Once they’d finished lunch, Jacqueline gathered up their dishesand went to the kitchen.
“I’m going to head home.” Casey bent and gave Teddy a half hug,urging him back to his seat when he tried to stand to see her off. She kissedhis cheek. “I know my way out.”
He grabbed her hand. “Don’t let her chase you away. You’rewelcome here.”
She teared up immediately, then flushed with embarrassment. Hislove and acceptance, so freely given, made her uncharacteristically emotional.“Take care. Call me if you need anything. Anytime, okay?” She sniffed andswiped at her eyes as she entered the house.
Chapter Eleven
Jacqueline had just finished packing up the leftover food, whenCasey hurried through the kitchen with her head down. She was surprised whenCasey didn’t stop or speak, and she didn’t recover until Casey was well throughthe room.
“Hey.” She caught up to Casey near the front door. But she didn’treally know what she’d intended to say when Casey turned with her purse in herhand. “Do you want to take the rest of the food home?”
“No. Keep it here. You two will eat it sooner than I will.” Caseyturned back toward the door.
“Can we talk?” Why did everything she said sound like she’dblurted it out?
“About?” Casey looked frustrated.
“Okay. You were right. I was a selfish ass.” Jacqueline bracedone arm on the couch, needing some kind of anchor to keep her from crossing toCasey. “I knew I should have come home. But lately, between Dad and work, Idon’t have—I just needed—”
“It’s clear exactly what you needed.”
“No, I—”
“Please don’t insult me.”
“Marti is—she’s a friend.” Friendwas probably a stretch.
“So, you’ve never slept with her?”
She blushed and looked away. She wasn’t ashamed of her behavior.She’d always owned the truth about her relationships. But laying it all outbefore Casey made her feel embarrassed about what that truth said about her.
“How many times when we were together did you call and say youwere sorry but you wouldn’t be home that night after all?”
Jacqueline gave a short nod. “More times than I should have. ButI wasn’t cheating on you. I never—”
“I know. But it didn’t seem to bother you much when you couldn’tcome home either.”
“What was I supposed to do, Casey? This is my job. Was I supposedto quit so I could stay home and live a fairy tale with you and Sean? I’d besacrificing everything I’ve worked for since college. That’s not realistic.”
“You don’t think I gave things up? You talk about college as ifyou were the only one there with dreams. God, when I think about that girl Iwas then—I had plans, too, you know. I was creative and—and imaginative and—”
“You were good—you are—an amazing photographer. I’ve always toldyou that.”
“Taking portraits—was not my dream, Jacq. But life happens. Imade sacrifices, for Sean and for us.” Casey’s college aspirations to travel,then exhibit photographs of her trips seemed so far away. They’d been onlytwenty-five when they adopted Sean, and she’d just been getting started makinga name for herself.
“Sean is grown now, maybe you could—”
“You don’t get it. Sean became my dream. My priorities changedwhen he came into our lives. I know I could have tried to have it all, lots ofwomen do, but I made my choice. Maybe someday I’ll venture into a new aspect ofmy career, but even if I never accomplish anything more, I don’t regret it.”
“So, I’m a heartless bitch because I didn’t sideline my career?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“But it’s what you think. Have you forgotten who was bringinghome the paychecks while you were getting your business going?”
“Jacq—”
“I refuse to let you make me feel guilty for providing for myfamily. Do you think I don’t know what I missed out on while I was sitting inall those hotel rooms?” WhatI’m still missing.
“Well, apparently, you’re making up for it with your hotel-roomactivities now,” Casey snapped.
“I didn’t have sex with Marti that night.” She chose to ignorethe reference to any other nights before then.
“That is so not the point. I’m not trying to tell you who you canand can’t sleep with.”
“Then exactly what are you trying to do?”
Casey shook her head—almost absently—the way she did when she wasabout to shut down emotionally.
“What?” Jacqueline prompted, desperate to get through before Casey’swalls came up.
“Forget it.”
She stepped closer and raised her voice, trying to change Casey’scourse. “What the hell did you want from me?”
“I wanted you to want me,” Casey shouted back. Her purse hit thefloor and she covered her mouth with a trembling hand. She cleared her throatand went on, softer now. “Back then, I wanted you to want to come home. So badly, that youwould drive through your exhaustion just to not be away from us for one morenight.”
Jacqueline stared at her, unable to formulate a single responseto that heartbreaking statement. Casey’s face flushed and tears filled hereyes.
Casey began talking again, as if trying to find a route away fromthe tension filling the space between them. “I know it wasn’t realistic, or safeeven. You could have fallen asleep at the wheel and had an accident, and Iwouldn’t have wanted—”
Jacqueline surged forward, until she’d physically erased thespace between them. She cradled Casey’s face in her hands and took her mouth inan aggressive kiss. Casey sagged against her, responsive at once, her tonguemeeting Jacqueline’s in a rhythm they’d perfected two decades ago. She slippedher hands to Casey’s neck, gentling her touch against the soft skin and thefeather-light ends of her hair. The feel of Casey’s lips moving against hersexploded against her every nerve ending, bathing her in the taste, texture, andscent of Casey.
Before she could figure out how this could be both a familiarkiss and a first kiss at once, Casey’s hands pushed against her chest, weaklyat first, then stronger until she broke the connection.
“What are you doing?” Casey backed up until she hit the wallbehind her. She held two fingers against her lips, and Jacqueline recognizedthe haze of arousal in her eyes.
“Oh God, I’m sorry.”
