Winds of Heaven (16 page)

“How sexy would that be?” she whispered as she desperately struggled into her nightgown, letting out a painful groan. “Throw myself into early labor just so she won’t see me in a nightgown.” She then slid into bed next to Skye.

When Casey came back into the dark room, Liz heard her open the drawer. Liz tried to remain quiet and keep her eyes closed. However, her curiosity got the better of her. She cracked one eye open and watched as Casey undressed in the moonlight. She swallowed so deeply she thought for sure it would wake up Skye. In the filtered moonlight, the silhouette of the curve of Casey’s breasts was enough to send a tingle down Liz’s spine. She continued to watch in awe; Casey had a beautiful body.

When Casey quickly changed into what Liz thought was a pair of boxers and a tank top, Liz heard her chuckling as she slid under the covers.

“What’s the joke?” Liz whispered out of the darkness.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” she whispered across Skye. Liz turned her head to see Casey’s face, half hidden by the moonlight. “I don’t own a pair of pajamas, but I didn’t want to give
Shortround
an early education in anatomy,” she whispered with a chuckle.

“Well, thank you for that,” Liz whispered back. “Good night, Casey.”

“Good night, Liz.”

She heard Casey yawn, and in a moment, she heard the soft deep breathing. For a few moments, Liz listened in the darkness to Skye and Casey as they slept. She smiled and cuddled the blanket around her and stifled the chuckle that threatened to overtake her. Liz wanted to tell Casey that Skye’s mother received the anatomy lesson instead, while Casey had undressed in the moonlight.

In the early morning, Liz woke. A soft breeze blew the curtain, allowing the early morning sunlight to stream into the bedroom. Liz looked for her daughter and was amazed to see her on top of Casey, who was lying sprawled out on her back. To add to her amazement, Liz must have rolled over in the night. She was lying on her side, her head resting on Casey’s shoulder and her arm protectively lay across her daughter’s back.

I should move, Liz thought, but she was honestly too tired and much too comfortable and content. The late summer breeze wafted over her and she instantly fell back to sleep.

As they sat at the breakfast table, Liz noticed a worried look on Casey’s face as she put the plate in front of her.

“Thanks,” she mumbled absently.

“What’s wrong?” Liz asked. Fine, she thought, she’ll realize this was all a mistake. One night sleeping with her and her daughter was enough reality for Ms. Bennett.

“I was thinking about Suzette,” Casey said.

Liz rolled her eyes as she fed Skye. All at once, Liz was cranky. She felt it rising and could not stop it. God, I cannot wait until I have control over my hormones, she complained to herself.

Skye was being a fussy three-year-old and pushed Liz’s hand away. “No…” she grumbled.

All three women were in foul moods.

“Well, it seems you’ve got two choices,” Liz said as she tried to feed Skye again. “You can either tell her that her musical skills are not up to par or continue to have sex with her.” The irrational, hormonal anger seeped out of every pore. “Gee, there’s an important decision: integrity or sex? Hmm, which one will the egomaniacal Ms. Bennett choose?”

Casey glared at her. “What the hell is the matter with you? Thanks for the helpful advice.” She tossed down her napkin. “Shit.”

“Fit,” Skye said.

Liz glared at Casey.

“Damn it,
Shortround
,” Casey scolded.

Skye laughed. “
Damment
.”

“Casey!” Liz argued.

Casey growled and pushed her chair back. “Well, don’t you have any control of her? Christ.”

“
Quieste
…” Skye laughed again and stopped at the scowl she got from Casey.

“Just stop talking if all you’re going to do is swear,” Liz said.

Casey got up and stormed into the living room with Liz hot on her heels. She turned Casey around and glared up into the now angry green eyes.

“It’s hard enough to try and raise a three-year-old—” Liz started.

Casey let out a loud rude laugh. “Three? Who are you kidding? That kid is three going on forty,” she said childishly. “And leave Suzette out of this. It’s none of your concern who I sleep with.”

“Thank God for that. Fine, go sleep with your tone-deaf cellist. You deserve each other,” Liz bellowed.

“Fine, I will!”

“Fine!” Liz yelled, damning the tears that flooded her eyes.

Casey swallowed and took a step toward her.

“Don’t you dare...”
 

Now Skye was crying, as well. Casey ran her fingers through her hair. She stormed past Liz and put on her running shoes. She ran out the door, hearing Skye crying out her name.

Liz tiredly walked up to Skye and picked her up. “I go...
Cafey
...” Skye said and struggled against her. She ran to the front door and laid her head against the screen.

“
Cafey
!” the little blonde cried out and banged the screen.

Chapter 10

Casey ran faster, trying not to hear Skye as she called for her. This was much too much emotion for her. She ran as fast as she could. It was something Casey Bennett did all too well.

While she ran, she thought of Julie, and her anger mounted. If it weren’t for her, none of this would be happening. She’d have her life back; she’d be…what, she thought as she slowed down. She stopped running and bent over, feeling as though she might vomit. She stood and took a deep breath and started walking down the gravel access road, taking in the beauty of the woods.

