by Becky Harmon
She tossed her car keys on the hall table and went straight for the kitchen. After opening a bottle of wine and throwing together a salad, she headed upstairs to change her clothes. She returned to the kitchen in comfortable pajama pants and a T-shirt and took her meal to the living room. She turned on the television, flipping randomly through news channels and sitcoms as she ate her dinner from the coffee table. While her eyes watched the television, her mind returned to the day’s events. Normally she hated having anyone else in her house, but she couldn’t stop herself from trying to see how Cassie would fit. With a sigh, she ate the last cherry tomato and sat back with her glass of merlot. Tomorrow, after a good night’s sleep, she would be rested and able to analyze this attraction logically and things might look different.
Chapter Three
As usual, Cassie was awake by six thirty a.m. without setting an alarm. Dillon would arrive by eight a.m. He would take care of any chores she hadn’t completed, so she never felt any pressure to rush. She took a shower to wash the sleep from her face and pulled on jeans and a T-shirt. Grabbing a flannel shirt for the cool morning, she clipped her radio to her belt and headed downstairs with the dogs on her heels.
She put kibble in the dog dishes and made herself a slice of peanut butter toast, placing a thawed chicken breast into a bowl of marinade for dinner. She forced herself to make dinner preparations early in the day to keep from eating pizza every night. Taking her breakfast out on the back porch, she relaxed in one of the chairs. She loved her solitary hours, but for a second she found herself mentally picturing Kathleen sitting beside her.
Would she like the quiet of the farm after living in the city? Would she feel at peace here too? Cassie shook her head. Thoughts about a woman she would never see again were not what she needed to start her day. She dropped her breakfast dish in the sink and crossed to the office. Setting the Keurig to brew a cup of hazelnut coffee, she checked for any work emails or voice mails.
After bringing the horses in from the pasture and feeding them and the goats, she used the golf cart to swing by Cabins Two and Four to check for housekeeping tags. There were no requests for anything, so she returned to the office and sent out welcome emails to the guests coming in on Saturday. The Jacksons in Cabin Four would be leaving and two new couples would be coming in. The lesbian couple had a ten-year-old daughter, so she would place them in Cabin Three. She was enjoying her second cup of coffee when she saw Dillon’s truck pull up outside.
“Good morning,” Dillon said as he strode through the door.
“Good morning,” Cassie returned as she sat back to watch his morning ritual. He was a man of few words in the morning, and she knew better than to attempt to engage him in conversation before he had his coffee.
He headed straight for the Keurig and inserted his favorite breakfast blend, deep roast coffee cylinder into the machine. He stared at the machine as his cup filled and then joined her behind the counter. Pulling one of the barstools over beside her, he slid onto it, stretching his long legs out in front of him. Taking a deep breath of the rich aroma and then a small sip, he sighed contentedly.
The sun had turned his light brown hair almost blond and his muscular arms a deep brown. She could see the tanned skin beneath his light-colored T-shirt. They both tried to prevent farmer tan lines from taking over their bodies in the summer, but she could see Dillon was more successful than she was. Unfortunately, she always had the markings of a sports bra and shorts branded on her body.
“Best part of the day.” Dillon inhaled deeply again. “Shelley makes coffee every morning, and she can’t see the difference between hers and this.”
“Well, you better let her keep thinking hers is the best or she might not make anything for you.”
Taking another long sip, he put the cup down on the counter. “What’s on today’s schedule?”
“Ordering beds.”
“Hmm, beds?”
“We have agreed to take four kids this summer instead of two.”
Dillon leaned back on his stool. “We? What in the world would make you do something so crazy?”
Cassie focused on her email, avoiding Dillon’s stare.
“Oh, I see.” Dillon lowered his voice conspiratorially. “Must have been a girl.”
Cassie looked at him and raised one eyebrow.
“Okay, a really hot woman then,” he said with a smile.
