Love In Secrets (Love Distilled #3) - Scarlett Cole Page 0,24
as well be considered an appendage.” Jake thought for a moment. “I might give Carter a heads-up that it doesn’t matter what Cassie has told him, he should probably try and get home if he can. I don’t know how they came to the conclusion Cassie should make all the sacrifices while he stayed overseas filming. I mean, I get distance put her closer immediately after, but that doesn’t need to remain the default.”
Olivia gathered her things. “I’m going to head to my desk and catch up on some stuff. Let me know if you or Cass need anything.”
“Will do.”
Olivia walked toward the stairs to the mezzanine where the distillery offices were, then turned back to him suddenly. “Are you okay? You seem distracted.”
Jake shrugged. “Same as any other day.” Except he wasn’t. Cassie was totally, unintentionally messing with his mind.
“Okay. Well, I’m here if you need me.”
The next hour dragged by at an impossibly slow rate. He never left the distillery early, but he found himself calling Sienna to ask if she could come in if he started the Vintage run early. Thankfully she could, so it was five fifteen when he pulled out of the distillery parking lot. Thanks to rush hour traffic, it was closer to six when he was directed by the attendant where to find Cassie.
He found her in the hospital hallway, work bags by her feet, one foot propped up on the wall. Her hands were crossed in front of her chest as if she was cold, and her hair covered her side profile.
“Hey, Cass. How did everything go?”
When she looked up, he could see dark circles beneath her eyes and her face was pale. She looked like she’d fought a mighty battle and lost, weariness etched in her posture and eyes.
“Dad came through like a champ. Surgery was five hours. He’s in recovery now. They’ve let us go in one at a time. Marianne went in first. Obviously.”
Jake couldn’t miss the sarcasm in her voice.
“How are you?” he asked, gently.
Her brow furrowed as if she was confused by the question.
“You, Cassie. I want to know how you’re holding up.”
She rolled her shoulders and stood a little straighter. “Oh, yes. I’m fine. I got some work things dealt with and was able to find a spot where I could hold a conference call and I—”
“You sent Liv home. And before you did, you dealt with stuff that upset you. And you look fucking exhausted. So, I’m going to ask you again, and this time, you aren’t going to evade the question. How are you, Cass?”
Tears glittered in her eyes, but she tilted her head back as if willing them to disappear where they came from. “It’s been a day, Jake,” she whispered.
Without thinking, he pulled her to him, relieved when she fell into his arms and wrapped her hands around his back, gripping his T-shirt as tightly as he was holding her. Her head fell against the curve of his shoulder as he ran his hands up and down her back. Her breath, fast and steady, tickled the side of his neck. Her hands rested just above his jeans.
But more than that, he could feel her curves pressed against him. He lowered his face to her hair, which smelled like someone had bottled summer in an apple orchard.
Seconds ticked by into minutes, and neither of them moved. To move would be to break the spell that had descended over them, a spell that turned a hug of comfort into something so much more. Neither of them spoke, and Jake knew the moment either of them did, the reality of the hospital ward and her father and work and every other conceivable worry she had would implode within her.
“Jake. Cassie.” Marianne’s voice cracked through the corridor. “Your father will see you now, but only for a few moments.”
Reluctantly, Jake let go, but before she walked completely out of reach, he took her hand and squeezed it three times.
And hopefully, she understood exactly what he meant.
6
Age gaps were relative, Cassie thought as she opened the glass door of Jake’s shower and stepped beneath the hot water, letting it sluice over her. As she washed her hair, she thought about when she’d been ten and Jake had been eight, and they’d spent the entire summer diving in and out of her dad’s pool. They’d played Marco Polo, jumped off the diving board to try landing on super-sized floaties, and had mock sword fights with foam noodles.