“You can’t drive. You did shots.” Jacqueline jerked her face freefrom Casey’s soft fingers. She didn’t want to see the dark-blue flares thatringed Casey’s pupils and feathered into lighter blue around the edges. Evenmore, she didn’t want to know that those subtle color changes were therewithout even looking. But she did.
“Hours ago.” Casey captured her chin again, but instead ofholding on, she slipped her hand against her cheek. “Please, stay. I’ll worryif you don’t.”
Jacqueline relaxed into her hand. She needed Casey so badly thatshe couldn’t keep it all inside. “How do you still wreck me?”
“I think that’s the tequila.” Despite Casey’s even tone,something in her eyes indicated she hadn’t been unaffected by Jacqueline’swords.
“No.” The drinking had dulled her inhibitions. She struggled toregain control before she embarrassed herself further. “I should go.”
“Please. Stay in Sean’s room.”
Jacqueline nodded. But she wouldn’t get any rest just down thehall from their bedroom—their former bedroom. Casey took her hand and led herto Sean’s room. Neither of them turned on the light.
“Are you really okay?” Jacqueline didn’t release her hand as theystopped next to the bed. She tugged Casey closer and rested her hand on Casey’ship.
“Because I lost at poker?” Casey flattened her palm against thecenter of Jacqueline’s chest. She didn’t push her away, but she exerted enoughpressure to keep her from getting too close.
“About Nina.”
“Yes. It’s been a few weeks. I’m okay.”
“Good.” Jacqueline took a step back, letting Casey know she wasserious and sober enough to not be a threat. “You’ve been there for me withDad. I don’t know how I would have handled it all without you. So, if you needanything—I know with, well, everything else, it may not always be comfortable,but I’m here for you.”
“I know.” Before Jacqueline could react, Casey stepped close andwrapped her arms around her.
“Casey.” Jacqueline encircled her waist and rested her hands inthe hollow of her lower back.
“Shh, just let me hold you for a second.” Casey stroked down theback of Jacqueline’s head and cupped her neck.
Jacqueline closed her eyes, desperate to absorb the feel ofCasey, her scent, the dance of her fingers across the base of her neck, and thesoft brush of her hair against her cheek.
Far too soon, Casey released her. She looked like she wanted
to say something serious. But, seeming to make some private decision, she shookher head once and said, “I’ll bring you something to sleep in.”
*
Jacqueline rolled onto her back and sighed. She untangled thesheet from around her legs. After a night of restless dozing, which sheattributed only partly to the alcohol, she’d finally fallen into a deep sleep,only to be awakened by a sound somewhere in the house. She listened intently,trying to determine if she’d heard Casey in the kitchen or if she was still inher bedroom.
She sat up, still not sure exactly what woke her. Maybe she couldsneak out without saying anything to Casey. She hadn’t done anything wrong.She’d maybe been too flirty and a bit more vulnerable than she wanted to be.But Casey had, too. And she was the one who was most recently single. She gotout of bed and, hearing noise from the kitchen, headed downstairs. She’d faceCasey, not because she was brave, but because she was willing to endure theawkwardness in order to spend a little more time with her.
“I hope you have some strong coffee,” Jacqueline said as sherounded the corner into the kitchen. But she stopped short and gasped when shesaw Sean standing in front of the stove instead of Casey. “Geez, Sean, youscared me.”
“What? You didn’t expect me to be here to witness your walk ofshame?” He sprinkled cheese, mushrooms, and spinach into a pan of cooked eggs.
“Watch your mouth.” She shoved him to the side as she angledclose to the Keurig machine. As she waited for her coffee, she looked over hisshoulder. “Are you going to share that?”
“Sure. Bacon’s already on the counter.” He gestured behind himwith the spatula. “It’s turkey bacon. Mom doesn’t have any real pig in thehouse.”
“That can’t be right. She loves bacon.”
“Nope. She gave up pork ever since she saw some video on theInternet about how badly pigs are treated on corporate pig farms.”
“Cows are, too.” Jacqueline took a bite of a strip of meat thatbarely resembled bacon and shook her head. “She giving up red meat too? Andchickens?”
“Please, don’t get her started. Once we got passed on theinterstate by a truck hauling a bunch of chickens in crates, and she was avegetarian for almost six months. But she’ll never give up steak.” He held upthe frying pan. “Plate?”
She grabbed a plate and he tilted the pan over it, simultaneouslysliding out and folding the omelet. “Want half?”
“I’ll make another.” He poured some more beaten eggs into the hotpan. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing.” She rested against the counter and forked a bite ofegg into her mouth.
“Then what are you doing here? Other than sleeping in my room.”
She shrugged. “Drank too much at Kendra’s thing last night, soMom made me crash here.”
He gave her a look of disbelief. “Be careful. She’s vulnerableright now.”
She smiled. He was always more protective over Casey. “Don’tworry about it.”
She might have laughed at his stern stare if he didn’t seem to betrying so hard at it. “I’m not a kid anymore.”
“What do you mean?”
“You guys tried to hide your problems from me back then. But Iheard you fighting. I felt the tension, even if I didn’t understand it.Now—something’s different again.” He kept his eyes on the eggs, working theedges in so the uncooked liquid could fill in around them. Omelets had been hisspecialty since Casey first taught him the technique when he was nine. He wouldset his alarm on Sunday mornings and get up early to surprise them withbreakfast in bed. As he grew up, the omelet remained the same, but the fillingsgot more sophisticated—graduating from shredded cheese to the gourmet creation shecurrently enjoyed.
“My relationship with your mom is between the two of us. It hasno impact on how much we love you.”
“Your relationship does impact
