Leighton looked up from Casey’s bedside to find Maxine in the doorway. The hospital room didn’t have a window, and Leighton didn’t know the time. She’d dozed a few times while holding Casey’s hand.
“How is she?” Maxine moved to the foot of the bed. Like her, she still wore her party attire.
Leighton shifted her stiff body in the uncomfortable chair and tugged the thin hospital blanket around her. Her dress left her chilled, and the blanket had lost its heat from the warmer hours ago.
“She regained consciousness on the way to the emergency room, and they said she was distraught. Once the doctors saw her, they gave her something to help her rest. Her neurological tests and scans came back fine, thank God.” Leighton tucked Casey’s blanket around her shoulder and tried to ignore the dark bruises springing up around her neck.
“Thank goodness.” Maxine’s sharp exhale echoed in the small room.
Leighton was so relieved Casey had awakened. It allayed some of her fears, and hospital personnel had been able to assess her condition better. Plus, if she’d remained unconscious, Leighton wasn’t sure Casey would’ve wanted her family informed, and she would’ve had to make that decision. It would’ve taken some research to find them since Casey had listed Mark as her emergency contact on her paperwork for Atelier Vaughn.
“It was an exhausting ordeal, and she’s been resting. We’ve spoken little. Her voice…” Casey sounded like a decades-long, two-packs-a-day smoker, and Leighton prayed her vocal cords would recover. “But the doctor said long-term damage was unlikely if it wasn’t apparent in the initial work-up.”
“That’s good news, and Lord knows we could use some.” Maxine set a bag on the end of the bed. “I brought you a change of clothing, a jacket, and some comfortable shoes. There are extras for her so she has something to wear when she’s released.”
“Thank you.” Leighton exchanged it with the bag under the bed that held Casey’s dress and shoes. “Could you please take her clothing with you and have it cleaned? I’ll ask her if she wants to keep it or not. Seeing it again might be triggering. I know it was for me.”
Tonight—or last night, since she had no idea of the time—she’d ruined her dress. The hem had ripped, and grime covered the lower half, but she didn’t care. Casey was her primary concern now, though Kalyssa was never far from her mind. “Where are the kids?”
“With Aileen, asleep. She texted me a couple hours ago.” Maxine moved a box of tissues and sat in the chair beside her. “I installed Kalyssa’s booster seat into Aileen’s car. She already had Andy’s from bringing him to the party. I offered to take Kalyssa, but she was adamant she wanted to stay with Andy, and I didn’t want to upset her further. If she wakes and changes her mind, Aileen has my number.”
Leighton squeezed her arm. “That’s fine. I trust Aileen. Kalyssa is protective of him, or maybe Aileen mentioned cookies before bed, so don’t let her decision get to you.”
Maxine straightened. “I’m not.”
It’d been an evening wrought with complex emotions, and they needed to go easy on one another. The events had left Leighton raw, and Maxine likely suffered from emotional exhaustion, too.
“Did you watch the recording?” Leighton dreaded asking, but she had to know. She was heartbroken over what had transpired. Never in her worst nightmares would she have imagined the man she’d married would kill one of her students. Her heart went out to Jaiden’s family likely grieving in another wing of Mount Sinai.
“Yes.” Maxine stared at the foot of the bed and didn’t elaborate.
Leighton squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry. I could’ve retrieved it for the police later. You didn’t have to volunteer.”
“I wanted to, for Jaiden, and so you didn’t have to.” She looked at Leighton with tears in her eyes. “He’d just thrown two bags of trash into the dumpster when Jeffrey emerged from the shadows. Jeffrey gestured toward the front of the building, and Jaiden held out his arms like he tried to stop him from heading that way. He shoved Jaiden in the chest. Jaiden stumbled, but regained his balance and pushed him back. Then Jaiden did that football player move.” She mimicked the stance.
“The Heisman pose?” Leighton would’ve bet Maxine’s football knowledge to be nonexistent.
“Yes. That’s when he sent the alert.”
Leighton could feel her shaking. “Are you able to tell me more?”
Maxine pulled a tissue from the box. “He looked up, and Jeffrey hit him. Jaiden’s head hit the brick wall, and he landed face-down in the snow and didn’t move. Jeffrey flexed his hand for a few seconds, then stumbled to the front of the building.” A sob escaped her. “Jaiden never moved again, never picked up his phone glowing under the snow. I watched every second of the recording, including the moment Phoenix found him, the entire time they did CPR, when the medical examiner and crime scene techs did their thing, and when they took his body away. I figured we owed him, for someone to be witness to his heroic death, even if not in real-time.”
Leighton let go of Casey’s hand to wrap Maxine in a hug. On a normal day, Maxine wouldn’t allow anything so demonstrative, but tonight she cried quiet sobs into her neck while Leighton rubbed her back.
“He’s a hero. He put everyone’s safety before his own. We’ll never forget that.” Leighton had told Jaiden’s father as much when she’d spoken to him on the phone earlier. The police had already broken the news, but she wanted to offer his family her condolences. Part of her blamed herself for what happened, even though she had no control over Jeffrey’s actions. Why hadn’t she seen his true colors when she’d agreed to marry him? She hoped he’d be behind bars for a long time.
