sit here beside Rebekah.” Kevin helped her up and then perched on the arm of the loveseat next to his wife. Thanking Kevin, Cassie noted Mitch sat on the floor with his back resting against the sofa where Marc and Natalie sat huddled close together on one end, Josh and Winnie on the other. Amy took the chair near the loveseat while Landon sat on the floor at her feet.
Cassie cleared her throat. “I’d better call Marta or Gayle and ask one of them to open the office.”
Winnie shook her head. “The answering service will pick up any calls and we don’t have any scheduled appointments. It’ll be fine until we can get there a little later this morning.”
“This is more important right now.” Lexa’s voice was quiet but firm. “Seems this group has some things we need to discuss. Clear the air.”
Sam locked his hands together on top of his desk and looked around the room at all of them in turn. “The first thing we need to do is pray. Let’s ask the Lord to search our hearts, and to guard our minds and tongues as we air our grievances”—he focused on Amy and then Mitch—“or whatever we feel the need to say. I’d encourage you to be open in sharing, but let’s try to do it in a non-confrontational way in the spirit of truth and uplifting one another.”
Amen, Cassie thought even before Sam began his prayer.
Chapter 22
How could Mitch have allowed his temper to take over? What started out as a completely innocent situation had snowballed out of control because of his thoughtless words and careless actions. Lord, forgive me. What an idiot I’ve been.
Seeing Cassie’s deep frown, he wanted to cross the room and sit beside her, but she might not take kindly to that gesture. Sam’s prayer appeared to have a calming effect on her. He could only hope she wouldn’t push him out of her life altogether.
“Is this an intervention of some kind?” Josh said, his voice teasing as he squeezed his shoulder. “Morning, partner. Missed you and Cassie last night. What time did you get in?
Dawn?”
“Josh, stop,” Winnie said.
Sam nodded to Mitch. “Why don’t you start by telling me what instigated such a lively discussion this morning?”
“Cassie and I decided to take a walk in the park yesterday afternoon and we happened upon a Valentine’s Day weekend mass wedding ceremony. A guy who’d been jilted by his fiancée ran into me and almost knocked me over. He was upset and threw an engagement ring and wedding band on the ground, saying he didn’t want them and we could have them. I ran after him to try and reason with him, but he got away from me and jumped in a cab. We showed the ring to a cop but he could tell the ring’s not a real diamond.” He took a deep breath. “I guess I got caught up in the moment and we play-acted part of the ceremony, but only for fun.”
“Marriage is not a laughing matter, Mitch.” Amy’s voice was calm but firm.
“I agree.”
“So do I.” Cassie nodded.
“I take full responsibility for what happened,” Mitch said. We didn’t get a marriage license, didn’t have our names on any roster. It wasn’t legal in any sense of the word.”
“Are you absolutely sure about that?” Landon asked.
“Yes.” No need to tell them he’d said the words “I do” out loud or wished in his heart that the ceremony had somehow been real. Still didn’t make it official. No way could saying those two little words make the ceremony valid between the two of them—with or without a marriage license. It meant absolutely nothing in legal terms, but he didn’t like the niggling doubt Landon’s question planted in his mind. “I put the engagement ring on Cassie’s finger but not the wedding band.”
Cassie lifted her chin and looked over at him. “I didn’t say the vows out loud or in my heart.”
Mitch lowered his gaze to the floor, stung by her words. What could he realistically expect? He’d take what he could get and be grateful Cassie didn’t seem to hate his guts. A lot of women would have a short fuse and kick him to the curb. Then again, in all the best ways, Cassie wasn’t anything like any other woman. It was true what he’d told her. She was a treasure.
“Cassie would never act so rashly of her own volition,” Rebekah said. Kevin put his hand on her shoulder and she reached for him.
“So, you didn’t get married but Cassie’s wearing a diamond. To each his own, but what’s the big deal here? Did something else happen?” Marc was in boss mode and he checked his watch. “We’ve got a plane to catch back to Boston in a few hours. Let’s get all the cards out on the table, shall we? Sorry to be blunt, Mitch, but did you two get a hotel room or spend the night together? Not that it hasn’t been done before by some in this room.” That last comment was mumbled under his breath but still loud enough to hear.
Winnie gasped and Mitch angled his body so he could better see the occupants of the sofa.
“Uncalled for, Thompson.” Josh’s voice sounded tight and irritated. “Say what you might about me, but have the guts to say it to my face in private. And don’t bring my wife into it.”
“Sorry. Only stating a truth as I know it,” Marc muttered.
“What happened between them is no one’s business but their own,” Kevin said.
“Thank you for the voice of reason.” Mitch slapped his hand on his thigh. When Cassie gave him a look, he shrugged and gave her a sheepish grin.
“Marc, you’ve got my loyalty forever for pulling my sister out of that creek in Montana,” Josh said, “but it doesn’t give you the inherent right to say hurtful things.” He glanced around the room. “Might as well set the record straight since we’re among friends and this seems to be the time for confessions. Everyone in this room knows my less-than-stellar past. I’ve confessed my transgressions and sins to the Lord and He’s forgiven me. I’ve also tried my level best to make it right, as much as humanly possible, with those I’ve wronged. Even so, I get the impression some of you believe I took advantage of Sheila in the San Antonio work camp. That stops now. You have my word that nothing happened.”
