How Cassie Got Her Grind Back
Divine Creek Ranch 23
How Cassie Got Her Grind Back
Cassie Villalobos promised Samson and Ivan Cutter on the day they graduated high school that she would pursue her dreams of becoming a singer-songwriter, no matter what.
Raised under the dictatorial thumb of her father, Cassie’s promise went unfulfilled. Newly single, her hands are full running her coffee shop, Divine Drip, dealing with her aging parents, and lothario ex-husband.
Samson and Ivan left Divine after graduation, never intending to return, but they’ve never forgotten their love for Cassie.
Banked embers flare between the three at their thirty year class reunion. Although she has friends in ménages, Cassie is intimidated by the desire of two men, believing she is past her prime and the men set out to change her mind.
Samson’s passion for sadism is balanced by Ivan’s easy affection, and Cassie finds the combination irresistible. Hope flares for fulfilling all her dreams while stirring the distorted illusions of someone obsessed with controlling her.
Genre:
Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Western/Cowboys
Length:
113,269 words
Divine Creek Ranch 23
Heather Rainier
MENAGE EVERLASTING
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Ménage Everlasting
HOW CASSIE GOT HER GRIND BACK
E-book ISBN:
978-1-68295-242-9
First E-book Publication: May 2016
Cover design by Harris Channing
All art and logo copyright © 2016 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED:
This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
Dear Readers,
If you have purchased this copy of
How Cassie Got Her Grind Back
by Heather Rainier from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.
Regarding E-book Piracy
This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.
The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.
This is Heather Rainier’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Heather Rainier’s right to earn a living from her work.
Amanda Hilton, Publisher
This book is dedicated to every woman who has struggled with feeling past her prime or worried when she’s looked into the mirror. The “mirror image” relationship we have with ourselves is not what the people who know our hearts can see. Choose to show them the ageless beauty of your heart which has nothing to do with how many years you’ve been on the planet, and remember to have fun while you’re doing it. Here’s to our renaissance, ladies.
This book is also dedicated to every young woman reading it. Live your life with no regrets, listen to your body when it gives you warning signals, and take care of yourself first so you can care for others. Oh, and sunscreen. Use sunscreen.
And to my husband, who has loved me into a renaissance of our own.
Many hands go into creating a book that’s worthy of readers. Some of those hands have direct contact like my editors, publishing admins, cover artists, beta readers, and my personal assistant. My sincere thanks go to all of them. They make the series better than I ever could on my own.
Many hearts go into sharing this series with readers. My friends on Facebook and Twitter, subscribers to my blog, book lovers who have created groups and blogs that reach so many readers, reviewers who share their love for the series on book review websites and Amazon. Reader excitement is contagious, and my heart is filled with thanks for those who talk about the series with their friends and convince them to give the Divine Creek Ranch Collection a try. And special thanks to my street team, the Divine Divas and their admins, for promoting my writing.
Many hours goes into writing these stories, which sometimes means missed family time, missed ball games, and…well…dealing with a wife and mom who is quite honestly an absentminded daydreamer a good portion of the time. My husband and teenaged daughter and son have been patient in keeping me grounded, but my kids have also grown up watching a mom who strives for her dreams.
Morgan Ashbury/Cara Covington graciously allowed her Lusty, Texas series matriarch Grandma Kate Benedict come to Divine in How Cassie Got Her Grind Back. Grandma Kate has an ageless quality that adds so much to Cassie’s story, plus she’s a delightful little troublemaker when the situation calls for it. My everlasting thanks also go out to Morgan personally. Without her encouragement and friendship this journey would’ve been a much lonelier one.
Thank you to Juliet. You made me laugh when I often wanted to cry.
And thanks to my publisher for believing in me and encouraging me to trust my instincts.
HOW CASSIE GOT HER GRIND BACK
Divine Creek Ranch 23
HEATHER RAINIER
Copyright © 2016
May, 1986
“Cassandra Villalobos.”
The warm breeze blowing across the sun-soaked football field made the tassel dangling from Samson Cutter’s graduation cap tickle against his cheek and chin. Swiping it away impatiently, he craned his head to watch as Cassandra paced to the center of the stage and received her diploma from Divine’s school district superintendent with a congratulatory handshake.
Samson ignored the murmuring behind him, as well as the sight of two administrators whispering behind their hands on stage as they looked at Cassandra and then at him and his brother. He was used to it, and saying anything only seemed to make the situation worse. Divine would likely never forgive and forget what her mother had done and what his father had tried to help her cover up.
Samson saw her biting her lip as she made her way down the steps from the outdoor stage and knew she was uncomfortable with having so many eyes on her. They locked gazes when she scanned the crowd of seniors. Her smile widened and her eyes danced as he and his twin, Ivan, both gave loud celebratory whistles, despite their class having been warned beforehand by the high school principal to demonstrate restraint as the names were called.
His heart pounded with each step that brought them closer to the end of this chapter in their lives, not because he got the girl but because he had to somehow let her go. As she walked past his row, he forced himself to face forward as the final names were called and the principal made her closing remarks.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the Class of 1986! Congratulations, graduates!”
Thunderous applause rolled from the stands where Cassie had shouted Samson and his brother on to victory in more football games than he could recall. In response to the cheering cue, the class rose as one and threw their caps high in the air.
In the chaos of scattering bodies, he craned his neck once again, looking for her.
Still beside him, Ivan was doing the same as he unzipped the front of the red gown, revealing his blue jeans, cowboy boots, and white dress shirt and tie underneath. “Do you see her? Wonder which way she went. She wouldn’t leave so fast, would she?”
Samson shook his head. Nothing about this day was ending the way he would’ve liked it to, but he knew enough about her to be certain she wouldn’t just up and leave as soon as it was over. “No, she’s here somewhere.”
Moments later, Cassie practically tackled him from behind. “I found you,” she gasped and then giggled as she brushed the tassel from her lips. Samson wasn’t surprised to see she’d retained her cap, not enough of a free spirit to throw the damned thing in the air thanks to her dad and the men in her family.
“I’d never leave without seeing you first,
chiquita
,” he said as he wrapped his arms around her. She was so gorgeous she took his breath away.
She sniffled, and when he pulled away, he saw the sheen in her eyes forming. “I will miss being called
chiquita
.” She quickly swiped the tears while he tried to gather his churning thoughts and clear the lump in his throat. Cassie congratulated and hugged Ivan and then kissed his brother’s cheek before turning back to him, her diploma in its thin bookbinder clasped to her chest.