by Clare Revell
Cassie burst out laughing.
****
Cassie walked into the house with a huge grin, to find a matching grin on her brother’s face. “What?”
“Did I just see you get out of the driver’s side of Jack’s car or am I imagining things?”
“Jack let me drive.” Her joy spilled from her in a gush of enthusiasm. “It’s an automatic, and it’s awesome. I’m seriously considering trading mine in.”
“Way to go, Cassie.”
“Blame Jack…did you know he was taking me riding?”
“He might have mentioned it—” Danny broke off as Cassie rushed him and hugged him. “You got on a horse, then?”
“Yes. I didn’t do anything other than walk, but we’re going trekking on Saturday. But you could have said. I wore my best skirt.”
“I’m glad. Not about the skirt, but glad you got back on a horse.” He hugged her tightly. “Cassie, I’m sorry. I’ve been beastly to you since your accident. You needed my support and it wasn’t there. I’ll try harder from now on. I love you so much, little sis.”
“I love you, too, big brother. I missed the way you teased me and pulled my leg…” She broke off and looked at him.
Danny held her gaze. “Well I can’t, now, can I? Have to pull the other one instead.”
She snorted slightly. “And yes, it does have bells on it.”
Danny laughed. “Can I call you Hop-along Cassie-Dee?”
“That’s terrible. Even if it is my full name.”
“That’s me… Wait a minute; did you say you’re going trekking on Saturday with Jack?”
“It’ll be fun. We’re taking Lara, too.”
“Is that a good idea?”
“Danny—they come as a pair I know that.”
“Just be careful.”
“I thought Jack was your best friend. Aren’t you pleased we’re going out?”
“He is and I am. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“It’ll be all right.”
“Good. So it’s our turn to cook. What are we making?”
“If it’s,” Cassie laughed, heading to the kitchen. “If it’s there they can have it and if it’s not they can’t.”
****
Cassie glared at the sketch in front of her. No matter what she came up with, it wasn’t right. She was fast running out of time to do the bridesmaid’s dress. She glanced up as the shop bell tinkled. “Hey, Jack. I wasn’t expecting to see you.”
“Even shop workers and pastors have to eat sometime.” Jack’s smile lit his eyes.
“That they do.”
“Care to join me for lunch?”
Cassie looked at Danny. “Is it all right if I go to lunch now?”
“Be back by one.”
“Thank you.”
“And go now before I decide to close the shop and come, too.”
Cassie poked her tongue out at him. “I can always bring back some gooseberry pie, you know.”
Jack roared with laughter. “Touché.”
“I don’t like gooseberries. You know that.” Danny looked blankly at her.
“Then don’t act like a gooseberry by being a third on our date.”
“Just go already.”
“He asked for it,” Cassie grinned as they left the store.
“He’s already asked what my intentions are towards you.”
“He has? Oh…what did you say?”
“My intentions are perfectly honorable.” He opened the café door. “And chivalrous.”
“You always were,” Cassie giggled. Being around Jack was like being a kid again.
“And gullible. Don’t forget gullible.” He led her to a table and pulled out a chair for her.
“Oh…clown day.” Cassie snorted with laughter as she sat down.
“Yes. Clown day being case in point. Now, choose what you want and don’t worry about the cost.” He handed her a menu.
“That’s dangerous and just asking for trouble. What happens if I want everything?” She studied the menu, aware of everyone glancing at them. Talk about coming out.
“Then I borrow a cart and wheel you out of here.”
Cassie ordered then looked at Jack. “Penny for them.”
“I told Lara you’re coming riding with us on Saturday.”
“What did she say? Didn’t she like it?”
“Far from it. She loves the idea. She’s really taken to you.”
“And I’ve taken to her. She’s adorable. Jack…I know what you’re going to say and I’m fine with it. Lara’s your daughter—yours and Elisa’s. I wouldn’t want to replace her in any way. And Lara comes first.”
“Thing is, Lara’s never had a mum. I’ve never dated anyone. She’s going to assume because you and I are going out that—”
“We’re friends and I hope that won’t ever change.” She smiled as the waitress brought the food over. “Thank you…Jack, you’re a great bloke, but aren’t we jumping the gun just a little? It’s a couple of dates you’re proposing here, nothing more. Lara knows we’re friends, and friends go out and do stuff together. We can go as slow as we want. We’re not kids anymore. This is you and me. Well—us and Lara.”
“Us, Lara, and God,” Jack corrected, reaching over and taking her hand. “How does one date at a time with lots of prayer sound?”
“Sounds good to me. And you can start by saying grace before this gets cold and I go back to work hungry.”
“Sure and then you can tell me how you’re finishing the window display.”
Cassie's Wedding Dress
7
Cassie stood in the window and arranged the Union flag behind the mannequins as a backdrop. Union flag bunting sat on the floor waiting to be put up. She turned to Danny. “How does that look?”
“The Union Jack looks good.”
“It’s a Union flag. It’s only ever called a Union Jack if it’s flown on a ship.”
“If you say so, sis. And speaking of Jack…” Danny nodded to the door. “The bloke just can’t stay away.”
