Embezzled Love (29 page)

He laughed. "Hell, no. I can't even keep up with what I'm doing. Although the idea does appeal to me, I've got guys working on three jobs right now, and between running for supplies, calling on new clients, doing follow-ups, and trying not to make you mad, I have a full-time job plus."

She relaxed into a smile. "I hate getting mad at you. I just want things to go back like they were in the beginning. We were happy…actually did things together. Seems like we're drifting apart. We barely talk anymore."

"If only you could quit your other job and just work at home. I'm here most of the time, workin' on plans, makin' phone calls…." His gaze locked with hers. "Maybe we should make a point to take a break and share some together time…try to get back what we've lost."

"That sounds wonderful…as long as we don't go to Vegas."

They shared a laugh before Evan gathered her into his familiar embrace. For a moment, until she pictured more grocery bags under her desk, everything looked brighter.

Chapter Thirty-Six

The brightness didn't last long. Here she sat, wondering where Evan had gone. Although the businesses seemed to be booming, and Evan continually bragged about new clients clamoring for his services, his fuse grew shorter and shorter. One day, he was cheerful and the next, horrid. He and Cassie constantly bickered. All she did was ask a simple question when she came home to a ton of phone messages. "If you're working at home, why don't you answer the phone instead of expecting me to make the callbacks?"

In her opinion, their arguments all stemmed from his inability to understand how difficult it was for her to handle two jobs. If she included commute time, her position at Orion required being gone over twelve hours a day. If she added in the time spent agonizing over Evan's criticism, no surprise she had little time or energy to spare. As the contracts increased, so did the mail and the messages piling up on the answering machine.

After he'd ragged on her for thirty minutes about trying to micro-manage his life, he left in her car, burning rubber in the driveway. Aside from his attitude, his leaving his vehicle behind and helping himself to the Toyota pissed her off even more.

Pressure pounded in Cassie's temples. Evan kept insisting she was the CEO so why not act like one. Buckling under pressure, she made an executive decision and picked up the phone. She dialed her sister's number.

"Hi, Alaine, it's me. I have a proposition for you, and I want you to consider it very seriously."

"Sounds intense. What is it?"

"I know your job doesn't pay well, so I want you to quit and come to work for me and Evan. I know you haven't interacted with him since we made up, but I'll make the change worth your while. You can be in charge of hiring, firing and payroll…everything Evan's isn't overseeing."

"Why are you asking me?" Alaine sounded perplexed.

"I can't take the stress anymore. Things have gotten out of hand, and all Evan and I do is fight over business crap."

A long pause ensued.

"I can't quit my job, Cass. I need the medical benefits."

"I'm aware of that, and I'll make sure you're covered by our company policy. On top of that, I'll pay you more than you make right now. What do you say?"

"I don't know. This is kind of sudden. Can I think about it overnight?"

"Sure, but please, please, give my offer serious consideration. I really need your help."

After hanging up, Cassie lifted her eyes to heaven and sent up a silent prayer. She massaged her forehead, trying to dispel the ache, and decided to call it quits for the night. Still dressed in the same clothes she wore to work, she trudged upstairs, peeled off her clothing and started to get into the shower. She'd just stepped inside the stall when she thought she heard the phone. She turned off the shower then craned her ear upward.

She considered letting the machine pick up the call, but what if Evan was calling? She wrapped in a towel and hurried to the nightstand. Wet hands made answering the phone tricky, but she managed to get the receiver to her ear. Water trickled between her breasts.

"Hello."

"Hi, it's me." Cass recognized Alaine's voice. "I've decided I don't need any more time to consider your offer. I accept. I want to give two week's notice, but in the meantime, if you need help, I can come by after work."

Unable to contain her glee, Cassie clenched her hand into a victory fist. "Yes!"

Her towel slipped to the floor, and she stood stark naked, reveling in the moment. "Oh, thanks, Alaine. I promise you won't regret your decision. Come by tomorrow night and we'll discuss all the details."

"I'll be there. Please make sure Evan understands exactly what you've hired me to do. I don't want any problems."

"Don't sweat it. He'll be happy someone is taking care of business, and maybe he'll get off my back. See you later, sis. You've made my night."

Cass put the receiver back in place and retrieved her towel. Following her damp footprints, she danced back into the bathroom. She dropped the terrycloth onto the toilet seat and slipped back into the shower. Funny, already the stress between her shoulder blades had eased, and her headache was almost gone. God bless Alaine.

* * *

Her shower finished, Cassie stood in front of the mirror and combed her wet hair. Furrows marred her reflected brow. How would Evan react to her hiring Alaine? No matter. She acted her role in the business, and since he wasn't happy with her inability to keep up with the paperwork, he'd probably appreciate Alaine's knowledge of bookkeeping. Who better for the job? Would he even be home tonight? Exactly how mad was he?

The hot shower zapped what little energy Cassie had left. Deciding to let her hair air dry, she tightened the belt on her robe, plunged her feet into her slippers and went to the kitchen in search of a quick snack. A car door slammed, then footsteps thumped the cement outside. Evan was home.

Cassie squared her shoulders, bracing for the worst, but continued making her salami sandwich. After adding a crispy piece of lettuce, she slapped the two pieces of bread together and took a bite. She was chewing when Evan came inside.

His chin lowered, he peered up sheepishly from beneath his dark brows. "Okay, let me have it. I overreacted and made an ass of myself."

She swallowed then cleared her throat. "Well, talk about surprises. I expected to go another ten rounds with you before we made up."

