Shaken, Not Stirred

But I hold on to my anger, let my grief over the loss of my father, the loss of my independence, and possibly the loss of my love, overwhelm me.

Turning on my heel, I stomp out of the room and slam the door behind me.

Chapter 25

Casey

I wish I could be really mad at Te

I get why he held back on me and I do think, given the right time, he would have told me all about his family. Unfortunately, death has a way of moving the timetables and Te

So, I’m only mildly a

Do I forgive him for his omission?

Absolutely.

Do I question the validity of what he feels for me now?

Absolutely.

It’s a very confusing time for me, but when it boils down to it, there are things that are far more important than my feelings at the moment. I still have a man that I care about deeply who is hurting and needs my support. I mean to give it to him, and we’ll figure the rest out later. This is an adequate, short-term solution for me, because let’s face it… I’m probably just as confused as he is.

Without another thought, I hurry to the door and throw it open, intent on trying to catch up to Te

Even though his lips are flattened out, I see a small flame of amusement in his eyes. I decide to take advantage of it. “What are you doing lurking outside my room?” I say indignantly.

“It’s my room, Goldie.”

“Since you left, I decided to claim it,” I counter with my chin lifted.

“That so?” his voice rumbles and his lips journey upward.

“Yeah, well… now that I know you’re all rich and powerful, I figured I should take advantage of it, you know?”

“Not fu

I give a coy smile and step in toward him, laying my hands just below his breastbone. “Okay, that was bad humor, I admit. But I am trying to find the humor in this.”

Te

I don’t think to pull away or be leery, because even though he’s moving at a quick pace, his hand is, as always, gentle on me. He navigates me back through the monstrosity of a house, that I have to admit is the most spectacular thing I’ve ever seen. When he gets to the great room, which is extremely great by the way, Woolf comes walking through.

He gives me a quick smile and then looks to Te

“But we need to discuss—” Woolf protests.

“Later,” Te

“Get on,” he says as he mounts a dark green four-wheeler.

I scramble on after him, scoot close, and wrap my arms around his lean waist. Then we are off and roaring out of the garage.

Te

He drives us past the house, down another dirt lane, and through a heavily wooded area of a variety of trees I don’t recognize except for pine. Then he bursts out into an open field where I can see a large river up in the distance. He heads that way and in moments, we are its banks with water so crystal clear, I can see all the way to the large rocks scattered across the bottom.

Te

Shaking my head with bemusement, I turn back to Te

“What’s the real reason you didn’t tell me?” I ask him with my head tilted to the side.

He ignores my question and instead sweeps his arm out to indicate the panoramic scene before me. “This was my favorite place in the world. I come out here every time I visit my parents. Spent a good part of my time growing up here fishing this river for cutthroat trout or hunting elk on the other side of the valley. It’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen, and I didn’t think it could ever be topped.”

Sliding a hand around the side of my neck, he grips me gently. He lowers his face just a tad, his eyes boring into me. “I didn’t think it could ever be topped until I met you, and then you became the most beautiful place in the world to me. Whether I’m looking in your eyes, or you’re holding me in your arms, that is now my favorite place in the world to be. So why didn’t I tell you the truth? Because I was afraid you might not be able to look past my family’s wealth and remember the real me that you came to know. I got sidetracked by the beauty of you, both inside and out, but I didn’t give your fortitude and common sense enough credit to do right by me.”

I get a little dizzy, and I’m not sure if it’s the power of his words or the fact I’ve been holding my breath, but I let it out in a rush. “Now that may be the most honest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“I do love you, Casey,” he says earnestly. “Don’t ever doubt that, regardless of some of the idiotic things I may do.”

My heart thumps in pleasure over his words… over the intensity and the honesty… the utter conviction. And despite the fact he withheld from me, I understand that fear can be a powerful deterrent. I understand it better than most, and just as Te

Bringing my arms up to wrap around his neck, I step up and lift myself up on tiptoes to give him a kiss. He has to bend to oblige me, but he does so with no hesitation. Just a brief meeting of our lips, enough of a touch to convey to him that I understand everything.

“We’re good, Te

It’s then that I notice that the anxiety hasn’t been alleviated. I can see the strain around his eyes and feel the tension in his shoulders. I release my hold and step back from him, angling my head in patient curiosity.

Releasing a tiny breath of unease, Te