“I like chicken,” Todd offered.
“From the Colonel,” Kevin added.
“Mama’s is better,” David John said defensively.
Kevin rolled his eyes. “Then why doesn’t she own the franchise?”
“That’ll be enough,” Blake inserted. “Just try the casserole.”
Kevin made one half-hearted stab at the tuna, before announcing he didn’t like it. Mark and Todd followed his lead.
Cassie met Blake’s eyes and read defeat there. Resigned, she didn’t say anything as he ordered the burgers. She and her children resolutely ate the casserole, even though Blake offered them burgers, as well.
Seeing the fatigue on her children’s faces, Cassie ended the meal quickly. When the burgers came, Blake’s sons disappeared with the food, not bothering to even attempt an appearance in the breakfast room.
Cassie started to clear the table just as Maria entered the kitchen.
“You should have told me you were cooking,” Maria gently scolded her. “The clean-up is my job.”
“But—”
Maria shooed her away. “Go, you’re tired.”
Cassie couldn’t argue with her logic. “Thanks. I’d like to check on my kids.”
It didn’t take long to see that they were settled. Exhaustion and excitement had taken their toll. And tomorrow they had to enroll in new schools. Suddenly, the whole process seemed overwhelming. How in the world was she going to find their schools, even the grocery store, in this unfamiliar city? All of Twin Corners would fit in just this neighborhood.
Distraught, but too restless to sleep, Cassie wandered back downstairs, seeking out the patio near the pool that she’d seen from her terrace. She needed the comfort of the outdoors, the pretense that she was in her own swing on her own porch.
What had possessed her to move across the country, leaving everything familiar behind? She no more belonged here than her old-fashioned notions did. She wasn’t any more suited to the big city than the Matthews boys were to tuna casserole.
Kicking off her shoes, Cassie rolled up the legs of her jeans, dropping to the side of the pool to dangle her feet in the water. The dramatic patio lighting reflected on the pool, making it look like a dark, rippling diamond. A jewel that nearly matched the starlit sky.
Sighing as she gazed upward, Cassie remembered a time when her every fantasy had centered around traveling to new, exciting places. But somehow those fantasies had never contained tuna casserole or resentful children.
A sudden splash of water startled her, dragging her attention back to the pool just as Blake surfaced directly in front of her. She gasped at the seeming intimacy of his face positioned between her knees. Jerking her foot backward, she was startled when Blake grabbed that same foot.
“Oh, no, you don’t. I thought sure I’d captured a mermaid.”
Despite the sudden thumping of her heart, Cassie managed a laugh. “You think my legs look like a fish tail?”
“You have a way of twisting words, Cassie....” He levered himself up a bit on the side of the pool, a sheet of water pouring from his chest.
Cassie’s throat tightened. She hadn’t been wrong about those muscles. She’d simply underestimated them. Deliberately, she lifted her eyes away.
He yanked gently on her foot. “You’re about a million miles away. Something on your mind?”
She shook her head, then let her gaze drift back toward him. “It’s just been a long day.”
Blake studied her face for a moment, then pulled himself up and out of the pool. Cassie stared at the ripple of muscles, the deeply tanned skin, then the intriguing vee of dark hair that led to his brief trunks. She’d only seen men in swimwear like that in the movies or in magazines. And those men hadn’t been beaded with water, as Blake was, making his every move beneath the moonlight that much more sensual. Cassie averted her gaze, drawing on her inner strength to recover her equilibrium.
Blake reached up to slick back his hair, then looked again at Cassie, his eyes darkening in the diminished light. She wished there was something other than the pool to disappear into. She didn’t especially want to drown, rather than face him.
“Probably feeling a bit overwhelmed,” he guessed accurately. “And wondering why you ever agreed to come here.”
Cassie managed to look at him. “How did you know?”
“It’s not so difficult. I plucked you out of one world and dropped you into another. I’m guessing you feel like you’ve landed on another planet and there’s no shuttle to take you back home.”
