by Rita Herron
Henry S. picked up the box and dumped them on the floor. "Toothpick toss," Henry S. squealed.
Casey groaned. "No, buddy. Toothpick towers."
The rest of the day passed much the same. Henry S. dribbled glue all over the kitchen chair, and when Casey sat down, she glued her pants to the seat. She had to strip her jeans, then scrape the glue off to separate them from the chair with a knife.
Finally Jenna and Jill dropped by with pizza. Henry S. proceeded to place the pepperonis over his eyes and pretend he was a monster.
"Let me take him for a while," Jenna insisted. "You look exhausted, Casey."
Casey sighed. "I am, but I hate not to spend every minute I can with him. What if I lose him, Jenna?"
"You are not going to jail and you won't lose Henry S., so get it out of your mind," Jenna said. "I still think Gabe will come through for you. Did you see his article in the paper today?"
Casey nodded. "Does he think an editorial about forgiveness is going to get to me?" She refused to admit she'd cried when she'd read the piece.
Gabe's writing certainly had changed. The article sounded personal and sensitive, dramatically different from the first slanderous one he'd written about her. It reminded her of the night he'd comforted Henry S. and then later, her.
"The one in the evening edition last night talked about circumstantial evidence, too," Jenna said.
"Yeah, that was well written," Casey said. Was Gabe really trying to help her? She had to admit he must have trusted her to have left her alone, especially since his job was on the line, but...
"Go bye-bye?" Henry S. asked.
Jenna giggled. "Sure, buddy." Jill remained quiet, sipping her tea while studying Casey.
"Pwease." Henry S. dropped to his hands and knees to beg like Dog.
Casey relented. "Okay, Jenna, if you'll take him for a while, I could use a bubble bath."
Jenna picked Henry S. up.
"Hear?" Henry S. tapped at Jenna's hearing aid.
Jenna tickled him. "That's right. I can unplug it and then you can make all the noise you want, and it won't bother me."
Casey laughed. Sometimes Jenna's hearing loss was a blessing in disguise.
* * *
"Man, you look like a female version of Rambo," Gabe said.
Quickchange adjusted the too-tight straps of his highheel shoes. "Thanks to Vice. I didn't have time to change."
"Silver shoes—wow." Gabe whistled. "I'll get you a matching brooch when we solve this."
Quickchange gave him the finger, then motioned that the action was about to begin.
Gabe instantly became alert as the warehouse door squeaked open. Four teenage boys wearing black jackets and dark hats stumbled out. A tall man in sweats staggered forward.
"That's him," Quickchange whispered. "Now, stay in the background."
Gabe nodded.
His contact motioned for the backup officers to step in and Gabe breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the man being arrested. "T.J.," one of the officers called him.
Quickchange laughed. "Travis Satterfield, nice to finally meet you."
Gabe cracked his knuckles and stepped into the light. Travis Satterfield was T.J.
The pieces of the puzzle fell into place. The man had tried to incriminate Casey because she had his son. He was the one who wanted that trust fun.
The bastard would cause Casey no more problems. And he'd never get Henry S.
Relief filled him as he watched the cops stuff him into the police car. Gabe followed them to the station, determined to make sure the charges stuck and Harper had the proof he needed to completely clear Casey.
An hour later, he finally left the police station, satisfied Satterfield was going to jail. The case was solved. He hadn't written the article yet, but he would, although he definitely wasn't looking forward to it.
He needed to talk to Casey first. If anyone deserved the truth, she did.
Still, the realization that he had to hurt her even more with his discovery made his foot ease off the accelerator. He'd thought solving the case would eliminate his problems, but now he didn't know. Winning Casey back had driven him to explore every possible avenue, and he'd discovered secrets that, while helping Casey, would also cause her pain.
How could he tell her that one of her best friends had helped set her up? She'd probably hate him even more.
The memory of holding her, kissing her, of her giving herself to him, taunted him, and he renewed his resolve to win her back.
He refused to give up. He'd purposefully left his clothes cluttering the floor in his house to remind him of Casey's home. And now he knew more about her past, he understood her need for a new name. She'd wanted to prove she had made something of her life. And she had.
