by JoAnn Durgin
“I’ll do that. Thank you again.” On impulse, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “Since you won’t accept a tip.”
He laughed again, deep and hearty. “A kiss from a lovely lady, especially a southern one, is better than a tip any day. I’ll see you in a few days.” With a wink and a wave, he climbed back into his taxi.
Climbing the stairs to the front door of the townhouse, Cassie took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
~~**~~
Finally finished with his meeting, Mitch swung around the corner leading to his office. “Jen, do you have any messages for me?”
“Hey, Mitch.” He’d never minded his assistant calling him by his first name before, but today she’d infused it with a little too much breathiness. He paused beside her desk long enough for his messages. Flipping through the slips of paper, he mentally prioritized them.
“You have a few voice mails, too.” She gave him a coy smile which he ignored. Jen wasn’t much younger than he was, dark-haired and attractive but she wore too much makeup. She’d never been married to his knowledge, and—if the office gossip was true—hoped to snag a broker as a husband. Her hemlines had crept higher and her necklines had plunged lower in the past month alone, along with her increasingly blatant invitations to join her after hours for a drink. Being friendly was one thing, but if Jen stepped over the line—even came too close to the line—he wouldn’t hesitate to request another assistant.
“Thanks. I’ll check them.” He started into his office.
“Oh, I almost forgot. A girl named Cathy Sorenson called a few minutes ago. I didn’t write it down because she said she’d call you back.”
He turned back from the doorway. “Cassie Thorenson?” His pulse thrummed. Best news he’d heard all day.
Jen snapped her fingers. “That’s the one! Her accent’s so cute. Sweet and refreshing in a downhome, cut-offs and barefoot-down-by-the-river kind of way. Wholesome, you know?”
Mitch nodded, lost in thought. “I’ll be in my office. No interruptions, please.”
“Sure thing, boss.” He closed his door, away from her prying eyes and big ears. As it was, her off-base description of Cassie got his heart pumping. Little did Jen know her words only made him think about Cassie even more. Not that it took much. He’d love to see her in cut-offs and barefoot—all that gorgeous auburn hair tumbling around her shoulders, her long legs lightly tanned. The image was way too appealing and distracting. He could think about Cassie all day, but he needed to concentrate on his work.
Dropping into his chair, Mitch closed his eyes and massaged his temples. He’d battled a headache ever since he’d arrived that morning. A few good trades hadn’t eased the tension as he’d hoped. Could be the stress of the last few months catching up with him, but it was more than that. Easing back into the plush leather, he rested his elbows on the arms of his executive chair.
I don’t belong here.
Stocks, trading, money, investments. . .all of it. Cassie was right. Having too much money made people do stupid things. Not having enough money made them do stupid things. The sad fact was, money was a necessary part of life. Sure, he helped clients make wise investments for their retirement and long-term security for their families. What he did for a living wasn’t wrong in and of itself. Sam and Lexa had worked as financial consultants before they’d married and he’d joined TeamWork full-time. Mitch liked Sam’s analogy of investing one’s funds wisely as a means to having earthly security whereas accepting Christ was the only way to achieving eternal security.
Bottom line? Overall, he was happy in what he did, but he wasn’t content. Cassie hadn’t said it, but she might as well have: he’d settled. He couldn’t have the career he wanted because of his own foolish mistake, but he’d walked away when perhaps he should have pursued his options. All his medical training shouldn’t be washed down the drain. But what was he qualified to do?
Loosening his tie and trying to clear his thoughts, Mitch pushed in the voice mail code to retrieve his messages. He listened and jotted a couple of notes, chuckling as he listened to a personal message from a friend. When he heard the other man mention Alabama, that’s all it took. He wanted to call Cassie. She’d been on his mind constantly. Call it a pity party, but he’d hoped she’d come visit for his birthday. He hadn’t even told her it was tomorrow. Why he hadn’t, he didn’t know. Maybe because he wanted her to come visit without that knowledge.
