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  She stepped forward and awkwardly hugged Wendy. Then she bent down and picked up the seashell from around her neck.

  “Hmm, we’ll buy you something nice while you’re here this weekend,” she said. “Maybe some turquoise.”

  “This is nice,” Wendy said.

  Dakota shrugged. “If you say so. Come inside and I’ll introduce you to Samson. Don’t worry, he’s all bark.”

  Dakota turned and walked back into the house. It was just like her to control every aspect of the conversation. I wasn’t surprised that she didn’t speak to me, and I didn’t care. It saved me from saying something I might regret in front of Wendy.

  Wendy hesitated for a moment and looked up at me. I put my hand on her shoulder and mentally told her to not go.

  “I love you, Wendy,” I said, thinking about the newborn I held in my arms nine years ago.

  “I love you too, Daddy. I brought my charger, so don’t worry.”

  Wendy went into Dakota’s house and I turned back to the car where Cassie was waiting. I didn’t want to speak. This was the weakest and most vulnerable that I had ever felt. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and turned the volume higher.

  “She’ll be alright,” Cassie whispered.

  As the car left Dakota’s, Cassie put her arms around me. I thought about the time Cassie and I had been together and the effect she already had on Wendy. I pulled her tight against me, feeling her soft body against mine. She was right, Wendy would be alright.

  It was at that moment that I realized I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Cassie.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Cassie

  The next day, Gabriel went to the venue to check on the cage and make sure everything was ready for the fight that night. Since I had some time to myself, I decided to give my mother a call.

  “Hello?” my mom said.

  “Hi, Mom.”

  “Who is this?”

  “It’s Cassie.”

  “Cassie who? I used to know a Cassie, she was my daughter, but I don’t know what happened to her.”

  “Give me a break, Mom. I just spoke to you three days ago.”

  “See what I mean? We used to talk everyday.”

  “Okay, you got me there, happy?”

  “Yes, I take great pride in my ability to make you feel guilty,” she said, laughing.

  “Well, you could’ve called me, you know.”

  “I’ve been busy,” she said.

  “Oh? I know what that means. You met someone, didn’t you?”

  “Maybe. I’m just taking him for a test drive. I haven’t decided if I’m keeping him.”

  “Please don’t tell me about your test driving him, Mom.”

  “You really do take all the fun out of it. You get that from your father.”

  “Yes, yes, only the good stuff came from you.”

  “No, your father was a good man. The one who raised you, I mean.” Mom’s voice was uncharacteristically soft. My father had died ten years ago after a long illness. My mother never really got over it.

  “Mom, let it go. I miss Dad too, but it’s time you moved on. Remember what you told me about us Monroe girls? You can’t keep that bottled up. And I’m sure Dad would have wanted you to be happy.”

  “You’re right, Cassie. When you’re right, you’re right. He was a good man and if it was me, I’d hope your dad would still be getting some.”

  “Oh, Mom! Did you have to go there?”

  “What? That’s what I would want. That’s what good people deserve. Unlike that sperm donor louse who knocked me up then vanished. That father of yours can go to hell.”

  “Okay, Mother, I don’t need a history of my birth.”

  “Speaking of birth, did you meet Dakota?”

  “No, I stayed in the car. From what I’ve heard, she’s enough drama on her own.”

  “How’s Gabriel taking it? My biggest fear was that your birth father would appear out of nowhere and try to take you. That’s why I gave you my last name. I didn’t want anything to do with him.”

  “Well, I think he’s okay. He was upset yesterday when we dropped her off, but he's been keeping himself busy with the event tonight.”

  “You know how you can take his mind off of things, right? Remember you’re a Monroe,” she said.

  “Ugh, please. Can’t I have a normal conversation with you?”

  “This is normal. I’m sure you talk to your friends about that stuff.”

  “You are not my friend, Mom. I love you, but trust me, learning about the birds and the bees was enough.”

