by Becky Harmon
“I’m sure she would appreciate hearing that from you.”
Chase came dancing down the hall with his pajamas stuck to his body. Cassie and Greg roared with laughter.
Cassie stopped him in front of her. “Did you use a towel to dry off?”
“I did.”
Cassie turned him around and pulled the wet pajama top away from his skin. She looked at Greg.
“Let’s go work that towel again, buddy. Then we will find you some dry clothes to put on.”
Cassie called goodnight to them as they disappeared down the hall. She turned off the main lights, leaving a small one on in the kitchen, and then locked all the doors before heading upstairs with the dogs.
As she settled into bed her hand slid under her pillow and wrapped around the soft material of Kathleen’s bra. She sighed, sinking into a deep sleep.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Thursday passed in a blur for Cassie. She got caught up on paperwork in preparation for the brat pack’s arrival. Chase was given the task of checking on all the guests and securing any housekeeping requests. He willingly tackled this assignment because it meant he got to drive the golf cart. He assured Cassie when he returned that everyone was very happy and there were no requests.
Cassie left the phone with Dillon and took Chase to lunch before their haircut appointments. They returned in time to take back the phone so Dillon and Greg could take the family from Cabin Four horseback riding. Turning the ringer volume to maximum, Cassie left it securely at the edge of the lake and spent the afternoon teaching Chase how to paddle a canoe. When the dogs swam out to join them, Chase begged her to let them in, and Cassie pulled each one by their scruff into the little canoe. After a few minutes, though, the dogs tired of being in the boat and jumped over the side—tipping Cassie and Chase into the water.
After much spluttering, Cassie managed to pull the canoe back to shore with Chase hanging off one end. She flopped onto her back as she collapsed on the shore. Chase removed his lifejacket and dropped down beside her.
After a few minutes, he rolled toward her. “That was fun.”
“Yes, well, boating is meant to be in a boat, not in the water.”
“Yeah.” He sighed dramatically. “But it was still fun.”
She laughed and grabbed him by the waist, pulling him to his feet. “Let’s change out of these wet clothes and decide what to have for dinner. Greg will be returning soon.”
“Okay.”
They sloshed back toward the house.
“Ms. Cassie?”
“Yes, Chase.” She looked down at him.
“I’d like to go on a horseback ride too.” He hesitated. “Not today but maybe one day.”
“I think we can do that. One day, but not tomorrow.”
Chase wrinkled his nose. “The girls come tomorrow.”
Cassie hugged him. “You’re going to like these girls.”
“I don’t like any girls.” Chase’s face fell. “No, wait. I like you and Ms. Shelley. But that’s it. No other girls.”
Cassie smiled at him. “Okay, but you’re still going to be a proper gentleman and help the girls get settled tomorrow, right?”
“Absolutely. Greg told me what to do. We carry their bags and hold the door.”
Cassie laughed and held the door open for him to enter the house. “Strip in the laundry room and then shower.”
Cassie headed up the stairs to her bathroom.
Chapter Thirty
Friday morning, Cassie opened her eyes to find Greg sneaking into her room. Chase was slung over his shoulder, giggling. She groaned and looked at the clock. Six fifteen.
“What are you guys doing?” she asked, covering her head with a pillow.
“We’re ready to start the day!” Chase bounced on the bottom of the bed where Greg had tossed him.
“Okay. I’m up. Leave and I’ll be down after I shower.”
Chase slid off the bed and bolted out the door.
“Hmmm…what’s this?”
Cassie pulled the pillow off her head and looked at the bra Greg was daintily holding with a finger. Cassie felt her face turn red as Greg laughed and tossed the bra back onto her bed.
“Out!” Cassie pointed toward the door.
“It sure doesn’t look like something you’d wear,” Greg said, backing toward the door with a huge grin on his face.
“Out!” Cassie threw a pillow at him. Cassie smiled as Greg’s back disappeared down the hallway. She couldn’t imagine Greg doing anything like that last summer. He would never have even walked into her bedroom. It made her feel good to know that Greg was comfortable here and with her. She tucked the bra under her pillow and stood. Her family was waiting.
