Page 34 of Protecting Gina

Cass shrugged. “I don’t know. I just didn’t see it as important. There are more important things in life than a boyfriend.”

Gina nodded. “That’s true.”

Cass stared out the passenger window for a moment before she turned in her seat and pulled her legs up close. “So that box of files Mom had. Why do you think she had files on pregnant women?”

Wave thought about it, but he had no answers. “I don’t know.”

He could see Gina in the rearview mirror, and she shook her head. “I’m not sure it’s something you want to look into.”

Cass nodded. “I get that. I’ve been running the issue through my mind, and the only thing I can come up with is nothing good.”

“What kind of things were you thinking?” Wave asked.

“Why would she have those files unless she was planning on doing something with them or to them?” Cass said.

“I don’t know that going down this line of thinking is a great idea,” Wave said.

Cass nodded. “It’s weird, but life is weird.”

Wave met his sister’s gaze for just a moment before turning back to the road. “Mom loved you.”

“I know. That doesn’t mean she wasn’t doing something strange.”

Wave wasn’t sure he wanted to know what their mother had done. Whatever it was, she could have told them before she died. Their mom had known her time was limited. If she’d died in a car wreck or some other unexpected way, he might encourage Cass to get answers, but because their mother had months knowing that her life was coming to an end, she could have spilled her secrets. She hadn’t, and he had the idea that maybe those secrets needed to stay buried.

Gina sat forward and touched Cass’s arm. “Working as a nurse dealing with patients at the end of their lives, I’ve seen the best of people and the worst of them, too. Before you go searching for your mother’s secrets, take a moment to determine if you really want to know. What if it’s something that is huge? What if it’s something you don’t like knowing?”

Cass turned around and faced the front of the car. “I don’t know. I just have this feeling I need to look. I’ll give it some time, though. I’ll think about it while I get settled in.”

Wave nodded, glad she would at least think about it before she jumped headlong into why their mother had the files. Mom had just died, and though Cass admitted their relationship was complicated, she didn’t need to complicate it more by looking into information that might make her really upset.

He could only imagine why their mother had been tracking other pregnant women, and it wasn’t good. Gina had given good advice. Having her live with them was smart, and not just because he wanted her close. She was a good person, and it would be nice to have someone else around to help with Cass.

CHAPTER TWENTY

The last stretch of the drive seemed to take forever, but finally they were at his house. The sun was still up, and Cass seemed enchanted with his place. There were palm trees, and his yard had a brick and metal fence enclosing it. Seeing it through her eyes was refreshing. It was good to be home.

“It’s so nice,” Cass said.

He chuckled as he watched his sister take in everything. “It’s small, but then again, all houses in this area are small. Compared to Mom’s place, my house is tiny.”

“Yeah, but it probably doesn’t take hours to vacuum,” Cass said.

Gina snorted. “I can’t imagine how long it took to clean your Mom’s house. I’ve only lived in small places. Your Mom’s house was huge.”

Cass nodded. “She used to make me mop the floors each weekend. It took hours to get the place clean. I’m not sorry it’s gone.”

“The bedrooms are small. Cass, I hope you’re okay living upstairs. There is a small bathroom with a shower up there.”

“That sounds good. I have no idea how long it will be before I can move out on my own.”

He put his arm around her shoulder. “Don’t worry about that. I won’t mind having you here. I end up doing a lot of travel with work. Don’t rush moving out.”

The door opened, and Wave moved to greet his buddy, Jump, and his girlfriend, Blakely. “Hey, man, how’s it going?”

Jump pulled him into a hug. “Good. We just finished cleaning the place. Thank you for letting us stay.”

“No problem. I’m glad I could help.” He stepped back from Jump, then shook Blakely’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”