Chapter 29
Chapter
Twenty-Nine
“Daddy, what’s happening?”Delilah asked. She frowned as she looked around. “Where am I?”
“You’re in the car. Go back to sleep, it’s still night time.”
She was quiet for a moment, looking round. She was in the backseat of the Beast, in her car seat. He’d carried her out there at four in the morning, covering her with a blanket while she slept.
“Where are we going?” she asked him.
“New York.” They were on the highway, about an hour into the trip. He’d packed a bag for Delilah, as well as himself.
The plan had been to leave at first light. But by four AM he was wide awake. Couldn’t stop thinking about her.
And yes, this was the stupidest, most idiotic thing he’d ever done. But driving to her felt good, it felt right.
Like he was waking up after a bad dream.
She’d messaged him last night. To tell him she couldn’t call because she was in another stupid meeting, but that she missed him.
And that it was raining in New York and she wished he was there to pick her up.
The words had felt like a fist on his chest. But not a painful one. It was like somebody was giving him CPR, trying to make his heart beat again, because he’d thought exactly the same thing yesterday.
It was raining. And she needed him.
And he wasn’t there.
He’d sent her back a message, telling her he wished he was there, too. But she hadn’t replied before he’d headed to bed.
He’d showered. Put on a pair of shorts and he’d stared at himself in the bathroom mirror.
And that’s when he’d realized that he couldn’t live one more day without seeing her.
It sounded dramatic. And completely unlike him. That was the stupid part. She didn’t know he was coming. And there was a tiny part of his heart that was worrying this would be a mistake. That he’d turn up and she’d tell him that she’d decided to stay with the band. That she wanted that life.
That she’d break his heart – no, that wasn’t right. That he’d break his own heart in front of his kid.
But he couldn’t leave Delilah behind. Not after last night. He’d promised her that he wouldn’t leave her and he couldn’t. Not right now, when she was feeling tender about Cassie’s departure. If he was going to New York, then Delilah was too.
Yeah, he was an idiot. But at least it was for a good reason this time.
Delilah dozed off again for another hour, only waking up once the sun had fully risen. “Are we there yet?” she asked him.
“Another hour.” Maybe more. They were getting closer to the city but the roads were gridlocked. He’d hit rush hour. But luckily Delilah didn’t know what an hour was and looked mollified by his answer.
A while later they stopped at a roadside café, and he ordered them both breakfast. Delilah had wolfed down the pancakes, and he’d managed most of his own, plus two mugs of coffee which had provided enough of a caffeine injection to see him through the next few hours.
After that? Who knew. He’d have to find them a hotel room, that was for sure. And then there was Cassie.
Could he prove that he wanted her with him? That his need to be with her overrode his need for her to prove her love to him.
Because that’s what he’d been doing. He could see it clearly now. All those scars he had left over from Jade had turned out to still be wounds. Old, yeah, but never fully healed. And it had only taken this for them to be torn open all over again. Sore and bleeding.
He’d reacted to the pain, then put a little frosting on it to make it look like he was being self sacrificing. But this need for Cassie to go to New York? Marley was right, it was all about him.
Redemption didn’t come in pretty little ribbons. It came with the hard work, he knew that now. It came with understanding that nobody was perfect. Nobody was blame free. You made mistakes, you tried to atone for them, and you moved on. Hopefully stronger, hopefully wiser.
But you had to move on. He couldn’t keep living in a past where he felt guilty for everything. It was no good for him, let alone for Delilah. Or Cassie.
“Okay,” he said, putting his now-empty mug down and giving his kid the biggest smile. “Ready to head to New York?”
“Yup.” Delilah nodded her head, her eyes lighting up like a Christmas tree. She was loving this adventure. Maybe they needed to do more of this. Be spontaneous. Go out and enjoy life.
He’d spent so long trying to be the perfect parent to her, he’d forgotten about fun.
“Okay, but first we need to go brush our teeth.” Okay, maybe somewhere in the fun, he’d add a little bit of responsibility, too.
“Do we have to?” Delilah frowned.
“Do you want people in New York to smell our breath and think we stink?” he asked her.
She tipped her head to the side. “Your breath smells. Mine doesn’t.”
“That’s because you can’t smell your own.” He leaned forward and breathed in, then made a face. “Damn, that smells like the farts from a dead dog.”
Delilah laughed. “It doesn’t.”
“It won’t when they’re all clean. Come on, the quicker we do it, the faster we’ll make it to the city.”
She stood at lightning speed. “What are we waiting for?” she asked. “Come on, let’s go brush our teeth.”
The closer they got to the city, the more his stomach contracted. Why hadn’t he spent the time driving thinking about what he was going to say to her?
As they drove through the tunnel and onto Manhattan itself, Delilah had her face pressed against the window, silent as she took in the sights and sounds of New York City.