Maxine leaned back and discarded her used tissue for a fresh one. “I think we should return Jaiden’s tuition to his family. They may not need it, but they can put it toward his funeral costs.”
“I agree. It’s the right thing to do.” Leighton had been thinking the same. “When everything settles down, I want to reach out to his parents and set up a scholarship in his name. It might be nice to make it available to BIPOC students, if that’s something they’d want.”
“It’s strange to think of someone taking his place next year.” Maxine gave her nose the daintiest blow.
Casey stirred. Leighton pressed a hand to her arm, but she didn’t wake.
Maxine inhaled. “I’ve been meaning to speak to you, but it’s been so busy. I finished meeting with all the students to give them the opportunity to leave Atelier Vaughn with a full refund after what happened.” She gestured between Leighton and Casey.
Leighton’s stomach plummeted for the umpteenth time in as many hours.
“Everyone wanted to return, except Jenna.”
Leighton covered her mouth. “Oh, no.”
Maxine shook her head. “It’s not like that. She’s never fit in like your other students, and from what I’ve gathered, her father pressured her to apply. Even I noticed her paintings often left something to be desired. However, she seems to have found her calling in the gallery. Her volunteer hours double anyone else’s. She has a natural gift for charming walk-in customers and loyal clients alike.” Maxine crossed her legs. “They say that confidence comes from repeated success, and since she’s been working in the gallery, hers has blossomed. She leads all students in gallery sales, though none of the paintings sold have been hers.”
Leighton had been aware Maxine had taken Jenna under her wing, mentoring her in the intricacies and challenges of running a gallery. They appeared to have an affinity for one another. It wasn’t uncommon to find them laughing and chatting over coffee.
“She won’t be returning as a student, but I’ve offered her an internship as my assistant. Perhaps if she continues to show interest and be successful, we can offer her a job.” Maxine fluttered her hand. “I’m not getting any younger, and I won’t be doing this forever.”
Leighton mulled it over. “I like this plan, although I don’t enjoy thinking of you not being down there. How long do you think it will be before the atelier is making a profit? We’ll have to consider all these changes, although thinking about finances moments after Jaiden’s death feels wrong.” Still, she’d only gained one additional investor and not a large one at that.
“Sales at the party were more than I expected. The gallery might make a bigger name for itself than the atelier, at least at first. Give it time.”
Leighton looked at Casey. “What about her? Let’s assume she’ll make a full recovery. Do you envision her being a student next year? I’m willing to do whatever it takes to pay her tuition.”
Maxine uncrossed and recrossed her legs. “Let’s discuss that later.”
Leighton’s stomach did another nosedive.
“I watched other recordings while I was at the monitor. I wasn’t aware of the chronology of events until then. Everything happened so fast.” Maxine paused and gestured toward Casey. “She saw him first. In an instant, she picked up the kids and threw them in the elevator. I’m not exaggerating, Leighton. They say people can gain superhuman strength when under duress, and I witnessed it. She kept him at bay until the doors closed and the children were safe.”
“Yes, and I’m forever grateful, but why did she put herself in harm’s way after that? He couldn’t have gotten upstairs without a code. She knew that.” Leighton shook her head in bewilderment.
“Oh, my dear, that’s not why she held her ground.” Maxine touched Leighton’s cheek. “She was afraid you’d come downstairs.”
All the while, when she’d been so intent on getting to Casey, Casey had been protecting her. What had she ever done to deserve her? She kissed Casey’s hand. “You brave, wonderful woman.”
Casey’s nurse rolled his computer station into the room. “Has she been awake?” He secured the loose tape on her IV.
“Just that one time.”
“That’s okay. Rest is good for her. Have her use the call button if she needs anything.” He looked at a monitor and typed something into his computer before he rolled it out the door.
Maxine opened her purse and took out an unmarked, white envelope. “Please give this to her when she wakes. She’ll want it.”
Leighton turned it over. It was sealed. “What is it?”
“You’ll have to ask her.” Maxine busied herself clasping her purse closed.
Leighton set it on the hospital table beside Casey’s water and her cold cup of coffee.
“You know, I wasn’t honest with you.” Maxine fiddled with her rings.
Leighton’s mind raced. “When?”
“When we talked about your mother and me. We were never unfaithful to our husbands, but as you know, I stayed late into the night while she was in the hospital. I assumed it was because of her pain medication, but one night, she asked me to kiss her, and I did. After, I asked her why. Deborah had requested nothing like that in all our years of friendship. She said she wanted something beautiful to have when she moved on.” Maxine pressed her lips together. “She died the next morning.” A tear streaked down her cheek, but she didn’t seem to care.
Leighton slipped an arm around her. “She loved you. It makes sense that she’d want to remember the love of her life at the end.” It pleased her to know her mother and Maxine had found soulmates, even if their situation had been far from ideal.
Maxine rested her head on her shoulder. They stayed like that for a few minutes. Then Maxine stood.
“Keep holding her hand and give her that envelope. Tell her we’re all thinking about her, and neither of you needs to worry about the kids. Aileen and I will take care of them as long as it takes. Be here for her right now.” Maxine kissed Leighton’s cheek. “I love you.” She gently touched Casey’s leg, took her purse and the bag, and left.
