A couple of days after Casey's first training session with Cal, I awoke to the most delicious aroma drifting into my bedroom. Turning onto my side, I looked at the clock on the nightstand. I had five more minutes before my alarm would go off. My brow knit as I stared at the closed door. What was going on out there?
I tossed off the covers, donned my sleep pants, and foregoing a shirt, I stepped out of my bedroom. The first thing I noticed was that Casey's bedroom door was open. The second thing I noticed was the kitchen lights were on.
Following both the light and the aroma, I made it to the end of the hallway and looked over at the door leading to the kitchen. "Casey?"
She was wiping her hands on a dishtowel as she stepped out of the kitchen. "Yes?"
Damn, she was already dressed for work too. Just how long has she been up? "What are you doing?"
"Oh," she glanced back into the kitchen; her expression almost one of contrite. "I felt like it would be rude to show up to Thanksgiving dinner empty-handed. So, I decided to make a shoofly pie."
What in the hell was a shoofly pie? "That's very sweet of you, but, Precious, it's five in the morning."
Now she did look remorseful, and I instantly felt bad for saying anything at all. "I know and I'm sorry I woke you," she said.
"I needed to get up anyway." I motioned to the kitchen. "I don't care that you wanted to bake, but I have a few questions."
"Like?"
"Let's start with what exactly is shoofly pie?"
Her face lit into a smile. "It's a dessert I grew up making. It's a pie made with molasses and egg and topped with a brown sugar crumble."
Holy shit was it going to be sweet. "Is that what I'm smelling?"
She nodded.
"Well, if it tastes half as good as it smells, I might be asking you to make it for me more often."
Her smile grew. "I'd be happy to."
"Okay. So, questions two and three. Why are you baking it right now and how long have you been up?"
Her expression slid into one that hinted at embarrassment, as she tilted her head to the side and gave me a half shrug. "I was a bit worked up about today. You know, the whole meeting your entire family thing. So, I wasn't sleeping very well. By four a.m. I decided my time would be better spent baking the pie and getting ready for work. I'm going to have a lot to get done today before we leave this afternoon."
"Four a.m.," I raked a hand through my hair as my still sleepy brain struggled to catch up. "Sweetheart, you're going to crash later."
"Maybe," she said as she returned to the kitchen and began pulling stuff out of cabinets. "But as anxious as I am right now, it probably won't be until after we come back."
The last thing I wanted was for her to be anxious. I followed her into the kitchen and then wrapped my arms around her in a backward hug. "You have nothing to be anxious about," I said against her hair. "I told you before they're all going to love you."
"I hope so," she said, then pulled away and resumed her task.
My brow knit as I watched her for a few seconds. "What are you doing now?"
"I'm making breakfast," she said. "Do you want oatmeal or eggs?"
Knowing how much I'd be eating later today; it was probably best if I went with protein this morning. "Eggs, but sweetheart, you don't have to make me breakfast."
"Nonsense," she said as she pulled open the fridge and grabbed four eggs from the rack. "I'm going to make it for myself anyway and it's no more work to make breakfast for two. I'll just add your eggs to mine." Since she'd all but dismissed me as she got to work on the breakfast, I returned to my bedroom and changed into my gym clothes. Normally, I'd eat after I worked out, but since Casey was insisting on making me breakfast, I guess I'd just need to go easy on my workout routine this morning.
The day flew by and the next thing I knew it was pushing three 0'clock. We hadn't left yet and still had nearly an hour's drive to Newark. "Precious, are you ready to go?" I shot a nervous glance at my watch. If I showed up late to dinner not only would my mother have my head, but so would Tia Marisol.
Since Carlos was still in the wind with Tank, Bobby was driving Stephanie, Tia Ella, and Tio Louis up. We were supposed to follow, but Casey took extra time fussing over the Thanksgiving spread she and Ella made for the skeleton crews that would be working both shifts today.
"Almost," she called from her bedroom. "I'm sorry. I know I'm running behind." A moment later she appeared at the end of the hallway and I'm pretty sure my heart skipped a beat or two. She'd created loose curls in her beautiful blond hair that had my fingers itching to thread through them. While she wasn't wearing any makeup, she did appear to have lip gloss on.
