A Southern Reunion

Cal took the spoon from Cassie. “C’mon now, old man, eat something so I can give the night nurse a good report. You don’t want to have to resort to taking your meals through a tube, do you?”

Marcus turned from Cassie to send Cal a heavy scowl, his wizened face expanding until he almost looked young again. “You like being the boss around here, don’t you?”

“I’m not the boss,” Cal said, a spoonful of tender meat and thick gravy moving toward Marcus. “You’re still the man around here, so eat up and keep your strength.”

Cassie resented the way he’d taken over, but was glad to see her father listening to Cal. Marcus took two bites of the stew then fell back against the pillows. “I’m full.”

Cal gave him some water through a bent straw then glanced over at Cassie, the sympathy in his eyes raking her like talons. She didn’t want his pity. She wanted his honesty. But then, he’d been dishonest with her before. Why change now?

Marcus glanced at Cassie then turned to Cal, his gaze now hooded and shuttered. “You two speaking?”

“Yes,” Cassie said on a rush of breath. She refused to elaborate.

“We’re being civil,” Cal said. He shot Cassie a look that dared her to disagree.

“That’s not good enough,” Marcus retorted through a grumbling cough. “I need more than civil. I need you two to work together.”

“What did you expect, Daddy?” Cassie’s eyes locked onto Cal. “I found a lot of surprises here since I arrived this morning.” Had she only been here one day? It seemed as if she’d aged in those few short hours. She was bone-tired and weary and still in shock from all the revelations nipping at her like mosquitoes.

Marcus coughed again, prompting Cal to give him another sip of water. He looked up at Cal, another dark scowl on his face. But the expression in his eyes held trust and what seemed like a grudging respect. Cassie glanced at Cal and saw that same respect in his gaze, too. Something passed between the two men, something secret and sacred and scary.

Cassie’s resentment crashed in an ugly wave of green envy. Did Cal really care about her father? Or was this part of his plan? He’d never confirmed or denied her accusations. Cal had never been one for confirming or denying. He wasn’t great at conversations or confrontations.

Deciding to cut to the chase, she touched her father’s arm. “Cal says we need to talk. Are you up to that, Daddy?”

Marcus heaved a deep breath. “Of course I’m up to it. I’ve been waiting for this conversation a long time, Cassie-girl.”

She couldn’t take any more. Her nerves were twisted like fence wire and her head pounded like a herd of stampeding cattle. “Then tell me, please. Somebody tell me what’s going on, beside you being so sick. Besides Cal being back here. What is it?”

“We’re busted,” Marcus finally said, his once-blue eyes watery and piercing. “Camellia Plantation ain’t what it used to be.”

Confusion crashed with exhaustion inside Cassie’s head. “But it’s still here. Our home is still intact.”

She saw the lifting of Cal’s head and the widening of her father’s wrinkled brow. “Cal?”

Cal stood with his feet planted apart, his broad shoulders slung back as if ready to do battle. Until she looked into his eyes. The uncertainty of his gaze shattered her.

“Cal?”

“I brought Cal back to save the place,” Marcus said, his voice weak now. “He can give you the details.”

Cassie stepped back to stare over at Cal. “Is that true?”

Cal nodded. “Your daddy got in trouble in some areas and I’ve been fighting fires since I came back. That’s why I wanted to show you the records and files.”

“And?”

“And we’re leveling off but it’s gonna be a long haul.”

She pushed a hand through her hair. “Is this what you’ve been keeping from me?”

“Partly,” Cal said, glancing down at Marcus. “It’s hard to explain all of it.”

Marcus nodded. “He’s right, honey. I won’t be here much longer, Cassandra. That’s the truth. We don’t have much time. And I need you—”

“Daddy, don’t talk like that. I’m meeting with your doctors. I’ll bring in a specialist—”

“Don’t need a specialist. Just need to rest.”

“You can’t just give up!”

But her father was already drifting off again.

Cassie touched a gentle hand to his bony shoulder. “Daddy, how bad is it?”

Marcus opened his eyes, but the vacant darkness she saw in them caused Cassie to step back. He looked as if he’d seen a ghost.

“Gennie, I’m so sorry. I tried to forgive her. I really did, darlin’.” He coughed, his eyes wild now. “But she looks too much like you.”

He dropped back to sleep.

Cassie gasped and turned away, the tears she’d held at bay all day long pricking at her eyes. Was her father talking about her? Everyone told her she looked just like her mother and she’d always believed that was part of why he found it so unbearable to be around her.

Just the thought of it made her feel sick to her stomach.

When she felt Cal’s hand on her arm, she recoiled from the heat of it. “I’m okay. Just go.”

“No,” he said, dragging her toward the door. “No. You’re coming with me so we can discuss this. I should have explained first thing this morning when you got here.”

She couldn’t speak so she allowed him to get her out of that suffocating room. Once out in the hallway, she pulled loose of his grasp. “I was right. You’re going to take over Camellia Plantation, aren’t you? You somehow managed to get back in with my father and now you’re like a vulture waiting to pick his carcass. And you greet me at the door with…that woman. Is Marsha in on this with you, Cal? Is she?”

CAL COULDN’T BELIEVE the things coming out of her mouth. He’d done Cassie wrong all those years ago, but did she actually think he’d somehow managed to maneuver into position over her father’s deathbed? Chalking it up to shock and grief, he cut her some slack but he couldn’t get past his own frustrations and anger.

“You must really hate me,” he said, seeing what looked like hatred in her cold blue eyes. “You can’t honestly believe I’d be so cruel.”

“I don’t know what to believe,” she said, her eyes misty, her tone low and unsure. “I’m sorry, but I just wish—”

The sound of a car door slamming caused her to stop. “I’m going upstairs to my room.”

“Cassie, you need to go over the books with me. So I can show you that you’re wrong.”

Teresa stepped into the hallway. “That’s the night nurse. Cal, let Cassie get some rest. Tomorrow is soon enough to get down to business.”

“You knew about this, too?” Cassie asked the housekeeper, her voice rising.

“Honey, I know about a lot of things,” Teresa replied, lowering her voice as the back door swung open. “But until you’re ready to listen, it won’t matter what we tell you.”

Cal watched as Cassie went into debutante mode, her back going straight, her cool resolve slipping back into place while she closed her eyes to shut down the tears. “You’re right, of course. I’m exhausted and I’m not thinking rationally. I shouldn’t be lashing out at Cal. But tomorrow, I want the truth. From both of you. I mean it, Cal. If I don’t get some answers, I’ll have to figure it out for myself. But I’m hoping you won’t force me to do that.”