The Maverick

by Jan Hudson

  “Samples.”

  “Are you in training for a door-to-door job?”

  Cass laughed. “Nope. I’m finally starting on my house. I met with Greg Gonzales this morning for estimates. These are paint samples and floor samples and brochures and catalogs I have to pore over. Do you know how hard it is to choose between daffodil and sunbeam?”

  “Colors, I presume? Want a glass of tea?”

  “I’d be forever in your debt, sis. Thanks.”

  Sunny poured two glasses and led Cass to a table.

  Cass took a sip of tea. “Ahhh. Perfect. Where are Mom and Aunt Min?”

  “I think they were going to a movie with some friends. I told them not to come in tonight. I can manage.”

  “Want me to go to the bank?”

  “Sure, if you don’t mind. Do you have a date with Griff tonight?”

  “No, he’s back in New York.”

  Sunny looked stunned. “For good?”

  “Not according to him. He has a few days business there. Meetings, he said. He plans to be back in Austin by the weekend.”

  “Don’t forget our meeting with Carrie Sunday morning,” Sunny said.

  “I haven’t forgotten. Wonder what she wants?”

  “Beats me.”

  “Guess who came in for a late lunch yesterday?” Cass asked.

  “I already know. Sam. Mom told me. I think she and Aunt Min fell in love with him.”

  Cass took another big swallow of tea. “Did she also tell you how much he looks like our father?”

  Sunny shook her head. “She neglected to mention that little fact.”

  “Hmm. I thought her eyes were going to pop out when she first spotted him. He already had an advantage before he turned on the charm—and he turned it on full blast. You could have bottled it and sold it for clover honey.”

  “I think Mom is actually considering meeting other members of the family.”

  “Fantastic,” Cass said.

  “I’m not sure she’s ready for the whole mob at once, but maybe one of us could take her and Aunt Min down to Wimberley sometime and have lunch with Belle and Flora. Maybe visit Flora’s art gallery.”

  “Good idea. Perhaps we turned down Belle’s invitation for Sunday too soon. I think the only ones coming from Naconiche are Frank and Carrie. Want me to call Belle and reinvite ourselves?”

  “No. Something tells me to leave it as is.”

  “Okay by me.” Cass drank the last of her tea and stood. “Let’s get the bank bag, and I’ll be off.”

  CASS STARED AT THE color swatches taped to her bedroom wall, trying to decide which tones would be best for her living room. To get some ideas, she’d watched several episodes on HGTV. Several of the decorators were painting rooms gray or some shade of purple. She wasn’t a fan of either color.

  Maybe she should hire a decorator to help her. Trying to make so many decisions made her brain hurt. It was so much easier if you had a yellow wall to begin with and had to find things that would coordinate, rather than decide the color of the wall so you could find things to coordinate with it. She wanted to scream in frustration.

  Luckily, she was saved from a meltdown when the phone rang.

  “Hey, gorgeous, what are you doing?” Griff asked.

  “I’m about to have a screaming hissy fit.”

  “Sounds serious,” he said. “What’s up?”

  She told him about the houses and her frustration with color chips. “It’s running me crazy, and I’ve barely started.”

  “Why don’t you hire a decorator?”

  “I considered it, but not for long. I love decorating.”

  He was quiet for a moment. “Cass, that doesn’t compute.”

  She chuckled. “My frustration will pass, and once I get some basic selections, everything else will be easy. What’s all that noise?”

  “I’m at the airport.”

  Her heart sped up. “Are you on your way back to Austin?”

  “I wish,” he said. “I’m on my way to Miami. I have some business there I must take care of. I’m not sure how long it will take. Hopefully, only a day or two. It may be the first of the week before I can return to Austin. Cass, I have to go. My flight’s being called. I’ll try to get back with you tomorrow or Friday for sure. Love you. Bye.”

  Cass sat there, stunned, listening to dead air.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The news Griff was flying off to Miami didn’t startle her nearly as much as his last words. “Love you,” he’d said. Was that a casual farewell or did it mean something more?

