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“She did. And even though I was alone, it was where I needed to be.”
“Bobby doesn’t go there?” I want to smack myself for bringing him up, but her comment surprised me.
“No, he goes to John LA Quad Faith University. It’s in the next town over.”
“That sounds like a cult.”
She laughs. “You’re not far off.”
Wanting to lighten the conversation, I ask, “What is it you’re studying?”
“Nursing.”
“I can see that. You’d be good at helping people. Although, I picture you more in a management role overseeing a facility and making it run right.”
She pulls into the driveway and turns toward me, eying me as if I’ve said the most beautiful thing in the world. Her surprise confuses me because she’s so organized and rule orientated.
“Thank you.”
A thought occurs. Back in Bellow Bay, we used to play “what if”but with our own spin on the game. It was our weird way to get to know each other better. I liked it even though I lost.
Pointing to the dresser by the garage, I lift the corner of my mouth to smirk. “What ifwe load this, and you tell me why you’ve chosen nursing as a career.”
Her expression falls. “Then my answer will sound more like a confession.”
I don’t know what she means by that, but I have every intention of finding out. “Hold that thought. Let’s grab the dresser.”
The owner comes out of the house, and Cassie unbuckles her seatbelt. “Deal.”
Once we maneuver the dresser into the truck bed and secure it with twine, we take off toward the next location.
“Ms. Willow’s house will be the last stop.”
It must be the chaise lounge she mentioned earlier. I give her a few moments, but when it’s apparent she isn’t going to volunteer the answer to my earlier question, I ask again. “Okay, why nursing?” I won’t let her off the hook that easily, but when she takes a stuttering breath, I feel bad for forcing the answer.
“When Mom got sick, we were in and out of doctor’s offices and the hospital. That solidified my calling to become a nurse. I want to help people. To make a difference.”
“That doesn’t sound too scandalous.” Not enough for a confession.
“That’s the version I tell everyone, and even though it’s true, it’s not entirely why. My reasons are more selfish.”
“Meaning,” I prompt when she pauses.
“I wanted a job where I would be self-sufficient. I didn’t want to depend upon a man.” She hangs her head as if this is something to be ashamed about. Scandalous even.
“That doesn’t sound selfish. That sounds smart. A person should never be reliant on someone else.”
Those electric blue eyes snap to mine. “That’s not how I was raised. That sort of thinking goes against everything I’ve been taught since I could breathe.”
“Your dad wants you to depend on a guy?”
“Not so much in those words, but essentially, yeah. A woman’s place is to serve her husband.”
I knew Coach Greenburg was strict. She told me that a few years ago, but I never knew it was incorporated into their beliefs. I don’t know what to say. “You do know that’s bullshit, right?”
“Somewhat. I mean, I don’t mind having a man in charge, but I want to have an equal say.” She looks ahead, studying the road as if in shame.
“That’s how things are supposed to work. Relationships are a mutual joining.”Which is why I was so pissed when you cut me out.I don’t voice that because she has enough regret—that horse is dead, no need to keep beating it—but it’s hard to see her so meek and timid. I miss the spunky girl back in Bellow Bay. She’s more brazen when she’s with me and away from the other men in her life.