“Well, that wasn’t the reason I agreed, but, yes, she was really hot.” Cassie couldn’t stop herself from grinning.
Kathleen really was hot and her only regret was not asking her out. She thought about the quick easy smile and the beautiful blue eyes and then the swell of Kathleen’s breasts beneath the white shirt. Cassie felt her face grow warm, and she shifted away from Dillon’s gaze while she reined in her emotions.
Surprised at Dillon’s silence, she finally looked up to see his entire body shaking with laughter. Cassie returned her gaze to the computer screen and tried to ignore him. She knew she wouldn’t be seeing Kathleen again so it didn’t matter what she thought of her anyway. Besides, they didn’t have anything in common. Kathleen was a city girl, and Cassie had no plans to leave her farm.
“Well, alrighty then!” Dillon said energetically, granting her a reprieve from the harassment she was expecting. “What do we know about these four kids?”
“Not much except they’re all girls.”
“Well, that’s cool. Girls have a way with the animals and are usually less trouble.”
“These are foster kids so I’m afraid trouble might be their middle name.” Cassie thought for a minute. “We have one with a shaved head and at least one with body piercings.” Cassie looked at him to see how he would process this information.
Dillon wrinkled his face. “That’s not trouble. That’s just how they show their individuality. Trouble would be running away or destroying property.”
“Aren’t you Mr. Diversity?” Cassie shoved him off his stool.
Positioning his stool out of Cassie’s reach, he sat down again. “I love kids and this is going to be fun. I’m sure these girls will have a good time here.”
“I can’t wait until Shelley is ready to start your family. You desperately need some kids of your own if you think having four teenagers is going to be fun.”
Dillon’s face turned serious as looked down at her. “Yeah, that ain’t gonna happen for a while. She’s talking about taking classes in Pensacola this fall.”
“Really? Would she want to move or commute?” Cassie hoped she didn’t sound selfish. She knew there was always a chance Dillon would leave one day, but she couldn’t help hoping it would never happen.
“I don’t know. I guess I haven’t been very understanding when she wanted to talk about it. I just don’t want to have to leave here.”
“Ignoring her wants won’t make them go away.”
“I hear you, but I really don’t want to think about it right this moment.” He stood and started toward the door. “Are we picking up the beds or are they being delivered?”
“We have two weeks so delivery should be fine. Then they can carry them upstairs and set them up. We’ll need to move some furniture to make room though.”
“Works for me. I’ll let the horses out and clean the stalls, then I’m all yours.”
“I’ll sit here at the computer and make online purchases while you’re out working up a sweat.”
Dillon tipped his hat at her and strode out the door. She knew how lucky she was to have him around. He was always agreeable and in a good mood. She had seen him angry but never with an uncontrolled temper. To her he was more of a friend than an employee, and she hoped he felt the same way. They didn’t have deep emotional discussions, but their actions showed their feelings more anyway.
She pulled up the closest mattress store that had an online site and started making selections. She needed two twin beds for upstairs and a queen for her downstairs office, which she would convert to the guest bedroom for the supervisor.
She doubted the college student, male or female, would want to share a bathroom with the girls upstairs. Last summer, without any prompting, Greg had voluntarily made the trek to the bathroom downstairs, allowing Mandi to have her own space. The brat pack would have to make things work upstairs, but Cassie had to imagine they were used to sharing space with others.
* * *
Kathleen pushed back from her desk and stood. Mistakenly, she had thought an early morning trip to the gym would help her focus on her real job. She spent more hours at her part-time job at Fosters Incorporated, but doing website design was what paid the rent and allowed her to work from home. This morning she needed to complete a few minor corrections on a website she had just launched for a new client, but after staring at the screen for over an hour, she wasn’t any farther along than when she started.
