by Dylann Crush
She stared back at him, her lips screwing up into a puckered frown. “It’s just red. Kinda like blood.”
Parker sighed. “Can you bring us two glasses of that?”
She shrugged and carted the pink bubbly glasses away.
“I didn’t mind the champagne—”
“It wasn’t champagne, Cassie.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Look”—he grabbed my hands—“I’m doing a really poor job of this.”
“What do you mean?”
Beads of perspiration popped out over his upper lip. Usually unflappable, I’d never seen him look so out of sorts.
“Cassie Belmont”—he stood up and knelt down on one knee in front of me, his creased dress pants making contact with the stained, commercial grade carpet—“our plan is coming together and I need to know you’re committed to me, on both a business and a personal level. I know I’m not the most passionate man, but when you tried to break up with me, well, it got me thinking that it’s time to take the next step. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Someone took in a sharp breath. It was me. “Parker…I…oh hell, get up. This is crazy. What are you doing?”
He leaned forward and muttered, “People are staring at us. Can you just say yes?”
“Yes?”
Parker stood up and slid a gorgeous solitaire on my left ring finger. “You don’t sound very sure of yourself there, Cookie.”
I shook my head. This was wrong, all wrong. “No.”
He sat down across from me. “I’m confused, Cassie. Did you just accept or reject my proposal?”
My hands cradled my head, and I closed my eyes. In the moment it took for him to slide that ring on my finger, my future with Parker flashed through my mind. I’d been trying to convince myself he could be the one. That the love of working toward a common goal would be enough. How stupid and naïve I’d been. Being around Robbie this summer had stirred up more heat inside my heart than half a year with Parker ever did. One touch and Robbie could set my skin on fire. I didn’t have any of that with Parker. I’d been lying to myself, telling myself it didn’t matter. That purpose trumped passion. Parker and I could never make each other happy. How had I not been able to admit it to myself before?
“Uh, Cassie?” His fingertips tapped on the table.
I peeked through my fingers, sighing.
“Why do I get the feeling you’re turning me down?”
Sue Anne picked that moment to swoop in with two platters full of beef. “Here y’all go. Two steaks, just the way you wanted ‘em. Y’all need any steak sauce or anything?”
I put my hand back up to my head. “No, we’re fine. Thanks—”
She grabbed my hand and twisted it toward the light. “Oh. My. God. Did y’all just get engaged? I saw you kneelin’ down on the ground and though maybe you lost a contact or somethin’ but…holy shit…would you look at the size of that rock. I’m gonna go get Sal. He always does a toast when people celebrate somethin’ special.”
Parker tugged my hand away from Sue Anne. “No, that’s okay. We don’t need a toast.”
Her face scrunched up, probably not used to being refused. “You sure? Won’t take but a sec.”
“I’m positive. If you’ll just bring the check.”
“Oh, I get it.” She pulled her order pad out of her pocket and scribbled a few things down. “I’ll just leave it with you now. I bet you’re anxious to get out of here and start celebrating.”
I wasn’t sure, but I think she actually winked before she turned around and scooted back to the kitchen. News of my “engagement” would probably be all over Swallow Springs in the next three minutes.
Alone again, Parker let his hands drop to the table on either side of his plate.
“I’m sorry, Parker. I can’t marry you. We both know it wouldn’t last.”
He finally looked at me, really looked at me. “It’s that redneck contractor, isn’t it?”
“Robbie? Wait a minute. I won’t have you insulting one of my friends. We used to hang out when we were younger. But no, it’s not because of him.” Robbie and I didn’t have a future. Our summer fling had been a mistake. My hands shook as I twisted the ring on my finger. A mind-blowing, earth-quaking, toe-curling mistake. One I couldn’t afford to let get in the way of my dreams.
Parker finally met my gaze. “Can you just keep the ring on until we leave the restaurant?”
“Sure.” Anything to get the hell out of there without causing any more of a scene.
He took a fork in one hand and his steak knife in the other. “No sense in wasting a perfectly good piece of grass-fed beef.”
I gave him a tentative smile.
As the first bite hit his tongue, Parker closed his eyes, chewed and swallowed. “You may be out in the sticks, Cass, but they sure as hell know how to grill a steak around here. We might have to think about adding something like this to the menu.”
“You still want to go in on the restaurant together?”
“Of course. I’d never let whatever’s going on in my personal life get in the way of my business. You, of all people, should know that.”
I sliced into my meal and popped a bite in my mouth, the perfection of a perfectly seared steak making my mouth water as it hit my tongue. Could we still be business partners? If he was okay with it, I wasn’t going to kill the dream. Parker might actually be onto something with that. Just because I’d finally admitted to myself that I still harbored some feelings toward Robbie didn’t mean I actually had to do anything about it.
So what if Parker wasn’t the man for me? My dream of having my own place could still come true. And eventually, someday, I’d find someone in Texas who could send my heart into a tailspin. Robbie could stay in my past and Parker and I could still build a future as business partners. Together, we’d be unstoppable. There was nothing in my way now.
30
Robbie
“Go on. Go find Cassie.” I ruffled the fur right behind the kitten’s ears and she took a few steps toward the porch of the Macon’s house, then stopped and turned back to me. “Go get her. Go on.”
