Secret Dream: Delos Series, 1B1 Read Free Page B

blond hair and was wearing a short-sleeved white blouse, jeans, and flat, sensible leather shoes. He saw their faces light up when they spotted Lia.
    “Hey,” he called to Lia, “go to them. I’ll follow.” He released her hand but she turned, giving him a pouty look.
    “I’m not leaving you behind!” Lia grabbed at his hand once more, turning and urging him to hurry along. Cav broke out into a self-conscious grin as he saw her parents watching their exchange. Is this what a family did when a stranger was brought along, dragged hurriedly to them? Cav felt out of place, uncomfortable, as he saw Lia’s mother scowl, her green eyes narrowing judgmentally upon him. He hoped what he was wearing didn’t make her think he wasn’t worthy of Lia. Because the way she was sizing him up, Cav felt the full impact of her all-terrain radar, which was focused solely on him. He’d worn bone-colored chinos, a bright red polo shirt, and a black baseball cap. He’d purposely kept his dark glasses hanging out of his shirt pocket. As a SEAL, he would always wear them, but Lia complained constantly that she loved to look into his hazel eyes, not see her reflection in his shades. Cav had to remind himself that he wasn’t in PSD—personal security detail—mode, that he was with the woman he loved. Lia was practically jumping up and down now, hurrying to reach her parents, who were smiling widely. That was a relief. Susan Cassidy could smile. That laserlike look she’d given him was gone now. Phew.
    “Mom! Dad!” Lia cried out. She dragged Cav over to them. “This is Cav Jordan. Cav? My dad, Steve Cassidy. My mom, Susan.”
    She released Cav’s right hand. He awkwardly extended it toward Susan. “Mrs. Cassidy, it’s nice to meet you.” He felt her stare icily at him, as if he were some alien who had just come from outer space. Reluctantly, she proffered her hand, barely shaking his.
    “Nice to meet you, Mr. Jordan.”
    He felt that limp handshake of hers and tried to make the best of it, but the vibe from her wasn’t good. Great.
    “Call him Cav, Mom,” Lia pleaded, launching herself at her mother, throwing her arms around her.
    Cav stood back, watching mother and daughter embrace one another. All of that ice melted instantly as Susan grabbed her shorter daughter and held her strongly in her arms. The love was clearly written in her face. Cav swallowed hard. For a moment, he pictured his mother, who, when he was a young child, had hauled him into her arms and held him just as tightly as Susan was holding her daughter.
    “Son?”
    Cav turned his head toward the man who had spoken.
    “Steve Cassidy. Welcome, Mr. Jordan. We owe you a lot.” He gripped Cav’s hand and choked out, “You saved Lia’s life. Thank you . . .”
    For a moment, Cav was stunned by the sudden kindness emanating from the farmer’s expression. He was thin, wiry, sunburned, and sinewy from the daily work he did. Gripping the farmer’s callused hand, he said, “Nice to meet you, sir. And I was just doing my job. Call me Cav.”
    “Call me Steve.” He clapped him heartily on the back, still clasping his other hand. “And you’re a hero to us, son. Nothing less.” Steve released him but kept his hand on Cav’s broad shoulder, watching Lia clinging to her mother, both of them in a tight, loving embrace.
    Embarrassed by such a show of emotion, Cav murmured, “Thank you, sir.”
    Steve gave him an assessing look. “Just Steve will do.”
    “Yes, sir—I mean, okay,” Cav said, stumbling over his words. He wasn’t very comfortable meeting new people, but these were Lia’s parents, and he didn’t want to fuck this up for her. Awkwardly, he stood there, watching tears roll down Susan’s face. He wasn’t sure that Lia wasn’t crying, too, such was the tight bond they shared. Obliquely, his mind leaped backward. Cav remembered the times his mother had cried. But they were tears of pain. Tears mingled with blood from her nose, a split lip,