Last One Home (38 page)

“Some are worse than others. Having him move out will shake him up enough to know I’m serious. Dead serious. I can’t and I won’t live with a cheating husband.”

“As long as you make that clear and stick to your resolve, then
you might have a chance of salvaging your marriage,” Karen said.

Tears swam in Nichole’s eyes. “I love you both. I couldn’t be more grateful to call you both sisters.”

Nichole hugged Cassie and Karen joined in. They clung to one another for several seconds, and then one of them started to laugh. Soon they were all laughing for no reason other than the fact that if they didn’t laugh they were sure to cry.

A short thirty minutes later, Karen and Lily left in order to drive back to Spokane.

“We need to head out, too,” Cassie said. Amiee continued to play with Owen. She was especially good with him, and the youngster had quickly taken to her.

“Before you leave, there’s something I need to give you,” Nichole said, as she stood and disappeared down the long, narrow hallway that led to her bedroom.

Cassie exchanged looks with her daughter. She couldn’t imagine what it could be.

Nichole returned and set a wooden box on the coffee table in front of Cassie. The box was old and looked vaguely familiar. As soon as Cassie reached for the box, she remembered where and when she’d last seen this box, now weathered with age. Reverently, she picked it up and held it in her hand. The lump in her throat made it hard to breathe.

“Do you know what it is?” Nichole asked.

Cassie nodded and struggled not to openly weep. After she composed herself enough to speak, she said, “It’s the cameo.”

“Dad always intended that you have it.”

Cassie opened the box, but tears blurred her eyes and made it nearly impossible to view the cameo. The very one their grandfather had purchased as a wedding gift for the woman he loved. Their grandmother had worn it on her wedding day. And Cassie’s
mother had worn it the day she married the man who was their father.

“But …”

Nichole closed Cassie’s hand over the box. “Dad wanted you to wear it at your wedding.”

“But …”

“If you’re half as smart as I think you are, then one day in the future you’ll marry Steve. And this time, Cassie, I want to be invited to the wedding.”

Cassie choked down a sob and nodded. “You will be, both you and Karen.”

“Mom,” Amiee said, sitting down on the sofa next to Cassie. “What is it?”

“A family heirloom.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s a piece of my parents’ love being passed down to me.”

Amiee looked down at the cameo. “Will I get to wear it on my wedding day when Macklemore decides he wants to marry me?”

Cassie smiled. “Sure.”

Cassie hugged her sister again.

Nichole whispered, “Having you as my sister means the world to me. You have every reason to resent Karen and me for the way we treated you, and instead you patiently loved us. Your forgiving attitude is helping me decide how best to deal with the situation with Jake. I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know that I have two incredible sisters who will support and love me no matter what I decide.”

“And so do I,” Cassie whispered.

She’d been the last one home, but she was here, having come full circle.

The day had finally arrived. After months of work—five hundred sweat-equity hours—Cassie’s house was finished. She had the required funds for one year’s home-insurance premium gaining interest in the bank. The keys to the house were about to be handed to her and Amiee.

Unlike the Youngs, Cassie didn’t plan a big party to go along with the ceremony. Steve would be with her—Stan and Megan, along with Maureen and her children, too. All had been instrumental in bringing this project to fruition. She couldn’t have done it without their encouragement and support. Steve and Stan had delivered the furniture from Steve’s warehouse. The very first item to be placed inside the house had been her piano. Cassie had run her hand over the keyboard, grimaced; when she could afford it she’d make an appointment to have it tuned. The boxes of her parents’ other items had been left at the warehouse for Cassie to sort through later, but the rooms were all furnished.

The pastor from the church she and Amiee attended had promised to do a short dedication prayer. Every time Cassie caught a glimpse of the house, she experienced an overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment. She recalled the first day
she’d walked on the vacant lot. It’d seemed an impossible dream back then, and yet here it was, finished and furnished. Amiee had a real bedroom with closets and a study desk, the very one Cassie had used at her daughter’s age.

Steve suggested he collect Cassie and Amiee and drive them to the house. It was a nice gesture and she appreciated it. After she officially accepted the keys, they’d return and load up the last of their things from the apartment. Not much remained—all the big items had already been transferred to the house, thanks to Steve, Stan, and George Young.

