Cassie (The Mitchell/Healy Family #6)

by Jennifer Foor

  Before I knew it, the sun had gone down. Charlie was heading out for a bit and I’d be alone in the house. I headed back into the kitchen and started dinner, browning the beef first and then adding the sauce. While the noodles cooked, I opened a cabinet in the dining room to look for plates. I was surprised to find a few boxes inside instead. Normally I’m not a nosey person, but the pungent smell of smoke was very apparent. I crouched down on the floor and opened it, finding a bunch of charred items. One was a book. It was full of half-burned photos.

  The painful realization was obvious when I saw a handsome little boy being held by his mother. Then there were family photos and holiday shots. When I heard the front door opening, I shoved everything back into the cabinet and made a beeline for the kitchen.

  Logan walked in and sat his keys down on the counter. “It smells good in here. What have you been up to?” He scanned the area, his eyes stopping on the cracked open cabinet.

  “I was looking for plates,” I quickly announced.

  “Yeah, they aren’t in there.”

  “I know. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. It’s just, family is important to me. I was curious.”

  “I’d appreciate it if you stayed off my personal things,” he snapped before disappearing down the hallway.

  I felt terrible. I half expected him to come back and tell me to pack my shit up and leave. Since the food was almost done, I rinsed the noodles and tried to clean up my mess so he didn’t have anything else to get angry about.

  Nothing could have prepared me for when he came around the corner in only a pair of basketball shorts. His dark brown hair was still wet from a shower, and he smelled unbelievably fabulous. His washboard abs were well defined, and I couldn’t help but stare at every single crevice of his skin.

  Brant had never been built with defined muscles. He hadn’t been that big of a guy. I suppose his unhealthy lifestyle and diet prevented him from having a nice physique.

  Logan snapped his fingers to get my attention. “Did you hear me?”

  I’d been so mesmerized I’d zoned out. “No, sorry. What did you say?”

  “Thanks for cleaning the bathroom. I know Charlie didn’t do it. She hates to clean, especially bathrooms. I don’t think it’s been that shiny since I moved in.”

  “You’re welcome. It’s the least I could do for you letting me stay here. I know I’m a stranger, and you can’t trust me, especially after you caught me looking through your stuff, but I can assure you I won’t give you any trouble. I appreciate you helping me.”

  “So, you cleaned all day and cooked me dinner. I’m surprised you found something edible. We have snacks, but rarely use the stove. Neither one of us have the time.”

  “So, Charlie, is she your…”

  “Roommate. Come on, Cassie, it’s not a secret she’s gay. She doesn’t try to hide it.”

  “I was just checking. I didn’t want to make her feel like I’m intruding.”

  “She’s my friend. Our living arrangement works for us. I hardly ever see her. She works nights, and when she’s off, she’s usually out with friends all hours of the night. I guess she’s used to the hours anyway, so it’s not a big deal to her.”

  “What about you?” I asked. “Do you go out on the town much?” I realized it was a personal question, but I was trying to stay focused on something mundane to distract me from embarrassing myself again by taking another peek at his chest.

  “I’m the most boring guy you’ll ever meet.” He reached in a cabinet and pulled out a loaf of bread. Then I watched him fetch a tub of butter out of the refrigerator. He started buttering a few pieces. “Would you like a couple slices?”

  “Yeah, that will be great. I like to pile it high with pasta and…”

  “And eat it like a sandwich. Yeah, me too. Maybe it’s an east coast thing.”

  “Maybe,” he replied.

  With so much on my mind I was trying to avoid, I sat across the table from the agent who’d saved my life. I don’t know why I felt so weird about sharing a meal with him. Maybe I was afraid we’d have nothing to talk about. Maybe I was afraid we’d have too much to discuss.

