Taking Chase (21 page)
Brian looked at him funny and then chuckled. “I take it you haven’t talked to her about this plan.”
“Well, no. She just told me about the attack two weeks ago. I’d wanted to talk to her about going to the range and then we got into this fight. Why? Is she afraid of guns?”
“God help you, Shane.” Brian shook his head and started to laugh. “She’s not afraid of guns. After the attack, after she got out of the hospital she went to the range every day and learned how to shoot. At first with her left hand because the right arm was so damaged. She’s a pretty damned good shot. She’s got a license to carry, I took care of that. She’s got a 9 mm. The self defense classes would be good. She didn’t have enough mobility yet after the physical therapy to really get proficient but she started to take martial arts classes just before she decided to up and move here.”
Shane smiled wryly. “Okay, so the fact is that I’m
not
worthy of your sister. I can’t think of anyone who is. She’s just that special. But I love her and I’ll keep loving her. And she makes me a better person, but I’m not perfect and yeah, I have buttons but so does she. So if I’m willing to work around hers, she should be willing to work around mine. Not that I think I handled it well. I didn’t. But damn it, I deserve a second chance.”
not
worthy of your sister. I can’t think of anyone who is. She’s just that special. But I love her and I’ll keep loving her. And she makes me a better person, but I’m not perfect and yeah, I have buttons but so does she. So if I’m willing to work around hers, she should be willing to work around mine. Not that I think I handled it well. I didn’t. But damn it, I deserve a second chance.”
Brian looked at him silently for long moments and nodded shortly. “Yeah, I think you probably do. I have it on good authority that she’s having dinner with Maggie, Penny and Liv tonight at Dee’s. She told me she’d be home by nine. I’ll be out then if you think you might want to talk to her.”
Without saying anything else, Brian turned and walked away but not before looking back over his shoulder and tossing back, “If you hurt my sister again, I’ll make it my business, Shane.”
Matt watched as the man drove away in his rental before turning to his brother. “I like him.”
Cassie spent the evening with her friends, enjoying the time with Michael and the easy communication with people. She began to know them and they her. Mostly they didn’t talk about Shane but in their own way, each of them encouraged her to at least talk things over with him.
And she began to think they were right. Oh who was she kidding? She’d wanted to talk to him for days but was afraid. Afraid that if she did she’d lose him. Indecision had frozen her.
She’d talk to him the next time he called, she resolved as she walked from her car toward her stairs. Stairs that Shane sat on, holding a bouquet of roses, a gold box of chocolates at his feet.
“Those will melt out here in this heat,” she said, walking past him and up the steps to her door.
“I should probably get them inside then, huh?” “The roses need water too or they’ll wilt.”
He stood but stayed down at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at her. “Can we talk?” “The lives of roses are at stake.” She unlocked her door and walked in, leaving it open.
When he got inside, she’d pulled out a vase and was filling it with water. He locked up behind himself and came into the kitchen, handing her the roses.
“So talk.”
And he did. He sat at her kitchen table and laid it all on the line. “Do you remember our first real fight? We promised each other that we’d step back and then work it through. We said no more not talking for days. So I called you every day. Twice a day. I kept my end of the bargain.
“I was an asshole. Stupid. I got caught off guard and when I saw you there it wasn’t you, it was her for just a brief second. But I didn’t let it process, I just spoke out of pain and I hurt you and I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you and I did but I’d like the chance to make it up to you.”
“I’m not her! I would never do that to you! How could you even think that of me? I love you. I trusted you with my heart and you hurt me.”
“And I’m not him! Come on, Cassie, give me a break here. I said some not very nice stuff, yes. I take responsibility for it. It was wrong but I didn’t hit you, I didn’t blame it on you. I made a mistake, a stupid mistake. I love you, but we both know it won’t be the last mistake I make. I’ll make more because I’m a clumsy guy and I do clumsy guy stuff. I’m a tool. But I love you more than words can say. I want you to be with me forever. I’m serious about you, about this, us. I want us to move forward and build something. Please let’s move past this. Please forgive me.”