The dress, which was just as sophisticated as it appeared on the hanger, was also sexy as hell on her, in an understated simple kinda way. I'd have to remember to thank Steph for her help in picking out that dress. My gaze drifted further down to where the dress stopped just below her knees, then further down to the cutest little silver strappy heels. While the toe was closed, it was with a lacy type of pattern that not only complimented the dress but also provided little peeks of her toes.
"What do you think?" she asked as she slowly turned in a circle.
"You're stunning," I replied as I slowly crossed to her. Unable to stop myself, I lifted a hand to cup her cheek, then lowered my head to brush a soft kiss across her lips. "Absolutely stunning," I whispered as I pulled back.
Her eyes remained closed even as her lips tipped into a grin. "Mmmm…I'll have to dress like this more often if I can get that kind of reaction out of you."
I gently rubbed my thumb across her cheek. "Every time I see you, I have that reaction. I just don't always show it."
She opened her eyes and stared up at me. "Good to know," she murmured before pulling away to head to the kitchen.
I really love how I'm getting the chance to watch her slowly emerge from her shell. From what I can tell, the person who lives beneath all that trauma and pain is sweet and honest, yet stubborn, feisty, and has moments of humor that shock me. She's shy and still a little skittish but is also determined not to let her past hold her back from living. Every day I find myself falling just a little more in love with her.
She stepped out of the kitchen holding the foil-covered pie. "I'm ready as I'm going to be."
We made quick work of getting to my car, a cherry red, Shelby GT500. I held the pie while she buckled in, then gave it back to her so she could sit it on her lap. After securing my seatbelt, I started the car, backed out and we headed North.
With each passing mile, I could feel her anxiety growing. By the time we passed the exit for Elizabeth, she hadn't spoken word one in a solid twenty minutes. Keeping one hand on the wheel, I reached over with my other, took her hand in mine, and squeezed. "I know it's hard for you to believe right now, but everything is going to be just fine."
"You keep telling me that," she said. "I just wish I could believe it."
"Steph and Bobby will be there. So, will Ella and Louis. So, you'll have people you know there."
"That does help," she admitted. "Still, I don't want to make a bad impression on your parents."
"It's only my mom and my two sisters," I replied. "My dad passed away several years ago."
"Oh, I'm so sorry," she said as she looked at me. "I didn't know."
"How would you? It's not like I've talked about it."
"Well, then I really want to make a good impression with your mom and your sisters," she said.
"I have all the faith in the world that you will. I've also warned all three of them to be on their best behavior and not overwhelm you."
Her eyes went wide as she stared at me. "Why did you do that? Now they are going to hate me."
I glanced from the road to Casey and back. "No, they won't. Why would you say that?"
"They're going to think I'm high maintenance."
I shook my head. "No, they won't. My family are the ones that can be high maintenance and completely overwhelming if allowed to their own devices. That's why I warned them."
"Well." She looked from me to where the pie rested in her lap. "Okay. If you say so."
"I know so," I replied.
Fifteen minutes later, I turned up the street and slowed. Yep. I'm pretty sure by the number of cars already here, we were the last ones to arrive. At least we'll still be walking in the door before four o'clock. I found an open space and parked.
Casey's gaze drifted from one house to the next. "I take it we're here?"
"We are," I replied. "It's the tan Dutch Colonial two houses up on the right. Stay put and I'll come around and help you out."
When I opened the passenger door, she was doing a deep breathing technique that I know Dr. Cochran taught her. After a couple of additional breaths, she handed me the pie, unlocked her seatbelt, then climbed out of the car. I shut the door with my free hand and beeped it locked before shoving the keys in my pocket.
"I can take the pie," she said.
"That's okay, I have it," I replied as I eyed the heels she was teetering on. They weren't that high, but for someone who probably didn't ever wear heels, even shoes that low came with a learning curve. "You just focus on not hurting yourself in those shoes."
She looked down at them and frowned as we began our trek up the sidewalk. "Steph said these are a type of dance shoe and since it had the thicker heel, they were a better option than regular kitten heels. Still, they do feel a bit weird on my feet."
"Then I'll carry the pie and you just work on looking beautiful." I'd no sooner finished my sentence when the front door swung open revealing my mother. "Lester Matteo Santos. You're almost late."
"Lo siento, mama," I replied. One thing I learned early in life was never to argue with my mother. Doing so could result in a quick smack to the head.
Casey stepped forward and began to speak. "It's my fault we're almost late, Mrs. Santos. I'm so sorry." Wow...where in the hell does she hide these little snippets of bravery that pop out at random times?