  And why was she obsessing about it? The L word hadn’t been mentioned before. Cool it, Cass, she told herself. Don’t rush things. Take it slow and easy. In the first place, she might have misunderstood him.

  No, she hadn’t misunderstood. She’d heard what she’d heard. Loud and clear. And it wasn’t three little words. It was two. Unless you counted “Bye.” And she didn’t.

  Oh, cripes! Forget it. Concentrate on the color chips.

  Concentrate!

  When she’d finally selected colors for the outside of her house, she began to laugh. She’d picked the exact same hues as Sunny’s house. Oh, the chamois shade she’d picked might have a tiny bit more gold, but basically they were the same. Would Sunny mind?

  She’d have to ask, but knowing her sister, there wouldn’t be a problem. No wonder Cass had immediately loved Sunny’s house.

  For the other house, she picked a soft gray trimmed with white, with a yellow front door. People were supposed to be drawn to yellow doors. By the time she went to bed, she’d selected wall colors for the entire interior of both places. All the paint was eco-friendly, and she was putting down bamboo floors everywhere except the kitchens and bathrooms, which would be tile. Greg Gonzales had promised to use reclaimed lumber wherever he could, and to think green in other ways.

  Cass was really getting excited to move on the renovations, and she hoped Greg’s bid was on target. Two months ago she’d gotten an estimate from another contractor, whose figure had been exorbitant. Several people had recommended Greg, and she had good feelings about the whole venture.

  THE FOLLOWING MORNING, Greg called as she was getting dressed. “I have your estimate together,” he told her.

  “Already? I like the way you work.”

  “I aim to please. When and where can I drop it off?”

  “I’m working today at Chili Witches. I’ll be there until closing. Anytime is fine with me.”

  “Great,” Greg said. “By the way, I made a deal with your friend Oscar, and I’m buying his house down the street from yours. It worked out well for both of us. He needed to move to his new job as soon as possible, and I’ll soon be starting renovations there as well.”

  “Fantastic. See you later.”

  She finished dressing and hurried downstairs to open.

  Sometime after eleven, Cass was in the office chasing down an invoice when her mother stuck her head in. “Someone out front is asking for you,” Gloria said. Her mouth drew into a sly smile. “A man. A very handsome man.”

  “Must be Greg Gonzales. He said he’d be dropping by.”

  “The same Greg Gonzales you went to school with? The football player you used to swoon over when you were fifteen?”

  “The very one. You don’t forget much, do you, Mom?”

  “How could I forget? For a year I never heard such sighing over a boy. It looks like you finally have your chance. He seem very nice.”

  “Don’t go matchmaking, Mom. He’s a contractor, here to drop off an estimate for renovating the houses I bought. Besides, I imagine he’s married with four kids by now.”

  “Maybe so, but I didn’t see a ring on his finger. I checked.”

  Cass shook her head. “Rings don’t mean anything these days, especially in his business. They’re sometimes a safety hazard.”

  She hurried out to meet Greg, who was standing by the bar with a large envelope in his hand.

  He smiled when h
e saw her. “Good morning, Cass.”

  “Hi, Greg. That for me?” She motioned to the envelope, which he handed to her. “Have time for me to buy you a cup of coffee?”

  “As a matter of fact, I thought I’d grab a hamburger and some fries while I’m here. I’ve been up since five with my roofing crew, and it’s time for my lunch.”

  “Sure. Where would you like to sit? You’ve beat most of the lunch crowd. Grab any table you want.”

  “Do you have time to join me?”

  “For a minute. I’m eager to see your figures.” She turned to tell her mother to watch the door, and almost fell over her. “Eavesdropping?” she whispered.

  “Certainly not,” Gloria said. “Go ahead and have a bite with your friend. Min and I can handle everything. After all, we did it for years without any help.”

  Cass gave her an exasperated eye roll and trailed after Greg.

  Gloria followed. Cass had no choice except to introduce her to the contractor.