His mouth formed a crooked smile. "I'm throwin' in the towel. I had a bad day and took it out on you. When you mentioned the phone, you hit a nerve. I got a call earlier today from my sister saying Marlene ain't doin' well."

The sadness in his eyes tugged at Cassie's heart. She lessened the space between them and gathered him into a hug. "I'm sorry, babe. I wish I'd known."

"I still shouldn't have gone off on you like that." He held her at arm's length. "My sis called again right before I came home. The doctors don't expect Marlene to live much longer. I need to go be there for her."

Cass nodded. "I understand."

Evan gave her a peck on the forehead, then went to his desk and pulled out the telephone directory. "I hope I can get a flight."

She stood at his shoulder. "I'm sure if you tell them it's a family emergency—"

"Yes, I need to make a reservation."

When he hung up, his shoulders didn't look quite so laden. "They're gonna get me on the 'red eye.' I need to pack and scoot."

"You're going tonight? I'd hoped we could talk."

"About what?"

"Maybe this isn't the best time. Go ahead and get your things together. We can talk later. What I have to say will keep."

Evan clasped her hand. "We can talk while I pack."

Cassie followed, grimacing. Something told her dropping the "Alaine" bomb right before he headed out the door wasn't a good idea. She weighed the pros and cons on the way upstairs, and one big pro won out. If he got upset, he'd be gone for a while, giving him time to get over the shock.

The bag he'd used for his Vegas trip still sat in the closet. Cassie stood in the doorway and watched while he grabbed several shirts and pairs of pants, then placed them neatly inside the medium-sized suitcase.

He passed her in the doorway, on his way to the dresser. "What's on your mind?"

Cassie scratched an itch just above her left eyebrow and took a deep breath. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you how stressed I've become trying to juggle two jobs at once…."

He walked by her again, his arms filled with socks and underwear which he dumped atop his other clothes. "Yeah, I think I've noticed." He grinned.

"So, I got to thinking. I'm not doing a very good job of keeping up with things, and I know that upsets you, so…." She wrung her hands.

"Spit it out, Cass. I've got to get going." He latched the bag shut and stood holding it, preparing to leave.

She took a quick breath. "You're always reminding me I'm the CEO, so I hired someone to be the office manager." There, she'd said it. She held her breath and waited.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Luckily, Evan didn't have time before his flight to engage in a discussion about Cassie's executive decision. He merely gave her a quick kiss and departed without a word, leaving her standing in the doorway. She hoped he would see the value in having her relinquish responsibility. She had far more than she could handle, and regardless of what Evan might eventually think, she felt a whole lot better. She locked the door behind him and went up to bed.

A blaring ring jarred her from sleep. A quick glance at the illuminated clock revealed the time—four thirty a.m. She fumbled in the darkness to find the phone, her heart pounding. No one called at such an ungodly hour unless something bad happened.

"Hello," she said tentatively.

"Cass, it's Evan."

From his voice she knew something was wrong. "Is everything okay?"

"No." Tears choked his voice. "Marlene didn't make it. I got here and went straight to the hospital, but she was already gone."

Sorrow seized Cassie's heart. "I'm so sorry, babe. I feel your pain. I wish I was there to hold you."

"Thanks." He sniffed. "I'll be fine. Just take me a little time to accept her passin'. I guess I'll be here for a while. The funeral and all, you know."

"I understand. Take all the time you need."

"Do me a favor?"

"Anything."

"Can you hang around this morning until the guys show up?"

"I can do that. Why?"

"I have some new landscape plans on my desk. Give them to Miguel and tell him to have two of the men get started at that address. The other two can finish up at the Parker place."

"Sounds simple enough. I'll take care of it. Do what you need to do and don't worry about anything."

"Okay, baby girl. I love you."

Cassie hung up, her heart heavy for Evan. He'd already lost one mother and now Marlene. How Cass dreaded the day when her own mother would pass. She shook the horrible through from her mind and snuggled back down beneath the blankets, but sleep eluded her.

After tossing and turning for forty-five minutes, she decided to get up. Her alarm was scheduled to go off within a short time anyhow.

Leaving the warmth of her bed brought goose bumps to her bare arms. She stripped off her nightgown and jumped into the shower to quell the morning chill. Her thoughts focused on Evan and the painful days ahead.

After her shower, she dried her freshly shampooed hair and styled it. When she walked into the closet to select her day's attire, she noticed the shirt Evan had haphazardly tossed into the hamper. She picked the garment up and held it to her cheek, inhaling his cologne and familiar odor. Hopefully, her loving thoughts would transcend the miles and help ease his sorrow.

A feeling of foolishness seized her. A grown woman hugging dirty laundry? Had she lost her sensibility? When she tossed the shirt back, something fell from the pocket. She bent and picked up the slip of paper and studied it. "Abe's Pawn Shop," she read. Why would Evan have a receipt from such a place?

Her question unanswered, she tucked the ticket into her nightstand drawer and selected black slacks and a blazer over a red blouse. The receipt niggled at her while she finished getting ready for work. She had no other choice but to wait until Evan returned to ask him what he pawned. While he was grieving was not the time to inquire.

As she was leaving the bedroom, the phone rang again.

"Hello."

"Hey, it's Alaine. I'm giving my notice today and I wondered what time you want me to come by tonight. I can't wait to see what I've gotten myself into."

Cassie chuckled. "You have no idea, believe me. I'm usually home around six, so any time after that works for me. Evan won't be here, so we can go over everything and I can answer any questions you have."