Last One Home (22 page)

“Garth is a decent guy, easy to talk to,” Steve was saying.

“What did you talk about?”

Steve hesitated. “Man stuff.”

“In other words, nothing you want to tell me.”

His face blossomed into a huge grin. “You got it.”

“So be it. I won’t pry.”

They drove up to a storage facility close to the Spokane airport in an industrial neighborhood and parked out front. Garth had the key and paused before turning to look at Karen. “Did you put an additional lock on here?”

“Me?” Karen pressed her hand to her chest. “No.”

Garth straightened and spoke to Karen. “You did pay for two months in advance, didn’t you?”

Waiting outside the unit, Steve stood behind Cassie and placed his hands on her shoulders. His touch felt warm against her skin and a tingling sensation went down her arms. She wasn’t sure what to make of the gesture and told herself it probably meant nothing.

“Let me check with the office,” Garth grumbled. “I just hope someone’s available on a Saturday afternoon.”

“There should be,” Karen called after him. Garth hurried toward the front of the facility, walking at a clipped pace. Karen looked embarrassed and apologetic. “I have a feeling there’s been a misunderstanding. Garth recently took over the bill paying and we’ve had a few minor glitches.”

“It happens,” Steve said.

“Garth is generally responsible. I don’t think things are going well at the office … he wanted to take a load off my shoulders, but I’m not sure having him tackle the bill paying is working out the way I’d hoped.”

Garth returned within ten minutes with another man, who removed the lock. As soon as he left, Karen asked her husband, “What happened?”

“I assumed you’d paid this in advance.” He turned toward Cassie and Steve. “I’m sorry about this, but it’s all taken care of now.”

“I feel bad for causing you all this trouble. I realize I took far longer than I should have to come.”

“No problem,” Garth said. “The fault was mine.”

The unit wasn’t big enough for her to walk inside. Right away Steve and Garth started loading the contents of the unit into the truck. Thankfully, the truck had a lift, otherwise it would have been nearly impossible to get the piano inside.

When Steve rolled the upright Baldwin out of the unit, Cassie stepped forward and reverently ran her hand along the top. Right away tears gathered in her eyes, though she managed to swallow them down. The emotion she felt seeing the piano was almost as powerful as what she’d felt when she first saw Karen standing on the porch steps.

The Baldwin reminded her of the innocence she’d lost and the connection with family, especially her father. She’d left all that behind when she’d run away with Duke. Struggling to hold back the tears, Cassie pressed her hand over her mouth, embarrassed by the feelings that flooded through her.

“Cassie.” Right away Steve was at her side, concern in his voice.

Cassie said, “It’s … nothing.” She was grateful her sister was occupied elsewhere and didn’t see her eyes welling up.

Steve’s look told Cassie he didn’t believe her, but he went back to moving things into the truck.

Rather than take the time to sort through all the boxes, Cassie had Steve and Garth load up the contents of the entire unit. With the two men working together, it didn’t take long.

When they’d finished, Steve tucked his hands into his back jean pockets. “You ready to head back to Seattle?” he asked Cassie.

She’d already taken up his entire day, and she could tell he was anxious to get back on the road.

“I’m ready.” She looked to her sister and Garth. “I … appreciate this,” she whispered. Without giving thought to her actions, Cassie impulsively reached out and hugged her sister. “Thank you.”

At first Karen didn’t return the hug, but then she did, squeezing Cassie tight and close. “It was good to see you.”

Cassie nodded. “You, too.”

When they broke apart, she noticed that Steve was already in the truck. “I’d better go.” Leaving was far more difficult than she’d anticipated. A large part of her yearned to stay, to turn back the clock to the time she was a teenager. She’d give anything to step back through the years and be smart enough to trust her parents’ wisdom. Knowing what she did now, she’d gladly accept their help. Reliving the past wasn’t an option, though. Cassie could only continue down the path she’d chosen all those years ago and do the best she knew how. Like she’d said to Maureen weeks earlier, she would do the next right thing.

Steve rolled down the driver’s-side window. “Cassie, you ready?”

She nodded and then climbed inside the cab and waved to her sister and Garth. It took only a few minutes to reach the freeway on-ramp. Steve was silent, and Cassie was glad because normal conversation was beyond her. She kept her head turned away as
she struggled to hide the tears that rained unchecked down her cheeks. As hard as she tried, she found she couldn’t restrain the feelings of regret. She’d lost so much and hurt her family and herself. Though they might be back on speaking terms, it didn’t seem like they would ever find it in their hearts to forgive her.

Steve must have sensed her anguish, because he gently patted her knee. Unable to stop crying, Cassie blindly reached for her purse and grabbed a tissue to blow her nose.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, mortified that he would see her openly weeping.

“Don’t apologize,” he whispered. “Cry, Cassie, let it out; there’s no need to hold it inside any longer.”

She broke then, doubling over. Cassie rested her face on her knees as she dissolved into deep, heart-wrenching sobs that echoed through the truck’s cab. After a moment, she felt Steve’s hand on her back, and then gently stroking her head, offering her comfort.

Cassie felt the truck veer to the right and looked up to notice that Steve had pulled into a rest area. He drove the truck to the far side of the parking lot generally reserved for truckers and came to a stop.

Her sobs had turned into shoulder-shaking hiccups as she tried her hardest to bring her emotions under control. She wasn’t having much success as she searched for another tissue.

“Cassie,” Steve whispered, and unbuckled his seat belt and reached for her, bringing her into his arms, holding her close. If he hadn’t been so gentle or so kind she might have been able to resist him. Steve whispered to her, but she didn’t hear a word, only the soothing sound of his voice breaking through the pain.

He tucked his finger under her chin, tilting her head back, and then he was kissing her. His mouth was warm and soft as he held her as close as possible in the front seat of the truck.