For a moment she reminded him of Alex and his awe at New York City looking exactly like it did in the movies.
Whatever happened, he promised himself he’d spend a couple of days with her here. Ignoring the fact that the construction site needed him and Delilah should be in school and every other thought that tried to tell him he was being a bad father with this impromptu trip.
They needed this. His daughter needed him. Not as a burden, but as a little girl who loved her daddy.
And damn, he loved her too, so much.
“Where’s Cassie?” Delilah asked as they crawled along Fifth Avenue.
“She’s staying at a hotel near here. I just need to find somewhere to park.”
“Where?” Delilah asked. “Where do you park?”
That was a good question.
“I’ll try the hotel lot,” he told her. That’s where he’d parked last time. And it had been a squeeze because parking spaces in Manhattan weren’t built for trucks like the Beast.
Luckily, there was a space. He ignored the large signs telling him he’d be paying fifty dollars for the luxury of having to wriggle his damn body through the smallest gap in his door because he had to park against a Porsche.
By the time he’d managed to get Delilah out, he’d broken a sweat. He caught a glimpse of himself in the side mirror and winced. Damn, he needed a shower. And a good night’s sleep.
Cassie would probably take one look at him and run away.
He clicked the lock on his keys and reached for Delilah’s hand.
“You don’t let go, okay? It’s real busy here and there are a lot of people. We stick together.”
“Like glue.” She nodded.
“Exactly.” Even walking across the lot was a lesson in dodging injury. They narrowly avoided being flattened by a Toyota, then had to jump out of the way of a motorcycle that looked like it was trying to break the land speed record.
Pres sighed and lifted Delilah into his arms. He could be quicker this way. They walked through the rotating door into the hotel lobby, and Delilah was twisting in his arms to try to take everything in. In the end he put her back down on the floor as holding her was too much like trying to wrangle a wet alligator.
“Is she here?” Delilah asked, pulling at his hand. “Where is she?”
“I don’t know. I’ll ask at the desk.” He swallowed hard. “Listen, she’s not expecting us, so I’ll need to explain a few things.”
“Like what?”
Like what an idiot I’ve been.“I don’t know. She might be surprised is all.”
“But she’ll be happy too, right?”
“Yeah. I hope so.” Fuck, he really hoped so. Was he making another mistake? He had a feeling that only time would tell him the answer to that.
“Can I help you?” the receptionist asked when they’d finally made it to the front of a long line of guests trying to check out.
“Uh yeah. I’m looking for Cassie Simons. Room seven eight one. Could you call up and let her know I’m here?” He’d thought about calling her himself, but he wanted to give her time to compose herself.
“Sure. One moment.” The receptionist lifted the phone receiver to her ear and pressed some buttons. A minute later she gave him an apologetic smile. “I’m afraid she’s not there.”
“Do you know where she is?” What a stupid fucking question. This hotel had at least five hundred guests. They didn’t exactly put trackers on people.
“I’m afraid not. Would you like to leave a message?”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll call her. Thank you.”
“Where is she?” Delilah asked, as they walked away from the desk.
“I don’t know. Maybe she already left for the day.”
“To where? A dance school?”
“She’s not at a dance school, remember?” he told her. “She’s singing.”
“But not with you.”
“No.” He gave her a tight smile.
“But she likes singing with you, doesn’t she?”
“Yeah, she does. Why don’t you sit here and I’ll call her.” He pointed at an empty leather bucket seat. Delilah jumped into it, twisting herself around until she was sitting upright, her legs dangling only halfway to the floor.
Pres hit Cassie’s number and waited for the call to connect. And of course it went to voicemail.
Damn. Was he doing the right thing? He hoped so – there was no way he was driving back to Hartson’s Creek now.
Then his phone pinged with a message from her and his heart did a leap.
Sorry – just setting up to try out a new song. Can I call you in a few minutes? Love you – C xx
No problem. Just wanted to wish you a good day. Love you more. – Presley xx
“Didn’t she answer?” Delilah asked, her eyes catching his. His breath caught at the trust in them. She believed he could make everything right.
“No, but I know where she is. Let’s go find her.”
“Okay!” Delilah grinned. “I love this adventure.”
“Cassie?” Cho, Bryan’s assistant whispered to her. “There’s a little problem in the lobby.”
Cassie looked at Cho. She really liked the woman. Bryan, not so much, but you had to take the rough with the smooth.
“Can it wait?” Cassie asked. “I just need to make a phone call.” She was desperate to talk to Presley. Yes, they’d spoken last night, but when he’d told her about Delilah missing her and wanting to talk it had made her heart clench.
Was it possible to feel this desperately homesick for a place that’s only been your home for a few months? She hadn’t thought so, but then she hadn’t lived in Hartson’s Creek before.
