Chapter 72
Maverick did as he directed, and the dog sniffed him, her tail wagging a mile a minute.
“Good job,” Carter said.
“Can I give her a treat?” Maverick asked.
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“I’ve got some treats in my bag which I left inside. Let’s go grab them,” Carter said, and smiled at me. “You okay?”
“Yep. It’s all good.”
While Carter took Maverick back inside, I introduced myself to the dog, looking at her collar and then needing a minute to compose myself.
“Mav, if you throw the ball, she’ll get it for you,” Carter said, as they returned to the porch. “Just keep it close, okay?”
Maverick nodded and led the dog onto the driveway.
“Cass?” Carter asked.
“Hmm?”
He turned me to face him and frowned. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
“You didn’t think to warn me?”
“About?”
“The fact you named your dog Cassidy?”
Carter chuckled. “I thought about it, but then I wasn’t quite sure how to approach the subject.”
“Why?”
“I would think that would be obvious.”
“Tell me anyway,” I pressed.
He slid his hand to my waist and pulled me closer. “One of the girls at the shop volunteers at the humane society and someone dropped off a litter of puppies. Don’t know where they came from, but she called me because I mentioned I was lookin‘ to get a dog. When I had a night off, I went down, and this tiny little thing had figured out how to finagle her way out of the box they were in and she decided my boot was her play thing. I was still wearing them. She was the only girl, and I hadn’t really thought to get a girl, but she followed me everywhere and would whine if I was separated from her. I picked her up and she fell asleep against my chest. The rest is history. I couldn’t take her home that night because she wasn’t quite ready, but I visited every day and took her home as soon as I could.” He stroked my cheek. “What else could I name the little girl who was tiny and clever and fearless? There’d only been one other female who’d wrapped herself around my heart, and I missed her.”
“Ohmigod.” I breathed and dropped my head onto his chest. He held me for a few precious seconds before Cassidy stuck her nose between us. I giggled and knelt down to pet her. “Well, that sure beats me being a bitch, huh, girl?”
Carter roared with laughter before leaning down to kiss me. “God, I love you.”
“Stop being all sappy and crap.” I blinked back tears.
“Yes, dear,” he quipped.
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Maverick jogged up the steps. “Mom, can I swim?”
“If Grandad’s with you?”
“I’ll find him.”
“If he is, then, yes. Go get your suit on.”
“You gonna swim too, Uncle Carter?” Maverick asked.
“Not today, buddy, but maybe another time. We can head to the pond.”
“K.” He rushed back into the house as Carter released me.
“Want coffee?” I asked, and led Carter back into the house. The dog stayed on the porch.
“No, babe. I need to head back. Mom’s losing her mind right now.”
I faced him again. “In a good way?”
He shrugged.
“Maybe you shouldn’t have come. I know she blames me-‘
“Stop,” he said, and closed the distance between us, pulling me to him again. “None of this is about you.”
“How can you say that?” I stared up at him. “I’m the one-”
“Damn it, Cassidy, it’s done. We’re not talkin‘ about it anymore.”
I let out a frustrated groan. “We can’t continue this trend, buddy. At some point, we need to deal with a few things.”
“Not today.”
I rolled my eyes, but nodded. “Fine, but soon.”
His response was to kiss me. “I need to go. I’ll call you later.”
“Maybe I’ll answer.”
Carter chuckled and walked out the door.
“So?” Mom showed up again, fast enough to indicate she’d probably been listening from the dining room. of flowers on the kitchen table and faced me. “When did that start?”
She
put
the vase
I sighed. “Less than a week ago.”
“Have a seat, honey. Let’s talk.” She took one herself and smiled. Your dad’s keeping everyone outside for a bit.”
I sat down and dropped my forehead to my palm. “I don’t really know what to tell you. I’m still not entirely sure what’s
going on.”
“Start at the beginning and we’ll sort it out from there.”
I filled her in on the meeting at the club and our week so far, leaving out a few of the more graphic parts.
“Wow,” she whispered.
“Yeah.”
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Chapter 72
“It’s really about time.”
I raised my head. “What?”
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Mom chuckled. “Honey, you’ve loved each other forever. I knew you’d have to find your way back to each other eventually.”
“Didn’t know psychic was in your wheelhouse,” I grumbled.
“Don’t need to be a psychic to know you’re meant for each other but if you want me to be more fabulous than I am, I’m good with that.”
I giggled and then groaned. “I don’t know why he’s here.”
