Page 74 of The Clause in Christmas
* * *
Cassie cried until her throat burned and her eyes swelled, unable to shed another tear. Every muscle in her body, including her heart, felt numb.
She wanted to be angry—outraged, even—and show her mother the door once and for all. But as she gazed at Donna, prostrate on the floor, all she felt was pity.
Her mother needed help. Desperately. The drinking was more than a reckless pastime—it was a disease. One that had a grip on Donna so tight, even the people around her couldn’t breathe.
Cassie could think of only one thing to end its hold on both of them.
After getting a much-needed drink of water, Cassie picked up her phone.
“Hey, Cass.” Derek’s tone exuded a mixture of surprise and delight. “It’s great to hear from you.”
“I’m not calling to chitchat.” The phone shook in Cassie’s hand as she forced herself to continue. “I’m calling about your offer.”
“Great! I knew you’d come around.”
Cassie grimaced at his arrogant certainty. This was a mistake. Her finger hovered over the end call button, but her gaze flickered to her mother. Sucking in a breath, she closed her eyes. “I have one condition.”
“Anything.”
“I want a loan… of fifteen thousand dollars.”
Her request was met with silence.
Then Derek’s cool, assured voice filled her ear. “Sure. No problem. When do you want it?”
“Tomorrow morning. Have it wired to my bank account then we’ll meet to discuss the terms of our partnership.”
She held her breath, waiting for Derek to protest her unreasonable demand.
“Will do,” he said. “Shoot me your banking info and I’ll have it squared away in the morning. And, Cass… is everything okay?”
Her lower lip trembled, agitated that he dared to show his concern.Andthat it affected her.
Squaring her shoulders, she said briskly, “I’ll call you tomorrow to arrange a time and place to meet,” then hung up the phone.
As her breathing slowed, Cassie’s knees weakened and she sank onto the barstool. What had she just done? She thought of Luke and her heart wrenched.
Pressing her palm to her chest, she practiced taking slow, steady breaths. It was only a loan. A temporary solution. She’d work with Derek for a little while, then find a way out. Somehow.
Bleary-eyed, Cassie dragged herself back into the living room. Donna hadn’t moved an inch, but her eyelids quivered as though she were dreaming.
Sagging into the couch, Cassie pulled the quilt around herself.
She needed to sleep. Maybe things would look better in the morning?
Cassie buried her face in the throw pillow, muffling her groan. Who was she kidding? The Calendar was gone—literally a pile of ash. And to think, just that morning, she’d thumbed ahead a few pages to take a sneak peek, then snapped the book shut before she ruined all of the surprises.
Flipping onto her back, Cassie stared at the pine beams stretched across the ceiling. Hindsight really was twenty-twenty. If she’d allowed herself to peek ahead until the end, maybe she could still complete everything. Regret left a sour taste in her mouth.
Cassie squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to fall asleep. She could only solve one problem at a time.
And first, she needed to get Donna into rehab.
Chapter 27
As they sat in the reception area of the Snyder Sobriety Center the following afternoon, Cassie stared at her phone. The text she’d composed to Luke glared back at her accusingly. It wasn’t good enough. Not even close. But it would have to do until Cassie figured out a few more things first.