  It wasn’t until we started eating when I realized how normal it felt. Aside from the time my family came to visit, I hadn’t had a sit-down home-cooked meal. The pasta was tangy and delicious. Logan probably thought I was a hog. I slurped my noodles, just like my daddy taught me to do. One time I splattered sauce all over my nose. Logan tossed me a paper towel to wipe it off with. For the way we met, I was beginning to feel almost comfortable in his presence. Granted, I was in a desperate situation, but he was being extra nice about it.

  After dinner he insisted on doing the dishes. It made me think about Brant, and how he’d done the same thing when we had company. I already missed him, even though I knew I had reasons not to. I didn’t care how much of a liar he was, I still loved him and thought we’d have a chance at a future.

  When Logan realized my mind had wandered, he snapped me out of it. “I have an extra television out in the shed if you want one for the room you’re in. It’s nothing fancy. It’s one of those old heavy ones, but it works. The cable is already run in that room, so all you have to do is hook it up in the back.”

  “You don’t have to do extra things to accommodate me. I’m good with what I have.”

  “I’m just trying to make you feel more comfortable.”

  “Maybe I’ll change my mind later. Honestly, I prefer reading a book when I’m in bed.”

  I was surprised when he took ahold of my arm and pulled me down the long hallway. “If you like to read, You’re going to go nuts when you see this.”

  I don’t know what I expected. Of course I knew he wasn’t going to harm me, but his mysterious outburst had me worried. Once we came to a halt I was in awe. I’d never seen something quite like it. His entire bedroom wall was covered in book shelves. His door had been shut all day, and I didn’t have the nerve to look inside. “Wow. Have you read all these?”

  “Most. There’s only so much TV I can handle. I like horror and science fiction the most. I’ve got a good collection of both. I’ve got a section of mystery and a bunch of crime books. Oh, and there’s even some romance novels on the bottom shelf. Charlie thinks she’s funny, but she adds to my collection when I’m not paying attention. I don’t know if she reads them first, or gets them from the hospital. Help yourself. I have no idea why I keep them. It’s not like I reread. There’s too much out there to explore.”

  Never in my life had I met a guy who had a love for books like this guy. It was very nerdy, but also impressive. “I never would have pegged you as a bookworm.”

  “Ditto.”

  “Yeah, I haven’t been myself since I arrived in this crazy town.”

  “It’s never too late to be yourself again. You’re still in there, you’re just hiding. I’ll be honest with you, life is a lot easier when you’re real. There’s no one to impress in this house, Cassie. We all fart and poop. Our shit sometimes smells up the whole house. We have bad habits, and sometimes have to disappoint one another because life gets in the way. It’s normal. It’s human. Let me ask you something, apart from moving here with Brant, had you ever lived away from your family before?”

  I shook my head.

  “So all you’ve known is what you experienced in that house with Mr. James and his whore?”

  I let out an air-filled laugh when he referred to Tammy as a whore. She most certainly was. “I suppose.”

  He pulled a book off the self. “Start with this one. It’s about a guy who rents a room and finds out the people he lives with are cannibals.”

  I covered my mouth as I started to laugh. It had been so long since I’d naturally appreciated humor. It felt nice, but also made me feel terrible. While I was enduring a normal conversation with another man, my boyfriend was lying in a morgue. It was a tough reality. “I’m sorry,” I apologized. “It’s too soon. I can’t.”

  He followed me when I started to hea
d in the direction of the room I’d be staying in. “You can’t what? Be all right? Is that it? You think you’re not allowed to have emotions?”

  “My boyfriend is dead and I’m to blame. I know you’re trying to distract me, but I’m not ready to forget and move on.”

  “I never said you had to. I was just trying to see you smile again. It’s nice.”

  I hated him for being nice to me. I felt like I was being pulled in two directions. On one hand I was suffering a tragic loss and desperate for a distraction. On another, I was starting over, possibly making new friends, and I felt like I didn’t deserve to. “You can’t possibly understand how I feel. I don’t even have the means to bury my boyfriend. Thank you for the book. I’m sure I’ll get to it in the next couple days. If you’ll excuse me I’m just going to go to bed. Cleaning tired me out, and I think my body needs the rest.”

