by Tiana Cole
Cloudy blue eyes narrowed on him. “You’re that fella with all that yellin’ in your room, ain’t ya?”
Unbelievable! “Yes, sir, it was. My mother did something awful and I didn’t react well to her showing up.” He was even more embarrassed now to know that his tirade had been overheard.
“I’m guessing you don’t mean that sweet black woman smuggling in all that delicious smelling food for you?”
He smiled. “No, not Brenda. But hopefully one day soon she will be my mother.”
The old man smiled. “I see. The name’s Gunnar.” He extended his hand, and Caine took it.
“Caine,” he responded with a welcoming smile. “What are you in for?”
“Bad ticker.” He patted his chest and coughed a little. “Go ahead,” he said when Caine lifted his medical chart. “So, why were you yelling at your mama?”
Caine looked at the man’s chart, happy to see his prognosis was good, and explained the situation as best he could and as quickly as he could. “So I didn’t want her making this worse for us. Zara loves me again and my kid is the cutest girl alive, that’s what matters.” He looked up into the light blue eyes surrounded by a shock of white hair on his head and face. “Everything looks good. Add a salad to your diet each day and you’ll live a good long life.”
“You a doctor?”
Caine gave a proud smile. “Pediatrics. I’m down here because my daughter, Cassia, needed a kidney.”
Gunnar nodded. “Sounds to me you’ve got plenty of family around that you don’t need to keep people who make you feel bad. Not all of us are fortunate enough to keep the family we’re born into. We make our own family and it turns out great because you know these people are there for you because they want to be.”
Caine smiled. “You’re pretty smart for an old guy.”
“And you’re not so bad for a rich kid.”
He was surprised. “What gave it away?”
A silver brow lifted. “Senator Faulkner.”
Caine laughed. “You got me there. When are they letting you out of this place?”
“Hell, I don’t know. Hopefully before Thanksgiving, not that I’ve got plans anyhow but it’d be nice not to be in here for the holidays, ya know?”
Caine nodded. “I don’t know where we’ll be, but, Gunnar, I’d be honored if you joined us at Thanksgiving.”
He nodded. “You figure out what you’ll do about your blood family and your heart family, and then let me know.” Gunnar shooed him out of the room. “Never keep a beautiful woman waiting.”
Caine grinned. “Nah, you have to keep them waiting just to make sure they’re here for you.” Then he turned from the room and found Zara chatting with Dottie. “Why didn’t you come get me?”
She shrugged. “Mr. Johansson could use some friendly conversation.”
“Do you know everyone?” The woman never met a stranger, she found people and folded them into her sphere of love and affection.
“No, but I’ve been spending a lot of time here lately. He’s a nice old man without any family.”
“I know. I invited him for Thanksgiving. Wherever it is.” Her smile softened and Caine felt like a superhero.
“Good.” Her smile spoke volumes. Told Caine that her feelings for him were genuine and true. He wasn’t the only one who had taken their young love and grew it into a big time, grown up kind of love.
Chapter 18
“Relax, baby girl, you don’t have a thing to worry about.”
Zara smiled, appreciating her father’s words even if she didn’t believe it. “Easy for you to say. Everyone loves you, Dad.”
Lyle patted his belly and wiggled his eyebrows. “How could they not? I am quite a stud.”
That produced a laugh that made her body shake and she tightened her hold around her father’s neck. “True on both counts. Thanks for being here, I hope it doesn’t ruin the holiday for everyone.” She’d invited Caine’s parents for Thanksgiving, if they were still in town. Inexplicably, they were.
“Don’t worry about all that. Your daughter is here, the man you love is here. And there’s your mother and Caine.” He laughed at his own joke, bumping her shoulder playfully. “Just enjoy yourself. You can’t control how anyone else behaves, Zara, just how you react.”
She nodded, kissing her father on the cheek and knowing he was right. It would go however it would go. Worrying wouldn’t change anything. “You’re right. Thanks, Daddy.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he swatted her away, “move on and let me get some coffee.”
