“That’s your real talent, Cassie. It’s not making you any money here. But it can somewhere else.”
Confused, she found her voice. “What do you mean?”
“My boys need that kind of direction, discipline. They need a sense of home. And I’ll pay you well to provide it.”
“In Los Angeles?” Shocked, she could only stare at him.
His smile was amused. “Not much chance I’m going to move to Twin Corners.”
“The reason I need more money is to keep my house. There’s not much point in that, if I pick up and move across the country.”
“You could rent the house out, catch up on your mortgage payments, get yourself back on solid financial ground. I’m offering you a year’s employment contract, with an option to renew.”
“Number one, I’m not moving to Los Angeles. Number two, you might not have noticed, but this part of Texas went flat when the oil business went bust. Nobody would rent the house.”
Blake shrugged, as though that were a minor concern. “Then we’ll think of something else.”
“Are you serious? You want to hire me as a nanny?”
“Nanny, housekeeper, stand-in parent. I need someone who can keep my house running, get my children under control, give them what they don’t have now.”
Cassie could hardly believe his words. “You think you can hire someone to be the parent you aren’t?”
“I want someone to help me with the children, not replace me.” His tone was even, but she heard the flicker of pain he tried to repress.
Cassie felt that same mushy melting that struck her whenever she saw someone in need. She hadn’t intended to hurt his feelings, but she realized she had. It was one thing to toss his offer back in his face, another to insult him. “I’m sorry. I have so much on my mind, and you took me by surprise. I’m honored that you think I could help with your children, but it’s out of the question. Our life is here. I can’t uproot my kids, drag them away from their home. I appreciate you wanting to help. And I’m not sure if that’s not why you made the offer—instead of really needing a nanny. But the answer’s no.”
Blake didn’t look like a man who had been turned down. But she guessed that was because it didn’t happen often. “What about when they don’t have a home?”
She held on to her courage with the last of her shredding nerves. “I’ll think of something.”
He didn’t look convinced. “You have time to think over my offer.”
Cassie reached behind her for the doorknob. “I don’t need to think about it. I’m not changing my mind.” Not waiting for his answer, she escaped.
In the security of her own room, Cassie dropped her brave mask, sinking into the chintz-covered chair near the window. She didn’t have a clue what she was going to do. Having tapped every financial source, taken on all the work she could find, she didn’t know where else to turn. And with her limited education, the local jobs she could obtain paid barely minimum wage.
She glanced around the familiar room. Her eyes skipped across the bed, then returned slowly. So many of her memories were tied to this places. It had never occurred to her before that maybe not all of that was good. Her sense of failure was a clear memory. How often had she asked herself what she could have done to make the marriage better, more exciting? Then maybe Chuck wouldn’t have left, and her children would have a father.
And maybe now she wouldn’t be alone, misinterpreting a handsome man’s offer.
Sighing, she threw the thoughts aside. Examining all the maybes wouldn’t bring her the money she needed. She needed a solution. One thing was certain—it wouldn’t be accepting Blake Matthews’ offer.
BUT IN THE FOLLOWING DAYS, Cassie didn’t find a solution. And the bank was losing patience. They absolutely refused to extend the note even an extra month, much less the time she needed to gather the money.
Blake Matthews hadn’t repeated his offer, but she saw the questions in his eyes. Remembered the contract he’d offered.
Cassie decided to turn to the one person she could trust. Her mother. Not for financial assistance. Her mother lived on a small social security pension. But she always offered sound advice.
Martha Sanders opened the door, her face lighting up when she saw Cassie. Enveloping her only child in a hug, Martha fussed over her as they stepped inside. “You’re looking peaked, Cassie. What’s wrong, child?”
Cassie smiled tremulously, then poured out the entire story.
Her mother looked shocked. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”
Shrugging, Cassie avoided her eyes. “I’ve been enough trouble to you. I didn’t want you worrying.”
Martha reached over to pat Cassie’s arm. “You know as well as I do that that’s what mothers are for. I wish I had the money—”
Cassie stopped her. “That’s not why I’m here. I just need a dose of your common sense.”
“You and the children can come here, of course.”
Cassie glanced around the cottage, the home she’d been raised in. Her father had died when she was a baby, and her parents’ plan to have a big family and move into a larger place had died with him. Martha had barely managed to scrape by. There had been times when she nearly lost the small house. And while Cassie was growing up, her mother had insisted that Cassie sleep in the one bedroom, taking the couch for herself. It had only been after Cassie married that Martha reclaimed the bedroom. When she divorced, Cassie had invited her mother to live with them in the larger home, but Martha had been insistent. She’d worked so hard to keep her little house that she didn’t want to live anywhere else.
Knowing her mother’s sacrificing nature, Cassie wouldn’t have put it past her to once again give up her room for the children. Aside from the fact that she didn’t want to crowd her mother from her own home, there simply wasn’t enough room. Five people in the tiny house would be unbearable.
“Thanks, Mom. But it’s not practical. I have to think of something else.”
“No regular boarders yet?”
