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Chapter 16
Mel
I looked back in my rearview mirror as I pulled the car away from the house. Earl filled me in on our latest resident in Heart Bluff. Travis McKennan has made quite a name for himself in the Marine Corps. A real hero if what Earl says is accurate. Cassie couldn't have a better bodyguard. Or a more tasty one. That girl got the whole package with that boy.
Waving my hand in my face at the thought of what has to be happening between those two behind closed doors, I laugh at myself. "Calm yourself, girl. He's Cassie's prize not mine."
And if she doesn't hold on to him with both hands when this is over, then Cassie's lost her mind.
I haven't known Cassie long personally, although I have heard plenty about her over the last several of months from Earl. He seems to know a little about everything lately. Which is funny because people around here think I'm the gossip! Ha! That man knows more than I do.
Cassie's daddy has been worried sick about her. I know that. The moment Earl realized who Cassie was, he was on the phone with his friend. It was a relief, I know, that we were able to watch over her for him. Although I have a feeling there's a lot more going on than I've been told.
Cassie has secrets I don't think her daddy knows about. That's probably why he was so adamant that he sent in his own man to watch her. He must have known she wasn't telling him the truth. She seemed so apprehensive and innocent when I first met her.
Who would have guessed shy little Cassie McAfferty was Colonel McAfferty's troubled daughter. Glancing through the mirror at Jacob, who has a bulky toy car in his hand that he's banging against his car seat. "You're one lucky kiddo, Jacob. If your mama can get her head straight, you're gonna have yourself one of the best men in the world for a daddy."
At the light, I dug my hand into my purse and blindly searched until I pulled out my cell phone. I promised I'd call as soon as I had this sweet boy in my hands. "Hi darlin', it's me. Everything's fine. Just wanted you to know Travis is doing just fine with her."
I'm sure Earl has told him the same thing.
"She doesn't seem to know a thing, at least not that I can tell. They had some sort of disagreement this morning, but I think it was just a lover's quarrel." I pulled the phone away from my ear and paused as the angry voice boomed in my ear.
I know Cassie is his baby girl, but she's a grown woman with a baby, not a naive teenager who's shacking up with a married man. It's high time that he gets that through his thick head. There's a reason Cassie rebelled against him and his rules. She needs freedom to be an adult.
The Colonel ranted the next few miles about how Cassie is too impulsive and not thinking about the consequences of her actions. He growled about her needing structure in her life, stability for her son. He hasn't asked me why I believe they are lovers. Or at the very least, on the way there. I'll just have to set him straight.
"Yes, I do think they are. I may not be the brightest bulb on the block, Colonel, but I can see two people falling in love just fine." The growling and grumbling in my ear continued again. "Oh, God grief, stop it. They're adults, John! You wouldn't have sent him here if you didn't trust and respect him! I know all too well that you don't respect many people, John."
He doesn't like that I'm not calling him Colonel. Too bad. I'm not one of his soldiers. I don't have to follow their rules. I'm definitely not some wet behind the ears child he thinks he can boss around. He's lucky I'm very fond of Cassie and Travis that I'm willing to keep him in the loop.
"John! Cassie's in good hands. She's safe and Travis has a heart of gold. He won't let her get hurt, I'm positive about that. Relax." He muttered something about what I can do with his gold heart. It made me let out an unappreciated laugh.
"I'll give them your love, honey. Take care now." Hanging up the phone with a smile on my face. I look back at the little angel in my backseat. "You're grand-daddy loves you so much, I know he wants to meet you. Don't you worry, he will soon, I'm sure of it."
Playing the spy game has been fun for me. It has been easy enough for me. I'm not known around town as the local gossip for nothing. So to find out, dig up, and eavesdrop for information on the newcomer in town hasn't been very difficult. And getting to know most of the players in this little game has been very intriguing.
I like nothing better than a good dramatic romance. This is definitely that. Give me a large soda and a bucket of popcorn. I'm ready for the action scene! And by action I don't mean guns blazing. I'm talking serious action, the kind that have some 'bow chica bow wow' to it!
Old Doc Earl served with John McAfferty years ago, when they still wet behind the ears. So when Cassie's name came up in conversation when she first arrived in town, Doc's curiosity rose thinking it might be possible that she is John's daughter. A few phone calls later and a visit with a PI that was snooping around town gave him his answer. She is the one and only John James McAfferty's little girl.
Isn't it a hoot that she wound up here in this small town where her daddy old friend lives?
After the little talk Doc had with that PI who was asking a lot of questions about Cassie, it didn't take very long for John to contact Doc. The PI as it turns out wasn't hired by John. That's when both of them got fired up about who could be after her. I can't say they were wrong. As it happens I agreed with their assessment. John needed to find out what was really going on with his daughter.
That's where I got involved. Doc told John that I would be his best source of information on Cassie's situation. Being as I'm female and a wealth of local information, I'm highly skilled at getting people to talk to me. I love a good mystery as much as the next guy, so lending my ear and befriending Cassie was easy enough.
