A Child's Heart (Trent & Cassie's Story) A River City Novel (29 page)

He glanced up once at her as anger boiled to the
surface. “Stop crying. I can’t stand it!”

She sniffled, pulled to her feet, and found a box of
tissues. “I love you.”

“Why? I thought we had something.”

“We do. Why would she say something like that? I knew
she was angry because we were living together, but I didn’t think
she hated me. Do you think I’d choose a house with an apartment for
her, if I thought she abhorred me? She loves you and Shawn. I
didn’t want to make anyone choose between us.”

“I finally convince her to at least drive by the
house and look at it. So she does, and finds you in the arms of
another man.”

“Ohmigod! Today? Was she there today?”

“I’ll assume she drove by on the way to work.” He
rubbed his forehead and his temples as if he could stop the
pounding.

She kneeled in front of him, resting her head on his
thigh. “I think I know what she thinks she saw. Berto.”

“You and Berto? How dare you!”

“No, it’s not like that. Berto was putting up the
curtain rods for me and we were chatting. I thanked him for his
help, and he told me I should marry you, and not live in sin.”

“I don’t think it’s a sin to love someone.”

“He finished putting the one rod up and moved the
ladder. He gave me the lecture about our living together without
the bonds of marriage.” She paused for a second and looked up at
him. “He gave me a little hug and told me to use my head. It was an
endearment, not anything sexual.”

“That’s it?”

“There’s nothing more to tell. I love you, and I know
that Berto loves Amy. Do you think we’d do anything to jeopardize
what we have?”

“No.” His head pounded in rhythm with his pulse.

“I love you, Trent Callahan.”

“Got anything for a headache? We need to go back to
the house.”

“Aren’t you going to say that you’re sorry?” she
asked.

“Why should I? I wasn’t in another woman’s arms.”

Cassie pressed her hand to her forehead. “Okay, I’m
sorry we argued over something so stupid. I’m sorry that someone
misconstrued something that was completely innocent.”

“Okay. I’m sorry I doubted you. Now, do you have
anything for my headache?”

She grabbed a bottle of aspirin and handed it to him.
“Why don’t you go to bed? I’ll go back over to the house.”

“I could use some sleep.”

“Then do it.”

***

Cassie kissed Trent goodnight and went back to the
house.

“Is everything all right?” Tate asked, as Cassie
walked through the door.

“Fine. I think we are both so tired that everything
sort of unglued.”

“Where’s Trent?”

“I hope asleep. He’s got a terrible headache. We’re
both running on only a few hours of sleep per night.”

“These window treatments are beautiful,” Amanda said.
“Where did you find them?”

“At the mall. I couldn’t find what I wanted at
Conway’s, and I didn't want to wait on custom. I can't afford a
whole bunch.”

“I thought you bought your furniture from them.”

“I did. But for now, I need to shoestring it. It took
everything I had to buy this place and I still don’t know if
Trent’s mom will move in with us.”

“I’ll email you some of the rentals over there. It
will give her an idea of what she can get for her house.”

“Thanks. I’ll print them out and give them to Trent.
It might take her awhile to make up her mind. I’m not exactly one
of her favorite people.” She looked around the room. “Where’s
Dallas? I know I saw her car.”

“Upstairs putting the finishing touches on Shawn’s
room.”

“Excuse me, I want to go see what she’s doing.”

Dallas was busy with several small cans of paint when
Cassie walked into Shawn’s room.

“What do you think?”

“Amazing. He’s going to love it.” Cassie opened the
closet door and took out a shopping bag. “Is it okay if I make his
bed?”

“Of course. I’m not going to get paint on anything.
Famous last words.” She giggled.

“You’d better not get paint on his bedding.” Cassie
said, as she opened the bags of linens.

“Green camouflage? Oh, that’s perfect in here.”

“He’s going to be so thrilled with his room, he’ll
never notice his sheets or pay one bit of attention to his
coverlet.”

“Nothing like a ready made family.”

Cassie smiled. “It really is wonderful. I can’t
imagine myself pregnant. I don’t know how I would cope. How about
you?”

