Authors: Ginger Simpson
Her mother, wiping the counter of her kitchenette, turned. "Oh, nothing special, honey. Just cleaning up the mess I made fixing dinner."
"Oh, you ate already? What'd you have?"
I whipped up some cabbage soup. Would you like some? There's a lot left."
Cassie's stomach rumbled in anticipation. Mom made great soup. "Sounds good, I'd love some…but I'll get it. You sit down and rest."
"No, no, you sit and I'll fix you right up." Her mother put a bowlful in the microwave, heated it, then set the steaming soup on a placemat. She pulled out the chair across from Cassie and sat. "Tell me what you think."
Before tasting the soup, Cass blew a cooling breath across the spoon the soup. "Yum, delicious as always."
Mom's eyes sparkled at the compliment, but soon dulled with seriousness. "Where's Evan?"
"With his friend somewhere, why?"
The familiar furrow in Mom's brow that she always got when she was worried didn't go unnoticed. "Why," Cassie repeated. "What's wrong?"
Her mother's throat rippled with a swallow. "I don't like to pry into your business, you know that, but…"
"Of course, Mom. But obviously something's wrong. Tell me."
"I think Evan has a drinking problem." The words tumbled out.
Taken aback, Cassie straightened in her chair. "Why would you think that?"
What did her mother know that she didn't?
"I'm home every day and I see what goes on. He sits in the office, but makes frequent trips to the shed behind the garage. He doesn't stay long, but I began to question why he went there so often?"
"There could be any number of reasons." Cassie spoke in a defensive tone. Of course, he'd visit the shed. Most of his tools and supplies where there.
"Yes, yes, there could, but after he left the house the other day, I went to the shed myself. I found two whiskey bottles hidden behind the gardening tools and a few empties in the trashcan."
Cassie's cheeks warmed. For a moment she was speechless. Nothing she could say dispelled the facts. Her appetite vanished. She pushed her soup aside and leaned back in her chair to gather her thoughts. "Don't worry, Mom. I'll have a chat with Evan and see what he has to say about the booze."
Her mother raised her hand to her cheek in a flash. "Oh, don't do that. How are you going to explain you know about the whiskey? I don't want him to be mad at me."
"I'll find a way that won't involve you…say I found the bottles. He won't know the difference. Like I said, don't worry about it. I'm sure he doesn't drink to excess. I think I would notice if he acted inebriated, or I'd smell booze on his breath, but so far I haven't." Cassie crossed her fingers beneath the table for telling a lie. She'd confronted him two times for drinking, but both instances had been a while ago.
Strangely, chewing gum flashed in Cassie's mind—the wrappers in Evan's pockets, the packs in the desk and the car. Was he using that to mask his addiction? Memories of the fights they'd had over his being drunk added more credence to her mother's belief.
Not wanting her doubts to be evident, Cassie decided to steer the conversation in a new direction. "Boy, I sure got a lot accomplished today. I'm dead tired, but happy with my progress. As soon as we start realizing a profit, my dream is to get an assistant bookkeeper or accountant."
Again, the look on her mother's face told Cassie another touchy subject as about to be discussed.
"Cassie, you know you could always ask Alaine to help out if you two could just make amends. It breaks my heart to have my children at odds."
"I know, Mom, but I don't feel it's my place to apologize. She and Frank were in the wrong. They said some very derogatory things about Evan, so it's their responsibility to wave a white flag, not mine."
Standing, Cassie rounded the table and gave her mother a peck on the cheek. "I'm beat. I'm going up to take a shower and call it a night. Thanks for the soup."
"You didn't even finish it."
"I had my fill." She certainly had…her fill of more unfounded accusations against Evan. She left her mother's quarters, paused outside the door and sagged against it. Now she had another dilemma. Her mind whirred, wondering how to broach the subject of a potential drinking problem with Evan, or if she should even mention it.
Alaine's image flashed in Cassie's mind and plucked at her heart. She'd love nothing more than to make up with her sister, but two could play the stubborn game. Cassie's shoulders dropped under the weight of sadness and confusion as she climbed the stairs to her bedroom.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
As she stepped out of the shower, Evan came into the room. She turban-wrapped her wet hair and slipped into her terrycloth robe. A feeling of dread washed over her, caused by the uncertainty of what to say to him. She forced a smile. "Hi, where've you been…and where's Bud?"
Evan sat on the bed and slipped off his boots. "I dropped him off at his hotel. We had a quick bite, then afterwards, I drove him around so he could see some of my completed landscape jobs. He was real impressed."
Cassie removed the towel from her head and began brushing her hair. "That's nice, but why is he staying at a hotel? I expected him to stay in the other spare room."
Evan shrugged. "It was his idea. I invited him to stay here, but he likes his privacy, I guess. He said he sometimes has trouble sleeping at night and didn't want to disturb us."
She rolled her eyes. "And just who is paying for his accommodations?"
Evan yanked off a sock while shooting her a puzzled look. "The business, of course."
Taking a deep, cleansing breath, she walked to the bed and sat next to Evan. "Why are we spending money we don't have to put Bud up in a hotel?" She made a concerted effort to keep her tone calm and even.
"Because he's an employee of our company and it's our responsibility?" If it hadn't been a question, it might have been a logical conclusion.
She massaged her brow. "I thought he was your friend."
"He is, but you don't expect him to work for free, do you? I promised him a small salary and all expenses paid."
That was news to her. Her blood pressure started building. Just one more thing Evan hadn't discussed with her when he dropped the "Bud bomb" with regard to needing another computer. She leaned a little closer and gave a nonchalant sniff. No trace of alcohol on him.
He gave her a sideways glance. "Are you getting a cold?"
"No, just had an itchy sniffle." Cassie wiggled her nose for emphasis.
