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Cassie's Secrets

By Seralynn Lewis

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Cassie Verano leaned against the gray cement block wall and pulled out her phone. Where was her new friend, Mia? Tardiness was not in her friend’s vocabulary and for sure not on an important day like today. She eyed the Worthy Gym and Dance Center’s banner above the door, marveling that this small Ohio town actually had a gymnastics center and glad she was back in the southern part of the state. Even if it was early on a hot Saturday morning.
The lobby throbbed with excitement. Coins jingled in the beverage machine next to the reception desk. Groups of little girls in purple leotards stood in clusters with their hair drawn tight in braids and buns. A few girls sipped from juice boxes and crinkled their candy wrappers. Others performed ballet poses and spins. Eagerness for the pre-season gymnastics meet vibrated through the room.
A child rushed through the double doors with tears streaming down her cheeks. Cassie ran to her, squatted, and daubed the seven-year-old’s face. “Where's your aunt Mia, sweetie?”
Her daughters became gym friends with her friend’s two nieces. She was the caregiver for her widowed brother and in turn Mia became friends with her.
Tina Nardelli hiccupped, struggled with the words, and sniffed. “She's sick. Daddy did my hair, but it keeps falling out. Can you fix it?”
Mia repeatedly volleyed for Cassie to meet her handsome brother and continually showed her photos of him with his daughters. Not even Cassie’s less-than-interested comments dampened Mia’s enthusiasm for them to meet. And Cassie’s luck had just run out, but there was no way she’d let this sweet child suffer. All she ever wanted to do was to write and raise her daughters with no drama. Her ex-husband provided more than enough drama and she could do without another good-looking man in the mix.
The child’s loosened braids fell apart in Cassie’s hands. She spritzed the girl’s head with a water bottle she pulled from a massive bag, then cupped a hand around Tina's face to prevent spraying her eyes. She brushed the dark tresses until they turned sleek, and re-braided them.
She patted the child’s head and gave her a wide smile. “There you go. All's good now. You and your sister go join the team.”
Thin arms wound around her neck and she held Tina for several seconds and enjoyed the child’s closeness.
“You're the best!” The child yelled and rushed to join her team.
“Where's your daddy, Tina?” She called after her.
“He's right here.” The low timbre of the masculine voice resonated through her. Still on her haunches, she almost failed to maintain her balance.
“I'm Steve Nardelli. You must be Cassie Verano.” He extended his hand to assist her.
She recoiled and sprang to her feet, then adjusted her shorts and camisole. “I am.”
Confusion stained his features, and he pulled his hand back. He didn’t seem overjoyed to meet her but, then neither was she. She’d avoided an encounter. Until now. But she would make the best of it, if for no other reason than he was the father of her daughters’ best friends.
“Tina cried about her hair, so I fixed her braids.” Her voice wavered, and she darted her gaze from his chest to his mesmerizing bright blue eyes to beyond his shoulder. “Where's Mia?”
“Stomach bug. She should be up and about soon.”
Cassie picked her bag up and her long ponytail flipped over her shoulder. She threw her purse over her arm and stared at his computer case.
“We should go in.” She nodded toward the closed doors. “We don't want to miss anything.”
Despite the air conditioner’s hum, the gym didn't feel cool. In fact, the air stifled her. Or maybe it was the man who strode to keep pace behind her. She stiffened her spine and moved through the throng of parents who milled around the bottom benches.
When she got there early, she snagged a seat at ground level so she could handle any issues with her daughters. Not today. Thankfully, seats were still open near the top.
Climbing ahead of him, she stowed her bag under the seat and settled in. He scaled the stairs two at a time and jiggled the accordion-style bleachers, then folded into a seat a row below her and to her right.
She was glad she wouldn’t spend the entire gym meet trapped next to him. Or worse, have to make conversation with him. But she positioned herself at an angle to keep an eye on him. Would he work while his daughters competed? Forget about him and focus on the meet.
The opponents, dressed in black and red leotards, were a stark contrast to the purple of her daughters’ team. Both groups huddled around their coaches for last-minute instructions. Their daughters high-fived one another for the start of the meet.
Judges sat on opposite sides of the spring floor with scorekeepers ready nearby. In the far corners, the girls stretched and warmed up.
Out of the corner of her eye, she frowned when he pulled out his laptop. He kept his focus on the screen shutting out all the commotion going on around him. Unlike a soccer match or softball game, he wouldn’t have to pay attention all the time. But it still bothered her that he would try to work at a meet. Practice, sure. Even she did some writing while the girls were at practice. But meets? No. It was their time to shine.
All four girls waved and gave a cursory glance at him. She responded with a grin and a silent thumbs up. When the girls returned to stretching, she glanced his way. He caught her gawking and raised an eyebrow. Heat rose on her neck, and she hurried to look away.
She hadn’t dated since college. Her one and only boyfriend became her husband. And now, she was a single mother and had no intention of getting involved with any man. Her children were her focus and there it had to remain until they were grown and on their own.
