Forever Yours, Casey

by Cassidy K. O'Connor

  “You can thank me by letting me meet him tonight at dinner.”

  “I think he would love to meet you, too.”

  The walk back to the office feels much different with the box tucked under my arm. How am I going to resist reading them?

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Casey

  Brittany’s smile as she exits the building is electrifying, she still steals my breath away. I’ve been with her over a week now, you think I would be used to her but at least once a day my chest tightens and I go back to the last night I had with her. I remember exactly how she felt in my arms, every look, every smile she gave me. Normally a person wouldn’t remember so much detail but if you constantly thought about her being gone for the last sixteen years, you would have those last moments etched in your brain, too.

  “You look happy; does that mean you had a good day?”

  “Work was fine, lunch with my mom and grandma even better. They want to have dinner with us tonight, Grandma really wants to meet you.”

  “I’d like to meet her as well, I spent so many years wondering if she was reading the letters or if she even got them. It will be nice to put a face to the person in my memory. Are we inviting them back to the hotel or did you want to eat somewhere else tonight?”

  “Let’s get the kids from the hotel and eat at an Italian restaurant by our apartment. The food is good and the kids love it there.”

  “Sounds good to me, I’ll never turn down a good bowl of pasta.”

  “Great, I’ll text Mom and get everything set up.”

  She sends a few texts then puts her phone down. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice she is biting her nail. “Why does it feel like you are stressing over something?”

  “Grandma gave me your letters today at lunch.”

  The punch to my gut is shocking. I knew she would get them eventually but the idea of her having them makes me a little nauseous.

  “I haven’t opened them yet; I am going to wait till this is over before riding that rollercoaster.” I literally sag in relief. “Did you not want her to give them to me?”

  “No, I want you to have them. I don’t remember everything I’ve written in them over the years and it is embarrassing to picture you reading them all at once. You have to remember I started sending them when I was sixteen. I’m sure my college years’ ones will be entertaining at the least, I had a roommate who was determined to make me loosen up and have fun.”

  “I’m sure they will be beautiful.”

  The rest of the ride is filled with awkward silence; my reaction probably threw her off. I didn’t expect that shock at such a casual declaration. Now every time I see her I’ll be wondering if she’s read them yet. Maybe my years of torture aren’t over yet.

  Desperate to get the mood back, I grasp at anything to talk about. “I meant to tell you I’ve been getting calls from the girls wanting to meet with us. We’re setting up appointments already, I have a good feeling about this.”

  “That’s awesome, I’m so glad we are going to help them.”

  “It’ll be a long, emotional day. I will let you decide if you think Kacee should be there or not.”

  “I’ll talk to her about it and we’ll decide together.”

  We find the kids watching T.V. when we enter the suite. “Guess where we’re going tonight?” Excited faces turn to Brittany expectantly. “We’re having dinner with Grandma and Great-Grandma at Donatella’s.”

  Austin cheers and jumps on the couch, “Casey, you are gonna love it. They have a game room and really good ice cream.”

  “Well then I can’t wait, those are both very important qualifications any good restaurant should have.”

  “If it’s okay, I’d like to take a bath since we have some time till we leave?”

  “Sure, I’ll entertain the kids,” I manage to gasp out as Austin jumps from the couch onto my back and little hands lock around my throat. So this is what parenting is like.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Brittany

  I pour a glass of Moscato and sink into the hot water. The bubbles dancing across my skin and popping lightly gives me chills all over. I try to keep my thoughts from straying to the man thirty feet away while I’m laying here naked but it’s no use. Before I can chicken out, I turn the music on my cell phone and get lost in my own pleasure as quietly as I can.

  Sated and slightly embarrassed by what I did, I climb out and dry off. The knock at the door surprises me.

  “Yes?”

  “Hey, I laid out some clothes for you.”

  “Um...thanks?”

  I hear the bedroom door shut and peek into the room. No one is around but there is a red dress I bought three years ago on a whim lying on the bed next to a pair of shoes that I’ve only worn once. Both items were splurges that I never got any use of as a single mom with no social life. On the dress is a note. “Don’t even think about coming out of this room wearing something different. Show him what he’s missing out on.” I can’t believe Kacee packed these, she obviously has ulterior motives.

  She’s right though, why not show that I still have the goods? Excitement bubbles in my stomach as I slip on the dress and do my hair and makeup. As I’m buckling my shoes, Kacee slips into the room.

  “Oh my god, Mom, you look hot! Dad’s not going to know what hit him.”

  As good as her comments make me feel, I need to make sure she doesn’t get overly optimistic. “Sweetie, you know he’s going home, right? He has a fiancé and a career waiting for him.”

  “I’ll believe it when he’s actually gone.” With a wink she slinks back out the door and I’m left with butterflies as I step out to follow her.

  With a quick glance around the room, I see the guys on the couch. I try to avoid attention by grabbing my purse and heading straight for the door, yelling over my shoulder, “I’m ready when you are, let’s go.”

  “Mommy, you look so pretty.” I love my children but do they have to make it sound like I’m a complete frump the rest of the time?

