31. Casey
Chapter Thirty-One
CASEY
Leo’s helpful question kept boomeranging back in my thoughts. I honestly didn’t know how he could help. I tried to ignore the niggling worry that somehow Nathaniel could harm me, my parents, Leo, or worst of all, Dora. I didn’t mean in the physical sense, but I didn’t know what he was capable of. When people were desperate, sometimes they made desperate choices.
And yet, with all of those worries simmering in the background, it was good, so, so good to have Leo home. We stayed with the schedule we’d had before he was out of town with me spending the night on Fridays when Dora had her TV night and stayed over at her grandparents’ house.
The week he returned, that meant a wait since he got back on a Tuesday. He came to see me every day at the café while I waited patiently for Friday to arrive. When Stella stopped by to see me, I was beyond relieved that she invited me to another card night. It gave me something to do. I was still occasionally doing delivery for the local pizza place, but that was sporadic.
Stella’s blonde curls were pulled up in a messy ponytail as she smiled at me. “Tonight?” I prompted as I slid the chai tea she’d ordered across the counter to her.
“Do you have plans with Leo?” She took a swallow of her tea, letting out a happy sigh when she lowered the cup. “Delicious.”
“I wish I had plans with Leo.” I bit back an impatient sigh. “I have to wait until Friday.”
“You should move in with him,” she declared.
“I can’t just move in with him! He has a daughter. Dora’s met me, but we have to take it one step at a time.”
“I get it. Maybe you should have a quickie somewhere in the car, or something,” she teased.
“Stella!”
She giggled. “You gotta do what you gotta do.”
The door to the café swung open, and Leo came walking in with Beck, Hudson, and Griffin. My pulse took off as if it was racing to win a medal, while my hormones let out a rousing cheer at the sight of Leo.
Hudson stopped beside Stella, leaning down to kiss her on her cheek. Meanwhile, Beck glanced between us. “What’s so funny?”
My cheeks got hot when Stella’s eyes slid to mine. She gave a saucy shrug. “Nothing.”
When Leo’s gaze collided with mine, my face burned even hotter. Stella looked right at him as she said, “Your truck is great.”
Hudson gave her a puzzled look. “What’s so great about Leo’s truck?”
I burst out laughing. Beck glanced around the group and rolled his eyes. “I know what’s so great about Leo’s truck.”
Leo glanced at him. “You do?”
“Well?” Stella prompted with a brow waggle and a teasing grin as we watched Maisie win another game.
“Well, what?” I hedged.
“Leo and his truck,” she replied.
“What about Leo’s truck?” Tish asked while Susannah looked between us curiously.
I tried to will my blush away, but it was pointless. My cheeks were on fire.
“Leo just got back with the rest of his crew, and Casey is waiting for Friday because, I guess, that’s the only night she goes over there. Which I support from a practical stance, by the way,” Stella explained.
“Ohhhh,” Tish said slowly.
Susannah chuckled. “Important to be appropriate when there’s a child involved. Why is Friday special?” she asked while she waited for Lucy to finish shuffling the cards.
“Because Dora watches a TV show with her grandmother and stays over there for the night.”
“I suggested a quickie in Leo’s truck,” Stella offered with a sly grin.
My friends collectively giggled at that.
“I’m not opposed to it,” I finally said. “But I’m not going to report back.”
“Nothing wrong with a little privacy,” Tish said dryly.
By the time Friday rolled around, I was beyond impatient. Things had been blessedly quiet as far as hearing anything else from my parents, or Nathaniel. Officer Blankenship told me they were in a holding pattern with the case moving forward as the prosecution team negotiated with the various attorneys involved.
Leo had texted me he wanted to take me out to dinner. Initially, I thought that meant we’d be going out to dinner with Dora and his parents. When he picked me up, I asked, “Are they meeting us there?”
He slid his gaze to mine as he shook his head.
“Dora?”
His smile was slow and sent my belly into a swoop. “Just you and me, sweetheart,” he murmured as he leaned across the console to kiss me.
By the time he lifted his head, I was breathless with heat pooling low in my belly. I felt liquid all over. I was relieved I was sitting down because no doubt my knees would’ve given out otherwise. As it was, I needed time to recover.
“Oh. Is that okay?” I belatedly asked a moment later.
Leo pulled out of the parking area. “Is what okay?”
“Don’t you usually have dinner with Dora and your parents on Friday before she stays over there?”
“Not always. When Dora first came to me in Juneau, I didn’t even have a bedroom for her. She stayed with my parents for a little while. When I decided to move here because the job opened up, it was ideal for them to finally move back completely and keep up with one overnight a week. That way, Dora’s comfortable there.” His eyes slid to mine as he slowed to turn down a side road off of Main Street. “Now that I’m seeing you, it makes for a convenient night for us to do something. We can have dinner with them sometimes, but it’s not a requirement.”
“What did you do on Fridays before we met?”
“Sometimes I had dinner with them, sometimes I went out with the guys. Sometimes I just hung out at my place and relaxed.”
He reached over, squeezing my knee, the brief touch sending heat and sparks scattering through me.
I tried to breathe. “Where are we going?”
“I thought we’d go to Fireweed Winery. Is that okay?”
“Of course! I love good food, and I’ve heard the winery is amazing.”
A few minutes later, Leo slowed to a stop while we waited for a moose and two calves to cross the road. I smiled as I watched them. While the mama moose looked like she was ambling, her calves were hurrying to keep pace.
“I never could’ve imagined how often I would see moose here. It’s wild,” I said with a little laugh.
Leo chuckled as he waited until they fully crossed the road before beginning to drive forward again. “They’re pretty much everywhere.”
“I haven’t seen a grizzly bear yet though, and I’ve decided I’m fine with that.”
“Yeah?” he prompted as he turned into the parking area for Fireweed Winery.
“I saw one of the taxidermy ones at the airport. They’re huge! Once, when I went out to the transfer station, I saw the tracks for one. Their claws are so long that they wouldn’t even have to be trying to hurt you to really hurt you.”
“They don’t want to encounter humans either. They’re just living their life being bears,” Leo said wryly. “If you ever wanted to see them, we could fly over to Katmai Park. They have the viewing platforms there, and it’s pretty safe.”
A short while later, we were in the restaurant and I glanced around. “Until I moved here, I didn’t realize Fireweed Industries was from Alaska. They’re kind of a big deal.”
Leo flashed a smile. “When I was growing up, they ran a mine in Willow Brook. That shut down, right about when my parents moved to Juneau. Their winery and brewery started the whole thing. They’re kind of the craft beer equivalent of one of the big beer places. Once that took off, they kept expanding into other things. Their flagship distribution place and restaurant are in Fireweed Harbor. It’s nice they opened this here. I’m hoping they’re going to start doing local’s night like they do in Fireweed Harbor.”
“What do they do for that?”
“Discounts in the restaurant for locals. The best part is you get to taste test their wines and beers, including ones that aren’t officially in production yet.” Leo waggled his brows. “It’s fun.”
I took a swallow from the raspberry honey mead I’d ordered. “Well, this is amazing.”
Aside from the food, which was delicious, it was nice to spend time with Leo. I knew I was in love with him, but I also liked him. He was easy to be with. I didn’t have to think about conversation.
After dinner, we went back to his place. Once we walked into his house, he shut the door behind us and turned to face me. When his gaze locked with mine, butterflies tickled my belly and a wave of sparks scattered through me. My knees were wobbly, and I pressed my palms against the door behind me, grateful for the support.
“I missed you,” he said, his voice gravelly.