When they pulled up alongside the cabin, Nick was waiting for them.
“Hey, Nick,” Kyle said when he climbed out. Mandy followed right behind him.
Cassandra and Kayla hopped out, carrying their duffle bags. They entered the cabin and looked around.
“Thanks for cleaning up the mess they’d made. I can’t tell you how much we appreciate it.”
“That’s okay; I try to keep a close watch on everything. I’m glad that I just happened to come out this way when I went riding with Sugar Plum.”
“I don’t know who or why anyone would be looking for anything up here. Maybe it was a homeless person. Although if that had been the case, I’m sure there would have been things stolen, especially food. We checked around and nothing appeared to be missing.”
Looking over every room carefully for a second time, Cassandra came back to the living room and sat the sofa next to Kayla. Nick and Kyle were sitting in the recliners in front of the window.
“Who could have done this, and why?”
Suddenly, Kyle stood up and walked over to the end table that held a lamp and the telephone. He spotted the corner of a piece of paper sticking out from beneath the address book that Auntie Em had always kept by the phone.
“What’s that?” Cassandra asked him.
He handed it to her. It was a piece of paper, folded up into a small square. When she unfolded it, she read, YOU OWE ME.
“I don’t know what to think of this,” she said. It seems as though Jeff came back from the dead.
Nick stood and walked over to her; she handed the note to him. He read it, and then looked at her. “Do you owe money to someone?”
“No, I haven’t owed money to anyone since Jeff died. I paid everything off and rarely even use a credit card.”
“What about Jeff?”
“I don’t know. He wasn’t even living at home when he died. I had a restraining order on him.”
“Well, whoever this was, I doubt he’ll be back. I’ll be keeping a very close watch on your property from this point on. I think I’ll look into some security cameras to put up, if that’s okay with you. It may have solved the problem if we’d seen who entered the premises.”
“That sounds like a good idea.”
Nick stood and pulled his jacket back on. “I’d better get going. Give me a call if you run into any problems, and I’ll be right over.”
“I’m sure we’ll be fine now. Thanks for changing the locks. I won’t be hiding the key again, that’s for sure.”
“There’s really no need to. You have the keys for the new locks, and I have one, in order to come in and check on things. If you get locked out, just come to retrieve the key from me.”
“I should have thought of that in the first place,” she said. Her cheeks flushed warmly in embarrassment as she walked him to the door. “We’ll have to be leaving again in the morning and probably won’t see you for a while. Thank you again for keeping a close watch on the place.”
“No problem. Goodbye, and have a safe trip home.” He waved to the kids, and stepped outside
Chapter Twenty-four
The following week Cassandra had been working late into the night. She sat resting at her desk, holding her head in her hands. She was so tired. She ran her fingers through her hair and glanced up at the clock. It was already midnight and she hadn’t even completed half of the report.
She decided to try to sleep for a couple of hours. That was all she needed, just a short time to relax, clear her mind. Suddenly, she gave in to the tears that had been building all day. She crawled into her bed, feeling both tired and restless at the same time.
She couldn’t stop thinking of everything Shannon said. She was right about Nick. He’s a wonderful person. She didn’t think any woman could ask for anything more. However, all of her old fears and uncertainties arose like an alarm going off in her head. She’d been hurt badly twenty-three years ago and then again, in a turbulent marriage that almost killed her. In her heart, she would always be afraid to fall in love again.
She reached for her alarm, set it for three hours, and drifted into a fretful sleep.
When she woke to the alarm she felt slightly refreshed and worked until noon. She completed her report, bundled it up in a Manila envelope and left for the office. She decided to drop off a hard copy, since she hadn’t been there for a few weeks. She was anxious to see everyone.
She headed down the hallway and glanced into the conference room as she walked by. Jan was holding an interview, and out of the corner of her eye she caught only a partial view of the man’s forehead and light brown, wavy hair. Sean? Blood drained from her features and she felt a bit giddy. Though her knees threatened to buckle, she kept walking, turned a corner, and entered Melanie’s office, bumping lightly against the divider wall. Shaking, she clumsily sat in a chair in front of her desk.
“What’s wrong?” Melanie asked. “You’re white as a sheet. Let me get you some water.” She hurried to the kitchen and returned with a bottle of water. Cassandra placed it against her forehead.
“What happened? You looked as though you’d seen a ghost.”
“Who is that man in the conference room, speaking with Jan? I was only able to get a quick glance of him over the divider wall.”
“I don’t know, why?”
“I think it’s someone I knew about twenty-three years ago.”
“Are you serious?”
Cassandra nodded.
“Would you like me to find out?”
Again, Cassandra nodded, unable to speak.
“Wait right here.”
*
Melanie walked over to the conference room, lightly tapped on the door, and entered just as the interview had ended. She apologized to Jan for the interruption and smiled at the man. “I just need to ask this gentleman a question.”
“That’s fine, we’ve completed everything here.” Jan said.
Melanie introduced herself, and then asked, “This may seem to be a strange question, sir, but do you happen to know a girl by the name of Cassandra, from about twenty-three years ago?”
