When they strolled up hand in hand, Brandy and Tom were at the table, but neither of them were talking. “We’re heading out. Brandy, do you need a ride home?”
Brandy looked to Tom for an answer.
Tom took a sip of his beer. “I’ll take you home when you are ready.”
Chad tried to remember. He thought he’d only seen him order two. Of course, Tom wouldn’t ruin his chance at being an attorney by driving drunk. If there was a problem, he’d let Brandy drive, he was sure.
Brandy waved him off. “No, I’m fine. Thanks! See ya tomorrow.”
Chad turned Cassandra toward the door. This is how he’d anticipated their last evening dancing would end. Though it turned out okay, he still felt horrible about what had transpired.
“Chad?” Cassie asked after he climbed into the truck beside her. She’d already slid over to the center seat so he wouldn’t have to pull her over. “Do we open up early because it’s a holiday weekend tomorrow?”
“No, never before twelve on Sunday; church always comes first.”
“Good, so we really don’t have to get up that early?” she purred.
He chuckled. “No, we’re fine. You’re behaving rather frisky, Cassandra … I like it!” He pulled the gear in reverse.
She curled up beside him. “I just have to manage to stay awake. It’s a long ride home, isn’t it?”
“About forty-five minutes. You can take a nap. I’ll be happy to wake you when we arrive,” he said.
Cassandra looked at him with those beautiful eyes. He put the truck back in park and pulled her face to his. “You are so beautiful, Cassandra, and you can’t imagine how much I love you.”
“I love you too,” she said on a sigh, wetting her lips in anticipation.
His mouth covered hers, and he kissed her deeply as she opened up to him. Her body felt so good he was hard-pressed to bring their kiss to a close and drive home, even though he knew she’d be his shortly. He wanted her right then. Again, the way she made him feel surprised him. He was a grown man with a wife he could have anytime he wanted, and yet, he felt like a seventeen-year-old adolescent with raging hormones.
He pulled back, sighing. “I swear you make me feel like a teenager, Cassandra. As if we don’t have a home to return to and I need to stay here and kiss you as long as you’ll allow me, hoping I might get lucky.”
“Oh, you’re going to get lucky all right.” She raised her brows, smiling devilishly. “I suggest you get me home quickly, Chad.”
He pulled the truck back in reverse and did as she instructed. “Yes, ma’am.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Blissful. That was the best word to describe Chad’s emotions. He was the happiest Cassandra had ever seen him, whereas she could only describe herself as miserable.
It wasn’t that she wasn’t happy, she was. She just wished she didn’t feel so horribly sick. No matter which way she maneuvered in the church pew, she couldn’t get comfortable, and the air conditioner must have been on the blink because droplets of water trickled between her shoulder blades.
Her discomfort halted the moment Chad stepped forward on the church platform.
Cassandra watched her husband as he performed a solo onstage. It was the first time she’d heard him sing in public, and to hear him praising God with his beautiful voice warmed her heart.
She’d heard the song before, at a concert in Lynchburg. But to watch Chad, his hands raised, knowing he meant every word made her eyes water. She listened to the lyrics about the mistakes he’d made, how he struggled with pain, wrestled with pride, and cried because he’d been alone.
Chad was that happy boy she had met on that first day, even more so. He had been uptight at the beginning, as their relationship had been such a whirlwind, but he had overcome his issues. He’d refused to allow Tom to irritate him the previous evening, and for that, she was grateful. Cassandra had seen Chad’s approach out of the corner of her eye, and even though she knew she wouldn’t accept Tom’s invitation to dance, she had let him beseech her.
She had to confirm Chad would keep his word and not get carried away because someone asked her to dance, especially Tom. Chad had been correct; Tom was still making a play for her. He had waited until Brandy and Chad had left the table before suggesting they dance together. And he had the nerve to call himself Chad’s best friend.
Chad’s voice pulled her back to him as he sung about not fitting in, not belonging, how he’d never measured up in life, and yet, he was a treasure in the eyes of Christ.