Only four short hours later the food was set out beautifully on the table in Zara’s dining room. With all the guests in attendance. Almost.
“What’s with the extra place settings?” Caine asked, coming up behind her and nuzzling her neck.
“You think you’re the only one who gets to eat Thanksgiving dinner with the Brown family?”
He gave her a fake pout. “But I thought I was special.”
Patting his cheek gently, Zara smiled at him. “Oh, baby, you are so special.” Giving her lips an exaggerated pucker, she leaned forward for a quick kiss.
“I know what you’re doing but I like it so I’m not calling you out.”
She laughed, loving the way it felt to laugh in his arms. “I think by saying I know what you’re doing, you are, in fact, calling me out.” Pushing at his chest, Zara scanned the table one last time. “Take a seat and unbutton your pants.”
“In front of your parents? I’m shocked!”
She laughed and smacked his behind. “Take a seat.”
“Sit by me, Dad!” Cassia waved as though she were at the end of a table for twenty instead of ten. “Over here.”
“You’re being summoned.”
Caine chuckled and batted his eyelashes. “What can I say? The ladies love me.” The bell rang and she noticed his expression brighten. “Maybe Gunnar decided to come after all.”
She nodded, knowing how upset he’d been when Gunnar had tried to beg off the holiday. Determined to make this holiday memorable for everyone, she’d tracked the old man down and plied him with two casserole dishes full of her bacon mac & cheese topped with garlic breadcrumbs. He grumbled a bit but in the end he’d agreed to come and enjoy himself. “Maybe.” When she returned with Gunnar, Zara knew she would always remember the smile that lit up his beautiful face.
“Mr. Gunnar! You can sit by me.” Cassia waved him over with a big girlish smile.
“Hey there, pretty girl. Happy Thanksgiving.” He nodded to Caine and made his way to Cassia. “How’s the kidney?”
“Filtrating like a pro. How’s the heart?”
“Still tickin’.” He laughed and patted his chest. “So be honest, kid, who cooked the food and will it kill me?”
Zara shook her head and turned to her parents, now seated beside each other and smiling at Cassia. “Are we ready?” The doorbell rang and her breath hitched, constricting and refusing to leave her body while her mind raced to all the ways today could play out. Move, feet, damn you! “I’ll, uh, go get that.”
“Zara.” Caine’s voice asked the one question she couldn’t answer, but her lies would give her away so she hurried to the door to greet her guests.
“Hi,” she said, pasting on a smile that dipped in surprise. “Senator, I’m so glad you could come.” He was as handsome as his son but in a completely different way. The salt and pepper gave him a more distinguished look even though today he wore tan khakis and a burgundy sweater. That smile was why he’d been voted into office three different times.
“Please call me Warner, we’re nearly family.”
That sentiment shocked her but she stood back and let him in, walking beside him. “You’re just in time for dinner so I hope you brought your appetite.” She hung his jacket up and accepted the bottle of wine.
“Certainly.” He rubbed his belly, nearly as flat as his son’s.
Zara held a breath and entered the dining room. “Our final guest has arrived.” She ste
pped aside, keeping her gaze on Caine’s face.
“Grandpa! Oh my god, Dad, this is so cool, thank you!” Cassia was so full of excitement she practically vibrated.
“Dad, so glad you could come.” He stood and extended his hand to the senator, who pulled him in for a hug.
“I was surprised when Zara said you wanted me here if I wanted to be here, but I’m glad she did. I wanted to talk to you again but I didn’t want to stress you during your recovery. Are you alright?”
He nodded, still dumbstruck. “Practically good as new. I’ll be back to work after the New Year.”
She relaxed and slid into the seat beside Caine, who’d given up his seat so his daughter could quiz her grandpa. “I’m sorry if I overstepped but he showed up and I think that’s a good thing.”
“I’m not mad, Zara. I was at first but when I realized it was just him, I was happy to see him. So thank you for doing what I probably wouldn’t have.”
