Embezzled Love (3 page)

She covered her mouth to mask a gaping yawn then stood and stretched. Her fingers came down into a gnarled mass, and she groaned. Going to bed with damp hair had been a bad idea.

Immediately, her thoughts returned to Evan—the reason she was up late. There was no use checking for a response this early, besides she had no time. Being late gave her new boss more ammo to use against her. A real jerk, he was nothing like the wonderful man for whom she had worked for twenty years. What were the odds when her ideal supervisor retired, she would end up being supervised by someone Japanese? Somehow people of that particular ethnicity kept turning Cassie's life upside down.

She'd never been racially biased, but the perception from her new boss' actions indicated anyone of the female gender threatened him. He treated her differently than the male executives, not letting her make decisions as she had in the past, and never soliciting her opinion. In some ways, working for him made her feel married to Greg all over again.

Her supervisor's treatment set the tone for the other men in the office and made going to work a chore. If she had a chance to find a job that paid the same great wages, she'd quit in a flash, but unfortunately unemployment statistics made chances of that possibility somewhere between slim and none.

Cassie shuffled into the bathroom and turned on the shower. She shed her nightgown and stood waiting for the water to warm. A mental image of Evan drifted through her mind; he probably looked nothing like it.

She shuddered and peered into the mirror. "Internet dating, are you insane?"

After testing the water, she slipped inside the shower and ducked her head beneath the toasty stream to clear her thoughts and hopefully untangle the Frankenstein's bride look that sleep had created. Starting over with blown-dry hair would make her morning's toilette a lot easier.

* * *

Cassie shifted positions, uncrossing and crossing her legs under the boardroom table. Her chair made an embarrassing sound as air escaped the bottom leather cushion; a few eyes turned in her direction. Despite her innocence, heat crept up her neck. She hoped no one thought the rude noise came from her personally.

The business meeting seemed never ending. Mr. Takeda, her boss, turned what used to be an information-sharing workshop into a dictatorial seminar, and stood at the podium droning on and on. No longer comfortable with offering opinions, Cassie fidgeted with boredom and wished the day would end.

How could one man make her feel so insecure? The abundance of confidence she used to have at work had slipped away. No longer boosted by career achievement, her personal life was now at issue. She glanced around the male-dominated room. Did others suffer Takeda's wrath, or was she the only one because she held the sole female position in management? Between a bum marriage to a man who treated her as though she didn't exist and now a supervisor who operated in the same style, no wonder her self-esteem waned. Even those in the secretarial pool offered no compassion or empathy. They disliked her being successful.

Her left foot tingling, she slipped off her shoe and wriggled her toes, hoping to increase the blood flow. She leaned on her elbows and rolled her eyes. Would the man ever shut the hell up?

Finally, Mr. Takeda barked his last command and dismissed the staff. Cassie released a long breath. The meeting and the workday ended at the same time. She walked back to her desk, switched off her computer and grabbed her purse.

All the way home on the train, she pondered having to keep working under the present conditions. Her wandering gaze locked on the headlines of the newspaper held by a passenger across the aisle—Man found slain.

Cassie arched her brow at the thought, but quickly shook her head. Killing him wasn't the answer. He wasn't worth going to prison over, but an impish chuckle escaped her when she imagined standing over Takeda's body with a bloody knife in her hand.

The jolting halt of the train yanked her back to reality. She gathered her belongings and, feeling slightly claustrophobic, blended in with the throng of people exiting the car. As the man behind slammed into her, pushing her into the woman in front, Cassie began thinking of a better way to off Mr. T; let the crowd trample him. No shame involved, she took a deep breath and adjusted her carry-on strap so it didn't bite so hard into her shoulder. Caught in the pushing and shoving, all she could do was move with the crowd.

* * *

Cassie passed by the computer for the third time since coming home. She and her mother had already had dinner, and Mom had retired to her own part of the house. Carson, Cassie's co-worker, who rented the spare bedroom, was out of town. Why in the world was she trying to be so nonchalant with a machine? She wasn't picking up a real live person in a bar, for heaven's sake. She was only putting off checking email in her own home, and totally alone. Purchasing a new computer had gotten tabled for another day.

Her curiosity piqued and she sat down, turned on the tower and waited. As was habit when she got nervous, she chewed her bottom lip. A tennis match of 'what ifs' bounced through her mind: What if he didn't answer, What if he wasn't serious, what if…?

Thankfully, the logon option appeared, she clicked into her inbox and scanned the messages. Amidst the annoying spam she saw his email and, fingers shaking, opened it.

Hi,

It's me again. Sorry I was a little quick in asking for a phone number. I've always been anxious when a beautiful woman is involved and I'm assuming you are beautiful. I'm still waiting for a picture. I've attached one of me here rather than posting it on my profile. If you think you can stand getting to know an ugly critter like me, write back and tell me more about yourself.

You asked about my business. I own a landscaping design company on the Texas/Oklahoma border. I'm no millionaire but I make a good living. I'm looking for the right woman to share my life. I, like you, have been married once. I have two darling daughters but no strings attached. The ex and I parted on good terms, and she doesn't need my help. She comes from a wealthy family. Lucky me! Feel free to ask me anything you'd like to know. My life is an open book.

Hope to hear from you soon,

Evan

She clicked on the attachment. A picture crept down from the top of the screen. "Damn! Hurry up machine!"

Finally, Evan was fully revealed. He was slim…very slim. Dressed in tight-fitting jeans, and a sleeveless shirt, he had well-defined muscles. His face, half-hidden under a cowboy hat, appeared to be as tan as his arms, but she couldn't see those blue eyes after which he had named himself. A long, drooping mustache hid most of his mouth, but the masculine appeal of the visible frown lines and macho image held her captive.

