One Magical Winter

Chapter 17

            In a seedy bar somewhere south of Mendocino, Stephen was talking with his henchmen.

          "I told you not to do anything stupid. This will put her on higher alert. What were you thinking?" Stephen had once been a good looking man when he was younger. His involvement in the fast life had changed that somewhat. He had married Cassie for her money. He orchestrated the accident that killed her parents, but nobody knew that. He hadn't known the will stipulations. Her parents were smarter than he thought. He did his marital duty a couple of times. He hadn't touched her since she had become pregnant. He had known that the child was his but wanted nothing to do with a daughter. He wanted a son, and only a son. The conversation he had with Adam enraged him. The younger man definitely had balls. He realized that his plan to offer Cassie to him had backfired. Instead of using her and tossing her aside like he had hoped, the two had fallen for each other. He sat there and listened as the two pleasured each other before the phone was hung up. The sounds had turned him on, making him somewhat jealous. He was shocked to discover that it wasn't Adam he was jealous of, it was Cassie. It was hearing Adam moan that affected him. What the hell was that about, he liked women, didn't he? But then he thought about his mistress. She really didn't have any female qualities except for one thing. That was it. She acted manly most of the time. He had to admit that Adam was a very good looking man.

         "We just wanted a sample of what he was getting. They have been flaunting themselves at the hotel. They lock themselves up in her office. They get loud in there sometimes. You should have seen her on Halloween. She was hot, shaking that ass when she danced." Drake said.

        "I don't want to hear it. Now I need to come up with something new. I know she likes to walk the beach sometimes during this time of year to think about her parents. I might have to meet her down there sometime. I'm always watching the place."

         Back at the hotel Cassie wanted to go for a stroll on the beach later. Adam said that he would go with her. A couple of hours later they were walking hand in hand on the beach. Cassie had told him why she sometimes liked to come down here. 

             "How did your parents die? I can't remember if you told me." Adam was walking with his arm around Cassie's waist. It was a little cold on the beach with all the wind. They were both wearing warm leather jackets, but the wind was blowing hard.

            "It was a stormy night . They were coming back from visiting my grandmother. It's been quite a few years. It was a hit and run accident. I have often suspected that Stephen had something to do with it but didn't really want to believe him capable of that. His recent actions now make me believe otherwise. He hadn't known about their will stipulations at the time. He was very pissed when the will was read. That was when the abuse started to get intolerable. Dealing with him and my grief was almost unbearable."

          "And you never really had anyone to turn to, have you?" He asked.

         "No. He always monitored everything I did. Most of the time. I now know that those two men he hired were there to spy on me while he was gone during the holidays." 

           "Well, you have me now. Any time you want to talk about anything, you can always talk to me. I won't ever turn away from you." He stopped and turned her to face him. He put his hand on her cheek. "This past month has been great, minus the few bad things that have happened. We are still getting to know each other, but I love what I have already learned about you so far. They always say that things happen for a reason. Do you believe that? Our paths were meant to cross."

            "I never really thought about it much, but yeah, I do believe that things happen for a reason." They walked up the beach further. They found a log to sit on and watch some seals playing in a cove. "We should go to the cove in Fort Bragg sometime. They filmed part of the movie Overboard there. You know, with Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn? There is a good seafood restaurant there. I can't remember the name of it because I was a teenager when I ate there."