by Dylann Crush
Then again, who was I kidding? Cassie wasn’t just anyone. I moved closer to the doorway. Who was she talking to anyway?
Her voice floated from the bedroom. “Yeah, the first guy didn’t work out. I think I’ve got someone lined up to do the work though. I’ll know more tomorrow.”
Pause.
“Yeah, I think I can trust him. We used to know each other when I was little.”
Pause.
“Sure. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Pause.
“Yeah, miss you, too.”
Her footsteps padded on the worn wooden floors, and I jumped back to a chair at the table as she re-entered the kitchen. Used to know each other? I’d known her in every way known to mankind. I knew the contours of her body better than my own. We’d spent so much time together I knew what she was going to say before she even thought about talking. Yeah, we used to know each other. Inside. Outside. Upside Down. Used to.
7
Cassie
Saturday morning found me following Robbie around the house like an eager puppy dog, pen and notebook in hand. Whatever weird moment we’d shared the night before was long gone. Thank God. I don’t know what had gotten into me, maybe slight carbon monoxide poisoning from Big Bertha’s belching belly. Whatever it was, I’d regained my focus: repair the house and retreat back to Texas. Robbie had too; he was all business as he poked and prodded at every inch of the house, calling out a long list of updates and repairs for me to jot down.
He crawled out from under the porch, flashlight in hand, and pointed to my spiral notebook. “Add termite inspection to your list.”
“Termites? Are you sure?”
He wiped a hand across his brow. “No, I’m not sure. That’s why we need an inspector.”
I scrawled “Termite Check” at the bottom of the list. Seeing him in his element, so capable, so in charge, gave me a new appreciation for grown-up Robbie. An appreciation I intended to limit to his construction skills. “So how much is all this going to cost me?”
“Dunno yet.” He walked over to his truck and put the flashlight back in the toolbox. “It won’t be cheap though. You sure you’re up for this?”
I let out a frustrated sigh. “I don’t have a choice.”
He squinted over at me and took a long drink from his water bottle. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed, making me a little weak in the knees. “There’s always a choice, Cass.”
I cradled the notebook in my arms. “Not this time.”
Robbie cocked his head. “Why the rush to sell? What’s up?”
I shrugged. “I just need the cash.” He didn’t need to know the ins and outs of my current life. He’d written himself out of being “in the know” years ago.
“You in trouble?”
“No.” I rocked back and forth on my heels, ready for him to just drop it already.
He leaned up against the truck and crossed his arms across his chest, mimicking my stance. “Well, I’m just not sure I’m interested in the job unless I know the whole story.”
“What’s that got to do with the job? It’s none of your business.”
Robbie smirked and made a point of examining his nails. “I’ve got all day.”
He could be stubborn as a mule sometimes. Once he dug in his heels about something, it was almost impossible to get him to budge. Easier to give in than fight him—I knew that from experience.
“Fine. I’ve got to sell this place and raise enough money to buy in on a new restaurant concept. Are you happy?”
“What kind of restaurant?”
“It’s a new place in Dallas. I’m going into business with a, um, a partner, and we need to raise enough cash.”
“How much do you need?”
“What is this, twenty questions?” I stopped rocking on my heels and frowned at him.
He shrugged. “If that’s how many it takes to get it out of you.”
“Why so nosy? We don’t talk for nine years, and now you need to know all the intimate details of my current life?”
“You want to go there? Intimate details, huh? Okay, who’s the partner? The guy you said you missed on the phone last night?”
My teeth ground together. He was crossing the line. “That’s none of your goddamn business.”
“It’s kind of my business, Cass. Considering you were about to stick your tongue down my throat before your phone rang.”
My jaw dropped, not from him being so freaking forward, but because he was right. If Parker hadn’t called at the exact moment he had, I probably would have leaned into that kiss. That knowledge almost rendered me speechless…almost. I’d best deny it. “For the record, the only tongue that was moving was yours.”
“If you say so.”
