Embezzled Love (5 page)

An awkward silence followed. Had he hung up?

"Evan? Are you still there?" Her heart raced. She did want to meet him, heaven help her.

"Yeah, I'm still here. I hope you don't think I was being too pushy."

"Not at all. I think it's very sweet that you're willing to make the effort to fly all the way out here to meet me."

 "Why don't you fly to Sacramento," she blurted before her rational side had a chance to kick in. "I'm sure Gloria wouldn't mind, and I'll bet you will get along great with her husband, Cal."

Cassie bit her bottom lip so hard she tasted blood. She massaged her forehead and screwed her face into a scowl. What the hell was she doing? She hadn't even asked Gloria, let alone thought about what Mom would think.

 "I'd love to." Evan responded before she had a chance to rescind the invitation. "I'll hang up and see if I can get booked. I'll call you back in a little bit."

She hung up, her emotions mixed. On one hand she wanted to slap herself for being so impetuous, and on the other, she wanted to kneel and pray Evan got a flight. There was nothing to do now but wait.

With yesterday's newspaper, Cassie sat and tried to concentrate on world news. An article on Boeing caught her attention and she started to read it, but the association with flying yanked her thoughts right back to Evan. She rolled her eyes and turned pages to find the crossword puzzle. Maybe that would keep her mind occupied. With the pencil from the coffee table drawer to the tip of her tongue, she lost herself in the word challenge—until the correct answers evaded her.

Putting the puzzle aside, she paced. Nearly two hours had passed and Evan hadn't called back. Doubts crept into her mind again. Was she absolutely mad, inviting him to her sister's home. How would she explain a strange man showing up, especially to her eighty-year-old mother? There was always a chance he couldn't get a reservation. Perhaps he'd have a last minute business conflict…or a terrible storm might crop up. Maybe she was just grasping at straws.

She plopped down next to the phone and massaged the furrows in her brow to dispel the looming stress headache. Making heads or tails of her emotions was futile. Sensibility told her the whole thing was a mistake while her heart said otherwise. If her thoughts were dialogue, they'd get her committed. All that inner turmoil bubbled out and made no sense at all. Had she lost her grasp on reality? She hoped, no, prayed, Evan booked a flight. Curiosity overwhelmed her. If they truly had a connection, she had to meet him to find out. The blaring phone dissected her thoughts and startled her.

"Hi, purdy gal." Evan's voice, purring his usual flirty greeting, sent a shiver of apprehensive excitement through Cassie. "I got a flight."

"You… you did?" This wasn't the time for second thoughts. A smile curled her lips. "That's… that's wonderful, Evan. I can't believe we're actually going to meet face-to-face."

"You sure about this?" Had he sensed her hesitancy?

He offered the perfect chance to back out, but Cassie had no desire to take it. "I'm positive. My sister and her husband will love you, and you'll get to meet my mom. I can't wait."

She hung up, took a deep breath and exhaled. "Yeah…meet my mom! Now all I have to do is explain this whole thing to her."

* * *

"Are you sure I didn't put you on the spot by inviting Evan? I'm still trying to figure out how it happened." Cassie unpacked and hung her clothes in the guestroom closet while she babbled to her sister, Gloria.

Gloria shook her head. "I just hope he doesn't mind sleeping on the couch and… Cass, I hope you aren't moving a little too fast."

"I know it might look that way, but… well, I just can't explain it. There's something about him. He's special, I just know it."

"Well, who am I to give you advice? Look at me. I moved in with Cal a month after we met, and I haven't regretted it for a minute."

Cassie hugged her sister then held her at arm's length. "So, do you believe in love at first sight?"

Gloria snickered. "I guess we'll find out as soon as Cal gets back from the airport with Evan, but the least you could have done was book your flights so that they weren't two hours apart. Two trips to the airport in one day… boy, what you expect of your host!"

Gloria left the bedroom, and Cassie perched on the edge of the bed, wringing her hands. Her mind whirred. Was she making a major mistake? What if they didn't get along? They'd be stuck in the same house for the entire weekend. She looked toward heaven. "Oh, God, please let this work."

Cass stood and checked her appearance in the mirror over the dresser, nervously running her fingers through her hair. She noticed a smudge of lipstick and wiped it from the corner of her mouth. Her eyes held a twinkle that had been missing for a long time. Her depression had all but disappeared since connecting with Evan, now if she could handle the stress, things would be fine. With a deep breath, she walked down the hallway to join the other women. Waiting was pure hell.

She sat on the couch, hearing only bits and pieces of anything Gloria and their mother said. Lost in thought, she kept glancing at the clock over the mantle, fidgeting and wishing time would hurry and pass.

"Cassie? Cassie Ann?" Her mother shouted.

"Oh, sorry, Mom, I guess my mind is somewhere else." She planted both feet firmly on the floor and sat forward, feigning interest.

"What did you say this Evan person does for a living?"

She released a loud breath. "Something with landscaping, I think. I'm not really sure, I'm so nervous."

"Well, you should be," her mother scolded, folding her arms across her chest and peering over the top of her silver-rimmed bifocals. "I don't like this whole idea."

Cassie expected nothing less from a woman her mother's age and was about to defend her own actions when she heard a car pull into the garage. The quick rhythm of her heart threatened to jump right through her chest. There was no escaping now. The time had come.

 She bolted to the door leading to the garage. Sweaty palms made it difficult to turn the knob. Wiping the offending perspiration on her pant leg, she took a deep breath before trying again. As she opened the door, she put on her best smile and hoped she wouldn't be…he wouldn't be disappointed.

Chapter Five

The passenger door inched open. Cassie waited with baited breath, the rapid beat of her heart reverberating in her temples. She chewed her bottom lip as a head, clad in a cowboy hat, bent to clear the car. Her knees weakened and she held onto the door jamb for support.

