Chapter 7
“Thanks, Ted. I really appreciate it.” Cassie ended the call, gave Buddy one last nose rub, then moved to her pickup where Hannah sat waiting. The others had loaded the other vehicles while Cassie had secured the horse in a small corral not far from the creek. What a train wreck of an afternoon this had been. “Ted said he’d come get Buddy soon.”
“Will he be okay by himself?”
“Yep.” She’d refreshed the water trough, and the long grass nearby meant he had plenty to eat. “Apparently they’d been looking for Harrison and Buddy when they didn’t return.”
She exhaled. What kind of man ditched his co-worker to play hooky with women he didn’t know? The kind with a million ex-girlfriends, that’s who. Ted hadn’t been impressed. Until she’d mentioned Harrison was in the hospital, and why.
Not that she needed Harrison getting an even more swollen head with words like “hero” being thrown around. Maybe he’d been surprisingly brave in trying to help her as he had, especially for a man scared of snakes, but it wasn’t like he owned Superman status as some of Hannah’s co-workers seemed to think.
The drive didn’t take long, not nearly long enough for the churning emotions to have a chance to subside. Heat balled in her chest, boiled in her stomach, and for some reason she felt awfully close to tears. The afternoon had been so good, the relaxing vibe just what her tense heart needed, then he’d shown up and spoiled things. Again.
“I’m so sorry, Hannah,” Cassie said as the ranch house drew into view. She wasn’t usually emotional, but she’d been up and down all day, and after the past hour, her emotions—along with the day—were fast spiraling out of control. “This certainly wasn’t how I envisaged today going.”
“It’s alright. As long as you’re okay and Harrison is fine, there’s nothing to worry about, is there?”
She supposed that was true. “I just don’t want this to have spoiled your day.”
Hannah’s hand clasped Cassie’s arm. “The only thing that will spoil it is if my best friend is upset when there’s nothing to be upset about. Of course, if Harrison was to get really sick, then that would be upsetting, but Poppy hasn’t called to say that’s happened, so it’s okay to be okay.”
In other words, pull yourself together and stop worrying. She lifted her chin. “Okay.”
Hannah chuckled. “I have to admit, I’m looking forward to seeing what you’ve got planned for the next act.”
Cassie groaned, then caught her friend’s tease. “See? Now my plans will look so tame in comparison.”
“I think after that episode we all need some tame time.”
Probably. Sitting down and enjoying high tea while watching the 2022 adaptation of a Jane Austen classic was about all the drama she could sustain. Bree, an Austen aficionado from long ago, had mentioned Hannah was wanting to watch more girly movies, given her usual diet of strictly sports fare. And while this adaptation was scarcely historically accurate or faithful to the book, especially the heroine’s characterization, it should still prove sufficiently romantic enough to woo an Austen newbie who’d never read the book and didn’t know any better.
They soon entered the ranch house, and after greeting Mom, who kissed Hannah on the cheek, Cassie shooed away Hannah to go sit in the living area. Poppy and Jess had previously decorated it with the rustic chic vintage theme that would be present in next weekend’s wedding. That part of the house totally fit that vibe anyway. The low beams and wooden paneling and antiques and sepia photographs told the story of a family whose house had been built last century and expanded over generations to fit the changing needs of those who had lived here. She loved her home, even with its creaking stairs and cupboard doors that didn’t always close according to the vagaries of the weather. This was home, and love colored the walls as much as any pine wood stain. Modern houses, like Franklin’s apartment in the city, didn’t hold nearly as much personality or character.
She moved to the kitchen and began helping her mom plate up the afternoon tea treats. Jess’s arrival soon saw her help too, as the increased noise in the living area suggested everyone else had also arrived.
“Where’s Poppy?” Mom asked.
Cassie exchanged glances with Jess. “She ended up having to go to the hospital.”
Mom blinked, her eyes widening. “What’s happened? What’s wrong with her?” She moved to the key rack as if planning to get her car and go there too.
“No, no, it’s okay! She’s fine. She just had to drive someone there.”
“Why? What happened?”
“Snake bite.”
“A snake? We’ve hardly ever seen them around here.”
Jess put her arm around their mom’s shoulders. “It was a garter snake, so not venomous, and he’ll be okay.”
“He?”
Cassie drew in a long breath. And here it went. “Harrison Woods.”
“Who?”
God bless her mom. She was so domestically minded. Between running the house, helping Dad with the ranch bookwork, tending the vegetables then canning and preserving their produce, and attending Bible studies with her friends from church, she rarely had time to watch TV or movies unless it was for Franklin’s hockey games. That had changed a bit with Hannah’s sports reporting role on ESPN, so Mom knew more than she’d ever thought she’d know about sports because Hannah had reported on them. But Mom did love As The Heart Draws, and had especially loved Tanner’s role, so it would be interesting to see how she’d react once she realized one of her favorites had gone.
