Page 112 of Stolen Family
“How’s your mom?”
For a moment, Cassidy’s face twisted as she fought down her anger and disappointment over Dani’s betrayal. Turner rested a hand on her shoulder, which seemed to calm her. Forcing a smile, she answered, “It’s hard, but I think she’ll be okay.”
“I’m sure she will,” Zara said.
Cassidy cleared her throat and stepped closer, addressing Penny. “Hey, I’m Cassidy. You probably don’t remember me ’cause you were really little when we met. Are you excited about goat yoga?”
Penny nodded shyly, still clinging to her mother.
“You can have the mat next to mine,” Cassidy said. “It’ll be fun. We get to bottle-feed the goats, too.”
Penny’s eyes lit up but she didn’t say anything. Zara nudged her toward the enclosure. “Why don’t we go look?”
Once they were out of earshot, Turner used his grip on Cassidy to spin her toward him. “You’ve met them before?”
“They came to the house looking for you once. Back when you were trying to get them new identities.”
Turner’s brow furrowed. “Was your mom home?”
“No. It was after school. I had a babysitter, remember? That lady who smelled like menthol? Really old? Slept in your recliner pretty much the whole time she was ‘sitting?’” Cassidy used air quotes around the last word.
“Right,” Turner muttered. “How did you know I was trying to get them new identities?”
Cassidy put a hand on her hip. “Did you hit your head, or what? You told Mom and Aunt Annette what you were doing. What? You didn’t think I’d overhear?”
“You were young, though, and?—”
Her arched brow could have stopped traffic. “I was eleven, Dad. I had sentience.”
“That’s not how you use that word,” he said, obviously beginning to regain his composure. “No points.”
“We’re going to need an independent review on that one,” Cassidy said. “Anyway, can I go to the movies with Wren and Erica next weekend?”
“That should be fine,” Turner said. “We can talk about it later.”
Josie knew he wouldn’t want to let her out of his sight ever again. Maybe Cassidy did, too, because she didn’t push, simply nodding and heading back toward the pen which was now very crowded with people and baby goats.
“Cass,” he called, stopping her in her tracks. “Why didn’t you tell me that Zara and Penny stopped by that day?”
“You were in court,” she said. “’Cause you had on your gray suit. Remember? That was the one you always wore to court when we lived in Alden. When Zara said she couldn’t get you on your cell phone, I remembered. I told her that was why she couldn’t reach you, but she could check the courthouse. I meant to tell you but I forgot, and I sure as hell wasn’t telling Mom. I didn’t want her to accuse you of cheating again.”
“Accuse me,” Turner said slowly. “Again.”
Cassidy’s face filled with disgust. “Yeah. I never understood why she would think you cheated but now I know. She was the one being unfaithful. What better way to make sure you would never suspect than to put you on the defensive?”
Josie felt the unmistakable prick of tears behind her eyes as she watched Turner’s entire face transform. His jaw went slack. Even the crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes loosened. Years of tension seemed to drain away in a matter of seconds.
“Anyway,” Cassidy said. “You promised we’d do something fun today, and this conversation is not it. Are you coming, or what?”
“Yeah,” he croaked. “I’ll be right there.”
As he watched her go, a single tear leaked from the corner of his eye. Quickly, he wiped it away.
“So,” Josie said, forcing her own tears down and smirking at him. “That went pretty well, wouldn’t you say?”
Sniffling, Turner shot her a dirty look. “Try not to look so smug, sweetheart. It doesn’t suit you.”
With a grin, Josie left him standing there. Over her shoulder, she called, “That’s going to cost you a dollar.”
* * *