Leighton’s phone had died, and she didn’t have a charger with her. In a bit, she’d ask if someone working at the circular desk in the hall had one. Casey’s nurse had encouraged her to get something to eat or drink, but she’d declined. She’d eat when Casey ate.
She dozed.
When she woke, fingers combed through her hair. Her head rested on something, an arm. Casey’s arm. Leighton raised her head, and Casey smiled at her.
“Hi.” Her voice sounded raspy.
Afraid of crying if she spoke, Leighton kissed the back of Casey’s hand, turned it over, and kissed her palm.
Casey motioned to the cup of water, and Leighton gave it to her. After a few sips, she licked her lips.
“Are you in pain?” Leighton rubbed the rough hospital blanket over Casey’s leg.
Casey squinted, like she took inventory. “Tired mostly.” She switched to a whisper. “My throat hurts, and I have a headache, but I think I’m okay.” She sipped her water, then handed it to Leighton. “Where’s Andy?”
Leighton squeezed her fingers. “Asleep at Aileen’s. You don’t need to worry about him.”
“Was he upset?”
“Only for a minute, but he and Kalyssa are fine, thanks to you. They watched cartoons through most of the activity. Maxine and Aileen took care of getting the kids settled. I needed to be with you.” Leighton blinked away her tears. “Maxine would’ve said if there were any problems. Kalyssa is with him. I’ll check on them in the morning, and I can bring them to visit you tomorrow. Mark will want to come, too, I’m sure. I convinced him to go home instead of sleeping on the floor at the foot of your bed.”
Casey’s eyes glazed over. “When I woke, I thought I’d been dreaming. Then I realized where I was. It really happened, didn’t it?” She still looked a bit disoriented.
“It did, sweetheart. How much do you recall?” Leighton caressed her hand as different emotions flickered across Casey’s face.
She gingerly touched her throat. “I remember his hands around my neck, and I couldn’t breathe. Then nothing until I woke up in the ambulance or maybe when I got here. I’m not sure. It’s all sort of fuzzy.”
“I’m sure it is.” What a nightmare it must have been for Casey in those last few seconds, knowing she was being strangled and not being able to do anything about it.
“What happened? Where’s Jeffrey now? What made him stop?” Casey looked at her through narrowed eyes, her beautiful features twisted in confusion.
Leighton hesitated, unsure of how much to tell her. She didn’t want to inflict any additional trauma on her while in such a fragile state, but if she were in Casey’s position, she’d want to know. “Mark saved your life. I wasn’t there. I was still running down the stairs, but Maxine said when Erica got him from the back gallery and he saw Jeffrey choking you, he flew across the room and punched him out. She assured me Jeffrey was unconscious before he hit the floor.”
“Mark did that?” Casey appeared to picture it. “I don’t think he’s ever hit someone before.”
“He probably never had a reason to.” Leighton knew they were close, best friends since college, close enough for him to give Casey the child she wanted and for her to accept. It surprised her none that Mark hadn’t hesitated to step in and save her. Leighton could kiss him for what he’d done, for saving the life of the woman she loved. She just wished she’d been there for it.
And now, she wished she didn’t have to tell her the rest, but Casey had a right to know. Jaiden was her friend, too. She took a breath. “Darling, I’m afraid I have something else to tell you.” The tip of Leighton’s nose stung like it always did before she cried. “The alert? Jaiden sent it to warn us. He was taking out the garbage and Jeffrey punched him. Jaiden hit his head on the bricks and never regained consciousness. They did their best to save him, but he died, darling.”
Casey was already crying. “No.” She tried to cover her face with her hand.
Leighton set the box of tissues on the bed and gently caressed her arm. “I know he was your friend, and you were both so brave. He tried to protect us, and it cost him his life. You protected the kids and me, and…” She motioned toward the growing rainbow on Casey’s neck. “I thought I’d lost you.” More tears cascaded as she kissed Casey’s fingers.
Casey’s eyes held such tenderness. “You did?”
Leighton leaned closer, wanting to be near her, wanting to hold her. “The past few weeks have been torture, yet when I saw his hands around your neck on the camera, they paled in comparison. When you lay unconscious on the floor, everything changed. After experiencing that, I’ll never be the same. I saw what life without you looks like, and that’s not a life I’m interested in living. I’d known it before, but I’d never felt it as strongly as I did kneeling beside you before the EMTs arrived.” She kissed Casey’s hand. “I love you.”
Something between a joyous laugh and a sob escaped Casey. She opened her arms and Leighton moved into her embrace. Casey kissed her. “I love you, too,” she said against her lips. “These past few weeks, I realized just how in love with you I am. I also realized the extent I’d go to show you.”
Leighton tamed a lock of Casey’s hair. “By protecting the kids?”
“No, the night turned out different from what I’d planned.” Casey seemed lost in thought. “I had something I wanted to give you.”
Leighton remembered the envelope. “Would it be this, by chance? Maxine brought it and asked me to give it to you.”
Casey beamed. Her smile seemed so contradictory to the bruising on her neck. “Yes, I think it is. Open it.”
“Me?” Leighton flicked her nail under the flap.
With a warm smile, Casey nodded.
