brother or something.”
“I don’t care what he is, he’s not living with another woman.”
“Hate to break it to you, but he already has been,” Kelly answered. They were now nose to nose glaring as heatedly as Luke and Sarah had been. They were within inches of each other, dwarfing Cassie.
“Cassie? Like she could be a threat to me.”
Kelly laughed softly. “You don’t know much about my sister do you Sarah?”
“Kelly! Shut up.” Cassie gritted her teeth, her cheeks suddenly hot.
Kelly glanced back and winced. “Oh shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant you’re not some harmless kitten like Sarah thinks.”
“Yeah, well I really don’t think we need to discuss that now do we?”
“No of course not. As long as she stays out of my face,” Kelly said, turning her back on Sarah.
“Ditto that,” Sarah said, facing John.
Cassie sighed, rolling her eyes. This was the last thing she needed on top of everything else.
“Kelly, why don’t you go check on Tim? Luke, get Kelly’s luggage. Sarah, go get dressed, and then maybe we can all discuss the situation like adults. This has been ridiculous, and it’s not happening again,” John said directing the disgruntled group.
“I’ll make breakfast,” Cassie said after a long silence where no one moved. “Pancakes.”
Sarah rolled her eyes. “God Cassie some of us can’t just eat pancakes, must be nice to not have to worry so much about your figure.” And with that, Sarah turned and started up the stairs.
“Oh that’s it,” Kelly muttered, as she took the stairs two at a time, after Sarah.
Luke shook his head and headed out the front door.
John and Cassie were left alone. He stared down at her. She quickly turned and exited to the kitchen.
Cassie pulled out a bowl and grabbed pancake mix and milk from the fridge. John came in and stood in middle of the kitchen, right in her way, his arms crossed over his chest, his face in a dark scowl. She shrugged when he didn’t speak to her. She had to walk around him to get to the counter, where she began making pancakes
“You need to be careful,” John said after a long moment.
Cassie started mixing up batter before she stopped and met his eye. “No kidding. Isn’t that why I live with you?”
“I mean about Luke.”
“Luke? What are you talking about?”
“Back there. You told Luke he was too good to you.”
Cassie eyed John, stunned. Of all that had been said in the entryway, that’s what John Tyler decided to focus on? A nice banal compliment she’d given Luke?
“Yeah well not many people turn their lives upside down for a woman and kid they were hardly even friends with. So yeah, I’m grateful to Luke.”
“Luke is different than he used to be. He’s vulnerable. You make him feel needed, like he has a purpose again. And he’s getting too attached to Tim. I know he says he’s okay, but he hasn’t been the same since Shelly died.”
Cassie went still as she considered the implications of what John was saying.
“You think Luke has feelings other than friendship toward me? Get real. We’re friends. And as for Luke and Tim’s relationship? Of course Luke is attached to Tim. There are a lot worse things for Luke than liking my son.”
“Yeah? And what if Luke falls for you in some misguided attempt to save you? Or to become Tim’s new daddy?”
Cassie shook her head. “No way. Luke and I are like; well it’s like hanging out with Kelly.”
“On your end. I know my brother. He’s not like he used to be. He’s vulnerable toward anything that could give him back that sense of family and belonging he lost when Shelly died. I’ve been worried all along about this mission he seems to have to save you. Doesn’t it strike you as a little strong for the friendship you two had in high school?”
“Yes it does. But not for the friendship we share now. You’re not here. You don’t know what Luke, me, and Tim are like. We’re friends, nothing
“I don’t care what he is, he’s not living with another woman.”
“Hate to break it to you, but he already has been,” Kelly answered. They were now nose to nose glaring as heatedly as Luke and Sarah had been. They were within inches of each other, dwarfing Cassie.
“Cassie? Like she could be a threat to me.”
Kelly laughed softly. “You don’t know much about my sister do you Sarah?”
“Kelly! Shut up.” Cassie gritted her teeth, her cheeks suddenly hot.
Kelly glanced back and winced. “Oh shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant you’re not some harmless kitten like Sarah thinks.”
“Yeah, well I really don’t think we need to discuss that now do we?”
“No of course not. As long as she stays out of my face,” Kelly said, turning her back on Sarah.
“Ditto that,” Sarah said, facing John.
Cassie sighed, rolling her eyes. This was the last thing she needed on top of everything else.
“Kelly, why don’t you go check on Tim? Luke, get Kelly’s luggage. Sarah, go get dressed, and then maybe we can all discuss the situation like adults. This has been ridiculous, and it’s not happening again,” John said directing the disgruntled group.
“I’ll make breakfast,” Cassie said after a long silence where no one moved. “Pancakes.”
Sarah rolled her eyes. “God Cassie some of us can’t just eat pancakes, must be nice to not have to worry so much about your figure.” And with that, Sarah turned and started up the stairs.
“Oh that’s it,” Kelly muttered, as she took the stairs two at a time, after Sarah.
Luke shook his head and headed out the front door.
John and Cassie were left alone. He stared down at her. She quickly turned and exited to the kitchen.
Cassie pulled out a bowl and grabbed pancake mix and milk from the fridge. John came in and stood in middle of the kitchen, right in her way, his arms crossed over his chest, his face in a dark scowl. She shrugged when he didn’t speak to her. She had to walk around him to get to the counter, where she began making pancakes
“You need to be careful,” John said after a long moment.
Cassie started mixing up batter before she stopped and met his eye. “No kidding. Isn’t that why I live with you?”
“I mean about Luke.”
“Luke? What are you talking about?”
“Back there. You told Luke he was too good to you.”
Cassie eyed John, stunned. Of all that had been said in the entryway, that’s what John Tyler decided to focus on? A nice banal compliment she’d given Luke?
“Yeah well not many people turn their lives upside down for a woman and kid they were hardly even friends with. So yeah, I’m grateful to Luke.”
“Luke is different than he used to be. He’s vulnerable. You make him feel needed, like he has a purpose again. And he’s getting too attached to Tim. I know he says he’s okay, but he hasn’t been the same since Shelly died.”
Cassie went still as she considered the implications of what John was saying.
“You think Luke has feelings other than friendship toward me? Get real. We’re friends. And as for Luke and Tim’s relationship? Of course Luke is attached to Tim. There are a lot worse things for Luke than liking my son.”
“Yeah? And what if Luke falls for you in some misguided attempt to save you? Or to become Tim’s new daddy?”
Cassie shook her head. “No way. Luke and I are like; well it’s like hanging out with Kelly.”
“On your end. I know my brother. He’s not like he used to be. He’s vulnerable toward anything that could give him back that sense of family and belonging he lost when Shelly died. I’ve been worried all along about this mission he seems to have to save you. Doesn’t it strike you as a little strong for the friendship you two had in high school?”
“Yes it does. But not for the friendship we share now. You’re not here. You don’t know what Luke, me, and Tim are like. We’re friends, nothing
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