Home hadn’t had Presley and Delilah in it before, either. She had a little framed photo of them beside her hotel room bed. Gemma had given it to her. She’d taken it one day without Presley knowing. He was holding Delilah in his arms and Delilah was holding a bag of rainbow colored cotton candy she’d fallen in love with. And they both had their head tipped back as they laughed uproariously at something.
She couldn’t remember what they were laughing at, but the photograph brought her such joy. Peace, too.
Like her anchor was still there. Just in another state, waiting for her.
“Five minutes and we’re going again,” Bryan shouted out. Every day so far had been like this. Rehearsals in the morning, meetings in the afternoon and evening. They’d been styled to within an inch of their lives, and they’d already had a photoshoot of ‘the band’, even though they didn’t feel like one.
And all through it, she was just going through the motions. For him.
Because Presley needed this. And she’d do whatever it took.
Cho gave her a tight smile. “I’ll tell them to come back later.”
“Who is it?” Cassie asked.
Cho glanced at Bryan then leaned forward, keeping her voice low enough for only Cassie to hear. “It’s one of the people from the band you used to be in.”
“Did he give you a name?” she asked, pushing down the feeling of excitement. Because there was a ninety-nine point nine percent chance it was Alex, trying to get in on things.
“No, but he has a little girl with him.”
Her heart just about stopped. “Does she look about six?” Cassie asked.
“I don’t know. It’s a kid.” Cho wrinkled her nose. “I don’t have any. I’m bad at ages.”
But Cassie didn’t need the answer. She knew. And her heart knew, too. “I’m going now,” she said. “If Bryan comes looking for me, tell him I’m taking a bathroom break.”
Cho glanced from the corner of her eye to where Bryan and the bassist were having a heated discussion. “Um, he wants you to start again in five minutes.”
“I know. But this can’t wait.”
Cassie’s heart was hammering against her chest as she ran down the hallway, punching her finger impatiently against the elevator button. He was here. Presley was here. And so was Delilah. She needed to get down there now.
When the elevator arrived she stepped inside, her heart dropping when she realized it was going up, not down. People pushed past her as they exited on the next floor, and she leaned forward to press the ground floor button.
And still it went up.
“Dammit.”
An elderly woman lifted a brow at her. “Is there a problem?”
Cassie swallowed hard. This building had about thirty floors. And the elevators were constantly busy. Should she get out and hope another elevator came along that happened to be going down? Or just stay in this one and hope for the best.
“My boyfriend’s downstairs waiting for me,” Cassie said. “I haven’t seen him in a week.”
The woman smiled. “I remember my husband being away in the Army for years.”
Cassie grimaced. “I’m sorry. That must’ve been hard. I know a week isn’t anything but…”
“But you’re in love with him.”
Cassie nodded. She was trying not to cry.
“Okay, everybody get out,” the woman said, producing a little key from her pocket. “Penthouse owner’s perks,” she told Cassie. “We’re heading right down to the lobby.”
There was some grumbling as the elevator doors opened, but everybody did as the woman said. She slotted the key into the lock that Cassie hadn’t even noticed above the buttons and pressed the button for the lobby.
And to her amazement, the elevator went straight down.
“I’m only supposed to use it in emergencies,” the woman confessed. “But I figure love is always an emergency.”
“Thank you.” Cassie leaned forward and hugged her. “Thank you for helping me.”
“To be honest,” the woman told her, “it’s made my day.”
As soon as the doors to the lobby opened, Cassie ran onto the marble tiled floor, scanning the lobby for the two people that mattered most to her.
And then she saw them. Standing by an oversized plant. Delilah was pointing at something in the plant pot and Presley was nodding.
As though he could sense her standing there, he slowly looked up. His eyes caught hers, and even though she was twenty feet away from him, she could see the crinkles form next to them.
She felt breathless. Giddy.
And then she ran.
She didn’t care that she was in a swanky lobby in the center of Manhattan. Or that everybody was looking at her as she almost skidded to a stop when she reached them.
Or that as soon as she did, Presley swung her into his arms and squeezed his eyes shut, as though she was the most precious, beautiful thing he’d ever held.
“Lift me too!” Delilah shouted, pulling at Presley’s arm.
He put Cassie down, his eyes still on hers. And swung Delilah up so her face was at the same height as Cassie’s.
“We came in a taxi!” Delilah told her. “It was bright yellow. And Daddy swore because he couldn’t download the Boober app.”
She smiled at him, loving Delilah’s mispronunciations. Damn she’d missed them both. He grinned back.
“What…” She shook her head. It didn’t matter what he was doing here. The fact he was here was everything.
He shifted Delilah onto his hip, then reached out for Cassie, his hand cupping her face like he couldn’t believe she was there.
“I’m an idiot.”
