by Jenn Roseton
“And what was that?”
She appreciated Luke’s gentle effort to part her curtain of shyness. As she debated whether to tell him what she had done in her previous life, she noticed that he’d barely touched his coffee and pie. Instead, all his focus seemed to be on her.
Cassie swallowed. “I used to be a CPA.”
“That’s impressive.” He smiled. “I hate doing the ranch accounts.”
“Do you--”
“Are you--”
They both spoke at once. Luke laughed easily. “You first.”
“I was going to ask--”
“Cassie,” Arnold called. “Order up.”
She scrambled out of the booth. “Got to go.” Picking up the tray, she hurried over to the counter. Not knowing whether to be glad or sorry she and Luke had been interrupted, she picked up the blue plate special.
“End booth.” Arnold pointed his spatula. All she could see was the back of what looked like a man’s blond head.
Cassie walked down to the booth. As she got closer, the blond head seemed familiar. Her footsteps faltered when she almost reached the booth. No. It couldn’t be! There were plenty of men with blond hair, she told herself. She took another step. Her feet glued themselves to the floor.
I can’t.
It’s not him.
But what if it is?
Cassie’s heart rate accelerated and tears pricked her eyelids. Her chest tightened, the iron band around her heart making it almost impossible to breathe. Swiveling around, her shaking hands dumped the tray on a vacant table.
Tearing out of the diner, she raced down the street, heading towards the relative safety of the motel - before realizing she didn’t live there anymore.
“Cassie!”
No! She wasn’t ready to see him. Didn’t know if she ever wanted to see him again.
“Cassie!”
Puffing, she lessened her pace a little. It didn’t sound like Phillip. But who else would it be?
“Cassie!”
Slowing down to a jog, she turned her head. Relief flooded through her. Luke. Halting, she placed a hand on her chest, trying to control her breathing. A couple of passersby glanced curiously her way.
“Are you okay?” He reached her and placed his hands on her shoulders, drawing her to him.
She looked up at him, swiping at the strands of hair in her face. “Is...is he still there?”
“Who?” His concerned gaze swept over her.
Although she barely knew Luke, she felt safe and protected in his loose embrace. “Th-the man in the end booth.”
Luke frowned. “Did he do something?”
“No,” she admitted. “But...”
“But what?” he asked gently. “What’s going on, Cassie?”
“I thought he might be my...my ex.” She closed her eyes as the truth rushed out.
Luke’s hands tightened on her shoulders. “What did he do to you?”
She reluctantly opened her eyes. “Nothing, really.” Her pale cheeks burned under his scrutiny. Maybe she’d made too much of the whole thing. That’s what Phillip would say. But in her heart, she knew she’d done the right thing by leaving him.
“Then why would you run from him?” Luke looked deep into her eyes. “Tell me, Cassie. Please.”
Her heart thudded. Could she tell him? Would he understand? “I thought he was going to hit me,” she whispered.
He swore under his breath and drew her to him. For a second, she allowed herself to snuggle in his embrace. Somehow, it felt so right to have Luke’s arms around her. Cassie inhaled and forced herself to straighten up, taking a step back. “I have to see if he’s followed me here.”
“I’ll be with you the whole time,” Luke vowed. His face grim, he clasped her hand and matched his stride to hers as they walked back to the diner. Cassie couldn’t help thinking how wonderful it would be if they were holding hands because they were a couple and not just because Luke felt sorry for her.
Her steps lagged as they neared the diner. Luke turned to her. “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”
She drew in a deep breath. “Yes, I do.” She’d left Seattle two weeks ago and she was already tired of looking over her shoulder. She had to face her fears.
His large, calloused hand tightened briefly on hers and a warm glow radiated through her.
Luke pushed open the door of the diner. She peeked around his shoulder. A glimpse of blond hair at the back of the room taunted her. “He’s still there,” she murmured, hating the wobble in her voice.
