Not What It Seems (Escape to Alaska Trilogy) Read online

  “Then how did your dad arrive at the conclusion you were engaged?”

  “It never occurred to him that I’d turn down Jonathan’s proposal.” Cassidy continued to pace, hands fisted, temper raging. “Jonathan is such a wonderful catch: partner in a prestigious law firm, secure future. And such a splendid example of manhood would father the most remarkable children. If I married this brilliant lawyer and extraordinary male specimen, Dad’s personal project would be complete.”

  “Cassidy, you’d better sit down or you’re going to pop your aorta.”

  “I’d like to pop Jonathan’s aorta. That sleazy character stole my partnership.” Cassidy unclenched her fists, imagined her hands around the enemy’s scrawny neck.

  “So what’s next?” asked Jeannie, leaping to her feet and guiding Cassidy back behind her desk.

  “I honestly don’t know.” Cassidy slumped in her chair, rubbed her temples, and with a hoarse voice, bitterly whispered, “I worked my fingers to the bone for that partnership, and then my entire future disappeared into thin air with Dad’s announcement.”

  “I can’t imagine anything so horrible.” Jeannie shook his head. “Doesn’t your father realize Jonathan’s a player and a womanizer?”

  “Nope. Jonathan has completely fooled Dad.” Cassidy rested her elbows on the chair arms and tented her fingers. “Dad brushed aside all my hard work, never recognized any of my accomplishments. He’s totally fixated on marrying me off to the first suitable candidate and demanding grandchildren as his due.”

  “Who would consider Jonathan to be a suitable candidate for marriage? An alley cat would win a morals contest with him. And I cannot visualize Jonathan as a father. In fact, the concept frightens me. He’s so incredibly irresponsible. He couldn’t care for a goldfish, never mind care for a child.”

  “Probably kill the goldfish in a matter of days.” Cassidy grinned.

  “He would never remember to water a house plant. Kill it just as quickly.”

  “He could manage to kill a silk plant.”

  Cassidy and Jeannie burst into laughter. Soon, they were wiping tears from their eyes.

  “Goodness that felt good. I can’t remember the last time I spared a moment to laugh.” Cassidy grabbed another tissue from the box inside her top drawer.

  “I never penciled it into your appointment book,” mumbled Jeannie, dabbing her tears, and then she met Cassidy’s eyes.

  That set the two of them off again.

  “To hell with it. Let’s go for a drink.” Cassidy tossed her soiled tissues into the garbage can, dug her handbag out of the bottom drawer, and leapt to her feet.

  “We can’t just walk out of the office at eleven o’clock in the morning and head to a bar,” exclaimed Jeannie, the voice of reason.

  “Why not? Nobody appreciates my hard work, so I might as well go AWOL. Nobody will even miss me.” Cassidy grabbed Jeannie by the arm and dragged her toward the door. “And nobody should drink alone.”

  Four hours later, Cassidy and Jeannie, slurring some of their words, staggered slightly on their way outside to meet the cab that the bartender had called for them. During their drinking spree, they’d formulated a foolproof plan. Now, Cassidy looked forward to an independent future out from under her father’s thumb.

  Chapter 2

  Cassidy Donahue breezed through security at the Chicago O’Hare Airport and then strode down the concourse. Her plan just had to work.

  “Please, God, I can’t be too late. Please, please, please.” She whispered the prayer aloud while she raced toward her boarding gate. A wheeled cabin-sized Louis Vuitton canvas suitcase followed her like an obedient puppy.

  Cassidy ignored the maze of travelers and the surrounding airport hubbub and concentrated on her destination. She shuffled along behind an exceptionally tall gentleman for several seconds, and then swerved to the left attempting to slip past him and continue onward. A teenager, head down and furiously texting on her cell phone, crashed into Cassidy. Plugged into an iPod, the girl appeared totally oblivious to anything or anyone around her.

  Ebony-lined eyes met Cassidy’s glare, and the crimson-faced young lady removed her ear bud. “Sorry I bumped into you, ma’am.” As she spoke a gold tongue stud popped in and out of view.

