Cedar Hollow (13 page)

Cassidy’s tension eased a little. He hadn’t been here in five years, she could live with that.
“It was very nice of her to do that for you.” She said as she looked around the small apartment trying to imagine a younger version of Ben.

“Yeah, Sarah’s always been great. She dated my dad for a few months when we first came to town. It didn’t last long, but she always
looked out for me after that.” Ben smiled fondly. “Anyway, it works out for us tonight that she never took that key back.” Ben added. “You can take the bed. I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“Ok, thanks
.” Cassidy agreed. “Bathroom?” She asked. Ben pointed to a door in the corner.

Cassidy washed he
r face and rinsed her mouth with water, of course she didn’t have a toothbrush or a nightgown. She hadn’t really been prepared for a sleepover. She let her hair down from the chignon she’d had it in and ran her fingers through the long strands, massaging her scalp. There was a soft knock at the door.

“I found some old t-shirts in the
dresser.” Ben said through the bathroom door. “I thought you might like to sleep in one.” He offered.

“That’d be great.” Cassidy agreed as she opened the door to accept the t-shirt he was offering. Ben
hesitated for a moment as he stared at her, he’d never seen her with her hair down before. Then he quickly handed her the shirt and turned away. Cassidy closed the door and changed out of the skirt and blouse that she’d been wearing. The t-shirt was just long enough to reach mid-thigh, but not quite to her knees. She self-consciously pulled at the hem trying to cover her legs as she came out of the bathroom.

Ben had already made up the couch with some blankets and was stretched out on top of them
with his arms tucked behind his head. He wore an old pair of basketball shorts and his chest was bare. Cassidy pulled at the hem of the shirt again, shifting her feet nervously. Ben stared.

“You should wear your
hair down more often.” He remarked huskily. Cassidy nervously played with the loose strands that were cascading over her shoulders.

“I guess I’ll
see you in the morning.” She said, desperate to get under the covers and out of his penetrating gaze. She felt like he could see straight through the thin t-shirt she was wearing.

Fashion had always been a shield for Cassi
dy. Neatly pressed business attire, hair perfectly coifed, high heeled shoes. These were the things she hid behind, they made her feel secure and in control. Standing barefoot in a t-shirt with her hair falling loosely down her back made her feel vulnerable and exposed, especially standing that way in front of Ben.

“Goodnight.” He said
, his eyes still riveted on her and small smile playing around his sexy lips. She quickly crossed the room to the bed and crawled beneath the covers. Ben stood from the couch and walked to the door. Cassidy watched his every move with the covers pulled up to her chin. She watched how his muscles rippled as he walked, watched how his shorts rode low on his hips revealing the V-shaped abdominal muscles that pointed right down to… She quickly looked away, blushing with embarrassment. Then the room went dark. Ben had flipped the light switch by the door. She could hear him moving back to the couch as her eyes adjusted to the night.

“Sweet dreams.” She heard his voice through the darkness and her skin prickled with awareness.

“Goodnight.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

A loud clap of thunder startled Cassidy awake. Lightening was flashing outside causing a strobe light effect in the small apartment. She could hear rain pouring down on the roof. Another summer storm.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Ben’s voice broke through the
darkness, she could hear him shifting around.

“Are you ok?” She asked
. She was only able to make out his shape during the intermittent flashes of lightening, but she could tell he was standing in the middle of the small room.

“The roof
is leaking.” Ben said irritably. “Over the couch.”

“Oh.” Cassidy’s heart was immediately in her throat. Obviously Ben couldn’t sleep on the couch under a leaky roof, which only left… “We could share the bed.” Cassidy offered timidly. Her suggestion was met with a beat of silence. She held her breath waiting for him to respond.

Lightening flashed again and she could see him moving closer. “Are you sure?” His voice was right beside her now.

“We’re both adults.” Cassidy tried to sound nonchalant, praying that her voice wouldn’t crack and betray her nerves. “It’s the only other place for you to sleep.” She pointed out.

She felt the mattress bend beneath his weight. She scooted to the edge of the bed as he settled in beside her.

