Anger and resentment flared, but he didn’t allow her to voice either, cutting her off before she could.
“Yes, I know you love your children, but what are you offering them? A second-rate education? And they’re all hoping for scholarships to colleges that want the best of the best. You think Katherine Ann can compete with other students to get into medical school with the background she gets here? And Jimmy Ray. The kid’s dying to get his hands on a real computer. With his mind, he could run rings around the competition. Instead, he’s poring over outdated books and magazines, trying to get a taste of what he wants. In L.A. he can take his pick of computer courses. You’re lucky enough to have kids who are motivated, with goals they
could
achieve...with the right tools. Are you going to give them those tools, Cassie? Or are you going to tie them to this town?”
Stunned, Cassie swallowed against the lump in her throat. Was he right? Was her blind pride robbing her children of a lifetime opportunity?
Overwhelmed, she stared at him, hardly able to find her voice. “I haven’t even talked to my kids yet.”
Blake turned to the door, reaching for the handle. “Don’t wait too long, Cassie. I don’t want to see you lose your house.”
HIS WORDS RANG IN HER EARS all the next day, as she cleaned the house, then tackled a huge pile of alterations and mending. Automatically she went through the motions of her work, once again turning over the alternative solutions to their problem in her mind, realizing there really weren’t any.
Resigned, she called a family meeting that night, after the supper dishes had been washed.
The kids looked at her expectantly, and for a wild moment she wished she could assure them that she had everything under control, that their money problems were over. But reality reared its ugly, insistent head, and Cassie outlined Blake’s offer instead.
“Los Angeles?” Jimmy Ray questioned. But there was more curiosity than dismay in his voice.
“Isn’t that where the movie stars live?” David John asked.
“And where some huge medical centers are,” Katherine Ann chimed in.
Cassie studied her children’s faces. None of them looked as upset as she expected. “This would mean changing schools, leaving your friends behind. It’s a whole different world in the city.”
“That’s where Disneyland is!” David John suddenly remembered, nearly toppling over his chair.
“We would be moving to the city, not to Disneyland,” Cassie reminded him.
“Then you’re really thinking about this, Mama?” Jimmy Ray asked.
Was she?
She glanced around the circle of dear faces. “I’m telling y’all about the offer. Now I want to know what you think.”
“Is there any way we can pay the bank?” Always practical, Katherine Ann went straight to the heart of the matter.
“I haven’t thought of anything yet. That doesn’t mean I’ve given up. This isn’t our only choice.”
“Sounds like it is, Mama,” Jimmy Ray added seriously.
“I can look for more work,” Cassie answered, wondering where that work would come from.
“You can’t work more, Mama. You’re worn-out now.” Jimmy Ray’s gaze remained steady, unblinking, although his Adam’s apple bobbed. “I could take off from school for a while, get a regular job.”
Cassie’s heart nearly skidded to a stop. Whatever else was wrong with her life, she’d been blessed with the best kids in the world. “No, Jimmy Ray. I won’t ever let you do that.” Her gaze moved slowly around the table. “If you’re all in agreement, I’ll see if the house can be rented. I don’t think so, but if it does, then I’ll tell Mr. Matthews we’ll go.”
One by one, her children voiced their agreement. Sucking in her breath, Cassie realized they could be changing their lives forever.
“When will we know, Mama?” Katherine Ann asked.
“Probably soon.”
“I sure hope we can rent the house!” David John declared, obviously still entranced by visions of Disneyland.
“I’ll try, but don’t get your hopes up. I don’t think anyone will rent the house.”
BUT CASSIE WAS WRONG. She’d barely put the notice in the county paper and on the bulletin board at the grocery store when the phone rang. The young couple who rushed over loved the house and its huge windows. Both were artists who had fled the big city for country life. They said the house would be perfect—after they converted two of the bedrooms into studios. They agreed to rent the house furnished, and store the extra things in the basement.
Almost before Cassie could think, the couple had given her the first month’s rent, anxious to move in immediately. The reality of what she’d done sank in as she gazed around her home. Soon to be someone else’s home.
