“I’m thirty-two, Rhett. I haven’t rushed for at least thirty years. Don’t think I’ll start now.”
Rhett pulled up to the curb of her duplex. He turned and stared at her. She was as lovable as a teddy bear but very childlike. He didn’t need some slick Eurotrash like Franz Ruslan muscling in on his sister and making her his meal ticket to permanent residence in California.
“Live with the guy for a while,” he suggested. “Don’t slip a ring on. That’s serious stuff, Suellen. Besides, this situation could escalate. Public intoxication and a sloppy drunk today could lead to a mean, messy drunk tomorrow. I don’t want to see you hurt.”
“Okay,” she said grudgingly. “I’ll think about it.” She bent and ruffled Franz’s hair and kissed his cheek. “Wake up, sleepyhead. We’re home.”
Franz sat up, blinking a few times.
Rhett got out of the car and helped both of them exit. He glared at Franz. “No more bailing you out, Franz. This is twice I’ve played white knight. I won’t help again.”
“Okay,” Franz said agreeably. He leaned on Suellen as Rhett watched them stagger up the stairs to the front door.
“Call me later,” Rhett shouted before he got back into his car.
He watched to make sure Suellen got inside safely and then turned the ignition, tamping down his sour mood. Lack of sleep coupled with missing his morning workout made for a bad combination. He needed something to jump-start him, preferably something awful that would cause Leo to groan.
Rhett saw a convenience store and pulled in. He bought two Krispy Kreme donuts and a large regular coffee and took it back to the car. He downed the donuts in seconds and licked his fingers clean of sugar, wiping a hand on his faded jeans. Glancing in the mirror, he might have been a bad guy from one of his movies. His hair was matted, he had circles under his eyes, and dark stubble shadowed his face.
Rhett pulled out and decided he definitely fit the neighborhood. Suellen lived on the edge of what was becoming a rough part of town. Then it hit him. He was pretty near Cassie’s apartment. Curiosity led him to turn in her direction. He would simply drive by and see if it was as bad as Norman led him to believe.
Sure enough, rundown didn’t begin to describe her area, with dilapidated buildings and storefronts bearing iron bars. He decided to cruise through Cassie’s parking lot as he came to her corner and see if it got any better. It worried him where she lived.
As he turned right, Rhett saw Cassie standing in the parking lot, bawling her eyes out. One glance and he knew.
The Range Rover was gone.
Rhett parked his SUV and got out. As he walked toward Cassie, she took all her anger out over the car being gone on him.
“I can’t believe you’re checking up on me. Did you just happen to be in the neighborhood? Okay. Get it over with, Corrigan. Just fire my ass now.”
“Actually, I was in your neighborhood. A few blocks from here. With my sister.”
Her blue eyes flashed fire at him. “Right,” she said, sarcasm lacing her voice. “Well, you trusted me with your precious Range Rover, even though I warned you, and just like that—poof! It’s gone! So fire me and let me call the police and we’ll file whatever report needs to be filed, and then I’m out of your life. Permanently. Okay? Knocking two Corrigan cars out of your rotation in a week is my limit.”
She pulled out the cell Rhett gave her yesterday. “Is this emergency enough to call 911 or do I just dial the operator?” She frowned. “I don’t even know the license plate. Or what year it is. Or who your insurance company is. I hate this!”
Cassie dissolved into tears again. Rhett enfolded her in his arms as sobs racked her body.
“I will never, ever get ahead here. I’m moving back to Texas. Everyone will know I’m a failure at twenty-seven.”
“Shhh.” Rhett stroked her silky hair, trying to quieten her.
“I’ve tried. Lord knows, I’ve really tried. Nothing’s worked. Acting proved a huge disaster. They said I’m not tall enough. I’m fat. My boobs aren’t big enough. Plus, I wouldn’t sleep with any casting directors. I don’t do drugs. I don’t have enough talent. I don’t have any talent. Trying to go the talent agent route was even worse. I suck. Totally suck. At everything.”
Rhett glanced down at her. “You’re what, five-six? About one-thirty?”
Cassie sniffed. “Right on the nose. You’ve got a good eye, Corrigan. Must be all those cop roles you’ve played.”
“You’re plenty tall. And you’re not fat. Plus, you’ve got amazing calves.”
She looked slightly mollified. “I run a lot.” She shrugged out of his arms and put a little distance between them.
“Pardon my observation but your boobs look in proportion with the rest of you. Besides, sleeping with casting directors is vastly overrated. No matter what they say, it usually doesn’t lead to landing the role.”
Rhett sighed. “I know you’re talented enough to run Manny’s agency while he coked up. You’ve already got my household perking along after one day. I can’t wait for you to start reading scripts for me and running lines with me. I think you’ve got plenty of talent, Cassie Carroll. Don’t go back to Texas.
“Move in with me instead.”
She gasped. “What did you just say?”
“You live in a terrible neighborhood, Cassie. You know you’ll have to put some long hours and days in on the job. Wouldn’t it be easier if you were in Brentwood?”
Her face couldn’t hide how her mind whirled as she mulled over his offer. Her hesitation made him plunge ahead.
“I guarantee you would have your privacy. I have a gatehouse on the property, behind the cabana. It’s where Breck started out but he wound up moving into the big house with me. The gatehouse has two bedrooms, both really spacious, and it’s just a short walk to the main house.” He flashed the famous Corrigan grin, certain it would seal the deal. “You can’t beat a commute like that.”
It startled the hell out of him when those luscious lips of her spit out a very strong, “No.”
Rhett frowned at her. “Why not? Don’t tell me you’re attached to this place.”
“No. It’s Jolene. My roommate. I can’t leave her, Rhett. She waits tables, barely makes enough to get by, and hits the comedy clubs at night doing stand-up. I pay her share of the rent half the time and then juggle the rest of the bills. Without me, Jolene would starve. I can’t turn my back on her, no matter how generous an offer you make me.”
Rhett took a deep breath, admiring her loyalty to her roommate. “You’re saying it’s a package deal. Both or neither. Right?”
Cassie smiled through her tears. “I suppose you could say that. Plus, my cat. TJ. He’s the deal maker or breaker, I guess.”
“Then I suppose you two ladies and Mr. TJ will need a little time to get packed.”
◆◆◆
Hesitation flickered inside Cassie. Jo was a fiend of a gossip. Could her friend really keep to herself all that she saw at the Corrigan estate? Rhett’s generosity could solve so many problems. She was worn out pinching pennies and fighting to keep her head above water.