“Oh my God, you’re such a…such a…”
He leaned forward, waiting for me to spit it out. “A what? Go on, give it to me.”
“A jerk!”
“Come on, Cass. You can do better than that.”
The sight of him laughing at me, tight white T-shirt stretched across his chest, damn low-hanging jeans clinging to his hips, and that smug smile playing across his lips, put me over the edge. Frustration surged inside, sweeping all rational thought from my brain. I caught him off guard when I placed my hand in the center of his chest and pushed.
Unprepared, he stumbled back a couple of feet, his eyes lighting up in surprise. As I stomped past him toward the house he reached an arm out to stop me.
I grabbed a handful of his T-shirt, exposing the golden, tanned skin of his lower back. “Cut it out, Robbie.”
“I know how to get the info out of you.” He tossed me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes—an angry sack of potatoes.
“We’re not kids any more. Put me down. You put me down right this second.” I squirmed against him, trying to free myself from his grasp.
Robbie clasped one hand over my ass and the other around my legs as he clomped across the yard, his heavy work boots crushing the overgrown grass beneath them. “This always used to work when you tried to hold out on me in the past.”
“Put me down, Robbie.” I pounded his back with my fists and tried to kick my legs. His tight grasp prevented me from doing any real damage.
“You know that’s what I intend to do.”
He laughed, almost jovial, and from my upside down angle over his shoulder, I could tell he was headed toward the pond. He wouldn’t really throw me in. Sure, he used to play around like that way back when. But we were grown-ups now. He wouldn’t dare. Would he?
“Okay, I give. Don’t throw me in the pond. Come on, this shirt is part silk.”
Robbie didn’t slow down. He’d made it to the path. The water was about a hundred yards away.
“Silk, did you hear me? It’ll be ruined.”
Fifty yards.
“Stop!”
He gripped my butt even tighter and the feeling wasn’t entirely unpleasant. Under different circumstances, I might have even enjoyed it a little. If it wasn’t Robbie. And if he wasn’t about to toss me and my hundred dollar silk top in the mucky pond water.
Ten yards.
“Okay, okay, I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”
He paused on the sloped bank of the pond, about a foot away from the edge. Bending forward, he let my body slide down the front of his. My shirt rode up against his chest, revealing my midsection. His hands went to the exposed skin above my waist, sending shivers up my sides and turning my limbs into the consistency of Grandma’s famous strawberry jelly.
“Last chance, Cass.”
The feel of his rough man paws on my bare skin made it hard to think. I took in a deep breath and blurted out an explanation. “I need two hundred grand. Parker’s lining up investors for the rest. Are you happy?”
His eyes widened. “That’s a heck of a buy in. Who’s Parker?”
I bit my bottom lip, looking away. “He’s my business partner.” Partner? Sure he was my partner, but we’d also been see
ing each other for the past several months, and I had high hopes our new business venture would catapult us into a serious relationship once I got back to Dallas. We were definitely more than business partners.
Robbie narrowed his eyes. “A partner, huh?” His hands lingered, grazing my waist. “Do you miss all your business partners?”
“I don’t think that’s really any of your business, is it?” I narrowed my eyes right back at him. “Now, can you remove your hands from my waist?”
As Robbie let go, the heel of my sandal caught on a tree root. I stumbled backward, grappling for something to hang onto. Robbie reached out but missed, and I splashed butt first, into the murky waters of the pond. Scrambling to my feet, I sputtered and cursed. “You’re fired, Robbie!”
Long, limp strands of wet hair clung to my cheeks, covering my eyes. I wiped a hand across my forehead as Robbie stared down at me. I’d expected a smirk, maybe even a glare. But the look on his face reflected nothing but lust. Full-on, blazing, red hot desire. My face flamed and I fisted my hands at my sides. My now-ruined silk shirt clung to my torso like it was shrink-wrapped. I peeled it away, but it kept suctioning back, like a vacuum seal.