“Are you sure you want to confront him?” He placed a reassuring hand on her arm
Cassie nodded. “Yes.” Straightening her shoulders, she stepped ahead of Luke, never letting go of his hand. Nobody else in the diner existed except Luke and the man with the blond hair at the end of the room.
Is it him? The thought echoed in her mind, growing louder with each dragging step she took. She clutched Luke’s hand tighter as she reached the end booth. Any second now, she would be able to see his face. Her heart hammered as she looked at the blond haired man.
Her knees sagged with relief. “It’s not him,” she whispered. Turning to Luke she repeated, “It’s not him.”
###
Five minutes later, she sat at the wooden table in the small employees’ room, sipping a large mug of coffee. Luke had barked an order of coffee and cherry pie and then hustled her into the break room.
Cassie forked up a sliver of pie, aware of Luke watching her as he sat opposite. “I want you to tell me all about it, Cassie.”
The luscious cherry filling burst on her tongue. She took a moment to savor the delicious flavor of the pie, before answering Luke. “There’s not much to tell, really.” She gripped the coffee mug, staring into its black depths as if it could divine her future.
“Then why is a CPA working as a waitress in Coldwater?”
She lifted her head to meet his gaze. His eyes gleamed with interest and she wondered if he was merely interested in her plight or if he was interested in her...as a woman.
She bit her lip. “I left him.”
“Why?” His gentle enquiry almost undid her.
“I thought he was going to hit me.”
“Had he hit you before?” His fists clenched as he waited for her answer.
“No. That’s why I packed up and left. I didn’t want to wait and see if there was going to be a next time.” She toyed with the pie, her fork making circles around the rim of the plate.
“Perhaps you should start at the beginning,” he suggested.
Cassie nodded and sighed. “I met Phillip five months ago. We dated, and then he suggested I move in with him.” She grimaced. “I thought it might have been too soon, but he persuaded me that moving in with him was in both our best interests.”
She sipped her coffee. How could she have been such an idiot? “As soon as I moved in, he started to change. He criticized my clothes and...” she hesitated, “what I ate.”
A muscle twitched in Luke’s jaw.
“He used to employ a cleaning service, but once I moved in, he expected me to do all the cooking and cleaning. And if I didn’t do it the way he specified, he got cranky. It was the longest six weeks of my life.”
“And then?” Luke finally prompted her.
Cassie raised her mug and took a sip. “And then one night Phillip almost hit me. He stopped in time,” she added, when she saw Luke’s face darken. “But I knew that the next time I might not be so lucky. Before I’d moved in with him I’d wanted to fall in love with him, but I realized in that moment I could never love a man who treated me like that. I told him that it was over but he wouldn’t accept it.” Cassie shook her head. “In fact, he said he would destroy my career if I left him. We both worked at the same accounting firm but in different departments. I didn’t think anyone would believe me if I told them about Phillip. He’s on the fast track to success. So the next morning I went to work with him, then snuck back, packed up as much
as I could, and left Seattle.”
“Didn’t you have friends you could stay with?”
Cassie nodded. “Yes, I had some friends. But Phillip threatened to ruin their careers as well if they helped me. One of my friends worked at the same company, and I didn't want her to risk losing her job. I thought the best thing to do would be to leave town.”
“Where were you headed?”
She shrugged. “I hadn’t thought of any particular place. I just got in my car and drove. And then my car broke down in the main street here.”
“What about your parents?”
She stared down at her hands. “They died three years ago in a car crash.” Her finger traced the handle of the coffee mug. “I don’t have any close family.”
“I’m sorry.” Luke’s hand covered hers, and a tingle of warmth fluttered through her.
Cassie pushed the cherry pie away. For once in her life, she’d lost her appetite.
“So what are you going to do now?” Luke’s voice cut into her thoughts.
