Engaging (Alluring Book 2)

by Sarah Curtis

  Cassie had to speak up to be heard. "The faucet's back here." She made her way down the center aisle, pausing occasionally to say hi to one of her little friends. She picked up the new faucet from the grooming table where she had placed it earlier and handed it to Gage.

  "How long have you been working here?"

  Without thinking Cassie said, "Four years."

  "Is that why you dropped out of school?"

  Cassie's gaze snapped to his. "How do you know I dropped out of school?"

  Gage shrugged. "When I was on tour, I couldn't stop thinking about you. I realized what a huge mistake I made. I tried calling, but your number had been disconnected. I came back to town as soon as I could, but you had disappeared, and the school had no contact info on you. I went to your apartment, but you and your friend had moved out, and the people who lived there didn't know where you went."

  Cassie looked at him, not saying a word. The implications of what he'd said were mind altering. But then she thought back. For two months, after he'd left, she'd had that phone. For two months, he could have called her. And for two months, he didn't. Too little, too late buddy.

  Cassie snatched the faucet out of his hand. "You need to leave."

  Gage took the faucet back. "I'm not leaving now that I've finally found you."

  Cassie tried to grab the faucet back, but he held it out of her reach. "You're being childish," Cassie said, crossing her arms over her chest.

  "No, I'm being honest. I've waited five years for this opportunity, and I'm not fucking it up again like I did last time."

  "The problem with that," Cassie said, uncrossing her arms, "is it takes two people for a relationship and you've only got one."

  "Are you seeing someone else?"

  "What? No," Cassie said, automatically, without thinking how her response would sound.

  Gage gave her a huge grin. "Then I don't see a problem."

  Cassie glared. "The problem is, I don't want anything to do with you. Been there, done that. Now, I want you to leave." When he just stood there, staring at her, she said, "Fine, I'll leave."

  "When did you become so stubborn?" Gage asked, trying to close the distance between them, but Cassie kept him at bay with her next words.

  "September 25, 2010."

  * * * * *

  Gage watched Cassie walk away. He thought back slowly realizing September 27 was the day he'd left to go on tour and it had been two days prior that he had broken up with her. That she knew that date so quickly off the top of her head, caused a deep ache in his chest in the vicinity of his heart and a sharp pain in his stomach.

  He'd fucked up with her, but fate had given him a second chance. A chance he didn't plan to pass up or screw up.

  He went outside, attached the new faucet, turned the water back on, then tested the faucet for leaks. As he made his way to his car, he thought about his next plan of action. He needed an in. He knew he fucked up five years ago, and he needed to prove he was sincere in wanting her and not fucking up again. It would take time to convince her, and she wouldn't trust him easily, but he hoped her heart wasn't totally hardened against him. If there were any kind of crack, he would wedge himself in, stay planted, and never let her go.

  He'd give her a little time but not much. And then he would come for her. And she had better watch out.

  September 25, 2010

  They lay in bed, Cassie's head resting on Gage's chest, his arm wrapped around her back, and his hand stroking along her hip. She let out a long sigh.

  "What's on your mind, Sunshine?"

  "You leave in two days. I'm going to miss you." She felt his body stiffen, and she raised her head to look at him. He rested with his head on the pillow, his free arm raised, and his hand tucked beneath his head. He wasn't looking at her, his eyes were directed at the ceiling. "Gage?" She said, in a small voice. A voice she'd never heard herself utter before. Her stomach started knotting, and her breathing grew shallow. She did not like the look on his face.

  "Right," he said, finally bringing his eyes to hers. "Been meaning to talk to you about this, but the time never seemed right."

  "I don't understand." Cassie pulled herself out of his arms, using the sheet to cover herself.

  "Long-distance relationships don't work." He got up from the bed, grabbed his jeans off the floor, and threw them on.

  "Have you been in one to know?" Cassie asked, pulling the sheet around her tighter. Her nose started to tickle, and her eyes grew damp. She knew where this conversation would lead.