Cassie smiled reluctantly. “Pretty much. Things are different here. And it’s only our first day. I’m kind of dreading tomorrow.”
“L.A.’s no town for beginners. Albert will drive you.”
“But—”
“You have two schools to find, along with the shopping center. I can drive myself, and I’ll tell Albert to show you the basics of the city. You won’t learn all of L.A. in one day, but you’ll know enough to get where you have to go. The rest will come later.”
Relieved, she dared a glance at him, trying to ignore the wealth of bare skin. “Los Angeles is bigger than Twin Corners, I’ll admit that. I wasn’t looking forward to getting lost.”
He glanced at her quizzically. “Then why didn’t you ask for help?”
She folded her hands, staring again at the water. “Asking doesn’t come easy to me.”
“I should have remembered. Pride’s important, Cassie, but needing other people is important, too.”
He reached over to tip up her chin, and Cassie nearly bolted. An unexpected trembling attacked her vulnerable insides, and she wondered if it was visible.
“You’re no quitter, Cassie.” He dropped his hand, but the imprint still burned her skin. “I know my boys didn’t make it any easier, but they’ll come around. You’ve got the touch.” He waggled his eyebrows. “And now I’ve got to finish my laps.”
Standing, he dived cleanly into the water.
He was wrong, Cassie thought distractedly, lifting her fingers to the jaw he had bracketed. She didn’t have the touch. He did.
Chapter Five
The following days flew by. Cassie learned her route to the schools and the shopping center. White-knuckled at first. then with more ease each day.
To her amazement, Blake left the country on her tenth day in L.A., briefly explaining that the two-week business trip couldn’t be avoided or postponed. She had expected him to be around during this transition time, knowing it wouldn’t be easy for the two families to meld. The Matthews boys, who’d been settling down—a little—resumed their obnoxious behavior, escalating their antics, since they knew she had no one to turn to for support.
Still, she insisted they sit down to eat dinner each evening, refusing to relinquish the family hour. Although they kept up their sarcastic comments, she noticed they were eating more of her cooking.
Mark and Todd were easier to deal with than Kevin, especially when their older brother wasn’t around. It wasn’t difficult to uncover the twins’ likes and dislikes. And although they tried repeatedly to fool her about who was Mark and who was Todd, she had been able to tell them apart since the second day. She couldn’t have explained how she knew, but it was something in the eyes, and their expressions. They were disappointed that the switching act didn’t work. Apparently, they’d used it successfully on past housekeepers. Yet she had a sneaking suspicion that they were secretly pleased that she paid enough attention to them to tell them apart. Despite their swaggering bravado, they were still only nine years old and in desperate need of attention.
The relationship between Jimmy Ray and Kevin was a difficult one. A year older than the more sophisticated Kevin, Jimmy Ray resented the other boy’s superior attitude. And Kevin enjoyed needling Jimmy Ray, reminding him at every opportunity that he was a hick. Because Cassie had asked him to keep the peace, Jimmy Ray chose to retreat to the computer Blake had assured him was his, rather than fight. But Cassie knew her oldest son was
about to blow if Kevin kept up his taunts.
Katherine Ann was the only one who was able to get along with them all. Treating the twins much as she did David John, she regarded them as little more than a nuisance—tike the bane of one’s existence that was any younger brother. And, oddly, Kevin didn’t treat Katherine Ann the same way he did Jimmy Ray. While he wasn’t overly friendly, he didn’t go out of his way to torment her.
Reflecting on all this one afternoon, Cassie stirred a bowl of cookie dough, adding more chocolate chips. It was still too early to tell whether they could all get along peaceably. One thing continued to amaze her. Even though he was half a world away, Blake had called only once to check on his children, and then he’d sounded distracted.
Frowning into the mixing bowl, Cassie added more nuts, as well. True, she had Blake’s itinerary, but she had thought he would want more contact with his children. Beneath their tough attitudes, she sensed, they were crying out for attention. Not ready yet to take that attention from her, the boys clung to their rebellious ways.
