“Hi, Janet,” Cade began hauling things inside.
“Cade, the house is gorgeous. Abby tells me you two got a great deal,” Janet carried in hangers with clothing.
“The stairs by the kitchen, mom…up top in the closet,” Abby called.
“I found it, Abby! I’ll set them on the opposite side from the guy stuff,” Janet called back.
Cade just laughed and carried things into the living area. They could sort it out after the bedroom furniture was carried past the area. He took a box from Abby and kissed her soundly.
“You go distribute and let me haul so we can get your mother’s car to the side before the truck gets here,” he watched her nod and run into the house, snagging her mother for help with the groceries. He listened absently to the pair of them chattering and sorting bags. He had no idea it took so much to stock a kitchen.
He managed to move Janet’s car just as the large furniture truck was rounding the corner. He watched Abby and Janet run up the stairs ahead of the movers. He listened to Abby direct them for positioning and just stayed on the first level, letting the women get things situated. He tipped the men and closed the door when they were finished, striding leisurely up the stairs and looking around the large room. The bed was neatly made up with extra pillows and a couple quilts lying across the bottom. He heard Abby and Janet in the bathroom as he emptied the three suitcases he had of clothing.
He hauled the cases to the garage, stowing them in the storage area in the rafters, coming out in time to see Janet wave and drive off.
He found Abby looking through a collection of papers, one held out to him when he came up behind her, his mouth down on her neck. He took the paper, glanced at the logo of a storage company and tucked it beneath the laptop on the counter.
Abby giggled when she felt the sticks withdrawn from her hair, the chignon joining them on the counter.
“Something tells me you are not focused on organizing, Cade,” she sighed, losing her interest when he bit down on a sensitive part of her throat. His hands were on her waist, pulling her hard against him. She knew without a doubt exactly where his focus was at the moment.
“We have a home…and a brand new bed upstairs…” Cade explained suggestively, raising his head and sweeping her into his arms. Her hands flew around his neck. “The doors are locked…and we’re alone…together…with no neighbors…we have all night and day to organize…it’s time for the fun stuff.”
Chapter Eighteen
Abby left the house a little before seven, leaving the coffee on the counter. She reached into the small pocket on her vest, fingering the thick plastic key card. It had been laying on the floor next to their bed. She didn’t like the instinct that told her not to ask. She really didn’t like the feeling in her stomach.
She waved at Cassidy as she opened the canopies, gazing into the beautiful blue of the sky opening around them. They met in the middle, both opening and pinning up canvas sides.
“Have you seen this here before?” Abby brought the card from her pocket, handing it to Cassidy.
“Sure. Master pass card for the resort. I saw one on Logan’s desk a week or so back. Hey, Mac said you and Cade found a house! Congratulations,” Cassidy walked with her to the cantina for their morning bagel.
“Thanks…it’s nice…private…feels a little odd being a home owner, though. What about you and Mac?” Abby asked in quiet thought.
“We haven’t talked about it…he’s more or less moved into the apartment,” Cassidy took a bite of the cream cheese covered bagel. “But it’s not going to work long term. We need both computers set up and there really isn’t the room for it there. And someplace much closer. He’s not a morning person. I think I might look on my own and see what I can find.”
“There are several in the area where we bought, Cassidy,” Abby shook her head. “But…I couldn’t have bought there, Cass…it’s on the beach. Granted the market is depressed, but…”
“Guess I need to have a financials talk to find out what we can afford. Given some of our other topics,” she just chuckled. “The money talk should be an easy one.”
“Where is he living now, Cass?” Abby felt the little twinge in her gut again when her friend just looked at her.
“You know…I’ve never asked…and he’s never volunteered anything. I know we both came here from other places and I know we both have stuff in storage…”
Abby held the glass of juice between both hands. “Is there a way to tell where the core housekeeping people have been cleaning?”
