“Sounds like a plan.” He grinned.

“Bye, Ned.”

He nodded, giving her a brief wave as he began waiting on the long line of customers.

Casey swung the door open, taking a deep breath of the early morning air. She was getting in her car when she noticed the motorcycle pulling out into the traffic from the parking lot across the street. Casey easily recognized Max’s huge frame on the large bike.

He didn’t look her way as he roared down the street, disappearing in the busy intersection.

Getting into her car, she bit her lip as she started the engine. Despite herself, she felt bad about being rude to Max. She had never been good at being hateful to other people. She always regretted it as soon as the words were out of her mouth.

Casey had learned a long time ago that she was too sensitive. She had built her shields as she grew older, learning to disguise it from others, but her self-recriminations would often last for days after she was sure the other person had forgotten about it.

Her phone rang as she was getting out of her car at the bank. Looking at it, she chose to ignore the call. Casey had no time to talk to Jayce. She would call him after she opened the bank and took her mid-morning break.

She had been seeing him for the last year. He lived on and off in Queen City, dividing his time between there and New York. His constant absences were placing a strain on their relationship, adding to the indecision she had about their possible future.

Casey had a picture of the future she envisioned for herself, and it included a stable home life. Jayce wanted to move in with her, and so far, she had put him off, but he was becoming more demanding, wanting more of her than he was willing to give of himself. To him, moving in was the next step in their relationship. To her, it was always the death knoll. All of Renee’s relationships had ended as soon as the men she had let move in grew tired of her. Casey was determined her own personal life would never mirror her mother’s mistakes.

She keyed in the security code to the bank as Jack and the other employees gathered to wait for the door to open.

“It’s going to be a busy day.” Anna stood, searching through her purse before pulling out a tube of lipstick. “State paydays are always a bitch.”

“It’s not going out today,” Casey informed them. “It’s going out tomorrow, which is going to have us flooded with calls. The state is sticking to the first and last month date from now on. Before, if the dates were on a weekend, they would post on a Friday, but they’ve decided to stick strictly on their due dates from now on.”

“Jeez, can I have the day off?” Gianna quipped.

Casey shook her head, smiling. “Not unless I can take off with you, so it’s not going to happen.”

“The least you could do is take us out for a drink after work, then,” Gianna moaned as they all walked through the lobby.

“I wish,” Casey said, stopping at her office door. “I have a birthday dinner tonight at the Pizza Shack.”

Gianna and Anna paused, their facial expressions mirroring her own sentiments.

“I used to love eating there, right up until I was food poisoned by their shrimp gumbo pizza.” Anna’s face turned pale at the memory.

“You’re a braver person than me. I didn’t even try that one. The Hawaiian barbeque one had me barfing for days,” Gianna chimed in.

“Thankfully, I’ve never gotten sick from eating there, but I have to admit, I stick to just the cheese pizza. It’s my stepdad’s favorite restaurant, and my mother doesn’t cook, so Pizza Shack is his birthday treat.”

“Didn’t you eat there for Christmas dinner, too?” Anna quizzed.

“It’s Mom’s go-to place for any special occasion. Next year, I’m going to bribe the owner to close down on Christmas day. We were the only ones in there, so he may be willing to bargain if I try to get that loan he’s always asking for approved.” Casey laughed. “Either that or I’m calling the Health Department a day before. I would be surprised if he was able to pass an inspection.”

“You wouldn’t.” Gianna laughed. Both women knew her threats were all talk.

“I might,” Casey said, remembering her Christmas dinner. “Either that or I’ll be skipping that holiday dinner.”

“I’m not doing anything tonight, and I’m kind of in the mood for pizza. Is that good-looking stepbrother of yours going to be there?” Anna asked with excitement glittering in her eyes.

“Yes, he’ll be there with whoever his recent girlfriend is,” Casey told her and saw the excitement die.

“Damn, just once, I want to catch him between women.”

“Good luck with that.” Casey snorted. “That man has a replacement before he breaks it off with his cookie.”

Anna and Gianna burst out laughing.

Anna recovered first. “Cookie?”

“He does a new type every time I see him. I’ve seen him with a clothes stylist who works for Kaden Cross, a stripper, and now he’s dating a woman who teaches at a college.”

“Does he like chocolate cookies?” Gianna asked eagerly, smoothing her dress down over her hips.

Casey stared at her voluptuous breasts. “Max doesn’t pick favorites. He likes to sample all the different flavors.” Casey rolled her eyes at Gianna’s squeal. “You seriously would date a biker who’s in the Predators?”

“He’s not the only one who has a sweet tooth.” Gianna grinned unashamedly.

“Get to work before I decide you’re not sane enough to handle other people’s money.”

“Don’t you ever get tempted to live on the wild side?” Anna asked her curiously, eying the staid blouse and skirt she was wearing.

“No, thanks. One Jamaican Me Happy a week is all I need to satisfy my need for adventure.”

“What in the hell is a Jamaican Me Happy?” The women stared at her in confusion.

“Hit the liquor store on the way home and find out. I plan on drinking a couple as soon as I get home from the restaurant. I have a feeling, after the pizza or Max, I’m going to need it.”

“I thought you said you only drink one?” Anna asked.

Casey shook her head. “Max makes it a two-drink-minimum night.”

Now that she thought about it, she decided to stop at the liquor store herself on the way to Mugg’s birthday dinner. She was going to need the four pack.

Chapter 6

Casey chewed her plain cheese pizza as she watched Max set a plate down in front of his son. The five-year-old smiled up at his father, who sat down next to him with his own plate piled high with a variety of pizza slices.

“Dad, I’m going to get another plate.”

“Don’t get the Thai Chili one. I don’t want your mom calling me tomorrow, bitching that she sat up with you all night because you were sick.”

The ten-year-old rolled his eyes at Max before leaving the table.

One side of the long table was filled with Max and his four children. The resemblance was startling, each a miniature version of their father. The youngest, Randy, was eagerly eating the pizza that his father had given him. The eight-year-old was playing games on his cell phone and eating pizza with his other hand. His thirteen-year-old daughter Maxie was quietly eating her spaghetti as if she wanted to be anywhere but there, sitting at the end next to Mugg and Renee.