held out her palms. “Did he do something grand to win you over?”
Did he ever! And still she resisted his love.
Sophie turned to Kat. “He was always doing special things for us.”
Cassandra melted at the thought.
“So, Mom. What was it?”
Cassandra released the captured breath. “I think it was the combination of a lot of things that won me over. We knew each other for years before I finally realized how much I loved him.”
The way Kat’s brows drew together unnerved Cassandra. Like she saw more than she should.
“Awww. No big moment?” Sophie seemed disappointed.
“Sometimes the best love comes in being there for the every-day kinds of things.” Tim had certainly done that for her—when she needed him the most. “And you know your father.”
Sophie’s smile spread across her face. “Yeah, he was the best.”
Cassandra swallowed hard. Yes, he was. She’d never find someone like Tim again.
~*~
Lew shifted up his ’69 Camaro and swerved left around the puttering station wagon filled with screaming brats. Straight line, free of cars, in the fast lane of the interstate. Some woman in an SUV, talking illegally on her cell phone, swayed in front of him. Lew sighed and jammed his brake pedal.
Speed. He just wanted a little rush and couldn’t wait to get to the old dirt road that made his heart beat again.
Alive.
It had taken him ten years to restore this baby. One paycheck at a time, and livin’ on Ramen Noodles, but it was worth it. He smoothed his fingers along the dash, letting the roar of the engine flow through his arm, rumbling into his backbone.
Sweet music.
He swung across three lanes and exited the Hagerstown off-ramp. Almost there.
He pulled onto the local road. And cursed! A wide-load flatbed crept along the two-lane route, like if it made one false move, half the double-wide home would tumble off. He inched left to watch for vehicles in the on-coming lane. A line of them. His fingers tapped the wheel. When would this beast finally turn off? He inched over again. Two sedans, a big space, then a bunch of other cars. He could fit.
The sedans passed. One. Two. He swerved out, saw his chance and gunned into the emptiness. A dually truck came barreling toward him as the wide-load faded to the right. Lew could make it. A smile crept up his lips as he punched the clutch and shifted higher. A horn blared. He squeezed the gas pedal for more juice and swung in front of the wide-load, the dually passing to the left. Lew’s pulse thrummed in his neck like the beat of a hard-driving classic-rock tune.
Yes!
Lew scanned the tree-lined drive for the hidden entrance. He’d discovered this road two years ago on his way to a dirt-track race event in Hagerstown. A god-send. It wouldn’t be too long before somebody developed this property and made his “road of salvation” a yuppie townhome haven.
There it was. Taking the turn at full speed, his back wheels skidded sideways along the pavement. The car consumed the dirt path ahead as he entered. Lew loved the feel of gravel under his tires. Controlled chaos. Not having as much grip, it took a skilled driver to subdue. And Lew was its master.
Once.
The dirt path through the overhanging trees stretched in front of him. Thread the needle . Curving to the left, the wheels sluiced in the dirt. A tree closed into view. Lew maneuvered the steering wheel. The tires gripped.
He cleared the tree.
The control of the road washed over him as he skidded right and barely missed another trunk. Now to the straightaway. The long stretch of path that led to the pit—the gaping chasm of earth left by the abandoned quarry. Probably the reason it had never been developed.
Lew’s mind ran over the shifting, turning, feeling he’d need to evade that pit at high speed. Otherwise he’d jettison into ...
Death.
Something about that word intrigued Lew. Invited him. What would it be like to fly off that precipice, floating over the crevice of earth?
Did he ever! And still she resisted his love.
Sophie turned to Kat. “He was always doing special things for us.”
Cassandra melted at the thought.
“So, Mom. What was it?”
Cassandra released the captured breath. “I think it was the combination of a lot of things that won me over. We knew each other for years before I finally realized how much I loved him.”
The way Kat’s brows drew together unnerved Cassandra. Like she saw more than she should.
“Awww. No big moment?” Sophie seemed disappointed.
“Sometimes the best love comes in being there for the every-day kinds of things.” Tim had certainly done that for her—when she needed him the most. “And you know your father.”
Sophie’s smile spread across her face. “Yeah, he was the best.”
Cassandra swallowed hard. Yes, he was. She’d never find someone like Tim again.
~*~
Lew shifted up his ’69 Camaro and swerved left around the puttering station wagon filled with screaming brats. Straight line, free of cars, in the fast lane of the interstate. Some woman in an SUV, talking illegally on her cell phone, swayed in front of him. Lew sighed and jammed his brake pedal.
Speed. He just wanted a little rush and couldn’t wait to get to the old dirt road that made his heart beat again.
Alive.
It had taken him ten years to restore this baby. One paycheck at a time, and livin’ on Ramen Noodles, but it was worth it. He smoothed his fingers along the dash, letting the roar of the engine flow through his arm, rumbling into his backbone.
Sweet music.
He swung across three lanes and exited the Hagerstown off-ramp. Almost there.
He pulled onto the local road. And cursed! A wide-load flatbed crept along the two-lane route, like if it made one false move, half the double-wide home would tumble off. He inched left to watch for vehicles in the on-coming lane. A line of them. His fingers tapped the wheel. When would this beast finally turn off? He inched over again. Two sedans, a big space, then a bunch of other cars. He could fit.
The sedans passed. One. Two. He swerved out, saw his chance and gunned into the emptiness. A dually truck came barreling toward him as the wide-load faded to the right. Lew could make it. A smile crept up his lips as he punched the clutch and shifted higher. A horn blared. He squeezed the gas pedal for more juice and swung in front of the wide-load, the dually passing to the left. Lew’s pulse thrummed in his neck like the beat of a hard-driving classic-rock tune.
Yes!
Lew scanned the tree-lined drive for the hidden entrance. He’d discovered this road two years ago on his way to a dirt-track race event in Hagerstown. A god-send. It wouldn’t be too long before somebody developed this property and made his “road of salvation” a yuppie townhome haven.
There it was. Taking the turn at full speed, his back wheels skidded sideways along the pavement. The car consumed the dirt path ahead as he entered. Lew loved the feel of gravel under his tires. Controlled chaos. Not having as much grip, it took a skilled driver to subdue. And Lew was its master.
Once.
The dirt path through the overhanging trees stretched in front of him. Thread the needle . Curving to the left, the wheels sluiced in the dirt. A tree closed into view. Lew maneuvered the steering wheel. The tires gripped.
He cleared the tree.
The control of the road washed over him as he skidded right and barely missed another trunk. Now to the straightaway. The long stretch of path that led to the pit—the gaping chasm of earth left by the abandoned quarry. Probably the reason it had never been developed.
Lew’s mind ran over the shifting, turning, feeling he’d need to evade that pit at high speed. Otherwise he’d jettison into ...
Death.
Something about that word intrigued Lew. Invited him. What would it be like to fly off that precipice, floating over the crevice of earth?
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