Another Chance (26 page)

“We make our future together now, Cassandra Warren. You are so mine, as I am yours.”

“Always,” she whispered.

“I like the sound of that.”

“Patrick, I’m so glad we found each other again.”

“So am I sweetheart, even under the circumstances. Being with you again, Cassie, it’s like coming home.”

His touch wasn’t what she was used to. Where Marks hands had been rough and calloused from building, Patrick’s were soft and gentle. Cassie melted under them, her body giving in to all the sensations Patrick provided. She couldn’t help comparing them. They were so alike, and yet so different.

As Patrick brought her to new heights, she knew she had made the right decision letting him back into her life. He had persisted and been there when she needed him, and now she was his again. This time it would work.

Patrick trailed kisses down her stomach, making her gasp as he made his way between her thighs. “Patrick,” she whispered, “oh Patrick.”

“Cassie,” he murmured, bringing her to the brink before pausing to look at her face. “I’ve dreamed about making love with you again for so long.”

He bent his head, and took her over the top as she cried out his name again. “Cassie,” he said again, moving back up her body until he was over her. Her eyes were full of emotion, full of love for him, and he kissed her softly. “So many times I thought of you, not knowing what I did wrong. I loved you so much Cassie.”

“I loved you too,” she whispered, “and I love you now.”

He kissed her again, and she was lost in his arms, in his touch.

Afterwards, Patrick pulled her into his embrace again, his strong warm arms giving her the comfort that she needed. “Mine,” he said.

“Yes, yours,” she said, kissing him again before she drifted off to sleep.

He watched her sleep; her long auburn hair spread over the pillow. It was difficult to believe they were together again after so long. When he told her he loved her at age eight, he meant it. They had come up with the whole kissing the fingertip thing then.

Kissing her at age eleven had been no accident. Although he told her that he had missed her cheek, the truth was that he had wanted to find out what Cassie’s lips tasted like. Afterwards, she had been embarrassed, and declared she didn’t need a boyfriend. Like the child that he was, Patrick had been so hurt that when they started their new school the following year, he got caught up in the whirlwind of popularity that playing sport brought him.

While he never forgot Cassie, he spent those years with his other friends and pushed her away. It had hurt him more than she ever knew. By the time he came to his senses, hoping it wasn’t too late he had asked her out, only to lose her in what now seemed a horrid misunderstanding.

Now, beside her in bed, he thought of all the years that had been wasted. Now, he would set their world to rights. She was his. He woke her in the morning, kissing her neck and showing her how much he loved being with her again.

“I don’t know if I can keep up your pace,” she grumbled.

“Whatever,” he said grinning, rolling on top of her and pinning her to the bed. “We have a lot of catching up to do, we’ve got to start somewhere.”

“Is that right?”

“Anyway, aren’t you women supposed to hit your sexual peak around this age. I might be the one who has to keep up with you.”

Cassie laughed. “Given that we live in different cities, we might have to squeeze in as much as we can when we do see each other.”

“I don’t want to do that. I want you to be with me so we can do this when we want to.”

“Patrick, my life is here. We can’t jump into this. I don’t want to move Sophie away from everything she’s ever known and have things to go badly.”

“They won’t this time, Cassie, I swear.”

“Give me some time. We’ll all be together, but I don’t want to rush things.”

He moved to her side. “You’re right. I’m impatient. I feel as if I’ve been waiting forever for this, and now we’re together again I want to make it permanent.”

“So do I but we need to get to know each other again, Patrick. The time we’ve already spent together has helped, but I want the three of us to spend time together before we make any big decisions.”

“When should we tell Sophie I’m her father?”

“Like I said earlier, we should let her get used to us being together first. She had a very special relationship with Mark. While she adores you, it’ll be a big adjustment for her.”

Patrick nodded. “You’re right. Sorry if I seem to be trying to rush things. I’ve missed you.”

“I missed you for so very long. There was a part of me that wanted desperately for you to come looking for me, but you never did. Did you?”

“It wasn’t that I didn’t want to, Cassie. In fact, not long before I ran into you at the hospital, I’d thought about it. We left so much unfinished. That first year studying was so hard without you. I came close to throwing it all away several times.”

“I wanted to tell you about Sophie so much, but I thought you’d moved on.”

“Cass, I tried. Something always brought it back to you. I loved you all my life and even when we weren’t close I always knew you were there. It left a huge hole in my life when we broke up.”

Cassie kissed him, and he saw, reflected in her eyes what he meant to her. “Mine too,” she whispered, “so many times I looked at Sophie, and all I saw was you. If you had wanted me, I would have been back in your arms in a heartbeat.”

He stroked her face while she closed her eyes. “If I had known that, Cassie, I would have been bashing down your door years ago.”

“I’ve been lonely. I’ll admit it, but I’ve been so scared, Patrick. After the last time, and then losing Mark. I’m scared I’m moving on too fast, and yet this feels right.”

“Sophie’s told me how lonely you have been. It’s been difficult to stay away.”

Confused, she stared at him. “What do you mean Sophie’s told you?”

“We’ve been emailing each other. I assumed you knew. She said that she had told you.” Her nostrils flared, and he realised that Sophie hadn’t said anything. “Cassie, wait,” he said as she climbed out of bed, reaching for her bathrobe.

“Sophie,” she yelled, flinging open the bedroom door.

“Mum?” Sophie sat on the couch eating toast and watching television.

“So you’ve been emailing Patrick. When were you going to tell me?”

“I’m sorry, Mum. I didn’t want to upset you.”

“Upset me? Sophie, who else have you been talking to? I’ve checked your email, and there was nothing. Now I’m concerned about what has gone on behind my back.”

