Cas, who had been deep in thought, looked up with a grin, shaking his head. “Guess Tesla’s got his priorities straight.”
Sadie leaned down, scratching her cat behind the ears. “You always know how to brighten the day, huh, buddy?” she cooed. Tesla, looking quite pleased with himself, hit another button.“Treat,”it declared, and Harper chuckled.
“All right, all right, I get it,” Sadie said, getting up to fetch a treat for Tesla. “Here you go, you little rascal.”
As Tesla crunched on his snack, Dale walked through the front door, his boots thudding against the wooden floor. He raised an eyebrow at the sight of everyone gathered around the coffee table. “What’s going on here? Looks like I missed the party.”
Cas rose to his feet with a smirk tugging at his lips. “Just another day of unraveling family secrets and dealing with demanding cats. The usual.”
Dale chuckled, tossing his keys into a bowl on the nearby antique credenza. “Well, I could use a drink after hearing that. Cas, you up for one?”
He nodded, giving Harper’s hand a quick squeeze. “Yeah, definitely. Lead the way.”
With the guys out of earshot, Sadie turned to Harper, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “So,” she said, her tone sly, “you and Cas seem…closer.”
Harper felt a blush creep up her neck, but she tried to play it cool. “Yeah, we’ve been spending a lot of time together, working on the diary and the projects around his place.”
Sadie raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying Harper’s casual response. “Oh, come on, Harp. I’m not blind. The way you two were looking at each other? It’s more than just projects and old diaries.”
She sighed, a small smile breaking through despite herself. “Okay, fine. Things have progressed. We’ve been getting to know each other, and yeah, it’s kind of amazing.”
Sadie grinned, her expression softening. “I knew it. You deserve this, Harper. Cas is a good guy, and I can tell he really cares about you.”
“I care about him too,” she admitted without meaning to. But since it was out there, she decided to just be honest. “A lot. I didn’t expect any of this, but now that it’s happening, it just feels right. But that scares me, Sadie. I’ve had the ‘feels right’ before and it was taken away from me.” She inhaled then slowly blew out the breath. “So, I’m going to need to proceed with caution, one day at a time.”
Her cousin set her hand over Harper’s and squeezed. “Nothing wrong with one day at a time. Don’t worry about the future. You have the right attitude. And I’m happy for you, Harper. You and Cas have the start of something good. Just enjoy yourself.”
Harper smiled, feeling a lightness settle over her that hadn’t been there before. With Sadie’s encouragement and Tesla’s well-timed antics, the day didn’t feel so heavy anymore. And as she listened to the low murmur of Cas and Dale talking in the kitchen, she admitted to herself that she was happy he was in her life.
As long as he didn’t do something stupid like try to save her from harm.
Chapter Fifteen
Cas leaned against the kitchen counter, watching Dale rummage through the fridge for something cold to drink. The muffled conversation from the living room drifted in, punctuated by bursts of laughter. He bit back a smile. Harper and Sadie seemed to be enjoying their talk, which was good. Harper needed some lightness today. Cas, on the other hand, couldn’t shake the heaviness of the morning’s revelations.
Dale finally emerged with two beers, handing one to Cas as he popped the top off his own. “So,” Dale started, leaning against the opposite counter, “what’s the latest on those notes? I heard Carter’s been at it, but nothing’s turned up yet that I’m aware of.”
He nodded, taking a swig of his beer. “Still nothing solid. Whoever left those notes knew exactly where the cameras were and how to avoid them. No clear faces, no plates—just shadows and bad angles.”
Dale frowned, shaking his head. “Damn. Just like Ortega. So, we’re back to square one, huh? Any chance the handwriting might give us something?”
“It’s a long shot.” He shrugged, setting his beer down with a sigh. “No matches in the system so far. But the notes are too specific to be random. Someone knows what Mary was into, and they’re trying really hard to keep it buried.”
“Sounds like it,” Dale said. “So what brings you two here that has you leaving the safety of your ranch?”
Cas filled his brother in on the latest diary entry, recounting how Mary had hinted at knowing who was behind the fire and the tangled web of love and betrayal that seemed to tieeverything together. Dale listened, his expression growing more serious as Cas laid out the pieces.
“So, Mary was protecting someone, and it all went sideways,” Dale said, rubbing his chin. “Makes sense why someone would still want to keep that under wraps, especially if it involves prominent families and blood on their hands. But man, it’s a lot to process. You think Harper’s ready for where this might go?”
His gaze drifted toward the living room where Harper’s laughter floated in. “She’s tougher than she looks. She wants answers, and I think she’s ready to handle whatever comes next.”
Dale smirked, his eyes glinting with mischief. “Yeah, speaking of Harper…you two seem to be getting pretty cozy. Looks like she’s renovating more than one of yourwalls.”
He held back a snort. “You’re an idiot.”
“But I’m right, aren’t I?”
Cas shrugged, a grin tugging at his lips. “It’s not like that. Well, not just like that. Harper’s different. She’s strong, smart, doesn’t judge, and I don’t know…it’s been easy with her.”
