Chapter 8
CHAPTER 8
CASSIE
S he still wasn’t convinced any of this was real. The first thing she did was put her cell phone on the charger. As soon as the phone came to life, she sent off a quick email to her boss to let him know she wouldn’t be back tomorrow. Setting the phone on the bedside table to charge, she opened her carry-on bag and started to unpack. She didn’t have a lot with her, only what she could fit into the small suitcase. The dress she’d lucked out and found at a downtown thrift shop was now balled up and wrinkled.
She’d gotten into the habit a long time ago of packing an extra pair of underwear and socks with her whenever she traveled, and boy, was she grateful now for it. Making a mental note to ask Ghost where his washing machine was, she piled her dirty clothes into one of the empty bottom drawers of the dresser. Unpacking took less than five minutes.
Not wanting to bother Ghost any more than she’d already done, she grabbed her phone off the charger and sat in the inviting chair in the corner of the room. She tapped on her favorite group chat with a smile on her face. These women she’d never met in person were her closest friends. They’d all met due to their love of the same genre of books and now were the best of friends.
Pat: How was the signing? I’m dying to know! Was it everything you wished it to be? Are you at the airport yet?
Candida: What was Iris like?
Rhonda: Did you get a picture together?
Toni: Are you doing okay, sweetheart? We haven’t heard from you in two days. Text us back! Starting to worry.
Brianna: I hope she met a hot man. Maybe she’s out with the security guard she told us about!
Rhonda: Are you okay, Cassie? We are starting to worry! You never go this long without talking to us.
Cassie: Hey! I’m okay! Well, mostly okay. Something bad happened last night and I missed my flight…
She thought about how much she should tell them. These women had been with her through thick and thin for years now. They’d supported her when her mother died and encouraged her whenever she vented about work. Mostly, they talked about their favorite books but didn’t hesitate to share other things. Nowhere else in her life did she feel accepted like she did inside this group chat.
Samantha: Who do I need to beat? Want me to put a curse on someone? I totally will! Just give me a name! I’m ready.
Toni: What do you mean something bad? Are you okay,
Cassie?
Cassie: I’m okay. Remember the sexy security guard I told you about? Turns out he’s a former Navy SEAL.
Samantha: Did he do something to you? Do you need me? I’ll hop on the next flight…
Cassie: No, no. He’s great. He rescued me when these other men tried to kidnap me and now I’m at his house.
Rhonda: They what?!?
Toni: But, you are safe now?
Cassie: There was a small mix-up in identity. Not a big deal. A couple of thugs thought I was Iris and tried to snatch me but Ghost saved me.
Toni: TRIED TO SNATCH YOU?
Brianna: Seems like a VERY BIG deal!
Rhonda: OMG!
Cassie: Dang. My phone is dying again. I’ll tell you all more later. The important part is I am fine. Iris is fine. Big misunderstanding. I’m staying with the sexy Navy SEAL I met. I missed my flight so I’m at his house tonight.
Toni: Hopefully her next update will say everything is more than fine if she’s staying with a fine ass Navy SEAL.
Cassie laughed as she put the phone back on the charger. It definitely needed more than a five-minute charge since it’d been completely drained. The smell of something delicious drew Cassie down the stairs and through the cozy living room into the kitchen. She found Ghost outside on the back covered porch, a spread of food laid out on the table. The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm golden glow over the countryside around them. She saw a grove of trees off to one side and what appeared to be an old horse barn beside it.
"Hey," Ghost greeted with a smile as he pulled out a chair for her.
"Dinner's just about ready. I hope you're hungry."
Cassie returned his smile. “Whatever you made smells amazing. Thank you for cooking."
Ghost chuckled softly. “I’d hold off on thanking me until you’ve tried it. I threw a couple of steaks on the grill, made a quick salad and a couple of baked potatoes.” He served her a plate. “Dig in.”
It tasted even better than it looked. Ghost had loaded the potatoes down with butter, sour cream, cheddar, bacon and chives. She could have eaten only it and been satisfied. The melt in your mouth ribeye was equally delicious.
