Chapter 24
Cassie
Telling Mrs. Harper her son was the one who stole from her sounded like a satisfying job, but now that we are standing in front of her door, I’m not so sure how well it will go. From what I know, Miles is an only child, and Mrs. Harper could take our news one of two ways. She could either respond in anger that we would accuse her son, or she could already suspect him, given the paranoia about her family fortune.
“How are you feeling?” Turning toward Lincoln, I survey his leg. He has two crutches tucked under his arms and a pained look. He decided to leave the hospital against doctor's orders. Of course, he’s just as stubborn as ever.
“Never felt better in my life.”
There is no time to answer because the door opens, and we’re ushered inside. Mrs. Harper is sitting in the living room, in the same chair she was in when she first gave us the case.
“My son is in jail.” I’m not sure if her tone is accusatory or regretful.
“Turns out it was always your son.” Lincoln pulls out the black case the police gave us. It took some convincing and showing them our freelance contract to get them to accept we were hired to retrieve the necklace. He hands it to Mrs. Harper, who lifts the lid to reveal the necklace. It’s truly beautiful, the stones sparkling in the living room light.
“He was a sweet boy when he was young. I never…” She shakes her head sadly, and I can’t help but feel bad for what she must be going through, realizing what her son tried to do to her. “Of course, the two of you, as promised…”
She waves to a man standing at the edge of the room. He hands her a check, which she passes to us. I swallow when I see the amount: $10,000.
“This is too much.” I shake my head. It was never our intention to rip Mrs. Harper off, no matter how rich she is.
“Nonsense. In fact, I’d say it’s not quite enough. I’ve included a bonus for all of your troubles. I’ll be pressing charges against my son, and I would imagine there will be some repercussions for what he did to you as well. Hope you are on the mend.” Mrs. Harper eyes Lincoln on his crutches.
“Thank you. It comes with the job.” Lincoln shrugs, an easy grin on his face. It’s unsettling that he’s so casual about something as big as being shot. “We should go, but if you ever need our services again…”
Lincoln passes her a small card and pauses as memories surface. It’s the same card my father used to pass around, with the same names and print. Love and Suco. Pushing the business looks good on Lincoln. Somehow, I feel proud of that card, knowing I’m attached to it. It’s a feeling I haven’t had in a long time. Having my name on that card alongside Lincoln’s shouldn't mean so much, but it does. Being back and helping on an official case, I never imagined I would enjoy it so much.
Dad allowed me to help with cases back then, but the stakes were never this high. Mrs. Harper’s case pulled me in, making me want to be a part of the legacy Dad left me. Am I ready to leave behind the dream in New York? Working with Lincoln was almost like being a detective in real life. If I loved acting the part of a detective, actually solving a crime or a mystery, and bringing closure to two people, it was satisfying in many ways. Cuffing Miles felt especially good. It was a real-life experience that tied into my television experience.
“You should keep her around. She’s good for you.” Mrs. Harper’s compliment pulls me back into the moment. It’s like she was reading my mind.
“I plan on it. Wouldn’t be here without her.” Lincoln looks over at me with one of his heart-stopping grins, and I have to remind myself that nothing can come of my attraction to him. Not only is he much older than me, but he hasn’t indicated he would be interested in something serious. No matter my interest in him, I’m not into flings.
“Thank you for having us, Mrs. Harper. Thank you for the bonus, too. It makes the pain worthwhile.” Lincoln turns and stays close to me as we leave the house. We go down the porch and stop in front of the station wagon. Quinn did us the favor of getting it from the side of the road where we left it and washing it.
“A case well solved,” Lincoln says with a smile. “I really couldn’t have done it without you.”
“I’m sure you would have figured it out.” I return his smile, ignoring the butterflies in my stomach. “By the way, Quinn has arranged for a welcome home dinner.”
I’m not sure if he’ll like a party. Anyone else would think he adored hanging out in crowds or surrounded by people. However, I saw how much Lincoln seemed to enjoy spending his evenings at home, back when he’d come to our house almost every night. When my dad was alive, he was a permanent fixture in our place, even on the weekends. I knew he liked something small, intimate, family only to truly celebrate.
“For me?” His expression falls, and he looks as if he’s dreading it.
“Yes, for you. I promised to get you there, so we should head out.”
“I told her I didn’t want anything special.”
Shaking my head, I get into the driver's seat while he slides into the passenger's side. With the state of his leg, he can’t drive whatsoever.
“She was at the hospital after everything happened. We were in the waiting room, wondering if we’d ever see you again.”
“Hey, you heard the doctor. I wasn’t hurt that badly. Just needed a refill on the fluids.”
“I know that now, but we didn’t know that then. Do you know what it is like to wonder if you’ve spoken to someone you care about for the last time?” Shaking my head, I keep my eyes on the road in front of me to prevent him from seeing how much the conversation hurts.