She exhaled and looked into his face. A face she loved. She didn’t see arrogance there, not anger or calculation. His words seemed genuine. She wanted to believe him so badly.
“Okay. We both have our buttons and I realize what Sandra did to you changed you and made you gunshy. I’m sorry she hurt you so much and I wish you hadn’t been so devastated. Honestly, the woman is out of her damn mind. So in the offing, after all is said and done, you have baggage and you unloaded it on me. Problem is, you heaped a lot of nasty on me. Even for just a moment. And that intersected with six years of my life that I don’t care to repeat, even as a sick, vague memory caused by your behavior.
“You can be a tool and do stupid guy shit, that’s normal. But derision like that is another story. I can’t deal with it. I won’t ever again. I won’t.” Reaching out she took his other hand in hers as well. “I know. I know what it feels like to have that shadow of who you used to be come up and surprise you.”
He closed his eyes a moment and let out the tension that’d built up in his muscles. “I love you so much, Cassie.” She smiled. “Yeah, yeah. I love you too, Shane.”
Standing up, he pulled her to him, hugging her tight. “We’ll just work it through. You and me, we’re it, right? I’ve missed you this week. My bed has been empty, my arms, my life. I was getting used to your presence in my life and then you were gone and I didn’t know quite what to do. Don’t tell anyone that last bit.”
She laughed. “Yeah, wouldn’t want to blow your cred as a hard ass or anything. I missed you too.”
He moved slowly, bringing his lips to hers and kissed her. Relief, joy, reconnection, desire, love—all rushed through him at once at having her back. “Bedroom?” he asked, breathless as he broke the kiss.
“Can’t. Brian is due home any minute.”
“I’d say I’ll be quick but that’s not really a good thing in this situation. Can I stay over? And you and Brian can fill me in on everything about your ex too. I want to know not just as the sheriff but as the man who loves you. Share your life with me.”
“You hate my bed. You think the mattress is too soft.” He grinned. “It’ll absorb the sound of the make up sex.”
“Uh.” She blushed. “Well go on home and get some clothes and bring back some cobbler from The Sands, it’s still open. And then I’ll let you have the side closest to the door.”
He brought his lips back to hers, brushing his mouth over hers softly and nipping her bottom lip between his teeth for a moment. “When you put it like that, how can I refuse? Peach or berry?”
“I had peach yesterday so berry.” “You ate an entire cobbler?”
“So sue me. Your mother and Maggie made me some but I get hungry when I don’t get sex regularly. You were an ass. I needed the comfort.”
“I’ll help you burn the calories.” He waggled his eyebrows. “You saying I’m fat?” “Oh, you’re just torturing me for fun now, aren’t you?”
She laughed and tip toed up to kiss his chin quickly. “Yeah. G’wan then. I’ll see you back here in a bit.”
The minute Shane walked into The Sands and asked for a berry cobbler, Ronnie looked at him and smiled at him for the first time in a week and exclaimed how happy she was that he and Cassie were back together.
When Shane returned, Brian had gotten back and Cassie had a pot of decaf brewed to drink with the cobbler.
Shane relayed the story to Cassie and Brian. “The whole damned town took your side, I’ll have you know. They didn’t even know what the hell happened and still they took your side. My mother hasn’t spoken three words to me other than how I had to fix it between us. My brothers wouldn’t play pool with me. At dinner last Sunday you should have seen it. My brothers all got these big juicy steaks and I got this tiny piece of gristle.”
Unsuccessfully stifling a laugh, Cassie put a plate with cobbler and ice cream in front of him and then filled his coffee cup. “Your mother came over on Tuesday. She called every day this week too. Came into the bookstore every day I worked as well. Brought me cobbler to sweeten me up on your behalf. She’s Machiavellian, that woman.”
Cassie got her brother and herself a cup of coffee and joined them at the table. “She likes Brian. Maggie even baked tartlets for us. Lemon because it’s his favorite.”