Leighton removed the pages. Whatever it was, it looked official. She recognized the name of the law firm Maxine used. As she read the papers, her vision blurred. When she reached the end, she touched Casey’s signature.
“You didn’t have to do this.” She laid the papers in her lap and blotted her eyes with a tissue.
“I did.” Casey rubbed Leighton’s arm. “I’d do whatever it takes to be with you.”
Leighton cradled Casey’s face and kissed her. “The next few years will be difficult, but I can’t imagine surviving them without you by my side. Even if the atelier isn’t profitable, as long as you’re with me, everything will be okay.” Her heart might burst.
Casey touched her face. “Shh, we’ll figure it out together. It’s not insurmountable.”
Leighton loved her willfulness. Casey had always possessed determination in spades.
“The agreement was Maxine’s idea. She wanted to protect you, but I don’t think she’s as opposed to the idea of us as she might’ve once led us to believe.” Casey adjusted her IV’s tubing.
“No, I don’t think she is.” Thoughts of Maxine and her mother rushed in. She’d share that story with Casey when the time was right.
“It was her idea, but I had no choice but to sign since you’re the only one Andy wants to read him bedtime stories.” Casey winked. “What’s a mom to do?” She slipped her hand behind Leighton’s neck and kissed her again.
It was soft and languid, as if they might not know what the future held, but they had a future together, and they’d figure everything out in time. Nothing needed to be rushed right now.
* * *
Someone cleared their throat.
Casey eased away from Leighton to find Mark standing in the doorway.
“Hi.”
She waved him closer. “Hey.”
Leighton stood. “I thought you went home to sleep.”
His tense shrug contradicted his nonchalant posture. “I tried, but I couldn’t, not when I didn’t know how Casey was doing.”
Leighton wrapped him in a hug, then pulled him into the room. “I would have texted to tell you she’s awake, but my phone died.”
“Yeah, I figured. I tried calling, but it went straight to voice mail.” He sat on the end of Casey’s bed, turning his attention toward her. “I wanted to see for myself that you’re okay.”
She gave him two thumbs up, making him laugh.
“Here.” Leighton folded the blanket she’d been using. “Take my seat. I need to change into more comfortable clothing and get a fresh coffee. Can I bring you anything?”
“No, thanks.” Casey and Mark spoke in unison.
When Leighton had gone, an awkward silence descended on them. Clearly, Leighton had left to give them privacy. Casey was grateful, though she didn’t know where to begin.
“You’re whispering.” Mark touched his neck. “Is it painful?”
“Not really, but they probably gave me something.” She coughed, and Mark moved her cup of water closer. She took a sip. “I’m lying here trying to think of the appropriate way to thank you for saving my life, but nothing that comes to mind seems worthy enough.”
He squeezed her arm. “You don’t have to thank me. I’d do anything for you. You know that.”
Emotion swelled in her chest, and she bit back tears. “If I didn’t know it before, I certainly do now. And of course I owe you a thank you. So, thank you.” She brought his hand to her lips and kissed it. “Not only for my sake, but Andy’s, too.”
“You would have done the same for me.”
She tried to laugh, but it made her throat feel raw. “I would have tried, but let’s hope I never have to repay the favor. Or I need to get a gym membership.” She studied him, his red eyes and pale skin, and the plain gray sweatshirt whose seams faced outward, as if he’d dressed in a hurry in the dark. “Thanks to you, I’m okay.”
He nodded brusquely, eyes downcast. “Yeah. When I saw that asshole’s hands on you…”
He didn’t finish, but he didn’t need to. They’d known each other long enough to finish one another’s sentences.
“I can imagine. I suppose you already know about Jaiden.” Again, her tears came as the realization she’d never see her friend again hit a second time.
“Yeah. I saw his family for a few minutes before I went home. There must have been forty people down there for him.” Mark sniffed. “I spoke to his mom and his girlfriend, then left them to grieve. I couldn’t just leave, you know?”
“I can’t remember the last thing I said to him, or him to me.” She used a tissue to dry the wet trails on her cheeks.
“Come here.” Mark took her in his arms. “You will. You’ve been through a lot.”
“I don’t even know what time it is or what day it is.” She wasn’t sure why it mattered, but it did.
Mark released her and pulled out his phone. “Almost four in the morning. Why?”
She placed her hand on her forehead. “I’m not sure. Everything feels foggy and confusing.”
“You went through something traumatic. The time or day isn’t important. Just rest and recover so we can get you out of here.” His rapid blinking made him look even more fatigued.
“Will you go home and sleep now that you know I’m okay?” She took his hand again. “You’ve been through a lot, too.” She noticed the abrasions on the knuckles on his other one for the first time.
He grinned. “Are you worried about me, or do you have more plans for kissing when Leighton gets back?”
Casey considered how to answer honestly. “Yes.”
Mark had worried enough about her in one day to last a lifetime, and it showed. Later, she’d tell him what wonderful things had transpired between her and Leighton, but he was right. Time didn’t matter right now, and it could wait.
* * *
Upon her release from the hospital, Casey accepted Leighton’s offer to let her and Andy stay with them while she recuperated, even though the assault had happened in the same building. She’d needed to steel herself before she entered the gallery. However, the episode had exhausted her, and she didn’t want to be alone. Besides, her bed and Andy’s crib made her bedroom cramped. It’s not like Leighton and Kalyssa could stay with them. Leighton’s help with Andy would be welcome, too.