My mother's attention shifted off me to Casey and her frown immediately lifted into a smile. "You must be Casey," she said as she descended the steps and then wrapped an arm around Casey's. "In case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm Lester's mother. Come in and let me introduce you to the rest of the family."
"Well…um…" Casey cast a quick panicked look over her shoulder at me.
"Don't worry about Lester. He knows his way around here," mama replied.
"No, it's not that. It's just, that I brought you a pie I made."
That stopped mama in her tracks as she turned to look at me, still holding the pie. "You made that?" she asked Casey, who nodded in response. "Well, aren't you just a dear." She wrapped an arm around Casey again and guided her into the house. "Let me introduce you to the family." F
From over her shoulder, she called back to me. "Lester, sweetie, you can put that pie in the kitchen with the rest of the desserts."
And just like that I'd been summarily dismissed.
The moment mama appeared in the Manoso's living room with Casey my family swamped her. She kept glancing over her shoulder, her eyes searching me out as she endured what probably felt like an inquisition from the various females in my family.
With a newfound urgency, I rushed to the kitchen and set the pie on the counter with the rest of the desserts, then headed back to the living room. This had to stop before they gave my girl a nervous breakdown.
My steps faltered for just a moment as that thought took root. My girl. The last time I'd cared enough to have a 'girl' I was in high school. Back then I was young, stupid, and was convinced I knew what love was. I now realize I didn't have a fucking clue of what it was to love a woman. Now I do. After seven months of corresponding with Casey, then nearly a month of actually living with her, I know she's the one.
The last thing I need is my family scaring her off.
When I called to say I was bringing Casey with me I warned my mother about overwhelming her. From the looks of things, she didn't bother to pass on the message to my aunt, cousins, and sisters.
I just reached them when my mother turned to Casey. "Oh dear, let's take that coat of yours off and get you more comfortable."
Casey allowed her to remove her jacket and my sister Kiara's eyes widened. "Oh, I love your dress. It's so sophisticated and the color looks amazing on you."
"Thank you," Casey replied even as my other sister Mirana began talking.
"Where did you find it?"
"Um, Stephanie helped me," she replied.
Kiara and Mirana shared a knowing look. "It figures that Steph was involved. She has such excellent taste."
With Casey's coat in her hands, my mom turned and almost ran right into me. "Oh, Lester. Good. Here, can you please hang up Casey's jacket?" She practically threw Casey's coat at me and started to turn away when she paused and looked me up and down. "You might think about taking yours off too since you're staying awhile." With that parting shot, she did turn back to the group still swarming Casey. Just like that, I'd been dismissed yet again.
I started to open my mouth to protest when Steph stopped next to me. "Let me," she said as she nodded toward the group. "You go hang up the coats and grab a drink. I'll handle this."
For years I'd prided myself on being able to accurately read a situation, then defer to the experts when necessary. This was no different. I could interfere with their conversation and pull Casey away, but I'd suffer the wrath of not only my mother but the entire Manoso-Santo's female population if I did.
I leaned into Steph and kissed her cheek. "Thank you."
As I turned to head back to the foyer, I heard Steph enter the conversation. "Mama Manoso, Tia Safia, let the poor girl breathe. She'll be here for a while. So, how about we all head back to the kitchen to put the finishing touches on dinner?"
At the suggestion of cooking, Casey's excited voice cut in. "I'd be happy to help."
"Do you like to cook, dear?" mama asked.
"Oh yes. Very much," Casey replied. That was all it took for the flock of women to migrate to the kitchen, leaving me standing in the living room, still holding our jackets.
Bobby was grinning as he walked toward me, a highball glass of bourbon in his hand. "Just remember," he said. "They did the same thing to Ranger the first time he brought Bomber home for a family holiday."
It was true. Beautiful only had us to try and buffer the family's enthusiasm. At least Casey has Stephanie. I nodded then proceeded to hang up the jackets. "Speaking of Ranger. How did Tia Marisol take it when Steph told her about Ranger going in the wind again."
Bobby's smile faded as he handed me my drink. "At first, she was distressed, but after Steph explained it all to her, she calmed down. She says she understands, but I can tell she's still upset about him going and of course, now she's going to worry about him while he's gone."
"We're all worrying about him while he's gone," I said. "Though I'd never tell Steph that. Our absolute confidence in his and Tank's abilities are what is helping her keep her own emotions in check."
