There wasn’t a more reliable, forever-minded male in all of King Lake.
He wanted forever with Cass.
And he’d wait as long as it took for her to believe it.
Trick had come for coffee again on Saturday morning. She couldn’t believe he drove across the bridge just for coffee and to say good morning.
He never stayed long, never asked her to step away with him, he just showed up and she liked it.
When the boss sent her home after the lunch rush so she could enjoy the rest of the day, she spent the walk home thinking about the night before.
When she first met him and they’d tumbled into bed, she’d thought he was just a bad idea she’d get over. But he wasn’t going to let her get over him. Because bad ideas didn’t show up at coffee shops every day and smile like she was the best thing he’d ever seen. Or invite her to listen to a cover band on a mostly-finished deck, holding her hand and looking at her like she was precious.
Trick had done that, though.
Once she was home, she changed and got in her car. But she didn’t go to King Lake to see Trick, although that was on her mind. She went to her mom’s.
Lily lived in a small rancher on a quiet street on the far side of Mill Creek, with a backyard full of bird feeders and a cookie jar on the kitchen counter that was perpetually full of chocolate chip cookies.
Cass knocked and let herself in. “Mom?”
“Kitchen, honey.”
Cass found her mom at the table with a cup of tea, still wearing her scrubs from her shift.
“Oh, this is a nice surprise!”
Cass kissed her cheek and pulled out a chair. “Are you busy?”
“Doom scrolling to unwind from a long shift and having tea. Would you like a cup? It’s blueberry.”
“I’m good, thanks.”
Lily took a sip and looked toward the counter. “Cookie?”
Cass smiled. “Now that I’ll do.” She got up and grabbed two cookies, giving one to her mom before sitting again.
“What brings you by, honey?”
Lauren had a version of love, fit into a narrow box because of her childhood and past relationships. And Juliette had a different version, because she was surrounded by wolf-love and not at all objective about anything romance related.
But her mother had lived the life that Cass had held up as a standard for what happened when love hit too fast.
If anyone knew what Cass was going through with Trick, it was Lily.
“Did you fall for Dad fast?”
Lily went still, mug halfway to her mouth. She put the mug down, then leaned forward, resting her forearms on the table.
“Yes.” She paused for a moment, then said, “I fell fast. He was handsome, charming. He made me feel like the center of the world.”
“Sounds romantic.”
“It was.” Her mouth curved into a smile, but it didn’t last. “At first, anyway.”
“Lauren thinks the fast part was the problem.”
“Lauren thinks a lot of things are problems,” she said with a chuckle.
