His Unexpected Return--A Fresh-Start Family Romance

by Jessica Keller

  “Shannon says he’s fine to see. Shannon says you just don’t want to see him. She told me that sometimes grown-ups fight. But know what? It’s not fair that I don’t get to see him just because you guys are mad.” Piper’s voice hitched on a tiny sob. “When Sheep bites Romeo, we don’t stop loving Sheep. Isn’t it like that?”

  Wade had hurt their daughter by not showing up to her party, but Cassidy was hurting her now by keeping them apart.

  Cassidy’s heart twisted at the sight of her daughter’s sadness. She scooped Piper into her arms. “I’m afraid it’s a lot more complicated than that.”

  Piper dragged the back of her hand under her nose. “Sheep’s teeth are pretty sharp, Mom. And he only bites Romeo when Romeo doesn’t leave him alone. I think it’s the same. Why can’t I go see him?”

  Cassidy wasn’t sure if she was Sheep or Romeo in Piper’s scenario and she wasn’t about to ask. Piper missed Wade and wanted to see him, but was it wise to open their daughter up to abandonment?

  Cassidy didn’t know. But she had always tried to be honest with Piper, in ways she could comprehend. “Remember when your dad told you he decided to stay away and let us think he was gone for good?” Piper nodded. “I’m worried your dad might go again. We might get close and then lose him and that would hurt our hearts, so I’m trying to figure out the best way to protect your heart. Does that make sense?”

  “Well, I think we lose Dad if we don’t talk to him. I would be so sad if you didn’t talk to me.” Piper touched the ends of Cassidy’s hair. “He’ll go away if we don’t tell him we love him. That’s what I think.”

  A knot formed in Cassidy’s chest right under her ribs. She was afraid any attempt to untie it would break her apart. Now that she knew what she was losing, would it always hurt this way?

  A knock on the door saved Cassidy from having to answer Piper. She set her down, sending her in search of Cloudstorm.

  The morning from a week ago flashed through Cassidy’s mind. Wade had been the one on the other side of the door, ready to take her on a date to hike at Gorman Falls. She had been so excited to spend the day with him, to see his face. At the time, she had believed they were on their way to becoming a forever family.

  How had the world turned so topsy-turvy in such a small space of time?

  Cassidy wiped her hands off on her jeans before reaching for the door handle. The door swung open to reveal Macy.

  Her friend gave a small wave. “Mind if I come in?”

  Macy squeezed Cassidy’s arm as she walked past her. Rhett’s fiancée had all but grown up at Red Dog Ranch. After Macy’s mother had died when she was a teen, the Jarretts had moved her onto their property and treated her like family. Rhett and Macy had been best friends—completely meant to be—but they had suffered through years of stubborn miscommunication before realizing they loved each other. For a while, Cassidy and Macy had been really close, but ever since becoming engaged, Macy had been understandably preoccupied. Even though she hadn’t realized it until now, Cassidy was hit with how much she had missed their friendship and how much she would have valued Macy’s opinion on everything that had happened with Wade the last few weeks.

  She should have sought Macy out days ago.

  “I’m here because of Wade and you’re going to hear me out.” Macy had never been one to mince words. She crossed her arms and lifted her chin, ready for a challenge.

  “What’s there to say?” Cassidy flung herself onto the couch. “I’m sure Rhett’s filled you in on the details.”

  “Yeah, Wade was stupid. His reasons were flawed. But—and don’t be mad at me for this—I really think his heart was in the right place.” She held up a finger. “Remember, you’re going to hear me out.

  “He thought he was protecting you,” Macy said. “And he was wrong. So wrong. Like socks while wearing flip-flops wrong. But think of his childhood, Cassidy. Every time he was honest with his parents or his brothers, they were disappointed with him. When we were teens, he asked them for help with his drinking problem so many times, and know what they would tell him? Do better, Wade. Just stop, it’s not that hard. Pray about it. You should be strong enough. I think after a while when you reach out so many times and people are disappointed in you, you start learning to keep things to yourself. It’s not an excuse, but I do think it factors into how he makes decisions.”

  “Even if that makes sense...” And it did. Completely. Cassidy had been there a few of the times Wade had gone to his parents. Often she had been the one who encouraged him to do it. “...I was never like that with him. You know I wasn’t.”

  “Exactly my point.” Macy stabbed the air with a finger. “You were the one person who always cheered him on. Who never gave up on him. Given that, doesn’t it make sense that he would go out of his way to do whatever he thought would protect you? Even if that meant sacrificing his own happiness or support? Cassidy, you’ve got to see that, very misguided though he may be, everything he’s done, that man has done because you’re his person in this life. The question you have to answer is, is love worth it? And by it, I mean all the hurt and fights and growing pains that come along with letting someone into your life.”

  “He doesn’t trust me. How do I move past that?”

  “It’s more he doesn’t trust himself, really. I think he’s afraid the real Wade is too messy for you to care about. I think he’s scared.”

  “I love him.” Every messy bit. “It’s always been Wade and it will always be Wade. But I just don’t know if I can put my heart out there again.”