So what if I was sinking low, using a cat to scout out what was going on over there. Desperate times called for desperate action and I needed to know. While I’d waited for my dad’s fucking takeout order at the VFW last night, the waitress asked me if I’d heard that Cassie Belmont had just got engaged over at Sal’s. Her sister worked as a checker at the Country Fresh and she’d just rung through a customer who’d heard it from the waitress who’d watched Parker get down on one knee and put the biggest diamond she’d ever seen on Cassie’s finger. By the time she was done telling me who had seen what, I hadn’t been able to see straight.
Twisted, dark thoughts battered my brain all night long. Visions of Cassie and the Suit going at it—him slamming into her from behind, her going down on him—tormented me.
Finally around 3:00, I gave up on trying to fall asleep and pulled out the folder containing the project estimates on the baseball field. But my mind couldn’t focus. By the time dawn broke, I’d worked out, caught up on all the national news, and sloshed through an entire pot of coffee.
I waited while the kitten slunk around the side of the house. They’d told me not to come by today, but tracking down the kitten that had “run away” would be reason enough to knock at the door. I rose from my hiding spot by the corner of the garage to survey the scene.
At least the landscape crew had shown up. They’d already cleared the brush from around the perimeter of the yard. Plans called for some new foundation plantings, but under no circumstances were they to touch the honeysuckle vines.
“Hey girl, you over here?” I yelled.
Meowing, the kitten dashed across the yard, followed by Cassie and a very pissed off Parker. Several muddy splotches, about the size of the kitten’s front paws, marred the front of his starched white shirt.
His hands fisted at his sides when he saw me. “Why you—”
Cassie put a restraining hand on his arm. “Parker, I know you have an extra shirt inside. Why don’t you go change while I help Robbie catch the cat?” I expected steam to blow out of his ears and his head to spin around. Instead, he shook a fist in my direction then stomped off to the house.
I covered my smirk with a hand and made a mental note to pour a big cup of milk for the cat when we got back home. “Whew, there she is. I was looking all—”
“Cut the bullshit, Robbie.” Cassie shook her head. “What did you do, drop her off with specific instructions to defile Parker’s shirt?”
I faked surprise. “Cassiopeia Belmont, if you’re suggesting what I think you are…”
Her hands went to her hips, and I searched for the evidence of a ring on her finger. They were bare.
“It’s Armani. Do you even know what that is?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Some overpriced piece of cotton with a few holes cut into it for your d-bag fiancé’s head and hands?”
Her eyes bore into me like a certain super hero’s laser beam stare, but she didn’t say a word.
“I’d be happy to replace the shirt, Cass. Just tell this ol’ country boy where you go to buy a freaking Armonster shirt.”
“It’s not about the shirt. When are you going to just grow up?” Her eyebrows knit together and she crossed her arms across her chest.
“Hell, Cass. Looks to me like we’re both all grown up. Ready to make adult decisions. I need to know, who’s it going to be?”
Her face flushed. “It’s not that easy.”
That was an understatement. Nothing about making a play for Cassie had been easy. But I had to try. “Don’t give up on us.” I reached out to cup her cheek. “What we have is real. It’s a chance for a fresh start.”
She looked like she was about to cry. “I can’t have a fresh start here. My fresh start is in Dallas.”
“It doesn’t have to be.”
The emotion in her eyes shifted to frustration. “You’re messing everything up.” She poked my chest. “I didn’t ask for this.”
I put my hands up the air in an act of surrender and took a step back. “You’re right, Cassie. You didn’t ask for this. You didn’t want it.”
I continued to step back as she advanced, until my back bumped up against the truck. She took a final step, finger poised to poke me again, and I caught her finger with one hand and wrapped my arm around her, drawing her up against my chest.
Her breath caught up on a deep inhale.
“But we’re meant to be.” As I leaned down and brushed my lips against hers, her eyes widened and her mouth parted. She melted into me. For an exquisite second, she was mine. Then her hands fisted in my T-shirt and pushed me away.
“What are you trying to do to me?” She jerked back, her eyes glassy like she was about to start crying. “We’re not the same people we used to be.”
I wiped the back of my hand across my lips. “I get that, really I do. But see, once upon a time, your heart belonged to me. And I don’t remember ever giving it up.”
At that moment, the Suit opened the screen door and called out from the porch. “Is it safe to come out now? Has he got that rabid animal contained?”
I leaned down and picked up the cat. “You can tell your fiancé the coast is clear now.”
Cassie’s gaze didn’t leave the ground. “It’s okay, Parker. Robbie was just leaving.”
Parker took a tentative step off the porch and walked halfway across the lawn, stopping a good twenty-five feet away. “I’m allergic to cats.”
“Sorry about that. She was probably just trying to get you to play,” I said. “Looks like everything’s under control here. I’ll just head out then.”
Cassie nodded and met Parker on the lawn.
I walked around to the driver side door and climbed into the cab. “I’ll check in later to make sure things are on track.”
“Fine.” Her eyes held a world of sadness.
