THE REC CENTER LOOKED exactly as Cassidy had pictured it in her mind. The round tables were covered with floor-length black velvet cloths, and there were silver candlesticks in the center of each table, mated with a silver bud vase housing a single red carnation. More silver candlesticks stood on shelves and on tables near the bandstand, turning the plain, square room into a softly-glowing fantasyland.
“You were right about the black and silver,” Sophie told Cassidy warmly. “It’s perfect.” Sophie looked adorable in the pale blue dress she had picked out by herself.
Cassidy smiled at her. “It is, isn’t it? Well, if you ask me, it’s about time something was perfect.”
Ann passed by with her date, her face pale and lovely and expressionless. She nodded at Cassidy and Sophie. Cassidy returned the nod without a smile. It was still hard to believe that Ann hadn’t known about the existence of the TransAm. She had told all of them that she had never gone into the garage and Professor Benham had never mentioned the car. She had said that she never saw Talia come for the car. That Talia had only come when Ann had taken the children to the park or to a movie. That she had absolutely no idea the car even existed.
Maybe. But it had seemed to Cassidy that she had seen something in Ann’s eyes, something that said she wasn’t telling the complete, unvarnished truth.
Travis must have seen it, too. He had called Cassidy the day after Talia had been taken away. They had talked for hours. She had agreed to slow down a little, now that she had already proved how strong she really was, and he had agreed to let her set her own pace.
“When I have my own house,” Cassidy said as Travis took her hand and led her out onto the dance floor, “I’m not even going to use electric lights. Only candles.”
“Cost you a fortune in fire insurance,” he said.
“Oh, you’re such a romantic,” she said, but she smiled as she said it.
“Great dance, Cassidy!” Sawyer called out as he danced by with his date. “You did a terrific job, as always.”
“Yes,” she said, not at all out of breath from dancing, “I did, didn’t I?”