Cassie shook her head. “That’s when I swerved to avoid hitting a frou-frou pooch and slammed into Rhett’s car. By the time he pulled the dazed and confused me out of my vehicle, I was as bedraggled as a person gets and still determined to make it to my interview, missing pump and all.
“I think maybe that’s why Rhett wanted to give me a chance. He saw I was determined to go through with the interview, despite the awful circumstances.”
“What about moving onto his estate?”
“I didn’t weasel my way into the gatehouse. Please don’t think that. Rhett gave me the Range Rover you’d driven to do errands after he saw my beat-up ride. I told him not to do it. I knew my neighborhood was not the type to leave that kind of car sitting unattended. I was right. Someone stole it that first night.”
“Was Rhett mad?”
Cassie thought. “Not really. But he saw the dive I lived in and offered the gatehouse to my roommate and me since it was empty. It was a very gracious offer. Since we would be working closely together, it made sense, so I took him up on it. I can assure you that I’m saving money for a place of my own, and Jolene and I are also paying Rhett rent. I’ll be long gone before you come back to work, Carreen.”
Carreen sipped at her water again. “I hear Breck’s taken with you and your roommate.”
“Breck’s just a bad boy with a good heart. I like spending time with him. Jolene is totally gone over him. Breck’s probably never dated someone like Jolene. She’s a smart-ass with a mouth on her but she’s good as gold. They seem an unlikely couple but then again, how many are like that in real life?”
Cassie paused. “I know as Rhett’s older sister, you want to protect him, Carreen. I also realize I’d be awfully skeptical if someone as off the wall as I sound instantly inserted herself into my brother’s life so fast. In all honesty, all I want to do is the best job I can while you’re recovering. I need the work. I need the experience. I’ve got to have something better than Manny on my resume and having worked for Rhett will hopefully open up job opportunities for me.”
Cassie’s lip trembled. “I can’t go home to Texas. There’s nothing for me there. I may not have realized the dream I once had but no one said I couldn’t change my dreams. I may never act in a Hollywood film but I can have a part in putting someone in one. Hey, if behind every successful man there’s the little woman who helped get him there, then I’m going to hold to the twist on that. For every successful actor, there’s an agent or assistant who made his life right so he could give it his all up there on the screen.”
Cassie sniffed. “If that means I’m going to book Rhett’s hair appointments and clothes fittings and take Shep to the vet and read scripts and get him to appointments on time, then I will be the best damned assistant out there.”
Carreen’s eyes held a satisfaction lacking before now. Cassie’s heart sang, knowing she had won Carreen’s approval.
She heard the front door open again. “Hello? Carreen? It’s Scarlett.”
In walked a girl in her mid-twenties with a knockout figure and Rhett’s eyes and mouth. She had legs that probably went up to Cassie’s shoulder. Cassie estimated she was easily six feet tall.
She plopped next to Carreen’s chair and took her sister’s hand. “Hey, sweetie. How are you today?” Without waiting for an answer, she looked over and sized up Cassie. “I’m Scarlett. Carreen’s giant baby sister. I have everyone at UCLA Law School terrified of me but Carreen still thinks I’m about twelve and shouldn’t even be dating.”
Cassie laughed, warming immediately to Scarlett. Her own best friend in high school had that Amazon height and Rocki had been just as blunt and in your face. “I’m Cassie Carroll. Rhett’s new assistant.”
Scarlett frowned. She immediately looked at Carreen, her eyes flashing with anger. “He replaced you?” she exploded. “What kind of asshole brother would do that?” Scarlett glared at Cassie.
“The kind who has a career going strong and can’t afford to wait around for me to get well,” Carreen threw out. “I’ve begged Rhett to hire someone, Scarlett. Cassie is sweet and efficient and did not deserve what you just said. Apologize—or you can leave right now.”
Scarlett flushed a dull red. “I’m sorry,” she told Cassie. “Nothing personal. Just closing ranks, I guess. We’re not used to outsiders involved in Rhett’s business.”
“I understand,” Cassie assured the youngest Corrigan. “I’m only around until Carreen comes back to work.”
“I’m not coming back.”
Her jaw dropped. “But . . . you have to,” Cassie sputtered. “Rhett expects you to. I came into this job knowing that it was temporary.”
Carreen swallowed, looking pale and fragile. “I’ve taken care of Rhett his whole life. Changed his diapers. Taught him to ride a bike. Really cranked it up when I showed him how to throw a spiral and a spitball, much less the finer workings of how to ask a girl on a date. I even taught him how to drive. Since he’s been acting, I’ve taken care of everything for him. I’m tired of it.
“I’m ready to do something for me. If cancer has taught me anything, it’s to live in the moment and be happy with what I’m doing. Well, I’ve always wanted to be an interior designer. When I’m well, I’m going back to school and earn the certification. I can schedule clients around the kids’ hours at school. It’ll allow me to be creative. Best of all, I’ll work for myself.”
Carreen sighed. “I love Rhett to pieces, but I’ve been a second mom to him all these years. I’m ready to cut the apron strings and follow my own dreams.”
“That’s why you wanted to meet me,” Cassie said. “You needed to see firsthand if I could handle Rhett and his affairs.”
Carreen nodded. “I thought you could from the moment he first mentioned you. Then when Breck came to visit and started talking about The General, I got more scoop from him. Even at that, I needed to check you out in person.”
She took Cassie’s hand. “Now that I’ve seen you and Rhett interact, I know you’ll handle anything he throws your way. Because of that, I’ll tell him when he gets back.”
“Tell me what?”
CHAPTER 15
Cassie awoke to TJ standing next to her face, his large eyes inches from hers. She scratched his head as he kneaded the pillow, wondering why she ever bothered setting an alarm. The orange tabby had only let her down once—the morning of her almost-interview at Merriman Smith. Cassie figured if she hadn’t run late, she would never have met Rhett.
She padded into the kitchen and warmed TJ’s breakfast in the microwave. The furball had her trained better than she ever would him. Cassie returned to her bedroom and threw on running clothes. She slipped out the door and did some stretches. An old hamstring injury nagged her at times so she was always careful to warm up.
Rhett joined her as she began her run.
“Morning.”
She’d discovered Rhett ran three mornings a week and he’d fallen into a pattern of accompanying her on those days. Since it was five-thirty, they had the neighborhood to themselves.