Dating A Cougar (24 page)

“Alexa talked to the press about me?” Casey asked, swallowing the lump in his throat.

“Yeah. Your picture and the story ran two days in the paper. She stood in the conference looking like a queen, answering what she wanted to answer, deflecting what she didn’t. That sweet baby you saved was in her arms part of the time with her mama looking on the whole thing. That woman of yours has more poise than the hospital lawyers,” the therapist told him, helping Casey from the chair and back to the bed.

“Alexa was a model,” Casey said proudly. “She also has her own business. She’s incredible.”

“Well, I don’t doubt that,” the therapist answered easily. “Let me tell you, she flicked off the doctors chasing after her like she was shooing away flies.”

She poked Casey in the chest with her finger. “That woman is totally in love with you, in case you didn’t know. Whatever you did, you better apologize fast.”

Casey laughed. “Yes, ma’am. If she ever talks to me again, I will certainly apologize.”

That night Casey dreamed of Susan. They were at a picnic and she was flicking flies off herself, getting more and more irritated with them. It made him laugh. She looked at him laughing at her discomfort and told him he would never change. Then she blew him a kiss and disappeared.

The second dream was him dragging Alexa to the floor in her office, ripping the clothes from her body, but undressing her was as far as he got in the dream. He woke up panting with a throbbing erection, no relief in sight. Casey figured such a punishment was well deserved. Not dragging Alexa to the floor was the only regret he had with her, until three days ago when he had refused to see her.

There was no sleeping after the dreams. Casey lay awake in the dark, wondering how to explain to Alexa about his memories of Susan. In the end, he had been as disloyal as he had feared, but it had been to the wrong woman.

“I’m sorry, honey,” he whispered. “Please don’t give up on me.”

Chapter 24

“Mama, this is an intervention,” Jenna yelled as she came through the front door and walked in the direction of the bedroom. “No more sulking. Regina and Lauren will be here shortly.”

She’d visited her mother and found her in tears three days in a row. Today Jenna had decided to change the situation.

“Jenna, what are you yelling about,” Alexa said, walking out of the bedroom in a new blue dress the color of her eyes, long silver and blue sapphire earrings hanging from both ears. “I have a date, and I want to make sure I get there on time.”

“You have a date? But I thought—“ Jenna looked at her mother, blinking at how incredible she looked. “Wow. Nice blue dress. I bet you can sit in that one.”

“Yes, I can. And you may borrow it sometime. I keep telling you dresses don’t have to fit like a second skin to be sexy,” Alexa said, smoothing a hand down the front of the dress. She liked the feel of the woven textures banding the waist.

“Sydney made this for me. It feels amazing,” she said.

“Looks amazing too,” Jenna said. “Uh, who’s your date?”

Alexa looked at her daughter. “Seth,” she said.

Jenna looked like she’d been slapped.

Alexa put her hands on her hips, wondering how long it would be before Jenna stopped passing such harsh judgment on her.

“Really, Jenna? I know Seth brings out your inner drama queen, but can’t you at least give me a little credit?” Alexa frowned at her daughter in open disgust. “For pity’s sake, I’m not dating your old boyfriend. I’ve been meeting Seth every day to get updates on Casey. The dress is because I intend to see Casey Carter today whether he wants to see me or not. And when I do, I damn well intend him to suffer.”

Jenna shook her head to clear away the awful thoughts and make room for some clear thinking. Maturity flittered and fluttered around like a butterfly, never landing on her for long.

“So Seth gives you updates?” Jenna asked, her voice a squeak.

Alexa shook her head up and down. “Yes. I think if it wasn’t for Seth, I wouldn’t be functional. He makes me meet him in person and starts every meeting with an apology for both him and Casey.”

“Sounds like Seth,” Jenna said as she sat. “What about—do you still cry every day?”

Alexa took a seat across from Jenna. “Yes, I do. I cry for Casey and what he’s going through. Then I cry for myself because—well, just because I miss him. Seth told me why Casey refused to see me. I cried about that too, and then I got over it.”

Alexa rose and went to get her purse. “Casey may still long for the wife he lost, but I’m the woman he’s got now. I’ve decided to let the present be enough for me since it’s a waste of energy to be jealous of a dead woman or his memories of her.”

“But aren’t you still hurting?” Jenna asked, seeing the pain move through her mother’s expression in answer.

“Of course I am,” Alexa answered honestly. “My relationship to Casey is turning out to be as tough as the one I had with your father. Since Casey is the first man I’ve loved since Paul, I guess it sort of makes a weird kind of sense.”