  I closed the door before he could tell me I was being ridiculous. I didn’t need another person in my life suggesting how I should feel. If I wanted that, I’d go home and face the people I’d abandoned for the man who was everything they’d cautioned me about.

  Chapter 22

  Logan

  In the next week Cassie seemed to begin to settle down. After having words the night I’d given her the book, she’d been cordial, not really nice, but friendly enough. We didn’t have long conversations, or spend quality time together watching television. In fact, she didn’t come out of her room except to eat, shower, or clean, which I never complained about.

  I’d arranged for a small service on behalf of Brant. I didn’t know him, but thought it was important she’d get closure. His cremation would be off the books; a favor from a friend of mine who worked at the crematory. It wasn’t the best funeral, but enough to give her something to hold on to. Charlie and I were with her for support, though I’m not sure she wanted us to be.

  If she wanted space to cope I’d give it to her, but she wasn’t going anywhere, not until I knew she could handle living on her own. First she’d need to go back to work. Then she’d have to save up money. All of that took time, and I was willing to wait it out. Maybe I was crazy. Perhaps I was asking for something bad to happen so I’d regret it. Whatever the case, she had a roof over her head and plenty of hot meals to get her back to good health.

  I could tell she had cabin fever, but for the most part seemed to have been managing her new clean life pretty well. After seven more days I could see more color in her skin, and her face was already beginning to fill out. Only time would tell if she’d be able to remain in control, but at least she was off to a good start.

  After the service for Brant, she opened up a bit. Her conversations were friendlier, and she seemed to be trying to get along with me.

  While the Cassie situation was handled, I worked my ass off to make sure all I’s were dotted, and t’s crossed. I couldn’t take the chance of someone like Rockefeller James going free. So far we’d uncovered three residences involved in the cyber theft. It totaled thirteen arrests, some people as young as sixteen being involved. Tammy, who’d divulged all of the necessary information we needed, had been transferred to a women’s facility. She’d remain there until she was given a fair trial. She’d given us the location of the body drop James had used when he murdered the roommate before Cassie lived there. If I hadn’t been around to save her, she could have been his next victim. I wouldn’t have been able to live with a clear conscience if that were to have happened.

  Work was consuming me, and I knew once all the documents were filed I’d be due for a vacation. I’d been working countless hours to put these people away, and now that they’d been detained, I could put in for some R and R.

  Since I knew Cassie wouldn’t be sticking around forever, I decided to go against her wishes and plan a trip to North Carolina. Even with us getting along, I knew this wasn’t where she needed to be. I didn’t intend on telling her where we were going until we were too far along for her to argue about it.

  She needed to be back with her family, because without them she’d slip. I was one-hundred percent sure of it. There were too many hard feelings for her to not dwell on them.

  I didn’t hint about the road trip to her until the day before we were to leave. She’d been staying with me for almost a month, and still not talked about her future. She was a smart girl, who knew how to manipulate her way out of situations she didn’t want to be in, so I had to be discreet. Once I’d packed for myself, and made arrangements to stop at a hotels in between, I manage to slip several of her things into a bag. It was going to be a three day road trip, and Cassie probably wasn’t going to like it very much.

  It was a shame, because the more I got to know her, the better I felt about us being friends. She was great, attractive, and full of potential.

  It was the morning of, and a last minute decision changed my plans to tell Cassie where we were headed.

  I’d come home from work, after making sure all was taken care of for the next couple weeks while I’d be off, and found dinner on the table. She’d ordered takeout with money she’d had in her bank account. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I ordered a bit of everything.” There were five oriental boxes sitting open. I could see rice, and even lo-Mein noodles, as well as different types of meats and sauces. “I know you like spicy things so I took a chance and went for everything hot. Is that okay? Maybe I should have called first. I just thought it could be a good peace offering. I’m tired of holding a grudge, Logan. You’re helping me, and I have to stop being angry at things I can’t change. You’re obviously a good person; always looking out for others. I’m sorry for being hardheaded.”