She leaned in for a closer look and screwed her mouth into a sneer. They probably weighed about the same. Nothing bothered her more than sitting next to a man and noticing her leg was bigger than his. Large boned and athletic men had always been her pick, and Evan certainly was not that. Still, there was something about him that held her interest. She massaged her chin in thought. Maybe her standards were unrealistic. After all, she was past middle-age.

Hmmm…not married, two kids but no strings. "That could be a good thing," she mumbled. Did he interact with them at all?

A pang of sadness plucked at her heart. She had wanted children but Greg had undergone a vasectomy during his first marriage. Dogs were the best she could do, and her family often accused her of going overboard in the pet department. She had just given away her three 'children' out of guilt. It wasn't fair to keep them caged all day while she was at work so now they lived with her sister's mother-in-law. The house seemed empty without her pups but Cassie felt better knowing they were well-cared for and loved. Love… would she ever find it again?

Her fingers poised above the keys.

Evan,

Nice picture! I like your hat. I always wanted to meet a real cowboy. I guess since you're in Texas, you are one. I'll attach a picture of me to this message, but your assumption about my beauty may be a little exaggerated. I consider myself a little above average. I clean up good, and people always compliment my wardrobe. I see by our photos we aren't exactly a fashion match. Most of my closet is filled with power suits, but if I look hard I may be able to find a pair of jeans somewhere. *smile*

I would really like to get to know you better, and I've changed my mind about giving you my number. This old computer of mine might die before I can replace it, so if you still want to chat, give me a call. My number is 960-555-2525.

Cassie

* * *

A glance at the clock as she turned off the light showed the time nine-thirty. Tired earlier, she now had renewed energy. Reality slapped her. Oh, God, she'd just given her phone number of a complete stranger. She clasped her throat. What was she thinking? Despite such uncharacteristic behavior, a smile tugged at her lips. Those shadowed eyes peering out from beneath that cowboy hat had intrigued her. What harm had she done?

Cassie bounded up the stairs and changed into her nightgown. Not quite sleepy, she stood at the bathroom vanity and brushed her hair. With each stroke, she pictured being with Evan—happy and content after so long. She noted in the mirror that her blossoming smile had fully bloomed.

She put her brush away and climbed into bed. Settling down on her pillow, she pulled the blanket up to her chin and got comfortable. She was just dozing off when the ringing phone pierced the peaceful silence.

"Oh, for heaven sakes, who'd be calling at this hour?"

Cassie grappled in the darkness for the receiver. "Hello." Her voice showed her annoyance

"Is this Cassie?" An unfamiliar voice inquired.

"Yes, who's this?" The intense thumping of her heart said she already knew—the twang to the voice was a dead giveaway.

"It's Evan. I hope I ain't calling too late. I know there's a two-hour difference, and I hoped you'd still be up."

"I just slipped into bed." Her tone softened. "I wasn't asleep yet. I'm glad you called."

"Do you always go to bed so early?"

"On weeknights, I do. I have to get up before sunrise to catch the train to work."

"You take a train?"

"Sure. Riding the morning commuter beats the traffic and gives me time to catch up on my paperwork… or just unwind."

"I ain't never been on a train. Seen lots of 'em though." His boyish chuckle caused a shiver through Cassie.

An awkward pause ensued. What did one talk about with a stranger? She hadn't a clue.

"I got your email and saw your picture." Thankfully, he spoke. "I just wanted to tell you how purdy I think you are."

"Well, thank you. I liked your photo, too, but I wish you didn't have your hat on."

He laughed. "I only take my hat off to go to bed, so…."

"So…" Uncomfortable, Cassie drifted to a new topic. "Do you live alone?"

"I did up until recently. I just moved back in with my surrogate mother. She's not in good health and I look after her."

"Surrogate?" Cass' curiosity piqued.

"Yeah, my real mom died when I was young, and Marlene took me in and raised me. She's a wonderful lady and I just love her so much I figured being there for her was the least I could do."

"I'm impressed. I don't expect there are too many men out there who would make such a sacrifice."

"Oh, it's no sacrifice. Marlene put up with me all these years, I 'spect I can give her a little of my time. How 'bout you, you live alone?"

"I wish sometimes I did, but no. I share a home with my mother. We just moved here not too long ago. We both sold our homes and pooled our money to get a place together. She's getting along in years, and I didn't like her living alone."

"Sounds like we just found somethin' we have in common," Evan said.

"What about other family," Cassie asked. "Do you have brothers and sisters?"

"I have a sister and two brothers. See my sis pretty often, but ain't seen one of my brothers for a spell. We got into it a while back and decided it best to avoid one another."

"That's too bad. I have two sisters and a brother and I love them to death. Family is very important to me."

"It is to me too, but I guess we run a little hot-headed in our family. I plan on making it right with Billy 'fore long. Do any of your other kin-folk live with you?"

"No, just Mom, but I do rent out a bedroom to one of my co-workers. He and his wife have a home in the desert, and Carson doesn't like the commute. He stays here during the week and goes home on weekends."

Cassie settled against her downy pillow, got comfortable. Once her nerves settled, the conversation flowed. When she finally glanced at the clock on the nightstand, she couldn't believe the time…almost midnight. Talking with Evan came easy, but she had to call it a night or she'd be dead tired in the morning.

"Evan, I can't believe how late it is. It doesn't seem like we've talked for over two hours. Your phone bill is going to be outrageous."