“But what if Casey hurts you again?” Jenna asked.

Alexa sighed. “I suppose it could happen, but Casey’s more likely to make me angry a dozen times a day than he is to seriously break my heart. Loving someone isn’t all wonderful, honey. The bottom line is I want what I can have of love with Casey. I’m willing to take the risk of being hurt.”

Jenna just continued to look at her mother in amazement.

“I don’t know how you dig down inside yourself after all you’ve been through this week and somehow find the will to put on a blue dress and go confront him. I think I only had one of those brave moments in me. After failing, I just can’t imagine doing it again,” she told her mother.

“When you find a man who’s worth the effort, you’ll risk anything as many times as necessary, even when you know it might not work out. I’m sure Regina would tell you it’s extremely unhealthy. Sometimes though, it’s just what you have to do, especially with stubborn men,” Alexa said, hugging her daughter and kissing her cheek. “Thank you for the intervention. I am blessed you love me enough to care.”

“Mama,” Jenna said, running a hand through her hair. “I’m sorry about the Seth thing. I’m just—just messed up where he’s concerned. Take the Ferrari today. It goes with the dress. The BMW is too conservative.”

Alexa jingled the Ferrari keys already in her hand. “You are so right, sweetie,” she said, making Jenna laugh.

As her mother drove down the driveway, Jenna made calls to back off the crowd she had arranged to descend.

*** *** ***

Seth felt Alexa enter the cafeteria before he ever saw her. Of course, the whispers, banging trays, and other chaos that ensued would have dragged his attention to her anyway. Today, Alexa was wearing a dress the color of her eyes and looking like she was done being patient. It made him smile. Seth wished he could be a bug on the wall when she confronted Casey.

Though he was still adjusting to seeing Alexa dressed up, it was a pleasure to look at the woman in “full model mode” as Casey called it. Seth couldn’t help being a little jealous of his cousin. Not because Seth wanted Alexa, but because he wondered how much of her mother’s femininity Jenna had inherited, and if he would ever get a chance to find out. He wondered if he was the reason Jenna didn’t dress up more often.

Alexa bent to kiss his cheek, then rubbed the lipstick stain with her thumb.

“Sorry,” she said. “I have a tendency to forget I’m wearing makeup. I went a long time without doing so.”

“You look really good today,” Seth said, enjoying the envious glances of tables and tables of doctors.

“Thank you,” Alexa said, taking the seat across from him. “How is our patient doing?”

“Casey had a bad night,” Seth said. “He woke up dreaming and couldn’t go back to sleep.”

Alexa nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Lately, she was torn between wanting Casey to be miserable and wanting him to get well. “I intend to see him today,” Alexa told Seth.

Seth nodded with a laugh. “Yeah, I kind of figured that out from the dress.”

“This old thing,” Alexa said, attempting to joke, but not able to laugh it off as easily she’d hoped. She had needed to be at her best, more shaken about competing with Casey’s memories of his wife than she’d wanted anyone to know.

Seth reached across the table. “Remember the day you showed up at my condo wearing your ex-husband’s sweats.”

Alexa snorted. “Quite well. Thanks for reminding me of my humiliation.”

“Let me just apologize for all the thoughts I had about your lack of attractiveness and say I stand completely corrected,” Seth said. “The only woman who comes close to being as beautiful as you is your daughter.”

“Well, aren’t you being sweet today,” Alexa said with a genuine smile.

“No,” Seth replied. “I’m being honest. Casey told me back then, but I didn’t get it. Now I do and I’m happy as hell for him. I also want you to know I’m still in love with Jenna. I plan to get her back.”

“One more exciting thing in life to look forward to,” Alexa said laughing, squeezing his hand back.

Seth looked at his watch. “I think you need to head on up to the physical therapy treatment room. Casey should be about half through by now. You really need to see what you paid for in action. He’s slow as Christmas still but walking without a cane, crutches, or any support at times.”

Alexa closed her eyes and said a quick prayer of thanks. “That’s wonderful, Seth.”

“Yes. It is. Now go. Make him work for it. Don’t give in too easy. He’s too used to getting his way around upset women,” Seth joked. “I don’t know why he should have it any easier than the rest of us poor saps.”

The phone rang and Seth gladly took the call.

*** *** ***

“Agnes, I hear this is the last day you get to torture me,” Casey said to his therapist, strapping the ankles weights on by himself. He pulled himself to his feet and braced himself on the parallel bars to begin his walking treks.

“Good. I’m ready for a break,” Agnes said. “I think I’m going to turn over my job to the woman in the blue dress. She looks like she can handle you just fine.”

