The Forgotten Night (19 page)

“It’s about school. Cassie, last year when I went back to school, I met with my advisor and asked if there was any way I could graduate early.”

“What are you saying?” she asked, knowing what was coming.

“Cassie, I graduated early. I’m finished.”

“Finished as in no more law school?” she asked with a smile and he nodded. “Do you have any job offers?”

“Several, some up in Connecticut, but there are a few here in the city as well.”

“That’s wonderful, Andy. I’m so proud of you.” She laughed and hugged him tightly. “I also have a secret for you.”

“What?”

Cassidy looked up at him. “I’m also done with school. I finished my last couple of courses this last semester. I’m done with clinical and applied for a few job positions—”

Andrew bent down and captured her lips, silencing her. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she always did and opened her mouth slightly, letting him deepen the kiss.

Andrew pulled away first and grinned goofily, “I think we better go inside. Your parents are probably wondering what’s going on out here.”

“My parents?”

“Yeah, that day I was over at your house, I was asking your dad for permission. Your mother offered to help set everything up according to my ideas.”

“You are one sneaky man, Andrew Winbright. I’m going to enjoy every moment with you.” She kissed him softly. “Come on, let’s go give them the happy news. I can’t believe Rachel knew. Did you tell her?”

“No, she walked in on me when I was putting the ring away. I made her swear not to tell you anything, not even give you a hint.”

“She did a pretty good job, we were talking just earlier about you and she gave me no inclination of what you were planning,” she said as they walked back toward the back door.

They opened the door only to find six smiling faces staring at them. Cassidy and Andrew looked at each other then back at the crowd and laughed. She held up her hand with the ring on it and everyone burst into cheers. Cassidy’s and Andrew’s parents along with Rachel and Ian spent the next hour or so congratulating the couple and spilling embarrassing stories about both.

“Goodnight,” Andrew whispered against her lips before he left. They were left alone in the kitchen while everyone else walked toward the front entrance. It was way past late and all the guests had already left.

“Night,” she said, before kissing him softly. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Rach already wants to start talking about the wedding.”

“And you don’t?” He smiled.

“Well…yes…maybe…perhaps a little,” she stammered.

Andrew laughed and kissed her lovingly on the lips, “Cassie, I want to start talking about it too, I’m excited about spending the rest of my life with you.”

Cassidy smiled and leaned her head against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. “I love you, Andy.”

“I love you too, Cassie.”

Chapter Thirteen

“I
was about to call you,” Andrew said the next morning, getting up from the swimming pool lounge chair.

Cassidy set her things on the table and kissed Andrew chastely. “Sorry, my dad wanted to have a big family breakfast. He’s in a really happy mood, thanks to you.”

“I always aim to please.” He smiled and wrapped his arm around her waist.

“Hey, Cass,” Ian called out from inside the pool.

“Hey, swimming laps?” she asked.

“Rach didn’t want to join me, so I have no other choice.”

Cassidy smiled and waved him off as he submerged himself underwater again, swimming the length of the pool once more.

“Why don’t you want to join him?” she turned back to Rachel.

“I’m helping you, stupid.” Rachel smiled, holding up a notebook, all sorts of magazines strewn around her.

“What?”

“Rach is planning the wedding, oblivious to the reality that it is in fact
our
wedding and not hers,” Andrew supplied.

Cassidy smiled and sat down in the lounge chair in the middle of Rachel and Andrew. “I do have my own ideas, but she is going to be my maid of honor, so she stays.”

“Thank you, sis.” Rachel threw Andrew an overdramatic playful glare.

Cassidy laughed and picked up a nearby magazine and began flipping through it.

“Cass, you do realize that the magazine you’re reading is
Cosmopolitan
and has nothing to do whatsoever with a wedding, planning a wedding, decorating a wedding—”

“It has to do with the wedding night.” She smiled at her friend as Andrew choked in the background.