Her neck had started to turn a color between yellow ochre and olive green. She wore a turtleneck so she didn’t recall the incident every time she looked in the mirror. In addition, they hadn’t told the kids what had happened and didn’t plan to. She and Leighton believed in preserving childhood innocence as long as possible. If she covered her bruises, it prevented questions she wasn’t sure how to answer. It might have been unnecessary, because an open-ended sleepover excited the kids too much for anything else to matter.
Andy and Kalyssa had spent an eventful day with Aileen ice skating and making fudge. Leighton had craved the pizza she’d eaten at Casey’s, so while Casey napped, she’d found a location in Queens and called in a delivery order.
An hour later, they gathered around the table and ate. Kalyssa and Andy regaled them with snippets of their ice skating adventure. After, Leighton allowed the children one piece of fudge each after musing how she’d bet they’d eaten their weight in it earlier in the day. She impressed Casey with how quickly she’d picked up on how life worked at Aileen’s. Between the two activities, Kalyssa seemed to have found a kindred spirit in Aileen. Perhaps Leighton had, too. Casey saw her sneak more than a few pieces Aileen had sent home.
After giving Casey strict orders to sit and rest, Leighton cleaned up dinner, washed fudgy fingers and faces, and helped the kids into their pajamas. With the four of them snuggled on the couch, she read Kalyssa and Andy a bedtime story and then tucked them into Kalyssa’s bed. She kissed both children, so Casey did, too.
Depending on another person wasn’t so bad. It felt nice not to have all the responsibility fall on her.
Leighton lit a fire. They reclined on the couch and enjoyed the quiet. After a while, Casey turned to face her. The random patterns Leighton had been drawing on Casey’s hip had moved past distracting. She pressed a kiss to Leighton’s collarbone and slid her hands beneath her shirt.
“Casey.” Leighton’s tone carried a warning.
Casey grazed her skin with her teeth.
Leighton sighed. “Don’t you think it’s too soon?”
They hadn’t had sex since the night of the exhibition. Casey kissed up the incline of her neck. “No. I’m ready, very ready.” It was all she’d been thinking about for some time.
Leighton caressed her face. “I don’t want to hurt you. You just got out of the hospital.”
“You won’t.” Casey pulled down her collar and fingered where the bruises were the worst. “Avoid this area or just be gentle.” She slipped her hands under Leighton’s shirt again, higher this time. “Gentle.” She caressed her breasts with a touch so light Leighton’s nipples tickled her palms, and it made Casey shiver.
Her touch seemed to have a different effect on Leighton, whose breathing caught. Leighton pressed her into the cushions and kissed her. Their mouths met, wild and hungry, and soon their panting eclipsed the sound of the fire. Leighton kissed a path from the corner of Casey’s mouth to her jaw, to her ear, then stopped. She pulled back her collar and looked at her neck. With a precision Casey had learned was part of her personality, Leighton appeared to choose which places were fit to kiss. Even when she did, her lips felt like a puff of air or the touch of a butterfly’s wing, so featherlight that Casey wasn’t sure they’d happened at all.
She moved lower, kneading and kissing Casey’s breasts through her shirt. “Take it off.”
Leighton gave her room, and Casey pulled it over her head. Leighton’s mouth was on her in a flash, and she pushed her hand past the waistband of Casey’s yoga pants. She cupped Casey through her underwear and rubbed where the wet fabric clung to her. Then she slipped her hand inside.
Casey pushed Leighton’s shirt over her breasts, then shifted their bodies so they faced one another. “I need to touch you, too.” She pulled at the strings tying Leighton’s sweats. Her hurry was real. Leighton already had two fingers inside her.
“I need a bigger couch.”
Her exasperation made Casey laugh.
Leighton stopped and smiled at her. “I love it when you laugh like that, so pure and full of delight.” She caressed her cheek. “Hearing it fills me with—I don’t know—joy.”
“Aren’t you sweet?” Casey slid her hand past Leighton’s waistband. “We have plenty of laughter in our future, among other things.” She dipped her fingers into Leighton’s arousal. “I look forward to many things with you.”
“Sexual things?” Leighton stroked inside her.
Casey moaned. “Yes, and much more.” She liked how they talked a bit during lovemaking. When she’d had sex with people who were silent the entire time, it’d felt impersonal. She’d also learned in their one night together that a few choice words, not even dirty ones, at the right time could have quite the effect on Leighton.
Though at the moment, she was having difficulty stringing words together.
Leighton pressed her palm against her like she was trying to make her come like she needed it, like all she wanted was to watch Casey come undone. The thought sent a wave of heat through her. It was working. Even so, Casey needed to touch her. Feeling how much she aroused her and watching Leighton respond were powerful turn-ons.
Leighton slung her leg over Casey’s hip, and Casey slipped inside her. Every one of Leighton’s thrusts rocked her against the couch. Casey tried to match her pace, but it was useless. Pleasure coiled inside, ready to strike.
“Look at me.” Leighton slowed, her strokes purposeful and precise.
