Out of the corner of her eye she saw Kendra get up and storm off. “I’m glad you tried not to embarrass her, Shane.”

He looked surprised. “You keep doing things I don’t expect. I like that. And I like that you’ve got a big heart, even for people who don’t necessarily deserve it.”

She shrugged. “She’s got a thing for you. How can I not understand that? Plus, I’ve been told that I’ll have to deal with stuff like that all the time. They should suck it up now while I still have patience.”

Polly laughed in the background.

“You sure you want to keep her, Shane? Because I’d be glad to take this fine young thing off your hands for you.” Marc waggled his brows at them both and the tension was broken.

“Punk. You’ll see when it happens to you, Marc. And then we’re all going to tease the hell out of you.” Shane put his arm around Cassie and squeezed her against him.

And that night was what solidified Cassie’s entrance into the Chase family. Every Sunday she sat at their dining room table and shared dinner with them. Every Friday night she had beer and junk food with her friends while Shane played pool with his brothers. Toward the end of the night, she’d wander back and play a game or two with them.

The awful heat of summer cooled into the more moderate temperatures of autumn and Cassie realized that for the first time in nearly six years she was leading a normal life.

Penny hired her on to work full time at the bookstore, which came with healthcare benefits, which was very nice. She kept busy and worked hard and began to feel like Petal was really her home and not just a place to wait until Terry got caught.

“Go ahead on and lock up, Cassie. It’s nearly closing and I know you’ll want to go and get ready for the Grange.” Penny smiled as she came out to the front of the store where Cassie was rearranging the front tables.

“Thank goodness for you, Penny. Every time I asked Shane about what to wear he’d do that guy thing and shrug. Oh you know, it’s just the Grange. Wear some skirt or something.”

Penny burst out laughing. “You do a great Shane impression.”

“Well, I do think it’s nice to have the community doing something like this for the local charities. I used to be more involved in charity work but I haven’t done much since…well anyway. I’ve spoken with Polly and she’s put me in touch with the woman who does the holiday drive for the soup kitchen and food pantry so I’m excited about that. And, I can’t wait to meet this mystery date of yours.”

Penny blushed. “I told you, he’s an old friend of my family’s. He went to school with all of us here. No big deal, he’s just visiting from Atlanta for the weekend and I bumped into him.”

“Yeah, old family friends always make me blush like a schoolgirl. I’ll see you tonight.” Laughing, Cassie squeezed Penny’s hand and headed out after locking up.

Cassie’s nervousness had been making her slightly nauseated all day. This Grange thing was a big community event and the Chases would all be there in force and it was like some big step for Shane to have her there with him. She’d gotten used to the stares in town of the jealous women but from what she understood taking a date to this event was a big deal for a Chase. None of them did it until Kyle brought Maggie.

Things had gotten very serious between her and Shane. As she put on her makeup, she realized that. Realized that she either spent the night at his house or him at hers at least five nights a week. They went out every weekend and saw each other or spoke on the phone every day.

In truth, she’d never expected to find love after her divorce and the attack. She certainly didn’t figure she’d end up with a man like Shane, strong and protective who also gave so much. He respected her space and continued to be nothing but gentle and kind toward her. They’d had some minor disagreements but she’d never felt threatened or worried about them. And he simply put up with her skittishness. How he did was beyond her. She knew she brought a lot of issues with her but he never made a big deal of it. He accepted and loved all of her, warts and all.

She also realized that the holiday season was upon them. Brian was coming back for Christmas but they’d been invited to celebrate with the Chases at their home. It warmed her heart to be included and thought of as one of them.

Shane showed up right on time looking and smelling positively fabulous. She’d never seen him so dressed up.

“Wow. You sure clean up nice, Shane Chase.”

He spun her in his arms and kissed her neck. “I have to keep up with you. It’s hard when a man’s woman is the most beautiful woman in town. You set a tough example. I love red on you, by the way. That dress is hot.”

She laughed, pleased by this compliments. “I don’t think I’ve been called hot since college.”

“Ah, there’s more where that came from. I’m a silver tongued devil.”

Her eyes slid halfway closed at that. “Yes. Yes you are.”

He stilled and then looked toward the front windows. Reaching back, he hit the lights, leaving them both in the dark.

“What are you up to?”

“Oh, well. Just proving you right. Do you have panties on under that dress?”

“What?” She laughed nervously. “Of course!”

He moved toward her and she stepped back until she bumped against the kitchen island. He dropped to his knees and a soft moan came from her lips.

“No matter, I’m good with my hands too.” He slid his palms up her calves and stopped when he got to her thighs.