Last One Home by Debbie Macomber

Author:Debbie Macomber [Macomber, Debbie]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Random House Large Print
Published: 2015-04-20T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

By the time Steve parked the truck in front of Cassie’s sister’s house, she was shaking. Her fingers had lost all feeling from the tight grip, her hands were clenched so hard. Her breathing was shallow and her heart beat at the speed of a racehorse. For just an instant she was afraid she was about to pass out.

“Cassie?”

Steve’s voice came at her as if he was shouting from the bottom of a well. “You okay?”

She shook her head.

“You can do this.”

Easy for him to say. Emotions swirled around her.

“Cassie?”

“Let’s leave right now. I can’t … I can’t.”

Steve hesitated and seemed ready to do as she asked, when the front door to the house opened and her sister stepped outside. Karen stood at the top of the porch steps, watching, waiting.

“Is that your sister?” Steve asked.

Cassie’s eyes connected with Karen’s. She hadn’t been sure what to expect. Unresolved anger? Judgment? Disgust? What she hadn’t anticipated was the same hesitation and doubt she was experiencing herself.

It took her a moment to realize Karen was just as tentative and just as unsure as Cassie was. Steve had said as much, but she’d discounted his words, convinced he was wrong. Karen was the one who had her life together; she was married to a great husband and financially secure, with two terrific children. From the time Karen was young, she’d done everything right: graduated from college, been a good daughter. She’d been the one who had taken care of their parents when they were ill and had even been the executor of their estate.

“Cassie?”

Once more Steve broke into her thoughts. She turned back to look at him and saw the question in his eyes.

“What would you like me to do?”

The shaking hadn’t subsided. “Stay close to me, okay?”

“If that’s what you want.”

“Please,” she whispered, finding it difficult to speak. It demanded more courage than she knew she possessed to open the passenger door. It was up there with leaving Duke, with nothing but her daughter and the clothes on their backs.

Steve hopped out of the truck cab and came around, offering Cassie his hand.

The gesture surprised her until she realized she’d been sitting frozen in the truck with the door open. Cassie stared at his hand for a long time before she placed her own in his. He gave it a gentle squeeze as if to remind her she was stronger than she realized. At the moment, that fact was in serious question. Once she stepped out of the truck, she feared her knees wouldn’t support her.

“Cassie.” Karen stepped down from the small porch and slowly approached her.

“Hello, Karen.”

They stood about three feet apart.

“You’ve changed,” Cassie whispered, as if surprised her sister was no longer twenty. She’d matured into a woman.

“You’ve changed, too.”

Cassie smiled and nodded. True to his word, Steve remained close to her side.

“I barely recognized you. If I’d seen you on the street I might have walked right past.”

Cassie had to wonder if the years had changed her that much.

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