Lean on Me (10 page)

“If we share a shower, I can give you a rubdown.”

Oh yeah. Look at that. His lower half was just fine. “All of me?

“Any part you want.”

“I’ll race you inside.”

Chapter Eleven

Three nights at Mitch’s house and two public meals, complete with holding hands. Cassidy waited for the sky to fall. That’s what happened when things went well for her. The ying to her yang hit overdrive and something terrible happened. She’d messed up an interview. She got sick. She lost everything. There was so much bad in her past that sometimes it overwhelmed the good.

Except for him.

She looked over and watched Mitch talk to the state inspector as they paged through paperwork. She couldn’t hear him over the roar of the crane. Couldn’t hear much of anything. Nursery employees and some interested neighbors stood around shouting about angles and distance to the house. They’d dug a huge channel around the tree and now it was a waiting game.

Today was the day Spence was taking the two trees, and Allan wasn’t here to supervise. He was the guy who watched over everything. When he didn’t like the way painters were working on the house years ago, he fired them and did the work himself after work each night.

He’d given Mitch some excuse about missing today and his friend needing him. Never mind people were digging up the yard of the house he loved.

“Tough day?” Spence came up beside her as he asked the question. His attention centered on the equipment in front of him.

“I wish Allan were here.”

He tucked his clipboard under his arm. “Me, too. I’m never comfortable doing property work without the owners around to sign off.”

She looked at Spence then. Behind the handsome face and dark hair she saw the locked jaw. Also noticed the stubborn refusal to give her eye contact. The man acted like he hated her and she couldn’t remember them saying more than ten words to each other in ten years. She understood being protective of his friend, but she hadn’t given him any reason to worry.

She kept starting, willing him to look at her. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Okay.”

“But you’re determined to see the worst in me.”

He faced her then. “I don’t know you.”

“And you would think that would stop you from judging me.”

“Your record isn’t exactly clean.”

Judgment and an unbending belief in his position. She’d dealt with men like that her entire life. “All because I gave an interview years ago that offended people.”

He pursed his lips as if he was considering her point. “There’s more than that, but it’s a good place to start.”

Mitch appeared between them. Actually wedged his shoulders between them until he blocked one from the other. “What’s going on?”

Cassidy knew she should back down. Spence and Mitch were close, had always been close. According to Darla, Austin and Mitch had always been best friends. These other men played a significant role in Mitch’s life and thought they knew what was best for him. She appreciated the closeness and wanted that for Mitch but was so tired of the whispers and innuendos. Just once she wanted someone to side with her without hearing her side of the story.

Mitch gave her that. Was it too much to ask that his friends support him even if they couldn’t tolerate her?

She ignored Travis’s stare from the other side of the year. “Spence is talking about my past.”

Mitch’s shoulders fell. “Damn it, Spence. I warned you.”

She closed her eyes on a rush of relief. Not a surprise that Mitch had tried to protect her, to warn Spence off. But that wasn’t enough. She knew Spence’s type. He was the guy who needed facts. He wouldn’t just back down or believe because other people did.

If he wanted the truth, she’d spew it. If other people overheard, then all the better. She was sick of taking the high road and not explaining. “You want to know about that interview? I had spent two and a half months in and around Everest. It was clear when I reached the summit but a storm rolled in when I was on my way down. We’d already survived an avalanche.”

Spence held his clipboard up, almost as a shield. “I’m not saying your accomplishments aren’t impressive.”

She wanted to smack the guy. Instead, she talked over him. “I had an unplanned bivouac on the descent. Do you know what that means?”

“No.”

Mitch sent Spence a look of pure fury. “You don’t need to explain—”

But she wanted to. The words just poured out of her now. “I used my axe to dig a makeshift seat in the ice at twenty-seven thousand feet and then had to sit there, without a tent or any supplies except what I was carrying, and hope I didn’t go to sleep and fall off the side of the mountain. Freezing, tired, hungry and slowly losing my mind as I fought off a headache I knew signaled the start of a sort of climbing dementia that would lead to hallucinations and worse. I was convinced I would die before the sun came up.”

Spence swore under his breath.

“So when I finally reached Base Camp, half delirious and partially snow-blind, I was exhausted. I had a stupid conversation with a reporter. My fingers had started to thaw and I was pumping fluids to keep from dehydrating.”

