It was a damn shame that he was wearing jeans and not a suit. In a tux, she knew he’d steal her breath away.
She was having a hard time taking a full breath even now.
In fact, the sight of Reid turned out might seriously compromise her determination to keep her distance.
A tux, or even a suit, and she’d be his for the taking, reputation be damned.
“The christening,” Cassie admitted. “Nick and Tori’s daughter, Emily.”
“Right. Just for the weekend, then.” He nodded. “Takes high stakes to bring you back, Cassie Wilson,” he continued, his tone teasing. “I don’t remember you coming for the wedding, even though it was your cousin and best friend getting hitched.”
“They stopped in New York on their honeymoon so I didn’t have to.”
“Bet your mom loved that decision.”
“I was working,” Cassie said, hearing a familiar bit of defensiveness in her tone. Why did everyone find it so hard to believe that Montrose River wasn’t a draw for her? “Even now, I’m just here until Sunday night.”
Emily wailed so loudly that both Cassie and Reid looked toward the check-out.
“Well, maybe our paths will cross again. Enjoy,” Reid said, indicating the salsa, then turned back to the mop.
Cassie treated herself to a look at his butt, telling herself that her interest was professional, then walked carefully down the aisle. She felt Reid watching her and wondered if she would see him again. She had just about nothing to lose in town now, and indulging her curiosity about the baddest boy in town was a serious temptation.
She wondered if she was more wicked than Reid these days, which made her smile.
Would he be at the christening? She expected that pretty much everyone in town would be. Would he wear a suit? What would happen if she jumped his bones at the christening?
She’d leave them with something to talk about in town, at least.
She could be brave in Montrose River, since her tormentor had moved away and wasn’t coming for the christening. She’d double-checked that he’d be absent, just to make sure.
Tori was in line to check out, bouncing Emily in a futile effort to stop the baby from getting even louder. “Great!” she said when Cassie came into view. She was clearly desperate to get out of the store before the baby barfed or howled or whatever it was that babies did when they were upset. Mere hours in her cousin Nick’s house had nearly convinced Cassie to make it surgically impossible for her to reproduce. Clearly, she lacked the baby love gene.
“Thanks!” Cassie helped to pack the groceries so they got out of the store as quickly as possible.
Emily calmed down as soon as they were outside.
“I knew it,” Tori said, cuddling the baby under the chin. “She was just too warm in there.” Emily gurgled and drooled and Cassie averted her gaze.
To think that people conceived by choice. It was beyond belief.
The outside air wasn’t nearly as spring-like as Cassie had expected it to be in April. It had been balmy in Manhattan but not in Montrose River. As much as she loved her boots, she had to admit that they weren’t the most sensible choice here. Tori pushed the cart toward the minivan, carrying the cooing Emily. Cassie followed, picking her path with care, not really listening to her oldest friend’s update on everything and everyone.
She had time to decide that Sunday night couldn’t come soon enough—and then she saw the car.
It was a sleek sports car in cherry red, polished to a gleam. It looked completely out of place in the parking lot of the Shop ’n Save, and the other drivers knew it, because there was a space around it, as if it was on display. Untouchable. The minivans, pickup trucks, and economy cars kept their distance from its gleaming perfection.
“That’s an Aston Martin,” Cassie whispered, halfway thinking it was a mirage. The one thing she didn’t like about Manhattan was that it made no sense to have a car. She loved cars. She’d grown up hanging around her uncle’s garage, the garage that now belonged to her cousin Nick, running errands and sometimes being allowed to help with repairs.
Cassie missed cars, especially the fabulous ones. She’d learned to drive at the garage and had been allowed to move vehicles from the lot into the bay and back, once she’d shown a talent for parking with accuracy. She remembered the chance to drive an old Corvette that Nick had bought to fix up as one of the highlights of her life here.
But a car like this... Cassie wasn’t even sure she’d ever seen one in person before.
She took a step closer and peered inside, noting the creamy leather upholstery. It was meticulously maintained, as if it was brand new.
Someone’s baby.
She wondered whose.
It had to be a visitor in town—but why would anyone with this much money visit this town by choice?
“Yes, that’s his latest,” Tori said, fishing in her purse for her keys.
“Who?”
“Reid Jackson.”
Cassie was shocked and skeptical. “Reid Jackson owns this car?”
“Yup.” Tori pushed the remote and the back hatch of the navy minivan opened. “I think he’s only had it since Christmas.”
“But he’s still working at the Shop ’n Save!”
Tori laughed. “He owns the Shop ’n Save, Cassie.” She gestured with her keys. “He bought it from Uncle Marty.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“And he owns Monroe’s Hardware, and the gas station, and the liquor store, and about three quarters of the rental real estate in town. He built those new apartments on the other side of town a few years ago, too.”
Cassie had a hard time making sense of her friend’s words. “Reid is rich?”
“Doesn’t Ally tell you anything?” Tori demanded, referring to Cassie’s younger sister.
“No.” Cassie bit off the word and got a hard look from her friend. The last thing she wanted to do was talk about her sister, except maybe talk to her sister.
“She’s coming Sunday, you know.”
“I’m sure we can manage to avoid each other, even in close proximity.”
“Cassie!”
“We were talking about Reid,” she reminded her friend.
Tori cocked a finger at her. “No, we were talking about Reid being rich. I guess he is. He’s worked hard for it, though. No one gave him anything. And he’s a nice guy, too. He gave my cousin a break on her rent when she was sick.”
“Reid is rich and he’s nice?” Cassie couldn’t quite comprehend that both things could be true.
Tori laughed. “I know! There are plenty of people in town who still don’t believe it.”
Montrose River wasn’t very big, but it had still had a wrong side of the tracks. Reid had been from that part of town and Cassie knew he’d been very poor. He’d had a chance with that football scholarship, but it hadn’t amounted to anything, thanks to his knees. She turned to glance back at the independent grocery store, seeing it with new eyes. It had been updated and the parking lot had been repaved.
Reid himself came out of the store and smiled when he saw her beside the car. “Like it?”
“It’s gorgeous. My cousins would kill to touch an Aston Martin.”