All of that came to him sitting in the driveway at his dad’s. He laughed at how funny the situation was. He knew coming here would give him some clarity, but he thought he’d actually have to talk to his dad first. He hadn’t even made it to the doorstep and he already got what he needed.
Casey wasn’t about to leave though. Eagerly, he jumped out of his truck and stomped up to the front door.
“Hey, Son,” his dad said. “What a nice surprise.”
He loved how his dad was always so happy to see him. Not once had he ever made him feel unwelcome. He felt like such a pussy because that was so important to him, but well… It is what it is.
“Hey, Case.” His stepmom came barreling out of the kitchen with a towel thrown over her shoulder. “I hope you’re hungry. Your dad and I are about to have a late dinner and you’re in luck, it’s your favorite.”
She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a big squeeze like she always did. His father wasn’t the only welcoming one. Mary had always made him feel like her own. Not once had she called him her stepson. She always referred to him as her own boy. He’d never thought of that until now—which made him wonder, why hadn’t he given her the same respect? Why did he still call her his stepmom?
Casey supposed that was something he could figure out another day.
The two men set the table in the dining room, laying out the placemats, bowls, plates, utensils, and napkins, while Mary placed the pot of chili in the center of the table. Before she could head back into the kitchen, his dad stopped her. “Have a seat, honey. I’ll get the rest.”
Mary sat down with her napkin in her lap while Casey served them drinks and his dad brought out a dish of cornbread and a small bowl of honey butter. Casey had already eaten, but that didn’t stop his mouth from watering. He loved his stepmom’s cooking and that honey butter was to die for.
As they all took to filling their bowls and plates, Casey’s mind finally relaxed. This is exactly what he needed. He loved the simplicity of home. The way they still turned off the television during dinner and ate in the dining room. He didn’t dare look at his phone. Meals were sacred time in the Palmer house. It was classic and he loved it.
It wasn’t until they were all settled that Dan Palmer started chatting away. He asked Casey about work. He had heard about a small brush fire in the woods near a camping area just outside of town. Casey assured him that they took care of the fire before it stood any chance of developing into something to worry about. He was grateful for the winter season, had it been later on in the year, the fire may have posed a bigger problem.
“We hear you have a new friend in town,” Mary told him, with a little flutter of her brows. With that smile on her face, Casey couldn’t get angry with her. She looked so giddy it was actually cute.
“Let me guess—”
Before Casey could finish his sentence, his dad did for him. “Sue Ann.”
“That woman needs to find something else to keep her busy,” he said. “I do have a new friend”—he scrubbed his hand through his scruffy hair—“but she’s just that. A friend. No need to start booking ballrooms or anything.”
Mary’s smile didn’t fade, which made him roll his eyes. “Tell us about her,” she said nonchalantly in between bites.
Casey relaxed into his chair, sitting with his hands in his lap. He wasn’t even hungry and he’d already devoured two pieces of cornbread slathered in honey butter. If they wanted to hear about Katie, then he’d tell them. She’s the reason he’d driven there instead of going to the bar in the first place.
“Her name is Katie. She’s about this tall”—he placed his hand in the center of his chest—“she’s a total spitfire, never stops talking, she’d lose her head if it wasn’t attached to her shoulders, and she has to be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met, on the inside and out.”
With that, he sucked in a deep breath and exhaled long and slow. Yes, he’d just said that aloud, to his parents. It amazed him that when asked about her, those were the words he’d chosen to use. He could have easily said, “She’s cool.” Yet, he went and confessed that he thought she was beautiful. Again, he rolled his eyes. Only this time, it was at himself.
His dad and Mary didn’t make a big deal out of it. They just continued on, like he hadn’t just had diarrhea of the mouth.
“Is she here on business?” Mary asked.
Casey took a gulp of his lemonade before he answered her. “She’s an author. Normally, she writes children’s books, but she’s here to finish a romance novel.”
Dan looked at him with a confused expression. “She couldn’t do that at home?”
This made Casey chuckle. He had asked Katie the same thing. “Too many distractions at home, so she easily got off task. She thought she’d get more done if she found a place to relax and focus.”
“Is it working for her,” Mary asked.
Casey nodded. “I think so. She says she’s close to finishing.”
“Then what?” his dad asked.
He didn’t know why, but it felt like a truck had been parked on his chest. It physically pained him to consider it. “She goes home, I guess.” He tried to swallow the lump in his throat, but it didn’t work.
Mary wiped her mouth with her cloth napkin and placed it gently in her lap. “Well, maybe you should ask her.”
His dad reached out and put his hand on Mary’s. “That sounds like a great idea, honey. You should talk to her about it, son. Don’t be afraid to give her a reason to stay. She might surprise you.” Casey’s parents looked at each other with knowing smiles. The sight of the two of them gave him hope. He knew coming home was the right choice. He knew it was exactly what he needed. Clarity. He got it.
