Authors: Tracy Cottingham
Cassie came into the office as
Rhonda was on the way out.
“I wouldn’t go in there if I were you,” Rhonda warned.
“Pretty bad, huh?” Cassie knew how angry Wes had been when she’d left to
go get Gunnar. Then, when he hadn’t bothered to call or come into the
office for a few days, she realized it was worse than she originally thought.
“Like World War II or something.”
Cassie stopped. “You mean World War III, don’t you?”
“Whatever,” Rhonda waived her off and headed for her car.
Cassie could hear raised voices before she even got to the door.
“I told you for the umpteenth time!” Gunnar’s angry voice filled the
office. “I didn’t even do the stupid stunt. I started into it, lost
control, and had to go long. I had to I’m telling you or it would have
rolled.”
Cassie heard Wes mumble something.
“That’s the only reason I even got that close to the tower at all. It was
either that, or wipe out.”
Cassie jumped when she heard what must have been a fist crash against the
table. “Dammit Wesley, do you really think I would have done it on
purpose if I’d known they were going to yank my license. Make it make
sense, man. I’ve never lied to you before, why now?”
Cassie entered the conference room with a big smile on her face. “Hello
partners,” she did her best to remove the awkward tension that permeated the
room.
“What do you expect me to think?” Wes ignored Cassie and got up out of
his chair. “You’ve buzzed the tower a number of times at shows on
purpose, just to give the crowd a little something extra, but this time, the
one time you get good and truly busted for it, you cry foul.”
“You want out of our partnership right now, you just say it!” Gunnar was
at the end of his rope. “I’ll admit that sometimes I can get a little hot
headed, and I don’t always do the right thing, but I’m fed up with playing the
child where this partnership is concerned.”
Wes was about to say something Cassie was sure would put an end to a very long
friendship, not to mention a successful partnership to boot. “Excuse me,”
she shot in before he could reply. “Can I just say something here?”
Both men stayed quiet so she took it as a cue to continue. “Look,” she began
as carefully as she could, going over each thing she planned to say in her
mind, and making sure it would have the desired effect before she began.
“You two have created a successful business partnership together for quite some
time now, I would assume because you’ve always treated each other as
equals.” She let her words hit there mark before continuing. “Each
time you’ve had your differences, and I’m somehow sure this isn’t the first,
you’ve treated each other with respect. Let’s not lose that now.”
She wasn’t planning to come off so preachy, but both men seemed to mellow a bit
after that opener, so she didn’t let it stop her one way or the other.
Cassie already felt responsible for ruining Gunnar’s flying career, she wasn’t
about to let him lose his best friend and business partner as well.
“Wes,” she gestured for him to sit back down. “You know my personal
feelings about stunt flying.” Gunnar’s angry glare almost stopped her,
but there was too much at stake, so she pushed on. “But I really do have
to admit that this situation sounds a bit odd.” Wes started to reply but
Cassie held up a hand to stop him. “And when you add that to the fact
that Gunnar’s usually pompous enough to own up to the things he does, even when
they’re obviously wrong, leads me to believe we ought to give him the benefit
of the doubt. This time.”
Gunnar turned around frowning. “Thank you, I think.”
“All I’m really trying to say is
that right or wrong, we’re all supposed to be on the same team here, and we’re
wasting valuable time arguing over the little things, when we have way too many
big things that still need out attention around here.”
“Okay, okay,” Wes was still annoyed, but he wasn’t shouting or hurling insults
anymore. “You can save your kumbayah speech. I get the point.”
Gunnar laughed at that, and Wes even cracked a smile.
“Great,” Cassie said, putting her feet up on to the chair next to her.
“Now that you two are bonding again at my expense, can we get down to
business?”
Gunnar pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket. “Well, as you
can see from that lovely citation there, I’m grounded, at least for the time
being, so tell me where I can be the most help.”
“Well, if you really mean it, Cassie and I could use your help in interviewing
the pilots that have answered the ads. We’re running out of time if we’re
going to have this company up and actually flying by September One, and you’re
the most qualified to choose.”
