Engaging (Alluring Book 2) (21 page)

"Momma, what are we going to make?"  Logan asked, as Cassie flipped on the kitchen light.  She went directly to the sliding door and opened it to let Max and Sunny out.

"I was thinking toast, bacon, and scrambled eggs.  What do you think?" 

"Um..."  He put his little finger to his chin, deep in thought.  "I think that sounds good."

"Okay, that's what we'll make then."  Cassie pulled the ingredients out of the fridge and set them on the counter.  "How about if you be in charge of the toast."  She went to the pantry and pulled a stool out and over to the counter for Logan to stand on.

"I know how to butter."

"I know you do.  You're the best butter spreader in the whole wide world."

Logan giggled, getting up on the stool, ready for his toast duty.

Cassie fried up the bacon and scrambled the eggs while Logan buttered the toast with a half tub of butter.  She couldn't find a bed tray, but she did find a serving platter that she made do with, and they proceeded up the stairs, Logan giggling the whole way.

Gage was asleep on his stomach, one arm tucked under his pillow, the other over his head.  The sheet ended at his waist, leaving the smooth, golden expanse of his back exposed.  Cassie's hands were full, so Logan hopped on the bed and climbed onto Gage's back, poking him in the shoulder.  "Daddy," he whispered, loudly in Gage's ear, and Cassie couldn't help the little giggle that escaped her lips.

Gage made a grunting noise.

Logan tried again.  "Happy Daddy's Day."

Gage opened one eye.  Seeing this, Logan got excited and bounced on his back.  "We made you breakfast in bed!  I buttered the toast."

Gage got up on an elbow, looked over his shoulder at Logan and ruffled his hair.  "Did you say you buttered toast?"

Logan gave a little hop on the bed and nodded his head.  "Yep."

He looked over at Cassie and frowned.  "Put that tray down.  It looks heavy."

Cassie shrugged a shoulder.  "It's not that bad.  Sit up and I'll put it on your lap.  Logan why don't you run to your room and get daddy's card and present."

Logan shimmied of the bed and ran to his room.  Gage sat up and took the tray from Cassie.  "You didn't have to go through all this trouble."  He put the tray in his lap then took her hand, pulling her down next to him.

"We wanted your first Father's Day to be special."

Gage's eyes got soft right before he leaned over and gave her a soft kiss on the lips.  "Thank you."

Cassie gave him a smile.  "Don't thank me yet.  The best is yet to come."

He gave Cassie a quizzical look as Logan came barreling back into the bedroom.  "I made this all by myself, but Momma helped me spell."

"You did?"  Gage smiled and took the gift from Logan.  "Climb on up here and help me open it."  Gage patted a spot on the bed and Logan leaped.  Gage read the card while Logan unwrapped the present. 

"Here," Logan said, holding out a rectangular box.

Gage took it and lifted the lid.  Inside was a macaroni necklace with a plastic charm that said DAD.  Gage pulled it out of the box and slid it over his head.  "I love it.  I'm never taking it off."  He leaned forward and gave Logan a kiss on the forehead before ruffling his hair once more.

Cassie stood from the bed.  "Eat, you guys.  It's getting cold."

Gage grabbed her hand.  "Aren't you going to eat?"

She smiled down at him.  "I nibbled earlier.  I've got to get ready.  We've got a big day planned."

Logan loved horseback riding.  The dude ranch was cute, but small, having about ten horses.  They rode on a five-mile trail that looped back around to their starting point.  The scenery was beautiful and the day not too hot, making it a very pleasant ride.  Logan had such a good time, he didn't want to leave, but Gage promised they would come back and ride the horses again soon.

They were dusty and tired so didn't feel like going out for dinner and it was decided they would order a pizza and spend the rest of the afternoon in the pool.  Logan showed off for Cassie all his new swimming skills, but what she loved most was that he could hold his breath for a full thirty seconds underwater.

The day had been perfect but it wasn't quite over yet.  Cassie sat in the center of the bed, legs crossed, waiting for Gage as he put Logan to bed.   Gage's present from her rested in her lap. 

"What's that?"  Gage pointed to the wrapped gift as he walked into the bedroom.  He sat on the edge of the bed, taking the present that she handed to him.  "I think you've done enough, already.  I had a great time today."

She smiled up at him.  "I'm glad.  This is just a little something I wanted you to have."

Gage unwrapped the gift, revealing Logan's baby book. 

* * * * *

Gage slowly opened the book.  Right on the first page was a picture of a twenty-year-old Cassie in a hospital bed, smiling huge, holding a tiny bundle in her arms.  Under the picture was Logan's name, date of birth, weight, and length.  He flipped the page.

"I have all the memories up here."  Gage looked to see Cassie pointing at her temple.  "I thought I'd give you the memories, at least, through this."  She tapped the book.  "I know it's not the same as the real thing, but
–
"

Gage interrupted by placing his fingers over her lips.  "This is perfect, thank you."  His voice sounded gruff, even to his own ears, and he quickly looked back down at the book to get his emotions under control. 

This page held a list of Logan's first achievements.  When he first crawled, walked, lost his first tooth.  There was a tiny lock of hair taped beside
first haircut
.  Gage ran his finger over it, baby soft.  He continued flipping pages, watching Logan grow.  He saw his first birthday party, the pictures with blue frosting all over his face made him chuckle.  He learned Logan's first word was mamma, and a scraped knee was his first owie.

The book ended when Logan turned two, no longer a baby, now a toddler.  Gage closed the book and set it on the nightstand.  He took Cassie in his arms, pulling her onto his lap.  He buried his face in her neck and breathed in deep, loving her smell.  "Thank you," he whispered, against her neck.  He felt her fingers run through his hair and held on to her a little tighter.  He was never letting go.  He had his family back, and he would hold on tight.