Not all the women in his life had used him or left him. Mary had always been there for him, like she was now. He was an idiot for never acknowledging that. When his mom left, his dad didn’t let that destroy him. He forgave her and moved on. He learned to love again and he found Mary. They’d been together for over twenty years and couldn’t be happier. If they weren’t an inspiration for love, he didn’t know who was.
Casey had been lost and stupid for long enough. If he was falling in love, then so be it. He wasn’t going to hold out any longer. He was going to let himself fall hard and hope that a beautiful woman with a messy bun and warm, brown eyes was there to cushion the blow.
CHAPTER NINE
CASEY
The next morning, Casey woke up with a new set of eyes. It had taken him most of his adult life, but he was ready. He’d made a great friend in Katie and if she was interested, like he thought she was, then he was ready to take it to the next level. Or rather, he wouldn’t fight it if that’s where it was going. He knew it was going to take some self-discovery on her part, too. He was a man, after all. And a firefighter. A horrific combo, in her own muddy eyes, that might get in the way of progress. But all he had was time, and he was willing to wait if need be.
Katie was something else. He adored her more and more with each passing day that he spent with her, getting to know her, getting to be her friend. With a new, refreshing sense of possibilities, Casey tossed off his blankets and headed to his bathroom to get ready for their morning run.
He was back on shift tomorrow, so he planned on making today count.
When he arrived at their usual meeting spot, he took a moment to soak in how cute she looked, sitting on her jacket on the damp ground with her body stretching over her legs. She was much better at warming up than he was. She loved getting in a good stretch, whereas he just held his legs back one by one to work his quads. He admired her routine, and how she looked doing it—so graceful and at peace.
“You know the stretch after the workout is just as important as the one before,” Casey said as he got closer.
She looked up at him with a smile that lit up his world. It felt good to acknowledge and accept how she made him feel.
“It’s too bad you do neither,” she said.
He put his arms a
cross his chest. “This body is in tip-top shape, Katie.” He watched as she looked him up and down, a blush washing over her cheeks. It made him feel good to know she liked what she saw.
He held out a hand to her to help her off the ground. He remembered the first time he did that…sparks flew like a blowtorch burning through metal. Today wasn’t any different. He could feel the warmth of her touch through both of their gloves. He allowed his grip on her to linger, even after she was on her feet. Katie’s cheeks reddened even more as she tilted her head to the side in a questioning manner. She wasn’t running for the hills, so she wasn’t too alarmed. He could work with confused.
They were only a mile in to their run when Katie’s phone rang. She took it from her pocket, not slowing her pace. Though as soon as she glanced at the screen, she came to an immediate stop.
“Hey, Mom?” she called out. Casey could hear the concern in her tone. It was no secret to anyone that this was their morning routine. Neither of them had ever received a call during their workout. If he had gotten a call from his dad, he’d be just as worried.
“Did you drink some orange juice?” she asked. He could only hear one side of the conversation, but there was no doubt in his mind that this was a health related call. He thought it was safe to assume that Katie’s mom was a diabetic and her sugar had dropped. He’d been on several calls for that exact problem. When someone’s sugar dropped, a diabetic coma was always a concern. The victims were often times groggy and barely responsive. Getting some sugar as rapidly as possible usually did the trick. One minute they could appear lifeless, and the next they were completely alert. It was a tricky and fine line to walk.
“Okay, do you need me to come home? I can be on a flight and in your living room in a few hours.” Silence. “Who cares about my car?” Silence. “Are you sure?” Silence. “Hi, Ry.” More silence. “If you’re sure. It’s killing me that I’m not there.”
This time the silence lingered. He watched as Katie listened and her expression changed—her shoulders sagged and she wiped a tear from her eyes. Without thinking, he reached out and pulled her close to him. She leaned into his embrace and allowed him to hug her to his side as she finished her conversation.
“Okay. I’ll check in on her later. Love you, big brother. Give mom a big hug for me. Bye.” Without warning, she curved her arms around Casey’s waist and hugged him tightly as she wept.
Casey held her, softly stroking up and down her back. “Whatever it is, I’m sure it will be okay. I’m here for you, Kate. I’m not going anywhere.” She looked up at him through her glassy eyes, their faces so dangerously close to each other. He met her lingering gaze and wanted so much to kiss her beautiful lips, kiss her pain away. He knew that now was not the time, so he pressed his lips to her forehead and held her close again.
A few minutes passed, along with other runners on the trail, before Katie stepped out of Casey’s hold. She swiped at the tears in her eyes again. “Thank you, Casey. I’m sorry I started blubbering all over you.”
He reached out and took her hand. “Come on, now. That’s what I’m here for. How’s your mom?”
“She’s okay. Ryan said they got a call this morning for her address. He was on shift. He almost had a heart attack.”
Casey could only imagine what that must feel like, to hear your parents’ address called out. He would have done something stupid like run there instead of getting in the truck.