Gunnar nodded his agreement, making Wes visibly happy for the first time in
weeks.
“Speaking of time issues,” Cassie chimed in. “Lonnie had to go back home
today, bless her heart, which makes me an official, full time single parent
now. What that means to you all is that I can be here as early as anyone
needs me, but when Abby finishes extended preschool at 2:30 each day, she’s all
mine,” Cassie didn’t really have any choice in the matter, but she hoped it didn’t
come off as an ultimatum. “But I’m more than willing to take work home
with me,” she added, hoping that would make the news a little better.
“Sounds good to me,” Wes waived his hand. “I’ll leave you a list of
anything I didn’t get finished the night before, and as long as the work gets
done, I’m okay whether you’re here or at home.”
Cassie didn’t realize she’d been holding her breath. “Thank you,” she
offered. “This is going to be a difficult time for me, at least until I
get a little more used to doing everything on my own and can look in to some
care options that don’t scare the bejesus out of me.”
“Well, we’ll help in any way we
can,” Wes clapped his hands together and stood up. “Is that everything
then?” He closed his briefcase and headed for the door. “Time to
get to work people.” He stopped and looked at his watch. “That is,
after we feed our bellies,” he joked, patted Gunnar on the shoulder, and was
gone.
Cassie packed up her briefcase, organizing her things as she went so she
could get as much work done as possible before it was time to pick up Abby, and
go home for the day.
“Cassandra,” Gunnar tilted his head, staring at her as she obsessed on which
file went where.
“Yes?” Cassie looked over the top of a file at him.
“I know how much it means to you to make sure Abby has the best of everything,
especially where your time’s concerned.” He stood up and took the files
from her so he could get her full attention. “But if you need to able to
count on someone, you know, if you end up ever needing anything, I’d be more
than happy to help.”
“Oh I really appreciate that Gunnar,” she took the files back, shoved them into
her case, and snapped it shut. “I just can’t afford to let her get close
to anyone...” Cassie saw the hurt expression cross his face before he covered
it with one of his dazzling smiles.
“Now Cassandra,” he leaned closer, whispering in her ear. “Even you have
to admit, I’m not just anyone.”
As always, the mere touch of his lips put her off center. “I know that,”
she closed her eyes, soaking in the warmth of his skin next to hers. “But
even you have to admit, with the way we left things last time, it’s obvious
we’ll never be more than just-”
He began to suckle on her neck. “How do you know Cassandra? I
thought we were doing better. I mean, you even flew for me,” he kissed
her again. “Twice.”
Cassie could feel his smile against her neck and had to laugh. “I only
came for you because no one else would.”
“Liar,” he growled. “You came for me because you had to. Just like
I’d come for you, or Abby if either one of you ever need me.”
“That’s so sweet,” Cassie’s eyes filled with tears, knowing with every
meaningful thing he said to her, just how much more she’d lost with that stupid
phone call to John.
“We’ll get passed our differences, you’ll see.” He kissed her forehead
and backed away.
No you don’t know.
“Maybe,” Cassie was grateful to have some
distance between them. “I- I really have to go.”
“Just remember what I said,” he gave her hand a quick squeeze and let her head
for the door.
“I will,” she nodded, and flew out the door, determined to get to the phone and
call John. She had to fix what she’d done. She had to make it
right. If Gunnar chose to stop stunt flying full time because he wanted
to build a future with her and help with the business that was one thing, but
to be forced to quit because of her was out of the question. She’d fess
up before she’d watch him lose something that was that important to him.
Cassie picked at the paper blue cloth that acted as both a cover and a dress
for her lower half. She couldn’t stop her legs from dangling at an
urgent, frenzied pace, and contrary to what the office had intended by placing
pictures of healthy, happy babies on the wall, they only served to increase
Cassie’s anxiety. What had started out as a routine exam booked the day
after she came to town to get herself acquainted with a whole new set of
doctors had turned into something far more important when she realized she was
more than a week late. She brushed it off at first, since she was never
really one to be regular, but, a week was pushing it even for her body’s screwy
standards.
