Gideon (The Casella Cousins Book 5) Read online

“Hmm. That sounds delicious.”

  It had been. After he touched her everywhere, he bent her over to hold onto the far grab bar and took her from behind. It was hard and long and…delicious.

  She dried off, blew her hair out and tied it back, then dressed in black pants and a jacket, with a light blue blouse. She headed for the door. She had errands to do, so she took care of them before she headed for Deluca’s Diner.

  Winnie waited for her by the windows. A tall woman, and slender like her son, she glanced up as Anabelle approached the table. “Hello, Winnie. Thanks for calling to invite me.”

  When Anabelle sat in the other chair, they both ordered seltzer. “So how was your first night on the job?”

  She gave Winnie a mild version of her call. Her ex mother-in-law worried about her, just as her son Joe had. They’d broken up over the danger she put herself in by merely going to work.

  Winnie shivered when she finished. “It sounds treacherous.”

  “Nah. We handled it well.”

  They ordered club sandwiches with French fries and talked until someone came running up to her. “Anabelle! We’re here too!” Little tow-headed Cassie Casella had taken a liking to her. Over the child’s head, she saw Gideon and his other two kids still by the door. She motioned them to the table.

  “Hi, there. Everybody, this is my friend Winnie Wyatt. Winnie, my colleague Gideon Casella. And Cassie, Cory, Carina.” She knew all the kids, of course, because of the times she’d gone to Casella events Julianne had invited her to. Those were off limits now, too.

  Winnie gave them a generous smile. “Hello there, you all.”

  Gideon nodded. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Annie was telling me about your new task force.”

  “Hmm.” A waitress came over with their meals.

  “We won’t interrupt your lunch. Come on, kids.”

  When they left, Winnie said, “Beautiful children.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Speaking of which, I wanted you to know Ariel is pregnant again with twins.”

  Joe’s new wife Ariel Wyatt was the earth mother stereotype. No job outside the home, delighted to have kids and a loving husband.

  Anabelle hadn’t known about the pregnancy. “Wow, that’ll make four, right?”

  “She’s happy about it.”

  “I’m sure Joe is, too. It’s what he wanted.”

  A pause. “We don’t blame you for your breakup, honey.” Kids hadn’t been in the cards for her and she certainly didn’t plan to give up her career.

  “I know. I’m grateful for that.”

  Still, as they bit into juicy tomatoes, crisp bacon and lettuce, she had to force herself not to feel bad. She slid a glance at Gideon, who was bending over a menu and reading to Cassie. The sting of being different from people like Joe and Ariel, and the Casellas swept through her in waves. Again, she forced the deluge back. No time for regrets. She had other things to think about now.

  * * *

  “Come on, Carrie. I won’t if you won’t.”

  “Why?”

  “Cuz it’s no fun to do something bad alone.”

  She smiled, like Brandon knew she would. He was such a cutie, sometimes she wondered what he was doing with her. Oh, she knew she was pretty. But that didn’t mean much in her book.

  What mattered was her father, who’d been distant all her life, and her mother, who abandoned her. Carina, Cassie and Cory had clung together like lifelines.

  “Why the hell not? Why bother being good?”

  Brandon lit the joint and its skunky scent filled the air. As she took a puff, she wondered if her dad would know from the smell what she’d done.

  Probably not. He didn’t usually get that close. No, that wasn’t fair. He held her when she cried at night when her mother left. All three of them sobbed in his arms.

  She got the giggles soon. It felt freeing to be…rebellious for a little while. Maybe she should do more of this.

  Maybe then she wouldn’t feel so bad all time.

  Chapter 2

  * * *

  Gideon was surprised to see his brother-in-law, Derek Drake, sitting outside Anabelle’s office. “Hi, buddy. You waiting for me?”

  “No, but I’m happy to see you.”

  “You, too.”

  “Probably see more of you now that you’re back on In-law Street.”

  Gideon laughed at the name Derek had given the street where they all lived. “You love it, though, don’t you?”