“Nope. Oil jobs are gone, and so are the people who worked them. The kind who wanted room and board instead of hotel rooms.” Cassie stared grimly at the worn but clean carpet. “I haven’t come up with any answers. Just a wild scheme from one of the guests.”
“What kind of scheme?”
Grudgingly Cassie outlined Blake’s offer. “But, of course, I can’t do it.”
“Why not?”
Cassie blinked. “I can’t leave my home—”
“Which was Chuck’s home, as well,” Martha reminded her. “All of those memories aren’t good. It’s time you started making new ones.”
“What about the children? They don’t know anyplace other than here.”
“Maybe it’s time they learned. Maybe it’s time you all learned.” Martha leaned forward, taking Cassie’s hands. “This could be a fresh start for all of you.”
Cassie searched her mother’s eyes, knowing what she was referring to, wishing they could both forget. “I’d be all the way across the country.”
“With new people, making new memories. I think it would be good for you.”
“But the kids would probably hate it. They won’t want to change schools, friends—”
“Why don’t you ask them?” Martha’s tired but still pretty face softened. “If I recall, when you were their age, you dreamed about traveling to the far corners of the world.”
Cassie managed not to flinch. “And look where that got me.”
“Perhaps if you’d have had a chance to travel...”
Cassie looked at her mother uncertainly. “You really think this is a good idea?”
“Sounds to me like you’re running out of choices. You can lose your house, or you can take a chance. Talk to the kids, Cassie. They might surprise you.”
“Well, you certainly did, Mom.”
Martha’s generous smile matched her daughter’s. “That’s okay. I think you’re going to surprise yourself, too.”
CASSIE
THOUGHT about telling her children that evening, but she kept putting it off until it was too late. Tomorrow was another day, she told herself. Right now, the kids needed their sleep.
Restlessly she prowled the front porch, too on edge to be content with the slower pace of the swing. Her mother’s words had set off a chain of discontent, uncertainty.
The door opened quietly. Instinctively Cassie stepped back, into the shadows.
“Won’t do any good to hide, Cassie. I’ve been watching you from the window.”
Blake’s words startled her. Not certain how she felt about him watching her, she pushed aside the warmth his presence brought. “Any special reason?”
“I wanted to see if you’d found your solution.”
She steadied her voice. “And what did you decide?”
“That you really need to take my offer.”
Deflated, she sank against the railing. “I haven’t stopped looking for another way.”
His face was in the shadows, but Cassie guessed it was covered by a disbelieving look. “What if I up my offer?”
“Excuse me?”
“I’ll catch up your back payments.”
“How did—”
“Banks seldom foreclose on current loans. In addition to your salary, you and your family can live in the guest quarters of my house. No rent, Cassie. The salary will be all yours. And if you rent your house, that will pay the mortgage. If not, you’ll have plenty of salary to handle it.”
It was a more-than-generous offer, one she wasn’t sure she could refuse. Still, her pride surged forward. “I don’t want to show my children that the answer is to run away.”
“You’re not running away. You may not have noticed, but in this century people often relocate to take a better job.” Blake moved closer, cornering her. “And while you’re thinking of your pride, perhaps you should think about your children instead.”
Anger and resentment flared, but he didn’t allow her to voice either, cutting her off before she could.
“Yes, I know you love your children, but what are you offering them? A second-rate education? And they’re all hoping for scholarships to colleges that want the best of the best. You think Katherine Ann can compete with other students to get into medical school with the background she gets here? And Jimmy Ray. The kid’s dying to get his hands on a real computer. With his mind, he could run rings around the competition. Instead, he’s poring over outdated books and magazines, trying to get a taste of what he wants. In L.A. he can take his pick of computer courses. You’re lucky enough to have kids who are motivated, with goals they could achieve...with the right tools. Are you going to give them those tools, Cassie? Or are you going to tie them to this town?”
Stunned, Cassie swallowed against the lump in her throat. Was he right? Was her blind pride robbing her children of a lifetime opportunity?
Overwhelmed, she stared at him, hardly able to find her voice. “I haven’t even talked to my kids yet.”
Blake turned to the door, reaching for the handle. “Don’t wait too long, Cassie. I don’t want to see you lose your house.”
HIS WORDS RANG IN HER EARS all the next day, as she cleaned the house, then tackled a huge pile of alterations and mending. Automatically she went through the motions of her work, once again turning over the alternative solutions to their problem in her mind, realizing there really weren’t any.
Resigned, she called a family meeting that night, after the supper dishes had been washed.
The kids looked at her expectantly, and for a wild moment she wished she could assure them that she had everything under control, that their money problems were over. But reality reared its ugly, insistent head, and Cassie outlined Blake’s offer instead.
“Los Angeles?” Jimmy Ray questioned. But there was more curiosity than dismay in his voice.
“Isn’t that where the movie stars live?” David John asked.
“And where some huge medical centers are,” Katherine Ann chimed in.
Cassie studied her children’s faces. None of them looked as upset as she expected. “This would mean changing schools, leaving your friends behind. It’s a whole different world in the city.”
