drool puddling onto the stained couch under her. Unlikely anything would wake the old drunk. Cassie had learned all her whoring ways from Heather.
His eyes focused on her neck. He could snap it with one twist, in less than thirty seconds. His hands twitched. It would be almost like Cassie. Balling his fists at his side, he moved away. Heather wasn’t Cassie. She wasn’t worth the extra trouble.
Heather turned over with a load snort. Marcus shook his head. Cassie came from this woman? She was lucky he had ever even considered her good enough for him. Who was she to think she could outsmart him? She’d soon see, no one outsmarted him. And no one got away from him.
Chapter Ten
The doorbell rang, interrupting Cassie’s troubled thoughts, as she kept re-living what she had done with John last night. She wanted to crawl into a hole, and stay there, rather than face John in the daylight of this ordinary Sunday. She had kissed a man who not only was involved with someone else, but who had repeatedly made it clear how distasteful he found her. John and Sarah had yet to appear. She had no idea where she stood with John. Or what Sarah would know.
Cassie hurried into the living room and put her hands on Tim’s shoulders as Luke got up to answer the door. She hated the nervousness anything unexpected caused her. Or that an early morning doorbell could make her heart race and instantly tie her stomach into knots.
Luke had no more cracked the door than it swung open completely and a tall, skinny streak of red jumped through it. Then Kelly was suddenly on Cassie, hugging her for dear life. Kelly’s embrace was long and tight, her lean body enveloping Cassie in the familiar, safe feeling that only Kelly evoked. Although she had raised Kelly—their mother was usually too drunk to bother with either of them—in recent years, Kelly had become Cassie’s rock as she’d tried to untangle her life from Marcus and raise Tim alone. Kelly had given her money to start her business as well as been available any time Cassie needed her.
“Oh Cassie, God it’s good to see you. You’re okay aren’t you? You look okay. You look wonderful in fact. And Tim? I’ve missed you both so much. I’ve been so worried.” Kelly pushed Cassie back, gripping her hands as she scrutinized Cassie from head to toe, then she pulled Cassie back in for a crushing hug.
“So worried? You’ve only known for twelve hours. How did you get here so fast?”
“I took a red eye out of LA, and then I drove here from Portland.”
“Kelly? Your sister?” Luke questioned from behind them.
Kelly quit hugging Cassie and glanced around with a sweeping look at the house. “Of course Luke, don’t you recognize me? Sure you do, everyone does. It’s great here. Nice house too.”
“Thanks.”
Cassie turned at John’s voice. John’s dark gaze pinned her as he came down the stairway with Sarah behind him. There wasn’t an ounce of reaction in his face.
Kelly squealed. “John Tyler! Get over here and give me a hug. It’s been so long, I can’t believe my sister really is living with you!”
As soon as John hit the foyer, Kelly came against him in another of her exuberant hugs. Sarah was close behind, looking unhappy.
“Hello Kelly. Cassie didn’t mention you were coming.” John grinned at Kelly. Cassie gritted her teeth. John was happy to see her sister. He talked and smiled at Kelly like he never had her. John could barely look at her without grimacing, but Kelly gets the charming, wonderful John that he showed everyone else. Everyone but her.
Sarah too scowled. It galled Cassie to know that if John had hugged Cassie in front of Sarah, she would probably laugh at how cute it was. But Kelly—who had no history with John other than as friendly high school classmates—was the one Sarah was jealous of. And as usual Cassie was as threatening as a puppy.
“Cassie didn’t know I was coming. Surprise,” Kelly answered as she finally disengaged herself
His eyes focused on her neck. He could snap it with one twist, in less than thirty seconds. His hands twitched. It would be almost like Cassie. Balling his fists at his side, he moved away. Heather wasn’t Cassie. She wasn’t worth the extra trouble.
Heather turned over with a load snort. Marcus shook his head. Cassie came from this woman? She was lucky he had ever even considered her good enough for him. Who was she to think she could outsmart him? She’d soon see, no one outsmarted him. And no one got away from him.
Chapter Ten
The doorbell rang, interrupting Cassie’s troubled thoughts, as she kept re-living what she had done with John last night. She wanted to crawl into a hole, and stay there, rather than face John in the daylight of this ordinary Sunday. She had kissed a man who not only was involved with someone else, but who had repeatedly made it clear how distasteful he found her. John and Sarah had yet to appear. She had no idea where she stood with John. Or what Sarah would know.
Cassie hurried into the living room and put her hands on Tim’s shoulders as Luke got up to answer the door. She hated the nervousness anything unexpected caused her. Or that an early morning doorbell could make her heart race and instantly tie her stomach into knots.
Luke had no more cracked the door than it swung open completely and a tall, skinny streak of red jumped through it. Then Kelly was suddenly on Cassie, hugging her for dear life. Kelly’s embrace was long and tight, her lean body enveloping Cassie in the familiar, safe feeling that only Kelly evoked. Although she had raised Kelly—their mother was usually too drunk to bother with either of them—in recent years, Kelly had become Cassie’s rock as she’d tried to untangle her life from Marcus and raise Tim alone. Kelly had given her money to start her business as well as been available any time Cassie needed her.
“Oh Cassie, God it’s good to see you. You’re okay aren’t you? You look okay. You look wonderful in fact. And Tim? I’ve missed you both so much. I’ve been so worried.” Kelly pushed Cassie back, gripping her hands as she scrutinized Cassie from head to toe, then she pulled Cassie back in for a crushing hug.
“So worried? You’ve only known for twelve hours. How did you get here so fast?”
“I took a red eye out of LA, and then I drove here from Portland.”
“Kelly? Your sister?” Luke questioned from behind them.
Kelly quit hugging Cassie and glanced around with a sweeping look at the house. “Of course Luke, don’t you recognize me? Sure you do, everyone does. It’s great here. Nice house too.”
“Thanks.”
Cassie turned at John’s voice. John’s dark gaze pinned her as he came down the stairway with Sarah behind him. There wasn’t an ounce of reaction in his face.
Kelly squealed. “John Tyler! Get over here and give me a hug. It’s been so long, I can’t believe my sister really is living with you!”
As soon as John hit the foyer, Kelly came against him in another of her exuberant hugs. Sarah was close behind, looking unhappy.
“Hello Kelly. Cassie didn’t mention you were coming.” John grinned at Kelly. Cassie gritted her teeth. John was happy to see her sister. He talked and smiled at Kelly like he never had her. John could barely look at her without grimacing, but Kelly gets the charming, wonderful John that he showed everyone else. Everyone but her.
Sarah too scowled. It galled Cassie to know that if John had hugged Cassie in front of Sarah, she would probably laugh at how cute it was. But Kelly—who had no history with John other than as friendly high school classmates—was the one Sarah was jealous of. And as usual Cassie was as threatening as a puppy.
“Cassie didn’t know I was coming. Surprise,” Kelly answered as she finally disengaged herself
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