Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
The last stretch of the drive seemed to take forever, but finally they were at his house. The sun was still up, and Cass seemed enchanted with his place. There were palm trees, and his yard had a brick and metal fence enclosing it. Seeing it through her eyes was refreshing. It was good to be home.
“It’s so nice,” Cass said.
He chuckled as he watched his sister take in everything. “It’s small, but then again, all houses in this area are small. Compared to Mom’s place, my house is tiny.”
“Yeah, but it probably doesn’t take hours to vacuum,” Cass said.
Gina snorted. “I can’t imagine how long it took to clean your Mom’s house. I’ve only lived in small places. Your Mom’s house was huge.”
Cass nodded. “She used to make me mop the floors each weekend. It took hours to get the place clean. I’m not sorry it’s gone.”
“The bedrooms are small. Cass, I hope you’re okay living upstairs. There is a small bathroom with a shower up there.”
“That sounds good. I have no idea how long it will be before I can move out on my own.”
He put his arm around her shoulder. “Don’t worry about that. I won’t mind having you here. I end up doing a lot of travel with work. Don’t rush moving out.”
The door opened, and Wave moved to greet his buddy, Jump, and his girlfriend, Blakely. “Hey, man, how’s it going?”
Jump pulled him into a hug. “Good. We just finished cleaning the place. Thank you for letting us stay.”
“No problem. I’m glad I could help.” He stepped back from Jump, then shook Blakely’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Blakely stepped close for a quick hug. “Thank you for giving us a place to live while we sorted out where to go next.”
He introduced Cass and Gina, glad that his sister and Gina would know some people in the area. Blakely hugged them both.
“It’s so nice to meet you two. Cass, I heard you were attending a local college.”
Cass nodded. “I start next week. Maybe I’m pushing it, but I don’t want to lose momentum.”
Blakely nodded. “That sounds wise. Gina, what will you do?”
“I’m a nurse. I’ve looked into a few jobs. Now I just need to apply.”
Blakely smiled. “That’s nice. I’m sure you’ll be able to find a job quickly.”
“Do you work in nursing?” Gina asked.
Blakely shook her head. “Goodness no. I don’t know what to do. Right now, I’m just trying to make it day by day.”
Gina nodded but didn’t say anything for a moment. “Sometimes, that’s the best way to deal with life.”
“I wouldn’t mind talking to you about nursing. I really just want to help people. I was raised in a cult, and I don’t have much experience in the real world. There are just so many options.”
Gina put her hand on Blakely’s arm. She was kind, just like he thought she was. He was thankful he’d met her. The timing was weird, but he was glad Gina had moved out here with him.
“Don’t rush anything,” Gina said. “There is time to decide.”
Jump put his arm around Blakely and pulled her close. “I’ve been telling her that. But she is determined to make a difference in this world.”
“I just want to give back.”
“You know, there are loads of different fields in nursing. My specialty is geriatric and end-of-life care. But there is so much more. It’s tough, and you have to have good grades, but it’s very rewarding.”
Blakely blew out a breath. “Grades. Wow. I didn’t go to high school, but I did get my GED, and I’ve started doing some online college classes.”
“Maybe we could get some classes together,” Cass said.
Blakely nodded. “We need to coordinate.”
Wave was happy to see his sister getting along so easily. She was younger, but it didn’t seem to be an issue. Gina also seemed to fit in easily. He bet that when Gina met Pen and Willa, they would all get along well.
Gina liked Blakely. Judging by her smile and the warmth from her, they would end up being friends.
She liked the idea of having a friend close by.
The last place she lived had been difficult.
She wasn’t sure why she hadn’t made many friends there, but it had been hard to find anyone who really wanted to be friendly to her.
Her job didn’t really lend itself to her meeting people other than nurses, and for some reason, the nurses at that particular hospital had formed their own very tight friend group. New people need not apply.
Meeting Wave and Cass had been a blessing. Blakely and Jump were kind, too. She really hoped this was a turning point in her life.
The house was spotless, and though small, it was perfect. The table in the kitchen looked out onto a deck with a table and chairs. There was a grill outside that she knew they would make good use of. She could see herself being happy here.
She turned and found Wave’s eyes on her, though he was talking to Jump. Heat slid through her, and she had to push away the desire swirling through her.
They hadn’t had sex again, and she was ready to be with him. She wanted to feel his hands on her. Hopefully, tonight they would be able to be together. Unless he intended for her to sleep in the extra room. She hadn’t had a moment to ask if he wanted to sleep with her again.
They’d been with Cass all the time since they’d started their drive here, so it wasn’t like they’d had time to talk about having sex.
She moved to him, loving how his smile grew wider the closer she came. Jump narrowed his gaze as he glanced at her first, then back at Wave. He didn’t say anything, but it was obvious he knew something was up.
As Jump and Blakely were preparing to leave, Jump came over and gave her a hug. “He’s a good guy. The real deal. Be good to him.”
She stepped back and met Jump’s gaze, giving a slight nod. She would be good to Wave. It wasn’t just because he’d saved her. Wave was the kind of man who could last forever.