“Hey, didn’t think I’d see you again today.” Cassie stepped out of the window.
“I need a favor.”
“Sure, what’s up?”
“Pete Darcy’s been involved in a car crash. They’ve taken him to the ED. Jodie asked if I’d take her in as she doesn’t drive. School’s out soon and Mum and Dad are over at my sister’s and—”
Pete and Jodie were the church’s oldest members.
“You go. I’ll pick Lara up. She can come here and help put up the rest of the bunting.” Cassie smiled. “No need to rush back.”
“Thank you. I’ll ring the school and let them know you’ll collect her.”
Cassie watched him leave then reached for her bag.
Danny raised an eyebrow at her.
“What?”
“Babysitting?”
“He’s working. Besides, you can spare me for a few minutes, and I’m sure she’d love to help finish the window. I’ll be back in a bit.”
In the playground, standing with the other parents, Cassie wondered what it would be like to collect her own child. Would she someday have that chance? Could she be content with being a mother to someone else’s child?
“Where’s Daddy?” Lara asked as she ran to Cassie. “The teacher told me you would be collecting me.”
“Daddy had to go see someone in the hospital.”
“Oh.” Lara’s bottom lip trembled, and her face crumpled. “But he always gets me, ’cept Tuesday when Gwandma does.”
“I’m sorry he’s not here and I know he is, too.” Cassie got down to Lara’s level. “He asked me to look after you until he got back. I was thinking maybe you could help me.”
“How?” Lara whispered.
“I have to hang some bunting in the shop window, and I can’t manage on my own. Danny’s useless at decorating. Would you help?”
“I always have milk and a biscuit after school.”
“I can do that
, too. Daddy said he’d pick you up as soon as he can, but he may be a while. We could cook him dinner at my place if you like.”
“That would be fun.” Lara smiled, taking Cassie’s hand. “He works a lot.”
“That’s because He works for God. He still loves you. I reckon you’re the number one girl in his life.”
“I’m the only one.”
“You’ll always be number one.”
“Until he buys me a mummy.”
The thought of Jack using the buy-a-Russian-bride website flickered through Cassie’s mind making her smile. “He won’t buy you a mummy. That wouldn’t be fair to you or him.”
“Oh. Why not?”
“A mummy would have to be someone who loves you and Daddy a lot because she wants to, not because he’s paying her to.”
“You mean like Gwandma loves us?”
“Yes, exactly like Grandma does. And when Daddy finds someone he loves, she’ll love him and you. And he’ll tell you. But he’ll always love you the best, no matter what.”
“Good.”
Cassie opened the store door. “In you go. Milk first or the window?”
“Window.” Lara dumped her bag on the floor and moved over to the display. “What’s the little model for?”
“I’m going to make a bridesmaid’s dress. Just not sure what color.”
“Lellow. That’s my favorite.”
“We have lots of yellow.” Danny grinned. “Why don’t you go and have a look?”
Cassie smiled at her brother as Lara ran to look. “Thank you. She wasn’t happy to see me waiting in the playground.”
“I didn’t think she would be.” He glanced over at Lara. “How about chocolate milk as a special treat for helping in the shop?”
“Yes pwease, Uncle Danny.”
“Uncle Danny?”
“I have been for years. I am her father’s best friend, after all. And nothing gets her on side faster than chocolate milk.” He headed out the back.
“Did you find some yellow fabric you like?” Cassie moved over to Lara.
“This one.”
“That is really pretty. I’ll use that one. Let’s go hang up these flags.”
Ten minutes later, they sat in the office drinking milk and drawing yellow dresses.
“How about I make that one?” Cassie asked pointing at one of the child’s surprisingly good drawings. “I’ll make it to fit you, put it in the window and after the wedding you can keep it.”
“That would be awesome.” Lara’s face lit up.
“I need to measure you. Can you write down the numbers for me?”
“I’m good at wyiting.”
“Cool.” Cassie quickly sketched a figure on the notepad and drew lines across it at strategic points. “We start at the top line where I need this number.” She measured Lara and read off the number.
Lara stuck out her tongue and wrote it down.
“Go and ask Danny to cut me three meters of the fabric you liked while I ring Daddy and tell him to come to my place for dinner.” Cassie told her, as she finished the last measurement.
****
Jack found the store closed and locked up. Momentary panic surfaced, before rational thought took over and he pulled his phone out. Three texts and a voice mail.
“Hi, Jack, it’s Cassie…” A long giggle. “Oh I’m sorry…hijack…that’s a good one. Anyway, just letting you know that Lara and I are heading back to my place to cook dinner. We’ll save a plate for you, so come straight there when you’re done at the hospital. See you later.”
He drove to the Hintons’ house. Hijack…he shook his head. That stopped being funny years ago. He pulled up outside and rang the doorbell. He smiled as Cassie opened it. “Hi.”
“Hey. How’d it go?”
“All right. Peter’s going to be fine. He was lucky.”
“Lucky? Pastor, really,” Cassie teased, pretending to be shocked.
“God was looking out for him. His car was written off and he ends up with a few bumps and bruises. So did the other driver.”
“That’s good for both of them. Bad for the cars, though.”
