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“Daddy,” Abby said, “Cassie and her new friend, Mr. Morgan, were the ones who helped me with Bryan last night when he got belligerent.”
Frank turned to Cassie. “Thank you for helping my daughter. That boy needs someone to put a bag over his head and beat him with a baseball bat.”
“I wouldn’t recommend that,” Cassie said. “You might get a whole lot of satisfaction out of doing it, but then you’d catch some jail time for assault.”
“That boy won’t listen,” Frank said, shaking his head. “My Abby broke up with him because he wanted to control her every move, who she talked to and even what she ate.”
“You might have to get a restraining order against him,” Cassie said.
Frank nodded. “Exactly. I’ll set up a meeting with my attorney for later today. Can’t have him cornering Abby in an alley again. He’s got a screw or two loose in that head of his. No telling what he’ll do. He’s too much like his father. I remember when my Linda dated him back when we were all in high school. Joe pulled the same stunt. We actually got into a fistfight. He stopped bothering her after I beat the snot out of him.”
“Nowadays, you’d be hauled off to jail for assault. I’ll keep an eye out for Abby, but I can’t be everywhere.” Cassie nodded toward Abby. “Have one of the staff members at the tavern walk you to your car when you leave at night.”
“I will,” she said. “Something has to get through his thick skull. I want nothing to do with him.”
Cassie sipped her coffee, letting the rich liquid burn down her throat, warming her belly and helping her to wake up and become fully focused on the task ahead of her.
With her first shot of caffeine, she asked, “How’s your wife, Mr. Matson? I haven’t seen much of her since I returned to Eagle Rock.”
“She’s not doing so well. You know she’s got Lupus, and the doc’s afraid she’s slipping into dementia. They want to run more tests, but she doesn’t want to leave her room.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Do you have someone sitting with her while you work?” Cassie asked.
“Not yet.” Frank stared into his coffee mug. “She can still get around on her own. It’s just that, sometimes, she doesn’t remember things just the way they are or were. It confuses her and scares her. The only place she feels safe is in our bedroom. I have a mini-refrigerator, a loveseat and a television set up for her. We’re muddling along for now.”
“She doesn’t even want to see me sometimes.” Abby frowned. “She forgets I’m her daughter.” She smiled softly. “I’ve been reading up on dementia and Alzheimer’s as part of my microbiology class. Some diseases are genetic. Which means I could get lupus, dementia and Alzheimer’s someday.” Her lips pressed together. “I can only hope I have more of my father’s genes in me than my mother’s. He’s as healthy as a horse, if a little overweight.” She poked her father’s belly. “We need to eat a healthier diet.”
He wrapped his arm around her and gave her a brief hug. “I have to get to work. That filling station isn’t going to build itself.” He kissed the top of Abby’s head, pushed to his feet and nodded toward Cassie. “Thanks again for looking out for my girl.”
Frank Matson dropped money on the counter and left the diner.
Abby scooted over one stool closer to Cassie, moving her plate of eggs and bacon with her. “I really am worried about mental illness in my family. Mama is losing more and more of her memories every day. Daddy doesn’t want to talk about it. I asked him if the doctor had researched my mother’s family history to see what diseases were prevalent. He said the doctors didn’t have time to go back that far.”
“There might not be much history to pull from,” Abby said. “Some diseases might not have been correctly diagnosed.”
“Mama and Daddy never talk much about their families. The only grandparent I knew was Mama’s father, but he died when I was little.” She smiled. “So, I decided to do a little research of my own.”
“How so?” Cassie asked.
“I bought one of those DNA tests and joined the ancestry group. I should be getting the results back in a day or two. I didn’t tell my father because he’s so busy and has never wanted to talk much about family.” She shrugged. “It would be nice if I found some long-lost relatives. I never had siblings, aunts, uncles or cousins. You’re so lucky to have a brother. When you have children, they’ll get to play with their cousins.” Abby sighed. “Anyway, I’ve been keeping it a secret, and I just had to share it with someone.”
Cassie cocked an eyebrow and glanced over her coffee mug at Abby. “I take it you want me to keep it a secret?”
Abby nodded. “Please. It might mean nothing; however, until I know more, I don’t want to bother my father.”
Cassie nodded. “My lips are sealed.”
Abby slipped off her seat. “I have to go log into my online class. Will you be at the tavern tonight with your fella?”
Cassie frowned. “He’s not my fella.”
“No?” Abby’s brow puckered. “You two are so cute together. I could practically see the chemistry between you.”
“And that’s the science you’re learning?” Cassie chuckled.
“Actually, studies indicate men and women are attracted to pheromones and testosterone they emit.” Abby blinked. “You two must have been emitting just the right amounts. Your chemistry was off the wall. The same study also talked about the first kiss.”
Cassie’s chuckle stuck in her throat, and heat rose up her neck into her cheeks. “What about the first kiss?”