* * *
Thirty minutes later, she joined the boys in the kitchen. Greg was stirring pancake mix in a huge bowl.
“Are we feeding an army?”
“I called Dillon. He and Shelley are going to join us. This is a big day.”
Cassie smiled at him. “Bacon or sausage then.”
“Bacon!” Chase yelled from his observation seat at the counter.
“Bacon it is.” Cassie reached over and tousled his hair.
They were setting everything on the table when Dillon and Shelley arrived.
“Happy morning!” Dillon called as he burst through the door.
Shelley gave Cassie a quick hug. “Are you ready for today?”
“Ready for them to be here. The waiting is killer.”
“What is their estimated arrival time?” Dillon asked.
“Kathleen said she’d call when they left Pensacola. She guessed it would be late afternoon.”
“And the supervisor?”
Cassie shrugged. “No idea. I guess we’ll find out when they get here.”
Dillon clapped his hands. “Okay, then. We should have just enough time to get them settled in before we fire up the grill for the cookout.”
Greg added the last plate of pancakes to the table. “Let’s eat.”
“Who else is coming?” Shelley asked, laughing as a knock sounded at the door.
Cassie opened the front door to a smiling Pete and Rory. “Come in, guys.”
“No, that’s okay.” Rory handed her a basket of muffins and croissants. “We made you some fresh baked goodies on your last day of freedom.”
“Seriously, come in. We’re just sitting down to breakfast and you should meet Chase.”
“Hey, Pete, Rory,” Dillon called as he stuffed a bite of pancake in his mouth.
“You remember Greg from last summer, right?” Cassie looked at Pete and Rory as they nodded. “This is his brother, Chase. They’re both living here now.”
Greg stood and shook hands with both men. Chase followed his brother’s lead, shaking their hands too.
“Greg made enough for an army, so please join us.” Shelley motioned at the empty chairs around the table.
Cassie set the basket of muffins and croissants in the center of the table and quickly withdrew her hand as Dillon and Greg both reached for a blueberry muffin.
Cassie glanced around the table as multiple conversations went on around her. She watched contentedly as Chase imitated Greg’s actions while he ate; he was settling in nicely. As excited as everyone was for the brat pack to arrive, Cassie’s biggest concern was that everyone feel welcome. She turned her attention back to Shelley, discussing with her the most important rules for Cassie to go over with the girls when they arrived. The specifics of the role the supervisor would have couldn’t be decided until everyone arrived. Male or female, their first responsibility, of course, would be monitoring the girls.
Dillon looked at his watch and jumped to his feet. “The horses are going to stampede if we don’t feed them.”
Chase laughed and followed Dillon and Greg out the door.
“No, don’t worry, boys.” Shelley laughed as the door slammed shut behind them. “We’ll take care of the dishes.”
“What’s the rush, Shelley? Let’s gra
b a cup of coffee and sit here for a while longer,” Cassie suggested.
“I guess we don’t really have anything pressing to do. I’ll check messages real quick if you make me a cup too.”
“Guys, cup of coffee?” Cassie motioned toward the office where the Keurig machine waited.
“Sure,” Rory said and Pete nodded too. “Believe it or not, we’re packed already except for what we’ll need today.”
Shelley checked email and voice mail messages but returned quickly. Cassie saw Chase run by with Pandy and Zoey on his heels. She hurried to the door but stepped back inside when Greg waved to her from the barn.
“What’s going on?” Shelley asked.
“Chase is checking the cabins for housekeeping tags. Greg is making him do it on foot.”
Shelley, Pete and Rory joined her at the window, and they watched Chase make his way around the lake.
“That’s a long way for those little legs.” Rory shook his head.
“It’s Dillon’s way of keeping the kids calm around the horses.” Cassie smiled at Shelley. “Does he make you run around the house?”
Shelley laughed.