“I have to say, I’m relieved to hear you say that,” Rebekah said.
Josh shot his sister a look. “Wow. Really, Beck? You, too?”
“You know I’ll defend you to the ends of the earth, Josh, but there was always the tiniest doubt in my mind. You gave Sheila the money from the safe, though, right?”
“Yes. I felt sorry for her when she came to me with the story of Howard. She needed money to get away from him and I borrowed the money with the full intention of telling Sam the next day. But in his infinite wisdom, Sam tossed me out of the work camp before I had the opportunity. I know I should have mailed the money back to him when I got home, but I was too embarrassed and, frankly, too lost in sin. When I came to Houston to ask Sam’s forgiveness, I gave him a check to cover the debt with a greatly inflated interest rate.”
“As I told Josh, Sheila repaid that debt a long time ago.” Sam smiled. “But I accepted the check as a TeamWork donation.”
“Not to get off-track, but how are Sheila and Angelina now? And Howard?” Natalie asked.
“We see Sheila and Angelina a few times a year,” Lexa said. “Sheila’s a social worker and helps place foster children. Angelina’s a teenager, very pretty, and a good student. She’s come into her own and isn’t nearly as shy and she’s been a big help and emotional support for her mama.”
Sam’s voice was low when he spoke again. “As far as I know, Howard never laid another hand on Sheila. He spent a lot of time behind bars, but he was shot and killed a few years ago in a botched robbery attempt.” Regret hung heavy in his words. “Sheila never divorced him and he tried to be a good father to Angelina, but he battled strong addictions and couldn’t seem to keep himself out of trouble.”
Hearing that, Mitch shot a look at Cassie and her eyes met his. From what he knew, her father didn’t battle addictions. No, that was her mother’s problem. Cassie looked so small and vulnerable, and he was thankful the attention had shifted from them to the others in the group. Maybe this was a good thing, clearing the air of long-held assumptions. Hopefully, that would be the end of it as far as he and Cassie were concerned although he figured Amy would have a few more choice words.
Mitch heard tears from Natalie. She had her head on Marc’s shoulder. “We’d like to ask you all to pray about something with us, if you would,” she said.
“Of course,” Rebekah said, echoed by the other ladies and a few of the men.
“We’ve been trying to have another baby for over a year. I’ll admit, sometimes it’s hard to be around the rest of you when you’re such Fertile Myrtles or whatever.” She wiped beneath her eyes as a tear slipped down her cheek. “I can’t believe we’ve made it through an entire weekend together without someone making the announcement they’re pregnant.”
“Maybe the Lord wants you to focus on the one you have for now.”
Mitch raised a brow at that comment from Cassie, of all people.
“Maybe you shouldn’t call her Princess all the time. That only feeds into the whole entitlement idea. Besides, not everyone has the privilege of growing up in a wealthy Connecticut town or being able to attend Wellesley,” Winnie said with a pointed look at Natalie.
“As opposed to your daughter who talks about princesses all the time?” Natalie shot back. “Winnie, you didn’t even tell Josh he had a daughter for four years. He had a right to know he was a father.”
“I can’t believe you said that,” Winnie shot back. “I had my reasons. It was all very…complicated.”
Marc rubbed one hand over his face. “Winnie, it’s obvious Chloe inherited your tendency to hen-peck and mother everyone. Not that it’s not a good thing. You keep us in line, and we love you for it. But can we please leave our children out of this? Look, don’t you think we know Gracie’s spoiled? We’re working on it. Maybe it’s my fault. I work hard at my agency to provide a nice life for my family, and I do a pretty decent job of it.”
“No one’s questioning your work ethic. It’s above reproa
ch,” Josh snapped. “But maybe if you spent a little less time in the office and more time at home, Gracie would have a younger brother or sister by now.”
“For once I’m going to have the good sense to restrain myself.” Marc snarled out that comment.
Natalie laced her fingers through Marc’s. “I think when we relax and try not to think about it, we might actually be able to get pregnant again.” She patted her husband’s arm. “Stop picking on Josh. He’s a good man and God’s grace allowed him to make a beautiful family together with Chloe and Winnie.” Tears welled in her eyes again as she glanced at Winnie. “And now Luke. You’re so blessed.”
“We need to let our girls have their tea parties, play with dolls and indulge in the idea of being a princess while they’re young,” Lexa said, most likely trying to keep the peace and stem more outbursts. “As long as we keep it all in perspective of being a princess in the eyes of the Lord. Real life will come fast enough. Natalie, honey, I’m sure the Lord will bless you and Marc with more children. Medically speaking, there’s no reason you can’t, right?”
“Right.” That emphatic word came from Marc.
Mitch ducked his head between his propped legs to hide his grin. Marc sure wanted everyone to know he was the man.
“Maybe we should all be praying instead for Kevin and Rebekah to have their first baby,” Marc said. “Hopefully, it won’t take him as long to be a father as it did for him to speak up—”
“Enough.” Natalie said, silencing her husband with that single word.