“Aw, honey, he’s here for you.” She patted my arm. “And he’s making that fact known in a pretty major way.”
“How’s that?”
“Cass, he hasn’t been home in seven years. Not once. Do you know what that’s done to his mom?”
“I can imagine.” I frowned. “But they’re still talking, right? Jaxon said they were.”
“I think so.”
I frowned. “But you don’t know?”
“Honey, it’s complicated.”
“Uncomplicate it for me,” I said.
“Sheila and I haven’t talked in almost as long as Carter’s been gone.”
“What?” I gasped. “Why not? You were amazing friends.”
“Well, I certainly thought we were, but she showed her true colors after he went off to the Air Force, and quite frankly, I didn’t need the drama.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked.
“Because you didn’t need to be roped into her craziness, honey. It had nothing to do with you, after all.”
I sighed. “So, how do you know he never came home.”
“Aidan kept me updated. He keeps in touch.” Mom smiled. “Carter’s been to the beach once, I guess, but other than that, nothing… until now.” Mom smiled. “So, he’s announcing to the world… at least our small one… that you’re his and he’s claiming you.”
“Ohmigod, Mom, he is not.”
“Yeah, honey, he is. Mark my words.” She smiled. “Now, go read or swim or whatever you want. Mav’s happy, so you get to
rest.”
“I don’t even know what that means anymore.”
Mom laughed. “I remember, honey.”
I grabbed my Kindle, but before I let myself relax, I went in search of Mia. She was in her room, throwing things from her suitcase into her dresser.
“Hey, can we talk?” I asked from the doorway.
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“Oh, we do that still?”
“Mia,” I sighed. “Babe, this all happened, like, three days ago.”
She raised an eyebrow.
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“Hand to God,” I said, and raised my hand. “Saturday, actually, so what’s that? Six? I just happened to be at a party and he was there. I did text you on Sunday, but you didn’t respond.”
“Well, if you’d said the great Carter Quinn was sniffin‘ after your panties, I might have.”
Mia was always colorful with her words. “Um… gross.”
She giggled and threw her suitcase into her closet. “Well, I would have.”
“It wasn’t something I wanted to text bomb you with. I figured if you had time, you’d respond, and if not, I’d talk to you this weekend.”
She sat on her bed and patted the mattress. “Assume the position”
I grabbed a pillow and we laid down facing each other.
“So, he was at a party. Details.”
I filled her in on everything… and I mean everything. There really wasn’t anything I kept from big sister Mia.
“Holy shit, Cass. The man finally pulled his head out of his ass? I don’t believe it.”
“Mia, I’m really the one to blame here.”
“Bullshit.”
I took a deep breath. “Okay, well, we both have culpability in this and he’s apologized, I’ve apologized, and we are making a conscious effort to move forward. I’ve missed him, Mia.”
“I know you have, honey.” She smiled. “He went and got fuckin‘ huge.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Big dick?”
“Mia!” I knew I was beet red.
“What? It’s a logical question. Did him getting bigger increase or decrease the size of his cock?”
“How would I know?”
“What do you mean? You haven’t seen it?”
I rolled onto my back and ran my hands down my face with a groan. “Ohmigod, Mia. No, I haven’t seen it.”
“I’d have hoisted my sail up that mast and sailed the seven seas, or twelve. Let’s go
with twelve.”
“Ohmigod.” I giggled. “It’ll happen. I just want to take it slow.”
“Then fast, then slow again.”
“Mia!”
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She giggled as well and then took my hand. “He better do it right Sass.”
“He will. Now, if I could just get him to quit telling me we’re getting married and put some kind of effort into asking me, we’d be good.”
“He’s talking marriage?”
I rolled to face her again. “He’s talking, let’s go down to the courthouse and take care of the legalities.”
“Romantic.” Mia rolled her eyes. “Douche.”
“Don’t call him a douche. He’s not a douche.” I smiled. “He’s up to something”
“Oh really?”
I nodded. “Yep, he’s just seeing if I blink first.”
“Don’t blink, Sass.”
“Bitch, please. I don’t blink.”
Mia giggled. “There’s hope for you yet.”
“God, I hope so.” I squeezed her hand. “Can I go read now? I need a time–out from my adorable but very busy little boy.”
“I will go spend some time in the pool with my niece and nephews and let you and Shannon go on time–out.”
“This is why we love you best.”
Mia slid off the bed. “Don’t you forget it.”
I stayed where I was and powered up my Kindle. Mia’s bed was more comfortable than mine anyway.
AD