  “Watch where you’re going next time,” muttered Cassidy, her ego smarting. No one younger than sixty deserved the ‘ma’am’ treatment, she thought.

  “Over here, Cassidy, hurry!”

  Cassidy whipped around and spotted her former college roommate standing on tip-toes and waving frantically from beside a boarding gate podium. “I’ll be right there,” shouted Cassidy, and a half minute later she stood breathless at Sheila Graham’s side.

  “This is highly irregular,” said a female airline worker, lips pursed, peering over wire-framed eyeglasses. She wore a trim-fitting, neatly pressed uniform and a white blouse that sparkled in the afternoon sun that streamed through the viewing windows.

  Sheila flashed the attendant a gleaming smile. “I’m sorry for any inconvenience, but the situation simply cannot be helped. As I explained, my assignment changed at the last moment, and my co-worker must utilize the ticket in my place.”

  “Hello, I’m Cassidy Donahue.” Cassidy straightened her medium-blue business suit jacket and swiped one hand across her forehead. “I’ve never altered my itinerary so quickly in my life. Believe me, this ridiculous change of plans is not our doing.”

  The woman shook her head. “At least we agree on one thing: this situation is ridiculous. You cannot change passengers two minutes before boarding!”

  “Blame it on management.” Cassidy flashed the irate woman a sympathetic smile. “Two minutes ago I was standing in line about to purchase a ticket to Miami, and now here I am heading to Anchorage.”

  Sheila handed her boarding pass to Cassidy. “Corporate supervisors never consider whether or not they’re inconveniencing their employees by changing assignments on a whim.”

  “Thank you for holding the plane. If I’d missed this flight…the consequences boggle the mind…just too horrible to even consider,” stammered Cassidy, still a little winded from her haste.

  “Good luck with the client.” Sheila clung to Cassidy in an energetic bear hug. And then she stepped back and met Cassidy’s eyes. “I cannot express how thankful I am you’ve stepped in at the last minute.”

  “Think nothing of it. I’d gladly reciprocate for you.” Cassidy smiled broadly and winked at her friend.

  “Good luck,” whispered Sheila.

  “I’ll board now, before the plane leaves without me.” Cassidy adjusted her purse strap on her shoulder and grabbed the handle of her carry-on bag.

  “Safe journey,” added Sheila.

  Cassidy charged down the narrow walkway toward the plane’s entrance. That stellar performance qualified for an Oscar nomination, she thought, and she stifled the giggle that threatened to escape her lips. Hopefully, as the flight crew finalized their duties, feeling annoyed or flustered by the delay, the changing of names on the passenger manifest wouldn’t cross their minds.

  “Home free,” she whispered to herself.

  Cassidy slipped through the open doors, waving the boarding pass. “I’m here. I’m here. Sorry for the delay.”

  “Welcome aboard.” The young stewardess offered a smile and quickly glanced at the paperwork. “Can you find your seat without assistance?”

  “Certainly.” Cassidy shoved the handle out of sight and hoisted her carry-on bag into her arms. “22A will be the seat not occupied by a glaring passenger.”

  The stewardess smiled. “Only a couple of minutes delay. No problem.”

  “Thank you for your understanding,” whispered Cassidy, smiling.

  Several pairs of eyes followed her progress down the narrow aisle. A few passengers glared openly, but other less-hostile expressions suggested mere curiosity about the delay. She stowed her bag in the overhead compartment, crawled across the passenger seated on the aisle, and flopped
into the window seat. Two seats over across the aisle a baby wailed, and a young mother groped in her bag for a bottle. Soon the nursing infant quieted.

  One of the flight attendants quickly recited final passenger instructions, and five minutes later the plane lifted off. Cassidy sighed in relief, leaned back and closed her eyes.

  Sheila Graham, she thought, I owe you big time.

  ****

  Hours later, Cassidy shifted in the aircraft’s uncomfortable seat—she never flew coach, but desperate times called for desperate measures—and stared out through the small window into ebony oblivion. She glanced at her watch; the illuminated dial indicated two o’clock in the morning. What sane person travelled at this ungodly hour? The engines droned, and several passengers snored softly. She propped her elbow on the narrow window ledge and rested her chin in her hand.

