Page 108 of Dust Storm

And I waited some more, combing my fingers through her hair.

“I went to Syracuse. I liked their communications program.”

Still, I didn’t say anything.

“I did a college internship with the network Becks was with when she went overseas, and then got my job with the Carrington Group. That’s when I met Tripp.”

“What’s your family like?”

“I have an older sister,” she said calmly. “My parents are retired now.”

“Are you all close??”

“No,” she said simply. It was odd, though. There was no animosity. She was simply stating a fact. Still, I held her a little closer.

“Do you talk to them?”

“I usually call my parents every weekend and make sure they’re alright. My sister lives nearby, so she keeps an eye on them.” She huffed. “Are you just going to keep playing twenty questions or are you going to ask what you really want to know?”

I cupped her chin, forcing her to look up at me. “If I asked, I don’t think you’d tell me.”

“Try me.”

I laughed. “I just want to know why you are the way you are.”

She didn’t even hesitate. “Not all of us grew up in this idyllic little commune. You basically raised your children on the set of a sitcom.”

“You think me losing my wife, and my daughters losing their mom was idyllic?” The accusation slipped out before I could hold it back. I knew Cassandra didn’t mean it like that.

“Shit,” she muttered under her breath before rolling away from me. “I just?—”

“Cass, I know what you meant.” Before she could wiggle out of the blanket, I had her back against my chest.

She felt so fucking good there.

“It wasn’t easy,” I said softly, not wanting to make her feel bad for what she said.

In fact, revealed more about her than she realized.

“It was really fucking hard. I felt like a ghost. But I had the girls to think about. I had to put them first, so that meant dealing with it and going to fucking therapy to make sure my head was right, and taking them too. Do you know how many weird looks I still get? It meant sitting through the ‘mommy and me’ days when they were in elementary school instead of asking my mom to do it. It means keeping pictures of Gretchen around the house even though it still hurts to see them because it means a lot to the girls. ”

“That’s what I meant,” Cassandra said, quiet as a cricket in the winter. “You don’t just tell them that you love them. You show them.” She swallowed. “My family isn’t like yours. There’s no room for that. Everyone’s so … analytical. There’s no feelings. Growing up always felt like a job interview. How was I in school? What were my goals? Did I have a plan to get into college on a scholarship? What was my plan for after college? We never just spent time together…” Her hand came to a stop against my skin. “Not like you Griffiths.”

I wasn’t the kind of man who held back. If I had something to say, I’d say it.

But now wasn’t the time.

“There’s room.” I kissed her, drinking her in deep as she melted around me. Cassandra gave as much in that kiss as I did. For once, she wasn’t just using me to take what she needed; though I didn’t mind when she did that.

She was giving.

I pulled back and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “There’s room, Princess.”

23

CASSANDRA

“Cass, you in the office?”

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