“I’m sorry. I should have done something safer with Miles. But if he’d gotten his way, chances are we both would have ended up in the hospital. He isn’t the type of man you mess with.”
“I’m just glad you’re all right.” Arguing with him about what should or could have happened is not worth it. I force my eyes up to meet his, savoring the thrill his piercing blue eyes send through me.
He’s always made me nervous just by looking at him. It seems I was wrong about it being a childhood crush; my feelings for Lincoln run deeper than that, especially after everything we’ve been through recently. He reaches out, tucking a stray strand of my hair behind my ear.
“You saved my life, Cassie. Having you here feels right in more ways than one.”
I’m unable to put my feelings into words. My career is in the city; that’s what I’ve told myself for years, even before my dad died. Now, I’m starting to wonder if I got everything all wrong. Maybe my place is with Lincoln, running the family business and doing what I was raised to do.
“All right then,” Lincoln says. “Let’s get this surprise party over with. If there are balloons and party hats, I’m leaving.”
Laughing, I toss my hair over my shoulder.
“And disappoint Quinn? Not a chance.” The engine starts with a rumble, and we’re off toward the house. Quinn figured having dinner at my dad’s house would be better so Lincoln could rest right after. Relaxation, good food, and company sound good. After everything we’ve gone through the past couple of days, I could use it.
Link
Cassie’s dad’s house, and by extension, my home, sits in front of me. Cassie goes in to help Quinn, and I ask for a minute to myself. Cassie most likely thinks I’m tired or resting for my injury, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. My mind is full of things I shouldn’t be thinking about, like how Cassie looked at me and her lips.
Dating her wouldn’t work out. The attempt could ruin our friendship. That’s not even the biggest reason. It wouldn’t feel right to be in a relationship with her without being able to be completely honest. The things I did in business with Phineas are close to unforgivable. Not to mention, they would endanger her because she would insist on getting involved.
Phineas owns me; I am ready to accept it. He knows that. A one-sided relationship when it comes to trust with Cassie would be wrong on all levels. Her dad would have disapproved of the relationship under normal circumstances; he certainly would under these. I need to find a way to lock up my attraction and feelings for her and never look back.
I sigh, leave the car's solitude, and hobble into the house on my crutches. The smell hits me first: lasagna, my favorite food and something I’m incapable of making myself. At least Quinn picked something delicious. A tacky “Welcome Home” sign is strung up above the fireplace. Quinn has gone all out with decorations, taping balloons on the wall and running streamers back and forth.
Shaking my head, I make my way into the kitchen, expecting to find a crowd of people who either have a history with, dislike, or need to work with me. Instead, the only people in the kitchen are Quinn and Cassie. Their heads are together as they discuss something in low voices. Cassie laughs at something Quinn says, and Quinn shrugs as she looks up and sees me standing in the doorway.
“There’s the guest of honor. I was starting to think you’d escaped.”
“Escaped? Have you ever known me to escape from a free meal?”
Quinn and Cassie laugh.
“Where is everyone? I thought Cassie said this would be a party.”
Quinn smiles at me like a sister would smile at her older brother, which warms my heart.
“I know how you feel about crowds and parties. You act like you like them, but deep down, you can’t wait for them to end. I figured a real celebration would happen with the people you can celebrate with.”
I force back the misty feeling in my eyes. “It seems you know me better than anyone, Quinn. I’m lucky to have you as a friend.”
“And as an underpaid assistant,” she counters.
My hand darts toward freshly buttered rolls on the counter, but Quinn slaps it away just as fast.
“Did Cassie tell you about the bonus? Almost makes the whole thing worth it. And to think Cassie said we were ripping the woman off. Bet we could’ve gotten double that if we pressed for it.”
“Is that how you intend to run my business—by ripping off little old ladies?” Cassie eyes me skeptically.
“Mrs. Harper may be little and old, but she’s hardly poor. How does that constitute ripping someone off? Couldn’t you say she ripped us off? After all, her son got us into this whole situation to begin with.”
“Nonsense!” Cassie’s tone rises a notch. “Think of Mrs. Harper. She found out her son would rather have money than her trust. Even though she’s rich, we shouldn’t have the mentality of ripping off people whenever we can.”
“It’s called providing a service, darling.”
Cassie’s cheeks turn red, and I know I’m getting to her.
“What did you just call me?” She glares at me, her hands tightening into fists on the countertop.
“Darling, though if you prefer, I rather like the sound of Hollywood princess.”
She grabs a package of napkins off the counter and hurls them at me, missing by half an inch as I burst into laughter. Ten minutes after deciding Cassie is off-limits, I’m already pushing her buttons. Forget it—I’ll start treating her like a professional partner tomorrow. For now, I think I deserve to enjoy my party.