“Wait for my car to be fixed.” She frowned. “Bob said it would take a while to get the part, but it’s been nine days so far. I’m just thankful Betty offered me this job.” Her hand flew to her mouth and she looked at him, her blue eyes huge. “I’ll be fired for sure. Freaking out in the middle of my shift and then hiding in here.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Luke’s thumb caressed her hand and she realized with a jolt that his hand still covered hers.
“I’ve got some savings, but I’ve been too scared to use an ATM in case Phillip can track me that way.”
“Once Betty knows what happened, I’m sure she’ll understand. But I’ve got a better idea,” Luke said gently. “Even before you came to town I’ve been thinking about hiring someone to do my ranch accounts. Why don’t you do them for me? I’ll pay you whatever you think is fair.”
“Oh, I couldn’t.” She looked into his mahogany eyes. He was a good man. She knew this instinctively even without the praises from Libby and Sarah. And a darn fine looking man, too.
“Why not?”
The question echoed in her mind. Why not? Phillip had taken everything away from her, or she had let him do so. Half an hour ago, she’d been ready to confront him, no matter how her courage had wobbled. Was she also going to let him take away her chance to start a new life in Coldwater Springs?
She had a nice place to live, courtesy of Libby, a blossoming friendship with her roommate and her cousin and shifts at the diner - unless Betty fired her. And now Luke was offering her a job doing what she did best - accounts.
She looked at him. Was she ready to take a chance on life? “Okay. I accept.” A shy smile tilted up the corners of her mouth.
“Great.” He grinned and her heart flip-flopped. “And I know some other ranchers who would be grateful for some accountancy help. I can introduce you to them.”
She smiled back, certain she'd made the right decision. She was going to stay in Coldwater Springs.
###
Cassie drove up to the rambling ranch house. Her car had finally been fixed, and she was ready to get started on Luke’s accounts. To her surprise, Betty hadn’t fired her, but instead had given her a motherly hug and to let her know if that “low down rat” ever came to town, so she could give him a piece of her mind.
Cassie also found the courage to tell Libby and Sarah why she had wound up in Coldwater Springs. Their reactions had been similar to Betty’s, Libby urging her to give her boyfriend, Sheriff Jake Morgan, a description of Phillip as well as the make and model of his car. “And I’ll make sure he stops him,” Libby said. She giggled, a battle-ready glint in her eyes. “Which shouldn’t be a problem, because he likes stopping strangers coming into Coldwater Springs.”
Cassie remembered Sarah’s lips curving in amusement at her cousin’s private joke and told herself she’d have to ask Libby one day exactly what she’d meant.
She parked the car in front of the house, butterflies dancing in her stomach at the thought of being alone with Luke. Now that she’d opened up about her past, maybe she could finally move on. Unfortunately, she’d never been the kind of curvy girl who’d attracted a flock of men. Was Luke interested in her or was he merely being nice?
Hoping for the former, Cassie stepped onto the porch and rang the doorbell. Luke had suggested afternoon as a good time, so she’d finished an early shift at the diner, ate lunch, and then drove out to his ranch. Although it was only twenty minutes away from Main Street, the homestead seemed to be in another world. In the far distance she could see mountains with a faint dusting of snow, although it was late April. Cows and horses dotted the lush green pasture surrounding the house, munching grass or ambling around the fields.
The door opened and she drank in her first sight of Luke in three days. Wearing faded jeans and a blue shirt, the ranch clothes emphasized his powerful, muscular frame.
“Hi.”
“Hi.” She cleared her throat as awareness rippled through her. His gaze swept over her, as if he was taking in every detail of her beige pants and jade-green blouse.
“Come in.” He ushered her inside and led the way to a small study.
An old wooden desk covered in papers caught her eye. Drawing closer, she saw that there were two main piles.
“I sorted them into income and expenses,” Luke explained, his voice close to her ear. He stood next to her, and she closed her eyes for a split second to savor his closeness before focusing on the papers in front of her.
“Do you have an accounts program?”
