brothers had convinced her of such things as the existence of aliens and ghosts, and even that the tooth fairy stole all your teeth if you didn’t put your lost tooth under the pillow.
When she was small, she’d been tossed about by her brothers in the pool or when she’d gone surfing with Cole, as her brothers learned that trying new tricks was easier with a small girl. Cole usually instigated tossing her around. He practiced his surf moves with her on his shoulders until he was pleased with his moves. She would get tired of being tossed about in the waves, and he’d had to rescue her a dozen or so times when he’d pushed it past her energy limits.
Once, when she’d gotten into a fight at school with a few other girls, Marcus had taken her to his judo classes and forced her to learn some basic moves. Roman had taught her how to punch like a pro and, after a particular incident in the girls’ locker room, the girls had never picked on her again.
He laughed at all of her stories as he held her hand, sending heat traveling up her arm and into her chest. She’d never really talked about her family to a man she was seeing before. Actually, some of the men she’d dated in the past had been friends of her brothers. Two of them had been best friends with Roman, who had set her up. It was funny; Roman was always trying to set her up, but had never really dated anyone that she could remember.
His brothers had always given him grief about it, but Cassey knew why he didn’t date. He’d told her he’d already found the woman he wanted to grow old with, and he was just waiting for her to discover it was him she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.
As a young teenager, she’d sighed and imagined a beautiful woman who’d won her brother’s heart doing some heroic deed. But the girl was blinded and couldn’t see what a wonderful man she had right in front of her face. To this day, she still didn’t know who that girl was or if Roman felt the same way about her still.
“ So, tell me why you fought with your father tonight,” she asked once they were back in his car, traveling back towards Surf Breeze.
He glanced over at her, looking a little surprised. “Actually, it was about you.”
It was her turn to look surprised. “Me?”
He nodded. “Yes. My father isn’t happy with the lack of progress I’m having persuading you to sell your place.”
She glanced out the window and wished she hadn’t asked. “I didn’t mean to…”
“ Hey.” He took up her hand and waited until she looked back his direction. “It’s okay. If it wasn’t this tonight, it would have been something else. Honestly, I’m thinking of quitting.”
“ Quitting? Can you quit your family?”
He laughed. “I don’t know, but I’m thinking of trying.” She smiled at him and chuckled a little.
“ I suppose you can quit your family. I quit my first family, my father and stepmother, when I was seven. Of course I had the help of my guardian angel.”
He glanced over at her. “What?”
She smiled. “Lilly, the social worker who saved my life and brought me to the Graytons.”
“ You were seven?” he asked.
“ Yes,” she nodded, looking out the window, remembering that night so many years ago. “Until I was seven, I’d only left my house about three times. Each time, I had to hide in the truck so no one would see how bad of shape I was in. I spent most of my time locked in the cellar or in a closet because they kept catching me sneaking food. It wasn’t so bad until my father married again. At least I think they were married.” She closed her eyes, trying to remember, but she’d blocked a lot of her childhood memories out. “Kimberly, my stepmother, was left in charge of me a lot during the day. She liked to sit on the couch and watch television, and small children tend to make a lot of noise. So, I stayed locked in the basement from the time my father left before sunrise until he returned home
When she was small, she’d been tossed about by her brothers in the pool or when she’d gone surfing with Cole, as her brothers learned that trying new tricks was easier with a small girl. Cole usually instigated tossing her around. He practiced his surf moves with her on his shoulders until he was pleased with his moves. She would get tired of being tossed about in the waves, and he’d had to rescue her a dozen or so times when he’d pushed it past her energy limits.
Once, when she’d gotten into a fight at school with a few other girls, Marcus had taken her to his judo classes and forced her to learn some basic moves. Roman had taught her how to punch like a pro and, after a particular incident in the girls’ locker room, the girls had never picked on her again.
He laughed at all of her stories as he held her hand, sending heat traveling up her arm and into her chest. She’d never really talked about her family to a man she was seeing before. Actually, some of the men she’d dated in the past had been friends of her brothers. Two of them had been best friends with Roman, who had set her up. It was funny; Roman was always trying to set her up, but had never really dated anyone that she could remember.
His brothers had always given him grief about it, but Cassey knew why he didn’t date. He’d told her he’d already found the woman he wanted to grow old with, and he was just waiting for her to discover it was him she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.
As a young teenager, she’d sighed and imagined a beautiful woman who’d won her brother’s heart doing some heroic deed. But the girl was blinded and couldn’t see what a wonderful man she had right in front of her face. To this day, she still didn’t know who that girl was or if Roman felt the same way about her still.
“ So, tell me why you fought with your father tonight,” she asked once they were back in his car, traveling back towards Surf Breeze.
He glanced over at her, looking a little surprised. “Actually, it was about you.”
It was her turn to look surprised. “Me?”
He nodded. “Yes. My father isn’t happy with the lack of progress I’m having persuading you to sell your place.”
She glanced out the window and wished she hadn’t asked. “I didn’t mean to…”
“ Hey.” He took up her hand and waited until she looked back his direction. “It’s okay. If it wasn’t this tonight, it would have been something else. Honestly, I’m thinking of quitting.”
“ Quitting? Can you quit your family?”
He laughed. “I don’t know, but I’m thinking of trying.” She smiled at him and chuckled a little.
“ I suppose you can quit your family. I quit my first family, my father and stepmother, when I was seven. Of course I had the help of my guardian angel.”
He glanced over at her. “What?”
She smiled. “Lilly, the social worker who saved my life and brought me to the Graytons.”
“ You were seven?” he asked.
“ Yes,” she nodded, looking out the window, remembering that night so many years ago. “Until I was seven, I’d only left my house about three times. Each time, I had to hide in the truck so no one would see how bad of shape I was in. I spent most of my time locked in the cellar or in a closet because they kept catching me sneaking food. It wasn’t so bad until my father married again. At least I think they were married.” She closed her eyes, trying to remember, but she’d blocked a lot of her childhood memories out. “Kimberly, my stepmother, was left in charge of me a lot during the day. She liked to sit on the couch and watch television, and small children tend to make a lot of noise. So, I stayed locked in the basement from the time my father left before sunrise until he returned home
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