Unfortunately, that girl is exceptional at keeping her secrets. I couldn't tell him much, but I agreed to keep an eye on her, just in case there are any problems. Doc and I have stayed in touch with John and kept tabs on Cassie. It's the best we could do until Travis came to town.
When John let us know he was sending Travis to town, I knew there was something more happening than we knew about. Cassie never let on that she was in any trouble. She definitely didn't know a thing about Travis. I would have heard about that. My involvement in the situation and Doc's connection to John was intact, so I assumed our little secret was still safe.
I had to give myself a big Pat on the back for my self control. For someone who is known as the local gossip hound, I've managed to keep the best secret in town and I still haven't said a word. Now that was a monumental feat.
If I only had the same kind of restraint with Miss Molly's cream puffs, I'd have the same sleek body as a Victoria Secret model.
Laughing at myself for even thinking that I could resist one of those sweet tasty treats, I remind myself to swing by the bakery and pick up my weekly order. One of these days, I'm gonna find myself a man who's gonna love me as much as I do those cream puffs.
Travis
I drove about a half a mile down the road before I couldn't stand it and pulled over to the side of the road. All I could do was sit there, staring out the windshield at the tree line in front of me. My frustrations are getting the best of me. I let Cassie's reluctance get to me. I know better than this. I allowed my own feelings to cloud my judgment and now I'm no longer thinking with my head.
It's not a part of my job to want Cassie with me. It has nothing to do with her safety. It has nothing to do with the reason I was sent here. It's my own wants, my own needs distracting me from my objectives.
I have to stop this nonsense.
No matter how I feel, I can't let this happen. Cassie is right. We have to keep our eyes on the target. Banging my fists against the steering wheel, I grind my teeth pissed at myself for doing what I know can get both of us killed. I have to forget about any ideas I might have of a life with her and back away from those feelings as fast and far as possible. I have a job to do, I need to do it.
How am I supposed to do this when every time I look at Cassie, all the time I spend with her, only makes me want her more? This isn't going the way I thought it would. If I act on my feelings, I'll be taking a huge risk, not only jeopardizing Cassie and Jacob, but also the Colonel, his wife, anyone in town who gets in the way and myself. If I don't act, I'll be driving myself crazy thinking about her. No matter what I do, I'm still putting all of them in jeopardy.
It's a catch 22. For the first time in my career as a Marine, I don't know what I should do. I need to talk to someone, anyone at this point, who can point me in the right direction. I have to make this decision while thinking all the way through the consequences. I didn't realize when I agreed to take this assignment just how dangerous it really is for her and Jacob.
Pulling out my cell phone, I dialed the old familiar number that I haven't called since I enlisted in the Corps. I just hope I get one of my brothers or my Mom and not him. I don't know how he'll feel about me after all these years.
When I hear the voice of my brother, Matt, I breathe a sigh of relief. "Hey, it's Travis... Good, I'm good."
"Where are you stationed now? I haven't heard from you since you were on leave in Italy. It was not cool sending me those pictures and giving me a heads up when you were going to be there. I would have flown out to meet you. So are you still overseas?" The guy doesn't give me a chance to get a word in.
"No, I'm stateside, been out for a few weeks now." I know I'm in for the third degree now.
"What? Where the fuck are you? Why aren't you here? Dad's gonna shit when he finds out you're back." He's not wrong. Dad's not going to be happy about it.
He's going to want details. Details I can't give him yet. So I'm giving him the need to know basics. "I got sidetracked. I'll be home when I've wrapped things up here. Matt, you can't say anything to anybody. I need you to not mention you've even talked to me. Not yet. My commanding officer asked a favor of me. I agreed to help him out. Anyway, he sent me on a top secret mission, off the books."
"Seriously? You haven't been through enough? I hope you're getting paid for this." He knows how I am. I'm always willing to help someone out. Especially when that someone is close to me or someone I respect. I respect the Colonel.
"Yeah, I am." Although getting paid seems wrong now. "He needed someone he could trust to do the job. He asked me the day I was discharged."
Of course, my brother has twenty million questions for me. I should have known that I'd have to do some explaining before I could ask him anything. It's not like I don't owe my family that much. I do, and probably a lot more than that, but I don't have a lot of time to get into details. I will, I'll answer all their questions as soon as this is done.
"So it's not a military assignment. You're just doing him a favor?" I don't know if I would call it a favor.
"No. Look, Matt, I don't have a lot of time right now to get into the whole thing. I will explain everything later, I promise, but I'm in a situation here." I don't have time for this. I should get back to the house. I don't feel right leaving Cassie alone.
"What did you hook up with the Colonel's daughter behind his back?" Laughing at my expense, Matt has no idea how close he is to the truth. "Didn't you learn your lesson when you tried to get to first base with Mr. Mattingly's daughter?"
He just has to give me shit. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I close my eyes. Some things never change. Matt was pretty sore at me for making a move on the lovely Ava Mattingly. He was soft on her and didn't tell me. Had I known, I never would have convinced her to sneak out that night.
