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Chapter Seven
Cass
The week had gotten progressivelybusier with the influx of tourists coming in for the ski season. It was Saturday afternoon, Ray had been busier than normal at the garage as well and hadn't had time to come by and help me out as much.
I was feeling defeated. I still didn't have many volunteers for the book sale, and I was desperately behind on my book for the anthology. The last few days Ray and I had been arguing, and he basically told me he wasn't going to support my venture back into my writing. Instead, he would pull me away from writing every single chance he got. I was trying not to stress out too much and was looking forward to getting home tonight to have some alone time and get some writing done. The phone rang just as I was about to shut the open sign off and start my weekly cleaning. Tomorrow was my day off, and I preferred the store ready for Monday morning before I left on Saturday night.
“Merry Christmas, Coldhaven Books, Cass speaking,” I sang into the phone.
“Merry Christmas? It's only November,” Ray chuckled.
“I'm just trying to get into the spirit early, I guess.” I had little to none of it, anyway and dealing with the public you had to have some.
“I see. Well, I was wondering if maybe you'd like to catch a movie tonight in town? I can come by and pick you up if you like.” Ray’s deep voice poured over the phone.
“I guess, what's playing?” I let out a deep breath. I didn't feel as if I could say no, we normally used Saturday night as our date night since we were both closed on Sunday.
He chuckled into the phone. “Well, I'm pretty sure I saw that new Christmas movie you've been talking about is playing. Thought you might like to see that, it starts at six-thirty. Do you think you could be ready by then?”
I glanced at the clock and mentally calculated the time in my head. “It will be close, but I think I can be.”
“Alright, I'm just about to close up here. I'm going to shower, swing by the theater, grab the tickets, then come get you.”
“Sounds good. I'll see you soon.” I hung up the phone and finished putting away the two boxes of used books that had been dropped off for the book drive. I had pretty much cleared out the set of shelves I had set aside for the drive today, so I wanted to get more books loaded for Monday. I quickly mopped the old wooden floors, finished counting the till, and was about to head back to the safe when I heard a gentle tap on the front door.
Bugged at the fact Ray should know better and enter in through the back, I turned to answer the door but stopped dead in my tracks as soon as I saw the face peeking in the window.
I couldn't believe my eyes. He stood at the door, dressed in a Coldhaven Fire Department jacket. I couldn't move from my spot, it felt like I was seeing a ghost. The last time I had seen him, he had been walking away from me, down the front steps of my house back in Greyfield, in a rush to get away, to leave me. In those couple of seconds our eyes met, everything came rushing back. The way it felt to be comforted by him after Jackson had died, all the secrets we had shared, the fear I had felt when he couldn't be reached after that big fire, the complete joy I had felt when he had come striding up my front steps after I thought the worst, the greatest sex I think I'd ever had, and the worst mistake I had made that drove him from my life. I was ashamed to admit, I still dreamed about that night, and after I woke, the anger and resentment I had felt when he left without a word, never to be seen or heard from again would always come creeping back in.
He held his hand up in a wave, a small smile coming to his lips, then he pointed to the door handle mouthing the words can I come in. I swallowed and took a hesitant first step forward, unsure whether my legs would hold me, or if I would fall to the ground. I turned the deadbolt and pulled the door open, the frigid cold hitting me in the face. Brody stepped inside and shut the door behind him.
“Is it really you?” I asked, swallowing the lump in my throat.
“It's really me, in the flesh. How have you been, Cass?” he asked, not taking his eyes from mine. In that instant, I had a moment of weakness. I just wanted to have him hold me in his arms, against his chest, and I wanted to tell him everything that had happened in the time we had been apart and beg him to make it better, but I couldn't. He couldn't be my weakness, I had to keep my guard up.
“You doing okay?”
“It's been a while. I'm doing well, how are you?”
“I'm alright.” The air in the room was thick, and I could feel the tension mounting. “I was hoping that you would reply to the messages I sent you.”
I looked at the ground, I was having a hard time keeping it together. The scent of his cologne combined with his large muscular frame was making me feel weak.
“I'm sorry, I couldn't, I didn't exactly know what to say.”
“I'm sorry to just show up like this, but I needed to see you. I have to tell you how sorry I am for what I did. For leaving.”
We stood there, eyes locked on one another, his gaze burning into me. What did he expect me to say, it was all okay? When the truth was it was far from being okay?
I stood there frozen. I was afraid, afraid if I took my eyes off him even for a second, he would disappear again. I wanted to be excited and happy to see him, but since everything that had happened to me over the last three years had been a direct result of him leaving, it was a little hard. Despite the silence that hung between us, I didn't hear the back door open or Ray calling my name. I didn't hear his footsteps as he walked through the back of the store and came up behind me. I even jumped when I felt his strong hand squeeze my shoulders.
“Everything okay here, Cass?”
I took my eyes off Brody for an instant and turned my head to see Ray standing right behind me, in a rather protective stance. When I looked back at Brody, his gaze was fixed on Ray. I saw a look in Brody's eyes I had never seen before—jealousy, rage—I wasn't sure what it was, but I didn't like it. I didn't need a fight in the middle of my store.
“Ray, it's okay. This is a friend of my husband. He was just passing through town and stopped in for a quick hello.” It was the only lie I had to offer. I glanced at Brody, waiting for him to calm down and take his eyes off Ray, but he continued to study him closely.
Ray relaxed a bit but still stood behind me as if I needed protecting, his hands rubbing my shoulders, letting me know he was there. Finally, he leaned into me and whispered, “I have the tickets, we should get going. Movie is going to start in ten minutes.” I knew he had done that to get Brody to leave.