“Mitch is right, I don’t need—”

“We joked about being from small towns and traded funny insults. It meant nothing, but it became
the
headline. Forget that two people died in that avalanche. Forget that seven people died that season on Everest. I was the story.” Even now the festering rage at having been so stupid, at having fallen for the ploy, choked her. “And I never publicly made excuses for what I said. I owned it. Despite everything else that happened that day, I take responsibility for what I said and take the crap about The Chosen One and The Fall. That is the person you hate so much, Spence. That’s the whole sordid story.”

By the time she finished, she was shouting. Her muscles ached from exhaustion, as if she had just made the harrowing descent again.

Then something else hit her. The rumble of the crane had stopped and her voice carried through the trees and echoed back to her. She had no idea how much everyone had heard but they were all staring. Not with the steady eye-rolling dismissal that usually greeted her in Holloway. This was something else.

“When did it get quiet?” she whispered the question to Mitch as he slipped his hand through hers.

“When Travis signaled the crane to stop.” Mitch waved to his friend. “I guess he wanted to hear what you had to say.”

Across the way, Travis nodded.

An eerie silence ticked by. Finally Spence shifted his weight. “I didn’t know any of that.”

She leaned against Mitch. “I know.”

Spence cleared his throat as if getting the words out physically pained him. “I can admit I need more information before I reach a conclusion.”

Mitch scoffed. “Not usually.”

“Let’s try this again.” He held out his hand. “I’m Spence Thomas, concerned friend of Mitch here. I’m smarter and better-looking, but as far as picks goes, you did pretty well.”

She let go of Mitch’s hand and welcomed the unexpected show of almost acceptance from Spence. People admired his family in Holloway. Like Mitch, Spence was an important businessman who brought work to the region. If he gave her a second chance, some others might. She didn’t even know she cared about that possibility, about what everyone else said, until the new avenue opened to her.

A mix of gratitude and happiness clogged her throat. “I appreciate you at least listened to what I had to say.”

Spence smiled, flashing that Thomas charm people associated with Austin. “Even though you didn’t give me a choice and I was acting like a…”

“Complete douche? Well, maybe not complete, but close.” Mitch clapped Spence on the back in a move that looked a tad too hard for the occasion. “Maybe there’s hope for you yet.”

In the span of a few minutes, her off-kilter world had shifted. For the first in a long time, she had her feet under her. The future didn’t look as bleak as it did even a week ago.

“Get to work.” Spence gave the signal and people everyone started jumping. Equipment clicked back to life.

“Now that we have that settled, I do need to talk to you.” Mitch’s hand slipped under her elbow and he pulled her body in tighter to his.

Spence smiled. “Take that stuff inside, you two.”

“It’s about Allan.”

Spence sobered. “Is he okay?”

The concern in his voice hit her. For some reason, the idea of Allan and Spence hanging out wouldn’t come together in her head. “You know him?”

“I went fishing with him and my dad, though they informed me I moved around too much and scared the fish. We’ve had breakfast a few times.” Spence tapped on his clipboard. “Everyone knows and likes Allan.”

That had always been her read too. Even being away, she got the impression from the way he talked about people, that he’d long been accepted in town even though he moved in from two counties over.

“Mitch, please—”

He rubbed a hand over her back. “He’s fine, but I have some information that might explain…well, we should go sit in my truck for a second.”

Mitch sent Spence a look that had him nodding. She had no idea what was happening, but the two of them were communicating, using whatever that had learned about each other through the years. She didn’t have the same benefit. She also suspected whatever Mitch told her in private he’d have to fill Spence in on later.

Tired of the secrets and games, she just wanted to hear the news so she could deal with it. “Say it in front of Spence. It’s fine.”

Mitch hesitated but started talking right before she unleashed on him. “According to the state inspector, he checked the records and the house is in foreclosure proceedings. It’s scheduled for auction next week. Allan still owns it now and can do whatever he wants with the trees, but his time is running out. He has to pay up on the mortgage or lose the house. He’s taking this up to the very last minute.”

Of all the things she expected to hear, that was not on the list. The house was paid off years ago. It was one thing her mother cited as a relief when she got diagnosed with cancer.

Which was why the information had to be incorrect. “No. Your guy has the wrong house.”

“I saw a copy of the paperwork, Cassidy.” Mitch’s voice had never been more soothing. “It’s real.”

“It explains the rush to get the trees out and the boxes stacked up inside,” Spence said.