“I’ll have to tell Sarah about the roof
in the morning.” Ben’s strained voice broke the heavy silence. Cassidy nodded, unable to find her own voice. Lightening flashed again.

Cassidy lay stiff as a board, eyes wide open staring at the ceiling.
She gripped the blankets under her chin, holding on to them as if they were a lifeline. She could hear Ben breathing beside her, feel his body heat. His proximity made her anxious, she felt like she wanted to crawl out of her skin. Instead she held perfectly still barely breathing, aware of every little sound and move he made. It was going to be a long night.

Eventually Ben’s breathing became deep and heavy, she tried to pace her own breaths to his. Slowly calming
herself and relaxing her tense muscles. Once she was sure that he’d fallen asleep she finally allowed herself to release the death grip she had on the blankets. She stretched her aching fingers, wondering how long she’d been lying with her fists clenched around the covers. It could have been minutes, it could have been hours.

As she f
inally began to feel herself drifting off, she rolled to her side ready to allow sleep to envelope her. She bent her knees and her leg brushed against Ben’s beneath the covers. Skin to skin. She was wide awake again and suddenly she couldn’t hear him breathing anymore. Was he holding his breath? She held hers.

Then so softly she wondered if she imagined it, she f
elt his fingers skim her knee. She held perfectly still, wondering if he was awake, wondering if it had been intentional. Then she shifted her leg again, allowing it to barely graze his. This time she had no doubt when his fingertips reached out and stoked a gentle trail from her knee up her thigh. Cassidy’s heart raced and she scooted a little closer. Ben silently ran his hand along her leg up and down from the back of her knee all the way to the hem of the short t-shirt she was wearing. Tentatively Cassidy reached out and ran her fingertips along his flat stomach and up to his chest. She felt his muscles contract under her tender touch.

He reached for her hand bringing it to his lips and kissing the tips of her fingers. He then kissed her palm and the inside of her wrist. Cassidy shivered as each searing kiss sent shock
waves through her body. Ben slowly trailed kisses along the inside of her arm to the crook of her elbow. She rolled to her back and he hovered over her. Lightening flashed and she could see his brilliant green eyes looking down at her, then it was dark again.

He brought his head down to her neck placing soft kisses along her collar bone and the hollow of her throat. He kissed the side of her neck and just behind her ear. Cassidy writhed beneath him, breathing heavily and running her hands along his bare muscular back. He continued his gentle assault, kissing along the line of her jaw and then finally bringing is mouth to hers.

The kiss was slow and gentle, a soft exploration. Ben continued to caress her as he kissed her tenderly. He ran his fingertips down the side of her face, trailing them along her throat, and slowly, achingly slowly he brought his hand to her breast just barely grazing her hard nipple with the pad of his thumb. Cassidy arched into his touch, moaning into his mouth. She could feel wetness pooling between her legs from her throbbing desire.

Ben brought his hand down to her thigh slowly sliding it beneath the t-shirt that was the only barrier betw
een them. He sat back and gently pulled the shirt over her head. Cassidy raised her arms allowing him to slip the it off. She left her arms extended over her head, offering herself up to him. He bought his mouth down to her breasts, teasing her aching nipples with his tongue. Then he trailed a line of kisses down her stomach. Cassidy raised her hips allowing him to grip the edges of her panties and slide them down her legs. Her knees trembled.

Ben repeated the process he’d started, slowly leaving a trail of kisses starting at the back of her knee and following the inside of her thigh to the apex between her legs. It was a slow and torturous pleasure. Just when Cassidy was sure she couldn’t take anymore, she felt his warm wet tongue flick out and rasp against her tender flesh. Cassidy bucked beneath him crying out. He grabbed her hips, holding her down as he explored her intimately with his mouth.

Cassidy was racked with waves of pleasure crashing over her unrelentingly, her world had become nothing but sensations. Touch, taste, smell. Her senses were overwhelmed.

Suddenly he pulled away and Cassidy was able to suck in a ragged breath before he was over her again spreading her thighs
, grasping behind her knees and plunging inside of her. She screamed out in pleasure and the world exploded around her.

