Another Chance (21 page)

“Who’s Jessica?” Patrick pulled a face at the phone. He would have made an excuse not to go if he didn't miss Cassie desperately.

“She’s my best friend. I told her all about you.”

“Right. Well that will be nice won’t it?”

“So you’ll be there?”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world. Now, can I speak to your mother?”

Cassie grinned as Sophie handed her the phone. “Hello?”

“Hi stranger.”

“I’m sorry I haven’t called you. I’ve just had a lot on my plate, adjusting to everything.”

“It’s all right, Cassie, I understand. I’ll be there for Sophie’s birthday though. Her twelfth birthday.” If what he said bothered her, she didn’t let on.

Cassie closed her eyes when he said it, the time was soon approaching that the subject would come to a head, but she couldn’t face that now. “Good, it’ll be nice to have some adult company for the evening. We can sit on the deck and drink wine while the kids watch a movie.”

“Sounds great, Cass. I’m really looking forward to seeing you.”

“You too.”

“He knows,” she muttered to herself as she hung up. “He has to have worked it out.”

“What was that, Mum?”

“Patrick’s excited about your party.”

“He’s looking forward to seeing you, Mum.”

Sophie flew out the door towards Patrick’s car when he pulled into the driveway and called out to Cassie. “Mum, Patrick’s here.” Excitedly, she flung her arms around his neck while he bent to hug her.

“Happy Birthday, Sophie.”

“Thanks. It’s so awesome you’re here. Come in and meet my friends.” Sophie grabbed hold of Patrick’s hand, pulling him towards the house.

“Not so fast sweetheart. I’ve got to get your present.”

“You brought me a present?” She was genuinely surprised, and Patrick grinned at the thought of her reaction when she saw what it was.

“I did. You go inside, and I’ll be there in a minute.”

She ran back inside as he opened the boot of the car to retrieve his bags and her present. “She is going to scream when she sees this,” he said to himself before taking it inside.

When he walked in the front door, Sophie announced his presence again, and he laughed as he handed her the gift. “I hope you like it.” Sophie returned to the group of girls in the living room who were all chattering, and he wondered what he had got himself into.

“It’s too late to escape now, if I have to go through this, you do too,” said Cassie from the kitchen doorway.

Patrick laughed and walked over to give her a kiss on the cheek. “It’s good to see you, Cassie, I brought some wine so I’ll give you this and I’ll throw my bag in the spare room.”

“Thanks, Patrick.”

She looked happier than she had in a long time he thought as she watched her daughter rip open the present. There was a squeal as Sophie realised what she had. “Mum, it’s an iPad.”

“Oh, Patrick, you didn’t.”

“It means you don’t have to fight over the laptop, and she’s going to be using these at school sooner or later Cassie. Might as well get her using one.”

“We’ve got them at school. This is awesome. Thank you so much.” Sophie hugged Patrick again and kissed him on the cheek.

Cassie shook her head. “What am I going to do with you? Spoiling her like that without talking to me first.” She tried to sound irritated, but she had a smile that he hadn’t seen for a long time. Her dimples still got him after all this time.

He moved towards her. “You can do whatever you want with me sweetheart,” he said quietly before winking and going to get a drink. She shook her head again and laughed.

Cassie watched Sophie showing her friends the present, the girls were all talking about Patrick as well, and she couldn’t help but roll her eyes at Jessica declaring him hot. “I hope you know you have a bunch of preteen fans out there.”

Patrick shrugged. “Only one girl I want to impress.”

“Are you sure? That was a very expensive present for Sophie.”

“Yeah well, there’s a reason why I want to spoil her.”

His eyes told Cassie that he knew, but she couldn’t bring herself to say the words and confirm it. This was enough for now.

“I wish Mark could see her. He doted on her, he really did.”

“He did a great job with you to raise her. She’s a good girl.”

“She is, isn’t she?”

They stood for a moment looking at each other. “Mum, what time is the pizza coming?”

“At six. Not too much longer, Sophie.”

“That is some gaggle of girls out there.”

“It’s only one night, thankfully.”

When the pizza arrived, Cassie put it on the dining table and opened the boxes. “Help yourself girls. I’ll get some drinks.”

Jessica sneered as Sophie took a piece of pizza. “Don’t eat too much, Sophie, you don’t want to end up like your mum.”

Patrick rounded on her. “What is that supposed to mean?”

She paled. “I just meant…” she looked down at the table.

“She means that Mum is fat.”

“Sophie, your mother isn’t fat. She has curves, but she’s not fat. I see women all the time with screwed up body issues because they have had something like that said to them. Don’t you dare let anyone say things like that about you or your mother. It simply isn’t true. That’s called bullying.”

Sophie gazed up at him as if some great words of wisdom had spilled from his mouth. “I like the way Mum looks, Dad thought she was beautiful.”

“Your mum is beautiful, and so are you, Sophie, whatever anyone tries to tell you. I should know.”

“Patrick is a cosmetic surgeon,” said Sophie proudly.

Jessica’s eyes widened. “So you do boob jobs?”

He laughed. “Sometimes and I help people who have had accidents feel better about their bodies. Don’t be mean to other people, it makes for an ugly person inside.”

He looked up. Cassie had been listening the whole time, gazing at him as Sophie did. “Let’s get those drinks shall we? I don't know about anyone else, but pizza makes me thirsty.” He bent down, whispering to Sophie. “You eat as much pizza as you like, it’s not like you eat it all the time. Your mum was the prettiest girl in school I’ll have you know too.”

“So why did you two break up?”

“That’s a good question. Cassie, why did we break up?”

Cassie frowned. “It’s complicated.”