“When they got there, she was sitting on the floor in the kitchen with the phone in her hand. She had called 911 and attempted to get to the refrigerator for some juice, but didn’t make it. She didn’t have the strength to go any farther.”
The tears filled her eyes again. He squeezed her hand and brushed his thumb back and forth over her knuckles.
“They did their thing and got her sugar back up. Ryan and Lizzy are with her now. I want to go home, but they are telling me to stay put, that there’s nothing for me to do there.”
He could see the logic in that. Unfortunately, blood sugar dropping wasn’t something that a diabetic could completely control. He knew that and he was sure that Katie did too, but that knowledge wouldn’t make her feel better.
Casey took both of her hands in his. “Katie, do you want to see your mom?”
“Of course I do,” she said.
“Then, let’s go. I’ll take you.”
She smiled, tears running down her cheeks. “You’re crazy!”
“I’m serious. You’re close to finishing your book. Do you think you’re going to be able to write anything if you’re worried about your mom?”
She shook her head.
“Then, let’s go.”
“You have to work tomorrow,” she told him. Only Katie would be worried about him in a time like this. If that didn’t tell him something…
“We can head down there, have an early dinner with your mom and then come right back. I’ll be back in time for my shift. If not…well then, that’s what sick days are for.”
She stepped closer to him, and he swore he could hear his heart beating in his chest.
“You’d do that for me?” Her voice was small, but her smile warmed his heart.
“Absolutely.”
KATIE
Katie jumped on her tiptoes and threw her arms around Casey’s neck. She heard the oompf escape him as she practically tackled him. That didn’t stop her, though. She didn’t let go.
She relaxed into his arms as he wrapped them around her. She didn’t know what had gotten into her. Scratch that. She knew exactly what had happened. It was Casey. He cared for her. He seemed to care for her more than he cared for himself. He was willing to drive her seven hours home and seven hours back so that she could see her mother.
She had truly scored in the friend department. Though what she was feeling toward Casey in that moment was anything but friendly.
“Kate, if you want to go, we need to leave soon,” he said. “I’ve been doing the calculations in my head. What do you say? Wanna get the show on the road?”
Katie nuzzled her head into his neck, breathing in his intoxicating scent. The man always smelled so damn delicious she didn’t know what to do with herself. She squeezed him tighter for a second before letting him go, and planting her feet firmly on the ground.
“Case, you have no idea how much this offer means to me,” she told him, although she was quite sure he knew. “We can share the driving.”
As they headed back down the trail, Casey put his arm around her and said, “Not a chance, Katie. I’ve been in a car with you and I feared for both of our lives until you put the gear in park and turned off the ignition.”
One little California stop and a little swerve into a neighboring lane and he feared for his life. “What a scaredy cat.”
“Go ahead and call me names. I’m not risking it. In fact, I hope your next book lands you millions and you can hire a full-time chauffeur.”
She hipped checked him, causing him to trip on his own two feet. It wasn’t the first time she’d done that to him. Katie had enjoyed keeping Casey on his toes when she was around. She found it amusing, to surprise him with her choice of conversation or to touch him unexpectedly. He was like a little boy. He never knew how to react.
But when shit got real, like now, he knew exactly what to say and do.
She thought about her brother and Owen. Is this what it was like to be loved? Was Casey willing to move mountains for her? Like they were for Lizzy and Rachel. At the very least, he was willing to call in sick. That had to count for something.
Casey drove her back to the B&B to change her clothes and grab her laptop. She figured she’d have fourteen hours to write, or revise. Then they headed to his apartment so he could change as well. He called work and let them know there was a chance he might not be in.
It was a little after ten before they were officially on the road. She considered calling her mom to tell her she was on her way but thought better of it. She’d probably convince them to turn around.
She needed to see her mother, to see her with her own eyes. Only then would Katie be able to sleep easy knowing that she was okay.
They had only been driving for an hour before Katie said, “Are we there yet?”
CASEY
Seven and a half hours later, they finally exited the freeway. Casey rolled his eyes thinking about how many times Katie had joked, asking, “Are we there yet?” He had teased her back saying they should have made a drinking game out of it. Every time she asked, she should have had to take a shot. They both laughed knowing she would’ve been blitzed by the time they made it to her mom’s house.
They spent the entire trip alternating between singing with the radio, chatting about whatever came up, and the sound of her fingers tapping on her keyboard. If he was being honest, he also spent close to five hundred miles stealing glances in her direction. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Throughout the trip, her hair would slip from her hair tie and she’d scoop it back up into a bun on the top of her head. She had no idea what she did to him as she gathered her hair, exposing the length of her neck to him like it was on display for only him to kiss and devour. Fine strands of hair would feather down the side of her cheek, pointing like an arrow to her collarbone and down to her full breasts. More than once, he had to squirm in his seat to adjust his manhood against his jeans.
Hope Falls: Hearts Afire (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 8
