William lingered near the doorway, eyes fixed on the staircase. He hadn’t seen Casey’s father yet. He’d only met him once—a man who tried too hard to seem intimidating but never quite pulled it off. Casey had inherited traits from both parents, yet she didn’t resemble either of them.
A door closed upstairs. William looked up just as Casey began descending the staircase. She wore a dark green gown with a white shawl draped over her shoulders. Her hair was pinned up with a few curls left loose to frame her face. The makeup gave her an older, more elegant appearance.
William couldn’t look away.
She reached the bottom step and stood in front of him. He was frozen. Smiling, she asked, “Are you just going to stare, or are you going to tell me how beautiful I look?”
“You—” he stammered. “You—you look b-beautiful. Gorgeous.” His eyes stayed locked on her.
“You’re drooling,” she teased. “And it’s not even Mister Carlson’s first-period class.”
William wiped his sleeve across his mouth as she walked into the sitting room. Once he was sure there was no actual drool, he followed.
Inside, Casey hugged her mother. “You look so beautiful, Casey dear,” Mrs. Harlow said warmly.
Casey gave William an apologetic glance. She knew he didn’t want his picture taken, but he was going along with it for her sake. He forced a smile.
“All right, I want you both in front of the fireplace,” Mrs. Harlow said, gesturing to the space.
William stepped beside Casey, both of them smiling as the shutter clicked. He