Was she attending her awards dinner without him? Did she have another date? Perhaps she'd called that motorcycle maniac or Brick? His foot lowered on the gas and he sped up. Casey was his.
And dammit, it was about time she accepted the fact.
* * *
Casey sank down into the sea of bubbles and lay her head back, pushing the Big Bird shower curtain out of the way so she could hear the soft rock music wafting through the room. Tossing Henry S.' rubber duck and boats aside, she closed her eyes, forcing herself not to think about the unopened gifts in her foyer. Two more had arrived after Jenna and Jill left. Curiosity almost overpowered her, but so far, she'd fought the urge to peek inside.
Her hurt and anger with Gabe had subsided only slightly. She wondered if she'd been hasty in her judgment, but the truth about her past held her back. Even if Gabe had wanted to protect her, how could he accept the fact that she'd been a juvenile delinquent?
Shame washed over her as the hot water swirled around her. She'd decided she didn't need to prove anything to her high school acquaintances because Gabe had made her feel special. She'd felt proud of her accomplishments, and he'd made her wonder why she thought she had to prove herself to anyone.
Stunned, Casey sat up. Why did she have to prove herself to anyone? She had survived a painful childhood. Better yet, not only survived, but she'd overcome problems and risen above poverty and stigma. She'd become successful and had a wonderful little boy.
She unplugged the bathtub stopper and stood, water and bubbles beading her body. She didn't have to prove anything, not even to Gabe. She was just as good as anyone else, and just like she'd told Jenna about her hearing loss, if her past bothered him he wasn't worth her spit.
"Casey?"
Casey startled at the voice and glanced at the bathroom doorway to see Jill standing inside.
"What are you doing here?" Casey asked.
"I... I'm sorry," Jill wailed.
Casey stepped from the tub, grabbed a towel, water sloshing and dripping around her. "What's wrong, Jill?"
Jill's shoulders slumped as she dropped her face into her hands and sobbed hysterically. Casey slipped and grabbed for something to steady her, but jerked the shower curtain down. Big Bird tangled around her feet.
Then Jill sagged to the floor. Casey found the towel and wrapped it around her, then crawled toward Jill.
"Jill, what is it? What's wrong?"
"I... I didn't think you'd get arrested. I... I only wanted Henry S. to know his father."
Casey froze, her stomach knotting. "What are you talking about, Jill?"
"I thought Travis really wanted Henry S. I didn't know about the trust fund," Jill stammered.
A bad feeling swept over Casey. "What did you do?"
"I'm sorry... it's all my fault," Jill whimpered.
A sudden realization suddenly sank in. "You sent in a description of me?" Tears blurred Casey's eyes, tears for herself, tears for Jill. "You've been seeing Travis?"
Jill nodded. "He came to me, begging me to help him. He said he loved Henry S., that Bev had lied. That he wanted him all along."
"Oh, Jill. He wanted the money," Casey whispered.
"I know that now," Jill cried. "I'm so sorry, Casey.
I'll tell the police. I promise I will. He said he just wanted to scare you into giving him custody, that you'd never go to jail."
"They'll be interested in hearing your side of the story." A deep masculine voice cut into the room.
Casey jumped, shocked as Gabe stepped inside her bathroom.
"What are you doing here?" Casey asked, sarcasm tingeing her voice.
Gabe's gaze lingered momentarily on Casey. She suddenly remembered her nudity and tightened the towel around her.
"We found the real person behind the robberies," Gabe said. "I wanted you to know he's in custody."
Jill's sobs grew louder.
Gabe reached for Casey's robe and handed it to her. Their eyes locked and she thought he was going to say something, but he stepped out of the room while she slipped into her robe.
Then Casey helped Jill into the den and settled her on the sofa with a blanket.
Gabe's expression seemed troubled. Casey took a deep breath. Did he have evidence against her? Was he here to tell her the police were on the way?
She sank onto the chair, her legs suddenly weak.
Gabe knelt beside her and took her hands in his. "Casey, the police have arrested Travis Satterfield, Henry S.' father."