“I hate you!” I scampered up the bank, falling back into the water as I tried to climb up onto the edge. Robbie reached out to help me, but I pushed his hands away. “Don’t touch me. Don’t even look at me.”
He shook his head, the inevitable smirk now crossing his face. “Pretty hard not to look at you like this, Cassie girl.”
“Fired. Did you hear me? Get out of here. I’ll find someone else.”
He let out a fox whistle and turned on his heel, walking backwards so he could still keep an eye on me. “I’ll go. I’ve got stuff to do the rest of the day anyway. But you can’t fire me. I’m your only option, Cassafrass.”
He was right. But in the moment I didn’t care. “Fired!” I pointed toward the path. “Go.”
“Did I tell you how much I like your shirt?” He took slow steps, putting one boot behind the other on his way back up the hill. “Have fun at Mrs. Cahill’s tonight.”
“I will.” I held my shirt out away from my skin as he moved backward up the path. “I’ll have a blast since you won’t be there.”
He gave a salute and disappeared over the crest of the hill. How in the world did he know I was going to Mrs. Cahill’s? Damn, I hated being back in Swallow Springs.
8
Robbie
“You’re late.” Jake shoved a clipboard at me as I ducked into the dugout.
“Game hasn’t even started yet.” I nodded toward the baseball diamond where our team was just taking the field.
“Coulda been here to help with practice.”
“Sorry. I had to meet with Caroline’s dad. He’s offering me the rehab on the old courthouse. He’s thinking of turning it into apartments or something.”
Jake whistled. “Whoa, that’s quite the score. Mr. Hayes know Cassie’s back in town?”
I slapped my cap against my thigh. “Why the hell is everyone so interested in what’s going on with Cassie?”
“So there’s something going on?”
“No! I’m not that stupid. Cassie’s off limits. That’s the last thing I need.” My head knew that to be an indisputable fact. I just had to convince other parts of me.
“I saw her pickin’ up some stuff at the hardware store this afternoon. She’s lookin’ good.”
She might be lookin’ good but her attitude toward me is pretty sour right now.”
“Oh yeah? Can’t be any worse than Misty’s. My damn marriage is about to do me in.”
“What’s wrong between you and Misty?”
Jake leaned up against the railing. “I don’t know. She wants to have a talk. Somethin’s buggin’ her, and I’ll be damned if I know what it is.”
“So talk to her.”
“I know, I know.”
“Take her out to dinner or something.”
Jake rolled his eyes. “That’s just it. Her folks are in St. Louis for the weekend and mine are down at the lake until Tuesday. I’ve got no one to watch the kids.”
I cleared my throat and pointed to my chest. “Ahem. How about Uncle Rob?”
Jake slugged me in the arm. “I’d like them to be alive when we get home.”
“What? You don’t think I can do it?” I checked over the starting line up on the clipboard. “How hard can it be?”
“You’re about to find out.” He clapped a hand on my shoulder. “I’m gonna take you up on this before you change your mind. Tonight. Six o’clock.”
“You got it. Now, can we coach some baseball?”
At five fifty-five I walked up the narrow sidewalk to Jake and Misty’s one-story rambler. Before I made it to the door, Jacob Junior pulled it open and ran out to greet me.
“Hi, Unca Wob.”
I ruffled his hair and scooped him up. “Hey there, little man. Where are your mom and dad?”
He pointed toward the house. I walked the rest of the way up the sidewalk and poked my head through the doorway. “Jake? Misty?”
The click-clack of Misty’s heels moved through the kitchen and into the hall. “There you are!” She reached out to Junior, and he launched himself away from me and into her arms. “You gotta keep your eye on this one.” She nodded toward Junior. “He’ll be out of the house and down the street before you even hear the door shut.”
Noted. Keep an eye on Junior. “You look real nice, Misty.”
