“I knew.”
My heart stuttered.
“I always saw you,” he said, his voice lower now, intimate, only for me.“But you were young, and I wasn’t going to bethatguy.And later, when I came home… I was with someone.But I still saw you.”
My throat closed around a dozen words I couldn’t say.
He went on, his voice roughened with something I couldn’t name.“Chase sent me pictures sometimes.Updates.I followed you online, tried not to be creepy about it.Tried to push it away.But it was there.”His eyes searched mine, intent, unflinching.“It never would’ve worked before.”
“Before what?”The question slipped out, a whisper that felt like butterfly wings.
His gaze softened, the corners of his mouth tugging in the barest smile.“Before now.”
The song slowed toward its end, the crowd swaying around us, but I felt caught in a bubble that had nothing to do with music, people, or whispers.
Brody’s hand lingered at my waist a beat too long, like he didn’t want to let go.His eyes held mine, steady, sure, saying everything the words didn’t.
And then the music ended, the spell breaking like a snapped thread.
“Thanks for the dance,” he murmured and stepped back.
I stood there, stunned, my skin still humming where he’d touched me, the world rushing back in sharp and loud.And for the first time in a long time, I wasn’t sure what terrified me more, how much I wanted him, or how much he seemed to want me back.
The pub had quieted to a low hum by the time we finished wiping down tables and stacking chairs.Adam leaned his hip against the bar, arms folded, a smug grin on his face like he’d been waiting all night to corner me.
“So,” he drawled, eyes twinkling, “was that a dance or foreplay out there?Because I’m gonna need to know how to categorize it for the family archives.”
I snorted, rolling my eyes so hard it almost hurt.“You’re oh so hilarious.”
“Yeah, but I’m right.”
I grabbed a rag and tossed it at him.He caught it with a laugh and lobbed it back, just missing my head.
Before I could fire back, I saw Chase out of the corner of my eye, leaning against the bar with a drink in hand.“Don’t try and get out of this, Cass,” Adam said, wagging a finger.“Your cheeks are still pink.”
“Please.”I waved a hand, desperate for a distraction.“If we’re talking about foreplay, maybe we should talk about Chase.I saw him chatting up that pretty redhead by the fireplace earlier, real close.”
Chase barked a laugh, unbothered.“Fair.But for the record, I also saw Mason and Clara sneaking kisses by the coat rack, so I think I win for Most Shocking Sight of the Night.”
That set Adam off.“Oh man, remember in school when Clara used to slap Mason every time he tried to hold her hand?And now look at them.”He grinned widely, nostalgia dripping from his voice.“Guess miracles do happen.”
The three of us fell into easy laughter, trading stories about old times, the summer barbecues that turned into volleyball wars, the time Adam tried to skateboard down the big hill and broke his foot, the nights Brody used to sneak us smores when Mom said no sugar after nine.It felt light.Like the years peeled back for a second, and I wasn’t the girl everyone whispered about.I was just me.Just Cass.
And then I felt it.Him.
I didn’t even have to turn; I knew Brody had walked back in from outside.My skin buzzed.When I finally lifted my eyes, his were already locked on mine.
Something low and unspoken passed between us, something that made my chest tighten and my stomach flip all at once.
The spell broke with a warm voice at my side.
“Cassidy, sweetheart.”Judy Palmer, all bright eyes and motherly warmth, squeezed my arm.“You owe me a dinner soon.Don’t think I’ve forgotten.”
I managed a smile, nodding quickly, but my gaze slid back to Brody.His smile was different, not the one he flashed everyone else, but the one that somehow felt like it belonged to me alone.
Chapter 38
Late spring had crept in quietly, soft green brushing across the fields and trees, the last edges of winter finally loosening its grip.But inside me, winter hadn’t fully left.
