by Unknown
So that’s why she was back early. Not because she’d figured things out or wanted to come back but because she felt the need to bail him out. Noah took a step back and shoved his hands into his pockets. “I wish you wouldn’t have done that. We’re doing just fine.”
“I was going to come back anyway,” she blurted. “Even if you didn’t need me, I was going to come home.”
“Why?”
She tentatively stepped closer. “To apologize.”
Noah wasn’t sure how to think or feel. All he knew was Cassie was standing in front of him, telling him she would have come back regardless. What did that even mean? “For what?”
“For not seeing.”
“Not seeing what?” Adelynn said. “Do you need glasses, Cassie?”
She smiled, revealing that dimple he loved. “In a way, I did need glasses, Adi. But not anymore. Now I see very clearly. And what I see, I love.”
“You’re looking at Daddy,” said Adelynn.
“I know.”
Noah’s heart pounded like a jackhammer. Cassie picked up one of his hands and then another, threading her fingers through his as she stepped in closer. She smelled the same, looked the same, felt the same—but in her eyes Noah saw a confidence that hadn’t been there before. It warmed him from the inside out.
“Are you going to kiss her?” said Kajsa. “Because that’s gross.”
Noah glanced at his interruptive daughters. “Your dance teacher and I need a few minutes alone, if that’s okay. Why don’t you two…” He paused, looking around the room for something they could do. Coming up empty, he grabbed his phone from his pocket and tossed it on Kajsa’s bed. “Play with that while Cassie and I, uh… talk.”
The two girls lunged for the phone as Noah pulled Cassie from the room. He led her down the hall and into the family room. His hands cradled her face as he looked into her eyes.
“My answer is yes.” She smiled shyly at him. “If the question’s still on the table, my answer is yes. I love you, Noah Mackie, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“You sure?” he said, not quite believing she could be. “Because you know how it works with me. Once I’m upgraded, that’s that. There’s no downgrading allowed.”
“I’m absolutely, one hundred percent sure.”
Noah didn’t waste another second. His smiling mouth covered hers in a kiss that conveyed how he felt about his new fiancé status. Her arms locked around his shoulders in a vice-like grip, and her mouth moved against his with passion and hunger, like a woman who knew exactly what she wanted. It all felt like a dream; as though he’d wake up any moment to find her back in Texas, still doubting their future together.
But this wasn’t a dream. It was real. She was real. Cassie was now his to have, to hold, to treasure.
“Can we come out now, Daddy?” Adi called from down the hall.
“No,” he said, his lips moving to Cassie’s neck.
She sighed and leaned into him.
“Please?” Adi’s voice called again.
“No,” he said again, returning to her lips.
“But Kajsa’s calling Aunt Emma, and I’m bored.”
A giggle escaped Cassie’s mouth, and Noah reluctantly pried himself away. Only then did Adelynn’s words register. “Wait, Kajsa is calling who?”
“She’s asking Aunt Emma if we can come over so we don’t have to stay in our room like prisoners.”
Noah rolled his eyes. That’s what he got for leaving his phone with them.
“Aunt Emma says to come over right now!” Kajsa’s voice sounded, and the two girls ran from their room, only to be stopped by Noah in the hallway. “Sorry, but you know the rules. You can’t go over there without me.”
“But she said you need some time alone with Cassie and we should hurry as fast as we can. Oh, and she said to tell you that Uncle Kevin’s home so don’t worry.” She grinned at her sister. “He’s going to make us corn on the cob for dinner.”
“Please, Daddy?” Adelynn’s large brown eyes turned puppydog-ish. “It’s corn on the cob. My favorite.”
Everything that Kevin cooked was his daughter’s favorite. But if Kevin and Emma were going to invite his daughters over, Noah wasn’t going to argue.
“Go ahead.” He stepped out of their way and let them go. As soon as the front door slammed, his mouth lifted into a smile. His hands found Cassie’s waist, and he pulled her close. “Remind me to thank my sister.”
“You should thank your sister.”
“I meant later.”
“Oh.” She wound her arms around his neck, twirling her fingers in his hear. “I wonder what we should do now.”
“We should celebrate.”
“Celebrate what?”
Noah dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose. “The fact that you’re no longer blind as a bat.”
“Now that’s romantic,” she said dryly.
A chuckle rumbled inside his chest, and as Noah looked down at the beautiful woman he held in his arms, his mother’s quiet voice resonated in his mind.
Only after the rain comes the rainbow.
He couldn’t have described his feelings any better. That’s exactly what Cassie was. A beautiful, vibrant rainbow that promised hope, happiness, and a lifetime of sunshine. And Noah planned to make the most of every second.
Six Weeks Later
By the time Cassie made it to Noah’s, he and the girls were already hard at work on the banner. The garage door was open, and the three of them were sprawled across the dirty floor on their bellies, coloring and drawing. Noah had already outlined the word “WELCOME” in large block letters, and although they weren’t the prettiest letters in the world, they looked okay—especially once the girls filled them in with bright colors and patterns.
Noah shifted positions to start on the H when Cassie placed her hand on his shoulder. “Um… Noah?”
“Yeah?” He craned his neck to look at her.
“I think you might be drawing the letters too big. The rest of the words aren’t going to fit.”
He glanced down the length of the banner. “Huh,” he finally said. “You’re probably right. I’ll start drawing them smaller.”