She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. As for the baby, he’ll need a bottle at seven. It’s already mixed up in the fridge, just warm it up in the bottle warmer. Change his diaper before the bottle in case he passes out while eating and then put him to bed. Junior here can stay up until nine but no scary shows and nothing to drink after eight or he’ll pee right through his Pull-Up.” She moved through the small house, leaning down to pick up a truck or single sock then moving on to the next item, talking and balancing Junior on her hip the whole time. “Junior’s had dinner but he’ll want a snack before bed. He can have a piece of fruit, maybe some carrots…”
Junior looked at me and stuck out his tongue while Misty focused on prying what looked like a piece of chewed gum off the vinyl kitchen floor.
I stuck my tongue out back at him as she stood up and looked at me. “Robbie, I will not have you teaching my kids bad manners.”
My eyes widened. “Me? He started it.”
Junior fake laughed, holding his little belly and making himself shake like a miniature Santa with a silent “Ho ho ho!”
“Jake!” Misty set Junior down on the floor and clenched her fists at her sides. “Cancel dinner. Rob can’t handle this.”
What? “No, I totally got this. Y’all go out and have a great time. Bottle at seven, diaper, no water, I got it. We’ll be fine.”
Jake came into the kitchen and passed baby Fisher to me who took one look at my face and began to wail. Misty’s hands fluttered around him and he reached for her. Jake stepped between them, ushering Misty toward the door. “It’s only a couple of hours, babe. He can do it. I’ve seen him keep frogs alive at least that long.”
Misty allowed Jake to herd her toward the door leading to the garage, but paused before she went through. She pointed a finger at me. “You take good care of my boys.”
I bounced a wailing Fisher in my arms, just like I’d seen her do a hundred times. It wasn’t working. His cries went from sobbing to ear-piercing shrieks, the closer Misty got to the door. “I got it. Go have fun.”
She gave me a final glare and disappeared into the garage. Dammit, where did Junior go?
9
Cassie
“Thanks, Dotty, I had a great time.”
Mrs. Cahill wrapped her frail arms around my shoulders and pulled me into a comforting hug. “Oh Cassie, I’m so glad you’re back. I’m going to take you up on your offer to help with that catering job next weekend.”
“I’m happy to pitch in, just let me know what you need.”
Over a dinner of barbecue chicken, homemade ranch beans, whipped cream coleslaw, and made-from-scratch seven-layer bars, Dotty had picked my brain about ideas to help her get her start-up catering business off the ground. I told her if she served food as good as what she’d made for me, she shouldn’t have any trouble making a go of it and offered to help her out as long as I’d be around.
She also filled me in on some of the juicy gossip I’d missed out on over the years: how Robbie’s dad had been offered a mandatory early retirement, the scandal over the principal of the high school impregnating a female student, and how the state title for the wrestling team was revoked when the team was caught selling pot during the national tournament at Disneyland.
I was so focused on enjoying each bite of home cooked comfort food I hadn’t paid much attention. But one bit stuck with me – the tidbit she’d let slip about Robbie dating a certain blonde English teacher. I didn’t want to appear too interested, so I let it slide. Besides, shouldn’t matter to me who Robbie spent his free time with, as long as he got the job done at the house. Sooner or later someone would dish up the whole story. Life in this small town would guarantee that. People around here knew their neighbors and didn’t mind talking to each other, especially if they got a chance to pass around gossip about one of their own.
“You come back any time, sugar.” She released me from her tight grasp.
“I will.”
I was stuffed so full I almost waddled down the front walk. I’d brought dessert, but she wouldn’t let me even take the foil off the top. She sent me home with a huge bag of leftovers and the pie I’d baked…a double crust mixed berry, just like my grandma used to make. I wouldn’t have to cook for a week.
Speaking of cooking…I wondered if Robbie was still up for our deal. After the little stunt he’d pulled, practically tossing me in the pond, I’d made a few calls. Unless I wanted to pay double the going rate with at least half down, there was no one within fifty miles that would be willing to take on the renovation of the farmhouse. I probably couldn’t even afford the going rate, much less double, so I’d mentally prepared myself to eat crow once again and this time, serve it up with a nice side of humble, or in this case, mixed berry, pie.
