WindSwept Narrows: #2 Cassidy, Abby & Mia
Page 30
“Hell, I hope,” she said venomously, wrapping both hands around the glass. “How did you know?”
“Jessica left a note with Scarlet when she was born,” Mia said quietly. “It asked that Lucas protect her from being damaged, like her mother was,” she watched the woman, suddenly feeling very sorry for her. “Lucas is not your husband, Miranda. I promise you that.”
“My baby was barely ten,” she breathed painfully. “I…I didn’t know…until she was eleven…I…I caught him…that…I hit him…I picked up something…I don’t even remember what…but I hit him over and over. I ordered him out of my house and divorced him…I kept her with me…took her to see specialists…to try and…and fix…nothing I did helped.”
“That’s why you want to take Scarlet from Lucas,” Cassidy saw her slight nod. “I know you have no reason to believe me, but Lucas is not…he will never hurt Scarlet that way, I promise you.”
“You don’t know that,” she spit out flatly. “I never knew.”
“I know,” Mia said firmly. “Jessica turned to drugs to hide from her pain. I’m so sorry for you…”
“What do you want?”
“I told you. The truth and peace. Scarlet is so precious to Lucas….you have no idea,” Mia stood up slowly. “Why didn’t you go to the police? Prosecute him? Get some…some justice for Jessica?”
“This was a family matter,” she answered stiffly.
“To protect your…your image?” Cassidy closed her eyes. “Justice and seeing her rapist in prison might just have helped Jessica more than all the therapists in the city.”
“I won’t protect your image,” Mia told her coldly. “If you come after Scarlet again, I will let the police know. I will tell the media and every judge we have to see.”
“No one will believe you,” she threw back bitterly.
“No…perhaps not…but they will believe you. I have our conversation recorded, Miranda. Including the little room where you made Scarlet sit. All on video,” Mia moved toward the door, glancing back at the stunned expression. “I will send you photos of Scarlet as she grows. She will be strong and brilliant, because of Lucas. Good bye.”
Cassidy was sure she didn’t breathe until they were on the road again. Neither of them said anything for the long drive. They entered the computer store and climbed the stairs to the large loft. She tossed the small hidden camera and ear piece to Phoebe.
“Thanks,” Cassidy stepped into Mac’s arms and just laid her head on his shoulder for a long minute.
“Where’s Scarlet?” Mia asked, going to the sink in the kitchen and drenching her face with cold water.
“In the game room with Jane,” Chloe finished typing, slipped the DVD into a cover and held it out to Mia.
“Thank you, Chloe,” Mia slid it into her pack. “So very much.”
“I wonder what a world would be like without things like that happening to kids,” Chloe leaned back in her chair, eyes closed. “I keep thinking…one day…one day…”
Mac stepped forward and hugged her. “Thanks. Guess we have to make our own days. I’m going to get all these girls back to the resort.”
“I guess we do, Mac…take care…” Chloe watched them go with a sigh.
Mia vaguely listened to Scarlet singing, her head swaying to the music, the words off a little. She rounded the corner of the building to see Lucas leaning against the SUV, arms crossed over his chest. She looked sharply at the clock with a wince.
“Daddy’s here!”
“Afternoon, ladies,” he pulled the door wide and set Scarlet free, listening to her regale him about her exciting morning with Aunt Jane. “Here I thought we could get a jump on the weekend so I came by early. Did you turn your phone off?” He saw the answer on her face.
“I’m sorry…I…we got side tracked,” Mia left the wagon, going to the kitchen and unlocking it quickly.
Lucas frowned, following and setting Scarlet on the floor, watching her run in the direction of the bathroom. “Are you okay, Mia?”
“Yes…no…I…” she paced the small office. Stopping and pulling the disk Chloe had made from her pack. She set it next to the computer. “I am going to take Scarlet to the garden. I want you to watch that disk and please…no…shouting…and if you do not want me to come to your house tonight, I understand, Lucas.”
“Mia, you’re making me real nervous…what did you do today?”
“Please. Just watch the disk,” Mia grabbed Scarlet up when she came out, running with her outside. “Let’s go to the play yard for a few minutes.”
“Yeah! I’ll race ya!”
Lucas sat at her desk, staring out the window at the departing pair for a long minute before sliding the disk into its slot and waiting. He had no idea one person could go through such a wild array of emotions within a thirty minute time frame. He pushed hard against the desk and slid the slim disk into its case before going outside. He left the disk in the visor of the SUV and went in search of his girls.