“That’s where Disneyland is!” David John suddenly remembered, nearly toppling over his chair.
“We would be moving to the city, not to Disneyland,” Cassie reminded him.
“Then you’re really thinking about this, Mama?” Jimmy Ray asked.
Was she? She glanced around the circle of dear faces. “I’m telling y’all about the offer. Now I want to know what you think.”
“Is there any way we can pay the bank?” Always practical, Katherine Ann went straight to the heart of the matter.
“I haven’t thought of anything yet. That doesn’t mean I’ve given up. This isn’t our only choice.”
“Sounds like it is, Mama,” Jimmy Ray added seriously.
“I can look for more work,” Cassie answered, wondering where that work would come from.
“You can’t work more, Mama. You’re worn-out now.” Jimmy Ray’s gaze remained steady, unblinking, although his Adam’s apple bobbed. “I could take off from school for a while, get a regular job.”
Cassie’s heart nearly skidded to a stop. Whatever else was wrong with her life, she’d been blessed with the best kids in the world. “No, Jimmy Ray. I won’t ever let you do that.” Her gaze moved slowly around the table. “If you’re all in agreement, I’ll see if the house can be rented. I don’t think so, but if it does, then I’ll tell Mr. Matthews we’ll go.”
One by one, her children voiced their agreement. Sucking in her breath, Cassie realized they could be changing their lives forever.
“When will we know, Mama?” Katherine Ann asked.
“Probably soon.”
“I sure hope we can rent the house!” David John declared, obviously still entranced by visions of Disneyland.
“I’ll try, but don’t get your hopes up. I don’t think anyone will rent the house.”
BUT CASSIE WAS WRONG. She’d barely put the notice in the county paper and on the bulletin board at the grocery store when the phone rang. The young couple who rushed over loved the house and its huge windows. Both were artists who had fled the big city for country life. They said the house would be perfect—after they converted two of the bedrooms into studios. They agreed to rent the house furnished, and store the extra things in the basement.
Almost before Cassie could think, the couple had given her the first month’s rent, anxious to move in immediately. The reality of what she’d done sank in as she gazed around her home. Soon to be someone else’s home.
She was still dazed when Blake returned from his last meeting. He’d started to walk past the parlor when he glanced at Cassie, sensing something different. Entering the room, he saw that she looked like a shell-shock victim.
“Cassie, is something wrong?”
Dumbly she held up a piece of paper.
Staring at it grimly, he guessed it was her foreclosure notice.
“I rented the house,” she said, her voice empty except for a sense of wonder and disbelief.
“You what?”
“I rented it. I didn’t think I could, but I did.”
He grinned. “Then you’re accepting my offer?”
Dazed, she met his gaze, still blinking in astonishment at herself. “California, here we come.”
Chapter Four
Cassie, her children and their dog stood in the curving driveway and stared at the huge house, a mansion right out of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.” Stunning, the sleek contemporary building seemed to rise on the hill, supported by massive banks of windows and the thrust of its towerlike design. Lush greenery tumbled over the manicured lawn, and glossy, exotic flowers bloomed, intense bursts of color against the stark white house. It was the sort of place Cassie had seen in magazines, so perfect it didn’t seem real.
She turned back to the taxi driver who was unloading their luggage from the trunk
. “I’m sorry, sir. This must be the wrong address.” She handed the man a slip of paper with Blake’s address written on it.
He glanced at it briefly. “This is it, lady. And the cab voucher covered the ride. So I’ll be on my way.”
“But this can’t be—”
Katherine Ann tugged on her arm. “Look, Mama.”
Cassie glanced at the discreet carved brass sign that rested beneath the ornate sconce at the front door. Matthews was engraved beneath the numbers. It was his house. Why hadn’t he warned her?
This wasn’t at all what she’d expected. It struck her swiftly that she was completely ill equipped to handle anything to do with this mansion...or the man who owned it. Cassie turned, ready to call the taxi driver, to run back to Twin Corners. But the employment contract she’d signed burned in her thoughts. She might want to run, but for the next twelve months she couldn’t.
Cassie glanced down at the plain flowered cotton skirt and serviceable blouse she wore. They had seemed like practical choices back home, especially considering the skimpy wardrobe she owned. But here in the city she felt dowdy and out of place.
Gulping back a nervous titter, she tried to act as though she were accustomed to just such a situation, instead of looking like a gawky country girl who’d fallen headlong into the big city. Which was exactly how she felt.
“Okay, everybody, let’s get our suitcases.” Gripping her own as if it were a lifeline, Cassie led the way to the front door and rang the bell. “I wonder if this is how the Beverly Hillbillies felt,” she muttered under her breath.
A young woman in a crisp uniform opened the door and stared at them curiously.
Cassie took a breath. “Hi. I’m Cassie Hawkins, and these are my children, Jimmy Ray, Katherine Ann and David John.”
Clearly puzzled, the woman stared down the line of faces, her gaze finally landing on the dog, who thumped his tail in a friendly fashion. “¿Qué?” Then she shook her head. “I’m sorry.... What?” if the
His-And-Hers Family Page 4