He dialed her cell phone number.
She picked up on the third ring. “If this is a solicitor, I don’t need anything you’re selling.”
“Too bad. I’m running a special on whispered sweet nothings.” He loved how they didn’t even need to greet each other but jumped headfirst into a conversation. The kind of familiarity he’d only previously shared with Amy and Brad.
“Hmm. I can tell you’re a good salesperson. Keep talking. How much?”
“If you happen to be from Alabama, for today only, it’s a free introductory offer.”
“But if this offer comes from New York, I’ve already taken advantage of it.”
“It’s non-transferable, but I’m willing to extend the offer. Your complete and total satisfaction is guaranteed.”
“Do you offer a warranty? Or a return policy?”
“You can’t even know how much I want to kiss you right now.”
Her laughter made him smile. “I must be your ideal customer.”
“Oh, you’re my ideal, all right.”
She groaned. “I guess I led myself right into that one, huh?”
“I’d say so. I need to see you, Cassie.”
She hesitated for a few seconds before she spoke again. “Are you okay?”
“Not sure. Starting to ponder some half-crazy things.”
“Care to share them with me?”
“Let me ruminate on them a little more. I’m actually returning your call, in a manner of speaking. My assistant said you’d called.”
“I wanted to tell you I had dinner with Barbara and Donald Corman last week. They settled their lawsuit against the operators of the fair and will be getting a nice lump sum. They’re going to put most of it in a trust for Mercy’s college education.”
“That sounds great. Wise use of the funds.”
“I thought you’d want to know that, but there’s more.”
“What’s that?” Leaning back in his chair, Mitch kicked off his shoes and crossed his feet on top of the desk. “They’re naming Eddie the Freaky Bear as the trustee?” He stared out the window, not focusing on the high rise office buildings but on the rain streaming down the window while steady pellets of hail beat a staccato tap dance against the glass.
“I think you have a problem with Eddie. Maybe you should seek professional help.”
“I will if they have a twelve-step program. Cassie, you make it incredibly easy to get off-topic.”
“Sorry,” she said. “Anyway, Sam was talking to a new guy at church on Sunday. His name’s Billy. He’s young, in his early twenties and he’s been coming regularly the last month or so. Long story short, this guy was working at the county fair the day we were there. Turns out he’s the employee who wielded the axe that injured Donald.”
“Wow. That’s unbelievable.” Mitch rubbed his hand over his face. “Did you tell Donald and Barbara?”
“No, but that’s the other strange thing. File this one under the only in God’s world category. During our dinner, I mentioned something about the church. Barbara said Mercy’s been trying to get them to come to church. So, guess who walked into church on Sunday morning?”
“You’re kidding.” Mitch loved the enthusiasm in Cassie’s voice. Loved how God worked.
“Nope. I sang a duet with my songwriting friend, and the song was about forgiveness. Common theme, but I knew that was the song we should sing. When I looked at Barbara while I was singing, tears were streaming down her cheeks. Then Sam and Lexa invited them to lunch and. . .you can probably imagine how it turned out. Donald and
Billy aren’t going to be best buddies, but there’s an understanding between them. More than anything else, Donald could see how sorry Billy was for what happened. I think the meeting between them will go a long way toward bringing emotional healing for both of them.”
Mitch nodded then realized Cassie couldn’t see him. “You’ve got to love how God orchestrates these things like a symphony. I’d better get moving. Keep singing, Cassie.”
“I will. Talk to you again soon.”
After disconnecting the call, Mitch blew out a deep sigh. If she wouldn’t get on a plane to see him soon, he’d have to suck it up and board a plane. It was either that or he’d be rolling down the highway again.
Chapter 28
Inside the townhouse, Cassie’s heart skipped a beat as she heard a key being inserted and then turned in the front door lock. Then she heard Mitch’s wonderful laugh. He was talking with someone, maybe on his phone. The door opened a crack.