All at once, she turned to go back and stopped. Running a hand through her damp hair, she continued walking away from the cabin.

Did she truly want her life back? What life? Suzette, who really didn’t care for her? Oh, the sex was tremendous, but that was quickly becoming unimportant to Casey. She stopped and laughed openly. “What are the odds of that happening?” She shook her head and took a small path leading into the woods.

Julie, she thought. Julie Bridges was a force of nature, that was true. When they first met in the airport in Chicago, Casey was hooked. They both hailed the same cab at O’Hare Airport in a rainstorm.
 

Casey held her briefcase over her head, trying to keep dry as she whistled for the cab. She barely noticed the pilot next to her doing the same. When the cab quickly pulled to the curb, the pilot and Casey reached for the door. Casey thought the pilot would be a gentleman and let her have the cab. She was pleasantly stunned to see a pair of soulful brown eyes angrily staring back at her.

“I saw it first,” the woman said and reached for the door.

Casey grinned and opened it. “Look, it’s pouring, let’s share it before we drown.”

The woman narrowed her eyes for a moment, then slipped into the cab. Casey followed her and wiped the rain out of her face. “What a downpour.”

The cabby looked over his shoulder. “Where are you ladies headed?”

“The Drake Hotel,” the woman replied first.

Casey raised an eyebrow and looked at her. “The Drake, huh? Pretty snazzy. I think I’ll go there, as well. I love the restaurant in that hotel.” She looked back at the smirking pilot. “Would you like to join me for dinner?” Casey offered her hand. “Casey Bennett.”

The pilot took the offered hand. “Julie Bridges.”

For a moment, they just looked at each other. The cabby coughed. “The meter’s running. So the Drake?”

Julie never took her eyes off Casey. “The Drake.”

Casey grinned and settled back.

“This is a nice restaurant,” Julie said as she drank from her water glass. “Thank you for waiting while I changed.”

Casey nodded. “You’re welcome. You were more soaked than I was.”

Julie shrugged. “I offered you my room to get dry.”

Casey looked up from the wine list. “Which was very nice of you, perhaps I’ll take a rain check.” She then concentrated again on ordering the wine. “Would you like some wine?”

“Yes, please. Go right ahead. I have no idea about wine.”

The server approached their table and Casey ordered the bottle of wine. It was not until he walked away that Casey spoke. “So tell me about yourself, Julie Bridges.”

 
“Not much to tell. I was born in Indiana. An only child, I have loving parents, but I missed having friends. My father was in the military so we traveled a lot.”

“A pilot as well?” Casey asked. The server brought the bottle to the table and opened it. Casey tasted it and nodded.

“Yes, he was a colonel in the Air Force,” Julie said and lifted her glass when Casey offered hers.

“Well, here’s to rainy nights in Chicago,” Casey said with a smile.

They touched glasses in silence. Casey watched Julie’s lovely face as she drank her wine. Her shoulder-length blond hair shimmered in the dimly lit restaurant, and her brown eyes sparkled. She had smooth flawless skin that Casey instinctively knew would be soft to the touch.

“You’re staring, Casey,” Julie said; she grinned, as well.

“I can’t help it,” Casey said. “You’re very attractive. I’m sure you’ve been told that before.”

Julie looked into her eyes and searched her face. “As I’m sure you have.”

Casey’s arousal level raised several points as she drank her wine. “How long are you in Chicago?”

“I have a flight tomorrow night at nine,” Julie replied quickly.

Casey nodded but said nothing. Julie grinned and leaned forward. “Still want the rain check?”

Casey sat on a huge boulder and lifted her face to the morning sun as it filtered through the trees. She closed her eyes and remembered the sexually charged evening and next morning with Julie. Their relationship started that fast. From then on, they saw each other whenever Julie was in Chicago and whenever Casey could get away and meet her for a long weekend. During that time, Casey knew she was falling in love, but something held her back. Perhaps it was Julie’s almost childlike attitude, her cavalier approach to responsibility. Living the life of a single, carefree pilot was not unlike her own life as a single carefree composer.

Julie and she were evenly matched in many ways, and at the time, Casey followed her heart and wanted more. So did Julie, but it was her wanting children that threw Casey a curve.

“Honey, we’re not equipped for kids,” Casey tried to explain.

Julie lay in her arms and looked up. She swiped the blond hair away from her face. “You don’t want children? You said you liked the idea.”

“I said, if the situation was different, I would like the idea,” Casey gently corrected her and sat up. “Honey, look at our lifestyles. You’re a pilot who is constantly on the go. You’re never in a place long enough.”

“You’re grounded, Case. You’ve got a wonderful apartment here. It’s huge, and you’re in Chicago now more than ever. You’d be around all the time. We could get a nanny—”

Casey cocked her head in confusion. “A nanny?”

Julie went on before Casey could continue. “Yes, once you have the baby, you’ll—”

“Me?” Casey asked in amazement. “Okay, we need to regroup here and talk seriously.” She slipped out of bed and into her sweats and a T-shirt. Julie did the same.