  “Know what’s kind of ironic?” Sunlight crept into the room and glinted off Macy’s engagement ring. “Not long ago, the tables were turned and you were the one trying to talk to me about Rhett. You told me that if you could turn back the clock, you would have done anything to stop Wade from going on that trip. You said you would give anything for you two to have a second chance.”

  Cassidy swallowed hard. She remembered every word of the conversation. It was when Rhett had first returned to Red Dog Ranch and Macy was trying to convince him to continue the foster programs.

  “You have a second chance.” Macy leaned closer. She cocked an eyebrow. “Are you going to take it...or let it pass you by?”

  Cassidy fisted her hands in her hair. “I don’t know what to do.”

  “Close your eyes and picture what your life would look like if Wade disappeared today and you never got to see him again.”

  Cassidy imagined herself heartbroken and not just her but Piper too. Wade had swept into Red Dog Ranch and made their family whole. He had been devoted to their daughter and made a point of spending time with both of them. He had offered Cassidy guidance that had set her relationship with God back on the right track. Wade had spent every bit of his free time building cabins, serving in the kitchen, holding his mom’s hand and altogether doing good things.

  Wade was not the mistake he had made—no matter how big it was.

  Wade was a human—fallible and in need of forgiveness. In need of love.

  Just like her.

  She loved him and never wanted to be apart from him again.

  Macy was clearly suppressing a smile. “I’ll watch Piper if you want to leave.”

  Cassidy snatched her phone and was off the couch in a heartbeat. “I have to go to him.” Cassidy slipped on her shoes.

  “Hold up. He’s not at the big house.” Macy grabbed keys off the table and tossed them to Cassidy. “I saw Shannon and him leaving for Houston on my walk over here. Today’s his appointment.”

  Cassidy slumped against the front door. The keys clattered against the metal behind her. “I’m too late?” She could talk to Wade when he got home, but she would have preferred to be at the appointment with him.

  “I know for a fact that they had plans to make stops at the gas station and the grocery store. You know how the twins are about their road tri
p snacks.” Macy shook her head good-naturedly. “You can beat them if you get on the road now.” Macy jerked her chin toward the phone clutched in Cassidy’s hand. “I already texted you the address and suite number.”

  “I owe you.”

  “Less talk, more leaving.” She flicked her hand dismissively. “Go get your man.”

  Piper bounded into the room and threw a kiss in Cassidy’s direction. “I was listening and Macy is so smart and go get Daddy!”

  Cassidy blew a kiss back and then ran out to her car.

  * * *

  Wade’s gaze tripped over the building’s many windows. A bird called out a happy tune from one of the nearby trees. Someone should tell the creature it lived outside a place where people often got bad news. Maybe tone down the lively tweeting.

  Wade touched his neck. He had picked up the habit of constantly running his fingers over the skin there to check the healing and feel for abnormalities. Whatever had been growing there before the surgery should be gone, but he was certain he would be feeling around on his neck for the next sixty years. If God gave him sixty more.

  Wade took a long deep breath and let it out through his mouth.

  How often would Wade have to come here to be checked and rechecked? Would he need further treatment? What if the cancer had moved or grown?

  Shannon cupped the small of his back, guiding him toward the front doors. “It’s gross out here.” She tugged him through the doors of the cancer center and sighed when a wave of air-conditioning hit them.

  Shannon strode to the front desk to check them in. Wade shoved his hands into his pockets and looked around the waiting area like he always did. He had a thing against sitting in chairs in doctor’s office waiting rooms.

  His heart lurched into his throat when he spotted her.

  Cassidy.

  She had on jeans that fit in a way that Wade couldn’t help but appreciate, her boots and a faded tank top. Her hair was down around her shoulders. It had only been two and a half days since he had seen her and if felt far too long.

  Wade’s mouth went dry.

  The second their eyes met, she rose and crossed the room to where he was standing. He was glad she did because he wasn’t sure his legs could work right now.

  She was here. In Houston.

  “What are you...” he started. She smiled softly at him. Almost reassuring him she was really there and not something he was imagining. She was so close and yet so far out of his reach. It hurt to see her and not know if she could ever care for him again. What if she wanted to cut ties for good and she hadn’t wanted to do it at Red Dog Ranch where she lived? What if this was goodbye?

  He finally breathed. “You’re here.”

  Her smile widened. “I’m here.”

  She wouldn’t smile if she was here to yell at him or tell him to get lost, would she? Hope whipped through his heart like a wild gust of ocean air.

  He licked his lips. “I had no right to make those choices for you. Not when I left five years ago and not when I kept this from you.” He motioned toward his neck. “You deserved my trust and honesty and I withheld both from you and I’m so sorry, Cass.”

  “Wade.”

  He had to keep going or else he would either lose his nerve or they would get interrupted. He loved his sister but she had the worst timing.

  “Is there any chance for us?” Wade searched her eyes. “Any way you could ever forgive me?”

  “Of course I forgive you.”

  “I’ll never keep anything from you again.”

  Cassidy inched closer until she was in his personal space—not that he minded. “I have a question for you, Wade Jarrett.”

  “Anything.”

  “Are you planning to leave if you get a clean bill of health?”