  A small pocket of air turbulence briefly vibrated the plane, and simmering anger created similar turbulence in Cassidy’s mind. In hindsight, she should have foreseen what happened. All the signs were there: her father’s insistence that she date Jonathan, his reluctance to praise her efforts or recognize her ambition, and his stubborn resolve that his actions and decisions were always meant in her best interest. After her father’s betrayal, she’d plotted her escape and incorporated painstaking precautions to avoid detection. Never again would she live or work under Theodore Donahue’s reign. Her careful planning during the past few days culminated with the successful escapade at the airport.

  But would anyone, especially her father, discover her whereabouts?

  “Please pass me your empty glasses, ladies, and fold your tables up. We’ll be landing in a few minutes.” Stacked glasses and bottles atop the trolley tinkled against each other as the stewardess moved farther down the aisle.

  Cassidy straightened in her seat. The stuffy re-circulated air in the confined space and her seatmate’s floral perfume intensified her tension headache.

  “What brings you to Anchorage?” asked her seatmate, while they returned their tables to the pre-flight position.

  The woman had buried her nose in a Nora Roberts romance novel since takeoff, and Cassidy had appreciated the thoughtfulness. Now, the sudden question grated on her nerves.

  “Relocating.” Cassidy hoped the brusque answer discouraged further conversation.

  Some people couldn’t take a hint.

  “Visited Alaska before?” An expectant smile creased the stranger’s face while her eyes unabashedly roamed over Cassidy’s designer suit.

  “No. First time.” Cassidy fiddled with the diamond stud in her left ear. She silently chastised herself for wearing work clothes for the flight. In hindsight, ripped jeans, oversized hoodie, and a well-worn pair of sneakers might have drawn less attention. But then again, the corporate-change-of-plans story wouldn’t have rung true.

  “You will either love Alaska or you will hate it. No middle ground in the north.” The woman settled back in her seat and crossed her slim legs at the knee—not an easy feat in these close quarters. “Acquired a new job?”

  “No.” Cassidy admired the woman’s linen dress splashed with a tropical leaf design, three-inch olive-green leather pumps, and poker-straight shoulder-length hair kissed with blonde highlights. Noticing the woman’s pink-polished artificial nails, Cassidy’s eyes dropped to her own polish-chipped gel nails. She desperately required a fill. First item on her to-do list—find a new manicurist.

  “Do you have family in Anchorage?” The inquisitor exuded confidence and total relaxation. Cassidy speculated that perhaps the woman worked as a corporate executive secretary, accustomed to flying as a job requirement. In contrast, no matter how frequently she flew either for business or pleasure, the idea of hurtling through the air in a metal tube always kept her on edge until both feet touched down on good old terra firma again.

  “Avoiding family, actually.” Cassidy grimaced. If a successful disappearance is your plan, refrain from divulging your intentions to every stranger you encounter, she scolded herself.

  “Oh-oh, there’s a story there.” The woman frowned.

  Cassidy closed her eyes. Her nerves were shot, her head was pounding, and her anger hadn’t dissipated one iota since the first confrontation with her father almost a week ago. Perhaps sympathy from a stranger, especially another woman, was exactly what she needed?

  She opened her eyes and offered her hand. “Cassidy Du Pont.” She’d decided to use her mother’s maiden name, hoping to further elude detection.

  “Sherry Lawrence. Am I being too nosy? I’ve been accused of that on occasion.” Her seatmate chuckled and shook the offered hand.

  “Nosy? You should consider psychiatry. I’m contemplating relating my whole sad story to you.” Cassidy attempted a smile.

  “If you require a shoulder to lean on, mine is available. But don’t feel obligated to share secrets with me.”

  “No juicy secrets to share. But I am furious with a few select people, my father in particular.” Cassidy spoke through clenched teeth. “If I sound positively homicidal, I assure you I’m harmless. I’m just so angry.”

  “Good Lord, girl. What on earth did your father do?”

  “Dad exerted his mental abuse once too often. In his opinion, he’s not interfering in my life but simply giving much-needed advice. He honestly believes he’s looking out for my best interests.”

