Caught Unaware

Chapter 34

HOME OF COL. JOHN CASEY

ECHO PARK, LOS ANGELES

Amelia fingered the glittering gem on her bracelet thoughtfully as she sat on the couch and waited, with John, for their movie to start. He had put in "Water for Elephants," a movie she had picked out and he had argued against at first before rolling his eyes and giving in while they were at the Buy More.

"Shall I turn off the lights or leave them on?" Casey asked, careful not to make her unhappy with him in any way. While he was polite and she smiled her smile at him, the air was thick with trepidation. Amelia had forgiven him his outburst but Casey had yet to forgive himself, let it go and move on. He was immensely embarrassed by his treatment of her and he held onto that guilt as a punishment of sorts.

Casey had gone on to make dinner for her again, despite his previous promise of teaching her to handle herself in the kitchen. He'd surprised her with a delicate, decadent meal of duck breast with a tangy/sweet pomegranate-citrus glaze. He'd even garnished the dish and set the table in a way that reminded her of a Better Homes and Gardens magazine when she stepped out of the bathroom and saw it.

They held polite conversation and strained to keep from going to that place that was filled with uncomfortable silence shared between people who were strangers again. Amelia, for her part, really was savoring the tenderness of the fowl on her plate. For all his faults, Casey could do no better in the kitchen if he tried. It flowed like melted butter over her tongue with each bite and the tang of the fruits added a completely different level of flavor to her palate. And when paired with her favorite dessert wine, red and sweet, it enhanced that tang that had been left after each bite.

Casey knew what the duck tasted like, he'd made it a time or two before, for himself and for others. But he was more caught up with his sidelong glances reading her body language. He'd almost dropped the serving dish he was placing onto the table when she walked out after her bath. She smelled of flowers and freshly cleaned flesh from a mile away and looked like a million dollars to boot. Her hair was swept up in the way he loved, a simple french twist with a few strands loose to frame her face, her dress was a medium length blue, the same shade as his own sparkling, icy orbs. He noted with a mix of pride, excitement and a bit of guilt the light red ring he left on her neck.

Casey chastised himself for the thousandth time for hurting her. He knew she didn't deserve the savage tone that he'd given her. When another apology came from his lips, she waved it away and placed a hand on his wrist, stopping his words before they had all come out.

"John, please. I promise you I wasn't lying when I said I forgave you. It's all done with now, I hold nothing against you."

The words echoed through his mind throughout the dinner and when he suggested a movie before bed, he thought he detected a hint of reluctance in her eyes, or was that the dwindling candlelight? She'd dazzled him with another brilliant smile and readily agreed, taking care of her plate and helping Casey get his dishes washed before sitting down on her designated cushion on the couch.

"Why not off, John? We can act as though we are in a real movie theater that way," Amelia answered his question with a smile.

Casey joined her after turning off the main lights of the room, and wrapped an arm around her, inviting her to lean into his shoulder as they had been accustomed to doing over the course of the last few days. She complied, sighing slightly and snuggling into him as the screen lit up and the movie started.

"Can I get you anything?" Casey asked. He hated himself for it, insecurity was not the name of his game. But he couldn't help himself.

Amelia looked up at him and smiled.