  His heart had already jumped to them being together. Her question brought his thoughts to a sudden halt. Cassidy had always been kindhearted. It would be like her to want to make peace with someone before parting ways. Had he read the situation entirely wrong?

  Was she saying goodbye?

  Wade studied the tips of his shoes while he gathered his courage. He had no right to expect Cassidy to want him back—to want to forge a life with someone who had repeatedly failed her. She deserved better and maybe if he were a better man, he would send her on her way without letting her see that he was breaking.

  But he didn’t want to let her go.

  “Would that make you happy? Because, honest, Cass, I want to be part of your and Piper’s lives, but I know I messed up and I’ll do whatever makes you happy.” Even if it was to get lost.

  To never see her again.

  “Can I get that in writing?” She ducked a little to catch his eyes. “The part about you doing whatever I want. Because I think it would be handy to have that in writing in the future.”

  “The future?” His voice was barely a whisper.

  She grabbed his shirt near the bottom of his rib cage and walked him toward her until they were sharing air. “To answer you, no, it would not make me happy if you left. It would break my heart. What would make me happy is you giving me one of those kisses you specialize in.”

  Wade knew he had a huge goofy grin on his face and he didn’t care. He couldn’t help it. Cassidy was here and she still wanted him.

  “And what type would that be?” he asked.

  Cassidy’s fingers trailed up his back. “The kind that’ll make everyone at the nurses’ station blush.”

  So he did.

  In Cassidy’s arms, he was home and safe and his failures faded away because she loved him and still wanted him and he would be the man she needed.

  A nurse called his name. Once. Twice. Cassidy must have heard her before he did because she parted from him first. Her skin was flushed and it took everything in Wade not to go in for another kiss.

  Cassidy held out her hand. “Can I come in with you?”

  “Always.” He took hold of her hand and they followed Shannon and the nurse down the hall. Shannon turned at one point and gave them a thumbs-up. Wade chuckled softly.

  Once they were tucked in a small office, it didn’t take long for the surgeon to appear. With Cassidy holding Wade’s hand, it was hard to concentrate completely on what the doctor was saying but Wade knew how important today was, so he forced himself to focus.

  The surgeon scanned his tablet as he explained the results of the pathology tests. “We removed a 2.4 centimeter carcinoma from your thyroid. No surprise there, seeing as that was the reason for the surgery.” He dragged his finger over the tablet’s screen. “Of the thirty-two lymph nodes we removed, six of them did test positive for cancer.”

  His surgeon had explained at length that it was normal for the type of cancer he had to move into the lymph nodes, so the news didn’t shock Wade.

  Shannon cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, but is that high?”

  The surgeon shook his head. “Only trace amounts were found. By all accounts, we’re considering Wade extremely low risk. Over the next year, you will need further testing and follow-ups—this type of cancer does have an eleven percent return rate, so monitoring and keeping your appointments is an essential part of your new protocol. But everything looks positive.” He examined Wade’s neck again. “And I couldn’t be happier with how this is healing.”

  Wade jotted down information about his calcium levels, his thyroid medication and the possibility of needing a round of radioactive iodine in the future. He was glad Cassidy was there to hear everything, because he wanted her input on all the medical decisions he would have to make over the course of the next few months. Cassidy leaned in, listening to the doctor’s instructions. She kept her arm tucked around Wade’s waist while he took notes.

  When they were ready to leave, the surgeon shook each of their hands and told them to contact the office with any questions or concerns.
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  Once they were outside, Cassidy took his hand again. “What are you thinking?”

  Wade pulled her up short so she would turn to face him. “I’m thinking you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. I’m thinking you’ve handed me the greatest gift and I better not mess it up this time. I’m thinking I want to head home, so we can pick up Piper and all go for ice cream.”

  She reached out and grabbed a fist full of his shirt, drawing him close. “I meant about the doctor, Wade.”

  Wade pulled a face to make her laugh. “He’s definitely not the most beautiful—”

  She swatted his chest. “Be serious.”

  He wrapped his arms around her. “That man just told me my cancer is gone for now. You’re here and I love you, Cassidy. You’re here and I can’t think beyond that.”

  Shannon groaned. “How about think beyond to what car you’re going home in.” She jangled her keys. “Because you two are sickly cute and all and I’m ecstatic for you, but it’s hot and it’s another three hours home and—who am I kidding, you’re driving home with Cassidy.” Shannon hit the button that made a truck in the lot beep. “And that’s my cue.” She waved and headed toward the truck.

  Wade chuckled. “My sister is something else.”

  “Hey, Wade?” Cassidy tossed her hands over his shoulders so she could draw lazy circles in the hair at the back of his neck.

  “Hmm?” Wade was too happy for words.

  “I love you too.” She went up on her tiptoes and claimed his lips again.

  Epilogue

  Wade gulped another glass of the mango-pineapple punch Cassidy had made for Rhett and Macy’s wedding reception. With the barn being brand-new, they had held the wedding and reception inside. They hadn’t built the stalls yet so there was plenty of room for the party. Rhett and Macy had initially said they were going to keep it to just family, but that had quickly turned into inviting many of the foster families, because everyone considered them part of the larger Red Dog Ranch family.