Hearing the back door open, Cassie smiled at David John and the twins. Though certainly not yet friends, the three had come to an uneasy alliance. Since the older kids got home later, they tolerated one another in the early afternoons.
“Whatcha making, Mama?” David John asked, climbing on a tall bar stool to watch.
“Cookies... chocolate chip.”
The twins edged a bit closer. She knew it was their favorite. She’d also discovered that they usually filled up on candy and chips. By stocking up on fruit, yogurt and healthier snacks, she was trying to subtly change their habits.
“Make you guys a deal. Do your homework at the table in here, and when you’re finished we’ll have hot cookies.”
Todd licked his lips in anticipation, but Mark frowned. “I’m hungry now.”
She tossed him an apple. “That should hold you.”
He still looked disgruntled, but in a moment she noticed that he was biting into the fruit. While she knew David John would complete his homework, whether in the kitchen or in his room, the twins weren’t as dependable. Left to their own devices, they would watch TV in their rooms and then mumble evasively about their homework.
Backpacks hit the breakfast room table, and the top was quickly covered with books and papers as they settled in to work. And in a short while, they were busily finishing homework, spurred on by the aroma of fragrant cookies filling the air.
The twins might be sophisticated city kids, but a chocolate chip cookie was a pretty effective equalizer. They all munched contentedly, matching milk mustaches decorating their upper lips.
Cassie had been horrified to learn that the Matthews children drank soda instead of milk. She wondered why all their teeth hadn’t fallen out. There had been plenty of grumbling at first, but nothing washed down a freshly baked cookie like a glass of milk.
“I’m making Chinese food tonight,” Cassie told the boys as they finished the snack. “It’s a special recipe.”
“We have frozen egg rolls,” Mark told her.
Cassie put another tray of cookies into the oven. “They aren’t quite the same as homemade.”
Todd shrugged. “And China Platter delivers.”
David John grinned at her. “Wait’ll they taste yours. They won’t want any more dumb frozen stuff.”
Cassie rumpled his white-blond hair. “Thanks, pal.”
By evening, the house simmered with the delicate scent of wonton soup and chow mein. Deciding to be festive, Cassie donned a silk blouse that dipped over her shoulders, one she’d purchased on her first shopping excursion in the city. She brushed her long hair into a smooth wave and disregarded her usual barrette.
A refreshing breeze lifted the curtains at the window, sending in the sweet smell of orange blossoms. Cassie hummed as she checked the table, leaning over to light the candles.
The humming masked the sound of the door opening and Blake’s startled exclamation when he saw her.
The flare of the match illuminated her flawless skin, casting her delicate features in pleasing relief. As she bent over, the low neckline of her blouse revealed intriguing curves Blake hadn’t known she possessed. His gaze roamed over her, taking in the effect of the blouse that skimmed over her shoulders, baring just enough skin to make him want to see more.
Her hair was different somehow, too. In the candlelight, it resembled burnished wheat as it swung unhindered over her shoulder. Long eyelashes shadowed her cheeks as she studied the table, straightening the silverware, then rearranging two of the platters. Had she changed that much? Or had he simply failed to see her before?
He stepped closer, and she looked up, surprise filling her smoke-colored eyes. One hand flew to the delicate hollow of her throat. “I...I didn’t expect you.”
“I do live here,” he reminded her gently, watching the confusion play over her face. “And I decided to come home a day early.”
“The boys will be glad you’re back. And your timing’s perfect. We were about to sit down to dinner.”
She didn’t even stumble over the word, he noticed. Before, she’d always started to call the meal supper. Another change.
Gulliver’s toenails clicked over the tile floor as the dog rushed to greet him. While he hadn’t wanted them to bring the large animal, Blake had to admit that Gulliver was growing on him, especially after a two-week break from the dog.
“He likes you,” Cassie commented softly. “And he’s pretty picky.”
That was it. The softness. Whenever he thought of Cassie, it had been entwined with the image of steel, a backbone that wouldn’t buckle under a ton of pressure. It hadn’t occurred to him that she could be soft, too.
