Verna’s junk shop to see you. To my surprise, you weren’t there.”
Her mother never ventured into the antique store. Why today of all days?
“Verna told me you’d left with Psy. She also said he was the one she suspected of having mumps! Was it smart to go off with him when he has a contagious disease?”
You said I was vaccinated.
“Yes, but why take chances?”
I’m immune.
“Immunity can lessen over time. I assumed your exposure was momentary—not that you’d spent an entire evening with a contagious person.”
She’d spent an entire evening kissing him. He doesn’t have mumps anymore.
“If he had it this afternoon, he still has it.”
No, because he was treated.
Rosalie shook her head. “This is why I’m so protective. Cassie—”
She held up her hand. Taking a deep breath, she wrote, Psy is an extraterrestrial. He contracted mumps, but he has a medical machine that cured him.
“Is that what he told you? Psy’s not an alien. He’s a creepy guy taking advantage of an innocent young girl.”
No. He is an alien—and not the only one. The owner of Lavender Bliss Farm is married to one. So is Delia Mason who works at the Whitetail. Extraterrestrials are here! She hoped she wasn’t revealing something she shouldn’t.
“Did he tell you that, too?”
Ask around town, she wrote. Find out for yourself.
“You bet I will.”
In the meantime, I will be seeing Psy. He’s a nice guy. I like him.
“I don’t like this at all. You’re going to get hurt.”
Her heart pounded a worried beat. Would her mother put her foot down and forbid her to see him? She would continue to see him no matter what. She lifted her chin and braced for a blowup.
Rosalie compressed her lips. “You’re hell-bent on seeing this guy, aren’t you? Nothing I say is going to dissuade you. Unfortunately, you’re going to have to find out the hard way. I just hope you don’t get hurt too badly.”
He’s not going to hurt me.
“I don’t believe for an instant he’s an alien, but if he is—that doesn’t make it better! You don’t know what kind of weird powers he might have. He could be distorting your mind! Brainwashing you!”
Cassie almost choked. Psy would never do that, but Rosalie had almost hit a bullseye.
Her mother lifted her hands and let them fall with a heavy sigh. “I’ll be here. Whatever happens, I’ll be here for you. I hope for your sake I’m wrong. I get that you want to be independent and do things on your own. Like your job. I don’t like Verna—and I never will—but I see how happy working at Timeless Treasures makes you.
“I can’t keep you as my little girl forever. That’s not why a parent raises a child. But it will hurt me if you get hurt. I hope this guy, this alien, is everything you think he is, that he purports himself to be.” She held out her arms. “Give me a hug.”
She dropped her pad and embraced her mother.
“I love you, honey. I worry about you. Be careful!”
She knew she worried and wished she could reassure her everything would be fine. Through the telepathic connection, she knew Psy was kind and decent—the sort of man any mother would want for a daughter. But the mind reading would only freak her out. Better to let her get to know him better and then reveal what he was and what he could do. Let her realize what a great guy he was first.
Discussions about moving out and severing the guardianship would have to wait, too. She couldn’t spring those on her mother right now. Once she accepted Psy, then Cassie would address the rest. The evidence she had been right and had made a sound decision would bolster the argument she deserved emancipation.
For now, it was enough her mother would permit her to date. Reluctantly—but at least she hadn’t outright forbidden her. Cassie pulled out of the embrace and grabbed her notebook. I love you, Mom.
“I love you, too, honey.”
Don’t worry.
Rosalie gave a resigned smile. “Can’t promise that.”
Cassie kissed her, wished her good night, and went to bed.
Chapter Eleven
Hiding in the hall, Psy shot a teasing telepathic message to Cassie. Are your eyes closed? He didn’t have to ask. With their mind link, he knew she’d followed his instructions. He constructed a mental barrier to prevent her from gleaning his thoughts so he wouldn’t spoil the surprise.
Yes!
After rendezvousing at Millie’s for dinner, he’d brought her to the farmhouse on the hover scooter. He’d asked her to sit