“How’s Lara? Was she all right?”
“She’s fine and she was as good as gold. She’s eating the dinner she helped make. Come on in.” She led the way into the lounge. Everyone was eating.
“Hello, Daddy.”
“Hey, princess. How was your day?” Jack sat next to her.
“It was good. I helped Auntie Cassie decowate the shop. We hung flags and did some dwawing. Then we made dinner.”
“And it’s a very nice dinner, too.” Cassie set a plate in front of Jack. “She wanted to make your favorite.”
“This is her favorite.” Jack laughed.
“We didn’t think you were a chicken nuggets, spaghetti hoops and chips man, somehow.”
“Auntie Cassie is making me a dwess.” Lara looked innocently at them and took a bite of her dinner.
“Really?”
“The bwidesmaid’s dwess for the window. I dwawed it and she’s going to make it.”
“Drew,” he corrected automatically.
Lara rolled her eyes. “Dwew is a person. Dwawed is what you do with pencils. I can dwaw, I am dwawing, I dwawed. Simples.”
“Let me guess, it’s yellow.”
“Of course.” Cassie looked at him. “I said we’d put it in the window to finish the display and she can have it afterwards.”
“Cass—it’s a lovely thought, but…” Jack looked at her. He couldn’t accept something like that, but how could he refuse now she’d already told Lara?
“I know I should have asked you first, but I needed a dress for the display and was coming up empty. Lara drew the perfect one and it only seems fair she should get to keep it afterwards, rather than it going to the charity shop.”
“Pwease, Daddy. It is my design.”
“You have to let me at least pay for it.” He never could resist those puppy dog eyes, no matter how hard he tried.
“She designed it and chose the fabric. She deserves it.”
“Pwease, Daddy…”
“All right,” he agreed. “But you have to be really, really good.”
“I will. I pwomise.” She handed him the drawing. “Auntie Cassie needs it back to make the pattern fwom, but I did it all by mine own.”
“It’s really good, princess.”
“She’s got an eye for it;” Cassie said, holding his gaze, her eyes sparkling. “She picked out the perfect fabric, netting, and beading with no help at all.”
“Elisa had a good eye for clothes. Lara must get it from her.”
“She definitely doesn’t get it from you, mate.” Danny laughed. “Who picked that tie to go with that shirt?”
“There’s nothing wrong with pink and navy blue.” Cassie leapt to his defense. “I dressed my dolls in it all the time.”
Half an hour later, Jack caught Cassie’s hand as he and Lara were preparing to leave. “I really should pay you something for the dress.”
“No. She’s helping me out and that makes it hers by right.” She paused. “But if you’re going to insist, you can buy me dinner one evening.”
“Deal.” He kissed her cheek. “Thank you. And thank you for picking her up from school—and for dinner.”
“Welcome.” Cassie blushed, the glow making her look even more beautiful. “Good night.”
“Good night.” Jack walked to the car and got in. “Are you belted up, Lara?”
“Are you going to mawwy Auntie Cassie?”
“What gives you that idea?”
“You kissed her.”
“A thank-you kiss.” He ruffled her hair and started the car. “For having you.”
“You don’t kiss Mrs. Jenson when she babysits.”
“Mrs. Jenson is married, and you ask way too many questions.” He did up his belt and pulled away from the side of the road.
Why did you kiss her? Is she going to expect more now? What exactly are yo
u doing, Jack? He paused. I love her. Is she the one, Lord? If so, guide me and show me. And I need to speak to Bruce. I’ll do that soon as he gets back from the pastor’s convention in London.
****
Cassie spent the following day making the pattern for Lara’s dress. She hadn’t seen or heard from Jack all day, apart from a phone call from Danny at three, telling her to be ready by five o’clock sharp and dressed in her best. Nothing more was forth coming, and she hated not knowing what was going on.
As the clock in the lounge struck five, the doorbell rang. She went to answer it.
Jack stood there in a black suit and bow tie.
“Wow, look at you.” She didn’t ever remember seeing him so smart—not even for her year eleven prom.
“I’m not the only one.” He looked Cassie up and down, his smile growing. “You look amazing.”
Cassie did a twirl, the full length skirt swinging out, showing the layers of petticoat. “Thank you. I had no idea what to wear, the only thing Danny would tell me was that I had to dress up and dress smart.”
“That’s because I didn’t tell him where we’re going.” He lifted her fingers to his lips and kissed them, shooting electric tingles up her arm and down her spine. “Are you ready?”
“To go on this mysterious date of yours?”
“It’s our date, not just mine.” He winked. “Though I can go alone if you’d rather.”
“No way.” Cassie shook her head, her stomach twisting at the thought of not going with him.
“Then let’s go. It’s a fair drive, and I don’t want to be late.”
****
Cassie had spent the entire drive along the winding country lanes, past fields of sheep and cows, trying to get him to tell her where they were going.
Jack refused to say anything, which Cassie had to admit was more than a little frustrating.
Colored lights strung in the trees glowed in the evening light as they walked from the parking lot along the footpath. His hand was warm, his fingers entwining hers almost possessively.
“Still not saying anything?”
He shook his head.