His eldest, Stella, was on floor with her eldest daughter, next in the rotation. The girls seemed to have become immediate close friends. “Go, Stella!” Cassie alerted him to when his girls or hers were on beam or vault so he’d get his eyes off the computer screen and onto his daughters where his focus should have been.
Stella flashed a broad grin, took her place on the floor and saluted the judges. Canned music blared from the speakers. Her high leaps and graceful pirouettes showed she had made progress from summer practices. And she nailed her tumbling passes.
When the first half of the meet ended, the scorekeepers posted the tallies. Her daughters checked their rankings and dashed up the bleacher steps and halted in front of her. Her youngest daughter, Bella, begged for a juice box and goodies.
His daughters plopped next to him, and their chests heaved as they wiped sweaty faces. Cassie leaned toward them. “Would you like a drink and a snack?”
His mouth tightened, but he nodded to his daughters. He didn’t appear to be happy she had offered. Too bad. The girls needed a drink and a snack. She wanted to glare back, but it would send the wrong message to the children.
The girls scooted over to accept her offer. “Thanks, Mrs. V.”
“You're welcome, ladies. You’re all doing terrific.”
“Daddy didn't know to bring snacks and drinks and Aunt Mia sometimes forgets, but you always remember.” Tina’s lips gripped the straw, and she shrugged.
Cassie sneaked a look at him but he was frowning at his daughters. Maybe he was upset with himself that he didn’t bring snacks. She wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt despite her experience with her ex-husband, but she struggled with her own pre-conceived ideas about men.
With a soft smile, she pulled Tina’s braid. “Well, we all forget sometimes, right?”
Tina nodded and Cassie's younger daughter, Bella, mirrored her.
“We can't wait for camp to learn new tricks,” Stella said.
Little heads bobbed in agreement, and Cassie smiled. The upcoming gym camp right before school started would be the highlight of their summer.
Her older daughter, Gabby, arose and hugged her. “We need to get back to the team.”
She smirked and shook her head. They’d left their trash on the seat for Cassie to pick up.
Toward the end of the meet, Steve closed his laptop and stuffed it in his bag then scooted closer, turning to face her. “The kids are doing well today, aren’t they?” Shifting his gaze from her to his daughters, he had a slight smile on his face.
The pride she saw on his face made her happy for his daughters. Maybe he wasn’t as bad as she thought, but still.
“Long hours spent at the gym and dance studio are paying off,” she said, her voice quiet. Uncomfortable with Steve’s attention, she fidgeted. It had been years since she’d been in the company of a man whose mere presence and gorgeous eyes set off alarms. More handsome in person than in his photos, she was unprepared to have a conversation with him, even if it was about the girls.
All four girls placed in all their routines. They raced up the bleachers to show off blue, red and yellow ribbons, and chattered with every step.
He hugged his daughters and glanced at her over their heads.
She descended with the kids in front of her and she could smell Steve’s aftershave wafting behind her. A woodsy scent she knew would fill her nostrils long after she went home. She’d heard the sense of smell is strongest. She didn’t doubt it.
He touched her arm when they reached the gym floor, and she shivered with goosebumps. “I wanted to thank you for the snacks.” His smile seemed genuine. “Why don't you and the girls come to our house for lunch and a dip in the pool?” She frowned, but he continued to smile, staring into her eyes. “To celebrate their success. And I insist.”
Her eyes widened. She hadn’t expected an invitation for lunch. And he insisted? Biting her lip, she held back a sigh. He’d made the offer in earshot of the girls, who now squealed their delight. She wouldn’t be able to stop the tide. Why had he made the offer? Was he aware his sister had been pestering her to meet him? That she shared family pictures of him and his daughters? She hoped not.
She elevated her voice as the girls danced around them. “We have to go home first to get their suits. It'll be about thirty minutes.”
He gave her a half smile. “Don't worry. We'll wait for you.”
Her stomach churned. Like it or not, she committed to lunch and his sister would have a field day with this news.
***
Steve flew through the kitchen door and dropped his bag on the counter. “We’re back.”
His family’s long-time housekeeper, Fiona, bustled around the kitchen and prepared lunch while sunlight poured through the windows above the sink and made the stainless-steel appliances and the subway tiles gleam.
“Laddie, ye gave me a fright.” Fiona’s colorful accent grew pronounced when something startled her. Wisps of gray-streaked hair fell from the bun she always wore.
He puckered his brows and sniffed the air. “Sorry. We're having company. Do we need to order pizza or something?” Fiona had whipped up her famous cinnamon cake and he could almost taste its spicy richness. The scent permeated the room, and his stomach rumbled.
“Och. Dinnae fret. There's plenty.”
He snagged a handful of chips she placed in a bowl and crunched them, then licked the salt from his fingers.
She crossed her arms. “Ye’ll spoil yer lunch, laddie.”
Fiona scurried around the kitchen with her ever-present apron tied around her slim waist and her blue eyes danced. “Now who might the guests be?”
He chuckled. “Will you ever call me by my name? I'm thirty-six years old. Way too old for you to call me laddie.”