  “I’m so delighted to meet you, Greg. I remember you as a boy. Now, what can I get you two for lunch?”

  Greg ordered, and Cass said, “I think I’ll just have coffee for now, Mom. Thanks.”

  She could see her mother open her mouth to argue, but Cass gave a small shake of her head. “Wonderful,” Gloria said. “I’ll get those drinks right out.”

  Actually, one of the waiters brought the drinks, and Cass opened the envelope to check the estimates. After a quick scan of the figures, she said, “I’ll want to study this in more detail before I give you a final answer, but my first impression is that it looks very satisfactory. When can you start?”

  “Anytime you give the word. We should be finished with our current job by the weekend, and I can have a crew there Monday morning. If you want to wait—”

  “I don’t. I’ve put this off long enough. I’d like to get started as soon as possible. I’ll check your estimates later this afternoon and get back to you. Is this your cell number?” She pointed to the letterhead.

  “No. Let me write it down for you.” He made a note on the outside of the envelope.

  “I’m so excited about this. I already have the paint colors and flooring picked out. I’m going over in the morning to take some measurements so I can begin to plan for rugs and furniture.”

  “Want me to help with the measurements?” he asked.

  “Oh, not necessary, Greg. I’m sure you have better things to do.”

  “Not at all. My men can work without me for a while, and I’d like to talk to you about a fireplace.”

  “A fireplace?”

  “Yes. I’m thinking about adding a gas fireplace to the house I’m buying from Oscar, and I was wondering if you’re interested in one in your house as well.”

  “I hadn’t even thought about it, but that’s a wonderful idea. How much would it cost?”

  “I’m going to get some figures together later this afternoon,” he said, “and I can let you know tomorrow.”

  The waiter appeared with Greg’s hamburger and fries. Aunt Min was right behind him with another tray. Cass again made introductions.

  Aunt Min gushed a bit over him, then said, “I’m trying out new recipes for sweet potato empanadas, Cass, and I wish you would try out these two kinds and the different sauces and see what you think.” She laid out two plates, one holding baked empanadas, the other fried, along with three sauces, side plates and silverware. “I just finished them.”

  “Could I do that later? I need to get back to work. We have customers coming in.”

  “Oh, pish,” her aunt said. “Gloria and I can handle everything. Greg, I’d like your opinion as well. After you finish your hamburger, of course.” She smiled brightly.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said. “I’ll give them a try.”

  After Min wiggled her fingers and left, he asked, “Are your mother and aunt twins, too?”

  “No,” Cass said. “But they do look a lot alike. And they conspire in tandem.”

  Greg looked puzzled.

  “Never mind.” She was glad he hadn’t snapped to their obvious efforts to get something going between Greg and her. Cass sighed and took a baked empanada onto a plate, cut it in half and topped one bite with one sauce, the other bite with a different one. “These are really good.”

  “So’s this hamburger.”

  “Thanks. Our hamburgers are the best in Texas, second only to our chili.”

  “I love the chili here. I’ll get that next time.”

  She tried a fried empanada and the other sauce, then left him to his meal. “See you in the morning about ten?”

  He nodded.

  Cass made a beeline for her mother and pulled her around a corner and out of sight. “What’s the big idea?”

  Gloria raised her eyebrows and feigned puzzlement. “I don’t understand.”

  “Greg is my contractor. Nothing more.”

  “He’s very handsome and seems quite nice.”

  “I prefer Griff.”

  Gloria heaved a theatrical sigh and walked away.

  This wasn’t good, Cass thought.

  DURING THE AFTERNOON LULL, Cass retreated to her office to study the figures Greg had given her. She was impressed with his presentation and his estimate of the costs. Both were very complete and much more reasonable than the other contractor had offered for the same work. She compared the two carefully. Greg had also provided a list of stores and suppliers where he got builder discounts. Cass called him and told him the job was his.

  Another call buzzed in as she was saying goodbye to Greg. It was Griff.