“I quit taking the pill back before Christmas, but so
far nothing. Rick wants children.”

“I’ve never actually asked Trent about having another
child. Our focus has been on Shawn.”

“You have some time.”

“I’m content with Shawn. If Trent wants another
child, then I’ll have to really think about it. I barely have
enough time as it is.”

“I completely understand. If I didn’t have good
people at my gallery, I wouldn’t be able to do anything. I wonder
how other women manage to have careers and babies.”

“Both my mom and my dad worked. They afforded good
help. By the time Trent and I can afford such a thing, I’d be way
too old to be having children.”

“At least you have Shawn.”

Cassie laughed. “You make it sound like one of those
romance novels, father in distress. Except Trent isn’t the
foundering father, and wasn’t looking for some woman to save
him.”

Dallas fell into a round of giggles. “Don’t make me
laugh. I’m trying to paint fine lines!”

“Well, it’s true.” Cassie finished making the
bed.

“Do you read them?” Dallas asked.

"Read what?"

"Romance novels?"

“Of course I do. Don’t you?”

Dallas shook her head.

“I’ll loan you a few. They’re quite addictive.”

“When do I have time to read?”

“I promise, you’ll find the time.” Cassie laughed and
then left the room in search of Amanda. Cassie asked her friends,
as she walked into the kitchen, “What are you doing?”

“Sorry, we took a vote and we all decided that you
weren’t going to move in here with this awful wallpaper and dingy
yellow woodwork,” Amanda answered. “Clean, fresh, white paint is
better than what was here.”

“Oh, I agree, but it wasn’t on my list of things that
really needed to be done.”

“We know,” Amy said.

“Trent said he wanted to renovate the kitchen. So we
weren’t going to do anything to it until then.”

“Well, at least it will be a tad bit nicer with white
walls until he does,” Amanda said.

“How am I ever going to repay you guys for all that
you’ve done?”

~~31~~

Cassie tiptoed into her apartment, then into the
shower. Every muscle ached and she still had things to pack from
her kitchen and bathroom. Now she was thankful that she didn’t own
much. Keeping life Spartan meant less clutter and less to clean.
She washed her hair, and let the hot water run over her shoulders
and down her back. Normally she could take a three-minute shower,
but tonight the water pummeling her back felt so good that she
didn’t want to leave. Finally, she turned the water off. She towel
dried her hair and wove it into a single braid. She was too tired
to even dry it. Then very quietly, she slipped into bed beside
Trent.

“Did you think you were going to sneak in here
without waking me?” Trent asked.

“I was trying. You need your sleep.”

“I’ve got a problem, and until it’s fixed, I won’t
get another minute of sleep.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Snuggle over here and you’ll discover what I
need.”

As she tucked her body next to his, her hand slid
over his tummy and she instantly realized what required servicing.
A groan escaped from her throat.

He chuckled. “What’s the matter? I thought you liked
sex as much as I do.”

“Oh, I do.” She slid her body over his, pressing his
erection against her tummy. “I was hoping for a solid six hours of
sleep, considering every muscle in my body aches.”

“We don’t have to do anything, if you’re that
tired.”

She grinned at him as she slowly pushed herself up
and then grabbed his erection with both her hands. “Do you really
think I’d turn down such an offer?”

“If you are that tired--”

“I’ll compromise. I get an extra thirty minutes to
sleep, and you make the coffee.”

“Oh, that’s more than fair.”

“Good, because there’s nothing I love more than the
feel of you inside me.”

“There’s one slight problem.”

“What’s that?”

“You’ve got my path blocked.”

“Grr!” She rolled off of him.

“Hey, that’s my job!” he said as he moved her hands
away from the jewelry that obstructed him. Taking great care, he
undid the clasps and removed the chain. “I love touching you.”

“I love what you do to me.”

“You’re going to hate my bringing up Colleen’s name
at a moment such as this, but we were such kids, and she never
allowed me to touch her or intimately know this part of her
anatomy. I love the fact that you open yourself to me.”

