Page 79 of Defending Casey

“He told me you were coming and then you didn’t show up.”

Casey felt his fingers digging into her hips and tried not to struggle.

“You understand, right? He lied to me, Casey. He’s just trying to keep us apart. Like Hale. Trying to drive a wedge between you and me.”

She pushed him back. “He didn’t lie! I swear,” her heart was pounding a furious rhythm in her chest, “he didn’t! I was supposed to be here earlier, but I had… I had to stop somewhere after I dropped Nora off at school.”

It killed her, but Casey stroked his chest in what she hoped was a calming touch.

“He wasn’t lying. I was late. It was me. My fault.”

She continued to touch him even as bile touched the back of her tongue.

“My fault.”

He slowly began to nod. “Okay. Okay.” His words were almost in time with her calming touches. “Okay.”

She smiled. “See? No need to be upset or worried. My dad wasn’t trying to keep us apart.”

“Where did you go?”

Casey’s mouth opened when her chin dropped. “What?”

“Where did you go?”

Casey swallowed but the lump in her throat didn’t quite move. “I went to Mountain Medical. I had to-”

“Are you pregnant, Casey? Did he knock you up so soon?”

She was stunned. Why did he jump to that conclusion?

“Is that why you were looking at that crib?”

A cold chill went down the back of her neck and rocketed through her spine.

“No,” she shook her head, “I’m not pregnant.”

She had to put up with his pointed look into her eyes. He was determined to see the truth in her eyes. And he would.

She had no idea if she could even have a hope of it. It was still over a week before she was even likely to have any sort of cramps or spotting. So no, she wasn’t pregnant.

“Good. That’s what I wanted to hear.”

Casey sighed a little. She wanted to hear that from him.

“I don’t want to stay here right now,” he tipped his head back, arcing a look at the office over her shoulder. “I want to focus on us. Together,” he nodded with a smile, “we can figure all of this out. You and me.”

She felt the gag reflex in the back of her throat.

How could he be so calm? So easy going?

He wasn’t giving her a choice.

Not really.

He had already hurt her father, was he threatening to do it again?

Hurt him worse?

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