“Ye dinnae answer the question, laddie.” Well, that didn’t work. She’ll ferret out the information, regardless.
“Cassie and her daughters. I’ll check on Mia and change clothes. I'll be back in a few.” He needed to get out of there before the inquisition started. The invitation had popped out of his mouth before he could stop himself. Whether it was the kids’ excitement or his own curiosity, he couldn’t say.
Snatching his bag, he escaped Fiona’s surprised look. His brown leather Dockers made no sound on the pristine wood floors. He strolled into his home office and put the computer case on his father's old desk and gazed about the room. The 1920s colonial had been his boyhood home. He’d renovated rooms and added a pool that changed the old place into a better space for his family.
Through the open window, he stared at the aqua water and thought of the green-eyed woman who held his attention at the meet. What was wrong with him? He should have been focused on work, but no. Every time she rooted for his girls or hers, she pulled at him. He’d have to handle lunch with care. Fiona and Mia would be marrying him off to her if he let them and he had no intention of putting himself into another relationship. Once was more than enough.
Racing upstairs to get away from his thoughts, he tapped one knuckle on Mia's door and turned the handle.
Drawn shades shut out the summer glare and produced a gloominess that would help Mia rest and sleep. Nothing changed in here since they were teenagers. He wanted to renovate when she returned home, but she refused and moved into the over-the-garage apartment. But because she was sick, Fiona insisted she come home so she could look in on Mia.
He tiptoed in, perched on the edge of the bed, and brushed loose hair behind her ears. “How are you feeling?”
Mia rose from the mounds of those awful purple pillows. Her voice was a mere whisper. “I'm better. How was the meet?”
“The girls won ribbons on all their routines, but I didn't do much work.”
She sat up and cocked her head. “You took your laptop?”
“I’ve invited guests for lunch.” He hoped to distract her from giving him grief over working when he should have been more engaged with his daughters. He’d make it up to them in the pool.
He grappled with the biggest deal of his career and wanted to partner with a provider in Australia that would move his family-owned electronics manufacturing business up a notch in the world of technology and make the firm a global enterprise. His father had worked toward this achievement until his death. If he could make it happen, that is. He sighed. Mia understood nothing about the business. Nor did she want to.
She leaned forward. “Who?”
With a calm touch, he pushed her into the fluffy softness. “You stay in bed. I've got this.”
“What exactly is this? More important, who did you invite to lunch?”
“Cassie and her girls,” he said, keeping his expression in check.
Why had he invited them? Because he hadn’t remembered the snacks and drinks? Or because he lacked the skills to be a top-rate dad? He couldn’t rescind the invitation even if he wanted to. In some small way, he wanted to see just why his sister was so gung-ho on this woman.
Cassie was short, curvy and had eyes a guy could drown himself in, but he couldn’t go down that road again. His dead wife had caused too many heartaches and her lies almost wrecked him, his daughters, and his business. He’d heard about Cassie from Mia. His girls had thrust pictures of her and her daughters in his face, but he hadn’t really looked at her. He didn’t want this irrational curiosity to lead him down another thorny path.
“She must have swayed you somehow.” Mia beamed despite the paleness of her skin. “About time you two met.”
Convincing her of something he himself was unsure of grated on his nerves. “Hold it right there, Mia. I invited Cassie and her daughters to repay her kindness and to celebrate my girls’ first meet. Nothing more. Nothing less. It was spontaneous,” he muttered.
A defiant look swept over her face, and she crossed her arms.
Stiffening his spine, he lowered his voice a few notches and frowned. “Stop with the matchmaking, Mia. Just because you live here and take care of the girls, doesn’t give you the right to meddle in my personal life. If I want female companionship, I'm more than capable of finding my own.”
He had to get away from this conversation or he might say something about Cassie he’d regret later on.
“We’re twins. I know you better than you seem to know yourself. Laura has been gone for years, Steve. You can’t judge every woman based on your dead wife. I just want the best for you and help you get on with your life. And unless I push a woman right under your nose, you practice blindness and selective hearing.” She blew out a wisp of air that ruffled wayward strands of hair and turned her exasperation on like a light switch.
Such an annoying habit.
“Why would you imagine I'd be remotely attracted to her? She's not my type. Even if I were interested. Which I am not.” He regarded her through the gloom and thought about how he could steer his sister in another direction. “She already has two children to keep up with. Her plate’s quite full without adding two more to the mix. What makes you believe she's interested? Besides, she isn’t interested in me, nor am I interested in her. Case closed.”
“Methinks you protest too much, dear brother.”
He raised his hands in surrender. “You're impossible! The Veranos will be here any minute. I need to change. Stay in bed.” He stood. “And that's an order,” he added with more force than intended. He stepped to the door without a backward glance. “And don't stick your tongue out.”
In the hallway, his shoulders slumped against the wall, and he closed his eyes. Colossal mistake inviting Cassie and her girls. The girls were fine, but Cassie spelled disaster in giant capital letters.

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