Cassie enjoyed the rhythm of their relationship. Running. Business. Usually eating lunch together to go over various items. She’d also taken part in the weekly poker party again. Instead of feeling awkward about being the token female, she let go and enjoyed it. Her life was shaping up, with Rhett accepting she would be his assistant for the foreseeable future.
He’d been angry and upset when he’d overheard Carreen’s words about leaving because of the love he had for his sister. After he calmed down and Carreen explained things to him, he was all for the move. He promised Carreen that he would line up plenty of clients for her and even promised that she could re-do his entire house if she wanted.
They jogged up a steep incline, both of them putting a little extra muscle into it. As usual, Rhett let a mile or so pass before he started up a conversation.
“You talk to the people at the ACS again yesterday?”
“Yes. They liked the ideas from last week’s meeting and they’re ready for us to go full steam ahead. Both Becky and I are meeting with them a couple of days after Christmas.”
“That soon? I thought you’d probably take a week or two off so you could go see your family.”
She shook her head. “Rhett, I haven’t been on your payroll for long. I haven’t accrued that kind of time off. Besides, airfare is expensive this time of year. I hadn’t made plans to go home.”
He stopped in his tracks. “Not go home? Cassie, that’s foolish. Nothing here’s so pressing that I couldn’t give you some time off. I can give you a salary advance if—”
“No.” Cassie kept running so Rhett caught up with her. “I don’t want to go home. I don’t have the kind of family life you do, Rhett. I haven’t been home since I came to California almost ten years ago. Things are . . . difficult.”
She left it at that. She wasn’t about to get into her family dynamics. Losing her dad at a young age. Never seeing her mom because she worked three and four jobs to make the rent and put food on the table. Never feeling as if she pleased her mom, despite bringing home outstanding grades and staying away from the troubles many teenagers fell into. Cassie sent money home to Texas every month but she rarely heard anything back. In the Carroll household, Christmas was just another day, not a time to celebrate togetherness.
“Well, that means you need to have dinner with my family.”
“Thanks, Rhett, but no.”
“Come on, Cassie. Mom would have my hide if she knew you were down at the gatehouse, eating Cheetos with TJ on your lap, watching It’s a Wonderful Life and bawling your eyes out.”
“I never eat Cheetos because they turn your fingers all orangey. I’m a Lay’s potato chip girl at heart. Plus, I would be curled up with a good book instead of watching TV.”
“Seriously, I want you to come. Mom likes you. Even Scarlett likes you and she hardly ever likes anyone. You haven’t met Suellen and Mister Eurotrash yet. How could you pass up an opportunity like that? Besides, Breck told me that he was going up to Sacramento to meet Jolene’s family. You’ll be all alone.”
His offer tempted her. Cassie wouldn’t mind having the gatehouse to herself for a few days while Jo was gone but it would be nice to be around a loving family. For once.
Rhett grinned. “I can tell you’ve already made up your mind. It’s settled. You’ll have to come over Christmas Eve, too. You can go to church with us and we have this huge buffet spread with all kinds of dips and chips and things that are totally bad for you. Leo would have a heart attack if he saw it all. I read the kids “The Night Before Christmas” and then we watch the Peanuts special where Linus tells the Christmas story. Then everyone comes back to Mom’s around noon the next day. We’ll have a big dinner and open presents. The works.”
Their feet pounded the pavement as Rhett added, “We drew names back at Thanksgiving but that’s when Breck thought he was going to be here. You can check with him to see whose name he got. I know Breck. No way has he already shopped for a present. I’ll make sure someone has your name, too, instead of his. This’ll be great!”
Cassie laughed. Rhett sounded like a kid himself. She guessed Christmas did that to some people.
“What do I need to contribute, food-wise?”
“On Christmas Eve, you better bring that queso with the sausage in it that you made for the last poker game. I could make a meal on that. For Christmas dinner, we eat at two. Mom always buys and heats a ham but she’s not much on cooking. I always have to pick up sides somewhere. If Carreen feels up to it, she’ll do apple pie, her specialty. Everything else is pretty hodgepodge. Why don’t we sit down when we get back and come up with a menu?”
“Sounds like a plan. I like to cook, though. You shouldn’t have to pick anything up. I think this might be fun.”
Then it hit her. Rhett had a girlfriend. Randi would present at these Christmas events unless she happened to be visiting with her own family. Cassie wondered how to extricate herself from the plans they’d already made because there was no way she would willingly spend any day—much less a holiday—with Randal James at her throat.
They looped around the circle they were on and started back to Rhett’s estate. They jogged in silence for a few minutes before he spoke.
“Since you’re going to be in town, would you like to go with me to Ken’s premiere? It’s on the twenty-first. I know he’d love to have you come.”
Cassie felt like she was negotiating a minefield. “Won’t Randi be back by then?”
Rhett frowned. “Not until the twenty-fourth. Why?”
“Thanks, but I think I’ll pass. Besides having nothing to wear to a Hollywood premiere, I don’t want Randi upset with me. Your girlfriend isn’t too fond of me as it is. No sense rocking the boat.”
“Who cares what Randi thinks?”
Cassie glanced over at Rhett. His jaw was set in stone and his gray eyes flashed with smoldering anger.
“The press already knows you’re an item,” she pointed out. “If you show up at the premiere with me, even though I’m a nobody, it’ll simply add fuel to the gossip pyre.”
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t want to be with Randi anymore. In fact, I think I should have my head examined for hooking up with her in the first place. She’s been the biggest mistake I’ve made—and I’ve made my fair share.”
Her insides fluttered. “You’re breaking up with her?”
“The minute she gets back. I don’t believe in break-up by text or else I would’ve done it already.”
Cassie slugged him in the arm without thinking. “Corrigan, that’s plain stupid on your part. Randi’s out of the country, she’s looking forward to getting back and spending the holidays with you, she’s expecting a fabulous present, and you will totally hit her out of left field. You don’t break up with a woman at Christmas, much less leave her stranded with no New Year’s date.”
“Women shouldn’t expect some fabulous present. Not if they really love a man.”
Cassie heard a bitter tone in his words. “You don’t think Randi loves you?”
Rhett snorted. “Not a bit. The only thing Randal James loves is herself and lots of publicity, be it good or bad.” He grabbed Cassie’s arm and stopped her progress.