I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake some sense into her. Tell her that whatever we’d had between us as kids was still there, stronger than ever. That sizzle charging between us was rare. I knew because I’d been looking for it with someone else for the past nine years and nothing had even come close. But Cassie had to get there on her own. I fought the urge to go caveman on her. Club the Suit over the head and throw her over my shoulder. Wouldn’t do any good. Instead I cradled the kitten against my chest and turned my back. “Come on, cat. Let’s get outta here.”
The kitten let out a pissed off mewl. She’d be fine after the first taste of milk. But what about me?
31
Cassie
“You sure you’re okay with all this?” I leaned in the window of Parker’s car, eager to send him on his way.
“Yeah.” He shrugged. “I think we both know we’ll make better business partners in the long run.”
I stood up. “Drive safe, okay? And call me as soon as you get there.”
“I will. I promise.” He took my hand, flipping it over so my palm faced up. “Here, I almost forgot to give you this.”
A shiny gold key sat in my palm.
“It’s your key to the new place. The kitchen’s ready and waiting for you to get started. I got it all set up, just like you wanted.”
My eyes watered. It was happening. I wrapped my fingers around the physical evidence of my dreams coming true. “Thanks.”
“See you soon.”
I waved as he backed down the drive and pulled out onto the gravel road. What a mess I’d made of things. Not even just me. Robbie shared in some of the blame. Who did he think he was, anyway? Breaking my heart then trying to stake a claim to it nine years later? At least work on the house was moving fast. If all went as planned I’d be back on my way to Texas in just another week or two.
I wrapped my arms around my waist and gave myself a squeeze. I had a date for a grand opening. Maybe I was finally on the right track. I turned back toward the house to check in with the landscapers. With all of the work happening outside today, there wasn’t much for me to do. Not much except figure out how to leave Robbie for good. I wasn’t eager to confront that task quite yet.
Parker had been pestering me to finalize the menu. Now that our grand opening was coming up, that would make good use of my time.
Two hours later I’d been back and forth to the Country Fresh twice. Ingredients spread over the countertops and the table. I chopped celery, mixed a marinade, sliced water chestnuts, and shredded cabbage for spring rolls. By the time I was done, the kitchen looked like the end of an episode of Iron Chef.
Satisfied with the fruits of my labor, I put a variety of items on a giant platter to take outside. Was there a better way to get an authentic opinion than ask a crew of landscapers who’d been working up an appetite all day?
“Hey, anyone want to try some Tex-Mex, Asian fusion recipes?” I stepped down from the porch, holding the giant platter with two hands.
Within minutes, the men surrounded me. Hands reached for the bite-sized samples. I waited while they chewed and swallowed.
“Well?” I asked.
One guy coughed. Another took a giant chug of water.
“What do you think?” I pressed. Of the five of them, only the crew lead made eye contact.
“They’re uh…interesting,” he offered.
The other men nodded in agreement.
“You don’t like it.” I lifted the platter a little higher. “There’s plenty left. Anyone want seconds?”
The group dispersed amid excuses of “No thanks” and “Gotta get back to work” until just the crew lead remained.
“So no one likes them,” I said.
He grimaced. “I’m sure the folks down in Dallas will think different. Around here we don’t need that fancy kind of food. Give us meat, potatoes, and biscuits, and we’ll rave about it until the cows come home.”
“Yeah.” I sighed then turned to take the platter back inside. Maybe he was right. Maybe the
folks in Dallas would embrace the blend of flavors. With nothing else to do for the rest of the day, it would be best if I got to work cleaning up the kitchen. And to make it up to the guys out front, I vowed to serve up a lunch buffet of brisket, beans, potato salad, and biscuits the very next day.
32
Robbie
Another full day went by before I trusted myself to even think about going near Cassie. Mr. Hayes had already paid a deposit on the renovation of the courthouse. He told me that would be my last job with him since I’d made it clear I didn’t want to have anything to do with his daughter. I’d taken the day to go over the specs and get caught up ordering the materials. As much as I hated the thought of losing his business, it would be nice to not have him breathing down my neck any longer.
But what should I do about Cassie? I’d stopped by to check construction on the baseball field before I ran home to shower and change. For some reason it seemed to be the only place I could gather my thoughts. It was coming together even though it didn’t look like much yet. The ground had been leveled, and we’d installed proper drainage. I just needed to send the next payment and we’d be able to start pouring the posts for the lights and re-grading the elevation.
At least things were moving in the right direction on that front. Seeing Cassie with Parker had caused the little bubble we’d surrounded ourselves in these past couple of weeks to burst. I knew summer would come to an end. She’d been clear about leaving for Dallas. But I thought the time we’d spent together might finally make her realize that everything she was looking for was right here. She didn’t need to go to Dallas. The only thing she couldn’t have here would be the fame and recognition she seemed so eager to find in Texas.
The people in Swallow Springs would support her if she tried to make a go of it. Everyone I knew who had tried her cooking would attest to that. Not the weird fusion-y stuff she’d sprung on us at the lake, but the gems contained in her grandma’s recipe box. I’d tried to convince her she ought to stay. But I couldn’t force her. I didn’t want to be the one standing in her way.