  “Hi,” she said. “How’s Miami?”

  “Nice, but I’d rather be in Austin.”

  “I’d rather you were here, too. I was just talking to my new contractor when you called. We’re starting renovations on my houses on Monday.”

  “That was quick.”

  “Things happened to work out well. Are you coming back soon? You can help me move the POAC office. One of our members is donating office space in her building.”

  “When are you moving?”

  “Either tomorrow or Sunday afternoon. I’ll be working Saturday.”

  “Babe, I wish I could be there, but it looks like I’ll be in Miami until Saturday, and I have some things to take care of in New York before I can leave. It will be at least Tuesday or Wednesday before I can wrap up my business and come home.”

  “Home? Are you thinking of Austin as home?”

  “More and more,” Griff said. “I told you I love the town. And Austin is where you are.”

  A big lump formed in her throat. “I miss you.”

  “I miss you more. Believe me, I’m doing everything I can to get there, sweetheart. You can’t imagine. Cass, I love you so much.”

  She totally melted. There was no mistaking his words this time. She tried to say something, but her mouth wouldn’t work.

  “Cass?”

  “Yes. I’m here. I—I…” The words just wouldn’t come.

  “Cass, I’m not rushing you, simply telling you how I feel.”

  “I understand,” she said. And the tears came. She sniffed. Why was she crying? “I, uh, I can’t talk right now.”

  “Sorry. I know you’re working. I’ll call you tomorrow night. Goodbye, sweetheart.”

  When the call ended, Cass put her head down and wept.

  “Cass, honey, why are you upset?”

  She looked up to see the Senator sitting across from her, looking concerned. Squeezing her eyes shut, she told herself she was hallucinating, but when she opened them again, he was still there.

  “Griff told me he loves me.”

  “How wonderful! Don’t you love him?”

  “I—I’m not sure. We haven’t known each other very long.”

  “Sometimes it doesn’t take very long. The moment I saw your mother I fell head over heels for her. Now, she took a little longer to bring around.”

  Cass couldn’t believe that she was sitting in the office cal
mly discussing her love life with a ghost. This was crazy.

  As if he could read her mind, he smiled.

  That made her more nervous. Still, she said, “Mom and Aunt Min don’t like him.”

  “They didn’t like me either, not at first. The important thing is not how they feel about him but how you feel. Listen to the quiet little voice deep inside you, and you won’t go wrong.”

  “But—”

  Just as quickly as he’d appeared, the Senator faded, and she was left talking to an empty chair.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Friday morning was a glorious day in Austin, with clear skies and with temperatures expected to be in the eighties. Dressed appropriately in shorts and sandals, Cass pulled to a stop in front of her house at exactly ten o’clock. Greg’s big pickup was already there, and he was sitting on the front steps, waiting. Did his eyes linger a bit too long on her legs? If so, she didn’t mind. In fact, she felt a little smug about still having good legs. She reminded herself it was past time to get back into her jogging routine. Monday for sure.

  Hurrying up the broken concrete walk, she waved. “Am I late?”

  “Nope. You’re exactly on time.” Clipboard in hand, he smiled and stood. “I’m a little early. Ready to measure?”

  “I am.” She held up her retractable tape. “Let me unlock the door. Karen isn’t here today. We’re hoping to find someone to move the office furniture today.”

  “I’ve been meaning to ask you about the office.” He motioned toward the sign beside the front door. “Exactly what is POAC?”

  “POAC stands for Preserve Old Austin’s Charm. It’s a nonprofit organization that supports what its name implies. I’m the president.” She told him a little bit about projects the group had been involved in.

  “Cool,” Greg said. “It breaks my heart when I see some of the landmarks torn down and paved over. I don’t want Austin to become a city with a bunch of skyscrapers dominating the landscape.”

  Cass chuckled. “You sound like me. We’d love to have you as a member.”

  “Where do I sign up?”

  She took a form from the filing cabinet. “Fill this out and send it in if you’re truly interested.”