Page 31 of Cassie
About damn time
Hoss
“Box tonight, baby girl,” Hoss said through his shirt as he pulled it on, juggling his phone and keys as he dressed. They were getting ready for Sammy’s game. It had been two days since he had seen Cassie, and he hoped to break that streak tonight. This was after spending three full days at her house before leaving to come home and relieve Jase and DeeDee’s daughter Gilda from her friend-sitting of his Faith.I miss her.
As Gilda had walked out to her car, headed back to campus in Muncie, she’d raised a hand and pulled a laugh from both father and daughter when she said, “Bu-bye, Hoth.” He had known the girl her whole life, and often teased her about how she’d lisped his name when younger. Hearing that reminder of their shared lives and memories, all built through longevity, had pulled his throat tight. Now, just remembering that moment, he knew the smile slipped from his face as he walked through the house.
“Dad?” Faith called from in front of him, and he stopped, the echoes of his footsteps fading quickly.
“It’s okay, Faynez. Just had a moment.” These flashes when the loss of Hope would sweep over him and darken his mood still happened. Not as often as before, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He hated reminders of what he and the kids had lost, while contradictorily still wanting them to continue. It boiled down to him not wanting to lose any part of Hope. Even grief due to her death had always been a way to keep her with him.
Faith’s voice was soft when she asked, “Did you and Uncle Tug have a good dinner? I haven’t seen you much since then. Uncle Tug behave himself?” His baby girl knew his moods, probably better than he did himself, and she knew if she could get him talking about spending time with friends, it would help lift the threatening shadows.
He made a decision.Time to test the waters. “You remember the woman from the show?”
“Yeah.”
“Saw her out riding a few weeks ago.” Twisting in place, he watched as first joy and then a look of caution flashed across Faith’s face. “Turns out she bought a bike from our shop. I found out your Uncle Tug had been teaching her to ride.” Now Faith’s expression was confused but pleased, and he nodded, laughing. “Yeah, he never said anything. He didn’t have any way of knowing who she was. Just being the nice guy, helping out a damsel in distress.”
“Uncle Tug is hilarious. Him and Aunt Maggie are both awesome like that.”
“Yeah. For an old bastard, he’s pretty decent.” Hoss laughed. “I saw her, rolled the guys after her, and we pulled her into our column.” At that statement, Faith’s eyes got round and he nodded again. “Yeah, wasn’t thinkin’ very clearly, or I’d have seen how that might be a tad bit…intimidating.”
“Ya think, Dad?” She shook her head, then asked, “How’d she handle it?” Faith knew how to ride, but beyond the basic skills had no interest in it other than sitting pretty on the back of someone else’s bike, which she enjoyed. But she’d been on enough runs that she knew how frightened people could get when a mass of bikes rolled up beside them.
“Champ. All the way. Total champ.”
She smiled broadly, her pleasure in someone else’s achievement marking the kind of woman he knew she was growing up to be. “Proud of you, Faynez,” he said gently and watched her face change, soften. “I don’t tell you enough, but I am, baby doll. Proud of you.” Taking a breath, he continued sharing, “Had opportunity to sit a meal with her.” He’d only gone out for one meal recently, and she’d already referenced it, so Hoss knew his girl would put two and two together.
“She knows you painted her?”
“No, didn’t come up. I just told you I sat a meal with her.”
“But, then you didn’t come home.”
Fuck but his girl was quick to put two and two together. “No, I didn’t. That bother you?”
“No.” Stated emphatically, she left no room for interpretation. If he wanted to dig into this with Cassie right now, Faith was a hundred percent okay with it.
“Gonna explore this with her.” Not quite a warning, but he knew Faith would take his meaning, and she did.
“I’m glad you are.” And she was. The honesty of her words was written in the soft expression on her face.
“Means she’ll be around some.” Faith nodded. “Baby, she’s had a hard time of it. She’s got some—” He drew a blank for what to say next, then settled for something other than Tamara’s word. “—unusual challenges.” Tipping her head to one side in a motion that was all Hope, his Faith silently urged him on. “She has anxiety attacks, so she doesn’t go out much. Doesn’t feel comfortable around a lot of people, means it’s hard to earn her trust.”
“But she trusts you?”
“Yeah, seems to. Which is a good thing for your old man.”
“You want me to meet her?” That was Hope all over, and a feeling of grace swelled inside him. Faith was her mother through and through, standing here offering him what he needed.
“God, Faynez. Sometimes you are exactly like your mother.” Faith startled and then smiled slowly. He’d surprised and pleased her with that. He repeated his earlier words. “So proud of you, honey. Honored to be your father. And yeah, eventually, I want you to meet her. Cassie means a lot to me.”
“Then I’ll meet her when you think the time is right. She makes you happy, Daddy. I told Sammy—” Faith scowled and shook her head. He knew she hadn’t meant to let that slip. Hoss understood his kids worried about him, but they tried to keep any machinations on the down low, usually.
“What’d you tell Sam?”
“That you were working. That you were engaged in things again. That you were smiling and humming and just…happy, Daddy. I told him whoever the woman was you were drawing, she made you happy.”