  Gage shook his head. "No, but other members of the band have and things never ended well."

  "I see." But she didn't see. "So you're not even willing to give it a chance."

  "Look, Cass, I like you, a lot. You are special and in six months when I'm done with my tour I'll come back, and we'll see if we can pick this thing up where we left off."

  "This thing?" She said, rather shrilly. She took a calming breath. Getting angry wouldn't solve anything. She slowly got off the bed, the sheet still wrapped around her, making her movements awkward. She scooped her clothes off the floor and walked into the bathroom. She emerged a few minutes later fully dressed.

  Gage had finished dressing as well and sat on the side of the bed, waiting. He looked up when she reentered the bedroom. "I'm not trying to hurt you, Sunshine. I'm trying to make things easier."

  "Easier for you or me? Is this so you don't have to feel guilty if you cheat on me?"

  "I'm doing this so neither of us has to worry about anything. It's easier for both of us. And when I get back, if what we had was real, we'll know it."

  "I see." But again, she didn't see. She picked up her purse and threw it over her shoulder.

  Gage stood from the bed. "Where are you going?"

  She gave him a bitter laugh but didn't answer him. Instead, she said, "You know, life isn't always easy. Sometimes it's hard. Relationships are hard, but if you care about a person enough, you make it work however, hard things may get. I understand now. I just don't mean enough to you, which is a shame because you mean the world to me." She took a calming breath then looked him straight in the eyes. "I already thought what we had was real. I'm sorry you never figured that out."

  With that, she left the bedroom, walked out the front door of Gage's apartment that he'd rented for the three months that he was in town, and put herself in her car. All the while waiting for Gage to come running after her, telling her she was right, and begging for her forgiveness. It was a futile wait, for he never showed. And that's when she felt the first tear fall. Many more soon followed.

  "It's time for you to get your ass out of that bed even if I have to drag you out kicking and screaming."

  Cassie pulled her head from under the covers, squinting her eyes in the harsh light. Monica stood in her bedroom doorway. "What time is it?" Cassie asked, slowly sitting up. Her body felt like it had been hit by a mack truck.

  "Time to get your ass in the shower. You've got class in an hour and you've already missed a week. I'm not letting you miss any more."

  Cassie made her way to the bathroom. "Okay, you win. Give me a half hour."

  Cassie relished the shower's hot spray hitting her itchy scalp. Her hair was in dire need of a wash. She allowed herself one last cry over the fact that Gage hadn't tried to call her this whole last week, then promised herself those were the last tears she would shed for him. She picked up the soap and washed the last trace of his scent from her skin and wished it was as easy to wash him from her mind.

  She would survive. Everyone had to deal with heartache once in their life. She just got hers over with early. She had given Gage her virginity, and he had
given her the door. Lesson learned. Do not rinse and repeat. She turned off the water and dried herself with a towel before stepping out of the shower.

  Being the end of September, it would be a hot day, but Cassie slipped on a pair of jeans anyway, not wanting to shave her legs. She threw her long, wet hair into a bun, brushed her teeth, didn't bother with make-up, and left the bathroom.

  Monica waited for her outside the door. "I'm only gonna say this once, then we're never talking about him again," she started. "I took down all my posters of him, threw out all their CD's, and erased all their songs from my iPod."

  Cassie threw her arms around her best friend and burst into tears. Okay, that was the last time she would cry.

  "What does it say?" Monica yelled, through the bathroom door.

  Cassie sat on the closed toilet lid, staring at the plastic stick she held in her hand. A tiny plus sign stared back at her. She slowly stood, went to the door, and opened it. Slightly dazed, she looked at her friend and held up the evidence of her undoing. "Positive."

  Monica looked at her with sad eyes. "What are you gonna do?"

  Cassie shrugged and looked back at the stick she held in her hand. "I don't know."

  "Are you gonna tell him?"