His smoky blue eyes sparkled, and he stood up. “Yes, I do,” he said, with a warm smile. “Why do you ask?”
Melanie motioned for him to follow her. She opened the door, glanced back at Jan and winked, then led him to her office. She showed him in with a nod of her head then silently walked away, wishing her office had a door, to afford them more privacy.
*
Cassandra sat with her back to the entrance of the office.
“Cassie?”
At the soft sound of his voice, Cassandra turned slowly. When she looked up, tears found their way down her cheeks. His smoky blue eyes looked exactly as she’d always remembered them, and they softened at the sight of her.
When he reached for her, she stood up, and he wrapped his arms around her, rocking her gently back and forth, while she wept softly.
“Oh, Cassie… it’s been so long,” he whispered softly into her hair.
She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. Her heart was so full, her chest pounding; she was unable to utter a word.
Cupping her chin, he searched her upturned face. “Would you like to go somewhere for a cup of coffee?” he asked.
She nodded, grabbed a tissue from the box on Melanie’s desk, and reached for her purse on the floor by her chair.
They entered the Bluebird Café and found a table in the rear, where they’d have some privacy. He helped her remove her coat and hung it over the back of her chair. When he sat down across from her, the glow of his smile warmed her.
Sean ordered a pot of coffee for two.
The waitress filled their cups, then set the coffee pot next to them and quietly walked away.
Sean reached across the table and gently took her hands in his.
“I heard about your accident on the news, Cassie. I wanted to come to the hospital to see you, but I knew that you were married. I felt that I’d only cause more trou
ble for you. Tell me what happened. Tell me all about your past twenty-three years.”
Cassandra started at the beginning, the worst day of her life; the day they said goodbye.
*
Saturday afternoon Dan had taken the kids bowling. Shannon asked Cassandra to go shopping with her and when they returned, she invited her in for some hot chocolate. Cassandra sat, deep in thought, while she observed Shannon at the stove.
She offhandedly mentioned yesterday’s surprising encounter with Sean.
“Sean? Who is Sean?” she asked, and turned from the stove, her eyes wide open in surprise. “Okay, I want to know what’s going on. I knew from the way you’d been acting today, that something happened to you. I just haven’t been able to put my finger on it. Now, who is Sean, and where did you meet him?”
“I’ll tell you, as soon as you sit down.”
Shannon set their cups of hot chocolate on the table and quickly pulled out a chair. “Now let’s hear it,” she said and sat down.
“I just want you to listen. Don’t interrupt with any questions, okay?”
“Okay, go ahead, honey. I want to hear everything.”
“I met Sean William Gavin twenty-three years ago.” Her thoughts filtered back to the day they’d met…
Cassandra had again spent Saturday evening at a nightclub alone, wondering when she would ever meet a decent, respectable man. At midnight, she walked into Elsie’s Giant Burgers on Main Street, the only restaurant open after midnight. She sat at the counter and looked around. There were only a couple of tables occupied. She loved little diners. The people seemed much friendlier than in the larger restaurants. She felt relaxed. There was soft music playing, and it was very quiet for a Saturday night.
When she glanced down at the other end of the counter, she caught a glimpse of the most sparkling blue eyes and dazzling smile she’d ever seen. She took in his tempting, attractive male physique, and his massive shoulders filled the coat he wore.
With a flirtatious smile, he motioned for her to come over and sit on the empty stool beside him. She wondered what she was doing when she stood up to join him. She didn’t even know him. However, he seemed to be nice enough, and they were in a public place, after all. She sat next to him and he motioned for the waiter to bring them some coffee.
The warmth of his smile and his infectious grin carried their conversation long into the early morning hours. Finally, he glanced at his watch, exchanged a smile, and shook his head. “It’s three o’clock. I can’t believe we’ve been sitting here for three hours,” he said. “It seems as though we’d just arrived, and I feel as if I’ve known you forever.”
Cassandra looked up at Shannon. “After that night, we’d been inseparable.”
“What happened, honey?”
Her eyes clouded with tears as she thought back again, of the painful memory of that night so long ago.
“I wanted to get married, have children. He told me that he wouldn’t commit to marriage. He had no desire to start a family. He wouldn’t tell me why, Shannon. That’s what hurt so badly. Then he told me that it would be best if we went our separate ways.”
“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry.”
“When we split up, I knew I’d never forget a single detail of his face, and I hadn’t. I’d thought of him almost every day for the past twenty-three years, and I kept it all to myself. When he came up behind me, he called me Cassie, and I knew right then who it was, before I even turned around. He is the only person who ever called me Cassie.”
“Will you be seeing him again?”
Cassandra nodded and smiled. She felt a warm glow flow through her.
Chapter Twenty-five
The following Saturday Adam and Sherry invited the twins to stay overnight. Shannon knew that she needed time alone with Sean.
When he arrived at the house, he met the twins, just as they were about to walk out the door. They seemed to like him, although there’d only been a few minutes for introductions. She mentioned to them earlier that she was going out with an old friend.