“He’s with the show,” Cassie admitted.
“What was he doing there?” Mom asked.
“An excellent question,” Cassie mumbled.
Jess swapped looks with Cassie. “He thought we were in trouble and came to help.”
“Then got bitten by a snake?”
There was another exchange of sister looks, where Cassie tried to communicate that in no way was Jess to mention Harrison had tried to help her out. There was no reason to give her mother the idea that Cassie had been in danger or that Harrison was in any way a hero.
“It was a garter snake, so he should be fine, unless he had an allergic reaction,” Jess said. “I’m kind of surprised at the bleeding though. I think he might’ve cut himself on a stick, too.”
“Oh my goodness!” Mom glanced at Cassie. “Will this affect the show? Was he important in it somehow?”
Cassie bit back a sigh, and avoided looking at her mom by washing strawberries at the oversized white ceramic farmhouse sink. “He should be fine. We’ll know more once Poppy calls.”
“But why is she taking him and not you if he’s connected to the show?”
Another good question. Did her baby sister like the man? Cassie shrugged. “Poppy wanted to.”
“Oh, I hope he’s okay.”
“In the meantime,” Cassie plastered on a smile, “we have guests waiting for drinks and food so we better go entertain them.”
She grabbed two platters of savory treats then returned to the living area. Much more of her mom’s interrogation and she’d soon crumple into unwanted tears.
The others were happily discussing their attire for next weekend, except for Hannah, who despite Bree’s pleas, refused to share details of her dress. Cassie and her mom and sisters had been there when Hannah and her mom had bought it, along with the pale pink bridesmaid numbers the three of them would be wearing.
Cassie cleared her throat. “So, here is a charcuterie board, with some of your favorite cheeses, Hannah. And a fruit platter to balance it out.”
Jess entered with a tiered plate full of sweet pastries, and old-fashioned treats like thumbprint cookies and meringues. “And sweets for the sweet.”
“This is beautiful!” Bree declared.
That meant a lot coming from the hospitality queen. “Now, we have punch over there.” Cassie pointed to the glass bowl set up on a table in the corner. “And if you feel like it needs a little something extra we have provisions so you can add it yourself.” Most of the girls didn’t drink, but Poppy had said some of Hannah’s colleagues might like the option. “And we’ll have hot tea ready soon, in case anyone wants that.”
She took two orders for tea, and returned to the kitchen, where her mom was on the phone.
Her mother glanced at her. “Okay, well, thanks for the update, honey. We’ll see you soon.” She ended the call. “That was Poppy. She said he’s been seen by a doctor and had medication and they’ll be here soon.”
She flicked on the kettle, her heart sinking. “They?”
Her mom nodded. “She’s bringing Harrison here.”
“Why? This is Hannah’s afternoon, and he’s already wrecked things by showing up completely uninvited at the creek.”
“I said it was the least we could do after he’d been hurt trying to save my daughter.” Mom’s eyes held sparks. “Why didn’t you say something?”
“Because it was unnecessary. The snake wasn’t venomous.”
“But how was he to know that? Cassie, I don’t understand why you’re so antagonistic to this man.”
“That’s because you haven’t met him,” she grumbled.
“Cassie.” Her mom’s inflection held the same layers of disappointment as when Cassie had plucked out the rooster’s tail feathers or given Franklin a black eye as a kid. “That’s not how we treat people.”
She ducked her head. She knew that. Knew it. But despite her best efforts to rein in her tongue, she kept failing. Lord, I’m sorry. Please help me.
“Cassie.”
Her mom’s arms slipped around her and squeezed, and she rested there for a moment, letting love hold her, until she finally straightened, wiped under her eyes. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
“I know you’ve been busy, honey.” Her mom stroked her face. “But don’t let the outside pressures inside your heart. Remember Who you belong to.”
She nodded, and sucked in a deep breath, releasing it shakily. “Do I look like I’ve been teary?”
Mom patted her cheek. “You look fine. And Hannah is enjoying herself. Hear that?”
Hannah’s laughter floated from the living room, and hope filtered through her heart. Maybe this afternoon could be redeemed after all.
It soon grewapparent that this afternoon would not be redeemed at all.
No sooner had Poppy arrived, then the man himself was met with squeals and calls to “sit down” and “put your leg up” and “would you like something to eat?” and he was peppered with questions about his bite.
He glanced apologetically at Cassie—that was something at least—when her mother met him and insisted he eat something, cooing over him and glancing between him and Poppy like she’d finally found a potential son-in-law. Please.
