Winds of Heaven (18 page)

Liz gave up. It was hard enough with Skye. Casey was just a taller, albeit much more attractive, version.

“C’mon, you little sack of potatoes, let’s go swimming.” She hauled Skye up over her shoulder and limped down to the beach. She turned back. “You gonna be all right up here?”

“I’ll be fine.” Liz smiled and nodded. “Go on.”

As she watched Casey head down to the beach to play with her daughter, she couldn’t get a handle on what was going on in Casey Bennett’s mind. One minute, she was kind and generous with her gifts, then the next she was distant and arrogant. The only constant was Liz’s uncertainty about Casey Bennett—and the uncertainty of the future.

Chapter 11

Liz watched Casey and Skye playing in the late afternoon sun; she decided to make something cool to drink. She rose with a deep groan, and as she headed inside, she heard a car pull up the gravel access road. She peered out the kitchen window to see an impeccably dressed elderly woman exit the luxury car and stretch. “I wonder who that is.”

She was going to get Casey, but this woman seemed to know where she was. Liz opened the back door and the woman smiled. Liz saw a vague resemblance to Casey and held the screen door open. “You must be Casey’s grandmother.”

“Very good. Now if you can just give me the lottery numbers for tonight’s game, we’ll be all set.”

Liz laughed and stepped back to allow her into the kitchen. “I’m—”

“Liz Kennedy. I’m Meredith Casey.” She offered her hand. “Casey has told me of your situation.”

“She has?” Liz frowned.

Meredith held up her hand. “Only the basics.” She looked at Liz’s stomach. “How are you feeling? I told that idiot granddaughter of mine I wanted to meet you.”

Liz laughed as Meredith walked into the living room and sat with a groan. “That is one long drive.”

“Can I get you something? I was just going to make some iced tea.”

“That would be heavenly, thank you.”

Liz returned to find Meredith smiling as she looked out the big picture window. She knew she was watching Casey with her daughter. “Here you go, Mrs.—”

“None of that. It’s Meredith, please,” she said and took the glass. “May I call you Liz?”

“Of course.” Liz looked out the window, as well. “Skye adores your granddaughter.”

Meredith raised an eyebrow and drank her tea. “And how are you getting along with her?”

Liz felt the color rush to her face, trying to hide it as she drank. “Casey is being very kind and generous to let me and Skye stay here until my child is born.” She watched Skye with Casey and absently put her hand on her stomach.

“Let’s sit, shall we? My feet are killing me.” Meredith eased into the recliner. “One thing about Casey, she knows creature comforts.”

Liz said nothing as she sat on the couch, though she felt Meredith’s gaze upon her.

“I am sorry to hear about your partner,” Meredith said. “Though it was quick, it must still have been a shock.”

“Thank you. It was a shock and still is in some ways. And in another, it’s…” Her voice trailed off as she drank her tea. “I don’t want to bore you with my situation.”

“Not at all, dear. I can imagine you haven’t talked to anyone but my granddaughter, and even that may not help.”

Liz laughed along with Meredith. “I can’t blame Casey. She was thrown into this situation, pretty much emotionally blackmailed by Julie into helping us. I didn’t want to leave and come out here. But I couldn’t stay in New Mexico alone. Not with having Skye and being pregnant. I know this is inconvenient for Casey. I only hope I can make it up to her somehow.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Casey needs someone to take care of, something in her life other than that idiot savant cellist.”

Liz had the glass to her lips; she spewed the tea out of the glass and started choking and laughing at the same time. Meredith laughed heartily as she kicked off her shoes. “I take it you know of what’s-her-name?”

“Suzette,” Liz said, wiping her chin.

“Ah, yes, Suzette. Have you met?”

“No, I have not had the pleasure.” Liz shook her head, still chuckling.

“What in God’s name?”

Liz looked up when she heard the curious tone to see Meredith looking out the window. Liz followed her gaze and blinked several times. Casey stood on the porch with a small inner tube over her head with one arm through it; the inner tube was a bright red and blue with fish all around it. Skye was slowly climbing up the steps behind her.

“Go get your mother,
Shortround
,” Casey said in a strangled voice.

“’Kay,
Cafey
.”

Skye ran into the living room and up to her mother. “Mama,
Cafey
stuck.” She then noticed Meredith and frowned.

“Hello,” Meredith said. “What happened to Casey?”

“She stuck,” Skye repeated and pulled on her mother’s leg.

Liz groaned and stood. “Now what?”

“This I have to see,” Meredith said.

Casey whirled around, her eyes bugging out of her head. “Gram? What are you doing here?” she asked, desperately trying to wriggle out of the inner tube.

“Waiting for the floorshow. How on earth did you get stuck in that thing?”

“Casey, what are you doing?” Liz tried to pull the inner tube. She only succeeded in wedging Casey’s arm tighter.

“Ouch, for
godsake
,” Casey said. She glared down at Skye as she laughed. “This is your fault.”

“Oh, fine. Blame a three-year-old,” Liz said.

