37. Casey
Chapter Thirty-Seven
CASEY
I was trying so hard to keep it together I worried I might splinter apart. While I’d known my parents were coming for a visit, they’d left out that they were bringing along Nathaniel and his parents. They had vacationed together many times, so that wasn’t unusual, but I hadn’t expected them to bring him here. I didn’t know how to contain the distress I felt.
I’d somehow fumbled my way through when they showed up last night. Blessedly, I had a one-bedroom apartment, so they didn’t expect to stay with me. Now, they were here and Nathaniel was faking nice, but I could feel the undercurrent of anger from him.
My eyes kept darting over to Dora and Leo. I was in the middle of waiting on a customer when my mom appeared in the line again. When she got to the front, she smiled brightly. “So what do you think, honey? We would love for you to take us on a tour of town and then have dinner. And, are we going to be able to meet Leo?”
As if on cue, he appeared behind her in line just before rounding the counter to stand beside me. He curled his arm around my shoulders and planted a big kiss on my cheek. “You must be Casey’s mother.”
My mom’s eyes locked on Leo. Her smile was bright, but I could see the questions swirling. “Leo! Casey’s mysterious fiancé.”
“That’s me,” he returned smoothly. I felt his palm slide down to rest on my hip, and he gave me a reassuring squeeze. Unsettled and distressed as I felt inside, his strong presence was soothing.
“I was just saying to Casey that we would love for her to have dinner with us tonight. Maybe you can join us too.” My mother paused, her gaze sobering. “We could only get approval for a three-day trip for Nathaniel due to his conditions of release.” Her eyes darted over to him, the fucking asshole. “He’s dealing with some legal problems. It’s all a big misunderstanding,” my mother said, nodding, almost as if she were trying to reassure herself.
I wanted to cry.
“I’d love to join you all. When do you fly out?” Leo asked.
“The day after tomorrow. We just arrived late last night. It is a long flight from the East Coast to Alaska.”
“Oh, it certainly is,” Leo replied. “How about we meet at Fireweed Winery? I’ll pick Casey up, and we can meet you all there.”
“Of course. What time do you get off work, honey?” my mom asked.
Janet appeared beside me. I was in such a mental haze I didn’t even know she had rounded the counter. “She’s on duty until five-thirty.”
That was a lie, but I decided to roll with it. I honestly just wanted to work the whole time my parents were here. I definitely didn’t want to spend much time with them under the circumstances.
“Let’s meet at six,” Leo suggested.
“Excellent.”
Nathaniel came walking up with his parents and my dad, and I wanted to cry all over again. Leo didn’t move. When I glanced to where Dora was, I noticed Luna was with her. She was showing her tarot cards, and Dora appeared completely engrossed.
My mom was busy introducing Leo to Nathaniel, my dad, and Nathaniel’s parents. I could feel the tension hovering in the air. With my emotions rioting inside, I was fighting tears combined with fury. I didn’t understand what Nathaniel thought he could get out of this.
I was beyond relieved Leo was here. The comfort of his strength and protectiveness was the only thing that got me through these moments. After they all left, Leo leaned close, his arm still around my waist. “It’s gonna be okay. I need you to trust me.”
I looked up at him. His steady gaze held mine, and my anxiety slowed. “Okay,” I whispered. “You don’t have to do this, Leo.”
“Maybe now isn’t the time to say this, but I love you, Casey. This isn’t about what I have to do, it’s about what I want to do.”
My heart thrashed in my chest as I stared at him, while joy rose through the clamor of other emotions crowding inside. “I love you too,” I whispered.
The moment was snapped when Dora’s voice broke through. “Daddy!” She was standing across the counter as we both turned to look at her.
Leo smiled. “Yes?”
“Luna says I can taste-test a donut, but I have to ask you if I can go in the back,” Dora explained.
“Of course you can,” he replied.
Luna’s smile was reassuring when her eyes met mine. She held Dora’s hand, leading her around the counter and into the kitchen in the back.
Customers started to pile up behind the counter, so Janet hopped into motion while Leo turned me to face him again. “I’ll pick you up.”
“Okay. Just pick me up here.”
I didn’t want there to be any opportunity for Nathaniel to catch me alone, so I planned to stay here all day.
“You got it.”
He dipped his head to give me a quick kiss. After he left, I held onto those moments with him like a raft in choppy waters.