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“Give me a few days and you’ll be able to go back to your firm with a few threats of your own.”
She wished she could be as certain about that as he seemed to be. She looked at Aaron. “Are you going to Nashville with him?”
Aaron shook his head. “I’m going back to Dallas to reassure my family that Casey hasn’t gone off the deep end and that he’ll be back as soon as he’s finished helping Kyle and Molly here, probably next week.”
It sounded like a rehearsed speech, one that Casey had likely drilled into him.
“Even though I would like to spend a little more time in this area,” Aaron added a bit wistfully. “I love hiking and kayaking and mountain biking.”
“You can come back and do all of that some other time,” Casey assured him firmly. “You know Molly and Kyle always welcome visits from family.”
Aaron sighed and nodded, conceding that he was being sent away.
The twins stayed long enough to admire the renovations outside the cabin, and to play a little ball with Buddy, who loved the attention. By the time they said their goodbyes, he was treating them like old friends.As for Natalie, she couldn’t say she had entirely forgiven them for invading her privacy before they’d even met her, but she could certainly appreciate their efforts on her behalf now. If Andrew really was able to clear her name, she supposed it would all be worth it.
“I’m sure Andrew will be able to help you,” Aaron told her as he took his leave.
“Thank you. I hope so.”
“He will,” Aaron said assuredly. “And maybe I’ll have the pleasure of seeing you again sometime.”
“Maybe,” she murmured, though she found it doubtful.
“I’ll be in touch,” Andrew told her, patting the pocket where he’d stashed his notebook.
She nodded. “If you find anything…”
“I’ll call you,” he promised.
The twins said their goodbyes to Casey, and she could see the strongly fraternal affection among the three, despite Casey’s leftover annoyance at his cousins’ behavior. He’d get over it soon enough, especially if Andrew came through with the answer to Natalie’s problems.
Casey wouldn’t let her come between him and his family, she mused, watching the twins stride away. She couldn’t imagine he would allow anyone to do that, much less someone who was only temporarily in his life.
Casey slipped his arms around her waist from behind. “So,” he murmured into her ear, “about this Thad jerk.”
She couldn’t help smiling, as he had undoubtedly intended. “What about him?”
“Was he better-looking than me?”
She turned in his arms, resting her hands on his chest. “No way.”
“We’ll forget about him then.”
“I already have,” she assured him with a smile.
He kissed her lightly, then raised his head. “Do you want me to leave, too?”
She didn’t even hesitate. “No.”
“Want to go for a walk?”
“Yes, I’d like that.”
Taking her hand, he led her toward the creek that ran alongside the back of the property, into the patchy woods that surrounded the cabin. It was a cloudy day, and chilly, but her jacket, sweater and jeans kept her reasonably warm. Casey’s proximity raised her body temperature another couple of degrees as he walked so close that their shoulders brushed.
Buddy accompanied them, occasionally dashing off to sniff the ground or scratch in the leaves. She wondered if he was revisiting places he’d been while he’d lived out here alone in the woods. She couldn’t get over how much healthier and more carefree he looked since the first time she had seen him.
“I am so sorry about what you’ve been through,” Casey said after a while, his tone grave. “This whole thing must have felt like a nightmare to you.”