  “Yeah, I do. Always a babysitter available. BTW, we can either take your kids or one of us can come to stay at your house when you have a late shift.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate the offer.”

  Anabelle came out of her office. Her heather gray suit and pink blouse brightened her face. “Hello, Derek, you can come in now.”

  When she looked at him, Gideon raised his brows.

  “Come too, Gid.” She looked around. “The three of you, too.” Radford, Brolin and Masters also accompanied her.

  Inside her office, a man of about fifty stood from where he’d sat in front of her desk. He was fit, with short dark hair, wearing an expensive suit.

  Derek said, “Phillip, this is my brother-in-law, Gideon. He’s on the task force, too.”

  “Phillip Grayson. Good to meet you.”

  “We’re going to be helping Phillip out.” Anabelle told them when they took chairs.

  “Are you a cop?” Gideon asked.

  “I’m law enforcement. FBI, like Derek.”

  “He’s Special Agent Grayson. We’ve been assigned to whatever white-collar crime crops up in Hidden Cove. Usually, the FBI takes over, but there are cities where the FBI works with local police. Because of our task force, we’re now one of them.”

  “How did we get involved?” Gideon wanted to know.

  “The FBI called Chief Jaspers and asked for our help.”

  “Ah. Welcome, then.”

  Anabelle began the meeting. “The computer firm, Computek, that relocated from Camden Cove to Hidden Cove, is suspected of embezzlement.

  “The company is an arm of a large conglomerate. The FBI was called in and when the source was traced to our town, they asked us to work with Special Agent Grayson. He’ll be going in undercover.”

  “When does this start?” Brolin asked.

  “When I get the job.” The man’s voice was what Mama called cultured. “I have a third interview today. I expect to be hired.”

  “What job is it?” TJ inquired.

  “Vice President of Finance.”

  “Wow!” Radford and Brolin said at the same time.

  Anabelle transferred her gaze to Gideon. “How would you like to be his handler, Gid?”

  “Yeah, sure.” His gaze narrowed on her. “Why not you?”

  “You’ll be better at it.”

  Phillip stood. “I’d best get going.” To Gideon he added, “I’ll be in touch when I get the job. Derek will find me a condo befitting a VP, but you and I will meet outside of Hidden Cove.”

  “Great, I look forward to it.” He held out his hand. “It’ll be a pleasure to work with you, Special Agent Grayson.”

  “Same from me, Detective Casella.”

  The formality was interesting.

  Phillip left with Derek.

  Anabelle asked, “Any questions?”

  “Yeah,” TJ put in. “Do we just wait around for him?”

  “No. We’ll study up more on embezzlement and take any domestic and gang related calls.”

  “Anything on the gang front?” Again, TJ spoke.

  “No. I have someone coming in to give us information on gangs in the area. He’s a well-respected officer over in Bayview Heights, which eradicated their gangs.”

  Radford nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”

  She glanced at the clock. “Derek is coming back to talk to us about the FBI working with law enforcement. We got time for lunch.”

  “Who’s up for Chinese take-out?” TJ asked. “I’ll arrang
e it.” She was cognizant, more than the others, that the group had to bond.

  They all agreed to lunch.

  * * *

  “Glad we could do this, Anabelle.” Julianne smiled over at her from where she walked on the treadmill. Julianne had called on Anabelle and asked her to work out with her at the Y, and had met her here at five.

  From the elliptical, Anabelle lasered her with a look. “You promised to take it easy.”

  “Gimme a break. I’m only at half the speed I used to go. I want to move a bit faster, though.”

  “Be careful.”

  “I only worked half a day, and did some conferences with parents the rest of the time. So, I’m up for this.”

  “How is MusicWorks?” Anabelle asked. Julianne owned a music therapy studio. “After everything last fall?”