“Nothing has gone on, Mum. I haven’t been talking to anyone else I swear.”

“How on earth can I trust you, Sophie?”

“Cassie, calm down.” Patrick emerged from the bedroom behind. “I’m sure Sophie is telling the truth aren’t you, Sophie? Although, I am disappointed as I told you to tell your mother about us talking to each other.”

Sophie looked downcast. “I wouldn’t do anything bad, Mum. I know the rules, but I thought Patrick would be a bit different.”

“Sophie, your safety is my concern. Maybe it is just Patrick you’re talking to, but if you didn’t tell me about him how can I believe anything else?”

Patrick sat on the couch beside Sophie. “Perhaps you need to give your mum access to everything and show her.”

“Clearly she deleted the emails between you and her, how can I believe anything I see?”

Sophie burst into tears. “Have you ever had any reason to doubt her before, Cassie?”

“No. I didn’t think I did anyway.”

“How about we give her the benefit of the doubt, but we keep a closer eye on her.”

“How about you butt out.”

Patrick pulled a face. “You don’t have to be like that, Cassie.”

“I’m pissed, Patrick. Very pissed. I’ll confess I would not have been happy that she was talking to you, but she withheld it from me. That’s what I’m upset about.”

“I realise that, and I’m not telling you that you shouldn’t discipline her. Just that she’s screwed up, and she clearly understands that. Let’s talk it through and make sure she understands why you’re upset.”

He stood up and took Cassie’s hands in his. “I love you and Sophie, and I don’t want you two fighting.”

Cassie moved to the couch, leaning down to kiss Sophie. “I’m sorry love. I couldn’t help but panic at the thought of you corresponding with older men. Patrick is safe, but it could have been a lot worse.”

“Mum, I wouldn’t do that. I’m careful. Patrick has been such a good friend to us and to Dad, and he liked knowing how you were, so I told him because I’ve been worried. I’m not now though.”

She grinned, and Cassie hugged her. “I love you so much, Sophie. If anything ever happened to you it would kill me.”

“Then we’ll make extra sure that doesn’t happen, won’t we, Sophie?” said Patrick.

Sophie nodded. “I won’t keep anything more from you, Mum. I promise.”

“It’s time to get dressed so let’s get ready for school and work and talk tonight about how we make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

Patrick followed Cassie into the bedroom. “So you have to go to work?” He slipped a hand into her bathrobe, cradling her breast.

Cassie laughed. “I have to unlock the store so it won’t open until I’m here. As much as I would love to play hooky and stay in bed with you I need to go to work.”

“I have a surgery tomorrow morning, but it’s not until eleven so I can stay again tonight if you want me to.”

“Don’t you push yourself too hard. I don’t want anything happening to you.”

“I’m young, fit and healthy. Plus I have regular checkups. You don’t have to worry about me, Cassie. This will all be so much easier when you and Sophie come to live with me.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah yeah.”

“I mean it. I even bought a house for us.”

“Well aren’t you super confident?” She poked her tongue at him.

“You are being cheeky, and I might have to punish you tonight for that.”

“Really?” Her eyes widened, and she looked so young for just a moment, he held his breath. It took him back to when they had been together the first time. She really was his Cassie still.

“Really young lady. Now get dressed while I watch and I’ll pick you up for lunch if that suits.”

“That suits me fine.”

After a quick breakfast Cassie kissed him goodbye, giving Patrick a key to the house so he could get back in.

“What’s this? The key to your heart?” he asked with a grin.

Sophie rolled her eyes. “Come on, Mum, let’s get going.”

Cassie laughed. “Just the house, you already have the rest.”

The morning crawled as Cassie counted down to lunch. Right on the dot of twelve Patrick appeared in the store asking for her, flustering a few of the women who couldn’t believe what they were seeing. “He’s so hot,” whispered one of Cassie’s co-workers as she went past them on her way to him.

“I know.” Cassie winked at the woman over her shoulder, chuckling to herself.

“Where do you want to go?” he asked after greeting her with a kiss.

“Somewhere nearby. You’ve made quite the impression on my workplace.”

“Good. Everyone needs to know you’re taken now.”

“Is that right?” Cassie asked, laughing.

“Most definitely. If you won’t live with me, I’ll make sure everyone knows you’re mine.” He took her arm in his and she leaned on his shoulder as they made their way out of the store and into the street. There was a small cafe across the road, and Cassie guided Patrick there.

They sat at the table, Cassie reaching for Patrick’s hand. “This just feels so normal, it’s nice,” she said, squeezing his hand.

“We could do this every day,” he replied.

“One day we will.”

“I meant what I said, Cassie. I did buy a house.”

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“I didn’t, but I wanted to, and I can’t wait for you to see it. There are lots of bedrooms and a huge backyard for Sophie and maybe the future.”

“You do have everything planned out, don’t you?”

“I’ve spent my whole adult life thinking about you, and I plan on doing whatever I can to secure our future together, Cassie.”

He knew from her expression that she was thinking about Mark. “Mark would approve, Cass. He wanted you to be happy.”

“I know he did. It’s still hard. I promise to think about Sophie and I moving, it would be good to make a fresh start for a lot of reasons.”

“There are so many memories here for you.”

“Everywhere I go. I met Mark at work when he came in to renovate the place, he kind of followed me home and didn’t really leave. One of his friends tried it on a while ago too, and every so often I run into him which is awkward. The only things keeping me here are the store, Sophie’s school and Lauren.”

“One of Mark’s friends tried it on?”

“You remember that guy Ian.”

“He tried it on with you?”

“Thought I was so lonely I’d jump into bed with anyone.” She paused. “Mind you, last night proved that.” Cassie grinned, and Patrick laughed so loudly people around them turned to look.