* * * * *

"What in the hell are you doing?"

Cassie looked up from shoving a T-shirt in her duffel bag.  Gage stood in the doorway of the bedroom with a scowl on his face.  "What do you mean?"

"What do you mean, what do I mean?"  He waved his hand at her duffel.  "What are you doing?"

Cassie looked back down at her bag.  "Packing."

"Why?"

"Laurie gets home today.  There's no need for Logan and me to stay here any longer."

Gage ran a hand through his hair.  "We'll be talking more about you moving here permanently when I get back from New York."

"You're going to New York?"  When?  And why didn't he tell her?

"Yeah, I leave Thursday and come home Sunday."

"When were you planning on telling me about this?"

"I'm telling you now." 

Cassie pressed her lips together not wanting to tell him he totally missed the point.  Cassie continued packing.  She picked up another T-shirt from the bed and put it in her duffel.  "Okay, we'll talk about it when you get back from New York."  Her tone implied they would not be talking about it when he got back.

Gage stepped to her and took her in his arms.  "This is why I didn't tell you.  I didn't want you getting all pissy."

"I'm not pissy because you're going, I'm pissy because you're telling me at the last minute."

"I don't leave for three days.  How is that last minute?"

"You should have said something when you first found out."

"Listen," he gave her a squeeze, "I don't even want to go, but it's some kind of promotion thing for the new album."

She wrapped her hands around his biceps.  "I know you have obligations.  I'm not trying to hinder that in any way."

"Yeah well, I'd still rather stay here with you."

"You'll only be gone a few days.  You'll hardly miss me."

"Oh, I'll miss you all right.  I've gotten used to you in my arms at night."

Yeah, she'd gotten used to that, too.  She stepped out of his embrace and walked into the bathroom to grab her toothbrush and shampoo. 

"Don't you have anything to say to that?"  Gage called from the bedroom.

Cassie plopped her stuff on the bed before walking over to Gage and hugging him about the waist.  She looked up at him and smiled.  "I'll miss you, too."

They got to the ranch house a little later that morning than usual.  She looked over at the kennels, and from a distance it was hard to tell, but it looked like one of the doors was ajar.  "Could one of the volunteers have left it open?"  She mumbled, out loud to herself.

Gage looked over at her.  "What?"

She pointed to the kennels.  "Doesn't it look like the door is open?"

Gage looked where she pointed.  "Yeah, let me go take a look."

"Be careful."

"Lock the car doors when I leave."

Cassie watched Gage make the trek to the kennels.  He disappeared inside for a few minutes, then came back out.

"Well?"  Cassie asked, when he returned.

"Nobody's in there.  I saw a few cages were open, but I don't know if any dogs were in them to begin with."

"We do have a few empty cages, but they should still be closed.  One of the volunteers might have left them open.  I better go take a look."  Cassie got out of the SUV then opened the back door to let Logan out.

"We'll all go look," Gage said, picking Logan up and placing him on his hip.

Cassie didn't have a problem with that, so only shrugged and set out for the kennels.  When she got to the door, she peeked her head in before stepping inside.  She walked to the end of the aisle and the five open kennels.  The five kennels that once held her five pit bulls.  "These cages had my pit bulls in them."  She said softly.  She felt like yelling but didn't want to alarm Logan.

"Are you saying someone took them?"  Gage asked just as calmly.

"That's what I'm thinking," Cassie said, closing the cage doors.

On the way back to the house Cassie internally fumed.  The only person she could think of that would steal just her pits was Jeremy Beckett.  The guy that had been arrested for dog fighting that had come to the ranch that one day.  And the more she thought about it, the more angry she became because now she was thinking he might be the one behind the brick being thrown through her window, her car being spay-painted, and the hole in her hose.

They arrived at the house, and Gage turned on Logan's video game for him.  He went to the kitchen, pulling his phone out of his back pocket.

"Who are you calling?"  Cassie asked, following him.

"Officer Cruz."  Gage got connected and had a short conversation before hanging up.  "He'll be here in about an hour."  Gage placed his hand behind his neck and looked up at the ceiling.  "I don't like any of this.  It's all too coincidental.  Any thoughts on what's going on?"

Cassie paced the kitchen.  "Remember that guy that came here asking about his dogs?"

"The bald guy, the day we had the BBQ?"

"Yeah, his name is Jeremy Beckett.  He was arrested for dog fighting.  That's how I ended up with his pits.  I specialize in retraining fighting dogs, then placing them in homes with disabled veterans or vets with PTSD.  So, now I'm thinking he might be behind everything that's been happening."

"Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"It didn't all click into place before."

Gage nodded.  "Okay, well at least we have something to tell Cruz when he gets here."  He grabbed her arm to stop her pacing and pulled her to him.  "I want to know when even the tiniest thing feels out of the ordinary, you understand me?"

Cassie nodded against his chest.  "Yeah."

"Now I'm really wishing I didn't have to go to New York."

"Everything will be okay.  He's got what he wants now."

Chapter Seventeen

Cassie closed the door after waving good-bye to Officer Cruz.  He had come and taken her statement, and she had shared her thoughts.  He told them he would definitely look into Jeremy Beckett and would call if he discovered anything. 

And during all this, Laurie came home.  To say she was unhappy to see cops in her house upon her arrival home was an understatement.  She had to know everything, and she needed to know it right then, so Cassie's interview with Officer Cruz had taken longer than expected.  Cassie also received the third degree from Laurie for not calling her and telling her what was going on.

After dealing and making peace with Laurie, Cassie went to the kitchen in search of ibuprofen.  She had a terrible headache from all the upheaval.