  “Those bees are pretty kinky, aren’t they?” she said with a laugh.

  “I’ll call you in a couple of days, okay?”

  “Alright, honey. Have fun! Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  “Please don’t say that. I hate that that leaves off almost nothing,” I teased. “Do me a favor and call your new friend. Go out to eat with him or something. I think it’ll be good for you.”

  “Okay, for you I will. And I promise to spare you the details.”

  “Thanks. I love you.”

  “I love you, pumpkin.”

  As I hung up the phone, Gabriel burst into the room and paced the floor as he typed frantically into his phone. His jaw was clenched and I knew something had happened.

  “What’s going on?” I asked. “Is everything okay?”

  “I have to go. Wendy called. She’s at the bus station.”

  “The bus station?”

  “Yes, in Casa Grande. I told her to stay there. I have to pick her up. I’m not sure when I’ll be back. I’m going to give Dakota a piece of my mind.”

  “No, you’re not going without me,” I said.

  He stopped pacing and turned towards me, looking at me for the first time since he walked in.

  “I know you’re upset,” I said. “You have every right to be upset, but that anger isn’t going to help you if you confront Dakota. You need to calm down. Don’t let Wendy see you like this.”

  He walked over to me and touched my chin as he nodded. “You’re right. I need to calm down. Otherwise nothing good will come from this,” he said before he kissed me. “I’m glad you’re here with me. I need you here with me.”

  “Let’s go. You can tell me everything on the way.”

  Gabriel had arranged for a rental car and it was waiting for us outside of the hotel. He gave me his phone with the directions to the bus station and started driving.

  “Tell me what happened,” I said.

  “That damn Dakota, that’s what happened,” he growled. He gritted his teeth then glanced over at me before letting out a deep breath. “I was talking to some people when she called. She sounded really upset, but she wouldn’t say what happened, just that she left.”

  “Where’s Dakota? Does she know Wendy’s gone?”

  “I don’t know. My guess is she doesn’t know.”

  “Have you called her?”

  “I don’t want to speak to her. I just want to get my daughter and make sure she’s alright.”

  “Okay,” I said, touching his hand.

  He opened his fingers and closed them over mine. Other than the directions I gave him, we drove in silence. Deep down we both knew Wendy was all right. She was resourceful enough to get to the bus station. But that a nine-year-old felt it was better to do that than stay with her mother meant something must have gone wrong.

  I didn’t know Dakota, so I had no idea what could have happened. On the other hand, Gabriel did. And I could see by the way his jaw clenched and unclenched that he was going through the possibilities.

  Less than an hour later, Gabriel stopped the car in front of the bus station and without a word, he ran inside. I followed and as I entered the small waiting area with rows of seats, Wendy leapt into her father’s arms and buried her face into his shoulder.

  “Are you okay?” Gabriel whispered.

  Wendy nodded and turned to me, her eyes red and swollen from crying. She pointed
to her backpack and I gave it to her, but she didn’t say anything else.

  I grabbed her bag and we walked back to the car. Gabriel put the bag in the trunk and as I reached to open the car’s front door, Wendy tugged at my shirt and looked at me with pleading eyes.

  “You want me to sit in the back?” I asked.

  She nodded, so I got in the back and she slid in beside me. I rummaged through my bag to find a tissue for her and found a squished package of Kleenex at the bottom.

  “Do you need a tissue?” I asked.

  Wendy grabbed the package and then wrapped her arms around me. I held her close as she cried and stroked her hair like my mother used to when I was upset. Just as I knew when Gabriel didn’t want to talk, I knew Wendy needed some time, too.

  Back at the hotel, we went straight to the room. It was a large suite with a king size bedroom behind closed doors. Wendy sat on the couch and Gabriel kneeled in front of her.

  “Are you hurt?” he asked.

  “No,” she whispered.

  “Does your mother know you left?”

  She shook her head.

  “Where is she?”

  “I don’t know,” she whispered.