She kissed his cheek. “You’re welcome, my love.”
“I love how that sounds.” He winked and grabbed her hand.
Zara stood and looked around the table. “Thank you all for coming to share the holiday with us. It’s been a big year for my family and I think this year more than most, we should all share what we’re grateful for this year.” She looked at Cassia, so happy to have all this family to love and her heart swelled. “I’m grateful that more people to love have come into mine and Cassia’s life. Gunnar, Caine and Warner, welcome.” She sat and squeezed Caine’s hand.
He stood, eyes glued to Zara’s. “I’m so thankful for that first day on the mountain. Without that day we wouldn’t have a beautiful genius daughter or, this, our family.”
Warner stood and lifted his wine glass. “I’m thankful for second chances and grandchildren.”
Cassia mimicked her grandfather, holding her glass of milk up. “I’m thankful that I have a daddy and he’s a superhero. And he saved me. Love you, Daddy!”
He chuckled. “Love you too, kiddo.”
Gunnar was thankful for home cooking and Brenda shared her gratitude for Caine by wrapping him in a teary embrace. Lyle stood and looked at each person carefully. “I’m thankful that having all of you here makes my girls happy. There’s no feeling like it. Now, let’s dig in!”
For the first time all day Zara felt her body relax. She sank into the seat, sipping her wine while her guests chatted and enjoyed the food she and her mom had spent all morning cooking. Caine kept shooting her smiles and caressing her body, and quite frankly driving her out of her mind with lust. He’d even managed to take her attention away from those buttery mashed potatoes in the dish right in front of her. Watching Caine interact with his father and their daughter, she smiled and leaned forward. “I love you, Caine.”
He froze and slowly turned to face her. “You do?” She nodded, her face suddenly too small to contain the smile she wore. “You sure?”
“Am I sure that I love you? Yes. I’m also pretty sure I never stopped.”
“Good, because I love you too Zara.”
“Well, isn’t this quaint?”
That tension free thing from a few minutes ago was gone. Long gone at the sound of Deborah Faulkner invading Thanksgiving dinner.
~
“What the hell are you doing here, Mother?” All the happiness he’d felt just a moment ago had vanished.
“I’ve come here to make you and your father see clearly. You’re angry with me now but I was protecting this family. Our name. Your legacy,” she sneered at her husband.
“You were being a manipulative snob. Meddling in things you had no right to involve yourself with.” Every time he thought about what she’d done, he saw red.
“Well, according to Stephan, there were at least three men before you.” He smirked and felt his body relax just a small fraction. She was bluffing. “Smile all you want, Caine, but how can you be sure that child is yours?”
“Enough, Mother.”
“No, it’s not. If she slept with you and those other guys, they could just as likely be the father. I don’t know what you’ve promised her, but our lawyers can fix it. There’s no reason for you to be stuck with—”
“I said enough! You will not talk about my daughter like that and you will damn sure not speak about Zara in that way. You are a liar.” He stepped forward, closing the distance between mother and son. “You are a manipulator and you are incapable of feeling any emotion other than greed.”
“Be reasonable, son, no roll in the sheets is worth losing your trust fund.” She turned her icy glare on Zara and Caine stepped between them again. “Are you satisfied?”
Zara’s gaze darkened and narrowed in his mother’s direction. “I never asked Caine for anything, but of course money is the only thing you have so you think it’s the only thing he has.”
“Nicely done, dear, but next time you might want to look a bit more innocent. I’m sure you can remember those days.”
Zara laughed and shook her head. “I know you wish that was true, but the truth is you’ll look back on this day as the day that ruined your life. Now,” she stood and Caine had never been prouder of another person, “if you can’t sit and eat like a civilized person, you need to leave.”
“Mommy, why is that woman being so mean to everyone?”
Caine tightened his fists and counted backwards from ten. He needed to keep calm. He couldn’t lose his temper in front of Cassia. “Don’t worry, kiddo, it’s not personal, she just doesn’t know how to be happy.”