Lightening flashed around them as their bodies melded, moving in a primal rhythm. Cassidy
closed her eyes and lost herself to the sensations. Her hands explored the contours of Ben’s back, feeling his muscles flex beneath her probing fingers. She kissed his chest and neck, tasting the salt of his skin. She reveled in the smooth glide of their overheated flesh slicked with sweat. She felt him pulsing inside her and heard his low moans of pleasure intermingle with her own.

Ben buried his face against her neck and she could feel h
is hot breath on her skin as their tempo increased, gradually moving faster, harder, deeper, pounding, thrusting, driving each other over the edge. Ben cried out as he pulled away abruptly before his release. He collapsed on his side, Cassidy still trembling beside him. He reached for her pulling her against him, she molded to his side enjoying the feel of their heated skin pressed intimately together. He draped his arm across her waist and then placed a kiss on her temple. Without a word they both drifted off to sleep in each other’s arms.

Cassidy woke up alone.
She opened her eyes to the unfamiliar room and the memories of the night before flooded over her. Ben had been so gentle, she’d never imagined it could be that way. It had been the best night of her life. But where was he now? She sat up in bed and looked around the empty room.

The shopping bags from their trip were sitting on the floor at the foot of the bed.
He’d brought her clothes up from the car. Cassidy smiled as she climbed out of bed to retrieve them. She hurried to the bathroom with the bags, and rummaged through them until she found a bright yellow summer dress that matched her mood. She slipped it over her head and then turned to the mirror.

Her face was flushed and her lips slightly swollen
, she touched her lips remembering the feel of Ben’s kiss. Her hair was a mess. She went in search of her purse and a hair brush still smiling to herself as she relived the memories of last night in her mind. She returned to the bathroom with brush in hand, but as she worked out the knots she began to feel more anxious about where Ben could be. How did he feel about last night? How would he act this morning? How should she act?

Her tension grew as the minutes ticked by
. Where was he? Her stomach twisted with anxiety. Out of habit she began to braid her hair, as her mind raced with millions of questions.

“You should leave it down.” Ben’s sultry voice came from behind her. She’d been so consumed with worry that she hadn’t even heard him come in.

“I never wear it down.” She replied to his reflection in the mirror. He stood behind her, close enough that she could feel his body heat.

“I like it down.” He told her replacing
her fingers with his own and undoing the braid. She leaned her head back enjoying the feel of his hands in her hair. He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her neck and all of her fears dissolved. Last night had meant something to him too.

“Sarah has breakfast ready downstairs.” He told her after he’d smoothed the long strands of her hair over her back, allowing his hands to drift a bit lower and graze the contour of her behind.

“I brought you a toothbrush. I thought you might want one.” He offered, handing her the packaged toothbrush.

Cassidy spun around and threw
her arms around his neck. “Thank you.” She whispered.

“It’s
just a toothbrush.” Ben laughed as he hugged her and kissed her forehead. “I’ll see you downstairs.”

A few minutes later, with teeth freshly brushed, Cassidy made her way downstairs. She found Ben and Sarah sitting at a booth in the empty restaurant. Ben smiled at her encouragingly and she crossed the room to join them at the table.
He passed her a plate of pancakes.

“So she’s just a guest
at the Inn, huh?” Sarah teased skeptically, although she didn’t seem at all surprised to see Cassidy there.

“Actually she’s old man Miller’s great-niece.” Ben revealed. Sarah sat back
with wide eyes and appraised Cassidy closely. She nodded.

“You look
just like your mother.” She said softly. Cassidy sucked in a shocked breath.

“You knew my mother?” She asked.

“She was my best friend.” Sarah revealed. “I miss her every day.” Cassidy could feel the genuine sentiment in Sarah’s words, she immediately warmed to her.

“Can you tell me about her?” Cassidy asked, feeling a lump rise in her throat.

“Kim and her twin sister Lainey moved to Cedar Hollow with their parents our junior year of high school. Their uncle had just turned the family home into a bed and breakfast a few years earlier. Rumor had it that there had been a falling out between the brothers, but Curtis Miller moved back with his family to help Robert run the Inn and make amends. Anyway Kim, Lainey and I became friends instantly, and Kimmy fell hard and fast for Billy Patterson. They were inseparable from the moment they laid eyes on each other.