Cassie glanced at the paused movie, frozen in a frame with the heroine in a ridiculous pose that wasn’t in the book at all. Her gaze trickled to her glass of punch, as the murmurs continued around her. Why couldn’t she be like the others here and simply be bubbly and sweet and something like the girl she used to be? The girl who used to tease and banter and be nice. Ever since this man had come along she’d felt extra tense, edgy, the kind of girl she neither liked nor wanted to be. And now, she had the strangest sense that she no longer fit in with these people, with her own family. Tears pricked. She blinked them back.
“Cass?”
She rubbed her face and stood. “Excuse me.”
Ignoring the questions of whether she was alright, she hurried to the bathroom. No, she wasn’t. Right now she felt all wrong, and staying out there, listening to the adulation he was lapping up, was likely more than even Mother Teresa could’ve mastered.
She gripped the sides of the stone vanity, wishing she could simply will strength to her emotions instead of this feeling of fragility akin to one of Mom’s delicate teacups. This was ridiculous. Petty. Childish. And felt impossible to wade through.
A peek at the mirror wasn’t kind, and required ducking into her room to apply the lightest mask of makeup to hide the red nose and eyes. There was no need to let the world know she’d been so close to crying.
But when she returned, it was to find that the Austen movie had been replaced with one of Harrison’s own, an action/fantasy flick that he was offering explanations on, like he thought himself Tom Cruise providing a personalized director’s commentary. Suddenly the fact they were eating scones with jam and cream and drinking tea felt so incongruous. The high tea vintage vibes of before now felt so last century and old lady-like. What—so now he’d hijacked her best friend’s bachelorette party? What more could the man do to wreck things?
Maybe she should go check on Buddy. Or find a quiet corner and down a pint of her mom’s homemade honeycomb ice cream. It didn’t seem she was needed here.
* * *
Harrison glancedacross the room to where Cassie sat poised, fingers gripping the arms of her chair like she was planning to flee. He hoped she wouldn’t. Her presence was the only reason he hadn’t argued harder when Poppy had insisted on bringing him here. Then, when Mrs. James had practically forced him to sit down, he hadn’t wanted to be rude, so he obeyed, heart filling with gladness when he realized his position would be nearly opposite Cassie. He didn’t care about the movie, only wanted to speak to her, try to get her to understand that the last thing he wanted to do was interrupt her time with her friends. But an injured man without a vehicle or a horse was at the mercy of others to get home, and he couldn’t very well plead for the use of a car, not when everyone was being so kind to him.
Then she’d left suddenly. He’d wanted to follow but knew that’d look weird. And when some of the women had complained about the movie they were watching and asked about his instead, Poppy had insisted on finding one and pressing play. He’d then been forced to explain various things as they asked questions about this actor or that. Cassie’s look of dismay when she returned had been enough for him to want to hike back to his room in the back of the barber’s shop, but Bree had asked another question and he’d been duty-bound to answer.
He sipped from the glass that Mrs. James had plunged into his hand and swallowed overly sweet punch that reminded him of what his grandma used to make. His throat tightened. This house, this place, this family. This was what he wanted. He glanced around the room—he didn’t like watching himself in movies—taking note of the aged furniture, the paintings of the Rockies, the pictures and photos of those he assumed were long gone family members.
He glanced at a nearby dark-toned wood frame holding a photograph of a pretty woman standing with a man, both dressed in the style of a century ago. He peered closer at the woman, his skin prickling. His grandmother had a cameo brooch like that. It was one of the few things he took with him wherever he went, a keepsake from a past he would otherwise prefer to forget.
“Harrison?”
He glanced at Jess, then realized how it must look with him staring at the photograph like a weirdo. “I just saw something that reminded me of one of my grandmother’s possessions.”
Cassie peeked across at him, as Jess said, “Your grandmother is still alive? Lucky you. Our grandparents have all died.”
“She’s dead.”
“I’m sorry.”
He shrugged. “Wasn’t your fault.”
Poppy snickered, which broke the mood as the other women joined in her laughter. But he was only conscious of the one who didn’t, and how she didn’t look at him, her gaze averted like she really didn’t want anything more to do with him.
And he could understand that. But didn’t know how to extract himself without adding further burden to an already crowded place of obligation.
He’d tried, but obviously had failed, to help Cassie. Just like he’d tried, and obviously failed, to help his mom. He might’ve saved his grandmother’s cameo, but Mom had only owned it for a few months until her heart stopped, like she’d decided that with the loss of her marriage she had no strength to live for anything more. Not even her only child.
He glanced across at Cassie, but she kept her gaze away. Regret kneaded. His head lowered, and he traced the mud smudges on his jeans.
He wished he knew what to do that could make it up to her.