Picking up her laptop, she moved from her home office to the kitchen table. Normally, she preferred the limited window view in her upstairs office, but today she gave in to her wandering mind. Setting the teakettle on the burner, she opened the sliding glass door that led into her small privacy-fenced backyard. She stood in the doorway and enjoyed the cool breeze blowing through, allowing the images that had been playing at the back of her mind to take over. Cassie leaning across the desk as they talked. Cassie smiling when they reached an agreement. With the sound of Cassie’s laughter ringing in her ears, she went into the hall and grabbed the travel brochure from her briefcase.
Leaning against the counter, she savored the feel of the glossy, tri-folded pages. Across the top of the front page in large letters were the words “Lake View Resort.” The brochure, the same as the website, listed four cabins in varying sizes with a picture of each and a small description. Another picture showed the pasture with a horse grazing beside several little goats and another shot of a small child in a riding cap sitting astride a dark-colored horse. The last picture on the back showed a crystal-blue lake the size of a football field circled by a walking path with old-fashioned streetlights and park benches. Kathleen folded her fingers into a fist as she imagined the feel of Cassie’s hand in hers as they enjoyed an evening stroll.
The teakettle started to whistle, drawing her out of her fantasy and she grabbed it, pouring water into her cup. Before she could analyze what she was about to do, she pulled her cell phone from her pocket.
“Fosters Incorporated, Tiffany speaking, can I help you?”
“Hey, Tiff, it’s Kathleen. Is Joyce around?”
“Yep, but she’s on the phone. Is there something I can help you with?”
“I was thinking about the woman I met with yesterday.” Kathleen paused to pick her words before she blurted too much.
“Oh yeah…The big, tough cutie…And what exactly were you thinking?” Tiffany teased.
“Uh, yes, that would be…uh…her. Has she had a home visit this year?”
“Gee, I wonder why you would be asking about that.”
“Well,” Kathleen ignored Tiffany’s continued teasing, taking a professional tone, “we want to make sure we follow all the laws. With us being a private facility, it would really be easy for the state to pull our license, especially if we don’t follow all the guidelines. Everyone in the ‘city to country’ program is supposed to have a home visit at least once a year.”
“Well, I have to say that was a real load of crap that you just spewed, but Joyce is off the phone now so let me check with her.” Kathleen could hear Tiffany’s laughter before the elevator music told her she was on hold. She picked up her cup of tea and took a sip. Pushing the cup away from her, she glared at the tea bag still lying on the counter.
“So, Joyce agrees with me,” Tiffany said as the music stopped.
“About what?” Kathleen asked in confusion.
“That you are spewing a load of crap,” Tiffany cackled, and Kathleen could hear Joyce laughing in the background.
“Thanks a lot.” Kathleen called loud enough for them both to hear through the speaker.
“But seriously,” Joyce said. “I guess it would be a good idea for a home visit, but, I don’t know…who could we convince to drive all the way out there?”
Kathleen laughed with them. “Don’t you worry, boss. I’ll find someone to take care of it.”
“Okay, but don’t get so excited about driving out there tomorrow that you forget the weekly Friday morning meeting at nine. You can’t go until after that.”
“I’ll see you in the morning.” Kathleen hung up before either of them could say anything else.
Now maybe she could get some work done. Knowing she was going to see Cassie tomorrow made her heart race, and she felt giddy with excitement. She wondered if Joyce was reading her interest in Cassie or if she should have brought it up. Honesty had always been important to her, which was why she had disclosed her sexual orientation in her initial job interview. Joyce wasn’t judgmental or condescending. She also was never shy about confronting someone if there was an issue. Kathleen was confident that if Joyce had a concern she would voice it.
Pushing aside the thoughts of an awkward conversation with Joyce, she let the thrill of seeing Cassie again wash over her. She couldn’t believe how she was letting her imagination run away with her. She and Joyce had never discussed anything personal in the past and technically there wasn’t anything to tell now anyway. So she thought Cassie was attractive. She wasn’t her co-worker and neither held any influence over the other’s job. If something developed, she’d bring it to Joyce’s attention; otherwise there was nothing to tell.