She was still dazed when Blake returned from his last meeting. He’d started to walk past the parlor when he glanced at Cassie, sensing something different. Entering the room, he saw that she looked like a shell-shock victim.
“Cassie, is something wrong?”
Dumbly she held up a piece of paper.
Staring at it grimly, he guessed it was her foreclosure notice.
“I rented the house,” she said, her voice empty except for a sense of wonder and disbelief.
“You what?”
“I rented it. I didn’t think I could, but I did.”
He grinned. “Then you’re accepting my offer?”
Dazed, she met his gaze, still blinking in astonishment at herself. “California, here we come.”
Chapter Four
C
assie, her children and their dog stood in the curving driveway and stared at the huge house, a mansion right out of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.” Stunning, the sleek contemporary building seemed to rise on the hill, supported by massive banks of windows and the thrust of its towerlike design. Lush greenery tumbled over the manicured lawn, and glossy, exotic flowers bloomed, intense bursts of color against the stark white house. It was the sort of place Cassie had seen in magazines, so perfect it didn’t seem real.
She turned back to the taxi driver who was unloading their luggage from the trunk. “I’m sorry, sir. This must be the wrong address.” She handed the man a slip of paper with Blake’s address written on it.
He glanced at it briefly. “This is it, lady. And the cab voucher covered the ride. So I’ll be on my way.”
“But this can’t be—”
Katherine Ann tugged on her arm. “Look, Mama.”
Cassie glanced at the discreet carved brass sign that rested beneath the ornate sconce at the front door. Matthews was engraved beneath the numbers. It
was
his house. Why hadn’t he warned her?
This wasn’t at all what she’d expected. It struck her swiftly that she was completely ill equipped to handle anything to do with this mansion...or the man who owned it. Cassie turned, ready to call the taxi driver, to run back to Twin Corners. But the employment contract she’d signed burned in her thoughts. She might want to run, but for the next twelve months she couldn’t.
Cassie glanced down at the plain flowered cotton skirt and serviceable blouse she wore. They had seemed like practical choices back home, especially considering the skimpy wardrobe she owned. But here in the city she felt dowdy and out of place.
Gulping back a nervous titter, she tried to act as though she were accustomed to just such a situation, instead of looking like a gawky country girl who’d fallen headlong into the big city. Which was exactly how she felt.
“Okay, everybody, let’s get our suitcases.” Gripping her own as if it were a lifeline, Cassie led the way to the front door and rang the bell. “I wonder if this is how the Beverly Hillbillies felt,” she muttered under her breath.
A young woman in a crisp uniform opened the door and stared at them curiously.
Cassie took a breath. “Hi. I’m Cassie Hawkins, and these are my children, Jimmy Ray, Katherine Ann and David John.”
Clearly puzzled, the woman stared down the line of faces, her gaze finally landing on the dog, who thumped his tail in a friendly fashion.
“¿Qué?”
Then she shook her head. “I’m sorry.... What?” if the
“Cassie, that’s right.” She smiled, wondering if the woman planned to keep them standing outside. “Mr. Matthews is expecting us. I’m the new nanny.”
“
Si
, yes.” The woman opened the door wider and ushered them inside.
Cassie stared upward at the ceiling, which soared more than two stories high. When Blake had assured her that he could more than afford her salary and the expense of moving the family, he hadn’t exaggerated. But she’d never expected anything like this.
The woman switched to English. “Senor Matthews is in his office.” She pointed to double doors at the end of the huge hallway.
Cassie tore her eyes from the eye-popping interior. “Thank you.” She turned to her children. “I’ll talk to Mr. Matthews first.”
She heard distracted murmurs of agreement, realizing the kids were as overwhelmed as she was. Taking a deep breath, she smoothed perspiring palms against her cotton skirt and approached the formidable-looking doors, knocking lightly.
When she didn’t hear an answer, she leaned close to knock again, but the door suddenly opened. Nearly falling into his arms, Cassie met Blake’s face, inches from her own. Trying to regain her equilibrium, she rocked back on her practical flat shoes.
“You’re here,” he commented unnecessarily.
“So I am.”