  Cassie shook her head. "No. He didn't want me. I highly doubt he wants our baby." Cassie looked at Monica. If anything, her eyes looked even sadder. "It's okay Mon, I'll get through this."

  Monica shook her head. "No, we'll get through this."

  Cassie gave her a bright smile. "Come on, let's get a burger. I'm starved."

  Monica laughed with her. "Well, you are eating for two."

  Chapter Three

  May 18, 2015

  "Who's a pretty boy?" Cassie murmured, into the ear of the pit bull she was crouched next to, scratching him behind the neck.

  The Las Vegas Animal Care and Control had phoned her this morning letting her know they had a pickup of three pit bull terriers. Their owner, Jeremy Beckett, had been arrested for animal cruelty and illegal dog fighting. Cassie rehabilitated fighting dogs and set them up as companion dogs for disabled Vets and Vets that suffered from PTSD, so Animal Care called her specifically when fighting dogs came into the facility.

  She also had a hotline on her website for people to report illegal dog fighting activity, and she regularly shared that information with Animal Care. She was slowly making a name for herself in the community as the one to contact when a fighting dog needed a new home.

  "Thanks for coming out so quick," Doug Peters, one of the animal control officers that assisted in rescuing the dogs from the dog fighting operation, said.

  Cassie had known Doug for about a year, since he started working for Animal Care and Control. "No problem. I know you guys are almost at full capacity right now."

  "Yeah, we've been calling all the local rescues in the area, hoping they can help out." He gave a smile and a nod. "Come on, I'll help you out to your truck with these guys."

  Cassie opened the back door to her SUV, and Doug lifted each dog onto the seat.

  "Thanks," Cassie said, closing the door.

  Doug stuck his hands in his rear jean pockets, looked at the ground, and kicked a rock with the toe of his shoe. "Look Cassie," Doug looked back up at her, "I know I asked you out a few months ago and you said no, but now that we know each other a little better, I was hoping if I asked you again your answer might be different."

  Cassie's first thought was to say no, again. She never dated, ever. Not since Gage. But she paused. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to go out with Doug. Her aunt told her all the time that she needed to go out with people her own age and mingle (her words).

  Cassie gave Doug a smile. "I'd like that." Cassie told herself her decision had absolutely nothing to do with Gage being back in town (yeah, and pigs actually really do fly).

  Doug gave her a big grin. He really was cute with shaggy, brown hair, dark-brown eyes, and a really great smile. His nose was a little large, but it fit his face, and he had a nice laugh. "Great. Is Friday night good for you?"

  "Friday night's perfect."

  He gave her another one of his great smiles. "I'll pick you up at the ranch. Seven o'clock okay?"

  "Seven will be fine." Cassie rounded the hood of her truck and opened the driver's side door. "I'll see you then." She hopped in the truck and gave Doug a small wave before pulling away.

  "Hallelujah!" This was her aunt's response to Cassie's announcement that she had a date Friday night and asking if she could watch Logan. "This change of heart wouldn't have anything to do with that incredibly handsome man that came around to see you yesterday would it?"

  Cassie rolled her eyes. What she didn't do was answer. Her aunt kept on, ignoring Cassie's eye roll. "You know, I couldn't help but notice that Logan is the spitting image of him. Could it be, mystery man is finally revealed?"

  Cassie recited in her head all the reasons why she loved her aunt before she responded. "Yes, that was Logan's father." Cassie held up a hand when Laurie opened her mouth to speak. "No, I didn't tell him about Logan. No, I'm not planning on telling him. And yes, hopefully, that will be the last time we see him."

  Laurie was silent for a few beats before she said in a quiet voice, "Honey, I remember how sad you were the first year you moved in with me. How hard it was for you to get over Logan's father. And to this day, I don't think you ever truly did. So just the fact that you are putting yourself out there, trying to move on...." She paused a moment, swallowing hard, obviously overcome with emotion. "Well, just so you know, whatever you do, whatever you decide, I'm always on your side one-hundred percent."