She frowned. “We can show her, can’t we, Daddy? Do your Russian accent, that’ll make her happy.” She glanced at her grandmother thoughtfully. “Or maybe running. It releases endorphins, so do other forms of exercise but running has other benefits.”
Caine cast a bemused glance around the dining room. “She’s a genius by the way, but she won’t do your taxes, Dad.”
The senator sent a loving glance in Cassia’s direction. “That’s okay, I probably can’t afford you anyway.”
She giggled and the tension seeped out of the room.
“Stop this nonsense right now! Warner, Caine, let’s go right this instant.”
She was desperate and it showed now that he was closer to her. “Mother, stop. This is my family now and you have to learn to accept it or you won’t be a part of my life.”
“Caine, don’t be ridiculous. I am your mother and I will always be a part of your life.”
He nodded, acknowledging the truth of her words. “Yes, but will that part be all in the past?”
First defiance flashed in her eyes and then triumph. “Let’s see if your little woman will still love you without your trust fund.” Her laugh was more of a cackle as Caine stood staring at her with rage in his eyes and his heart.
He didn’t bother to tell her that he was old enough that she no longer held any control over either of his trust funds. Instead, Caine crossed his arms and smirked. “Let’s see how you feel after losing seven years with your child.” The fear in her eyes was real, and while Caine felt no joy at his victory, he did feel relief.
“If that’s how you feel,” she sniffed and tightened the designer wool coat wrapped around her slender body, “then I’ll just leave you alone.”
They stared at each other long and hard, saying so much without any words. But his mother knew he was serious, that he was taking a stand against her, but as long as she understood and respected his wishes, he was happy. “Thank you, Mother.” He walked around the table, pressing a kiss to the top of Cassia’s head before settling next to Zara, who cradled his face and gently kissed his mouth. Caine fixed a smile and laid it on each and every person at the table. “Who wants more mashed potatoes?” A beat passed and then everyone followed his lead, reloading plates and talking as if the past few minutes never happened.
But it had and Caine couldn’t forget it. He had to wonder if he was doing the right thing for Cassia and Zara. They didn’t deserve to have his mother inflicted on them, because he wo
uld eventually forgive her.
Wouldn’t he?
Chapter 19
Zara’s feet clapped against the cold hardwood floors and she dove on the bed the minute she was close enough. She shivered and burrowed closer into Caine’s warmth. She loved the way it felt sleeping in his arms, especially considering what had happened in the aftermath of Thanksgiving. They’d both retreated into themselves the following week, with Zara on the sofa and Caine still in her bed.
She’d been worried that, after the scene with his mother, Caine would realize how much he was giving up to be with her. She didn’t want him to look back on his life in twenty years and regret what she was sure was millions of dollars in trust fund money. Never mind an estranged relationship with the woman who gave birth to him. So she’d kept to herself, giving up his kisses and touches and long nights of lovemaking so they could parent Cassia in the most amicable way possible.
He hadn’t come after her, hadn’t tried to coax her back to bed or back to whatever they’d been starting. Her heart broke all over again, and then ten days ago she’d had a come to Jesus conversation with her mother, who had told her, “Stop being a coward and go after what you want in life. It won’t come to you willingly.” The next night she slipped into her pajamas and crawled into bed with Caine. They’d made sweet, glorious love and then talked well into the early morning hours.
Now they were good again. At least she hoped so. Caine had been acting strange over the past few days, but she wouldn’t worry about it today.
“How’s the ham coming along?” Caine’s deep voice vibrated her body, making her shiver.
“It’s getting very Christmas hammy,” she responded cheekily. “Merry Christmas,” she moaned, swirling her hips against his morning wood.
He growled his response and in one quick motion Zara squealed as Caine pulled her underneath his big body. “I love that you don’t sleep in panties,” he whispered, pulling her bottom lip with his teeth and pressing his hard length into her core.