Feeling the queasy stomach roll of anticipation, she considered giving Cassie a call to let her know she was coming, then decided against it. Home visits were supposed to be a surprise for the client. She was only following protocol and doing her job after all.
Chapter Four
Cassie was still sitting behind the computer when she saw Ryan and Darby crossing to the barn. She knew Dillon would be tied up now for a couple of hours, so moving furniture would have to wait. Cassie joined them, knowing Cheyenne would follow the other horses into the little pasture in hopes of getting some attention. She brushed Cheyenne and then jumped on her bareback, taking her for a short ride around the lake before turning her loose in the pasture again.
She returned to the office as Dillon, Ryan and Darby set off on their ride. An hour later, Cassie was surprised to find herself still staring out the window at the fountain in the middle of the lake and drinking cold coffee. She dumped the remaining coffee and pulled sandwich ingredients from the refrigerator in the small kitchen behind her office. Dillon arrived a short time later, and they moved silently around each other as they made sandwiches, carrying their plates outside to a picnic table.
“Did you get the beds ordered?” Dillon asked.
“Yep, two twin beds to add to the rooms upstairs and a double for the office downstairs.”
“You’re giving up your office?”
“Not giving it up exactly. I just thought it should have a bed in it, so I’d still have at least one guest room in the house.”
“What’s wrong with the guest room upstairs?” Dillon frowned, looking confused.
“Oh right. I forgot to tell you,” Cassie shook her head. “Fosters is going to give us a college student for the summer to help with supervision.”
“That’s cool. What did you have to promise in return?”
Cassie rolled her eyes and took another bite of her sandwich as she watched Darby and his brother, Derek, running toward their table.
“Can we take a canoe out on the lake?” Darby gushed.
“Of course, Darby,” Dillon said. “You guys need any help? Canoes can be tricky.”
“Nope, we got this.” Derek strolled toward the lake with Darby on his heels.
“Okay, have fun then,” Cassie called, glancing at Dillon. “Do you think they have any idea how easy a canoe is to roll over?”
Dillon laughed. “No, I don’t.” He slid around the end of the picnic table joining Cassie so he
could watch the boys.
“I think we’re about to get a show with our lunch.”
“At least they’re both wearing swim trunks.”
Cassie noticed Ryan and Judy watching from their cabin porch and waved. The boys reached the lake and pushed one of the canoes into the water. Darby climbed into the boat while Derek held it, but when Derek tried to climb in the boat it tipped, dumping Darby into the lake. Both boys were squealing with joy as they righted the boat and attempted to get in again. After two more attempts that ended with the boys in the lake, Cassie got up from the table and slipped off her boots and socks. When she got down to the lake, she rolled her jeans up to her knees and waded in. She held the boat steady while the boys climbed in.
“Hold on a second, boys.” Cassie walked over to the storage shed and grabbed two of the child-sized life jackets hanging on the side. When she returned, she waded in far enough to hang a life preserver over each boy’s head, reaching in to help Darby secure the buckles.
“We can swim, you know,” Derek said, wrapping the safety strap around his waist.
“Life preservers are for more than just helping someone who can’t swim. If you capsize, they will help you surface more quickly.”
“Well, I don’t know about Darby, but I don’t plan on capsizing,” Derek stated.
Cassie laughed. “I don’t think anyone ever plans on it.”
“What’s ‘capsize’?” Darby looked back and forth between Derek and Cassie.
“Capsize means tipping over and ending up in the lake,” Cassie explained.
Darby giggled.
“Are you ready to go, boys?” Cassie asked.
They both screamed, “Yeah!”
Cassie pushed the little canoe away from the shoreline. Both boys dipped their paddles into the water and began to row. Cassie tried to shout directions to them to help with their paddling, but eventually she gave up and went back to Dillon. Rory and Pete sat on bicycles beside the picnic table.