She was delighted when she noticed where Sean brought them. A small park, located a short distance from the house he owned when they’d first met. In the summertime, there’s a small pond surrounded with grass. They’d always enjoyed coming here when they wanted a quiet moment together. She was surprised that it still existed. It had been a long time since they’d been together. So many places had changed, or were no longer there. This was where they’d always come to be alone, to talk, and just relax. That was something they needed right now, a quiet place with privacy and plenty of time to talk.
Although covered with ice, the pond was still beautiful. Freshly fallen snow had left a white fluffy coating along the banks. The temperature had risen to the mid-thirties, and it was quite pleasant in this early evening hour. There was a full moon surrounded by a glittering of stars. They sat on a park bench at the edge of the frozen pond, the moon shining the perfect amount of lighting across the ice.
Sean placed his arm around her shoulders, and she snuggled up closely. After so many years of being apart, she still felt comfortable in his arms. His chin rested on the top of her head, and there was a spark of some indefinable emotion in his eyes.
“Had your husband ever physically abused you, Cassie?”
“No, never physically, but he’d always abused me mentally. He’d blame me for everything. He would drink too much and then blame me when something went wrong. I always drove everywhere. I never trusted his driving when he’d been drinking. On New Year’s Eve, I’d been so upset with him, that I let him get behind the wheel. I realized my mistake, the moment I noticed that he was driving on the wrong side of the road.”
“That is the very reason I don't drink, Cassie.” His voice broke slightly, and she looked up at him.
“I hadn’t told you, but a couple of years before we’d even met, I’d been married. One day on her way home from work, Karen had stopped to pick up our son Jamie from daycare. They were only a mile from our house when a drunk driver ran a red light. She died on impact. Jamie died just as the ambulance arrived at the scene. I was getting ready to leave my office when the call came in.”
“How old was your son?”
“Three.” His voice caught in his throat for a second. “That day was the day I stopped drinking. Just the thought of having a drink would remind me that a drunk driver had taken my family away from me.”
“Oh, Sean, I’m so sorry. I wish you had told me about this when we’d been together. I would have understood why you hadn’t wanted to marry and start a family.”
He held her so close she could feel the heat from his body. She looked up at him and tried to assess his unreadable features. His arms tightened around her in the cold night air, and his breath felt warm against her face. He brushed a gentle kiss across her forehead, and gazed into her eyes.
“God, I missed you, Cassie. I missed you so much.”
They sat a moment longer until he felt her shiver. “You’re beginning to get cold,” he said. “Would you like to have dinner somewhere?”
Cassandra nodded. For once in her life, she felt peace and satisfaction. She was certain now that she was still in love with him, and she knew in her heart that she always had been.
*
“Cassandra, Adam and Sherry have been accepted at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs.”
She could sense her friend’s excitement through the phone line. “Oh, my God, Shannon, the twins received their acceptance letters from UCCS this week also. The four of them will be going to college together. That’s wonderful!”
“I know. Sherry and Adam are so excited. It’s a miracle – they’ll all be together, just like middle school and senior high. We took them out for supper last night to celebrate. It had been too late for them to call the twins when we returned.”
“I’m sure they’ll all be happy to be together when they’re so far from home. I know it’ll be a relief for me.” She stood to pour herself
a cup of coffee then brought it back to the table.
“I’m glad too; they’ll have each other to fall back on. It’ll feel just like home for them.”
“By the way, I’m going to have to get up to the cabin soon.”
“Why? You aren’t going to say anything to Nick yet, are you?”
“I really don’t know what to do.” She added a spoonful of sugar into her coffee. “He’s been so good to me, and he’d always been there to help me whenever Jeff attempted to stalk me. He’d been such a sweetheart. I just don’t know.”
“I think you should hold tight for the time being. You don’t need to say anything other than what you told him before, that you’re not ready yet. At least wait until you’re really sure about Sean.”
“Oh, there’s no doubt about how I feel,” she said, and scooped another teaspoon of sugar, then stopped herself. Absently, thinking about Sean tended to distract her, and she’d already added five teaspoons. “I’m just so afraid of being hurt again, that’s all.”
“That’s why I’m suggesting that you just play it by ear for now, honey. I really do have to go, though. Dan will be home for dinner, and then he has to be on call tonight.”
“I’ll let you know if we’re going up there next weekend. The twins may want to ask Adam and Sherry to go along, would that be okay?”
“Sure, just give us a call,” Shannon answered, and they said goodbye.
Cassandra gulped a big swig of coffee and grimaced. “Ugh,” she said, and stood up to dump the over-sweetened concoction in the sink.
*
They pulled onto the long gravel drive just as the sun began to set. It was the first weekend in March and there’d been an unusual meltdown. She hoped it would stay this way right through the weekend. If Nick hadn’t picked up more gravel for the driveway, it would have been gluey muck. She’d have to thank him tomorrow.
She pulled the SUV alongside the cabin veranda steps. Everyone jumped out, each of them carrying their own bags. Mandy happily made her usual run to check everything out around the cabin.
When they’d settled in with a warm fire burning, Cassandra brought out the marshmallows, chocolate bars, and graham crackers to make S’mores.
The Sunny Side of the Mountain Page 12