Cassidy stared at her friend for a long, quiet minute. “You think…”
“All Cade told me was he was staying in a hotel. But he was always here. I saw him on his bike for a couple days before we ever met, outside the gates,” Abby got up and paced, one hand up and touching her temple. “I’ve been so preoccupied with applicants then Cade sweeps in and…”
“You think they were staying here? On site? Why wouldn’t they tell us, Abby? That’s…it’s crazy…” But she stood up and gestured to the security tent. “I can find out,” she said firmly, sitting down in front of her computer and tapping out some passwords. “I can track any key passes being used. This one…that’s Logan’s. Him and Sam had the honeymoon suite for a short time. But none of the…there shouldn’t be anyone else living here, Abby.”
“But there is,” Abby saw the two rooms on the first floor, back.
“Why wouldn’t they tell us?”
“Where’s Mac now?”
I…a meeting with Logan. I saw the bike come in a few minutes ago, and I think Cade is in that same meeting,” Cassidy stood up and swallowed hard. “Let’s go check. I don’t like this. I don’t like this at all…my stomach hurts.”
“I don’t know why they wouldn’t have told us,” Abby said quietly, completely understanding her friend’s pain. “I heard them talking when we were at the Lodge. They were talking about a meeting regarding the health center being built. Why would Mac and Cade be in on that, Cassidy?”
Cassidy was silent, their shoes moving quietly over the thick carpeting. She stopped outside the rooms that had shown up on the core housekeeping schedule. Her hands were like ice. Both of them were breathing too quickly. Abby reached out and slid the card into the reader, her eyes closed as she pushed the door inward.
The room was empty. Cassidy checked the closets while Abby went into the bathroom. She looked up to see Abby come out carrying two receipts.
“These are from places we went yesterday,” Abby whispered, her hand crunching them in her fist. “Cade was staying here. With an executive pass.”
Cassidy took the plastic key card from Abby and walked purposefully out of the room and to the next one, sliding it into the reader and shoving the door hard. She strode into the center of the room, her heart stopping and expression filled with confusion.
“I don’t understand…”
“This stuff…”
“It’s Mac’s,” she whispered hoarsely. “Abby…what is going on? How…I….we…trusted them…why wouldn’t they just tell us? Why!?”
“Cass...I don’t know…” Abby took her hand and pulled her from the room. "Come on, we can’t stay here…and we both have jobs to do.” She felt the bagel she ate fighting with her stomach. “I don’t know…”
“I trusted him,” Cassidy repeated angrily. “I let myself trust him!”
“I…maybe…maybe there’s an explanation…and we just don’t know,” Abby said frantically, swiping angrily at the tear that broke free. “There has to be an explanation.”
“Then why wouldn’t they tell us? It is not standard policy to let employees live here, Abby. I know. I know the security policies. You know who gets to stay here? Logan…and you know why? Because he’s one of the owners,” Cassidy kicked at the door, shoving it wide and stepping into the parking lot. “There are four owners, Abby.” She heard her boots echoing on the concrete, reflecting the anger and frustration inside her.
Abby stood with her
next to the locking cabinet, a small file pulled free. Cassidy pulled a paper from inside.
“Logan Sheffield is over the Casino. Mia Santori is the head chef and over the two restaurants,” her breath caught in her chest and froze. “T. M. Lawson is in charge of the Arcade and C. M. Rollins is over the hotel,” Cassidy’s voice fell with each name she read, eyes brimming with tears rose and met Abby’s. “No. I can’t…I have work to do. I will not let this…” Cassidy shoved the file back into the cabinet, two palms up and covering her face, squeezing her eyes tightly.
Abby sunk to the chair, her head back, fighting the same reaction. She swallowed hard and stood up. “We have work to do, Cass…we’ll go to lunch about eleven, just you and me. I know…I know it won’t be easy, but don’t let on…I have to think…”
“I’m worried about us affording a bigger apartment and he’s one of the damned owners?” Cassidy stood up and drew in a long slow breath. “Okay…” Pushing her palms out and focusing on the air entering her lungs.
