Winds of Heaven (13 page)

“Hey,” Casey said.

For a moment, neither woman said another word.

“Did you have a good trip? You look tired,” Liz said, breaking the silence. “Well, Skye’s happy to see you.”

“It was productive.” Casey scratched the back of her neck.

Liz cocked her head and smiled. “That’s good.”

“I have no idea,” Casey said with a nervous laugh and picked up Skye. Casey threw her over her shoulder, and her pint-sized friend squealed with laughter.

“Did ya miss me?” Casey asked and glanced at Liz.

“Uh-huh. I miss you.” Skye giggled as Casey tickled her on the way down. Casey held her on her hip as she picked up her duffel.

The three walked up onto the deck and Casey set Skye down with a groan.

“I go
fimming
,” Skye said happily, then looked at her mother.

“You did? With Mommy?” Casey saw the stern motherly look from Liz as Skye looked down at the ground and put a finger in her mouth.

“Okay. What’s going on?” Casey asked.

“Skye Marie?” Liz said in a firm voice.

Casey raised an eyebrow. Skye Marie? That cannot be good, she thought.

“I go
fimming
. By
mineself
,” Skye mumbled in a small voice.

Casey’s eyes widened in shock. “By yourself?” she squeaked out.

All at once, Casey had images of this little thing lying
facedown
in the lake. She knelt down, put a finger under Skye’s chin, and lifted. “Sweetie, don’t ever go down to the lake by yourself. Promise me,” Casey said as her heart pounded in her ears. She looked up at Liz.

“You let her go down to the beach by herself?”

Liz’s blue eyes blazed with anger. Casey saw the stupefied look and realized she said the wrong thing. Liz said nothing as her nostrils flared with anger. “I hope you had a good trip.”

“Liz, I—”

“I was just starting lunch. C’mon, sweet pea, time to eat.”

Skye looked as though she was going to cry and Casey smoothed back her blond curls. “Go with your mom,
Shortround
. I’ll get washed up for lunch.”

Liz took Skye by the hand and disappeared around the cabin. “Damn it,” Casey said, angry with herself and her outburst. She picked up her bag and followed them into the cabin.

Lunch was silent and awkward. Liz was still seething as she cut Skye’s sandwich and placed it in front of her. As if Skye could sense her mother’s anger, she said, “Thank you.”

When Liz placed the plate in front of Casey, Casey said, “Thank you, Mama.”

Liz’s head shot up; she glared into Casey’s eyes for a moment. Casey tried not to laugh, but Skye did not. “She not your mama,
Cafey
.”

Casey shrugged, and in the next minute, they all laughed, breaking the tension. She drank her iced tea and watched Skye, who was playing with her bologna that was covered with ketchup. She grimaced at what that combination would taste like.

“
Cafey
? We go
fimming
?”

Casey wiped her mouth on the napkin and looked at Liz. “I dunno,
Shortround
. It’s up to your mother.”

Liz glanced from Casey to her daughter. “Of course you can go swimming. But you must listen to Casey and do as she says. We don’t want anything to happen to you. Casey will take you swimming whenever you want, but you can’t go in the water by yourself. Understood?”

Skye’s bottom lip quivered at the reprimand, but she nodded. Casey cleared her throat. “Now if I remember, I promised you a present.”

Skye’s eyes widened as she watched Casey walk into the living room and return with her duffel. She pulled out her sunglasses and put them on, avoiding Liz’s curious look. Casey then pulled out a little pair, handing them to Skye. Her eyes widened as Casey helped her put them on.

“Mama. Like
Cafey
,” she exclaimed and Casey laughed.

Liz shook her head. “This is what I need, a smaller version of Casey Bennett.” She looked at the pair of them in sunglasses and had to laugh. “You look adorable, sweet pea.”

“Like
Cafey
?”
 

Casey looked over her sunglasses at Liz, who gave her a smirk.

“Oh, more than Casey, sweetie,” she assured her.

The air went out of Casey’s ego balloon with a definite
pffft
...
She grunted childishly and reached in her duffel and handed Skye the package. Skye looked up at her mother, who smiled and nodded. She then ripped at the wrapping.

“Mama... It a
fith
!” Skye screamed in delight as she adjusted her sunglasses. She held up a stuffed animal that had blue and orange fins and hugged it close.

Casey sported a superior grin. My idea, thank you very much, she thought.

“I see. It’s beautiful, sweet pea, you can sleep with it,” her mother said enthusiastically.

Skye nearly jumped out of her skin, she was so excited. She jumped out of her chair to give Casey a hug around the neck. “Thank you,
Cafey
.”

“You’re welcome,
Shortround
.”

“
Cafey
. Go
fimming
now?” Skye asked, pulling at Casey’s shorts.

“Your mom went to all the trouble to make this great sandwich,
Shortround
, and I’m gonna finish it.”

“Skye, Casey’s tired. How about a nice nap, then we’ll all go down to the lake?”

Skye stamped her foot.

“Skye,” Liz warned and the independent three-year-old frowned.