It was as if he wanted to absorb her body into his own and
swallow the pain for her. Cassie looped her arms around his neck and even while the tears continued to rain down her cheeks, dripping onto her chin, she responded to him, opening her heart. Soon their kissing took on a more intense quality until they were both nearly panting and breathless. Reluctantly, Steve pulled away and braced his forehead against hers as he drew in several deep breaths.

Neither spoke. Even if she could have, Cassie wouldn’t have known what to say. She was sure Steve felt the same way. After several minutes, he gently kissed the top of her head, broke away, and started up the truck’s engine. Cassie was more in control of herself now and wiped her face clear of the tears as she straightened and leaned her head against the passenger-side window.

They must have traveled an hour before Steve spoke. “Garth asked me if you were concerned about the cameo. I didn’t know what to tell him.”

The cameo. Cassie bit into her lower lip and explained. “My grandfather gave a cameo to our grandmother when they married. As the oldest child, my father inherited the cameo. It’s a family treasure and Dad wanted me to have it … I don’t know what happened to it after I left.”

“Garth said Nichole has it.”

“Then she should keep it … I was the one who left.”

A fresh tear escaped and rolled down her cheek.

“I’m sorry … I probably shouldn’t have said anything.”

“No, I’m glad you did … I did wonder about it.” Her father had been wise not to give it to her. Duke would have taken and sold anything she had that was of any value. He was in constant need of money, though he’d spent whatever he got on himself. If not for government assistance, Cassie was convinced she and Amiee would have starved.

“I told Stan I’d give him a call when we were about an hour outside of Seattle,” Steve mentioned sometime later. “He said
he’d meet us at the warehouse and help me unload the truck. I’ll be able to lock up your things so you won’t need to worry about anyone getting into them.”

“Thank you,” she whispered. Finding the words to voice her appreciation failed her. Steve had done so much already. “As soon as the house is built I’ll get it out of your way.”

“It won’t be in the way, Cassie.”

“I don’t want to be a burden; you’ve already been so kind.”

Steve snorted. “Don’t mistake me for a saint, Cassie Carter, because trust me, I’m not.”

When they reached the summit over Snoqualmie Pass, they stopped for a bathroom break. When Cassie exited the restroom, she saw that Steve was on the phone. He disconnected the call as she approached.

“Stan will meet us in an hour,” he announced.

Cassie climbed back into the cab. Steve joined her but didn’t start the engine. His hands gripped the steering wheel. “Listen, if I was out of line back there, kissing you, then I apologize.”

Cassie could feel her face heat up. “You weren’t out of line.”

Her answer seemed to relieve him. Reaching over, he took hold of her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“You’re a good woman, Cassie.”

“I was an extremely foolish one.”

“You were young …”

“And stupid.”

He shook his head as if to discount her words. “Quit beating yourself up over something that happened thirteen years ago.”

“I’m trying.”

“Try harder.”

Cassie smiled for the first time since leaving Spokane. “When did you get to be so dictatorial?” she asked, and then realized what she’d said and added, “No need to answer that. You’ve always been bossy.”

“Have I?” he joked.

“Yes! Don’t you remember the first day we met? We clashed right away. Your arrogance rubbed against my stubbornness. To say we started off on the wrong foot is putting it mildly.”

He grinned then, too. His hand covered hers and his fingers curled around her own. “I’ve since had a change of heart.”

“Me, too. You aren’t so bad, you know.”

Steve chuckled. “Interesting that you should say so, because I was thinking the same thing about you.”

His phone rang. “Must be Stan,” he murmured as he reached for it.

It wasn’t.

Although Cassie couldn’t make out the other side of the conversation, the voice was clearly female and just as clearly upset. The woman continued on for several seconds before Steve had a chance to speak.

“Listen, Britt, I had a commitment today. I’m sorry that I missed the softball game, but I can’t be at every single one.”

Britt
.

That was the name of the woman from the suite who’d complained when Cassie couldn’t get her the brand of beer she wanted—the woman responsible for Cassie losing the job. All at once she understood why Steve had been so willing to help her collect her parents’ things. He felt guilty, and driving her to Spokane had simply been his penance.

Her heart sank as an uncanny sense of disappointment bore down on her. This day wasn’t about helping her. It was about absolving the guilt Steve felt over what his girlfriend had done. No wonder he was worried about the kiss.

That night Cassie decided not to go to the home site and work with Habitat on Sunday, as she’d been away from Amiee the whole previous day. Although she was mentally and physically exhausted from her trip to Spokane, she found it difficult to fall asleep. No one needed to tell her what was wrong, or what plagued her.

It was all about her meeting with her sister. And if she was being honest, it was also about Steve’s kiss.

All night her mind dwelled on the conversation with Karen and how in the end she’d reluctantly hugged Cassie. When she allowed her mind to drift away from Karen, Cassie was confronted with the disturbing memory of the phone call Steve had gotten from Britt. It seemed clear that he was still involved with the other woman. In retrospect, Cassie was embarrassed by how fervently she’d responded to his kisses. Then again, the entire thing could be excused by the simple fact that she’d been completely overwrought.

It didn’t explain why Steve had chosen to kiss her just then, but she was relatively certain he would rather it hadn’t happened. In thinking back she remembered that he’d apologized, saying he
felt he might have been out of line. She understood now that his real concern was that she might have read more into their exchange than was warranted, and frankly, she had. She was falling for him and it scared her half to death. Having already made one disastrous mistake in love, she wasn’t eager to make a second.

When it came to relationships, Cassie was sadly lacking as a judge of character. Steve seemed so stable and responsible compared to Duke, whose life had been in constant upheaval. But then again, Duke had seemed great at first, too. Her mind turned and turned.