“Well Cassandra,” the gynecologist breezed into the room and laid a warm,
smooth hand on her shoulder. “It looks like we’re going to be seeing a
lot of each other,” she smiled, and moved to the other side of the room to
check Cassie’s chart. “Yep, I think I can safely say that we’re looking
at a May delivery. Of course, we’ll nail down a more specific date once
we get a better look at the little nipper in about three months or so.
Cassandra? Are you okay? The doctor was beside her instantly,
holding her upright at the back of her elbow.
“I- I’m shocked,” Cassie processed her reply, “I mean fine, I’m fine.”
She repeated herself, staring at the baby’s smiling face in the picture in
front of her.
“I take it this baby wasn’t planned?”
Abby snorted. “Well, some people would call having unprotected sex a form
of planning, but at this moment I’d just have to call it good old fashioned
stupidity.” She smushed her face with her hands, rubbing up and down,
hoping for some sort of miracle rescue by the time she opened her eyes.
When she finally did, the picture, the room, the doctor, all of it, was still
there.
“Well,” the doctor started over again, only a little more subdued than the
first time. “Planned or
not, we have to get you started on some vitamins, and get a
couple of routine blood work ups under our belt so I can do my job and make
sure this pregnancy goes as smooth as possible from this point on. I
mean, I get the idea that you’re not up for any more surprises, right?”
“No,” Cassie nodded robotically. “No more surprises, please.”
The doctor continued writing down notes as she spoke, handed Cassie her
prescription, and a host of other pamphlets and coupons for expectant
mothers. “Is there someone I can call to come and get you?”
“Oh, that’s not necessary,” Cassie did her best to pull herself out of her
emotional funk in front of the doctor, before she ended up being recommended
for counseling or something. “I came here alone, and really, I think this
is something I may just have to sit on for a while, you know, give myself time
to get acquainted with the idea, before I go getting anyone else involved.”
“And by that I assume you mean the father?”
“I really haven’t had long enough with this information to make a clear
decision about that one way or the other.
The Doctor nodded her agreement. “I can respect that, but I would like to
remind you how difficult this whole experience can be by yourself,” she shuffled
through the paper work. “Says here you have a child already?”
Cassie thought of Abby and smiled. “Yes I do.”
“Well then I surely don’t have to tell you how much love and affection and
support you’re going to need right now. If you can’t or don’t want to get
that from the father, try to be sure and surround yourself with someone else
you can lean on if you need to.”
Cassie remembered Gunnar’s words about being there for her and Abby, and then
thought about how fast he’d run if she told him he was going to have to be
there on a permanent basis. After all, he was just warming up
to the idea of making a tiny
compromise, and Cassie knew from her first child that there was no such thing
where little ones were concerned. It was going to have to be all or
nothing. She sighed, she didn’t want this baby to be fatherless as well,
but Gunnar was going to have to choose her and Abby, and this new little
addition on his own. He couldn’t be forced. Cassie had had it so
good the first time, she couldn’t live with herself if she won a man’s love and
his time, especially Gunnar’s, out of a sense of duty. It wouldn’t last
if there were any regrets. “You know,” Cassie started getting
dressed. “I had a great first pregnancy, but I never really cared for my
doctor all that much,” She decided to be honest, and speak her mind. “He
was efficient and all, did all of the right things at the right time, but I
never really felt as if he cared one way or the other beyond just getting the
baby out.” She finished getting dressed and bent to put her shoes
on. “This is my first meeting with you, and I have to say that even
though this news has come as an incredible shock, you’ve tried to make me feel
as comfortable as possible. I’m sorry if I’ve acted a little strange, this is
just the last thing I was expecting, and the situation I’m in right now is just
a little too complicated to be sorted out right away. But the idea that
I’m going to have another baby,
Gunnar’s baby
, is incredible.”
She stood up and extended her hand. “Is there a way I could make another
appointment next week? I know it’s early, but by that time you should
have received my records from my old doctor, and we can go over some of the other
things that are important to me about delivery, you know, make sure we’re on
the same page where my birthing plan is concerned.”