“I want
fim
,” Skye said stubbornly.

Casey raised an eyebrow, trying not to laugh as she finished her sandwich. “Feisty little curly top,” she mumbled into her iced tea glass.

Liz glared at her then and whispered, “Will you back me up on this?”

Casey nodded as she wiped her mouth on the napkin. She knitted her eyebrows together and looked down at Skye, who reflected her frown, looking way up at Casey.

“Nap...” Casey said.

Skye looked from one to the other. She then picked up her stuffed fish and pulled at Casey’s hand. Casey laughed as she stood. Then Skye pulled at her mother’s hand.

“
Cafey
tired, Mama tired,” she said, pulling at both women.

Casey avoided Liz, hoping she couldn’t tell she was blushing.
 

“Well, it’s a big bed. We can put her in the middle, that way she won’t fall out.” Casey looked into her blue eyes.

“Y-you do look tired, and that couch really isn’t long enough for you,” Liz offered.

The whole time, Skye was looking up from one to the other. “Nappy,” she insisted and pulled both women out of the kitchen.

Casey easily flung Skye onto the bed and set her in the middle. Liz lay down and sighed with relief as she stretched out.

When Liz struggled to sit up, trying to kick off her sandals, Casey walked around the bed. “Hold on, you turtle,” she said as she reached for the sandals.

“I can do that, please—”

“Keep still,” Casey whispered and slipped off the sandals, her fingers lightly running over the soft skin on her ankles.

Liz put her head back. “Thanks,” she said. “I bet you miss your own bed. I’m sorry.”

“Mama, read. Peas,” Skye asked and cuddled to her side. The girl reached back for Casey and pulled her shirt. “Mama read to
uth
… ”

Casey grinned and moved closer to the middle of the bed and cuddled Skye close. She settled in as Liz picked up the book of poetry.

“What shall I read?”

Skye took her thumb out of her mouth. “The kiss one, Mama,” Skye urged and wrapped her arm around her mother’s.

Liz looked down at her daughter and smiled. “The kissing one again? How about something else?”
 

Casey was still watching her and wondered what caused her face to instantly flush. Must be a pregnancy thing, Casey thought as she leaned on her elbow, propping her head on her hand. “The kissing one?”

Liz hid her smile and nodded as she thumbed through the pages. “How about the other book, sweet pea? Dr. Seuss or maybe—”

“No, Mama, peas, the kiss one,” Skye pleaded.

Liz chuckled nervously. “Skye, I don’t know why you like this poem so much, and Shelley no less.”

Suddenly, Skye looked back at Casey. “Mama read.”

“I know. I can’t wait,
Shortround
,” Casey said, meaning every word.

Liz avoided her look, cleared her throat, and started in a low lilting voice. “The fountain mingles with the river, and the river with the ocean. The winds of heaven mix forever, with a sweet emotion.”

Liz’s soothing voice lulled Casey so much she missed the next few lines. She watched Liz’s face as she recited the end of the old poem.

“And the sunlight clasps the earth, and the moonbeams kiss the sea. What are all these
kissings
worth, if thou kiss not me?”
Liz stopped and looked over at Casey. “What’s the matter? Don’t you like poetry?”

Casey blinked. Her mind was a thousand miles away; she did not dare try and figure out where. Casey knew she was gazing intently as Liz. “No, it was beautiful.”

Skye was holding on to her mother’s arm and hugging her fish. “’Gen, Mama,” Skye said sleepily.

“Skye—”

“Yes, please. Again,” Casey agreed in a low quiet voice. And again, their gazes locked for a moment before Liz started.

As she read, Skye fell sound asleep before she finished. Liz gently rested the book on her chest and looked down at her daughter. “This happens every time I read to her,” she whispered. “It must be my voice.”

“It’s very soothing,” Casey whispered.

“Oh, I don’t know about that.”

“Liz, I’m sorry about the swimming thing.”

Liz shook her head. “I know. It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not. I have no right to—”

“We can talk about it later. I don’t want to wake her up.”

Casey nodded, then yawned. Liz smiled and closed her eyes as Casey watched her fall asleep. In a moment or two, she was surprised to find her eyelids growing heavy; soon she followed mother and daughter into a peaceful sleep.

Once again, something poked Casey in the eye. She jerked and woke to see the sleepy little blonde once again nose to nose.

“
Cafey
. Go
fimming
,” she whispered.

Casey stretched as she looked at her watch. It was two thirty. It was amazing; Casey couldn’t remember a time when she took a nap. She shook her head at the idea, although she felt completely rested and rejuvenated. She looked over to see Liz lying on her side, facing them, still sound asleep. Casey watched her thinking how peaceful she looked. As she gazed at Liz, she couldn’t ignore her racing heart. Liz was beautiful, even pregnant. Maybe it was because she
was
pregnant and happy. Motherhood was foreign to Casey, but Liz Kennedy took to it naturally. Liz was a good woman and Casey Bennett did not know many good women. She wondered what was to come of all this. What was Liz thinking?