He held out a hand. “Welcome.”
Awkwardly she accepted the handshake, feeling a tremor of awareness at his touch. To dispel it, she made-her smile overly bright. “You want to say hi to the kids?”
“Sure, sure.” He glanced back briefly at the overloaded desk in his study, then moved with her down to the hall, greeting the children, hearing snatches of their excited talk about riding in an airplane, then seeing L.A.
He looked taken aback when the dog licked his hand and waited to be patted. “Uh...I didn’t know you were bringing Gulliver.”
“He’s part of the family,” David John announced.
The dog barked in agreement as the children all tried at once to tell Blake about their trip. When the babble finally died down, they glanced at him expectantly.
Blake returned their glances. “Oh...you need to know where you’re staying. Maria has cleaned your rooms. Did you meet her?”
Cassie smiled at the young woman. “Yes.”
“Good. She can show you the way.” He turned back to the study. “I’ll see you after you get settled in.”
“Sure.” Wishing he was the one showing them their new home, Cassie followed Maria up the curving marble staircase, trailed by her children and Gulliver.
It was silly to be disappointed. What had she expected? For him to fling her into his arms, thrilled to have her there? Maybe not. But it would have been nice to have him a bit more concerned about their arrival.
She considered kicking herself, but she was too loaded down with suitcases to even try. Before leaving Texas, she had lectured herself sternly. Now that Blake Matthews was her employer, she intended to squelch any stirrings of attraction. It was one thing to have a few giddy feelings for a handsome guest in her own boardinghouse. It was another to entertain those feelings for her employer. Especially when he’d given her the first opportunity she’d had to provide her children with a future. There was no way she was going to blow this by going all moony-eyed over him.
No, that had come to an end.
Maria stopped at a light, airy room decorated in delicate shades of yellow. The bleached oak furniture was both tasteful and inviting. Maria pointed inside. “This room is for the girl.”
Katherine Ann gasped. “For me?” Although she’d always claimed to be more interested in learning and studying than in other, more feminine pursuits, Cassie knew it was because they hadn’t had the means in Texas to explore any other interests. Katherine Ann walked into the room slowly, trailing her hands over the furniture. “It’s beautiful.”
Cassie moved inside to give her daughter a small hug. “Why don’t you get settled in? I’ll be back later.”
Katherine Ann was distracted, already lost in the wonder of this new world. “Okay, Mama.”
Cassie and her sons followed Maria down the hall. “These rooms are for the boys.” Maria pointed inside. “They’re connected with a bathroom. The one on the other side is for the young one.”
David John raced inside, while Jimmy Ray moved more slowly. Sleek contemporary furniture filled the room, including bookcases and a curving desk. But it wasn’t the furniture that drew Jimmy Ray. Cassie withheld a gasp.
On the desk, a gleaming computer setup waited. Jimmy Ray walked to it slowly, tentatively touching it, running his hands over the smooth surface, before turning to his mother. “Do you think it’s a mistake, Mama? That it’s supposed to be somewhere else?”
Cassie had seen a computer on Blake’s desk. “I don’t know. You’d better ask Mr. Matthews.”
“Sure, Mama.” But his eyes hadn’t left the computer.
Cassie hoped the computer was indeed meant for Jimmy Ray, especially since Blake had been so adamant about her son’s computer education. But she guessed the expensive computer belonged to Blake’s children. Still, if Jimmy Ray could just have access to it... Wiping an unexpected bit of moisture from her eyes, she turned to Maria. “I guess I’m next.”
“Down this way.” The hall curved, and a skylight poured sunshine into the area, highlighting a beautiful arrangement of fresh, vibrant flowers. Trying to keep her eyeballs attached, Cassie followed as the hall wound around toward the other side of the house.
They passed a few closed doors, and Cassie couldn’t contain her curiosity. “Maria, what are these rooms?”
“Some are guest rooms. Also the library, sunroom and music room.”
“I thought one of the guest rooms was mine.”
Maria smiled. “The one Senor Matthews picked out for you is larger than these—a suite. We’re almost there.”