What was with the Turner family? Why couldn’t they take no for an answer? Talk about being spoiled. Though, she hadn’t heard from Michelle since they’d returned. Maybe Cassandra would get lucky and Michelle would reenlist or move to Florida with her parents. The Turners were leaving early this year Tom had said; his parents had some big fundraiser they were responsible for at a church and private school they were members. Good riddance, she thought. At least part of the family was doing something worthwhile.
She gazed up at Chad as he sang the last chorus of the song about the fact that he’d been forgiven and that he didn’t have to carry the weight of who he’d been.
Cassandra was again thankful, thankful this wonderful man was in her life. And now, they were a family with a baby on the way. She’d never imagined this was what had been in store for her when she moved to North Carolina; she thought it had been about money. And yet, all of her aspirations were now consumed with Chad and this wonderful life her mother had created. Her future was no longer about a career. She knew without a doubt she had no desire to be anywhere else but with Chad.
Her husband, along with the other members of the choir, ambled off the platform, locating their partners in their pews. Chad draped his arm around Cassandra, pulling her to his side. She felt nothing but love and warmth emanate from him. He was happy, and she felt it spread through her.
Weeks passed and Cassandra continued to get sicker. On several occasions, the doctor’s office hooked her up to an IV to get fluids into her to hydrate her. About the only thing that appealed as food went were milkshakes, and the closest restaurant to purchase them near the house was a half an hour away or fifteen minutes from their business.
She just didn’t understand how a baby was ever going to grow when all she did was throw up everything. Chad was forever trying to get her to eat and drink. He took over the cooking, as everything Cassandra tried to prepare made her sick to her stomach before she even had a chance to eat.
Every day, however, she got up, threw up, showered, got sick again, ad nauseam. It was an endless cycle, but she continued to work every day, spending most of her time doing the books in the office and researching the new safety policy she was drawing up for employees and customers.
It was the last week of August, hotter than it had been all summer, when Cassandra approached the front counter as the workday was closing.
Chad had been on the French Broad River that day, so he would be back later than normal, and Cassandra had just decided to work with Brandy and Diana for a while before he showed. When she descended the last step, however, she saw stars flash in her eyes, a wave of nausea swept through her, and she felt her knees buckle beneath her.
“Tom!” Brandy’s voice penetrated her haze, but she couldn’t see. “Cassie just collapsed!”
“What happened?” a man’s voice was near her ear, and then she felt the floor disappear below her.”
Cassandra blinked to clear her vision and saw that it was Tom holding her. “Where’s Chad?” She wanted to insist that he put her down, but she couldn’t make her lips move.
“I’ll wait for Chad,” Brandy said. “Take her to the hospital.”
Cassandra was practically hallucinating and didn’t even remember the trip to the hospital. She woke up with a nurse leaning over her, asking a torrent of questions that she didn’t understand and couldn’t seem to unearth the answers.
“Her name is Cassandra Wilkinson, and she didn’t overdose on anything. It looks
like heat exhaustion to me.”
Cassandra looked up as she heard Tom’s voice. She’d forgotten that he had brought her here. Where was Chad? Why wasn’t he here? She couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer.
***
Chad was storing his gear when Brandy approached him.
“Chad … I’ve been calling you for the last hour.” Chad pulled out his phone … he hadn’t received a call. “Tom took Cassandra to the hospital.”
“What?” he shrieked. “Is she okay? Why didn’t you take her?”
“I was the only one here, Chad. Diana left, and Leslie hadn’t shown up yet. Does it matter who took her? Cassie is at the hospital … isn’t that what’s important?” Brandy glared at him. She’d been going out with Tom over the summer; she apparently didn’t see what he saw. She thought Tom had changed. “Leslie just got here, so I’ll go with you,” she continued.
Chad made a beeline for his truck with Brandy on his heels. His feelings were torn. On one hand, he was grateful someone had been here for Cassandra. On the other, he hated that it’d been Tom. Why did he have to keep showing up in their relationship?
