Page 18 of Protecting Gina

Gina turned to him, and he nodded. He wasn’t going to tell her not to come, especially if his sister wanted her there. It would be interesting to spend the day with Gina and get to know her better.

“I guess I need to see about getting us tickets,” Wave said.

“Oh, don’t pay for mine. I’ll pay,” Gina said.

Wave gave a little snort. “It’s okay.”

“No way am I freeloading off you. I’ll pay. Tell me the amount, and I’ll send some money to you.”

He wasn’t going to press the issue. She had a good job and could afford it. Until the house was sold, he was going to have to be careful with his money. He had enough for himself, but he wasn’t sure about Cass. Luckily, his mother had insurance that would cover most of her bills. Otherwise, he would really be screwed. The money from the sale of the house would allow Cassandra to buy clothes and food and pay for books for college. She had good enough grades to get a scholarship, which would help. His main worry was having to pay for everything for the two of them. He’d sent money to Cassandra, but he knew his mom had to have paid for some things.

“Sure. I’ll tell you once I pay.”

The tickets weren’t cheap, but it wasn’t too bad. He paid the total and then told Gina how much her portion would be. He was looking forward to spending the day having fun. The dark cloud of their mother’s death still hung close, but now that the worst part was over, Cassandra needed a chance to live again.

They were having a service in four days. There would be plenty of time for sadness. Tomorrow, they would both enjoy the day.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Gina felt weird about spending the night with Wave’s sister in the house, so after Cass headed to her room to take a shower, she stepped closer to Wave.

“I’m going to head home now. I’ll be back early tomorrow.”

Wave met her gaze, then lifted one hand to her cheek, caressing her skin. “I wouldn’t mind if you stayed the night, but I totally understand wanting to head home. Please be careful. Text me when you get home so I know you made it.”

She nodded, wishing she could stay, but knowing it was best for her to go. They would spend the day together, and seeing him in a different situation would give her more clues about him. So far, she liked what she’d seen, and he was an excellent lover, but that didn’t mean being with him would be good for her.

With Pete after her, and now this thing with Wave, she had a lot of decisions. Did she want to get involved with someone? It was a lot to think about. She wasn’t sure getting involved was the best thing for her.

Sleep came easily, and she woke early. She was over at Wave’s house on time, excited to spend the day with Wave and Cass. It had been years since she’d ridden a rollercoaster. Honestly, it had been a long time since she’d done anything just for herself.

The front door opened, and Cass waved to her. “Hey, you ready?”

She stepped from the car, her smile wide. “I sure am. I’m ready for some fun.”

“Awesome. Get in here. Aaron wants us to wear matching T-shirts. I told him no because they are too small.”

“My goodness. Tell me he is not.”

“Oh, he is. And it’s awful.”

She walked into the house and saw Wave holding up a tiny shirt, a wide smile on his face.

“What do you think?”

He looked so proud of himself, but she could tell he was joking. There was no way any of them would be able to fit into the shirts. They were for kids.

Gina shook her head. “You aren’t serious, and I know it.”

Laughter spilled from his lips. “I had Cassandra going.”

“No, you didn’t,” Cass said.

“Okay, I have a question. Why are you calling her Cassandra when she clearly has a preference for Cass?”

Cass giggled and shook her head while Wave’s mouth fell open. “Don’t be too hard on him. I never told him I prefer Cass.”

She had another question. “And why do you call him Aaron when he goes by Wave?”