The steady rubbing of her back blended with the soft purr of Mitch’s voice. “It also explains why he doesn’t want you settling in and why he’s staying away from you.”

She tried to stay rational while everything inside her threatened to break apart. “Shouldn’t there be signs on the property?”

“He probably took them down. I would if someone put them on my land, regardless of the potential fines,” Mitch said.

She pulled away and shook her head. Not money troubles. Not again. Her family had been hit with enough of those. It wasn’t fair Allan got trapped in something too. That was the only explanation.

But still she didn’t want to believe. “This can’t be happening.”

“He’s desperate, hon. Panicked.”

“I’m his daughter.” Anguish ripped the words out of her. “Why didn’t he tell me?”

The usually smooth Spence had a wide-eyed helpless look about him. “He’s probably embarrassed, doesn’t know how to tell you.”

Mitch lifted his arm as if he wanted to touch her again, but dropped it just as fast. “You know how hard it is to talk about being broke.”

None of that mattered. They were family. He should be able to lean on her. The idea that something had happened and he felt like he had to hide made her stomach tumble. It took all the control she had to keep from running into the trees and embarrassing herself in front of all these people.

Pulling her scattered thoughts together, she stared at Mitch. “I have to find Allan.”

This time he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “We will.”

Spence waved them off. “Go ahead. I’ve got everything under control here. Just keep me posted.”

She wouldn’t stop until she had answers. She’d pledged to stop running from her past and came home. Now it was Allan’s turn.

Chapter Twelve

Five hours later, Mitch fell into his desk chair at the nursery and watched Cassidy pace up and down the far aisle filled with the items that didn’t fit anywhere else. He’d never felt so useless in his entire life. This wasn’t how it worked. He discovered problems and fixed them. That was his job. But he couldn’t find a solution here.

Since leaving the house, they’d been all over the county searching for Allan. The older man clearly did not want to be found. His friend’s house was all locked up. The guys he played cards with claimed not to know where he was. No one picked up his phone or had seen his car.

Mitch always liked Allan but this behavior was pissing him off. Cassidy deserved better. A man needed to stand up and face his problems, not hide from them.

As soon as he thought it, Mitch swore at himself for considering it. He wasn’t in Allan’s position. He had no idea what he’d do, but he doubted he would run away, especially if there was someone like Cassidy waiting for him.

Watching her body collapse every time they thought they were close but turned out to be following another dead end had killed him all day. Now sadness tugged at her mouth and eyes. Her shoulders sagged as she stared at the ground and walked back and forth in a line.

Spence stuck his head in the office. “Nothing?”

“No.”

Spence dumped his clipboard on the extra chair in the room and handed Mitch a beer, the first that had been in the office in almost a year. “Here.”

He wasn’t a big drinker and Austin’s troubles had taken away most of his taste for the stuff. “Does this mean I won the bet?”

“What bet?” Spence put his bottle on the desk without opening it. “I called around and came up empty. I even contacted Dad and asked if he had any ideas.”

It was a long shot but Mitch would take anything at this point. “And?”

“He told me a man had to go home some time. You know Dad, he’s big on philosophy.”

“Part of what I like about him.” Mitch had always envied the closeness Austin and Spence shared with their dad. Not that their parents’ marriage had run any smoother than Mitch’s parents.

“I didn’t want to ruin Dad’s detective work by pointing out the foreclosure news.”

Mitch still wanted to kick something for not investigating that possibility until it was almost too late. There were options. He could make a loan, other things. But they couldn’t do anything until Allan came out of hiding. At this rate, he’d lose the house just by letting it go without protest.

“I’m running out of ideas,” he said as he watched Cassidy walk in circles. Seemed to be mumbling to herself while she went. None of the other patrons even stepped in the aisle but many watched her. “And I think she’s out of patience.”

Spence leaned against the glass with his arms folded and stared out to the floor. “This sucks for her.”

“Thought you didn’t care much about what happened with her.” Mitch put his unopened bottle next to Spence’s.

“I’m not a total ass. I can see she’s in pain.” He shrugged. “Besides that, you care about her so I’m willing to give her a chance.”

From Spence it was as close to an admission that he was wrong as anyone would ever get. “That’s all I ask.”

“We can do a Hail Mary.”

“Meaning?”

Spence motioned to the world beyond the office. It was a sea of older women out there. “We got a floor full of folks, many of whom are here just to get a peek at Cassidy and confirm she’s with you now.”