She glanced at him, with a curious look that unsettled him.
Reflexively he held up his briefcase and garment bag. “I’ll put these away and be ready in a few minutes.”
She nodded. “There’s no hurry. It’s not the kind of meal that’s timed down to the second. It’ll stay warm till you’re ready.”
“Uh-huh.” Backing up, he nearly toppled Katherine Ann as she came into the kitchen.
She smiled, in a shy imitation of her mother. “Hello, Mr. Matthews. I’m glad you’re home.”
“I am, too,” he replied, pushing open the swinging door.
It was jet lag, he decided. That accounted for the imagined changes in Cassie. He was sure that by the time he returned to the breakfast room, everything would be back to normal.
But it wasn’t. Not only were his children not close to gnawing each other to bits, but Cassie still looked different. While the kids were hardly acting like the Waltons, they were being civil. And apparently they had grudgingly accepted the dinner ritual.
Although the meal was delicious, he barely tasted it. Instead, he watched Cassie. How had he managed not to notice until now that she was a woman? He supposed that somewhere in his brain he’d cataloged that fact. After all, she couldn’t be a mother without being a woman.
But there were women. And there were women.
Somehow, while he was out of the country, she’d slipped from one category to the other.
The tight, pinched expression, along with the worry that had prompted it, was gone from her face, he realized, making her look younger, more vibrant. Now she certainly didn’t look old enough to have teenage children. Blake watched her quiet competence, the ease with which she presided over the meal, drawing out each of the children. Yet he wondered about the slight flush of her skin, the brightness of her eyes.
And the kids were cleaning their plates, he noticed. No requests for burgers or pizza this time. And they dug into the fruit-filled dessert with equal enthusiasm. Another one of Cassie’s transformations?
Cassie turned to Jimmy Ray. “I haven’t had a chance to ask you. How’d the computer project go?”
“Pretty good, Mama. It’s going to be in the science fair.”
Cassie clapped her hands together. “That’s wonderful. And to think you were mor
e than a year behind the other kids in the class!”
Blake thought it was nothing less than amazing. He wished his own executives possessed as much drive as this teenager.
Kevin snorted. “Yeah, but if you’re in the science fair, you have to waste a whole Saturday sitting around with a bunch of science geeks.”
Blake cleared his throat. This was treacherous territory. While he wanted to instill motivation in his kids, he didn’t want them to resent being compared to the Hawkins children. At the same time, he didn’t want Jimmy Ray’s accomplishment to be ridiculed. “What’s fascinating to one person can be boring to another. Jimmy Ray might not like spending a day at the beach. He might prefer something else....” Blake searched his mind. “Like a day at the museum.”
Both Kevin and Jimmy Ray looked at him as though he’d lost his mind.
“That was just an example,” Blake finished hurriedly, realizing he was sinking rapidly. Avoiding their stares, he made the mistake of looking at Cassie instead. And found himself feeling even more unsettled.
A tinge of pink still dusted Cassie’s cheeks, and her tongue flicked to one corner of her mouth. Why hadn’t he noticed before how full her lips were? Or their deep rose color, without benefit of lipstick?
She glanced up at him, and he saw the silver of her eyes deepen before she reached for the pitcher of tea, refilling glasses. He wondered what had prompted her sudden solicitousness. Competence, or nerves?
“Mr. Matthews is right. You boys both have things to be proud of. Kevin, did you tell your father what you made on your English assignment?”
Kevin mumbled something unintelligible.
Blake watched as Kevin uncharacteristically kept his gaze directed at his plate. This was his quick-comeback kid, without one shy bone in his body. “I didn’t hear you, Kevin.”
“I made a ‘B,’ okay?” he responded defiantly.
Considering that his average generally hovered between D and F, it was remarkable. More treacherous ground. Blake didn’t want to unseat his progress with too much false-sounding enthusiasm.
His-And-Hers Family Page 6