“Well, it was her idea—”

“Who’s the adult?” Liz asked angrily as she pulled at the tube.

“Um, may I offer my assistance?” Meredith asked and stepped forward. She took the long fork from the barbeque stand and punctured the inner tube.

They all stood there as the air hissed and deflated the tube. Meredith then motioned to her granddaughter. “May I?”

Casey took a deep angry breath and nodded. Meredith then lifted the deflated rubber tube over her head and handed it to her. “Perhaps you should stick to playing the piano.”

Casey glared at her. “Who invited you?”

Casey emerged from the shower in shorts and a tank top, her hair damp and a red mark around her neck and shoulder. Meredith exchanged glances with Liz, who bit her lip in an effort not to laugh. Skye sat in her booster seat at the table, eating a slice of cucumber. She looked up when Casey walked into the kitchen.

“
Cafey
?
Cooclumber
,” she said and offered the one she was eating.

“Thanks,” Casey said and took the half-eaten wobbly cucumber and started to pop it into her mouth; it then fell onto the floor. “Oops.” She picked it up and tried again.

Liz’s mouth dropped as she snatched it out of her hand. “Are you insane? Don’t eat that after it fell on the floor.” She tossed it in the garbage.

Casey frowned and looked at her empty hand, then to Skye. “It dirty,
Cafey
.”

Meredith sat back and watched as Liz prepared the salad for dinner. “Can I help, Liz?”

“Oh, no, Meredith. You just sit.”

“How about a martini, Gram?” Casey asked. “And then you can tell me why you drove six hours without telling me. I would have picked you up.”

“I’d love a martini, and I’m a grown woman,” Meredith said. “And I wanted to meet Liz and her adorable daughter.” She reached over and chucked Skye under the chin. Skye giggled and squirmed in her seat. “And you may call me Grandma.”

Liz glanced at Casey, who frowned for an instant, then concentrated on her cocktails. The frown was not lost on Meredith, nor was the worried look on Liz’s face.

“So tell me, Liz. How are you feeling? Bloated, hot flashes, raging hormones?” Meredith asked, then smiled wickedly. “Back spasms? Heartburn?”

“And the list goes on,” Liz said over her shoulder while munching on a carrot. “And my appetite.”

“There’s nothing wrong with your appetite,” Casey said and handed Meredith the long-stemmed glass. As she walked away, Meredith beckoned her back with an “ah, ah.” Casey rolled her eyes and plopped a few olives into the glass.

“I know. That’s the problem. I’m eating like a horse.”

“Well, you look fine.” Casey took a long pull off the bottle of beer she opened.

Meredith watched both with interest. Casey absently put the bottle cap on the counter; Liz automatically tossed it into the garbage while Casey poured an iced tea and set it on the counter next to Liz. Liz looked at the glass. “Could you…?”

Casey had already retrieved more ice and added it to her glass. Liz said a quiet “thanks.”

“Welcome,” Casey said, placing her hand on Liz’s shoulder as she walked by.

She glanced at Meredith, who raised an eyebrow and sipped her martini. “What?” Casey asked.

Meredith just smiled. “Yes, you are very attractive, Liz. Motherhood agrees with you. Don’t you think, Casey?”

Casey looked at Liz, who was facing the counter. Meredith watched her granddaughter as her gaze traveled up and down Liz’s body.
 

“Yes, she is, and it does,” Casey said.

“I just want to be healthy so the delivery goes well and I recover quickly.” Liz placed the bowl of salad on the table. She looked at Casey, who was still watching her. “What?”

Meredith watched the exchange while feeding Skye a piece of celery.
 

Casey blinked. “What?”

Liz dried her hands on a towel. “You look as if you wanted to say something. It’s getting annoying.”

Meredith watched the color rise in Casey’s cheeks. She looked like a thermometer. “No, I-I don’t have anything on my mind.”

“Liar,” Meredith mumbled as she fed Skye.

“Well, are you manning the grill?” Liz took the steaks out of the fridge. “Good thing you bought enough.”

“Oh, sure.”

Casey had the coals red hot; she tossed three steaks on the sizzling grill and stepped back. “I have no idea what I’m doing,” she called into the kitchen and held the tongs in the air.

Meredith laughed along with Liz, who was still munching on cucumbers, and for every slice of tomato that went in the salad, she had eaten two. “Don’t worry. If you burn them, Liz has already eaten dinner,” Meredith said dryly and shook her head. “Let me make sure she doesn’t burn the porch down.”

Out on the deck, Casey sipped her beer and looked up from her task when Meredith walked out.

“Well, well, you look positively domesticated. It suits you.”

“What are you doing here? Not that I don’t love seeing you.”

“Niles called me all a-twitter,” Meredith said. “Don’t you know any straight people?”

“Ha, ha. Niles likes you.” Casey took a long pull from the beer bottle. “He liked Mom, too.”

Meredith heard the forlorn voice and sipped her martini. She sat in the lounge chair and crossed her legs. She watched Casey for a moment as she stared into the kitchen window. Liz could be heard laughing with Skye.