“
The entire town was shocked by the deaths of their parents. Both were ruled accidental but they were suspicious. Nothing like that had ever happened in Cedar Hollow. Kim and Lainey were sent back to Connecticut to live with their grandmother. Billy was devastated, but they kept in touch and Kim came back as soon as she’d graduated from high school. They married that summer.

“Billy
got a job working for her uncle at the bed and breakfast, but Kim didn’t like living there. Too many memories of her parents. Billy saved up and bought a small cottage out on Glen Oaks Road just outside of town. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her. Any time he wasn’t working he was out there fixing it up. A few months after they married she found out she was pregnant, and Billy began working even harder promising to have the house finished before the baby came. It’s all she ever talked about, finishing the house, decorating the baby’s room.

“
For Christmas he built her a crib. I was so happy for her, she deserved that kind of happiness after the tragedy she’d been through.” Sarah paused to take a sip of coffee, and Cassidy realized that this story wasn’t going to have a happy ending.

“Abo
ut a month after Christmas she received a letter from her sister. I don’t know what the letter said but it really had Kim upset. She made me promise not to tell anyone that her sister had written her. Then she told me that they might have to leave and if they did she might not have a chance to say goodbye. I didn’t understand any of it. She was telling me goodbye just in case she didn’t have a chance to tell me goodbye. About a month later she got word that Lainey had been killed in a car accident. Kim wasn’t the same after that. She seemed nervous all the time, jumpy. She kept telling me that they were going to leave, but made me promise not to tell anyone.

“They were still living with her
uncle, it had been a bad winter and Billy hadn’t had much opportunity to work on the house. Kim was nine months pregnant, but she’d stopped talking about the house, about the baby’s room. She’d really just stopped talking all together. I was so worried about her. I should have done something.” Sarah shook her head and wiped away her tears. Cassidy realized tears were silently streaking down her own cheeks as well. Ben reached over and took her hand squeezing it comfortingly.

“It was raining that night.
” Sarah’s voice was sad as she continued her story. “Kim came to my house and she was completely soaked from head to toe as if she’d walked through the rain. She was holding her stomach and crying. She asked me to take her to the hospital. I asked her if she wanted me to call Billy and she said ‘No.’ She was adamant that I didn’t call him, that I didn’t call anyone. I could tell she was going into labor so I rushed her to the hospital in Montgomery. I didn’t think we were going to make it, she was screaming the whole way in the car. She was in so much pain. We just barely made it. You were born minutes after we’d passed through the doors of the emergency room.

“
When the nurses took you away to clean you up I was finally able to ask Kim what was going on. She told me that somebody had tried to kill her, just like somebody had killed her sister. She was terrified. Terrified for you. Terrified for Billy. She said she had to leave right away, we couldn’t tell anyone, not even Billy. She even insisted on using her maiden name on the hospital admissions paperwork. She didn’t want anything that could trace back to Billy.

“I didn’t know what to do. She was hysterical, she begged me not to tell anyone that I’d seen her, begged me not to tell
anyone about you. I had never seen Kim so frightened. She said that people needed to believe that she was dead; it was the only way she would be safe. She asked for my car and I gave her the keys along with all the money I had in my pocket, which wasn’t much. I never saw her again.” Sarah hung her head and cried. Cassidy had no words.

“The weeks that followed were the hardest.” Sarah continued after a moment. “Billy filed a missing persons report and every one began looking for Kim. I couldn’t tell them, I’d promised her I wouldn’t. Then they found her car at the bottom of the bay. The brake lines had been cut. But Billy refused to believe that she was gone, they hadn’t found her body. He finished the house out on Glen Oaks and moved out there alone.
Everyone knew he was waiting for Kim to come back to him. Everyone thought he’d gone crazy. He was right, though, she did come back. She couldn’t stay away from him, couldn’t live without him. I’m surprised she managed to stay away as long as she did.”

“She came back?” Cassidy scrubbed the tears from her eyes.