“No, you’re not.” She shook her head. “Nobody calls my man an idiot.”
“Is that what I am?” he asked her.
“Always.”
He exhaled heavily, leaning forward to brush his lips against hers. “That’s good. Because I’ve come to take you home.”
“I think I just got fired.” Cassie grinned at him as he tiptoed out of the hotel bedroom. Delilah was fast asleep.
“Did Bryan call?”
“No, his assistant did. She wanted to know if I’d be back tomorrow because we have an interview with a magazine.”
“What did you tell them?”
“That I’d be in Hartson’s Creek by then. With the people I love.”
“That sounds more like you quit than got fired,” he said softly. He walked toward her, pulling her close. Damn, he’d missed this. The softness, the talking, the being with her.
It had only been a week, but it felt like a lifetime.
They’d spent the rest of the day taking Delilah around New York. They’d gone up the Empire State Building, visited the zoo at Central Park, and then they’d gone to a diner where Delilah had gotten the biggest burger she’d ever seen.
By seven she was exhausted. So they’d put her in the bath of the suite that Presley had paid for – mostly because it had two bedrooms – and then he’d let her watch some TV in bed before she finally fell asleep.
And now it was just the two of them. “Want me to order some room service?” he asked.
“That sounds good. I’d love a burger. I’ve been jonesing for one ever since Delilah scarfed hers in the diner.” She grinned.
“I’d take you out if I could but…” he glanced over at the door to Delilah’s bedroom.
“You don’t get it, do you?” She smiled at him, wrapping her arms around his waist. “I like room service. I like staying at home and watching television with you. I like putting Delilah to bed and knowing she’s safe while we get to spend some time together. I don’t need you to take me out to know you love me. I fell in love with the package deal.”
He swallowed. He still couldn’t believe he was here. Nor could anybody else. His phone had been ringing most of the afternoon after he’d let Marley know where he was.
His mom, who’d pretty much sobbed when she called. His dad who’d given him a gruff verbal slap on the back for going to win the girl.
His clients who wanted to know when he’d be back to finish up the work and meet the deadline.
And finally Alex, who’d blown up at Pres for going to New York and possibly ruining Cassie’s chances. She’d stolen the phone from him as Alex lambasted him, and carefully told him that she’d decided to invoke the break clause of the contract.
Which meant as her self-appointed manager, Alex wasn’t going to get the nice bonus he’d been offered.
As Delilah had run ahead of them in Central Park, they’d taken a few stolen moments to talk. He’d filled her in about his four am decision, and his drive to New York. And she’d held him tightly, as though she was afraid he’d disappear if she let go.
They’d planned to stay for another day in New York, but Delilah had been firm that she wanted to go home. She wanted to see her grandparents, her school friends. And Pres, suspected, most of all she wanted to make sure Cassie came back to Hartson’s Creek.
Not that Cassie was upset about that. She agreed with Delilah, it was time to go home. And he was so damn excited about that. Every time the guilt threatened to rise he pushed it firmly back down.
She wanted to come home. She’d made that clear.
And he wanted nothing more than to be the one to drive her there. He’d made her leave and he’d be the one bringing her back. There was a symmetry to it that felt right.
He rang down to room service, ordering them both a burger. When he turned around, Cassie was curled up on the sofa, hugging her legs to her chest. She’d changed into a pair of yoga pants and a sweater that fell over her shoulder. He’d never seen her looking more beautiful.
“Are you sure?” he said, his voice thick.
“About the burger?” She gave him a confused smile.
He shook his head. “About this. About us.” He gestured around the living area of the suite, which was full of Delilah’s things. Shoes by the door, coloring on the table. She’d even left her socks on the floor.
“I’ve never been more certain of anything,” she told him.
The tightness in his chest felt different this time. Not painful. More like something in there was being mended. Fused.
Coming together, the way it was supposed to. He had another person in his heart now.
And she was there to stay.
He walked over and dropped to his knees in front of where she was sitting, pulling her forward until their lips met. “I’ve missed you so damn much.”
“Then stop sending me away,” she murmured.
“I’ve stopped,” he promised. “It’s not happening again.”
And then words disappeared because they needed this kiss. It was more than a reconnection, it was a promise.
I promise I won’t be an idiot again.
I promise I won’t listen to you if you are.
They didn’t need words, when their mouths connected like this.
He pushed the hair from her face, kissing her jaw, her cheek, her brow. “It’s not going to be easy, you know that?”
“I’ve been dating you for a while. Long enough to know you’re not an easy man.” Her gaze was soft. “But nothing worth fighting for is ever easy. I love you and I love Delilah. That’s all that matters. Everything else will have to wait.”
His breath caught. “We love you so much.”
“Then come here,” she whispered, pulling his mouth back to hers.
So he did. And it was heaven.