As soon as Chad pulled himself up into his truck, Brandy turned to him. “I don’t know what happened, Chad. One minute she was fine, the other she was on the floor. I was so scared. I couldn’t revive her. When I finally did, she was all loopy,” Brandy rambled on. “She’s been sick every day for weeks. She tries to conceal it by hiding upstairs, but I can tell. What’s the matter? Does she have some kind of disease?”
Cassandra hadn’t told anyone that she was pregnant. Chad didn’t understand why she wanted to keep the pregnancy secret, and he couldn’t see the rationale anymore when Brandy was clearly upset. “She’s pregnant, Brandy, and evidently her body isn’t handling the pregnancy well. She keeps getting dehydrated.”
“Oh,” she said. “That makes sense.” She took a breath. “Congratulations …” she said hesitantly, as if it was a question. “I think … is this … what you wanted? Is that why you got married so quickly?”
He glanced at her, stunned by her inference, his head shaking at the absurdity of her statement. “Brandy … we got married five days after we met. We didn’t marry because she was pregnant. You know me better than to suggest something so ridiculous. You know I never slept around. She got pregnant on our honeymoon, after we were married, and of course, this is what I want. I’m ecstatic, except for the being sick part. I would do anything to make this go away.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to imply …” she trailed off. “It was a shock, though; you have to admit. Don’t get me wrong, Cassie is great and all. But we couldn’t help but wonder why you married so quickly. You were with Michelle for six years for heaven’s sake. Not that I’m not thrilled that you finally left her, I always hated how she treated you.”
Chad glowered at her. “And yet, you’re dating her brother, who isn’t any better.”
“Tom keeps asking me out, Chad. He wants to be with me. I keep waiting for him to drop the bomb that he’s finished. He’ll probably do that when he moves to Ashville in a couple of weeks. His parents are leaving early this year, so he agreed to stay until they return to Florida. I know he’s not perfect, but I’m hopeful that he’s matured. He doesn’t seem to be making a play for any of the college girls who show up every day anyway; that’s a change. Normally, he’d have a different date every night despite your rules.”
Chad wanted to say, That’s because he’s after my wife, but censored his words. It wouldn’t do any good to ruin it for Brandy; she still had hopes in Tom, as did Chad. If Tom fell for Brandy, maybe he’d stop fantasizing about his wife.
Chad pulled up outside the emergency room, hopping out at the double doors after Brandy agreed to park the truck.
He inquired with the lady at the front counter who directed him to a nurse.
“Cassandra Wilkinson?” the nurse asked. “And you are?”
“I’m her husband,” Chad shot back.
“Oh … I thought —”
“He’s not her husband. I am! Please take me to my wife,” Chad demanded.
The woman led him down the hallway and around a corner to an undersized room. Chad stopped cold as he saw Tom sitting next to the bed, holding Cassandra’s hand. He sucked in a breath and bit down hard on his lip, tasting blood.
He calmly removed Tom’s hand from his wife’s and lifted him out of the chair. “Thanks, Tom. I’ll take care of everything from here.”
Chad looked down to see that Cassandra was sleeping soundly. This was simply getting out of control. He was proud of himself, though. He’d remained calm. As Cassandra had said … nothing had happened. He couldn’t lose it because Tom had touched his wife platonically. She was a beautiful woman. Tom couldn’t help but be attracted to her as well as any other warm-blooded male.
Chad felt Tom’s eyes on him. “You can go now, Tom,” Chad called over his shoulder. “Brandy’s outside.”
“How come you didn’t tell me Cass was pregnant?” Tom asked.
Chad huffed in irritation. “It wasn’t anyone’s business, and Cassandra didn’t want anyone to know.” Why did it irritate him so much that Tom insisted on calling her Cass? Would it make it easier if he called her Cassie or Cassandra? He simply didn’t know why he couldn’t rationalize this. Why did he feel so threatened by Tom? It was as if every word he spoke anymore sent an icy chill through his veins.