“Oh, I know this game.” Pete laughed too. “I saw Greg tying ribbons on the mailbox last year.”
“Yep, that would be Dillon’s game.”
Rory looked back and forth between them all. “I think I’m lost?”
“Let’s go sit and we’ll explain the ribbon game to you.” Shelley laughed, leading the way back into the house.
When the horses were released, Dillon and the boys came back to the house. Dillon and Greg grabbed coffee before joining everyone back at the table. Chase roamed the backyard with the dogs before collapsing onto the couch to watch cartoons.
Cassie left the room when her cell phone rang.
“Hello.”
“Hey, Cassie. We’re on our way. We have one more stop after lunch, but we should arrive around two thirty.”
“Things are ready here. The way Dillon is pacing you would think Shelley was about to give birth.”
Kathleen laughed. “Quadruplets. No thanks.”
Cassie laughed too. “See you soon.”
Everyone looked at her expectantly when she walked back into the room. “Two thirty.”
Pete and Rory headed off to the café for their last lunch before they headed home tomorrow. Dillon and Greg mumbled something about horses and goats and took off for the barn. Shelley and Cassie made several sandwiches and Shelley took them out to Dillon and Greg. Chase ate at the counter before he darted off in his bathing suit. His new friends would be checking out tomorrow, and he wanted to play with them before they left. Cassie pulled a chair into the shade of the barn where she could listen to Shelley and the boys while watching Chase play.
She contemplated the possibility of convincing Kathleen to stay in her room tonight instead of one of the empty cabins. Or maybe she could stay with her in the cabin. There would be a chaperone in the house with the kids. No, that probably wouldn’t be a good idea, Cassie thought. That wasn’t the kind of statement she wanted to make in front of the girls. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the barn wall. She jumped when Shelley dropped into the chair beside her.
“Sleeping on the job?”
Cassie laughed. “I think I might have been.”
“Or maybe just daydreaming about the bombshell who will be returning today.”
Cassie smiled. “I did have some thoughts about that too.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Cassie and Shelley looked up as Kathleen’s car came into sight. A white van followed close behind her.
“Oh.” Cassie sighed. “That’s them.”
“Places, everyone,” Shelley called into the barn.
They laughed when Dillon responded with, “da plane, da plane,” imitating an ’80s television show.
Cassie met Kathleen at her car as soon as the door opened. She pulled her into her arms for a quick hug.
Greg and Dillon moved to the back of the van and began unloading suitcases. Chase stood with them, dripping water everywhere.
“Chase. Shower.” Cassie pointed to the house.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was time.”
“It’s okay. Shower quick and then come back out.”
Cassie looked up to see an interested face at the van window watching as Chase bolted inside the house. The dark eyes took in her surroundings with no sign of apprehension. Her cheeks were still plump with baby fat, and Cassie was sure she was looking at Dani, the youngest of the group. Cassie smiled at her before joining Kathleen to greet the girls as they exited the van.
Cassie did a quick appraisal of each, trying hard to keep a neutral look on her face. First out of the van was a short, brown-haired girl dressed in clothes three times her size.
“Cassie, this is Kaitlyn,” Kathleen said before pulling the young girl into a hug.
Kaitlyn flung her backpack onto her back and pulled her jeans back up to barely below her waist before giving Kathleen a one-armed hug. She was clearly too cool for hugging but not bold enough to say no. She shyly stepped to the side, making room for the next member of the brat pack.
Attitude came next. Judging from her pierced eyebrow and tongue, this had to be Morgan, the oldest of the group at sixteen. Kathleen attempted to hug her too but was given a look before she circled the group to join Kaitlyn.
Kathleen laughed and shook her finger at the girl. “I will hug you later, Morgan. Just accept it.”
Morgan rolled her eyes, but Cassie saw a slight smile cross her lips.
The next girl was the tallest of the group. She ducked her shaved head as she exited the van and pulled Kathleen into a death grip.
“This is Shauna.” Kathleen rubbed her hand back and forth across Shauna’s barely visible hair.