As they ate, conversation flowed easily between them. Cassie discovered that Ghost was not only a skilled cook but also surprisingly open about his past. She listened intently as he shared snippets of his life as a Navy SEAL, the challenges of leaving the military after twenty years, and his quest to find purpose again.
“Leaving the military was... tough,” Ghost admitted, swirling his red wine thoughtfully. “I tried everything to fill the void the SEALs left—police work, firefighting, overseas contracts. Nothing quite matched up to what I felt during my time in special forces.”
Cassie nodded, listening intently to him. “It must have been hard to find something that gave you that same sense of purpose.”
Ghost smiled and looked out across the yard. “It went beyond purpose. There is a connection between operators, a family unity. When I retired, I left my brothers on my team behind. No one understood what it was like. I made other friends and had some great coworkers, but I longed for the connection I’d had in the military. Then I found Valhalla, a community of former special forces guys. It felt like home. But even then, I needed more. That's when Hunter offered me a chance to join Elite. It clicked. Working with them, I feel like I'm making a difference again. It’s like finding my way back to a SEAL team.”
She sensed a depth to him that went beyond his tough exterior. Behind his words were a set of ethos he lived by. As he told her stories about his time in the military, his values stuck out to her. Loyalty. Dedication. Honor. She was taken back by how humble he was, each story he told was about one of his brothers, not about his heroics. The more he spoke, the more she found herself attracted to him beyond just the physical connection that they’d already established.
“And what about you, Cassie? What's your story?” He asked her.
Cassie hesitated for a moment, taking another bite of her baked potato and swallowing slowly. How much should she tell him? Would her past scare him away? “Well, my mom was everything to me,” she began softly. “It was just the two of us. She raised me on her own, sacrificed so much. When I was younger, she worked twelve-to-sixteen-hour days at a local small-town diner. I spent my childhood in the back booth. Sometimes, her coworkers would bring me small toys and treats to play with. I’d color, do my homework, but mostly, I sat in the booth and read the books I checked out from the library. I got my love of books from her. She always took the time to read bedtime stories to me. Sometimes, on her breaks, she would sit next to me and have me read the next chapter aloud to her as she ate or paid bills. I never knew how much she struggled; she didn’t complain. In fact, she made it look easy.”
Cassie glanced down at the table and then back out to where the sky had turned a deep navy. The sun had set and in no time, it would be pitch black. She watched as Pumpkin chased something in the yard and remembered her childhood. “As a teenager, I realized how little we had. I never asked to do anything with friends or join any clubs or activities, I knew we couldn’t afford it. I was content with my borrowed books and thrift store treasures. We never went on fancy vacations or had a new car. But I knew where the best trees were in town and I loved sitting under them and reading. I liked school, I loved learning. I’m sure I missed out on a lot of things, but for me, I look back on my childhood fondly. I didn’t survive it. There wasn’t any trauma I needed therapy for. We were poor, but we had each other.”
“What a great outlook,” Ghost said. “It’s not always about money or possessions. Sometimes, the love you have in your life and the relationships you’ve built are more valuable than anything you can purchase at a store.”
“Exactly. Some of my favorite memories were going thrifting with my mom. We knew where all the good stores within a hundred miles were. During the summer, when she’d have a morning off, we’d go to garage and estate sales. I often had name brand clothing. While it wasn’t new from a store, it was new to me, and I appreciated each item more than my classmates who got them new. As I grew older, my mom became my best friend. It was just me and her against the world. She was my biggest fan. She never hesitated to tell me how much she loved me or how proud she was of me. She was determined to give me what she never had, unconditional love from a parent.”
She paused, as a wave of grief hit her, and she remembered the pain of losing her mother to breast cancer a few years ago. Lifting the wine glass to her lips, she drained the small amount that was left and swallowed down the lump of emotion she felt at the back of her throat. Grief was an ocean of emotions. Somedays, the waves were calm, and she floated blissfully unaware of the threat looming right beyond the horizon. Other days, she rode out the violent waves, begging for the destructive storm to pass.