She met Leighton’s soft gaze, held it as long as she could, and came. For the duration of her orgasm, she floated, just letting it take her. She didn’t recall closing them, but when she opened her eyes, Leighton wore the most peaceful and proud expression.
Casey exhaled. “God. Incredible.” She rested her forehead against Leighton’s neck and pressed a kiss to her hot, damp skin. “Where was I?” She moved her fingers, and Leighton jumped. “Do you want my mouth?” Casey kissed her collarbone.
“No, just like this, so I can see you.” Leighton tilted Casey’s face so their mouths met. Her tongue was hot and fast, stroking against Casey’s with urgency.
Casey did the same with her fingers and used her palm to give Leighton that needed pressure. At this angle, its effectiveness was uncertain, although Leighton surged her hips to meet each thrust. Leighton’s request to stay close pleased her. She also needed the intimate connection.
She nudged Leighton’s shirt aside and sucked her nipple into her mouth. Leighton moaned, so she moved to the other one. Casey moved up to taste her, to meld their mouths, and together, they found a rhythm.
Casey paused to breathe. “If you don’t come soon, I’ll have to bend you over the back of this sofa again.” She nipped her earlobe.
Leighton came with a small cry against her neck.
“Yes, just like that.” She gentled her movements and smiled. A few choice words. She couldn’t quite wrap her head around the fact she had that effect on Leighton.
After a few minutes of lazy kisses, Casey turned and pulled Leighton’s arm around her. Leighton nuzzled the back of her neck, and a pleasantness enveloped her. She felt safe, cherished, and satisfied. Casey hummed in contentment. “It’s hard to beat this.”
Leighton kissed her neck. “I agree.”
Casey watched the snow falling outside the window. It was almost Christmas. She hadn’t asked what plans Leighton had for the holiday. She didn’t know whether Leighton was a shop-throughout-the-year type of person or did everything at the last minute. They had much to learn about one another, and she smiled at the welcome thought. “What do you want to do tomorrow?”
Leighton pulled her closer. “Buy a bigger couch.”
* * *
Casey opened her eyes to the sun streaming through the sheer curtains. After a night of lovemaking, it appeared Leighton had let her sleep. She brushed her teeth, slipped on a turtleneck, and wandered to the kitchen. Kalyssa and Andy ate scrambled eggs and cinnamon raisin toast at the island.
“Good morning.” Leighton kissed her. “Hungry?”
She was. Leighton dropped two pieces of bread in the toaster and whisked a couple of eggs.
“Coffee?”
“Sure.” Casey moved Andy’s hand away from Kalyssa’s plate, where he pretended to drive his toast train. “Manners, young man.” She kissed his temple.
“I need to run some errands.” Leighton poured the eggs into a pan. “I’m going to take the kids with me so you can rest.”
“Where are you going?” She’d been through a lot but didn’t want Leighton to get in the habit of thinking she was fragile. “I don’t think I can rest much more than I already am.”
“You rested in the hospital.” Kalyssa picked a raisin from her toast. “Mom let us share your pudding while you were snoring.”
Andy nodded.
Casey ran her fingers through Kalyssa’s hair. “I don’t mind sharing with you.”
“We’ll be back in a couple hours.” Leighton glanced at them. “I’ll make lunch when we get home.”
Casey smiled. “I could get used to this. Where are you going?” Wherever it was, Leighton probably didn’t need the kids with her but instead worried about Casey exerting energy watching them.
“You can only know about part of our errands. I’m taking your apartment key and picking up some clothing and toiletries for you and Andy. I’ve already arranged it with Mark.” Leighton buttered the toast.
Andy grinned. “Mark.”
Leighton smiled. “Yes, we’ll see Mark today.”
“You don’t have to do that.” She didn’t want to impose.
“Nonsense,” Leighton said, without looking up. “Other than spending time at Aileen’s on Christmas Day, what other plans do you have for the holidays?”
“Just that, but I hoped you and Kalyssa could join us. Aileen’s expecting you.” Casey’s stomach growled as Leighton slid the eggs onto her plate.
“That was nice of her to offer, but it won’t be too much?” Leighton set the pan in the sink.
“She’s planning on it.” Casey put on her most serious face. “If you don’t, there will be leftovers for days, and I don’t like ham that much.”
“Since Aileen mentioned eating at two, perhaps we could all go to Maxine’s afterward. Her Christmas dinner is usually around seven. She hoped you and Andy could join us.”
Casey swallowed a bite of toast. “That would be nice.”
“It might be.” Leighton arched an eyebrow. “It depends on whether she’s also serving ham.”
Casey laughed but became thoughtful. “I guess we’ve made holiday plans for our little ensemble, haven’t we?” It was too soon to think of the four of them as a family, but Casey enjoyed the momentary fantasy as she watched the kids eating side by side.
“I suppose we have. Then it’s settled. You and Andy can stay here through Christmas or even New Year’s.” Leighton gave her what looked like a hopeful smile.
“Okay.” Casey tried not to grin too wide before taking a bite of egg. “What’s your other errand?”
“It’s a surprise.” Leighton’s eyes twinkled.
“I’ll be right here resting and waiting then.” A sense of weightlessness pervaded her as she finished her breakfast. What she’d said was true. She could get used to this.