Casey looked up to see Alexa walk into the treatment room. He was as speechless and overwhelmed as he had been the first time he saw Alexa dressed up. His eyes dropped to her legs for a long time before he could drag them back up to her face. By that time he managed it, Alexa’s arms were crossed, but she was at least smiling.

“If I start by saying how damn sorry I am for not explaining, will you walk down here and hug me?” Casey asked. “I’ve missed you like hell, lady.”

“You wish it could be that easy,” Alexa said, narrowing her eyes and tossing her hair over one shoulder. She had to steal herself not to run to him.

“Maybe you should have sent the flowers after all,” Agnes said in a whisper.

“Now you tell me,” Casey said, taking a slow step forward.

“Seth explained two days ago. I’ve been ignoring you on purpose,” Alexa told him.

Casey took another couple of steps. The weights really added to the workout. Or it might be the pain in his chest.

“So why did you come today?” Casey asked, panting as he worked his way down the bars.

“I lost the stubborn contest,” Alexa told him. “I missed you, too.”

“No, you didn’t lose,” Casey told her. “They wouldn’t let me out and Seth refused to help me. I’d have come the day after to take it all back. I was—I was just scared when I woke up. I didn’t know where I was or who I was or—“

“—or which woman you were with?” Alexa finished for him, hoping her tone said volumes about how much she didn’t give a damn.

“It’s not as bad it as it sounds,” Casey said, stopping. “Though I can see how you might not feel the same way about it.”

“Lucky for you, my ego doesn’t fit in any of my cars,” Alexa told him, eyeing his walk with as much interest as she had in their conversation. “Since the entire hospital heard you calling my name over and over while you were drifting in and out of consciousness, I think that trumps your dream about still being married to Susan.”

“I just didn’t want to get you confused with her,” Casey said sadly.

Alexa slid her purse from her shoulder and hung it on the bar. She stepped into the walkway to be there when Casey got to the end of it.

“Yet another insensitive statement that does not help your cause with me,” Alexa said, planting her feet firmly to keep from walking into his arms. “If you ever get down here, I’ll see if I can clear up any remaining confusion about which woman I am.”

“I told Agnes you were hard and unforgiving,” Casey said, almost within reach at last.

“If I am, it’s your fault,” Alexa agreed. “You bring out the worst in me, but I’m in love with you anyway.”

“Thank god for that,” Casey said, putting his arms around her. “I love you, Alexa. Don’t stay away so long next time. Just come back and kick my ass.”

“Deal,” Alexa said, wrapping her arms around him and hanging on, leaning back against the bar and taking his weight on her.

Casey put his hands in her hair and kissed her like his life depended on it, because it did.

Alexa laughed against his mouth and kissed him back as she held him to her body.

“Lord, you two,” Agnes said, fanning herself. “You could start a fire with that heat. Good thing they’re springing you tomorrow, Carter.”

“Is there anything special I need to know about taking care of this stubborn man?” Alexa asked Agnes, as Casey turned around and headed back down the bars.

“It’s too late,” Agnes told her. “You gave in too easy, girl. He’ll think he can get anything over on you now because you let him off the hook so fast. You should have seen how sorry he was two days ago.”

Alexa laughed. “What can I say? I guess I’m just easy.”

“That’s not what those doctors you refused to date are saying about you,” Agnes told her around a smirk.

Alexa shrugged one elegant shoulder. “I got a thing for Marines,” Alexa said with a sigh. “It hit me after I turned fifty.

“Takes all kinds,” Agnes said with a laugh, looking her over. “You sure don’t look fifty. Maybe you could do better than him.” She nodded her head in Casey’s direction, and Alexa laughed again.

Casey got to the end of the bars. “You know, I am still in the room and not deaf.”

“Turn your butt around and walk back down those bars again. Put some real weights on those ankles first,” Agnes said. “No, wait—don’t sit. I’ll do it for you. That way I know you aren’t cheating. I’m not as nice as your lady. I know better than to trust you military guys. Frank was in the Navy.”

“Figures,” Casey said, wincing as Agnes tightened the extra ankle weights.

“Walk,” Agnes ordered. “Two more times, and then we’re done. I’m sending you to the clinic after this. Let someone else work on keeping you honest.”

Alexa watched Casey struggle with walking with the extra weights, working hard to keep the tears from flowing.

Agnes elbowed her. “He’s fine. This is necessary. Both of you will be glad for it a month from now when he doesn’t need a cane to get around. The titanium replacement is the best thing to happen to him. It was the silver lining to the cloud.”