  “Doing well. Terrance’s wrath over us suspecting him of stalking me hurt my bottom line at first. His parents followed through with their threats to blackball me, but my favorite students are the underprivileged ones, anyway, so I can take more of them. And I still have a few private clients, enough to keep me in the black.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.”

  “How’re you doing with the new job?”

  “The task force is a challenge. Not with Gideon and the others. The sheer scope of it.”

  “You’ll rise to the challenges. You always have.”

  Julianne knew about her history. Abusive father, distant brothers, how Anabelle fought them to get into the police academy. They kicked her out of the house, then. But she’d made it on her own and now was a sergeant.

  They slowed down on their respective machines, then headed to the weights. “Before you ask, these are appropriate for me. The more in shape I am, the easier the birth will be.”

  “Makes sense.” Anabelle grabbed some weights, sat down on the bench and started arm curls.

  Next to her Julianne used the universal trainer to pull a lot less poundage with her arms. “Any guys on the scene?”

  She gave an unladylike snort. “Nope. I can’t date cops and I don’t see many men outside of work.”

  “Do you try?”

  “I certainly am not going online for dates.” Her tone was teasing. Julianne had tried that with disastrous results.

  “No, we both learned lessons there.” Julianne gestured to the gym with a sweeping arm. “Look around you, there are a lot of male specimens here attractive enough for you.”

  “I did notice Scott Schaefer, a trainer, over there working with a newcomer. I like blond hair and blues eyes.”

  Shit, she’d described Gideon.

  “Why don’t you ask him out?”

  Her gaze narrowed on a perfectly sculpted body and the attractive way he moved. “Maybe I will.”

  “I’ll hold you to that. Today?”

  “Nah, not yet.”

  Just as they finished up weights, Scott approached them. “Everything okay here? Anything I can help you with?”

  Julianne choked on the water she’d taken a sip of.

  Anabelle stepped in. “You know, Scott, I’m wondering if I can up my poundage on the bench press.”

  “What are you at?”

  “Total one-thirty-five.”

  “Impressive. Why don’t you lay down on the bench and stretch out? I’ll spot you.”

  “Um, excuse me, I’m going to the lady’s room.” Julianne scooted away.

  Scott stared down at her. “Let’s try five more.”

  “Each?”

  “Nope, total.”

  He added additional weights.

  “Piece of cake,” she said. “Try five each.”

  That was harder. A lot harder. She managed one rep. “You were right, that’s too much.”

  A beautiful, sexy grin. “Something to aspire to, though.”

  She sat up and smiled at him. “What do you aspire to, Scott?”

  “Hmm.” His gaze turned intense. “Since I’m interested in the same thing about you, how about if we go for a drink sometime?”

  “My schedule’s crazy.”

  “Even on Sundays?”

  Carmella invited her to a family dinner. Anabelle had to get out of that routine. “Actually, I’m free this Sunday.”

  “Huh! So am I. How about brunch at the Hidden Cove Inn and then a movie maybe?”

  “I’d like that.”

  “So would I. See you at eleven.”

  “Eleven works.”

  When he left, she watched his ass as he sauntered over to a woman struggling to set a treadmill.

  “Where’d he go?” Julianne had returned.

  “Back to work.”

  “Aw.”

  “He asked me out. When I was about to ask him.”

  “Yay! When?”

  “Sunday brunch, then who knows?”

  “You know, maybe there’s hope for you yet, Sergeant Sanders.”

  * * *

  Gideon arrived at Sunday dinner with the kids, grateful he was off today. Carina went to play video games with Cory and Pete. Tommy had dragged Cassie.

  “So, middle son, why did you come early today?”

  “To talk to you. And Judd, too.”

  Judd walked out from the living room as if he’d heard them.

  Mama had married him over Christmas break…without telling anyone. Gideon didn’t hold a grudge because all the boys had behaved like idiots when she confessed she’d been seeing him for years.

  Judd asked, “Anything I can do?”

  “I’m worried about Carina. She seems so sad.”

