24. Casey
Chapter Twenty-Four
CASEY
My footsteps echoed in the hallway where I was pacing and peering out the window that faced the parking lot, hoping to see when Leo arrived. I was the cliché of a hot mess. I was meeting Dora, and I was so anxious about what this meant. I felt like I was going to jump out of my skin with restlessness and my pulse was a driving drumbeat echoing through me.
When I heard the sound of tires on gravel and glanced out to see Leo’s truck, I dashed down the stairs, meeting him at the door just as he was reaching to open it. “Hi!” I all but yelped.
He smiled slowly. “Hey. You doing okay?”
I stepped out, making sure the door locked behind me. “Just a little nervous.”
Leo took a step closer, leaning down to give me a kiss. His warmth and strong presence felt like a force field, soothing me a little.
When he straightened, his smile was a little sheepish. “I’m a little nervous too,” he offered. “It’ll be okay.”
“What if it’s not?” I fretted.
I could feel the low rumble of his chuckle where my palm had landed on his chest. His eyes were warm. “Dora’s friendly. And, so are you.” He stepped back, reaching for my hand as it fell away from his chest.
A short while later, we were there. Martha and George were kind and easygoing. They’d welcomed me warmly. The tension and anxiety that had been churning up a storm inside had finally started to ease. Dora was, of course, adorable and sweet. She hadn’t seemed all that interested in me after the first few minutes. She’d shown me a project she was working on that involved building a model volcano with her grandfather. She explained that she was trying to model it realistically after Mount Iliamna, which was visible from Anchorage.
After dinner, Dora went to work on her volcano while we stayed at the table. Leo’s mother didn’t try to hide her curiosity. “So, what do you think of Alaska?” she asked after we had finished eating and she’d served us coffee.
“It’s absolutely beautiful.” Safe answer, I thought.
“It certainly is. So, what brought you here?”
My mind silently tumbled through the whole answer, which was that I had been gallivanting all over the country, traveling to try to escape the pain from the loss of my sister. I never wanted to go back home even though I missed it because then I would have to stare down the pain and the secrets I was keeping. That was way more complicated than the partial truth.
“Alaska was a bucket list place for me. I always wanted to visit the last frontier and see the wilderness. It’s so different from where I grew up,” I explained.
Martha nodded along, her smile warm. “Alaska is full of transplants. It sounds like you might be staying?” Her voice lilted up in question.
Leo’s hand was on my knee under the table and he squeezed gently. He’d warned me his mom was all in with the marriage plan.
“That’s the plan for now. I’m enjoying working at the café. While that may not be a forever job, I sure love it.”
Leo’s father came walking in from where he and Dora were working on her volcano project, and he heard the tail end of my comment. “Firehouse Café has the best coffee in Alaska and maybe even the country,” he teased.
“It is very good.” I grinned.
“Dora would love the group to come take a look,” he said as he waggled his brows.
We all followed him into a room off the side of the living room area. The project was on a large table. Dora was waiting for us, wearing an apron with stars scattered all over it.
“Ta-da!” She swept her arms toward the table.
Dora’s father had a photograph of Mount Iliamna propped up against the wall beside the table.
We collectively enthused over the project. Dora was so proud when Leo high-fived her and picked her up to spin her in a circle. As I watched them, my heart squeezed tight. Although I knew, chronologically-speaking, that their relationship was pretty new, you could literally feel the love Leo felt for her.
When Dora looked over at me, I lifted my hand and she slapped her small palm against mine. “That looks just like Mount Iliamna. Alaska has many volcanoes to choose from. We’re in the ring of fire,” I explained.
“What’s that?” Dora asked as Leo set her back on the floor.
“It’s a partial circle of volcanoes in the ocean near here,” I replied.
“Wow! That’s so cool you know that.” Her eyes sparkled as she smiled up at me.
“I read about Alaska before I moved here.”
A little while later, it was time for Dora and her grandmother to watch Dora’s favorite science show. She hugged Leo good night and offered me a hug as well. After she scampered down the hallway to the TV room, Martha glanced over at me. “That went very well. It was lovely to meet you. Now, go and have a good night.”
After we walked into his house a few minutes later, I caught his eyes. “I didn’t consider feeling embarrassed about coming over here to stay with you.”
He chuckled. “We’re adults.”
“Easy for you to say, they’re your parents.” My cheeks got hot just thinking about it.
“I told them I was taking you home,” he added.
I rolled my eyes. “Leo, I think they know better.”
He waggled his brows and pulled me in for a kiss. Once again, I let myself get swept up in the fire he kindled inside of me.