“It also explains why they’re in the meeting about the health center,” Abby commented, her head shaking. “I feel so stupid, Cass…”
“Lunch. Get the gates open. I need to be busy with something else right now and so do you,” Cassidy hugged her. “Lunch?”
“Eleven,” Abby nodded, straightened her vest and walked toward her area, her fingers up and letting loose with a long whistle.
Abby threw herself into the applications on her desk, deliberately striding to the desk with an applicant when she saw Cade walking toward the canopies. She made certain she was with one applicant or another until he disappeared into the hotel again. At eleven sharp, she met Cassidy crossing the concrete. Neither of them looked back as they climbed into Abby’s car and drove through the gates.
****
Mac very slowly crossed the concrete, hands sunk in the pockets of his jeans. “Something isn’t right.”
“No kidding,” Cade stared after the car. “We can guess at what it might be…”
“I don’t do guess,” Mac moved to one of the computers, using his master codes and began tapping on keys. “I do tech,” he straightened up, his hand in his pocket and coming out with a pass card. “Someone was in the two rooms we have…while we were in the health meeting,” Mac slammed his palm down on the table, cursing loudly.
“Now we know for sure what they’re pissed about.” Cade shoved two hands through his hair, pacing across the open concrete. “My card is missing. I thought it fell out of my pocket yesterday. Abby must have found it.”
Mac shoved a hard breath between his lips. “Any idea how long they’ll run?”
“Hell if I know…but I know they won’t appreciate if we bring it up here,” Cade shook his head. “They’ll be pissed…and even more pissed if we try and talk to them here, and they cry…”
“Girls cry when they’re angry,” Mac agreed, walking toward the hotel with him. “I got work to do…”
“I’m going with space until they want to talk to us. Hell, we can’t fix it without talking to them…”
“They aren’t going to talk to us until and unless we throw ourselves on the pike, my friend,” Mac told him flatly.
“Yeah…no kidding…”
****
Abby pulled into the parking lot of the local park and stopped the car. They sat there staring into the Sound. Neither of them was hungry.
“My stomach hurts,” Cassidy whispered angrily.
“I know…” Abby agreed softly, her head back on the rest and eyes closed.
“I don’t know what to do, Abby…I don’t understand why he didn’t say anything.”
“I don’t know…I just don’t know…if…if they didn’t trust us…”
“You think they were afraid we’d be…be money grubbing…”
“That we’d be after…that…” Abby bolted upright. “That we would only be interested in them because of who they thought they were?” Dark eyes flared furiously. “We earned our positions, damn it! We don’t need…aaarrrggghh!”
“Abby, I have been talking to Mac through the game for the last six months,” Cassidy whispered. “I…I don’t want to go home. I…just want to sit somewhere and cry.”
“I know,” Abby sunk down in the seat, closing her eyes against the stinging. “I can’t go home, either…I can’t even go to my mother’s…I feel like a fool…”
“It hurts so much,” Cassidy lifted the water bottle and laid the cold plastic against her temple. “Where can we go tonight, Abby?” She asked plaintively, checking her watch.
“We don’t have clothes…” Abby felt like she was spinning out of control. “But we have friends…”
“I have money…I need time to think…”
“Alright,” Abby swiped the tears from her cheeks and sat up, starting the car. “I’ll park near my canopy. We shut down and just go. We’ll think of something once we’re off site,” she saw Cassidy nod. “Right now I can’t think straight and burying myself in applications is the best way to clear my head.”
“I used to lose myself in the game,” Cassidy said quietly. “Forget about all the work stuff and just play.”
“We both have laptops,” Abby said with a watery smile. “We’ll find a place with wireless and just play for a while.”
“I didn’t know you played,” Cassidy commented.