* * *
When Leighton and the kids returned to the loft less than two hours later, a six-foot-tall Douglas fir accompanied their exuberant faces. The sweet evergreen smell intermingled with the cinnamon-scented candle burning on the mantle.
Casey matched their smiles. She rose from the sofa to keep the tree upright while they removed their winter wear. Andy sat on the floor to tug off his boots, and Kalyssa bent to help him unzip his jacket. Casey might melt if they got any cuter.
“You can relax and watch us.” Leighton waved a hand toward the sofa where Casey had been reading.
“Not a chance. I’m not missing out on decorating our first Christmas tree.” She froze, aware of the implicit meaning behind her words. Certain her face was flushed, she glanced at her feet.
Leighton came to her, held her face in the tenderest of touches, and pressed their lips together. When she pulled back, her eyes shone with wonder. “Good. Then, what do you say we make some ornaments and decorate our tree?” She brushed their lips together again.
“I’d like that.” Casey looked at her sap-covered hand still holding the trunk. “Could we put it in a stand first?”
* * *
From where Casey lay with Leighton on the couch, she absorbed the surrounding warmth, not only Leighton, but the children sprawled on the rug in front of the TV where Rudolph and his friends played their reindeer games, and the tree in the corner with its twinkling lights and mixture of store-bought and handmade ornaments. It looked perfect, but how could it be anything else? It was theirs.
Leighton brushed her lips along Casey’s cheek and whispered in her ear. “I’m sorry, I know it hasn’t been that long, but I’m afraid I’m going to need you after the kids go to bed.”
Casey twisted to face her. “Never apologize for wanting sex. I enjoy knowing what you need.” She traced Leighton’s jaw. “There may be times—far down the road, of course—when I don’t have it in me, but I’d be happy to watch you. Or you might persuade me to help you finish. Let’s just be truthful about what we need.”
Leighton nodded. “You are an old soul, aren’t you?” She kissed Casey’s shoulder. “I have a gift for you, and I can’t wait any longer to give it to you.”
“Oh, really?” Her throat wasn’t as sore as it’d been in the hospital, so she’d attempted a sexy voice.
Leighton swatted her hip. “Not that kind.”
“It’s not Christmas yet.” Casey had always opened gifts on Christmas morning.
“It’s homemade and unrelated to the holiday. I’ve been working on something.”
“I heard you’ve been painting.” Rumors about Leighton’s mysterious piece had filled the last few weeks. She’d heard theories ranging from a commissioned portrait of the first female vice president to a nude vignette of Banksy. It was times like these she missed Jaiden. No doubt he’d come up with that hilarious rumor.
However, all along, Casey’s intuition had told her Leighton painted whatever it was for her. Anticipation made her want to jump up.
“It’s a personal gift, one that comes from my heart.” Leighton brushed a strand of hair from Casey’s forehead. “So, are you ready?”
Casey grinned and nodded.
“Come with me. Get up slowly.”
Leighton hadn’t stopped fretting about her since the minute they’d left the hospital.
Casey assumed Leighton had hidden the painting in the guest room. The door had been closed since she’d arrived. However, Leighton led her into the kitchen instead. She opened a drawer and withdrew a small white box. It was the length of a remote control, but twice as tall. She handed it to Casey.
Casey forced a smile, though her cheeks quivered. She’d been sure the painting was for her. Unless Leighton had switched to miniatures, her gift was something else. If that was the case, why was Leighton so secretive about the mysterious piece of art?
She stared at the box. It was the wrong size for jewelry. She lifted off the top and looked inside. When she glanced up, Leighton beamed.
Inside were four wooden children’s blocks. K, W, S, and O. She tried to decipher it. Was it an acronym? It didn’t mean anything to her. Nothing became obvious when she reordered them in her mind. She saw nothing underneath, not even tissue paper. “I don’t understand.” She looked up.
Leighton seemed to enjoy the moment. “Let me show you.” She took it. “Come with me.”
Casey followed her down the hallway where she stopped before the guest room door. Leighton opened it a few inches to reach in and turn on the light. A gush of cold air rushed out along with the unmistakable odor of paint. Leighton pushed the door open and stepped aside so Casey could enter.
Leighton had painted the room cerulean blue and sage green. An undulating border circled the room a third of the way up the walls. A twin bed, accompanied by a dresser and desk that matched the headboard, had replaced the previous queen. On the open windowsill, a box fan exchanged the air.
All these items registered with her, but Casey focused on one thing: the border. It wasn’t an ordinary one. Leighton hadn’t purchased or stenciled it. Where the blue and green met, the sky turned into hills. Along the hills ran train tracks, and along the tracks ran a train almost all the way around the room. Where the border disappeared behind the dresser, the train entered a tunnel on one side and exited on the opposite.
Extraordinary, hand-painted details made it become something spectacular. From the shiny black engine trailing smoke to the many cars carrying cargo like logs, coal, rocks, animals, and toys, Leighton had painted each tiny object with care, humor, and precision. Casey could look at the intricate scene a hundred times and notice something new. It was a work of art. Leighton had sketched the preliminary lines for the caboose, but she hadn’t finished it.
Leighton stopped beside the dresser and held the box over the top. When she had Casey’s attention, she flipped it and lifted it away to reveal the blocks underneath.