  “But your best interests don’t require any looking out for?”

  “Not…at…all!”

  “Tell me the whole story, and I’ll judge who’s right,” encouraged Sherry, patting Cassidy’s knee.

  “Okay, here goes. But you’d better decide I’m right,” warned Cassidy.

  “I’ll offer a fair and equitable observation.” Sherry straightened in her seat.

  Cassidy related the events that set her escape in motion, and then blinked back unshed tears when she met Sherry’s eyes. “Father reached an all-time low, awarding Jonathan the partnership that I deserved. And there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell he’d reverse his decision. So I plotted my escape for the better part of a week. This morning, I submitted my resignation, visited my hairdresser, and then boarded the plane this afternoon.”

  “Wow.” Sherry appeared stunned.

  “That about sums it up.” Cassidy smiled weakly. “If you’d heard the shouting and witnessed the theatrics that followed my resignation.... But no one will ever dictate options to me anymore. No one will control my future but me.”

  Cassidy glanced out the window as the plane circled the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and lined up with the assigned landing strip. Below, bright lights twinkled like a giant hand had tossed millions of sparkling diamonds throughout the city limits. She had imagined Anchorage as much smaller. Perhaps she wasn’t arriving at the ends of the earth after all.

  “I don’t…I don’t know what to say?” stammered Sherry.

  “I’m one of the firm’s most successful corporate lawyers, but Dad chose Jonathan over me. ‘Can’t have everyone believing I’m playing favorites’.” Cassidy’s eyes welled once more as she imitated her father, reciting this morning’s lame justification for his hurtful decision.

  The plane taxied to the terminal, and passengers prepared for deplaning.

  Sherry rose and stepped into the aisle. “Do I detect some bitterness?”

  “Your detectors operate just fine. I’m extremely bitter. The only reason I didn’t make partner…” Cassidy’s voice cracked. She blinked back tears and then rose from her seat. “The added responsibilities would interfere with Dad’s plan for my marriage and his anticipated grandchildren.”

  Sherry dug a tissue out of her purse and passed it over. Cassidy dabbed at her tears, discreetly blew her nose, stuffed the tissue into her jacket pocket, and stepped into the aisle. She dragged her bag down from the overhead compartment and pulled the handle out.

  “My father only hears what I say when he’s in complete agreement with me. He heard ‘I’m studying law and following
in your footsteps’ just fine. But when I suggested ‘I’ve paid my dues and I’ve earned a partnership’ his hearing evaporated.”

  “So you escaped what you perceive to be his tyranny?” Sherry walked ahead toward the plane’s exit door.

  “I booked a flight with Alaska Air using my college roommate’s name and paid for it in cash so Dad couldn’t track me down. I opened a post office box for future correspondence with my executive secretary.” Cassidy followed Sherry. “And I’ve left several signed blank checks with her to pay the last of my outstanding bills from our shared apartment.”

  Sherry’s pumps ground to a halt and she gasped, “Signed blank checks? Are you nuts?”

  “I’d trust Jeannie with my life, never mind some blank checks. Most importantly, nothing short of death threats would force her to divulge my whereabouts to anyone. And if Dad fires her, another law firm will pounce on her immediately. She’s an exceptional legal assistant, and I left a glowing letter of recommendation with her.”

  “Sounds rather cloak and dagger, except there’s no dead body.” Sherry laughed, stepping through the security doors into the terminal.

  “Just a missing person. After I resigned this morning, I had my hair stylist cut my hair into a short do and I thought auburn a good alternative to my natural brunette. I’m hoping that if Dad has some fellow looking for a pale brunette with shoulder length locks, my new hairdo might trip up his efforts.”

  A loud male voice boomed throughout the airport announcing their flight’s arrival and the correct baggage carousel to retrieve luggage.

  “Have you made arrangements for accommodations yet?” asked Sherry.

  “I’ll live with Sheila’s sister.” Cassidy smiled. “I’ve never met Patricia, but I’m looking forward to meeting her and sharing her home. She’s a successful executive chef at one of Anchorage’s hottest restaurants.”