“Right here. I’ve already wrestled with my tax return and turned it in.” He reached around her and pressed a couple of keys on the computer keyboard. An accounts program flashed up on the screen. “The last time I did the accounts was two months ago.”
Cassie rested her hand on one of the piles of paper, her fingers almost brushing his. “I’ll get started then.”
“Can I get you anything to drink?”
“No, thanks. I’m good.” In fact, she was itching to make sense of the piles in front of her. She might not be confident with men, but she loved dealing with numbers.
“I’ll leave you to it then.” He pulled out a comfortable looking chair for her. “If you need me, I’ll be in the barn.”
“Okay.” Cassie sat down, then noticed him hovering in the doorway. Her brow wrinkled. “Was there anything else you wanted me to do?”
“No.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ll be in the barn,” he repeated.
Cassie turned her attention to the receipts in front of her as Luke’s footsteps echoed down the hall. It wouldn’t take her long to whip these accounts into shape, she thought with satisfaction, as she sorted each invoice into date order.
Stretching in the chair, she looked at her watch. Three o’clock. It had taken her just over an hour to get the accounts in order and entered into the program.
Cassie walked down the hall, guessing the barn was behind the house. Turning a corner, she entered a large, homey kitchen. She twisted the knob on the backdoor and it opened easily. Stepping out onto the back porch, she spied the barn.
“Luke,” she called out as she reached the wooden barn. She squinted, the dim interior of the barn making it hard to see inside. A second later he appeared in the doorway and she smiled. “I’ve finished the accounts.”
“Already?” His brow raised in surprise.
She shrugged. “You already did some of the work by sorting them into income and expenses.”
“How about a cup of coffee?” He led the way to the kitchen, matching his stride to hers.
Once inside, Luke gestured to the kitchen table. Cassie sat down on a cushioned chair, and watched him make a pot of coffee. His movements were efficient and economical, and she couldn’t help comparing his expertise with Phillip’s. Her ex had to have the latest kitchen gadgets and made a big production out of using them, unless he delegated that particular task to her.
Resolving not to think about h
er ex, Cassie relaxed in the comfortable wooden chair.
“How do you take it?” Luke enquired.
“Just cream, please.”
He placed a charming, old-fashioned pottery mug in front of her. “Thank you,” she murmured, wrapping her hands around it. Taking a sip, she savored the taste of the mellow brew. So Luke could make coffee, as well as help her face her fears. She peeped up under her eyelashes at him. And give her work, she reminded herself.
They drank their coffee in silence. Cassie let the charm of the old house envelop her, as well as the company. This rambling old house seemed too big for Luke, but he seemed comfortable living there. And why not with the house’s wooden floors, comfortable furniture, and thick throw rugs. The home was warm and cozy.
“I thought I’d introduce you to some of my friends next week.” At her puzzled frown, Luke elaborated, “Ranchers looking for someone to do their accounts.”
She smiled, warmth curling through her at his thoughtfulness. “That would be great. Thank you.”
“How’s the diner?” He quirked an eyebrow.
“Good. Betty said she’ll be able to cut down my shifts so I can fit in any accountancy work. And she’s asked me to take a look at the diner accounts for her.” In fact, Betty hadn’t batted an eye when she’d found out Cassie was an accountant.
Aware of Luke’s eyes on her, Cassie wondered if she had a smudge of coffee on her lips and he was too polite to say. She swallowed the last of the brew and set the mug on the table. “I’ve left the accounts program open on the computer so you can see what I’ve done. Would you like me to go over it with you before I leave?”
“Sure.” He rose from the table, and led the way to the study. Cassie checked out the impressive way his butt fit his jeans. Grateful that her experience with Phillip hadn’t put her off all men, she wondered if Luke had ever checked her out in the same way. She silently sighed. Probably not.
Cassie showed Luke the accounts program and her entries. He seemed to ask her a few more questions than were strictly necessary, but she put it down to the fact that he hadn’t used the program in two months.