Page 134 of Risky Move

Tom’s tone sounded robotic. “I was teasing you.”

“Tom…”

“Don’t worry about it, babe. Our secret, okay?”

Cassie saw the mischievous smile and shrugged. “Whatever you say, doctor.”

71

“Shall I wait for you in the car?” Cassie looked at Tom when he stopped his car in the driveway.

“Nope. You stick with me—don’t want you reaching for something in the backseat or if you drop your purse on the floor by my seat. I think I left the wallet on the counter—talked with Andrew and Caryn before I left.”

He offered both hands to help her stand. “Okay?” he asked as she grabbed his arm until she stopped wobbling in the stilettos. Cassie nodded, and Tom slipped his arm around her waist as they approached the front door. The house looked unusually dark.

“Did they go somewhere?” Cassie asked, blinking her eyes against the dark. “Looks like blackout shades in there.”

Tom shrugged. “Maybe they want extra privacy—or everyone crashed early.” He slipped the key into the lock and opened the door. Cassie hung back, waiting for Tom to flip the light switch. He kept his hand against her lower back and guided her forward.

Tom held her hand in his as he reached for the switch. Cassie blinked her eyes against the bright light then staggered against Tom when the room exploded with shouts of “Surprise!” and “Happy Birthday!”

“Oh my…” Cassie gazed around the room with wonder. Lauren, Dave, Andrew, Caryn, Terri, Steve, Kelly, John, Amelie, Trevor…Amanda, and her grandmother. She blinked back tears as she looked at Tom. “How?” she croaked.

Tom kissed her quickly before the crowd overwhelmed them. Caryn hugged her and took her other hand. “Welcome, birthday girl.”

Caryn led the way to the great room, transformed into an exclusive restaurant. Cassie tried to look everywhere at once. Flowers and candles on each table, glittering white lights overhead, countless greetings with hugs…Cassie’s head began to spin. She clutched Tom’s arm, and then attempted to contain the tears when her father hugged her.

“I can’t believe you’re here.”

“And in the same room as your mother,” Trevor spoke softly into her ear. “Nothing could keep either one of us away from our daughter’s twenty-first birthday party.” He kissed her cheek. “We’ll talk later. Go share some love with your mom.”

Tom guided her the few feet to where her mother and grandmother waited.

“Happy birthday, Cassie. You’ve grown into a beautiful young woman.” Her mother whispered in her ear. “And your young man’s absolutely delightful.”

Cassie suppressed her tears until she hugged her grandmother. Her family had come—all the way to Tampa—for her birthday celebration. Something she had believed existed only in her memories. Lauren handed her tissues.

“You didn’t suspect?”

“Never. My heart’s beating so fast, my head’s spinning.”

“Breathe,” Tom said quietly. “Let’s get you seated.” They looked at Caryn, who grinned and pointed to a table set for two in the center of four round tables. Cassie laughed through her tears.

“You surprised me, doctor. I still can’t catch my breath. Everyone I love is here…” She looked around. “My love bugs. Where are they?”

“Coming out in a few minutes,” Caryn said. “They took a late nap, but they just woke up.”

Tom pulled a chair back. “Sit and catch your breath.” He accepted two glasses of champagne and handed one to Cassie.

“How did you manage this?”

“Lots of help—everyone in this room loves you.” He swiped his finger under her eyes. “My parents send their love—said they will see you soon.”

“I…I’m overwhelmed…never dreamed…” She leaned toward him while grasping his hand and tried to pull him closer. Tom stood and moved to her side of the table to claim his kiss. “Thank you is not enough…where did you leave your white horse?”

“At your castle.” He kissed her forehead, then returned to his seat as servers went from table-to-table distributing flutes of champagne. “Enjoy every moment tonight. Your turn to shine.”

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