“Oh. My. God. Okay, no. No more, I don’t need to hear stuff like that.” Rachel smiled despite herself while grabbing the magazine away from Cassidy and thrusting
Brides
at her. “When do you two want to get married anyway?”

Cassidy looked over at Andrew. “I was thinking May or June.”

“Early May?” he suggested. “The sooner the better.” He winked and leaned over to kiss Cassidy’s cheek.

“How romantic,” Cassidy said dryly, but squealed with laughter when Andrew began to tickle her. “Okay, okay! I surrender! Early May! The sooner the better!” she echoed his words and he stopped. “You’re going to get it later,” she warned.

Andrew only smiled. “I’m ready for whatever you have in store.”

“God, you two need to get a room. You practically maul each other whenever you’re in close proximity,” Rachel groaned.

“All right, I’m thinking not too big, but not too small either,” Cassidy said, changing the subject. “If our parents want something big they can throw a large reception, but I want the ceremony to be personal.”

“I like that,” Andrew said, settling back down on his own chair.

“Excuse me, Master Andrew,” Roger interrupted. “This letter just came for Miss Cassidy.” Roger walked across the patio and handed Cassidy the letter.

“Who sent it?” Andrew asked.

“I don’t know, sir, it was with today’s mail, but there is no return address nor is there any postage,” he answered then walked back toward the house, excusing himself.

“Huh, that’s strange, why would someone drop something in our mailbox for you, Cassie?” Andrew asked.

Cassidy looked down at the unmistakable white envelope and tried not to show her fear. She looked down at the penmanship and forced herself not to react.

“Cassie?” Andrew said, frowning.

“What? Huh?” she asked, dazed.

“I asked you why someone would drop a letter in our mailbox for you.”

“Oh, I’m not sure, I don’t know,” she answered as she slowly opened the envelope. She pulled out the note card and read the simple note.

I hear congratulations are an order.

“What’s it say?” Rachel asked.

Cassidy handed the letter to Rachel and refused to look at Andrew.

“Who is it from, Cassie?”

“Uh…I—” Cassidy began only to be cut off by the shill ring of her cell phone. She picked up her phone and frowned when she saw that the call was marked private. She flipped open the phone and put the receiver to her ear. “Hello?”

“Tell them about the letters or the phone calls and your fiancé won’t live to see you walk down the aisle,” a distorted deep voice said.

The line went dead and Cassidy still held the phone to her ear. Slowly she closed her phone and put it back on the table.

“Who was that?” Rachel asked, handing her the letter back.

“Uh…wrong number.”

“Is that the same guy who keeps on calling you? You need to have your father get some of his people to look into that. It’s been going on long enough.” Rachel gave her a worried look.

“Do you recognize the voice?” Andrew asked, visibly concerned. He obviously sensed something wasn’t right.

“No, it’s probably just some kids prank calling. You know, we used to do that.” Cassie knew she should probably tell them what had been going on, but she didn’t want to ruin this day with talk about Robert. They were supposed to be planning her wedding, damn it!

“Cassie—” Andrew said warningly.

“Hey, look it’s our lunch,” Cassidy interrupted, trying to change the topic. She wanted to forget about the letter, forget about the call, and forget about the man who was behind it all.

“Don’t think you’ll get out of talking about this, Cassie.”

Cassidy only smiled at Andrew. “I’m starving.”

“Ian, the food’s ready!” Rachel called out.

Ian waved in understanding and swam to the edge and pulled himself out with ease. He walked over to the round table where the servers had set down their food and wrapped a towel around his waist. Rachel walked toward Ian and gave him a kiss while Andrew helped Cassidy out of the lounge chair and walked to the table. They were all sitting comfortably around the table, the food in front of them, when Cassidy began to sniff the air.

“Baby, what are you sniffing for, you’re reminding me of a dog,” Andrew joked.

“Do you smell that?”

“Smell what?” Ian asked. “All I smell is Sherry’s delicious barbeque pork ribs with her famous corn bread.”