Finally, Evan raised his head, met her gaze and smiled. His perfectly white teeth actually sparkled like those seen on toothpaste commercials. Her legs unsteady, she somehow managed to navigate the two steps down and walked toward him.

"Hi, Evan. I'm so glad to finally meet you." She extended her hand.

Evan swept her into a bear hug. "Howdy, purdy gal." His breath caressed her neck and sent a shiver up her spine.

Holding her at arm's length, he gazed up and down the length of her. "Yep, you're jest as beautiful as yer picture."

Heat exploded in cheeks. Words failed her, until she pushed them past the lump clogging her throat. "Th-thanks."

Cal emerged from the other side of the car. "You got yourself a wild one here, Cass."

"Thanks for the news flash. My nerves were already frayed." She forced a giggle.

Evan took Cassie's hand. "Nothin' to be nervous about. I don't bite…much."

Cassie gripped his palm and led him up the garage stairs and into the house. Butterflies danced in her stomach. She couldn't recall the last time she'd held hands with a man.

 "Gloria, Mom… I'd like you to meet Evan." She motioned to the two waiting just inside the kitchen. "This is my sister and my mother."

"Howdy, ladies." Evan's drawl sounded even more southern than usual. He glanced at Gloria. "I can sure see that good looks run in the family." His attention then turned to Mom. "And… my goodness, I can sure 'nuff see where the beauty all began."

Cassie wasn't certain but she thought she saw Cal roll his eyes. Still, the compliment seemed to sit well with Gloria. She sat and patted the sofa cushion next to her. "Come on over here. Let's get to know one another."

As evidenced by the smile on her mother's lips, she had been captivated, too. What was it about this man?

* * *

Cassie's sides hurt from laughing. Evan told stories like no one else. After a few hours of exchanging family history and an impromptu trip to the grocery story for a special kind of meat Evan insisted on cooking, he still hadn't removed his hat.

For the third time, he bumped his Stetson against bottom of the cabinet and knocked it askew. "Do you even sleep in your hat, Evan?" Gloria asked.

"Nope… that's about the only time I take it off, then and when I eat, of course."

From all appearances, he had a healthy head of hair if the long fringe at the bottom was a true indication. The length skimmed the collar of his blue cowboy shirt in a sexy way—not at all like that prim and proper GQ look of those with whom she worked every day.

Realizing her thoughts dwelled only on Evan, she pulled herself back into the conversation. "Evan, don't mind them. If you want to wear your hat, you go right ahead. I think they're just curious to see if you have more hair than Cal." She giggled and winked at her balding brother-in-law.

Evan clasped the brim and momentarily doffed his hat. "Yep, I got a lot more than he does."

Cassie caught a glimpse before he replaced his head covering. Evan did indeed have lots of hair. So far he was more than she had expected—beautiful teeth, definitely not bald, and a gentleman. If she was dreaming, she didn't want to wake up. In a euphoric daze, she followed Evan and the family out onto the patio.

Standing over the barbeque, Evan continued to ramble. His life sounded totally different from hers. Running a business, being his own boss, never worrying about a snotty supervisor who hated him—how she envied him. She asked how he felt about office work.

"Office? The closest I get to staying indoors is checking my answering machine for calls about landscaping and yard maintenance. I'm not a book-savvy kind of guy. Everything I know, I learned on my own. I never had much use for school—always wanted to be where there were no walls or fences."

She tilted her head and studied him. Did those walls and fences represent commitment? Maybe that was why his first marriage failed, but it was way too soon to ask questions like that. She'd wait and see how things played out. Maybe Evan was discovering she wasn't his cup of tea, although it didn't seem like it. Her connection with him continued to grow. What if he didn't feel the same?

* * *

The weekend had raced by and Cassie re-packed her belongings for the trip home. Cal and Evan's laughter echoed down the hallway. Her heart skipped a beat just knowing Evan was close by. He stirred emotions she considered long dead. Her earlier fears about him not liking her had been dispelled when he stole into her bedroom last night.

She embraced herself, hoping to keep the warmth of the memory inside, but she battled guilt. Did her lack of control give Evan the wrong impression? Did he consider her an easy mark? She hoped not. Recalling the passion, a smile tugged at her lips. At least her loose moment provided a good excuse to see him without his hat.

He had kissed her outside her bedroom door then went to the den where Gloria had made his bed. Cassie had just nestled beneath the covers with the taste of his lips still fresh on her mouth when he sneaked back through the door, tiptoed in and crawled into bed beside her.

Although she was a grown woman, capable of making responsible decisions, the passionate look in his eyes and his probing kisses blurred her warning to keep their first meeting purely platonic. Before she knew it, she had been swept away into a swirling inferno of ecstasy. Greg's lovemaking paled in comparison and proved that losing him to another woman wasn't all that tragic after all. Her body still tingled from Evan's touches. Thank goodness, he came prepared for safe sex.

Their bodies had molded together perfectly. His passion acted as a magnet she couldn't repel even if she wanted. For once, sans his hat, she peered into the depth of his blue eyes and found the sincerity she sought. Doubt crept in. Had she really witnessed desire?

Her subconscious held fast to her mother's morality speeches, screaming that Cassie was moving far too fast, but sleeping with him had not been her intent. What happened, had happened and there was no turning back.

* * *

At the thought of parting, that all-too-familiar hollow feeling returned. Evan's flight was scheduled to leave an hour after hers. Already Cass missed him. Her body still tingled from the memory of his touch, and although his caresses felt right last night, the morning cast new light on what they'd done. She had to face him, and more than anything, she worried he'd look at her differently. Pushing her doubts aside, she went in search of everyone else.