That was one way of fixing the problem, but it might be better if “HOME” was written in small letters at the top with Emma, Georgia, and Maxwell at—
Too late, Noah was already making the adjustments himself, drawing every letter a little bit smaller than the last. How one person could be so talented in the art of woodworking and so bad at this (especially with an artist for a sister) was beyond Cassie. She had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at the finished message.
Maybe the girls’ coloring job would help. Cassie crouched down opposite Noah, careful to only let her knees touch the floor, and pulled the cap off a pink marker. She began adding a few flowers to some of the letters in Georgia’s name.
“That looks nice,” said Noah. “But we need to hurry. She’s going to be home any second.”
Cassie quickly added a few more colorful details and helped the girls finish filling in the letters. Then they rolled up the banner and ran next door to hang it across Emma and Kevin’s garage.
Right as they finished, Becky and Justin pulled up with a car full of pink and blue helium balloons.
“Cassie, you let Noah design the banner, didn’t you?” was the first thing Becky said when she got out of the car.
“He’d already started by the time I got here, so there wasn’t much I could do.”
Noah took a few steps back, looking at the banner from afar. “What are you talking about? I think it looks great. It’s, you know, little-kiddish.”
“It’s ridiculous,” said Becky.
Adelynn frowned. “You don’t like our coloring job, Aunt Becky?”
“Your coloring is perfect, as always. It’s your father’s drawing job that needs help.”
Adelynn giggled and nodded.
“Traitor.” Noah glared at his daughter, which only
made her giggle harder.
The girls were covered in dust from the garage floor, so Cassie ushered them back to Noah’s to change and wash up before Emma and Kevin arrived with Georgia and Maxwell. The girls ran to their room, and a few minutes later, a freshly changed Kajsa emerged, dragging the vacuum down the hallway.
“What are you doing?” Cassie asked. “We don’t have time to vacuum right now.”
“I want my hair in a ponytail.” She plugged in the vacuum, handed Noah an elastic, then turned around.
Cassie had never been more confused. With deft movements, Noah wrapped the elastic around the handheld attachment of the vacuum before turning it on. Then he proceeded to suck his daughter’s hair into the end.
“Noah!”
“What?” he said as he slid the elastic over an admittedly neat ponytail and shut off the vacuum.
“That’s disgusting,” said Cassie. “Do you know how many germs are inside that thing? Kajsa, sweetie, don’t ever let your father do that again.”
“But it’s the only way he can do ponytails.” Kajsa said as Adi emerged from her room, all changed. Together, they ran out the door, leaving Noah and Cassie alone in the hallway.
Cassie leaned her back against the wall and shook her head at Noah while she absentmindedly played with the relatively new diamond ring on her finger. It was small and understated, but she loved it. “I’m thinking that maybe we should move up the wedding date. Your girls obviously need a mother, and the sooner the better.”
A smile appeared on his face as he took her into his arms. “Agreed. Next week sounds good.”
“I was only joking.”
“I wasn’t.”
Cassie laughed, looping her arms around his neck. “Maybe we can bump it to September instead of October.”
“I think next week sounds better.”
Cassie smiled and raised to her tiptoes, pressing her lips to his. She kissed him playfully at first, but when his large hands cradled her face, and his mouth worked its way across hers, the kiss changed into something stronger and more meaningful. Cassie clung to him, feeling everything—the warmth of his lips, the strength of his body, and the goodness of his heart. She felt it all.
Noah was a part of her now. He was in the walls of her basement, in the recesses of her mind, and in the crevices of her soul. This was what real love felt like. It wasn’t superficial. It wasn’t giddy. And it wasn’t make-believe. It was something that reached deep inside her, molding and changing who she was and how she felt about the world, about people, about life. Cassie was no longer that forlorn and barren little geode, determined to take on the world by herself. She was the other half of a whole that was now brimming with crystals and sparkles and color.
Somewhere in the distance a horn honked and happy squeals followed. Noah’s forehead came to rest against hers. “I think they’re home. Want to go see your new niece and nephew?”
She smiled and nodded. And as he took her hand in his, Cassie knew joy.
If you’d like to be notified when this book is available, sign up for my new release newsletter at: RachaelReneeAnderson.com.
Or to add it to you Goodreads’ shelf, click HERE.
Dear Reader,
Thanks so much for reading! I hope this story took you out of reality for awhile and into a world of escape and rejuvenation because everyone deserves that once in awhile.
If you’re willing, I’d love a review from you on Goodreads or Amazon or wherever else you’d care to post one.
Or you can find me online at RachaelReneeAnderson.com.
Thanks again, and happy reading!
Rachael
First and foremost, I have to thank Karey White, for her listening ear, sound advice, friendship, and awesome editing skills. I owe you big-time.
Kathy Habel, thank you for your friendship, your marketing genius, encouragement, and for your honesty. I’m so grateful to know you.
Alison Blackburn, a million thanks for sharing your thoughts, insights, and brilliant mind with me. I’m so lucky to call you my friend.
Rebecca, thank you for your keen eye, words of encouragement, and friendship. You’re amazing!
Karen P., thank you for being willing to proof my book. I’m so grateful for your help!
Jeff, bless you for helping, listening, encouraging, and for being the world’s greatest husband, father, and friend. I love you.
And lastly, I have to thank my heavenly father, for loving me enough to challenge and bless me.
A USA Today bestselling author, Rachael Anderson is the mother of four. She’s pretty good at breaking up fights, or at least sending guilty parties to their rooms. She can’t sing, doesn’t dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating. You can read more about her and her books online at RachaelReneeAnderson.com.
If you enjoyed Prejudice Meets Pride, you’ll also love