Cassidy looked down at the food and pushed her chair back. The smell was intensifying, and her stomach was churning. “Sorry, I’m not feeling so good. I’ll be right back,” she said before taking off inside.

Andrew stood up, concerned.

“No, don’t. I’ll go,” Rachel said, pushing Andrew back down in his seat and taking off after Cassidy. “Did you see where Cass went?” she asked the housekeeper Sherry, who was still in the kitchen.

“Upstairs, I believe.”

“Thanks,” she managed to say before she ran up the back stairs. She heard Cassidy in her bathroom. Rachel walked into her bedroom and made her way toward the bathroom door. She knocked softly and opened the door only to find Cassidy slumped over the toilet.

“I’m feeling a lot better, now,” she rasped and stood up. She walked over to the sink and rinsed her mouth out while Rachel flushed the toilet, putting the seat down. “Good thing my hair was already up.”

Rachel gave her a weak smile. “Cass, how long have you been feeling sick?”

“I don’t know, maybe a couple of weeks or so, but that bug has been going around. I’m already feeling better.”

“Do you suppose you might be feeling sick because you are pregnant?”

Cassidy looked over at Rachel, who sat down on the toilet seat. “No, that’s impossible. I’m not pregnant, Rach. I can’t be.”

“When was the last time you had your period, Cass?”

“I…I’m not sure, I can’t remember. I’m on the pill and that has a tendency to mess me up. Besides, you know I’m irregular, I have short periods too. I cannot be pregnant.”

“Fine, if you’re so confident, take a test,” Rachel said, pulling open one of her drawers. She pulled out a box and handed it to Cassidy.

“What, you keep pregnancy tests in your bathroom?” Cassidy couldn’t help but smile.

“Maybe, you know what a hypochondriac I am. I can’t help but always worry I’m pregnant. One always has to be prepared.” Rachel stood up and walked to the door. “Do it.”

Cassidy nodded and watched as Rachel left the room. Cassidy opened the box and read the instructions. Simple enough, pee on the stick and wait three to five minutes.

“Are you done in there?” Rachel called from her bedroom. Cassidy opened the door and Rachel walked in. “Well?”

“It hasn’t even been three minutes,” Cassidy said, looking down at her watch. Rachel nodded and silently they waited. It seemed longer than it actually was when Cassidy picked up the small stick.

“What is it? Is it positive?” Rachel asked when she saw no reaction from Cassidy.

“It can’t be right. I mean, no, that’s impossible. I’m not pregnant. I mean I can’t be,” she said in disbelief, holding up the stick and showing Rachel the positive reading.

Rachel stared at it in shock, but was the first to recover. “Okay, it’s fine. Calm down. You’ll just take another one,” she said and pulled open the drawer.

“How many do you have in there?” Cassidy asked when she saw the drawer filled with pregnancy tests. “How many times a week do you think you are pregnant?” she asked with a small smile.

“Oh, shut up and take the damn test,” Rachel said, thrusting the box in her hands.

Cassidy threw the first test in the trash along with its box. Rachel left the room again and Cassidy removed the test from the box.

Cassidy opened the door for Rachel when she had finished and together they waited in the bathroom.

“Are you okay?” Rachel asked.

Cassidy shrugged her shoulders, unable to answer. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be pregnant, she did. She loved the idea of having Andrew’s children. She just wasn’t sure they were ready yet. They had just gotten engaged and now to throw a baby in the mix, her father would flip. Cassidy looked up when her watch began to beep.

“You ready?” Rachel asked.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Cassidy walked over to the counter and looked down at the counter. She picked up the test and turned it so Rachel could see it. “It’s positive.”

“What?”

“I’m pregnant, I’m pregnant.”

“I heard you the first time,” Rachel said, standing up as well.

Cassidy put the test back on the counter and looked up at Rachel. “I’m not feeling so good. I’m feeling a little light headed, Rach?” The room spun and the blood rushed from her head. The room grew darker and she couldn’t see anything anymore, the sounds grew fainter and her knees buckled underneath her.