“I love it…been playing since the beginning. It was always a place I could just…just be, you know? No questions, no grief…just a whole make believe place,” Abby sighed raggedly. “God I hate this…”
“We are stronger than this,” Cassidy said firmly, her stomach twisting tightly as they approached the main gate, waved through without a pause.
“That’s what I keep telling myself,” Abby’s voice was low and it took everything inside her to keep the words from shaking.
Both men stood in the shadows of the building, watching Abby and Cassidy exit the car, heads high and body language stiff. A strong curse left both their lips.
“This is insane,” Mac growled, his hands clenched on the railing along the walkway. “I haven’t done anything!”
Cade looked at him, his head shaking. “Why didn’t you tell her your connection with the resort?” He asked quietly.
Mac looked confused. “It never came up. She knows I’m a programmer. We never talked about…about income or our damned finances.” He stopped, exhaling heavily. “Okay, so I might have avoided the subject on purpose. But it wasn’t because I doubted Cassidy.”
“Yeah, well that might just clear you, I’m a little deeper in the ground than that,” Cade bit out flatly. “I wanted to know the process for hiring. I wanted to know how things were being handled. And I didn’t approach the whole damn thing honestly. I pretended to be someone looking for a position here. I totally screwed up on the deal…then I had some idiot idea that Abby, being Abby, would refuse to see me because of who I was…it wouldn’t be the professional thing to do.”
“That thought did occur to me,” Mac admitted with a wince. “The whole dating someone in the same company thing is a little vague to me…and Cass can be a little tight on rules.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah…no kidding.” Mac closed his eyes. “I hate being able to see around corners…but how much more pissed are they going to be if we don’t try and make them understand?”
“Christ, you gotta keep piling it on?” Cade growled at him. “We’re pretty much damned if we do and damned if we don’t. But I’ve never been one to run from a fight.”
They looked at one another and headed off in opposite directions.
****
Abby was reading through an application, tapping her pen on her cheek and happened to glance up. Every nerve and muscle she had suddenly froze. Dark eyes skittered around her and she hated the feeling that she needed to run inside her.
“Abby…”
She couldn’t ignore him, people were watching, listening. And there was a damned fence behind her. Her shoulder
s went back, her chin up and dark eyes challenging.
Cade groaned inwardly. He watched her stab another pen into the back of her hair, hands folded primly on her desk.
“Can I help you?” She asked firmly and frostily.
“Can…Abby, we need to talk about this,” Cade leaned over her desk, his palms flat on the surface.
“Is it in regards to an application, Mr. Rollins? You should restrict all discussions of a personal nature to…” Abby jumped when his palms lifted and came down hard on the solid desk. Her monitor shook and she swallowed hastily.
“You know good and damn well it has nothing to do with work,” he never let his gaze leave hers.
She opened the drawer to her right, slapping the pass card on the top of the desk. “I believe this is yours. I found it on the floor this morning.”
Cade closed his eyes. “Abby…I can explain…if you’ll just give me a chance…”
“I have a great deal of work to do. Work. I work here. For a living,” she said clearly and tonelessly. “I trust…you can understand that?”
“Damn it, Abby,” Cade kept his voice low, but it was obvious things weren’t going as planned, people around them busily trying not to pay attention to the couple. “And if I told you I wanted to see you in my office, Miss Murray…now?” Cade swore softly, immediately aware that he’d made a big tactical error. Hurt swam in the dark eyes. “I can’t fix it if you won’t talk to me, Abby.”
“I…I have work to do,” she turned from him, focusing a pair of unfocused eyes on the monitor and the stack of applications. “Please…just leave me alone for now.”
“At home, Abby. Tonight.” Cade turned and stormed into the building.
****
Cassidy moved from desk to desk, talking to people pulling reports and making phone calls. She felt the promise ring burning between her breasts where it hung. She wanted desperately to close her eyes and clench it in her palm and wish herself back to the day he gave it to her.
WindSwept Narrows: #2 Cassidy, Abby & Mia Page 15