  “Thanks, sweetie, now let’s go get dinner.”

  My hand reaches the door knob as Casey catches up and grabs my arm. At first his mouth opens and closes a few times like a fish till he finally manages to blink and regain function. “My god, you take my breath away.” The fire in his eyes makes it clear what he thinks. For a few seconds neither of us move, so many unspoken emotions shooting between us. The tension is so palpable even Austin would have picked up on it had Kacee not led him to the elevator.

  “Thanks, it’s feels good to play dress up once in a while.”

  “You deserve to feel like this all the time.”

  “Come on, guys.” Austin breaks the spell yelling down the hall while he holds the elevator doors open. I hear Casey clear his throat and take a deep breath. I think tonight is going to be a lot more fun than I expected.

  The ride to the restaurant is definitely odd. Austin entertains us with stories from the playground while I see Casey glance over at me constantly. It’s almost like he’s trying to memorize every detail. I know exactly how he feels, the kids and I will remember these days as a pseudo-family for the rest of our lives.

  As a last minute stroke of genius, I grab my phone and text Mom. “Preparing you guys now, Kacee played dress up with me. Please don’t make a big deal, I’m nervous enough.”

  “LOL, I’ll be good but I can’t make any promises for your grandmother ;) “

  Great, let’s hope she’s so distracted by meeting Casey that she won’t notice me. We pull into a parking spot and see them standing by the door waving at us. Let the games begin.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Casey

  I don’t think I’ve taken a breath since Brittany walked out of that bedroom. Holy shit, she looks amazing, how am I going to keep my hands off her? Part of me wishes I had already broken up with Monica and that the kids were spending the night at Grandma’s. It’s going to take every ounce of willpower I have not to ogle her all night. Am I re
ally expected to make a good impression with her grandmother when the blood has left the head on my shoulders?

  Spotting Maria and the infamous grandma Louise, I finally see where Brittany got her looks from. Her auburn hair and caramel eyes were always a stark contrast to her mother’s blonde hair and green eyes. I never understood how they could be related. Grandma Louise looks like a much older version of Britt.

  “Are you ready for this?”

  I look over to Britt’s mischievous smile, I have a feeling Louise is a saucy lady. “Yep, let’s do this.”

  I stand back and let everyone take turns hugging. Before I can introduce myself, Louise reaches up and cups my face. “So this is your soulmate, Brittany. You’re quite the looker, aren’t you?”

  “Grandma, oh my god.” I hear the kids chuckling behind me while Britt looks on in horror.

  “Um, thank you.”

  “Can we go inside and sit down, please?” Britt attempts to get everyone inside while Louise locks arms with me, effectively making sure I escort her in.

  “I gotta tell you, I’m actually a little sad you are here. Even though I never opened those letters, I always got joy from seeing them arrive. I’m a romantic at heart so seeing your loyalty and dedication never waning in all these years touched me.”

  “I’m impressed you managed to resist not opening them. I don’t think I’d have had that kind of willpower.”

  “It was enough for me knowing you were still thinking about her.”

  Once Louise is seated at the table, I take my seat next to Brittany and take a breath to soak in the moment. Every once in a while it hits me out of nowhere, this is what I could have had if she hadn’t left. A family dinner in a restaurant where the employees stop by to say hi because we are regulars. I’m pulled from my thoughts when the waiter takes everyone’s drink order. Bread and an oil-based dip are set in the center, and everyone digs in. With her first bite, Brittany let’s out one of those sexy little moans of hers. Sweet Jesus, how am I going to make it through the night? Her dress is lower than anything she’s worn so far, her breasts have filled out with age and its torture seeing them out of the corner of my eye. I’m not normally such a lecher but this is Brittany, the woman I’ve fantasized about for half my life.

  Throughout the meal, Louise bombards me with questions. It feels like I’m being interrogated. Brittany gives Austin money for the game room when the case comes up. We fill them in on the plan and they are as shocked at the number of girls who have come forward.

  As dessert is delivered, Austin runs up and hands me a folded piece of paper. Curious, I open it, and dread fills my body.

  All this trouble and I didn’t even get the girl. Maybe she won’t be so lucky next time.

  “Austin, who gave you this? Where did you get it from?”

  The tone of my voice scares him and he shrinks into his seat.

  “Casey, what is it? What’s wrong?”

  I hand Brittany the note before going over and kneeling next to Austin’s chair. “I’m sorry, buddy, I didn’t mean to scare you. I really need you to tell me where you got that paper.”

  “A guy came in and played the basketball toss game then he came over to me and asked if I was with you and I said yes. He asked me to give you that. Did I do something wrong?”

  “No, you didn’t, but he’s not a very nice man and if you see him again, I want you to come get one of us right away, okay?”

  He nods meekly. I hand him the rest of my cheesecake and sit back down.

  “I can’t believe that little prick came in here. He’s obviously following us or someone here called him.”

  “These are good people we’ve known for years, it’s more likely he followed us. How are we going to keep the kids safe? I don’t want them to feel like prisoners because of him.”