***

Cassie reached up and touched his chest. Her hand
felt warm and soft against his skin. Her eyes were half-closed as
she whispered, “I love you…I trust you…” Her hand fell away.
“You’re touch is tender and…”

He watched her eyelids close and he knew she had
fallen asleep.

He gazed at her body in the midnight darkness of her
bedroom. He gently caressed her body. She never even stirred. He
plucked the small chain and pendant from the sheets and put it on
her nightstand. Then settled back to gaze at her sleeping so
peacefully as he knelt between her legs. His erection had not waned
one iota, as he watched her.

His thoughts wandered to Colleen.
Cassie was right; he and Colleen were teenagers. Now he had his
Cas, and she was open and…
Trusting.
He smiled. If his shoulder
wasn’t a problem, he would have leaned over her and taken her.
Instead he sat back and worked his hardened rod. Her breasts rose
and fell with each silent breath. Her virtually hairless pelvic
region only contained a small keystone of blonde curls. He imagined
her wet walls around his aching shaft. His desire to reach out and
touch her, fueled the firestorm brewing within him. He closed his
eyes as his seed spilled over her tummy.

He couldn’t comprehend what she did to him, only the
fact that she excited him as no other woman had ever done. Letting
go of his waning erection, he ran his fingers through the puddle he
had made on her, spreading his milky fluid over her small, shapely
breasts.

She caught his hand and mumbled something about being
cold.

Carefully, he lay next to her and pulled her to him
wrapping his good arm around her. He belonged to her, and that
thought stirred several emotions in him. He’d often heard the
expression of a kept woman, and he realized that he was a kept man.
He was her toy, and that bothered him.

***

As the dawn broke, Trent awoke.
His eyes gazed on Cassie covered in the dried flakes of his semen.
He grinned as he gazed at her.
She’ll
discover it soon enough.
He went into the
kitchen and made the coffee. He was getting good at doing things
one-handed, but when he checked her cabinets, he realized she still
had plenty to pack, and it was more than he could do with one
hand.

Once the coffee began to brew, he took his shower. As
he dried off, he examined his shoulder in her large mirror.
Prodding it in several places sent sharp pain down his arm, the
skin was tender, and his collarbone hurt to touch it. The whole arm
hung limply and ached without the support of the sling. Wide bands
of tape crossed his shoulders and back. They itched.

He put his sling on and grabbed
his razor. He missed Shawn mimicking him.
At least I still have him.

With care, he pulled on his boxers and then his
jeans. The only clean pair he had were the ones he had ripped.
Swallowing some pride, he pulled them on. Memories of growing up
poor flooded his mind. The only thing his mom had was her house,
and many a time he wore pants with patches or shirts that were long
past their prime. He hated the outward signs of poverty and vowed
he’d never allow his family to go without. Then he was forced to
accept the help of strangers so that his son would have a chance to
live a normal life. That was the hardest blow to his ego. Then
along came Cas.

He poured a cup of coffee and
looked around the almost naked apartment. It was no ordinary
apartment. It was high dollar, and it showed. Even her furniture
screamed money. Noticing that her walls were stripped bare, he
wondered what she would do with all her artifacts that she once had
hung.
I don’t belong in her
world.

“Penny for your thoughts,” Cassie asked.

“Mmm, just thinking about the move. I was trying to
let you sleep.”

“Sorry about last night. Looks as though one of us
still had fun.”

He chuckled.

She grinned at him. “If the movers weren’t coming in
another half hour, I’d offer to pick up where I left off, or fell
asleep.”

“It doesn’t take me a half hour.”

“Oh, that was bad!” She grinned at him before she
poured a cup of coffee. “I don’t have five minutes to spare. Are
you going to the hospital this morning?”

“I thought I’d stay with you until the movers left,
then I’ll go to Shawn. Do you need help at the house?”

“Dallas promised to be there to help. She was going
to run over to her gallery first, and said she’d be at the house by
nine o’clock.” She wiggled her finger at him. “Follow me. I’ve got
so much to tell you.”

She had just finished stripping the bed when the
movers knocked on her door. Trent made mental notes on how they
moved everything and what they did to protect each piece of
furniture. It didn’t take them very long to empty the
apartment.