“I guess I shouldn’t complain that business is good for you.”Nina’s tone indicated she wanted to do just that. “I’d hoped we could have aserious talk this weekend, but it doesn’t seem like you’re up for it.”
Casey set her plate aside and rubbed a hand over her face. Shereally wasn’t. She’d known for a while that Nina wanted to move theirrelationship forward. And why wouldn’t she? As lesbians who’d dated for wellover a year and hadn’t U-Hauled yet, they must have set some kind of record.
“We’ve been dating for almost two years.” Nina’s petulant-childvoice wasn’t one of Casey’s favorites.
“Clearly we’re rounding up,” she murmured.
“What?”
“Nothing. Go ahead.”
“I just—I need to know, where’s this going? Are we going to livetogether? I want that. Do you?”
“I—” She glanced around the living room. She’d put away most ofthe photos of her and Jacqueline when they split up. But a few remained, thosetreasured photos with Sean in them. She’d never wanted him to think she aspiredto wipe his other mother from their lives. Even without the photos,Jacqueline’s imprint remained on their home. She’d brought home many of thepieces in the house while traveling.
Nina set her plate aside. “Not here. I understand why that wouldbe weird for you. Well, I’m trying to. But it’s been, what, eight years? Whendoes it stop being her house?”
“I’m sorry.” Nina didn’t deserve to pay for Casey’s past. God, I’m such an ass. Ninahad every right to expect more of their relationship. And if Casey didn’t wantto lose her, she needed to make some concessions. “You’re right. Not here.” Shetook Nina’s hands in hers. “Maybe we could look for a place together, onethat’s ours.”
“Yeah?” Hope warmed Nina’s eyes to honey brown, and the beginningof a smile pulled at the corners of her wide mouth.
Casey nodded.
Nina surged forward and wrapped her in a warm hug. Casey cuppedthe back of Nina’s neck where the fringe of her hair touched her skin. Ninapulled back, took Casey’s face between her hands, and stared into her eyes asif searching for something. Casey tried to block everything except heraffection for Nina from her mind. Apparently pleased with what she found, Ninaguided her close for a kiss.
Chapter Four
By the time Jacqueline fought her way out of Atlanta’sevening rush hour Friday afternoon and made her way over Monteagle Mountain,she’d arrived home late that night. She’d spent Saturday ensconced in herapartment, catching up on laundry and household chores. Her precious weekendpassed far too quickly.
From time to time, she’d considered hiring a maid service. Butgiving the key to her apartment to a total stranger made her nervous. Shealready tried not to think about the security desk downstairs where a copy hungin a locked case alongside all of the others for the building. Besides, sheenjoyed cleaning. She liked the combination of accomplishment and fresh lemonscent that permeated her rooms after she finished.
Sunday afternoon, she hit the grocery store, armed with herfather’s list and feeling almost grateful that she’d be out of town in thecoming week and didn’t have to also get her own groceries as well. She dreadedthose trips to the store when she had to lump her items together on the belt intwo separate stacks. On those occasions, she supervised the bagging so shedidn’t have to then sort the items again before dropping off her father’s food.
By the time she pulled up in front of his house, she’d exhaustedher patience with the busy store patrons, the apathetic clerk, and the Sundaydrivers impeding her progress on the street. She just wanted to drop in for afew minutes, then go home and enjoy a quiet night before heading out to Memphisthe next morning.
“He doesn’t even need half this stuff anyway,” she grumbled asshe hauled the bags out of the trunk.
For the past couple of months, she’d noticed while putting awayhis groceries that he hadn’t eaten much of the food she’d bought the weekbefore. Yet, when he gave her his list the next week, it contained all the sameitems. His freezer was beginning to look like he might be preparing for theapocalypse. And there was no chance the stray cat he insisted on feeding on hisback porch would run out of food anytime soon. By all appearances, the littlemongrel ate more than Teddy did.
She maneuvered her right hand, loaded with plastic bags, as closeto the doorframe as she could and extended her thumb just far enough to hit thedoorbell.
“Dad,” she called, more out of frustration than the hope he’dhear her, but the door didn’t open. After a few more seconds of silence, shehuffed and set down some of the bags. She flexed her fingers to restore bloodflow, then dug in her purse for her keys. “Dad.” She tried again as she pushedthe door open.
He’d picked a great time for a nap. She’d told him in advanceshe’d be bringing his groceries and didn’t plan to stay long. She hadn’t evenrepacked her suitcase yet. As she rounded the corner into the kitchen, herirritation turned to panic when she saw him lying on the floor.
She dropped everything and knelt at his side. When she touchedhis shoulder, his eyes fluttered open, and though they were unfocused andglassy, relief made her limbs weak. “Dad? Can you hear me?”
He tried to roll over, then winced and moaned.
“Okay. Try not to move.” She crawled across the floor to whereher purse had landed and searched for her cell phone, then managed to dial9-1-1 despite her shaking fingers. She gave the address and answered what feltlike a hundred questions about her father’s condition. When she couldn’t verifyhis level of alertness, the operator offered to stay on the phone until paramedicsarrived, but Jacqueline had lost patience with the well-meaning woman and hungup. She shoved her cell into her back pocket and settled back on the floor nextto her father.
She sat there talking quietly to him, nonsense that she wasn’tsure he followed, as he still seemed extremely disoriented and managed barelyan incoherent mumble in response to any questions she asked. She stared at hischest, willing him to keep breathing, and didn’t