Casey exhaled the breath she'd been holding.
"He set you up. It turns out he was furious that you refused him custody rights, but you were right. He owed heavy gambling debts. He paid a group of teenagers to commit the robberies, used money he received from the stolen goods to pay off some debts, but he was in way over his head. He wanted that trust fund."
Casey squeezed Gabe's hands. "Did he confess?"
"Not yet, but we have four guys who'll testify he paid them and evidence tying him to heavy debts he owed a mobster. He was desperate. It's a done deal, Casey. There's no way he'll ever get his hands on Henry S."
Casey sighed in relief and glanced at Jill. They'd been friends for years. Although she realized Jill had been a victim, too, finding out that her friend had deceived her hurt.
Gabe seemed to read her mind. When he spoke his quiet voice soothed Casey, softening the blow. "Jill, your note threw the case. Casey's your friend. Why did you do it?"
Jill spoke through broken sobs. "I thought Travis really wanted Henry S. I wanted him to have a father. You and I didn't."
Casey chewed her bottom lip as tears rolled down her face.
"How did you know I was working on the story?" Gabe asked.
Jill shook her head. "I didn't, but I knew you worked for the paper. And I ha... hate the police."
"I think she wanted to break us up, too," Casey said softly.
Gabe wiped Casey's tears away. Then he glanced at the unopened packages by the door, shook his head and looked down at the floor. "I guess I managed to do that all by myself."
Jill began to wail again.
Gabe glanced at Jill, then squeezed Casey's hands. "I have to go, Casey. Hank's waiting on the story. Will you be all right?"
Casey nodded, his words cutting through her. Maybe he did care more about the story than her.
She dragged herself up and went to Jill, cradling her as Gabe walked out the door.
What would happen to Jill now?
And what would happen between her and Gabe?
After all, he hadn't said he would call.
Chapter 11
Gabe hadn't called.
Casey still loved him.
Perhaps she should have trusted him.
After a sleepless night, she flipped the T. V. on and caught the tail end of the morning news. A reporter interviewed Lieutenant Harper, citing basic information about the arrests.
Gabe stood close by, silent and brooding. As soon as the press conference ended, Casey watched the mayor shake Gabe's hand. The mayor's gorgeous daughter raced up and threw her arms around Gabe. It was the same woman she'd seen with him on T.V. before. She was beautiful, classy, sophisticated.
Everything Casey wasn't.
She wanted to tear the woman's hair out.
A glutton for punishment, she sat, glued to the screen, studying Gabe's reaction. Was it only her wishful thinking or did he look annoyed at the woman's attention? His gray eyes looked cool. She remembered the way they'd turned smoky when he'd made love to her. During the interview, he hadn't flashed his dimple even once.
Was it possible that Gabe really loved her?
Quickly, she scanned the newspaper expecting a full front-page spread about the robbery. Instead, she found a small piece on page eight, just a paragraph stating the suspect had been apprehended, arrests had been made, and details were being withheld to protect the evidence in the case. Gabe hadn't mentioned Jill or her or Henry S. In fact, personal details were suspiciously missing in the article.
Another article with Gabe's byline titled "Thief of Hearts" drew her eye. She sipped her coffee and began to read.
"Can true love be found in the personal ads? It did for one young man. This man had a list of characteristics he expected to find in a woman, but one date with his personal ad dream woman, Single and Searching, and he tore the list up and made a new one.
Can this love survive? Join in for future stories and see if the man in question can win the young woman's heart. After all, she has stolen his and without her love, he may not survive."
Beside the article he'd drawn a cartoon sketch of a woman wearing a big, fuzzy robe greeting her husband at the door. He'd titled the drawing: The Perfect Wife.
Casey brushed more tears away. Gabe had solved the case. Saved her from jail. Kept Henry S. with her. And somehow he had managed to persuade the district attorney not to press charges against Jill. Jenna had called her with the news before breakfast. Jill would receive counseling instead of an accessory charge, something Casey realized Jill had needed long ago.