“When she died... it was like losing a piece of myself. We’d always been on our own, just the two of us. Sure, there were days I wished I had grandparents, or siblings, or a cousin to play with. But I’d never been truly alone until I left the hospital that day without her.”
“I'm sorry, Cassie,” Ghost murmured sympathetically, reaching out and closing his large hand around hers. “She sounds like an incredible woman.”
“She was,” Cassie agreed with a small smile, grateful for the understanding in Ghost's eyes. “After she passed, things got really tough. I never knew my dad, and Mom grew up in foster care. There wasn’t anyone else to lean back on. My mom had a couple of friends, but no one she was super close to. It’s hard carrying around her memories and not having anyone else who knew her to reminisce with. But I also know how blessed I was to have a mother like mine and what a gift grief is. Grief is a reminder of the intense love we had for each other. It is a double-edged sword. The more you love someone, the harder it is to lose them.”
Ghost nodded, his expression gentle. “I understand grief. My mother is still alive, but I’ve lost others I’ve loved. I’ve gained a similar perspective. Loss shines a light on how much we had. I’d rather love with my entire heart and be crushed by grief than to never know the feeling of unconditional love.”
“Yeah,” Cassie replied softly. She cleared her throat, needing to change the topic. “And that brings me to today. I’ve been working a job as an executive assistant and living in a small one-bedroom apartment. I drained all of my savings burying my mom and ended up in a bit of debt from it, too. But I don’t need a lot to be content. Now, I'm trying to figure out what's next for me. I emailed my boss about everything that happened, and... well, he wasn't exactly kind about it. Said if I didn't show up tomorrow, I'd be fired. Just like I knew he would.” She’d seen the email come through right before she’d come down for dinner. It wasn’t like she hadn’t been expecting it. But still, it hurt.
Ghost's jaw tightened slightly. If she hadn’t been staring at him, she might not have noticed. “You shouldn't have to deal with that kind of treatment, Cassie. Elite will take care of you. I hope you can find a job where you are more appreciated. If you could have any job in the world, what would you do?”
“I’ve wanted to start my own editing business for a while. For years I’ve edited as a side hustle. My portfolio is pretty expansive now. I’ve done work for magazines, newsletters, major corporations websites, and blogs. I’ve even edited a couple of indie authors’ books. I really enjoy it.”
“Then, that’s what you should do.” Ghost pushed his now empty plate forward, leaned back in his chair and took another drink of his wine. “My dad always says, ‘if you enjoy what you are doing, you will never work a day in your life’.”
Cassie laughed lightly. “If only it was that simple.”
“When we are done here and you head home, you will have three months’ income, at least, to live on. Can you make a living editing books?”
“Absolutely. If I do it right. I’ve never had the courage to apply at any of the publishing houses, but maybe I will.” She ate the last bite of steak on her plate and thought about it. Working full time as an editor would be a dream come true. Was it something she could actually achieve?
They finished their meal in companionable silence, the last of the fading light casting long shadows across the porch. Cassie couldn't deny the growing sense of connection between them, the ease with which they shared their stories and vulnerabilities.
“You know,” Ghost said, breaking the silence, “despite the unfortunate circumstances that brought us together, it's nice to just sit here and talk with you.”
Cassie smiled, feeling a warmth spread through her chest. “It's been a while since I've had a real conversation like this. I’m not convinced yet that I’m not lying in a hospital room somewhere dreaming all of this…”
Ghost's gaze held hers, his voice low. “I promise, Cassie. I am very real.” He placed his wineglass on the table, pushed his chair back and walked over to hers. He pulled her chair out and reached for her.
“What are you doing?” She asked, allowing him to pull her to her feet. “Pinching me to prove I am awake?”
His hand went under her chin and he lifted her face upwards. Without a word, he lowered his lips to her and kissed her.