Evan padded to the hamper and deposited his dirty socks. He turned. "Have you eaten?"
She nodded. "With Mom. I had no idea when you two would be back, and Billy's been gone all day."
Evan stretched. "Well, I'm not really hungry, so I think I'll go jump in the shower."
So much for continuing the conversation about Bud's expenses. Cassie went back to the vanity and continued brushing her wet hair. In the nearby stall, Evan's humming accompanied sounds of water pelting the wall. How could he be so at ease? Did nothing bother him?
She peered at her reflection and pondered the conversation with her mother. The topic they discussed along with finding out about Bud and his hotel room weighed heavily on Cass's mind. The dark circles under her eyes attested to just how tired she felt, and the frown tugging at her mouth proved how confused she was about how to confront Evan. Pulling the blow dryer from beneath the sink, she decided she wasn't emotionally or physically equipped to start a lengthy discussion. Once her hair was dry, she was going to bed—to sleep.
Evan finished his shower and walked out of the closet dressed in his usual pajama bottoms. He braved the hot air from the dryer long enough to plant a quick kiss on her cheek. "I'm going downstairs," he said, his mouth at her ear, "and have a glass of milk. I'll be back up in a bit."
Cassie was in bed with the covers up to her neck when he returned. She feigned sleep, wanting an end to the horrible day. Maybe tomorrow, things would look better. Evan turned off the light and slipped into bed beside her, snuggling her backside. She remained still, but when he pushed her hair aside and kissed her neck, she struggled not to succumb to the oddly-timed desire pulsing through her.
"Goodnight, baby girl," he whispered. Almost immediately, his breathing became slow and even.
With a deep exhalation, Cassie surrendered to slumber.
* * *
Cassie's workweek started on a positive note when she arrived at work and discovered Mr. Takeda was on a two-week vacation. What a blessing. With all the crap she'd dealt with at home, she needed a break. With the boss away, the pace slowed and everyone seemed more relaxed. Her light workload gave her too much time to ponder her problems.
All morning, she'd thought of Frank and Alaine and the five months since they last spoke. The person being hurt most was Mom, although Cassie missed having them around, too. Until the blow-up, they'd spent lots of time together, having barbeques, going out for dinner, and taking in an occasional movie.
Her emotions ran amuck. One moment, her feelings were hurt because they hadn't called to admit they were wrong, and the next, her blood pressure soared over what they'd put her and their mother through.
Thanksgiving and Christmas were fast approaching, but this year would be different. No family gathering, no gift exchange, no carrying on the family tradition of sharing a prayer at dinner…unless the two of them came to their senses. Cal and Gloria were coming, but the holidays just wouldn't be the same without the whole clan. Of course, this year Evan and Billy would be there to celebrate…and possibly, Bud.
Oh, she didn't resent Evan's friends or family, but having them present when half of her own family was missing depressed her. Hopefully, Bud would spend the holiday with his own family in Texas. Billy, she tolerated fine, but something about Bud bothered her. If someone asked what, she couldn't say, but he rubbed her like sandpaper against precious silk.
All her thoughts of family prompted her to pull out her cell phone and speed dial Gloria.
"Hi, sis." Cassie almost started blubbering when her sister answered.
"Wow, calling in broad daylight. That's a switch. How are you?"
"I'm fine. Just thinking about you and wanted to talk. The taskmaster is out of the office for a few weeks, so I'm living up to the saying, 'while the cat's away….'"
"So, tell me, did you make up with Frank and Alaine yet?
"Funny you should ask. No, but I've been thinking about them all morning. This whole mess is really upsetting Mom."
"I know. I talked to her a few days ago. I talked to Lainie, too. She's been really sick…missed a whole week's work because of that damn FMS. I'm sure the stress from the rift isn't helping any."
"Did she mention me?"
"Not really, other than asking if I'd talked to you."
"Darn her. Why does she have to be so stubborn?"
Gloria chuckled. "She might ask the same about you."
"What about Frank?"
"Haven't talked to him. You know how he is…only calls when he has a purpose. Kara calls once in a while, but not often."
"I don't expect him to cave and ask forgiveness. He's so friggin' bullheaded, but I am surprised at Alaine."
"I take it nothing ever came of the stuff they found on the Internet. How are things with you and Evan?"
"We're like every other couple. We have our spats, but for the most part, things are great." She turned serious. "Honestly, Glo, I love the man. He's working so hard to get these businesses off the ground. I, on the other hand, spend most of my time bitching and moaning because I hate bookkeeping, and I'm not very good at it. When I'm not griping, I worry myself sick and get upset because Evan doesn't. He takes things in stride and keeps plugging away. I can't wait until you see the new office he built…oh, and the fishpond, too. The whole yard has had a facelift. You'll love it. You are still coming for Thanksgiving, aren't you?"
"Of course. We have our tickets and can't wait. Tell Mom I send my love and I'll call her next week."
"Okay. Maybe with a little luck, Frank and Alaine will be here, too."
"Are you going to apologize?" Gloria sounded surprised.
"When pigs fly. I didn't start this whole mess."
"Then I wouldn't set any extra plates at dinner. Talk soon. Love ya."
"Love you, too."
Cassie hung up, knowing it would take a true miracle to get her obstinate siblings to sit in the same room with Evan. How could they hate him so much when they'd hardly been around him? Putting her in the middle and making her choose her loyalties wasn't fair, but she'd picked which side of the line to stand on. Aside from missing her best bud, Alaine, the decision seemed right.
By day's end, Cassie had decided to sit down with Evan and discuss everything on her mind. Trust was a critical basis for any good relationship, and all her suspicions ate away at the foundation of theirs. No way was she going to let things crumble around her. Evan was an important part of her life. She loved him and didn't want to be alone again.