  “Let’s finish our evening and talk about it later.” Kacee has been getting more and more anxious to know what is happening. I don’t want to scare her, better to change the subject for now. Plus, if Dirk is watching, it should piss him off to see us acting indifferent.

  “I don’t know about you guys but this is the first weekend off I’ve had in a long time. Why not order another bottle of wine?” I signal the waiter and relax into my chair. You can suck it Dirk Montgomery.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Brittany

  Every movement I’ve made has been done precisely and intentionally. If I’m going to get gussied up, I might as well take advantage of it. As subtly as possible, I show off my cleavage. It feels good to have someone to show off to. It’s been way too long since someone has appreciated me or my assets.

  It was a perfect night until that note showed up. Of course Dirk would even have to taint this place. That last bottle of wine was a symbol of stubbornness and a middle finger to him. He will not control us.

  We finally wind down the night and say goodbye to Grandma and Mom with the promise that Casey will see her again soon. I think she’s in love.

  At the hotel, the kids put on a movie in the living room and I join Casey on his balcony. The stars shining brightly always make me feel peaceful.

  Casey gets my attention with a heavy sigh. “I was thinking I would hire some private security guys to come in and watch the kids discreetly. They probably can’t get in the school but I think we have that taken care of, at least for Kacee. I don’t think Austin will have a problem at his school. What do you think?

  “It’s probably not a bad idea since he’s about to be arrested and put on his own trial. Plus, you are getting the restraining order for Kacee.”

  “Sure, I’ll work with Carter to get it taken care of.” He grabs my hand and squeezes, “You looked beautiful tonight, and I’m really glad I got to meet Louise. She is everything I thought she would be and more.”

  “If you’re not careful, she may try to steal you for herself.”

  “I believe you are right.” Once the laughter dies down, I realize his hand is still on mine. The warmth radiating from his skin to mine sends chills up my arm. His thumb strokes the top of my hand lightly, I don’t even think he knows he is doing it. Not wanting the spell to be broken, I close my eyes and focus on his touch.

  “Relax, I’m taking you inside.”

  His words barely register as I feel myself being lifted out of the chair into his arms. “What’s going on?”

  “You fell asleep. I put the kids to bed already, now it’s your turn.”

  The mixture of cologne and his own scent flood my senses. Curling against him, I cuddle in and take advantage of his pampering, something I haven’t experienced in many years.

  He lays me gently on the bed and pulls the covers up. I hear my own sigh when his lips touch my forehead as he says good night. I curl into the pillow and fall asleep peacefully.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Casey

  “Time to get up, we have to meet Carter in an hour.” Hopefully they hear me so I don’t have to barge in. I knock again, waiting for some noises.

  “We’re up, give us a few minutes and we’ll be ready.”

  Twenty minutes later, everyone emerges fresh faced and ready to go.

  “We’re going to drop Austin off to your mom’s then grab breakfast at the restaurant before everyone starts showing up. Maria is going to take Austin out for a big brunch.”

  “Sounds good, let’s go.”

  We get to Maria’s quickly and Austin grudgingly agrees to go after I promise to go swimming with him later. As we get closer and closer to the restaurant, I see Kacee getting more anxious. She’s biting her nail and I can hear the whisper of her jeans against the leather indicating she is shaking her leg up and down.

  “Are you okay?”

  Her eyes meet mine in the mirror and the panic is clear. “Yeah, I’m fine, just nervous about meeting all the girls again with their parents and knowing what they are about to do. It’s pretty heavy for a Saturday morning.”

  “Yes, it is but don’t worry, we’re all going to do this toget
her.”

  We pull into the lot as Carter walks inside. We meet him at a large table next to the private room and order breakfast. While we eat, I catch him up on the note and getting a restraining order.

  As we’re finishing up, Officer Freeman and another officer come in and sit down.

  Carter shoves his plate away and pulls out a notebook. “Thanks for agreeing to come, gentlemen. We’re going to have to move fast to try and keep this quiet. I’ve done all the pre-work, as soon as their statements are taken we’ll get the arrest warrant out and get this douche behind bars.”

  “Do I get to know who the perp is now?” The officer I don’t know asks as he looks between Officer Freeman and Carter. They exchange glances and Carter nods.

  “You are going to take statements from almost a dozen females who will say they were assaulted by Dirk Montgomery.” I watch the officer’s eyes bulge slightly before he clears his throat and regains composure. “Officer Freeman is vouching for you that we can trust you to keep this confidential and be careful about anyone else in the precinct asking questions they shouldn’t be. So, are you up for this?”

  “I went to school with Dirk’s older brother. That kid made my life hell and got away with it. I’ll be happy to take down anyone I can in that family.”

  “All right then, you guys will be in the room with me. As each family arrives, Casey is going to be out here. He’ll bring them in as they are ready. Let’s get set up, the first family should arrive in a few minutes.”

  A few minutes later, one of the girls from the other night walks in with her mother. Kacee waves them over and they sit down.

  “This is Emily, she’s in school with me.”

  She smiles and shakes hands with each of us, I’m relieved she seems to be handling this really well. I think I was expecting them to come in crying and scared.

  “This is my mom, Theresa.”