The thudding resumed right below Mitch’s right eye. “I was trying to forget about that.”

“Let’s ask who’s seen Allan. They all know him.” Spence grew more animated. His arms were moving now. “Hell, people know what time Cassidy pees each day. I’m betting someone can tell us where Allan is standing right now.”

Every now and then Spence hit one out of the park. This was one of those times.

Mitch pushed out of his chair. “You do have a way with words.”

“You disagree with the strategy?”

“Hell no.”

The two men walked out to the main part of the nursery. Mitch clapped his hands together a few times and waited until everyone turned before going any further. He recognized all but a few faces in the room. He liked the percentages.

“Good evening, everyone.”

Cassidy’s head flew up the second he started talking. She stopped wandering around and focused on him.

“I have a favor to ask, and there is a discount in it for all of you if you don’t mind me taking a few minutes of your time.” After a round of mumbled agreement, Mitch pushed on. “I’m trying to find Allan Huntsman. Any chance anyone has seen him today or knows where he might be?”

Suddenly he was surrounded by people offering suggestions. When the third person mentioned the tackle shop the next town over, Mitch listened. Allan had been seen hanging around there that morning. It was possible he hadn’t left.

It was a lead and Mitch would take anything at that point.

He looked over and saw Cassidy rooted in the same position. It was as if her feet were frozen to the spot. She hadn’t even blinked.

He thanked the crowd and left it to Spence to figure out the discount codes. A second later Mitch was at her side. “You okay?”

“Completely confused and trying to understand how Allan got in this position, but otherwise frazzled and a mess.”

At least the humor meant she still had some perspective. Mitch refrained from pointing out she’d ended up in a similar financial situation. “I’m going to head out to this tackle shop.”

“Great. I can—”

“No.” This was the hard part, the delicate work he had no aptitude to handle. Carrie often told him he sucked at girl stuff and he didn’t think she was wrong. “You should stay here.”

“Why would I do that?”

“If Allan is embarrassed, seeing you might push him deeper into hiding. Let me go and talk to him. I’ll bring him back.” Mitch knew he would keep the promise if he had to tie the man up. He would do anything to bring the color back into Cassidy’s cheeks.

“When did I become the bad guy?”

The heartbreak in her voice reached out and smacked him. “I think it’s that you’re the person he loves the most, so it’s hard for him to face you.”

She waved her hands in the air. When her head bowed, he wondered if she was fighting back tears. Man, he hoped she won that battle because he had no idea what to do with a crying woman.

When she lifted her head again, her face was clear, almost blank. “I trust you.”

The words shot right through him, past every skeptical bone in his body to a place he thought had died. Before he could weigh the pros and cons, he did what he’d been needing to do all day. He put his arms around her and dragged her close.

Her body folded against his, every soft curve slipping into his waiting hands. Her seductive scent filled his senses and her body melted into his. Holding her erased all the frustrations of the day.

Nice and slow, making sure everyone saw and no one got the story wrong, he lowered his head and treated her to a shoe-shaking kiss. He let her have it all, didn’t hold back. And when he lifted his head again she was smiling.

The twinkle had returned to her eyes. “No, that’s how a man stakes a claim.”

He wiggled his eyebrows at her. “Wait until you see how I do it with my clothes off.”

* * *

Darla called twenty minutes after Mitch left. After all the running around, all the hunting, Allan had been right there all along. He’d picked up his dinner a few minutes ago and headed home.

Before Cassidy could ask, Spence volunteered to drive her. She turned to him as they pulled into the driveway. “Thank you for this.”

“No problem.”

Sitting there made her nervous and twitchy but the innocuous conversation helped to soothe her nerves. “Bet you never thought you’d get sucked into my family’s problems.”

“Don’t kid yourself. We all have crazy family stuff.” He shot her a warm smile. “Hell, I heard an unbelievable story about my good friend Mitch walking around outside his house naked the other morning.”

“Technically, Mitch was wearing briefs.”

“He won’t be when I tell the story to everyone I know.” Spence opened the door and got out.

She raced around her side of the car and up the steps. The anxiety pumping through her didn’t let her go slow. Just riding over in the car nearly had killed her. When poor Spence had gotten to the first stop sign, she’d nearly jumped out and run the rest of the way.

Spence reached around her now and pounded on the door. It wasn’t a subtle knock. People for miles would be able to hear that one.

