Riske, would take her side against this vile George Fly, but he didn’t trust Damian either. Still, she boldly said, “I should talk to my dad about a possible job opening in Child Protective Services.”
“Don’t bluff, Casey,” Sam said, slapping George on the back. “The only person who trusts Damian is you.”
“And your father.” She got the sharp dig in.
Sam’s face turned red. “In the end, he’ll see I was right.”
She felt a wave of satisfaction. “Alex trusts him too,” she reminded him.
Sam frowned. “Sure he does; he’s his twin. But he’ll disappoint all of you.” He stared at her with a gaze that sliced the tense air. “The best thing you can do for yourself and Miles is to marry me and get Damian out of your head. He’s no good! He’s a drunken, cowardly dirtball, and he’ll never be any good!”
Finally stressed beyond her frustration level, she slapped him across the face, her palm stinging, although Sam refused to put his hand to his cheek. “ You’re no good!” she shot at him. “Look at what you and your father have done to this town! How many people are hungry because of your layoffs? Damian should run the mill! He would care about the workers! He has compassion! ”
Sam had managed to straighten up and retain a measure of dignity, even after she’d slapped and yelled at him. “A business doesn’t run on compassion. His damn compassion would slice our profits.”
Suddenly Casey felt oxygen-deprived, as if Sam were taking all of the air and leaving her to gasp for breath. “I have to go back to work,” she said, turning and grabbing the door handle.
Before she could storm inside, she felt Sam’s cold, hard grip on her shoulder. “The marriage offer is always open.”
She backhanded him, not sure where she’d stricken him, and then flounced inside the store, her vision blurred by tears of rage.
Chapter Seven
As Damian stood outside the squat, tan, brick, school building, feeling at home among the other parents, his cell phone rang. Glancing at his watch he saw that the bell wouldn’t ring for five more minutes, and he answered his phone.
“Hi there,” a pleasant southern female voice said, causing him to smile a little. Reese always emitted happy feelings—images of hearths, puffy clouds, and sunshine. If she had a smell it would be freshly baked bread. Their lukewarm dating arrangement had been compatible, no arguments. No real sparks either on his part, but he liked and appreciated her. She’d saved his ass more than once. He reached up and unconsciously touched the scar on his neck.
“Hi, darlin’. Checking up on me again?” He spoke in a teasing voice with an exaggerated drawl.
“Of course. I always like to make sure you’re all right.”
“I went to AA.” That’s what she meant.
“That’s great.” She sounded relieved. “What else?”
He quickly ran through everything, leaving off his lovemaking sessions with Casey. When he finished, the bell had rung. “Miles will be out in a minute.”
“I’m glad everything is going well between you and Miles—”
“So far.”
“Happy about your father too. I’m sorry about Sam.”
“Yeah, well, we’ve always fought, but he used to like me anyways.” Watching for Miles, he couldn’t get worked up over Sam.
“I miss you.”
Damian felt a pang of guilt. “I miss you too,” he said, belatedly, wondering if he meant it. But he couldn’t hurt her and tell her that nobody, not even a great friend like her, could take Casey’s place in his life.
“You may not have to miss me for long. I’m thinking of coming to Wisconsin.”
Damian froze. No, damnit, she couldn’t. That could end the sweet passion he’d recaptured with his ex-wife. He never wanted it to end, but it would. In no way did he want to cut even a minute of it short, and Reese would demand his time. He thought about making love to Casey earlier in the day and his loins stirred. “You don’t have to. Your kids are
“Don’t bluff, Casey,” Sam said, slapping George on the back. “The only person who trusts Damian is you.”
“And your father.” She got the sharp dig in.
Sam’s face turned red. “In the end, he’ll see I was right.”
She felt a wave of satisfaction. “Alex trusts him too,” she reminded him.
Sam frowned. “Sure he does; he’s his twin. But he’ll disappoint all of you.” He stared at her with a gaze that sliced the tense air. “The best thing you can do for yourself and Miles is to marry me and get Damian out of your head. He’s no good! He’s a drunken, cowardly dirtball, and he’ll never be any good!”
Finally stressed beyond her frustration level, she slapped him across the face, her palm stinging, although Sam refused to put his hand to his cheek. “ You’re no good!” she shot at him. “Look at what you and your father have done to this town! How many people are hungry because of your layoffs? Damian should run the mill! He would care about the workers! He has compassion! ”
Sam had managed to straighten up and retain a measure of dignity, even after she’d slapped and yelled at him. “A business doesn’t run on compassion. His damn compassion would slice our profits.”
Suddenly Casey felt oxygen-deprived, as if Sam were taking all of the air and leaving her to gasp for breath. “I have to go back to work,” she said, turning and grabbing the door handle.
Before she could storm inside, she felt Sam’s cold, hard grip on her shoulder. “The marriage offer is always open.”
She backhanded him, not sure where she’d stricken him, and then flounced inside the store, her vision blurred by tears of rage.
Chapter Seven
As Damian stood outside the squat, tan, brick, school building, feeling at home among the other parents, his cell phone rang. Glancing at his watch he saw that the bell wouldn’t ring for five more minutes, and he answered his phone.
“Hi there,” a pleasant southern female voice said, causing him to smile a little. Reese always emitted happy feelings—images of hearths, puffy clouds, and sunshine. If she had a smell it would be freshly baked bread. Their lukewarm dating arrangement had been compatible, no arguments. No real sparks either on his part, but he liked and appreciated her. She’d saved his ass more than once. He reached up and unconsciously touched the scar on his neck.
“Hi, darlin’. Checking up on me again?” He spoke in a teasing voice with an exaggerated drawl.
“Of course. I always like to make sure you’re all right.”
“I went to AA.” That’s what she meant.
“That’s great.” She sounded relieved. “What else?”
He quickly ran through everything, leaving off his lovemaking sessions with Casey. When he finished, the bell had rung. “Miles will be out in a minute.”
“I’m glad everything is going well between you and Miles—”
“So far.”
“Happy about your father too. I’m sorry about Sam.”
“Yeah, well, we’ve always fought, but he used to like me anyways.” Watching for Miles, he couldn’t get worked up over Sam.
“I miss you.”
Damian felt a pang of guilt. “I miss you too,” he said, belatedly, wondering if he meant it. But he couldn’t hurt her and tell her that nobody, not even a great friend like her, could take Casey’s place in his life.
“You may not have to miss me for long. I’m thinking of coming to Wisconsin.”
Damian froze. No, damnit, she couldn’t. That could end the sweet passion he’d recaptured with his ex-wife. He never wanted it to end, but it would. In no way did he want to cut even a minute of it short, and Reese would demand his time. He thought about making love to Casey earlier in the day and his loins stirred. “You don’t have to. Your kids are
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