Amiee chatted excitedly through the entire ride. “Our own house, and Steve, in case you didn’t know, there’s a KFC just one-point-three miles away. I clocked it in the car. That’s walking distance, but I don’t think either you or Mom would want me walking on a street with all that traffic. I’ll accept a ride if you insist.”

Steve shared a smile with Cassie. “I think a KFC dinner once a week should be a bare minimum, seeing how close it is and all.”

“I wish you’d hurry up and marry this man,” Amiee murmured under her breath.

“All in good time,” Cassie promised.

Steve reached over and squeezed her hand. They had given a great deal of thought to their ongoing relationship and decided to hold off discussing getting engaged for six months. But a wedding was definitely a possibility.

“Aunt Karen and Aunt Nichole are coming this weekend,” Amiee told him. “They wanted to be here for the ceremony, but there was a scheduling conflict.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“You’ll like them,” Amiee said. “Aunt Karen’s a lot like Mom and, well, so is Aunt Nichole.” She lowered her voice. “Her and her husband have separated.”

“So I heard.”

They rounded the corner to their new home and Cassie sat up straighter. “What are all those cars doing parked outside the house?” she asked.

“Someone must be having a party,” Steve said, completely deadpan.

“Steve?” Something was up, and Cassie didn’t doubt for a moment that he was behind it. “What’s going on?”

“Just a few friends.”

Amiee’s arm shot out. “Is that Aunt Karen’s car?”

Cassie looked closer and her heart started to race. She recognized several cars. Teresa’s and Rosie’s, Shelly and George Young’s, and several others.

Cassie pressed her fingertips over her lips. “Look at all these people,” she whispered. A bright red ribbon was stretched across the front door, with a huge bow centered there. The garage door was open and long tables had been set up with folding chairs. There appeared to be a mountain of food and serving dishes.

“Who brought all the food?” Cassie asked, turning to look at Steve.

He grinned and looked proud of himself. “Everyone contributed. This is a celebration, and we couldn’t very well let the day pass without—”

“Celebrating,” Amiee supplied.

“Exactly.”

Cassie had trouble believing this many people would take time from their busy schedules to share this moment with her.

“This was your doing, wasn’t it, Steve?”

“I helped. We all pitched in. We love you, Cassie. Each one of us in our own way. You’ve touched our hearts, given of yourself, and become an important part of our lives. A very important part of mine.” He raised her hand to his mouth and kissed her fingers. “I love you, Cassie. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you.”

“If no one thought of it, you could buy me a bucket of KFC,” Amiee told him, completely serious.

“I believe, my dear Amiee, that you’ll find several buckets waiting for you this very day. I’m not much of a cook, and when Shelly suggested a potluck, I knew exactly what you’d enjoy most.”

Steve parked the car and Cassie wiped the tears out of her eyes. Amiee opened the passenger door and climbed down, racing toward her friends and the food. Cassie followed, and as soon as her friends saw her, they applauded.

The prayer and ribbon-cutting ceremony took only a few minutes, and then Cassie was handed the keys to the home she had spent so many hours building. And there on the south side of the house was space for a garden. Cassie looked again.

“Steve, is that a gazebo at the side of the house?”

He grinned. “Could be!”

“But it wasn’t there two days ago. How did … When … Who?” Silly question. Cassie knew it had to have been Steve.

He grinned again. “I had help. Are you surprised? I remembered you telling me your parents had one.”

Later, as the keys were placed in her hand, Cassie closed her fist around the cold metal and smiled. Her family and friends gathered around her as she lifted her eyes toward heaven and thanked God for this moment. It was then that she realized that she was truly and finally home.

D
EBBIE
M
ACOMBER
, the author of
Last One Home, Mr. Miracle, Love Letters, Blossom Street Brides, Starry Night, Rose Harbor in Bloom, Starting Now, Angels at the Table
, and
The Inn at Rose Harbor
, is a leading voice in women’s fiction. Nine of her novels have hit #1 on the
New York Times
bestseller list, with three debuting at #1 on the
New York Times, USA Today
, and
Publishers Weekly
lists. In 2009 and 2010,
Mrs. Miracle
and
Call Me Mrs. Miracle
were the Hallmark Channel’s top-watched movies for the year. In 2013, the Hallmark Channel produced the original series
Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove
, as well as the original movie
Mr. Miracle
, based on Debbie’s holiday novel by the same name. Debbie Macomber has more than 170 million copies of her books in print worldwide.

www.debbiemacomber.com