Page 22 of Sizzle

The drive to Cass and Patrick’s house is about ten minutes from the Ashton family property, considering they bought a big old farmhouse on the side of Newton Street. With its weeping willows and the new baby swing hanging from one of the branches, their house looks like something out of a perfect storybook.

Letting myself in, I hear the din of the TV and make sure not to trip over the diaper bag spilling into the front hallway.

“Hey,” I whisper as I walk into Cass and Patrick’s living room.

My baby niece, Rebecca, is asleep on Cassandra’s chest, and Cass herself looks close to snoozing out.

“Hey.” She smiles, looking tired but radiant.

Having kids was always in Patrick’s future, I know that about my brother. He wanted the white picket fence, the perfect family, kind of what he thought our parents represent. I’m happy he finally got it after some strikeouts, even if the little zing of jealousy at walking into a room full of baby toys and framed family pictures stings me a bit.

“How’s she doing?” I ask, sitting next to my sister-in-law and admiring my niece.

Rebecca is probably the most gorgeous baby I’ve ever seen, with a head of strawberry-blond hair just like her mother and big blue eyes. Her skin looks like a doll’s, all porcelain and unblemished. And she has us all wrapped around her finger. Never in my life had I changed a poopy diaper, but my niece giggled through the whole thing and so hell yeah, I’m volunteering for shit duty.

“Good, just cranky from a little upset stomach this week. She’s contact napping like a champ though, and I hate putting her down even though I probably should.”

“What you should do is whatever you feel like doing. This angel deserves to be cuddled all day.” I coo at the baby even though she’s asleep.

“I knew you’d be the softy uncle.” Cass smirks.

“Can I get you anything?” I ask, surveying the island she’s set up for herself.

Blankets, baby bottles, a huge thermos of water for herself, the remote, her cell phone, a magazine, and even a bowl of pretzels; the woman could single-handedly rule the world.

“I’m good. You just stopping by or can we have adult talk time? I need some actual human reconnaissance from the outside world.”

I chuckle. “I’m not here to gossip, but I do need your help.”

Her free hand slaps onto my arm. “Anything. Anything. I love this angel to death but give me an actual task that will stray my day from spit up and animal flash cards.”

“I was wondering if you could hook me up with that intensive security company you hired after the break-in at your dad’s place,” I tell her.

It kills me to bring up the attack, even though I know she and Patrick have come to terms with it as best as possible. But this is necessary. I need the extra oomph that a high-tech, celebrity client serving, intensive security company can provide. Cass still has a lot of connections to rich and powerful people that a lot of normal folks can’t access, and I know she’ll, of course, do whatever I ask of her. Still, I hate having to bring it up.

“Of course, why?” Alarm laces her voice.

I hold up a hand as if trying to calm her with my body language. “It could be nothing, could just be my system isn’t up to date or a little whacked. Could be something. I’m not sure. That’s why I want the added measures. And your richy-rich connections can help out in that area. We had some rows of tomato plants destroyed.”

I can’t bring myself to tell her about the blacked-out security camera, because I can’t put that on her right now.

“What? Why hasn’t anyone told me about this?” She sits up, jostling Rebecca, who lets out a soft whine.

Cass pats the baby’s butt firmly and lulls her right back to sleep.

“Because we didn’t want to worry anyone. Everyone around here gets a little spooked whenever something seems a little out of the ordinary.”

“Can you blame us?” She does seem to take a calming breath, though.

“I guess I can’t. But I just want to talk to the company, have them come out and survey the property, give me their cost estimates and install it. We should upgrade the system anyway.”

“You got it, consider it done.” Cass nods, reaching for her gigantic water bottle and taking a gulp.

“Now, how are things going with Gabrielle?” she asks.

Cass never lets this slide, not since she found out or, most likely, was told by Patrick that I had a crush on my high school teacher. Since she and Gabrielle are now close from working at the playhouse together, she likes to think she’s playing Cupid. If that were the case, the aim of her arrow sucks because her friend can’t get away from me fast enough.

“Who said there’s a ‘things’ to be going?” I’m being evasive and annoying, but I don’t usually talk about my personal life with my family.

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