“I liked your parents too. I only met them a few times, but I liked how attentive your dad was with your mom. Standing between her and others when he thought they might bump into her, holding her hand, things like that.”
Cassidy hadn’t really thought about her parents like that, but now that Leo had brought it up, she realized her dad had always been protective of her mom. They’d always held hands in the house, too, which had kind of grossed her out when she’d been a teenager.
“Your folks weren’t like that, were they?”
He chuckled, but it wasn’t a humorous sound. “No. They were always fighting and yelling at each other. I used to pray that they’d get divorced, but that never happened. I wasn’t sorry to leave when I graduated high school.”
“How’d you turn out so . . . normal?” Cassidy asked, then immediately regretted it. “Sorry, that was rude. Don’t answer that.”
“No, it’s fine. I think because I had such bad examples growing up, I made a vow to never be like them. I got good grades because my uncle once told me that I’d never amount to anything. I went out of my way to be good to my girlfriends because my dad was so mean to my mom. I don’t truly know why I am the way I am . . . I just knew I didn’t want to be like them.”
“I always had a crush on you,” Cassidy admitted. She never would’ve admitted that to him if she hadn’t been on the phone. It was easier to be brave when she didn’t have to look at him.
“Yeah?” he asked.
“Uh-huh. I knew you thought I was too young.”
“But I still liked you too,” Leo said.
“You did?”
“Yeah. It wouldn’t have been fair to you to start anything. I was leaving El Paso, and you still had three more years of high school. I also had a feeling it would be extremely hard to leave if you were mine.”
Cassidy’s heart was beating so hard, she put a hand over her chest to try to calm herself.
“Cass? Sorry, am I freaking you out?”
“No!” she exclaimed. “Well, maybe a little. You have no idea how often I thought about you,” she said softly. “You were my dream guy. I scribbled our names all over my notebooks. I was such a dork, but I think I knew, deep down, that you were the real deal. You weren’t like the other boys. You were intense, and some of my friends were scared of you, but I watched you with other girls. You never yelled at them, never belittled them, and most stayed friends with you after you broke up. To me, that said a lot.”
Leo didn’t say anything to that; all Cassidy heard was his breathing on the other end of the line. “Leo?”
“I’m here,” he said immediately. “I should’ve gone after what I wanted. Then you wouldn’t have married that asshole and been treated like shit. You wouldn’t have fled to Jamaica, and you wouldn’t have spent five years of your life terrified. Mario would’ve been mine. Fuck, I’m an idiot.”
Goose bumps broke out on Cassidy’s arms at his words. Leo sounded really . . . pissed off. She wasn’t upset, wasn’t scared. Surprisingly, she was turned on. It had been so long since she’d felt such desire that she almost didn’t recognize the feeling.
“My mom always said that life happens like it does for a reason,” she told Leo. “We were both young. Who knows what would’ve happened.”
“I knew you were special even back then, but I was too much of a chickenshit to do anything about it. I’m not anymore,” Leo said.
Cassidy bit her lip, wanting to ask him what he meant. Was she ready for a relationship? She wasn’t sure.
When she didn’t say anything, Leo said, “I’m glad things with your parents went well.”
“Me too.”
“You and Mario want to grab something to eat tonight? I haven’t taken you to Rosie’s Diner yet. Archer’s an amazing cook, but I have to say, I think Rosie has him beat.”
“Sure. Mario would love to see you.” And he would. As unlikely as the pair seemed, Mario had taken to Leo as if they’d been friends forever. Cassidy knew it was because Leo listened to her son. Truly listened. He also didn’t belittle his fondness for Barbies . . . or his newfound fascination with gymnastic videos on YouTube.
Mario would sit in front of the computer and watch old videos of Nadia Comăneci, Mary Lou Retton, Bart Conner, and Paul Hamm all day if she allowed it. He also watched more recent Olympians, including Simone Biles and Jake Dalton. Cassidy was positive Leo had no idea who any of them were when Mario had started babbling about them, but the next time they’d gotten together, it’d been clear he’d done his research. He’d rattled off their stats as easily as he knew his own name.
The fact that Leo embraced her son’s interests even though they weren’t what most little boys wanted to talk about endeared the man to her all the more. The way to her heart was definitely through her son, and Leo was getting there seemingly without even trying.
“I’m about to head out on a towing run. How about I pick you guys up in about an hour and a half—will that be enough time?”
“That’s perfect,” Cassidy said. It would give her time to shower and find something nice to wear. She’d been to the thrift shop with Skylar and found a bunch of cute outfits. She’d also been able to find Mario some more clothes. She’d had to borrow money from Leo to make the purchases, but she hoped to pay him back as soon as she could.
“Stay safe. I’ll see you soon,” Leo said.
“You too. Bye.”
Cassidy clicked off the phone and sat on the couch, staring into space for a few long minutes. Her life had been hard, there wasn’t any doubt, but she refused to get mired in the negative. There were a hell of a lot of good things happening to her right now, and she didn’t want to dwell on the bad.
Eventually, she pushed herself off the couch and headed for her room. She’d shower, then go over and get Mario and tell him the good news about Leo taking them out to dinner. She knew he’d be happy about that, and he’d even have time for a shower as well. That was another thing about her kid—he loved being clean. He’d shower twice a day if she let him. And he took even longer than she did to get ready.
Smiling at the quirks of her child, Cassidy stripped off her clothes and waited for the water in the shower to get warm. For the past five years, she hadn’t felt safe being naked, even in her own bathroom. She’d never known who might be watching or listening. But here, alone in her small apartment, her past behind her, Cassidy could dance naked, and no one would know or care. It was an amazing feeling, and she had Leo and his friends to thank for it.
Leo. Just the thought of the man made her shiver in reaction. As she stepped into the bathtub and tilted her head back, wetting her hair, Cassidy thought about what he’d said. How he regretted not asking her out. Lord, if Leo had asked her out when she’d only been a freshman, she probably would’ve passed out. She’d been more than innocent back then, despite drawing hearts and writing Cassidy Zanardi in her notebooks over and over.
She was older and wiser now, as was he. And she still had a crush on him. If what he said was true, he was interested in her too.
Moving a hand down her body, Cassidy closed her eyes. She pictured Leo in her mind, hovering over her, his hands touching her everywhere. His intense brown gaze not letting her look anywhere else as he slowly entered her. He wouldn’t hurt her, wouldn’t do anything that might be uncomfortable. He’d make slow, sweet love to her, which would gradually morph into hard and fast fucking. She’d grab his hard ass and hold on for the ride. He’d never leave her wanting—he’d make sure she orgasmed every time . . . she had no doubt.