She carried the drinks to the table, setting them down. “Now girls if you want to, you can take your plates and drinks into the living room.” Moving to Patrick’s side, she squeezed his hand. “Thank you for what you just did.”.

“I meant it. You’re a beautiful woman, Cassie, no one should call you anything else.”

“I meant Sophie. The last thing I want is her being bullied, I don’t want her going through what I did.”

“I wish I could have stopped it, Cassie. All of it. She’s still young as you were at the time. Her body is going to grow for some time to come yet.”

Cassie wanted to tell him what a good father he was being, but the words stuck. Their eyes locked, and he thought how much he wanted to kiss her right then and there. “Sorry I’m late everyone,” Lauren said as she came in the door.

The tension broke, and Cassie smiled as Lauren gave Sophie her present before greeting Cassie and Patrick with a kiss. She lingered over Patrick and Cassie couldn’t help feel a little possessive, but bit her tongue.

It became clear very quickly that Lauren had been drinking. “I was at a party before I came here, might go back afterwards.”

“How did you get here?” asked Patrick.

“Taxi. I’m not that stupid.”

“Lauren, if you need to stay Sophie’s room is available tonight.”

“I’ll just bunk in with Patrick if I need to.”

“I think you’ll be passed out by then,” Cassie muttered.

“Well I’m just going to sit out on the deck to get some fresh air. Does anyone want to join me?”

“Sure,” said Cassie brightly, “I’ll just grab some drinks, what do you want?”

“Anything will do,” said Lauren, staggering away.

“Is she all right?” Asked Patrick.

Cassie shrugged. “I think it’s how she’s coping without Mark. When she got a bit out of control before he pulled her back into line, but he’s not here to do it.”

“Maybe I can talk her round.”

“She’ll think you’re hitting on her. Unless you are hitting on her.”

Patrick shook his head. “No, I’m not interested in her that way.”

“Just be careful if you talk to her, she’ll take it the wrong way depending on how you approach it.”

“Are you warning me off?”

“Lauren is as close to me as any sister could be. I care about her.”

“And that’s it?”

“That’s all it can be for now.”

He heard water boiling. “Are you having coffee?”

“I’ve got a headache coming on, sometimes it helps.”

“That’s a shame, tipsy Cassie was fun on the phone. I would have liked to talk to her face to face.”

“Tipsy Cassie just gets herself into trouble.”

He was standing behind her now. “Maybe I want Cassie to get into trouble.”

Cassie laughed, pouring the coffee for herself and for Lauren. “Want one?”

Patrick shrugged. “Why not.”

Lauren was asleep when they got out to the deck and Cassie shook her head, smiling affectionately at her. She sat in the chair beside her, putting the coffee on the table and closed her eyes. “Headache bothering you?”

“A little. I get them every so often.”

“Did you ever see a doctor about them?”

Cassie laughed. “I’ve seen more than enough doctors in my life. Got sick of them.”

“I hope that doesn’t include me.”

“Not yet.” She grinned. The dimples again.

He laughed and sat back, coffee in hand to enjoy just sitting with her. Inside the girls finished their movie and started another one, barely noticing as Cassie and Patrick helped Lauren into Sophie’s room.

Cassie covered her with the blanket and stood back looking at her. Patrick wrapped his arms around Cassie’s waist. “She’ll be fine, she has to work through all this just like you’re still doing. I do know that Cassie, and I know I tease you. I’m not expecting anything but your friendship at this stage.”

She leaned into him. “I know, and if you don’t hear from me it’s not that I don’t care, and I don’t want your friendship. It still hits me all the time that Mark’s not here anymore. His things are still everywhere, and I don’t have the strength to sort through them just yet.”

“If you ever want any help with that, just let me know. It might be good for someone neutral to help you out.”

“You’re the least neutral person I know short of Lauren or Sophie.”

“I am always on your side, Cassie. No matter what happens. If you need me to sort through clothing or belongings without any sentimental attachment, I will do it just for you.”

Kissing her on the nose, he smiled at her.

“I appreciate it, Patrick, it’s just time that I need.”

“I know.”

After sitting back outside for a while longer it became obvious her headache was bothering her. “Did you take anything for it?” he asked.

“Earlier. I should top it up and go to bed.”

“Let me go.”

She told him where to find the painkillers, and he brought them to her with some water. “How bad is it.”

“Migraine territory. I need to try to get some sleep.”

“Come on then.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’ll sit with you while you go to sleep. That way I get to keep an eye on you. If you’re not sick of this doctor, he would like to try to take care of you.”

“Patrick, I’ll be fine once I get rid of this stabbing pain behind my eyes.”

“It’s worse than you’ve been letting on, isn’t it?”

She nodded. “Come on then.”

He took her hand in his, pulling her up off the chair and walking her to her room. Cassie readied herself for bed while he locked up the house and made sure the girls knew that he would take any rule breaking seriously. Sophie assured him they would keep watching movies until they fell asleep.

Patrick loaded them up with snacks that Cassie had prepared, and they were whispering away as he went up the hallway and back to Cassie’s room.

She was in bed when he got there and he stripped down to his boxers before sliding between the sheets beside her. Patrick pushed the hair out of her face and stroked her forehead while she closed her eyes.

“No funny business Mister,” she murmured.

“I’m not up to anything other than making sure you’re all right.”

“That is nice.”

“I’ll keep doing it until you go to sleep.”

When she woke in the morning, the headache had lifted. Patrick was wrapped around her, tucked behind in a spooning position with his arm draped over her. Cassie didn’t want to move and disturb him, giggling when she realised he was sporting some morning wood.