“Aren’t you going to check your mail?” Definitely a female voice. Young. Sounded pretty, too. Cassie wouldn’t be able to explain it if asked, but as a general rule, an unattractive woman didn’t sound like that. Her voice was low, teasing, and downright sultry.
“Okay, I’ll check to humor you. I might have a birthday card from my insurance agent.”
The woman laughed and her next comment was muffled. Mitch must know this woman well to have such a good camaraderie with her.
“Thanks for the surprise visit. A night out will be good for me. I’ve needed this.”
Cassie wished she hadn’t heard that comment. Have I made a huge mistake? When she’d talked with him earlier on the phone, she had to resist the urge to blurt out that she was standing inside his townhouse. She’d enjoyed it, believing it would only add to his surprise. Now, she was second-guessing herself. What was she doing? Goodness, standing in the front hall of the man’s home like she belonged there. She felt like she’d done something wrong, as though she’d broken into Mitch’s private residence and had no right to be there. Even though Amy had arranged it and Landon had given her a spare key, their plan to surprise Mitch suddenly didn’t seem like such a great idea. What to do?
She darted a frantic glance around the living room of the elegant home. Should she clasp her hands together and greet Mitch and his female guest as they came through the door? No, that wouldn’t do. At best, she’d surprise him and at worst, he’d throw her out on his front doorstep. Spying a door she assumed led to the kitchen, Cassie made a mad dash toward it. Just in time. Within seconds, she heard them coming into the townhouse.
How did she get herself into these situations? She took a deep breath, trying to calm down. Digging her cell phone out of her purse on the kitchen table, Cassie punched in Amy’s cell phone number. She could hear their animated voices on the other side of the door. Did the woman laugh at everything Mitch said? Please. She started to pace, but the floors were made from hardwood and her sandals made a clacking sound. Clack clack. They had to go. Holding the phone against her shoulder, Cassie leaned her hip against the table and tugged off one shoe and then the other.
Mitch’s dog—Sam Longhorn Lemons or whatever Mark Twain’s real name was—padded over to her. He was a terrible watchdog, thank goodness, or this could get dicey real quick. As soon as she’d let herself in the townhouse earlier in the afternoon, the dog had greeted her with a wagging tail. He’d bowled her over on the living room floor and covered her with sloppy wet kisses. She’d had a few pets in her life, and this dog was a complete love bug.
“Not now,” she told him, keeping her voice low when he used his paw to push his ceramic food dish across the floor. When he moved closer and nudged her leg with his furry head, she sighed. “I don’t know where your food is, you big, old shaggy love bug. Your master’s home now. Go see Mitch!” She pointed to the door as if the dog could understand. Surely he heard Mitch’s voice. Then again, maybe he was half-deaf.
“Come on, Amy. Pick up, pick up, pick up.” Cassie’s heart pounded so hard, she hoped she wasn’t in danger of dropping from a heart attack right on-the-spot. Wouldn’t that be something? Mitch would come into the kitchen with this other woman and find an Alabama hick sprawled on the fancy hardwood floor. What an embarrassment.
The dog was still in the kitchen, too, seemingly more interested in being fed than slobbering all over his master. Sitting beside his empty bowl, he gave her a forlorn look. “Right. Like you’re neglected. Is that all males can think of?” Cassie started to chew on a fingernail, something she hadn’t done in years. Not wanting to mess up the nails she’d taken great care to manicure and paint a pale pink, she dropped her hand to her side.
“So, how’s the romantic reunion going?” Amy said a few seconds later.
“Mitch got home a few minutes ago, but he’s with a woman.” Nothing like spitting it out without so much as a friendly greeting. Calm down. She trusted Mitch and needed to give him the benefit of the doubt. She hadn’t expected to see him with another woman. Why, he might be hugging and kissing her right now. The mere thought of it made her want to throw up. This was a scenario she hadn’t imagined in the many times she’d envisioned their reunion. Swallowing hard, Cassie took a deep breath and moved one hand over her stomach.