"I've apologized to you about that!" I'm not going to apologize again. Mom was furious with me for a month because of Ava. "This isn't the same thing." Not exactly.
Matt is closest to me, we're barely a year apart in age, where Michael and Daniel are four and six years younger. Matt and I have always been thick as thieves growing up. Whatever I was doing you could bet Matt was with me. He was pretty pissed when I left him behind when I enlisted. I had to leave him here. Mom and Dad wouldn't have been able to handle it if they lost both of us. He was the better of both of us. He needed to take care of them.
"Fine! So who'd you get pregnant or marry? If you're married, Mom's gonna have your ass. You know she's been looking forward to planning a wedding for years now." Reminding me that Mom was bummed she didn't have a girl, I'm grateful I escaped that nightmare conversation with her.
Matt's right though, Mom would be furious with me. At least I didn't screw up there. Not yet.
"Dude! I didn't get anyone pregnant! No! I'm not married either! Will you shut up and I'll tell you!" Christ, he's as bad as a female with this shit! "Look, I need your help as a cop. Before you ask, do not get Dad involved. Just between us for now, okay? I'll deal with him after I finish here. I've got a problem and I'm not sure how to handle it."
Matt will keep this quiet. That's how he is. His ability to keep his mouth shut and his eyes and ears open are part of what makes him a great cop. But more than that, he'll back me up if I need it. I have a feeling I'm going to need him here before this is over.
"You don't ask for help unless it's a woman problem. So what'd you do?" Looking at my watch, I don't have much time left. I've got to get into town and back soon. I've left Cassie alone too long as it is.
I chuckled softly at my brother's ability to razz me about my lack of knowledge with women. He's the one who did better at handling those situations. "Alright already. Yes! It's a woman, okay? Will you just help me out here?"
"You called the expert. Tell me everything and I'll get you out of your bind." Matt teases me. I bet he's got that cocky smirk on his face too, just from the sound of his voice.
I know how to wipe that smirk off his face. "Since when are you an expert? I clearly remember you coming to me the night before your senior prom because you didn't know how to..."
"I've been practicing since then. If you don't think I know what I'm doing, why'd you call me? Or we're hoping for Mom to do the birds and bees talk again. Maybe spending all that time staring out a scope you've forgotten what being with a woman is like?" He gets his digs in. That's okay, I know the truth. Just like he does.
"Actually I figured Daniel would be more experienced with this sort of thing." Chuckling at the string of curses that followed, Matt started yelling for our baby brother.
He didn't just get Daniel on the line but Michael too. The gang's all here. My brothers, my friends, my support group. I'll never fail as long as I have these guys watching my back. I'll never be alone, and I'll never forget what they are to me.
It took longer than I expected. But it was what I needed to make the right decision. They keep me grounded, they keep me straight and they are always there to support me or join me depending on the circumstances.
"So, now that the kids are gone." Matt begins after Michael and Daniel hung up. "The Colonel's daughter? Dude you know if that goes sideways, he's gonna have your ass?"
I thought about that too. "I'm not in anymore. I'm just a regular guy now. I'm just doing him a favor." Yeah, even I can hear the bullshit in my words. "He has to know what his daughter is like. I mean, she's his blood. She's beautiful and smart and so damn stubborn. I'd have to be blind, stupid and crazy to not see what she is. I'm not any of that. It's not dead, Matt. And neither is she."
"But a kid, Travis? That's a tough complication to add into the mix. And the trouble you talked about, that's not simple to waive off. Are you sure you want to go there? Her safety, the kid's that has to come first. We can be there by morning. We've got your back, if you want backup." And there's the simple truth. All I have to do is say the word and they'll be here. "We can be a lot more focused, more cautious than you can with everything else you said. You get distracted, it can cost both of you."
He's not lying. I'm aware of what is at stake if I screw this up. And isn't that the reason I made this call? He knows it. I know it.
"What about Mom and Dad? They'll know something is up if all three of you leave. I don't want them to worry about us." I can't add to everything else I've put them through.
"True. Look, I'll come alone. You need help. I'm right here. Think about it, Travis. Your feelings get the best of you and she could lose her kid, or she could lose you. Give me the address. I'll get my things together and I'll get there by morning."
I didn't want to chance anything happening on my watch. I've taken enough of a chance being gone this long as it is. Giving him the information he needs and making sure he has a cover story for our parents, we walked through the arrangements to get him here.
"I appreciate this, Matt. Really." I owe him big for this.
"I know. Don't be a hero without me. Keep her and the kid safe. I'm on my way." Matt warns me before he hangs up.
Starting the truck up, I headed into town. By this time tomorrow my brother will be here and between the two of us, we'll keep Cassie safe and figure out how to keep Dean as far from her as possible.
I should have paid better attention to my surroundings. I should have checked again on Dean's status. Instead, I let my guard down and did something I've never done. I thought with my heart not my head. If I had just stuck to my job, I would have been prepared for what was coming for us. I would have told Matt to bring everyone, including his police department. I didn't know how bad it was about to get.
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