  “Of course, she’s sad.” Mama scowled. “She was abandoned by her mother. I could strangle Lisa for that.”

  Judd said, “If I may. My girls were fifteen and sixteen when my wife died. They were sad for a long time. Granted, it’s a different kind of abandonment.”

  “What did you do?”

  “I got advice from therapists. They all said if their depression goes on too long, they should get regular counseling. The sadness did continue and therapy helped.”

  “Sage advice.”

  Mama’s brow furrowed. “Gideon, are you spending enough time with her?”

  “As much as I can. Cassie and Cory seem to want to be with me, but Carina never asks.”

  “Then you ask.” This from Judd.

  “I will.”

  Later, before dinner, Gideon found his daughter alone in the upstairs bedroom that used to be his. She sat on the bed with an album on her lap.

  He leaned against the door jamb. “Hey, honey. Get tired of War Games?”

  “Yeah.”

  “What is it you have there?”

  “One of yours and Mom’s albums.”

  Entering the room, he crossed to the bed. “Scooch over and I’ll look at it with you.”

  Today she’d braided her long hair, which made her seem younger.

  “This is high school,” she said, pointing to the page.

  “Lord, above. My hair.”

  “It’s so long. And blond.”

  “Yeah. Your mom liked it that way.”

  Another picture showed him and Lisa as football player and cheerleader. “You guys were a cliché.”

  “I guess. The best part of it was how crazy we were about each other.”

  “You didn’t fight, then?”

  “Not then.”

  She stayed silent.

  “Carina, are you asking me something specific?”

  Sad eyes the color of his own peered over at him. “What happened? To make you divorce?”

  “My job. I got too involved and your mother gave up on me.”

  She bit her lip.

  “What?”

  “I gave up on you, too.”

  He slid his arm around her and she laid her head on his shoulder. Her hair smelled like lemon shampoo. “I’m so sorry, Carina. I did the same thing to you guys. I’d like to make it up to you.”

  “How?”

  “By spending more time with you now.”

 
“You’re always busy.”

  “My next day off is Friday.”

  “Yeah, but I have school.”

  “Hmm. How about you play hooky to spend some time with your old man?”

  Her head snapped up. “Do you mean it?”

  “I do.”

  She threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. “Thanks, Daddy.”

  The childlike term just about broke his heart.

  * * *

  The date was a disaster. As soon as she and Scott entered the Hidden Cove Inn, Anabelle’s mind slid back to what went down here with Julianne. That led her to thinking about her contact with Gideon during that time…

  His dark glare when she told him to stay out of her territory.

  His sensual, male expression when she walked into Seth’s place in her fancy dress and heels the night they took Julianne’s stalker down.

  When they left together that night, and at her car, when she thought he’d kiss her right then and there.

  Damn it, what had she been thinking to come to the Inn again?

  Scott was an interesting conversationalist but she didn’t say much. At the end of the brunch, he cocked her head. “Where’ve you been all during our meal?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You’re preoccupied.”

  “I got a new job, a new apartment, new responsibilities. I feel overwhelmed.”

  “All the more reason to escape it.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “That’s all right. Would you like to end our date right now?”

  She stared at him. Wanted to be attracted to him. Wanted a nice, easy-going man in her life. “I would. I guess I’m not ready to socialize yet.”

  “No worries.” They paid the bill and walked out to Anabelle’s car.”

  “Call me?” he said. “When you’re less preoccupied with your job.”

  As if. “I will, Scott.”

  “And don’t apologize for doing your work well. That’s important.”

  Standing on tiptoes, she gave him a peck on the cheek. “Thanks for understanding.”

  “See you at the gym.”

  All the way home, Anabelle cursed herself. Why hadn’t she handled the date better? Goddamned son of a bitch. She couldn’t erase Gideon Casella from her mind.

  She longed for someone to talk to about him. Not Winnie, because she was her ex’s mother. Not Julianne because she loved Gideon like a brother and besides, she was with the Casellas. Anabelle was completely on her own.