“Most of Cedar Hollow still believes that she died in that car accident in 1982, but a few of us know the truth. She died alongside your father in their house on Glen Oaks Road. I don’t know how long she’d been back, but when I heard that a woman had died in the fire. I knew it was her.”

“Who else knew?” Ben spoke up.

“I believe her uncle was informed after her death. The medical examiner identified her body, but Dean Woodard was able to pull some strings and keep it out of the paper. The Miller family had already experienced more tragedy than any one family deserved, I guess they wanted to grieve privately.”

“How did you find out?” Cassidy questioned.

“My brother worked for the newspaper, he was there the day Dean came into the office to speak with the editor about keeping her name out of the paper. He overheard the conversation, actually he eavesdropped. He told me because he knew how close Kim and I had been.”

“How was
Dean Woodard involved?”

“
He was the family’s attorney.”

Silence descended on the table as Cassidy tried to process everything she’d just learned. There was so much to think about.

“Honestly, Cassidy, I’d believed you died in that fire along with your parents. I never imagined you were still alive until you walked through that door with Ben the other night. You look so much like your mother.” Sarah smiled wistfully.

“I was put up for adoption.” Cassidy explained hoarsely. She was surprised she could speak at all around the lump that was lodged in her throat.

“I always wondered how Kim was going to survive on her own with a new baby and no money to her name. I always felt guilty for letting her go, for helping her leave. I worried about her constantly, about both of you. I can promise you one thing Cassidy, giving you up had to have been the hardest thing she’d ever done. She loved you even before you were born.”

Cassidy broke
down, all the tears she’d been holding back could no longer be contained. She was racked with sobs and Ben held her while she cried.

“I’ll leave you two.” Sarah said standing from the table. “But Cassidy, sweetheart, if you need anything please don’t hesitate to ask. It’s the least I can do for Kim.” Sarah choked back a sob and turned from the table.

Ben continued to hold Cassidy until she cried her last tear. Finally spent, Cassidy sat back and wiped away her tears, taking a deep stabilizing breath. One thing she’d learned how to do after her parent’s death was bottle down emotion and get through the day.

“Did you call about getting your tire fixed?” She asked Ben, clearing her throat and reaching for her purse. She rummaged around inside as Ben eyed her with concern. He saw that she wasn’t ready to t
alk yet.

“Tony is fixing it now
. They towed it in this morning. It should be ready soon.” Ben answered. Cassidy found the rubber band she’d been searching for. She reached for her long blonde hair and pulled it up into a tight pony tail then quickly twisted it into a bun.

Ben was anxious as he drove back to Cedar Hollow; he kept checking his rearview mirror watching Cassidy drive behind him. He didn’t like leaving her alone, not after everything she’d just learned. He knew she needed to talk and he wanted to be there for her when she was ready. They both pulled to a stop in front of the house and Ben crossed over to Cassidy’s car, meeting her at the trunk to help with the shopping bags.

“Do you realize what this means?” Cassidy finally
spoke as they reached the door to her room.

“What’s that?” Ben asked softly
following her inside and placing the bags on the floor.

“My parents did die because of me.” She answered solemnly
, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Cassidy, don’t do that to yourself.”

“Think about it, Ben. Someone wants my entire family dead. My grandparents were murdered. So was my aunt, and then someone tried to kill my mother while she was pregnant with me, they finally succeeded once she returned. All that’s left is me. They found Lainey in Boston, with a different name. The first time I searched for my biological family, my parents ended up dead. That’s not coincidence. They were coming for me then.

“
I was supposed to be in the car that night. It had been advertised in the local paper that my father would be escorting me to the Homecoming Ball. I should have been riding to the dance with them, but my mom let me ride with a friend.” Cassidy’s voice cracked and she took a deep breath. “They died on the way to the dance. The brakes went out on their car.”

“It’s
not your fault.” Ben insisted.

Cassidy just shook her head and stared out the window. Ben sat next to her, feeling helpless. He held her hand and she leaned her head on his shoulder. He wished there was something he could say, something he could do to make everything better. But some things couldn’t be made better. So he just sat with her for a few minutes staring out the window.