  Cassie felt tears gather behind her eyes, and she leaned over and engulfed her aunt in a tight hug. "I love you, Laurie. I don't know what I would have done without you."

  "I love you, too, honey. And you would have survived. My girl is a survivor."

  Cassie closed the book she'd been reading and looked down at her sleeping son. It really was uncanny how much he looked like his father. His black hair was cut short so as not to fall in his face, and his dazzling, blue eyes were almost the same exact shade as Gage's. He even had some of his father's mannerisms though he'd not spent one second in Gage's presence. Like the way he slightly tilted his head when he was deep in thought, or the way he bit his upper lip when he concentrated. He even had Gage's cocky little grin and being only four, he definitely had nothing to be cocky about.

  She extracted herself from her son's bed, being careful not to dislodge any of the many stuffed animals, pulled the covers up to his chin, brushed a lock of hair from his forehead, and gave him a gentle kiss. She stood looking down at him a moment, feeling her love for him well in her chest. She felt tears fill her eyes, knowing if it weren't for Gage, she wouldn't have her little man, and she was at least thankful to him for that.

  "I'm pouring myself a glass of wine. Do you want one?" She heard her aunt ask as she exited Logan's bedroom. She pulled his door closed leaving it open a few inches.

  "No, I think I'm going to take a shower then read awhile. Make it an early night. I'm tired."

  Her aunt gave her an assessing look before giving her a slight nod. "Okay, honey. See you in the morning."

  Cassie plopped down on the edge of her bed and toed off her sneakers. She stretched her arms over her head, feeling the pull in her back muscles. Bathing three very strong, very skittish pit bulls would make anyone's back hurt. They weren't aggressive like many would think, being fighting dogs. Mostly they were just scared, craving any kind of human affection. Show them a little love, and they'll love you a hundred times more in return.

  She stripped off her clothes and took a long, hot shower and by the time she was done, s
he was fully relaxed. So relaxed, in fact, that when she lay down on her bed, she didn't pick up her book, she drifted off the sleep.

  Her ringing phone woke her. She had fallen asleep with her bedroom light on, and she squinted as she picked up her phone from the nightstand. She blearily looked at the screen. Unknown caller.

  "Hello," Cassie mumbled, looking at the clock. It was nine-thirty, she'd been asleep about an hour.

  "Did I wake you?"

  Cassie was instantly awake, recognizing Gage's gravelly voice. "How did you get this number?" She asked, not bothering to pretend she didn't know who was on the line.

  "I'm sorry I woke you. I didn't think you'd be asleep so early."

  Yeah, and he didn't know she had a four-year-old son that got up at five every morning. "It's okay, long day." She didn't know why she was explaining herself. Back on track. "Why are you calling? Wait! First, how did you get my number?"

  She heard Gage sigh over the line. "I had Mase get it from Sam for me."

  Cassie chewed over this piece of information. Gage was close with Mase. Mase was Sam's brother. Sam knew about Logan. If Sam discovered she and Gage had dated five years ago it wouldn't be hard for her to put two and two together. Feeling her stomach clutch, she asked, "Did Sam know Mase asked for my number for you?"

  If Gage thought her question was odd, he didn't say anything. "No, told him to tell her he had a question about Charlie."

  Cassie silently exhaled the breath she held. Everything would be okay. Sam would never guess the connection. "Now, tell me why you're calling."

  "Told you yesterday, Sunshine. Waited five years to get another shot at you. I'm not wasting my chance."

  Cassie clutched the phone tightly in her hand. Anger seeping from her pores, her words came out as a hiss. "First, stop calling me that. You lost that right five years ago. Second, you had your shot, again five years ago. And third, I don't want you calling, coming around, in fact, I don't want to ever see you again. Is that clear enough for you, Gage?" She was panting by the time she finished her tirade.