Casey read the letters that now faced her: A-N-D-Y. She shook her head in disbelief. She’d been smiling since seeing the train, but seeing her son’s name on the dresser amid this wonderful panorama made her chest tighten. Andy had never had his own room. Casey covered her stinging eyes with her hands when she realized that this was what Leighton had been working on the past few weeks, the most important work she’d ever painted, according to Stefan, and what Leighton had called a gift that came from her heart, one for her and Andy.
Leighton rested her hands on Casey’s hips. “It wasn’t supposed to make you cry. I hated the guest room, anyway.” She pulled her into a hug.
Casey laughed against her chest.
“Will you and Andy move in with us?”
Casey loved how Leighton always included the children, but she hesitated accepting her offer and took a step back. “This is amazing, and I want to…”
Leighton stiffened.
“But I have to think about Mark. It wouldn’t feel right leaving him to cover rent or forcing him to find a roommate with little notice.”
“But you’re not opposed?” Leighton touched her again, a light press of hands on her sides.
Casey couldn’t suppress her grin. “No, just the opposite.”
Leighton became serious. “You know, Phoenix might be interested in rooming with someone after Jaiden…” She bowed her head.
“He and Mark get along well.” Casey lifted Leighton’s chin. “I’ll talk to Mark tomorrow and suggest it. Phoenix will need some extra support after what happened, and having to face an empty apartment every night doesn’t seem the best way for him to move forward. They’d all grown so close. Maybe they could lean on each other.”
Leighton’s shoulders appeared to relax. “And if they agree?”
“Then, yes. Yes.” Casey threw her arms around Leighton’s neck and buried her face in her hair. She pulled back far enough to look at her. “Even if they don’t want to be roommates, I’ll help Mark find someone. I don’t want to leave him in the lurch.”
“You could always continue paying your half of the rent until he does.”
Casey shook her head. “I’ll help him find someone whether it’s Phoenix or someone else. Who knows, maybe Devin is ready to live on his own and not with his family. Either way, I intend to contribute to our home at least what I’m paying now. I’m not looking for a handout.”
Leighton closed her eyes for a moment. “I’d never think that.”
“Still, I’d like to help support us.” Casey turned in a circle, following the train across all four walls. “This is amazing. You’re amazing. I can’t believe you painted this.” She went up on tiptoes to press their lips together. “I love you.”
“And I love you.” Leighton’s eyes looked just as watery as hers.
After a few minutes of soft, slow, meaningful kisses, they parted.
Casey looked around, trying to absorb it all. “Are you going to show Andy?”
“Why don’t we show them both? Kalyssa hasn’t seen it either.” Leighton gave her a pointed look. “Four-year-olds aren’t great with secrets, you know.”
Leighton pulled the children away from their movie with a promise they could finish it in a few minutes. She led them into the room and stood beside Casey. The kids gravitated to the train.
Andy, who sometimes spoke little or only when necessary, had a hundred different things to point out while he implored them to, “Look, look!” Leighton’s efforts had plastered a dimpled grin on his face. He giggled when he noticed the giraffes’ heads sticking out of the top of a boxcar and the clown whose bouncy balls had fallen off the train and rolled down the hillside.
“Mom, I didn’t know this was in here.” Kalyssa took Leighton’s hand.
“It was a surprise.” Leighton smoothed her hair.
Kalyssa tilted her head. “For Andy?”
“Yes.”
“Did you paint it?”
“I did.” Leighton dropped to a knee. “Would you like it if we painted something on the walls in your room?”
Kalyssa shuffled her feet. “You painted this for Andy?”
“Yes, I did, but I’ll paint something for you. You can help me.” Leighton kissed her.
Kalyssa looked at her with the most earnest expression. “If you painted this for Andy, can Casey paint something in my room?”
“I think you should ask her, darling.” Leighton smiled at Casey.
Kalyssa turned to her. Casey loved how she raised her eyebrows, just like Leighton. Casey smiled and nodded.
Leighton rubbed her hands together. “Casey should probably live with us if she’s going to be doing a lot of painting in your room. Don’t you think?”
“And Andy can sleep in here.” Kalyssa pointed to the bed.
Casey crouched beside Andy. “Leighton painted this for you, baby.”
He put his arm around Leighton and leaned his head on her shoulder. Then he tugged on her hand. She stood and followed him to the end of the train.
He looked at her with his large brown eyes and pointed to the unfinished caboose. “Paint this?”
Leighton ran her fingers through his hair. “Yes, darling. I’ll paint that for you, too.”
The smile she gave Casey couldn’t have contained much more joy.
Leighton’s revelation seemed to have gone just as she’d hoped or better, and Casey had to work to contain her elation. While she couldn’t compete with Leighton’s gift, she expected Leighton to like the present she’d bought. Casey had purchased the Sennelier soft pastel set Leighton had admired at the art store. She’d save it for Christmas morning.
Casey rested her hand on Leighton’s back and watched the three people she loved most in the world, happy and thankful she’d been lucky enough to escape harm to share this life with them. She leaned close and whispered into Leighton’s ear. “It’s the most beautiful painting I’ve ever seen.”
Leighton beamed and cradled her cheek. “Now that’s what I call a compliment.”