Mia felt her heart stop, watching him approach until she saw the half smile touching his lips. She felt like Scarlet, taking off at a run and launching herself into his arms without pausing. Lucas caught her against him, holding her tight without words for a long, long time.
“We going home now?” Scarlet wandered up to them, gazing up curiously.
“Yeah, we’re going home,” Lucas released Mia and tossed Scarlet into the air. “We are going home, Scarlet…and tomorrow, we’re getting Mia’s stuff out of her room and moving her into the house with us. How’s that sound?”
“Cool,” Scarlet agreed happily. “Then we have to go to the market.”
“You’re getting her trained early,” Lucas commented, taking a firm grip on Mia’s hand and carrying it to his lips. “Thank you.”
“We like going to the market with you ‘cause you can carry lots of stuff,” Scarlet told him with a little nod.
“He has very nice muscles,” Mia said with a wink.
A Week later…
Mia…” Lucas frowned at her bare hand, his gaze shooting to Mac. “Where’s your ring?”
The males at the lunch table came to an uncomfortable silence.
“I have it,” piped up the little voice from the back of the golf cart, holding up her thumb. “I got bling,” she announced, grinning when the three females at the table laughed.
“Lucas…it is glass…and I do not need it any longer,” Mia told him with a shrug, frowning through the bite of pasta she took.
The girls looked at one another with a frown when Lucas was up from the table, gently removing the ring from Scarlet.
Mac was up at the same time, patting down his pockets and digging into one finally, tossing something across the table to Lucas.
“Hey! Mia said I could have it!” Scarlet scowled, the smile back on her face a second later when Lucas handed her a ring.
“There are two of them?” Cassidy looked from Mac to Lucas to Mia.
“Can you mark the fake?” Lucas asked Mac with a long sigh.
“It is not fake?” Mia swallowed hard, eyes widened when Lucas lifted her hand and slid it into place.
“It is not fake,” Lucas repeated firmly. “I had it made for you.”
“I think so,” Mac took out his pocket knife and walked over to Scarlet. “Let me see your ring a minute, mouse,” he careful scratched an X on top of the cubic zirconia.
“You switched rings without telling me?” Mia stared at the ring on her finger and then at Lucas. “It’s real?” She whispered.
Lucas laughed. “It’s real, Mia…you are officially engaged to me.”
“I am not sure I was ever asked…” But she held her palm out, admiring the sparkle.
“Trust me, asking is a mistake,” Mac declared through his bite of the vegetable stew. “It sets your poor ego up for nothing but grief.”
“You gotta have style,” Cade said with a wink, lifting his hand and letting a chain dangle from his fingers in front of Abby. A white gold replica of his bike hung betwee
n the strands of white gold. “Hey, biker chick…got a present for you.” Without waiting, he stood up, opened the fastening and slipped it around her throat.
“Cade…it’s beautiful…it looks just like…oh, my…” Abby tilted her chin down, her eyes wide on the one inch replica and widening a little more when she looked up to see a sparkling tear drop shaped diamond ring between his fingers.
Cade leaned closer, his lips near her ear. “Marry me.”
Abby knew she wasn’t breathing. But neither was anyone else at the table. She turned slightly, peering into those beautiful silver eyes and nodded. She never took her eyes from him and felt her hand lifted and the ring slid into place before he kissed her.
“That makes two,” Lucas said, issuing his congratulations with a broad grin.
“Oh, please…you want to see style?” Mac lifted his phone and tapped some buttons, his palm directing them to the front of the casino.
Cassidy turned and watched a white banner unfurl. Huge blue and gold letters spelled out his request.
“I love you, Cassidy Parker – will you marry me?”
Loud hoots of laughter and clapping echoed around the cantina and various canopies and guards.
“Oh my god,” Cassidy closed her eyes with a tight squeeze.
“It’ll still be there when you open your eyes,” Mac whispered in her ear, lifting her hand and sliding an oval diamond onto her hand. “I’ll take it down when you say yes.”
“I’ll kill you,” she whispered, very aware of the laughter and red cheeks. “After I say yes,” she continued, opening her eyes and sighing heavily when his mouth touched hers.
Mac tapped another switch and the paper fluttered to the ground.
“Crazy tech kid,” Cade said with a laugh, nodding his approval.