Dani bounded out of the van and rubbed Shauna’s head too. “For luck.”
Shauna glared at her as she stepped away from Kathleen. In a deep, soft voice that Cassie could barely hear, she said, “It’s Shaun. Please don’t call me Shauna.”
Kathleen smiled at her. “I love the name Shauna.”
“Fine.” Shaun turned toward Cassie and stuck out her hand. “Shaun.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Shaun. I’m Cassie.” Cassie nodded to each girl and then turned to the group behind her. “This is Dillon and his wife, Shelley. Dillon is here every day through the week and Shelley is here every other day. Feel free to go to either of them with questions or for assistance.” She put her arm around Greg. “This is Greg. He lives here with his brother, Chase.” As if on cue, Chase bolted from the house, jumping all three stairs and landing beside Cassie. His shirt, stuck to his wet skin, was tucked into navy shorts and his hair was brushed straight back. Cassie had to look away to keep from laughing at him. She placed a hand on his shoulder. “This is Chase.”
Dillon and Shelley moved forward and began talking to the girls. The van driver secured the doors and gave a wave before driving off. Cassie glanced around for anyone she may have overlooked and then raised her eyebrows questioningly at Kathleen.
Stepping closer to Cassie, Kathleen said softly, “You’re stuck with me.”
Cassie grinned.
Kathleen touched her cheek. Cassie was surprised as a look of sadness crossed Kathleen’s face before she turned away to say hello to Shelley.
“Wait a minute,” Dillon called over the noise of the group. “The van left and there’s no assistant.”
“Yes, there is.” Cassie gave him a huge grin.
Dillon looked from Cassie to Kathleen to Shelley and then over the kids. His eyes grew large as he focused back on Kathleen. “You?”
Kathleen nodded.
“Well, that’s great!” He gave Kathleen a hug. “Let’s get you all moved in.”
Cassie led the group into the living room and stopped, giving everyone a chance to look around. “Living room, kitchen, laundry room and stairs.” She pointed to each location. She turned to address
the girls, making eye contact with each one. “There are two bedrooms upstairs for the four of you. One of the bedrooms joins the bathroom that you’ll all share. Can you decide who gets that room among you or do we need to flip a coin?”
Dani spoke up first. “Morgan.”
The other two girls nodded in agreement.
Cassie looked at Morgan. “Who do you want to share your room with you?”
Morgan looked at each girl. “Shaun.”
“Is that okay with you, Shaun?” Cassie asked. When Shaun nodded, Cassie continued. “Morgan and Shaun, your room is on the left. Kaitlyn and Dani, you’re on the right. The back two bedrooms are mine and Kathleen’s. Go check out your rooms and we’ll help bring your luggage up.”
The girls took off up the stairs, and everyone else went back outside to carry in luggage. When all the luggage was in the hallway upstairs, Cassie left them to do their unpacking, asking them to return to the living room when they had finished.
Dillon and Greg took Chase and went outside to finish whatever they had been working on and to start the preparations for the cookout. Shelley headed to Mac’s to pick up the main course. Cassie fell into the recliner, relieved to have the girls finally here. She hoped her anxiety level would return to normal now. She took advantage of the few moments of quiet to assess Kathleen’s reaction when they touched outside. She hoped Kathleen would come down soon and they would have a chance to talk in private.
Cassie could hear the girls running back and forth between the rooms with lots of laughter. After listening for several minutes, she decided to join them. She found Kathleen sitting on Morgan’s bed, while Dani ran back and forth between the rooms, carrying on conversations in both of them.
“May I?” Cassie asked Shaun as she nodded to her bed.
“Sure.” Shaun turned back to the closet to hang her shirts.
Cassie looked across the room at Kathleen. “How’s things going up here?”
Kathleen smiled and then looked away. “Morgan would like something vegetarian for dinner. Is it too late to make that request?”
Cassie pulled her cell phone from her pocket and dialed Shelley. “Are there any other requests while I have Shelley on the phone?”