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“Cassidy,” he murmured her name. Her face was upturned, her eyes full of wonder. He leaned down and captured her lips in a tender, emotional kiss that left him breathless. As his lips moved over hers he felt her fingers grazing the hair on the back of his neck as she clung to him. He wanted this kiss to go on forever, to lose himself in her. As the kiss ended she breathed his name, making it sound like an endearment.
He brushed his fingers across his lips. He felt so connected to Cassidy at this moment. Was he going crazy? With this kiss he finally felt as if he was home. In that one moment all the pain and heartache of the past eight years had melted away. All that was left was the two of them. Nothing else mattered.
They stared into each other’s eyes. He saw a hint of uncertainty lurking there.
“Are you sure about this?” she asked, her brow furrowed.
Tate chuckled. “Are you trying to scare me off or something?”
“No, of course not. It’s just that...I know I hurt you before. Terribly. I know there are a lot of wounds here.” She reached out and tapped her palm against his chest. “And when you almost kissed me the night of the storm you talked about regret.”
“I’m healing from all that. And a lot of that has to do with your being back in town. It’s made me see things with a new set of eyes. It’s allowed me to close the door on the past. At the same time I’m looking toward the future.”
“I can’t promise you—”
He placed a finger on her lips. “Shhh. No promises. Let’s just savor the moments.”
Cassidy sighed. “I like the sound of that.”
“And by the way, Cassidy, I could never regret kissing you
. Not in this lifetime.”
He’d only spoken of regret because he didn’t want to be disappointed. He watched her light up, saw the huge grin stretching from ear to ear. She reached for his hand, joining it with hers in an easy, relaxed manner. He squeezed it tightly, finding comfort in her tiny hand paired with his larger one. For what seemed like forever they sat in the moonlight gazing at the stars, basking in the simple pleasure of each other’s company. It was enough. For now. For always.
Chapter Eleven
On her way back home from the oncologist’s office with her mother, Cassidy made the suggestion that they stop by an ice cream parlor a few miles outside town. Neither one of them could resist ice cream, nor could they drive past the quaint pink and white shop with the fuschia shutters without stopping inside. It was like something from a fairy tale, Cassidy decided, as she admired the pink heart-shaped tables and the pastel chairs.
“Mmm. This is a decadent way of celebrating,” her mother raved as she heartily dug into her ice cream sundae. It pleased Cassidy no end to see her mother’s healthy appetite and the way she was making short order of the frozen treat. She was still far too thin for Cassidy’s liking.
Cassidy reached over and took a spoonful of her mother’s mocha chip ice cream. “Yes, it is, but you deserve a treat after everything you’ve been through.” She shook her head in amazement. “You haven’t complained once since I’ve been here. Not a single time.”
“What’s there to complain about? God has been good to me, and He’s answered all my prayers.”
Cassidy smiled at her mother’s upbeat frame of mind. “You’re really an inspiration, Mama. The way you’ve stood up to cancer...it’s really shown me a lot about who I want to be in the world and how I want to face life’s challenges.”
Her mother always faced problems head-on without wavering. She used her faith as a foundation and drew strength from God and from within. Cassidy knew she needed to lean on the Lord as the time drew ever nearer for her discussion with Tate. As it was, the secret was wearing on her something fierce, making her feel guilty and shameful whenever she was around him.
“Aren’t you meeting up with Tate in an hour or so?”
“Uh-huh. We’re meeting at the Falls Diner.”
Her mother gave her a curious look. “You don’t seem very pressed to get back to town.”
She twisted her mouth ruefully. “I’m not sure seeing Tate is a good idea anymore.”
Surprise flared in her mother’s eyes. “I thought the two of you were enjoying yourselves and getting reacquainted.”
“We are,” Cassidy acknowledged. “But sometimes I just wonder what the point is. I’m leaving for Phoenix in a few weeks. I just don’t want to start something that I can’t finish.”
Lately the thought of leaving West Falls was weighing heavily on her mind. She’d gotten so used to the laid-back rhythms of her hometown that the thought of the hustle and bustle of Phoenix paled in comparison. And ever since the community gathering, she’d been treated with actual kindness by most of the townsfolk. A few of the parents had even approached her with gratitude about the art class she’d held there. Leaving her hometown this time around wouldn’t be easy.
Her mother frowned and pushed her ice cream sundae to the side. “What’s really bothering you, Cass? Relationships aren’t confined to one zip code. The two of you could easily visit each other and build on that if the feelings are strong enough. You know your father and I would be delighted if you would come back home more often.”
Cassidy sighed. “Mom, there’s something about the accident that I never told you. Something bad.” She waited a beat, watching from across the table as her mother steeled herself. “The night of the accident we were playing chicken with the car...that’s why it skidded off the road.”
Her mother gasped, then raised her hand to her mouth. Her eyes were wide with shock and disappointment. “Cassidy Anne Blake! Why would you girls ever do something so dangerous?” she asked in a stern voice. “You all could easily have been killed!”