She should have trusted him. If Gabe could overlook her past, couldn't she forgive his secrecy?
Maybe they both needed to learn to trust.
Suddenly, she pushed her chair back and stood. She knew exactly what she was going to do.
"Mommy, pway?" Henry S. said, padding into the room.
Casey laughed. "Yes, honey. Here." Casey tossed him a ball of yarn she'd bought for "y." "We were going to make yarn pictures with this. Why don't you play with it while Mommy makes some notes."
Henry S. grinned, grabbed the yam and darted down the hall. Casey took out a pad and pencil and realized that if she left Henry S. alone she might need another plumber before the day was over.
* * *
Gabe sauntered up the steps to Casey's porch and stopped to study the bunny rabbit on the porch. He wondered if Casey had finally opened any of the presents he'd sent and if she would accept the one he had with him.
When Hank handed him the message from Casey, he'd read the words in disbelief. At first confusion reigned—Casey needed a plumber—but then hope had set in. He prayed he wasn't wrong.
Hell, he had it bad. Romancing Casey took more energy than dealing with the worst criminals around. It was a wonder he had a brain left to write after thinking of all these gifts. Thank goodness, he was approaching the end of the alphabet. If she accepted his gift, he planned to combine "V, W," and "Z." If not, he'd have to start all over.
God help him if that happened.
He rang the doorbell and waited, half holding his breath, his hand clutching a toilet plunger. When Casey opened the door, a smile broadened his face. She had opened one of the gifts because she was wearing it—a brand new silk robe. But the most special part of all was her the flirtatious gleam in her eyes.
"Hi," Casey said. She glanced down and took in his holey jeans and faded shirt.
Gabe cleared his throat, unsure how to begin. He held the plunger up. "You needed a plumber?"
Casey waved over her shoulder. "Yes, thanks for coming. My son, he's always flushing things down the toilet, you know."
Then her gaze roved down to his holey jeans, and Gabe's heart fluttered with delight.
"You might get
those pants wet." Then she jerked him inside.
"I could always take them off," Gabe said.
Casey pulled him to her for a kiss. "Later, sugar. But before you fix the toilet, I want you to know I read your article on personal ad dating and wondered if it was true. Do you think I could find true love through an ad?"
Gabe's smile faded, his eyes narrowing. Just what was she up to? Then she handed the newspaper to him, and Gabe slowly opened it.
"I placed another personal ad this morning. I'm afraid it's a little on the picky side," Casey said. "I may have trouble finding a man that fits that description. You see each letter of the alphabet is a word that describes him."
Gabe arched an eyebrow, then read the ad.
assertive, baseball fan, charismatic, dimwitted plumber, extraordinary lover, forever kind of guy, gorgeous gray eyes, heartbreaker material, ingenious, jealous, kind, loving, macho, nose flares when angry, ominous, passionate and persistent, quite protective, romantic, sexy, trustworthy, up-and-coming Pulitzer Prize winner, virile, whiskey colored hair, X-ceptionally talented writer, yielding, zealous
Gabe's mouth twitched. "You really think I'm an extraordinary lover?"
Casey threw her arms around his neck and planted a devastating kiss on his lips. "The best one I've ever had."
Gabe nibbled her neck and growled. "The only one you'll ever have."
"I might need a refresher." She kissed his jaw. "By the way, I don't think I ever told you about the rest of my dream. You were wearing those holey jeans."
Heat flooded Gabe. "You mean there really was a dream?"
Casey nodded and dropped her robe to the floor. Gabe's heart pounded as Casey lead him to the bedroom. "Get out of here, Dog," Gabe ordered as Casey's pet nudged the edge of the bed. And for once, Dog minded.
Then Casey proceeded to show him exactly what her fantasies had been.
Later, while they lay entwined in each other's arms, Gabe finally spoke. "Casey, can you ever forgive me?"
Casey snuggled up to him. "If you can forgive me. Thank you for helping me and for what you did for Jill. I love you, Gabe."
"I love you, too, Casey." Gabe kissed her neck. "But I thought I'd never hear you say those words. I ...was afraid I'd lost you for good."