Brian started to laugh, pleased to see his sister so lighthearted and silly. His reservations about Shane had faded over the week as he watched the man continue to reassure Cassie that he loved her but also didn’t crowd her. And his family was just what Cassie needed. Brian didn’t like the heartache she’d endured but he did like the fact that the man owned up to it and made it better. It was more than Terry had ever done.
“Tell me about him. Give me the details.” Shane continued to eat but his expression darkened and by the end of the story, his eyes were narrowed and his mouth set in a tight line.
“Here’s what we’re going to do…with your permission.” He looked quickly at Cassie who’d tensed up and then relaxed. “I hear you’re a crack shot, we’ll keep you going to the range, we can both go together so neither of us gets rusty. I’d like to put in a full security system here. We talked about it a little bit a while ago. I’ve got a list of available options and one of our contractors can put it in as soon as you decide on which you want. I even spoke with Chuck and he said he’d pay for half of it and not raise the rent if you paid the other half. If it’s more than you can afford right now, we can work out a payment plan.”
Brian looked at his sister from under his lashes. “Don’t worry about the money. It’s not a problem. Carly…Cassie, I’m with Shane on this. Please put in the system. I can’t be here, you can’t come back to California and live with me at my place, it’s hard enough having you so far away. If you have this system, I’ll feel so much better.”
“Don’t think I don’t know you’re both working me,” Cassie said, eyes narrowed. “But I’d be stupid not to do it. Shane, if your friend can do it on a Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday, let’s get him scheduled.”
“If he can’t, I can be here or Matt can or someone. I’d like to do it as soon as possible. If that’s okay with you of course.” “Fine, fine. Thank you. And I’m not a crack shot. I just know my way around a gun. I’ve got a license for it.”
They finished up the coffee and cobbler as it got late. Brian stood up and stretched. “I’m going to go to bed. I’ve got a plane to catch tomorrow afternoon.”
They said their goodnights and Shane and Cassie went into her room and shut the door.
Cassie sure hoped Shane was right and the softness of her mattress drowned out the sounds of their reunion or they probably kept Matt and Brian up all night long.
Chapter Fourteen
Petal was filled with activity as Homecoming Week activities took over the town. Cassie loved the pretty banners that went up on Main Street with the school colors.
Nervously, Cassie tried to figure out what to wear to the picnic she’d been invited to attend with Shane and his family. Terry didn’t have any family and she’d rarely attended events like the picnic when growing up. She’d been to the Governor’s Ball a few times, swanky restaurants and parties but none of them had her as excited or nervous as the picnic did.
She wasn’t expected to bring anything. There’d be food at the picnic. Shane told her they had big tables of barbecue and peach pie with home made ice cream—and she was sure he smirked slightly as he said it—and all sorts of other goodies. That was a relief as she was a terrible cook. Anything more complicated than salad, grilled cheese and soup and she was lost.
She had an appointment with her therapist in the early part of the day so she told Shane she’d meet the Chases at the park after she got back to town.
After running home, she changed out of her jeans and into Capri pants and a T-shirt. Early fall was still warm but she tossed a sweater into her bag as she left.
The park was already filled up with people when she arrived. Shane had told her the Chases always sat beneath a big oak tree on a rolling hill just as the park sprawled toward the lake shore. There’d be fireworks after dark and he’d promised the view there was the best around.
She should have known she’d be able to find their patch of ground by the sheer population of women gathered nearby and clustered around the blanket.
She knew she really didn’t like the way one tall blonde was looking at Shane like he was a piece of pie with ice cream on it. What Cassie did like was the hostile look on Polly’s face and the way Shane kept moving away from blondie.
“Hey, Cassie.” Maggie waved and grinned as she approached them. “Come and sit, Shane’s been saving you a place.” Cassie winked at Maggie.
Shane turned and when he saw her, the annoyed look on his face melted away. His features lightened and a smile tugged at the corners of the lips she loved to feel over every part of her body. He held his hand out to her and helped her sit down. Leaning in, he gave her a quick, but solid kiss. “Hi, darlin’. I’ve missed you today. You look beautiful.”
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