"Agreed," Bobby replied. "Still, we're going to need to keep an eye on her. She never does well when he's in the wind."
For the next hour, I didn't see Casey at all. Every time I'd get up to go check on her, Bobby would stop me, reminding me that not only was Steph with her, but nobody was going to bring harm to her while she was here. Of course, he was right, but that didn't stop me from worrying about her.
I did manage to score a seat next to Casey during dinner. Much to my surprise, she'd completely relaxed. Judging by her smile, she was enjoying herself. When she excused herself to help my mom and aunt bring out the desserts, Steph scooted into her seat, leaned into me, and whispered. "Everyone has been careful not to bring up what happened with Blackmore or her suicide attempt."
I leaned back and glanced toward the kitchen. "I'm glad to hear that. You know how blunt this family can be. I was worried someone would say something to upset her."
Steph shook her head. "Everyone loves her, Les, and she's relaxing more with each passing hour. I don't think you have anything to worry about."
Three hours later, Steph's prediction was confirmed when we were leaving. We were in the process of following Steph and Bobby out to our vehicles when mama pulled me to the side. She wore the biggest smile I'd seen from her since my sister Mirana gave mom her first grandchild. "Thank you for bringing Casey with you today, mi hijo. She's a sweet girl who happens to think the world of you."
I glanced out the door at where she stood on the sidewalk with Bobby and Beautiful. "I'm glad to hear that since I think the world of her too."
If it was possible, my mother's smile grew with my admission. "I was beginning to worry that you might never settle down."
If my mother had said those words to me at any other moment in my life, they would have set off a wave of panic. Instead, all I could do was grin. "You might be jumping the gun just a bit, mama."
She shook her head. "From the moment you arrived, I've watched how you look at her and I've never seen that expression in your eyes before today. It's the same expression I see in Carlos' eyes when he looks at Stephanie."
I knew better than to argue that point. Especially since she was right. "Maybe so," I replied, "but she's been through hell the past couple of years and is going to need some time to heal." Knowing, Bobby, Steph, and Casey were waiting on me, I leaned over and pressed a kiss to mama's cheek. "We'll get there eventually, but it's going to take some time, so please be patient." The fact that I was even alluding to the idea of getting married and wasn't in a blind panic about it spoke volumes about my feelings for Casey.
"I'll try," mama said. "You just keep taking good care of her."
"I will," I said as I turned to walk down the steps.
"You're coming back for Christmas, right?" mama called after us.
"I believe so," I called back to her. "But I'll let you know for sure as soon as I can."
Once we were back on the turnpike and heading South, Casey turned her gaze on me, and a small, tired smile lit up her face. "Your family is amazing."
"I told you so," I said as I glanced from the road to her and back.
"Yes, you did," she replied as she visibly relaxed into the seat. "I guess I've just become conditioned to fear the unknown."
It breaks my heart to hear her say things like that. Then I get pissed off at Blackmore all over again. The son of a bitch is lucky he's behind bars. Otherwise, I might just disappear him. It's not like anyone would miss him anyway. "When it comes to me, my family, or anyone at Rangeman, you never need to be afraid."
"I'm slowly starting to understand that," she said as her tired eyes drifted shut. Here came that crash I warned her about at five this morning.
I reached across the console and squeezed her hand. "You've had a long day, Precious. Why don't you close your eyes and rest? I'll wake you when we get back to Trenton."
She gave a small nod. "That's a really good idea. I think I will."
An hour later, with Bobby holding the doors open for me, I carried a still-sleeping Casey into our apartment. She'd looked so peaceful all snuggled in the passenger seat of my car, I didn't have the heart to wake her.
"I'll see you tomorrow," Bobby whispered then closed the door behind me. I nodded but didn't look back, as I continued through the apartment to Casey's bedroom, then gently placed her on the bed. She murmured my name in her sleep but didn't wake up. It probably wouldn't be all that comfortable to sleep in her dress, but I still didn't want to wake her. And I damn well wasn't going to break her trust by stripping her out of her clothes while she slept. Instead, I shifted to her feet and worked to remove her shoes. Then I grabbed the throw blanket off the back of the club chair in the corner and covered her with it.
As I backed out of the room, I paused at the doorway to watch her and my heart once again filled with love. Hopefully, one of these days I'd be placing her in my bed instead.