  Gabriel rose to his feet and went into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him. I sat beside Wendy and put my arm around her. Through the closed door, we could hear Gabriel on the phone.

  “It’s Gabriel,” he said. “Where’s Wendy?”

  Silence.

  “Oh? She’s at your home? Then where are you?” he asked.

  Silence.

  “Really. You decided to go away with your boyfriend.”

  Silence.

  “Wendy wasn’t alone? She had Samson? Your dog? You left a nine year old alone with your crazy dog?”

  Silence.

  “Oh I see, you invited her, but she didn’t want to go. You know what, Dakota? You can forget about ever seeing Wendy again.”

  Silence. Then SMASH!

  Wendy and I jumped as something crashed against the wall. We waited quietly, staring at the bedroom door until Gabriel finally opened it. He looked at us calmly and smiled.

  “I need to call room service. The lamp threw itself against the wall,” he said. He sat down next to Wendy, and I pulled my arm away as he pulled her close. “I’m sorry about what happened.”

  “It’s my fault,” she said. “I thought it was going to be different.”

  “It’s not your fault,” Gabriel said. “She’s your mother, it’s her fault for not taking care of you.”

  Her hand went up and pulled the silver seashell out from inside her shirt, stroking it nervously. She turned back towards me, the shell still between her fingers.

  “I want Cassie to move in with us,” she said.

  * * *

  After Wendy fell asleep in the bed, Gabriel and I went out to the balcony and looked at the city lights. Room service came earlier and cleaned up the lamp and fixed the pullout sofa bed for Gabriel to sleep on.

  “If you want to check on the fights, I don’t mind staying here with her,” I said.

  “No, they don’t need me. I’d rather be here with you anyway. I’m sorry everything turned out the way it did.”

  “Don’t apologize for being passionate and caring about your daughter.”

  “It’s not that,” he said. “I had plans for this weekend, for us.”

  “Plans? You didn’t tell me you planned anything. Why do you keep wanting to surprise me?” I asked, laughing nervously.

  “Because I wanted it to be special. You are special to me, Cassie. And I want everything I do to remind you of that and how much I love you. The time we’ve been together has been the best time of my life, and every day I fall in love with you even more.” He held his finger up and tapped his phone then waited with it by his ear. “It’s Gabriel Kohl. Do it now.”

  Gabriel put his arm around me and pointed towards the arena. A small light blinked above the arena, like a plane flying too low. Suddenly red words appeared and flashed across and I realized it wasn’t a plane, it was a blimp.

  Cassie, will you marry me?

  The words floated across the blimp. I had to let the words float past several times as the meaning sank in. Gabriel made me speechless again.

  Cassie, he’s waiting...

  I laughed and turned to Gabriel. “How are you doing this?” I asked.

  “I told you, I made plans. And, as you can see it spelled out in front of you, I’m still waiting for your answer.”

  “Yes. The answer is yes.”

  “She said yes,” he spoke into the phone before he put it away.

  Gabriel swept me into his arms and kissed me deeply. I wrapped my arms around him as he held me close and gently swayed to the music coming up from the hotel lobby. As he spun me around, I noticed the blimp again.

  She said YES!

  “Did I surprise you?” he asked.

  “You did. Now can we stop with the surprises?”

  “I promise, no more surprises.” He pulled a small box out of his pocket, bent down on one knee, and held the box up to me. “Okay, this is the last surprise.”

  He pulled back the lid, and inside was a simple round diamond solitaire. As I took the box, Gabriel removed the ring and and took my hand.

  “I was going to propose and ask you to move in, but Wendy beat me to it,” he said.

  “Actually, and I know you might find this hard to believe, but I’m a little old-fashioned.”

  “Cassie, if you’re saying what I think you are, Vegas is just a plane ride away.”

  Epilogue

  Cassie

  Three Months Later

  With Becca’s new job and everything planned for the South End, she was able to buy the building her apartment was in. I had been helping her on the weekends with some things while Gabriel and Wendy had their daddy-daughter time together.