“It would have been nice to know when she needed to be admitted, that’s all. I had no idea what was wrong, and they couldn’t do anything until they knew, and Brandy couldn’t reach you. That’s all I’m saying. Finally, Cass came around long enough to answer questions. But she could barely remember her name, let alone the fact that she was pregnant. You shouldn’t have left her in her condition, Chad.”
Chad vaulted out of his seat, and to his satisfaction, Tom took a step back. “I didn’t leave her. I was working, you moron. And since when do you feel the need to tell me what to do with my wife.” Chad took another step toward the man, reveling the fear lighting in his eyes. It’d been a while since he’d felt the familiar adrenaline course through his veins. “And you know what, Tom … I’m sick and tired of the way you can’t keep your eyes, or your hands, off Cassandra.”
“She deserves better than you, Chad,” Tom barked, taking another step back. “It’s only a matter of time … look at you, you’re a walking time bomb. I’ve done nothing —”
But Tom couldn’t retract far enough this time. The memory of that kid calling him that when he was young overtook him, and he burst forward and struck Tom at the same time that Brandy and the nurse were rounding the corner. Tom went down, and Chad hovered over him. “Stay away from my wife, Tom. I’m warning you,” he hissed. “Next time, it’ll be more than a broken jaw.”
“Chad!” Brandy gasped, running toward them. “What on earth?”
Tom struggled to stand, holding his jaw while Brandy assisted him to his feet.
“Sir, we will not stand for fighting in here. You will remove yourself immediately, or I will call security.”
“No,” Tom told the nurse. “He’s her husband. She needs him. I’ll go. There won’t be any more trouble.” He brushed imaginary dirt off his board shorts and took Brandy’s arm as he turned to leave. “I think I need to get this checked,” he said, rubbing his jaw.
“Wait a second, Tom … I’ll be right back,” Brandy said.
Tom walked off. “I’ll meet you out front if you want me to drive you home. Unless, of course, you’d rather stay with your friend, the walking time bomb,” he muttered.
Brandy narrowed her eyes at Chad once Tom left. “Explain!” she demanded.
Chad glared at her, surprised by her boldness. “There’s nothing to explain.”
“The hell there isn’t. Tom brought Cassie to the hospital, and you thank him by punching him.”
Chad closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath. “You weren’t here, so you have no idea what transpired.”
“What happened,” he retorted. “Is that Tom decided to make a play for my wife, and I refuse to let him. You don’t know him, Brandy. Trust me.”
Brandy shook her head. “I don’t know you anymore, Chad. She makes you crazy. It’s not healthy. You aren’t the person who’s been my friend all these years. I know you’re my boss, but I always thought we were friends. Now I don’t even recognize you.”
Chad sighed. “I’m still me. I promise you. You don’t know Tom, and I believe you should stop seeing him. He’s dangerous.”
“You’re the one punching people,” she countered, then turned and walked away.
Chad let her go and stepped back inside the room with Cassandra, hoping she hadn’t awakened to hear their argument. He had changed … but it had been mostly for the better. He hadn’t hit anyone in years. Why had he let Tom rattle him? Was Brandy right? God forbid, was Tom right? Was he losing it? Was he a walking time bomb as Tom had suggested? He didn’t feel like it. He didn’t think he’d imagined everything. He knew he wasn’t supposed to allow hatred to enter his heart, but was he supposed to let Tom speak to him disrespectfully?
He leaned over his wife and kissed her forehead. She was burning up. He walked over to the counter, doused a towel with cool water, and then returned to Cassandra, placing it on her forehead.
Hours passed and Chad just sat there beside Cassandra’s bed, contemplating all that had happened. He had to confess. She would find out and then be angry if he didn’t inform her. Would she leave? He had to make certain that never happened. How could he make her believe when he promised and failed to follow through with his assurance? He shouldn’t have allowed Tom to stay working with them, but then he would have wondered where Tom was while he was guiding.
This was ridiculous. Tom would be moving in a couple of weeks, and then everything would be back to normal. Cassandra would forgive him … she would understand.
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