“What?” Amy sounded as incredulous as she felt. “I’m sure there’s a perfectly logical explanation.”
“Maybe there is, but now I don’t know what to do. Jumping out and yelling Surprise! somehow doesn’t seem appropriate.”
“Mitch often goes out with work colleagues after hours. Maybe he stopped by to change his clothes.”
“With a woman in tow?” Cassie lowered her voice. Was that a habit with him? She didn’t like it, but it wasn’t as though she had any claims on the man. Or did she? This was so weird.
“Okay, I can see why you’d be a little upset, Cass, but let’s withhold judgment until we have the facts. What does she look like?”
“Why does that matter?” She practically hissed the question, but it wasn’t wise to alienate Amy.
“Humor me. Open the kitchen door a crack and see if they’re still in view. Then tell me what she looks like.”
“All right, but it’d better not creak.” Tiptoeing to the door, Cassie tentatively pushed it open.
“So, when are you going to tell her?”
Mitch removed his tie and unbuttoned his shirt a couple of buttons. You’d better not remove anything else, mister. She could hear Amy talking on the phone and covered it with her hand, smothering the sound. Being caught in the act of spying would be the ultimate humiliation. This wasn’t good any way she looked at it. She wanted to know who they were talking about. Was she the topic of their conversation? Maybe it was egotistical to think that way. She certainly hadn’t flown all the way to New York to find him with another woman. Oh, what a fine mess.
“I’m hoping the next time I see her,” Mitch said. “It’s not exactly one of those things I want to blurt out in a random moment, you know? And I’d prefer a face-to-face meeting.”
Stretching out on the sofa, Sultry kicked off her ridiculously high pumps and flexed both feet. She appeared to be of medium height, slender with her mid-length dark hair cut in a chic style. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out. You’ve never had a problem with women before.”
Cassie’s cheeks warmed and she stifled a groan. This is what she got for trying to surprise him. And eavesdropping. Neither one led to anything good. Why couldn’t the floor open up and swallow her? All she wanted to do was march into the living room, put that woman’s shoes back on her feet, wish her a good life and push—send—her out the front door.
Mitch moved toward the kitchen door. “Want something to drink?”
Oh, oh. Cassie moved away from the door. Although large, the kitchen was pretty much like Texas—wide and full of open spaces. Where could she hide? This was stupid. She should go out there and announce her presence. Wouldn’t that be a kick in the pants?
If this was a huge mistake to come to Ne
w York, she might as well find out now.
~~**~~
“Hang on a sec.” Mitch reached for his phone and checked the display. “Better take it. Hey, Amy. What’s up?”
“Who’s the woman, Mitch?”
“What are you talking about?” How could she know?
“The woman with you in the townhouse now.”
He glanced around the living room and strolled into the front hall. “I repeat, what are you talking about now? Did you have cameras installed in here to spy on me?” Talk about invasion of privacy.
“No, of course not. Answer the question, please.”
“If you must know, Celeste is in town on business and stopped by the office to wish me an early happy birthday. We’re going to dinner.”
Silence ensued on the other end of the line for a few seconds. “Good to know, I have to say. Why didn’t Celeste call me?”
“Because we’re in cahoots to shut you out of our little sibling reunion, that’s why. She’s been in town all of a half-hour. Give me a break. I suppose I can convince her to include you in our private celebration. We’re headed over to Café Eduardo for dinner in about an hour. You know, the scene of your most famous conquest.”
She laughed. “Stop calling it that. Makes it sound illicit. What time’s the reservation?”
“Eight o’clock. Under my name. It’s fashionably late, but it was the only reservation I could get at the last minute. Hope to see you there. Bring your husband along. He’s always good for a few laughs, plus he’s got some serious clout with Eduardo and his staff.”
“Landon’s still working, but I’ll call and tell him to meet us there. Don’t hang up.”
“Why not? Are we going to discuss the weather? I’m glad the rain finally stopped.”
“Stop being so flippant and go into the kitchen.”