Cassie digested that. “There was no need to make a fuss.” She couldn’t help craning her neck back, looking longingly toward the wing her children’s rooms were in. Feeling homesick and disoriented, she wished her room was closer to theirs.
Maria stopped, then turned with a smile. “And this is your room,
señora
.”
Stepping inside, Cassie withheld a gasp. A Queen Anne—style cherrywood four-poster bed dominated the center of the bedroom, and a sheer, gauzy white canopy seemed to float above the bed. Fragile curtains of the same gauzy white material were pushed back to reveal a triple-paneled set of French doors. Instinctively Cassie stepped closer, seeing that the doors led to a flagstone terrace. Turning around, she saw that matching pieces of cherrywood completed the furniture.
She moved farther inside, still staring. The sitting room, separated by an arched open doorway, was also furnished in traditional pieces. A love seat and wing chair faced the huge white marble fireplace. The mantel was also carved from rich cherrywood. It struck Cassie that this was the only room not decorated with stylish but almost stark modern furniture. The familiar style warmed her chilled, nervous heart.
Turning back toward the bedroom, she saw that a beautifully crafted Persian rug covered the wood planked floor, adding a splash of color. Her gaze skipped to the night-stand, which held a vase filled with more exotic blooms. The room was at once elegant and inviting.
Impulsively Cassie turned to the woman who waited near the doorway. “This is beautiful, Maria.”
“Si,
yes,
señora.”
“Cassie, please. We’ll be working together now.”
Maria smiled. “Cassie.”
“Is your room close by?”
Maria shook her head. “We’re in the separate houses.” At Cassie’s puzzled look, she explained. “Behind the big house are servants’ quarters. The staff lives there. Pedro—the general handyman—and his wife, Isabelle, who’s one of the maids. Albert, the driver, and Dora, the new maid.”
“Oh. Still, this room, and my children’s rooms, seem awfully nice for hired help.” Cassie glanced again at the scrumptious furnishings.
Maria shrugged. “Senor Matthews is a nice man.”
He’d certainly pulled her bacon out of the fire, Cassie agreed silently.
Turning toward the hall, Maria shrugged again. “This part of the house is usually for guests, but maybe he doesn’t think of you as staff.”
Startled, Cassie met the woman’s warm brown eyes. “You don’t...mean....”
Maria lifted a casual shoulder. “You are to be in charge of his children. That is a special job.”
Relieved, Cassie managed a smile. “I guess so.”
Maria moved toward the doorway, then paused. “Welcome, Cassie. I hope you’re happy here.”
“Thanks, Maria. Me too.”
After the woman left, Cassie turned back to the incredible room, gave in to the urge that had been plaguing her, and pinched herself. But the room didn’t fade away. Laughing aloud, she dropped back on the downy comfort of the bed. She was truly in paradise.
PARADISE had a lot of faces, Cassie discovered. And the three belonging to Blake’s children held expressions ranging from disinterest to dislike to disrespect.
Blake had briefly introduced them. The oldest, fourteen-year-old Kevin, challenged her with a single glance. The nine-year-old twins, Mark and Todd, imitated their older brother’s belligerent actions. Before she could take in any more about them, Blake fled to a meeting.
The boys were as bad as he’d described. Mouthy, disdainful and uninterested, they scattered as soon as their father was out of sight. Cassie decided not to pursue them until she knew the house and her job a little better.
Acquainting herself with the huge kitchen, Cassie looked for enough essentials to prepare dinner. Pulling open the refrigerator, she rooted through the sparse contents. Frowning, she decided that no one had gone shopping since the previous housekeeper left.
Uncovering tuna and noodles in the pantry, she put together a casserole. A search of the freezer yielded enough frozen entrées to last a month, but no vegetables. A further search through the pantry provided enough of the basics to make biscuits and a yellow cake. For all the kitchen’s designer style and modern conveniences, it wasn’t stocked to feed a family.
Hands on hips, Cassie surveyed the bountiful counter space, the island workstation and the adjoining breakfast room. The room curved invitingly around a huge bay window that revealed a burst of colorful, exotic flowers and lush greenery landscaping the yard.