“Ouch.” Steve bent over to rub the injured part of his leg.

“Amiee,” Cassie cried, aghast at her daughter’s behavior.

“What was that for?” Her daughter had his full attention now.

“For hurting my mother.” Amiee crossed her arms and gave him the evil eye. “I said you could date my mother as long as you didn’t hurt her. My mom can talk to you if she wants, but I never want to see you again. Got it?”

“What did you tell her?” Steve demanded.

“The truth—that I broke the date, not you—but she refuses to believe me. She’s convinced you’ve done something awful. I’m so sorry, Steve.”

His eyes widened with frustration. “Would you stop apologizing? What’s gotten into you?”

“Mom,” Amiee cried, “you aren’t actually going to talk to him, are you?”

“Amiee, please,” Cassie pleaded. “Give me a few minutes to sort this out with Steve privately, okay?”

Amiee nodded and retreated to her bedroom, slamming the door.

“That girl’s got a powerful kick,” Steve said, rubbing his shin.

“Three years of playing soccer will do that,” Cassie said. “I should have taken your call, but I was busy at work, and …” She left the rest unsaid, certain he would be able to fill in the blanks.

He rubbed his hand through his hair the way she loved. “I’ve been stewing ever since Saturday night. I don’t understand what’s happening with us, Cassie.”

He had every right to be frustrated with her. The only way she could explain, could talk to him, was to share her fears. She led him to the sofa and they sat side by side, so close their knees touched. Cassie pressed her hand over her heart.

“The bottom line is that I don’t think I’m ready for a serious relationship.”

“Okay,” he said, dragging out the word. “But I’m not sure what that means. I need a little direction here. Are you saying you don’t want to see me at all?”

“No,” she rushed to tell him. “I do want to see you. I want us to be friends.”

“Friends?” he repeated.

“You agreed we could take this one day at a time,” she reminded him.

“Friends,” he repeated. “Cassie, you sound like you aren’t really sure what you want.”

She capped her knees with her hands and stared down at them. “Falling in love is a scary prospect for me. My sole experience with being in love left me battered and scared, and while I would like to claim I’m a new woman, I seem unable to let go of the fear or the past.” Shifting on the sofa, Cassie crossed her arms in a defensive, protective way over her heart. She felt she had to explain further. “The thing is, when it comes to falling in love, I haven’t exactly shown the best judgment.”

“You were a teenager, for the love of heaven. You were young and naïve when you met and married Duke.”

“Even so, I’ve come a long way, but I have an even greater distance to go. This isn’t the right time for me to give my heart away. And really, what do I know about love and relationships? It would be the easiest thing in the world to fall for you. I’m more than halfway there already, and it scares me to death.

“I know you might not understand any of what I’m saying, that’s the risk, but I’m hoping you do and are willing to give me the room I need to grow, make my own decisions, and rebuild my life. Then and only then will I be ready for love.”

Steve exhaled slowly and rubbed his hand along the back of his neck. “So where does that leave us?”

They sat facing each other as he awaited her answer, but Cassie didn’t know what to tell him. She didn’t doubt for an instant that Amiee had her ear pressed to her bedroom door and was listening to their exchange. That made what she had to say all the more important.

“I don’t know, Steve. I thought I did, but I don’t.”

“Would you like some time to think all this over? I’m content to wait until you’ve got this figured out. I never meant to pressure you, although it appears that’s exactly what I did. In which case, I suppose I’m the one who owes you an apology.”

Cassie didn’t know how to answer him.

“Cassie?”

Slowly she nodded. “I think that might be the best for now.”

The room went shockingly silent.

“Okay, that’s the way we’ll play it,” he said, his voice gaining strength. “I’ll step aside while you figure out what it is you want. I’ll wait for you to contact me. Is that fair?”

“More than fair.”

Amiee’s bedroom door opened. It seemed that Steve was about to say something more, but he swallowed whatever it was.

“Do you need me, Mom?”

“No, honey. I’ll manage this. Thank you.”

Her daughter looked doubtful, but then did as Cassie requested and returned to her bedroom. This time she didn’t close the door completely.

Steve stood and looked down at his shoes. “So this is it, then.”

“For the time being, until I get everything sorted out in my head.” She was certain pride demanded that he not give her any indication of what he was feeling. She wondered if he’d move on while she had him on hold. But she knew it was what she had to do, even if that’s the risk she was taking.

“Okay, I’ve got it. I’ll give you all the breathing room you need.” He headed for the front door.

“We can still be friends, right?” she asked, hurrying after him.

“Sure,” he said, shrugging off the question. He walked out the door, and he didn’t look back even once.

Cassie had assumed she’d feel relief after she’d talked to Steve. But the only feeling she had was a deep sense of loss.

Chapter 30

“Your sisters are coming here?” Amiee was beside herself. “To our house? This Sunday? This isn’t a joke, is it? Because it would be the worst joke ever.”

“Yes, they’re coming this Sunday,” Cassie repeated. If her daughter was thrilled, it paled in comparison to the exhilaration Cassie felt after hearing from Karen. This was exactly what she needed after the difficult decision she’d made with Steve.

“Karen is driving from Spokane and Nichole is coming from Portland.”

“It will be the first time you’ve all been together since before I was even born,” Amiee cried, leaping up and down like a five-year-old. She clapped her hands several times, seeming much younger than she was.

Cassie laughed.

“What are we going to do … I mean, other than visit and talk?” Amiee asked, all of a sudden looking worried. “Should we cook, or should we all go out to dinner?” Her daughter continued to chatter, speaking so fast her words nearly ran together. “Can we afford to take them out to dinner? And is Nichole bringing her baby, because I’d be happy to play with him while you visit, though I’d like to listen in with the adults. That would be all right, wouldn’t it, because if it isn’t I wouldn’t be mad or anything, just disappointed.” She stopped and gasped for breath.

Cassie had to smile again, her own excitement spilling over. Her daughter’s face was bright with joy. “Which question do you want me to answer first?” she asked.

“I don’t know. I’m just so happy for you, Mom.” Her daughter impulsively reached out and hugged Cassie.

Cassie had just walked into the apartment. Her purse strap was crisscrossed over her torso, and she had on the sweatshirt she’d worn at the construction site. After several hours working, she was badly in need of a shower and a place to put up her feet.

“Here, sit down,” Amiee insisted, as if reading her mind. “And start at the beginning and tell me absolutely everything.” She scooted her textbook aside and cleared a space for Cassie on the sofa. Then, sitting on the edge of the coffee table, Amiee waited impatiently for Cassie to start.

“I got the call just before noon that they’re definitely coming,” Cassie explained. “I was with a client and almost didn’t answer, but I’d just finished putting the perm solution on Mrs. Ruotolo’s hair and had about twenty minutes to wait so I took the call.”