  I couldn’t help from smiling. “We’re good. I figured you’d come around eventually.” I sat down before continuing. “Now, as far as this food goes, I’ll have a little bit of everything.”

  She seemed thrilled I was in a good mood. I was just glad she’d finally come to her senses and realized I was trying to do right by her.

  Our conversation was nice as we ate. She talked about going back to work, and how she wanted to look for something more permanent. There was even a short amount of time where she talked about her jobs back home, and how she probably couldn’t find something with farming experience in Vegas. Little did she know I was about to take her home; where she belonged. It was for the best. If she decided it wasn’t what she wanted, at least she’d be forced to face the people who I knew still loved her.

  “So, it’s funny you’re being so nice to me. I’m about to go on a road trip, and I could use the company if you’re interested. I have a package that needs to be hand delivered. It’s a lot of driving, and I get tired. Would you be interested in going with me?” She could have said no, but I had a feeling since I hadn’t let her leave the house she’d be itching to go anywhere.

  “It sounds cool. When we came here I didn’t get to stop in many places. Do you think we could stop a few times?”

  “I don’t see why not. I don’t have to be back for two weeks.”

  She was giddy with excitement. “We can take turns driving. Maybe we could switch every five hours or something. Do you know where we’re headed?”

  This was another opportunity I had to divulge the truth, but I chose to lie because I knew she’d flip out and go back to hating me. In total, Cassie had been with me for almost three weeks. Even though we’d done little communicating, I had gotten to know her more. It was my job to read people. Aside from getting healthier, she seemed more relaxed, probably because for the first time in months she was safe. She didn’t have to worry about someone coming after her. I’d done my job, and protected the life of an innocent woman.

  “Two weeks on the road. You might want to kill me after the first couple of days. I always have to pee a lot when I’m in a car.”

  “No worries. I’ll limit your beverage intake to prevent accidents and frequent stops. We’ll manage just fine.”

  When we finished eating Cassie ran in her bedroom to pack. I sent a few emails and
prepared the house for our trip, including a note for Charlie. With my line of work she liked to know when I’d be gone on business. I don’t know if she just worried, or wanted to have some crazy nudist party while I was gone. Either way, I didn’t need to know.

  We got on the road when it was starting to get dark. Cassie, who’d gotten a new phone, played a game on it silently. I got the feeling she was still uncomfortable in my presence. It was funny to see her around the house, wearing comfortable little shorts and tank tops. When we’d run into each other in the hallway or kitchen she’d cover herself up, like I’d be offended or something. I didn’t act any differently around her though. If I wanted to walk around in only a pair of shorts, I had every right to. It was my house, and I wasn’t going to pretend to be someone else just to appease someone. If they didn’t like the real me, they weren’t worth my time.

  Cassie was different than any other woman I’d met. She was the complete opposite from Charlie. She was sweet and generous. She enjoyed doing things for people, and I felt like she was genuinely sorry for all the things she’d done when she was using drugs and caught up in the lifestyle her boyfriend had introduced her to. I knew for a fact she’d been taking better care of herself. She had Charlie pick up certain toiletries she liked to use, and the smell of her sweet skin after a shower made me think inappropriate thoughts when I laid in bed alone at night. I couldn’t deny how attractive she was. I’d be a fool to pretend it didn’t exist, but it was a fine line I didn’t want to cross. Cassie would always picture me as an agent, not a regular guy she might have something in common with, and I certainly didn’t want her to think I’d invited her into my home because I wanted a side piece. That’s not why I did it at all.

  Maybe one day she’d be able to thank me for what I’d done for her. I suppose it would have to be enough. I’d rather her appreciate me for being professional, than slip up and have her hate me forever.