  Ashley had told me she and her friends were meeting at Mirabella’s Café for dinner and they wanted me to join them. I knew they would love Becca too, so I convinced her to go along. As Becca and I entered the restaurant, she turned to me with a nervous look on her face.

  “Are you sure it's okay that I'm here,” she asked. “What if I’m not dressed right?”

  “We’re both in jeans, I’m sure we’re fine. They’re not going to care, they’re really nice and funny too. And of course it’s okay that you’re here. Besides, I want you to meet my cousin.”

  Ashley was already there, seated at the same round table as last time. Next to her were Jackie and Tara. Everyone was dressed casually. Someone entered right behind us, and I turned around to see who it was.

  “Oh good, I was hoping I wasn't the last to get here,” Deborah said. “I'm always late.”

  “No, Deborah, you're last, as usual,” Ashley teased. “Samantha isn’t coming. She’s not feeling well.”

  “When's she due?” I asked.

  “Any day now,” Ashley said.

  As Becca, Deborah, and I sat down, Jackie leaned forward as she looked me over.

  “What?” I asked. “Did I already spill something?”

  “I'm checking for new jewelry,” she said, grinning.

  “You mean like this?” Becca asked as she raised my left hand.

  Jackie grabbed my hand and nodded appreciatively at the diamond solitaire.

  “Exactly like that,” Jackie said.

  “See, that's why we have these dinners,” Deborah said. “I talk to Ashley all the time and she never told me you got engaged.”

  “I'm very good at keeping secrets,” Ashley said as she smiled at me.

  “You’re the best,” I said. “But enough about me. Deborah, last time you mentioned Mr. Sexy. Did you ever find out his name?” I asked.

  “I did! It's William King, and he's pretty amazing,” Deborah said. “But that's all I'm saying. I don't want to jinx anything. You know me, I'm just going with the flow. No regrets.”

  “No regrets,” Tara grumbled. “I wish I could say that.”
<
br />   “Mason still?” Ashley asked.

  Tara nodded and sighed.

  “Give him another chance” Ashley said. “You said he asked you out, I thought you were going to go.”

  “It’s complicated. I was going to go, but then I cancelled,” Tara said. “And then he asked again so I said yes again.”

  “And let me guess, then you cancelled. Again,” Ashley said.

  “You got that right. You have no idea how bad that man hurt me, but every time I'm near him I can't say no.”

  “It was years ago, Tara. He was your first love,” Ashley said. “He’s a sweet man and I can tell there’s still something there. I wish you'd give him a second chance.”

  “Speaking of chances, what about you, Jackie? You're oddly quiet,” Deborah said.

  Jackie shrugged. “Nothing's going on with me. I'm still waitressing while I finish school.”

  “But what about Brent Winslow?” Ashley asked. “You know Samantha wanted me to nudge you about him.”

  “I thought I caught a break with Samantha not here,” Jackie said as she looked across the table at Becca and grinned. “I have too much going on to date. Besides, we have fresh meat here today. I’m sure she’s much more interesting than me. What’s your story, Becca? Has Cassie's luck rubbed off on you?”

  “Hmm…maybe, but not in the way I think you mean,” Becca said. “Gabriel created a grant which gave me a great job, and I just bought a house. I'm really with you, Jackie, I have too much going on. The last thing I need now is another distraction.”

  “I will drink to that,” Jackie said, raising her glass.

  “Well, take it from me,” I said. “Love comes along when you least expect it.”

  * * *

  Dinner with the girls went by quickly. It was great catching up with them and talking about whatever came to mind, but as I noticed a familiar black limo pulling up to the curb outside, I realized how much I had missed Gabriel.

  I said my goodbyes and we made plans to meet again soon. As I stepped outside, Stan opened the car door for me. I slid in beside Wendy, and Gabriel leaned over to give me a kiss. They were both still dressed for the beach.