The door flew open and Allan stood there, shifting his scowl from Cassidy to Spence. “What is that banging about?’

She was so relieved to see him that ignored the grumbling and the dark circles under his eyes. “Allan.”

When he looked at her, the angry tension on his face softened but his bark didn’t ease. “What are you doing here?”

“Hunting you down.”

“You can’t be in here.” Allan started closing the door. Actually thought he could shut it and lock her out.

Spence slammed his palm against it and held it open. “Not going to happen.”

Rather than blunder all around it, she zoomed in on the point. “You’re losing the house.”

Allan’s head shot back. “How did you…?”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Allan stepped out on the porch and shut the door behind him. “It’s not your house.”

Spence swore under his breath. “Damn, Allan.”

“It’s not your business either.” Allan shouted back then turned to her. “I thought you were seeing Mitch, not this one.”

She was and there wasn’t a single part of her that wanted to hide it. “I’m with Mitch.”

It felt freeing to say the words out loud. Her life entwined with his and tightened by the hour. The speed and intensity made her insides tremble. Caring this much meant the fall would that much harder. But she could only deal with one emotional implosion at a time.

“If he’s your boyfriend, where is he?” Allan ignored the honk of a passing car and focused on her.

“Out looking for you.” Spence separated each word with a verbal punch.

Then she saw it. The subtle shake of Allan’s hands. The way his frown slipped when he looked at her.

“I don’t buy the angry act. People around here may think we don’t get along, but we know that’s crap. We always have and always will.”

“Who is saying that nonsense about us? Nobody better talk about you that way.”

She ignored the anger in Allan’s voice because she knew it wasn’t meant for her. “You’ve never lied to me before. Please don’t start now. Not when it’s so important.”

“You’ve always been my girl.”

She choked back the tears that flooded through her without warning. “Please tell me.”

Her tears touched off his. The water collected in his eyes. “Don’t do that, sunshine.”

“Talk to me. The distance is killing me.”

The older man exhaled, the loss of breath taking part of his height with it. From the bend of his shoulders to the arthritis twisting his hands, he suddenly looked older. Defeated. “I couldn’t cover the bills. Tried to get some extra work, but times are tough.”

“What bills?” That was the part she didn’t understand.

“For your mom’s treatments.”

Cassidy knew all about the efforts to beat back the cancer, the fight that would end only to kick up again. “But you had good insurance.”

“It doesn’t cover the experimental stuff.”

Spence let out a noise much like a groan as he leaned back against the porch railing. He looked down and around, like he wanted to blend into the wood.

Sadness ripped through her leaving behind a streak of physical pain. “Oh, Allan.”

“I couldn’t let her go, sunshine.” He cupped Cassidy’s cheek like he’d done since she was a kid. “I was willing to try anything and would have robbed a bank if I knew it would have saved her. Prison be damned.”

Every muscle in her body suddenly weighed a ton. She wanted to slip down and curl into a deep sleep. The body blows kept coming and her energy waned.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You would have gone up another one of those damn mountains.” Anger blocked Allan’s despair. “You would have led a team, thinking you could use the money you earned to save the house.”

She would have done anything. “And it would have been my decision.”

“No, it wasn’t. I’m your father, and don’t you dare suggest otherwise.” Allan pointed at Spence as he gave the order then turned back to her. “I couldn’t stand the idea of you going up again. The last time almost killed you and the two before that weren’t much better.”

“I would have done it for her. For you.” She would have dragged fifty oxygen tanks and a medical team with her if she had to.

“Which is exactly why we never told you.” Allan’s frail hands landed on her shoulders. “We never would have stopped you from living your dream, but stopping you from risking your life for us we sure could do. That’s a father’s prerogative.”

“This breaks my heart.”

“I love you, sunshine. I waited a lifetime to find your mother and I loved her enough for ten more.” He gave Cassidy’s shoulders a soft squeeze. “This is a house. It doesn’t mean anything.”

Those choking tears made her voice all scratchy. “The memories—”

“We’ll always have those.”

No, she wouldn’t give up. Not on this. “We’ll figure out something.”

Allan started shaking his head before she finished the sentence. “I’m ready to stop fighting. Mike has a room and could use the rent money. I’ll be comfortable there so long as I know you’re home. Tell me you’re staying in Holloway.”

She threw her body against his and hugged him tight. “I’m not going anywhere, Dad.”