Love With A Stranger (15 page)

Later as they ate, Linda remarked, “Mr. Grantham seems nice, and very concerned about you. To be frank, he wasn’t what I was expecting.”

Cass recalled how Linda had watched Peter in the den. She chose her words with care. If the nurse became interested in Peter and started dating him, it wouldn’t do to say something bad that Linda could repeat to him. She laughed as if jesting and asked, “Better or worse that you anticipated?”

“Much better. Are you aware he has a reputation as a ladies’ man?”

Cass saw a faint rosy flush on Linda’s cheeks and sparkle in her large green eyes.
Please be careful and go slow with him, my friend, and I wish I could say that aloud, but I dare not.
“I haven’t made friends here with whom I exchange confidences, so I’ve only overheard idle gossip and heard Tom tease him about his.reputation a few times. Since Peter lived here and Tom and I resided elsewhere for the first two years after we married, I wasn’t around him enough to witness anything to give me that impression. After we moved to Sea Island, he was always a gentleman when we three went out together or attended the same social occasions. I’ve never observed him being overly flirtatious with women, and I’ve never seen him have an overnight guest. In fact, he’s usually home before midnight even on weekends.”
That much is true.

Cass laughed and clarified, “I don’t spy on him, but it’s impossible not to be aware of his comings and goings since he lives in my backyard. I do know that he’s charming and captivating to a lot of females, and he is considered to be a valuable
catch because of his looks, status, and wealth. Actually, I’ve seen women go after him at parties or dinners or business events with such boldness that it almost shocked me.” She shrugged. “In all honesty, he doesn’t appear to take unfair advantage of their weaknesses for him, but I can’t say for certain if he deserves a playboy reputation.”

“I suppose when such a desirable man is still single at his age, people assume there’s a dark reason. Maybe he just hasn’t met Miss Right.”

“What about you, Linda? Have you met Mr. Right? Do you have a boyfriend here or back home? Unless that’s too personal to ask.”

“I don’t mind, since we are friends. I thought I’d met my true love years ago, but he fell for one of my sisters when I took him home to meet my family. For a while I was bitter toward both of them, downright furious with them, but I realized he and I didn’t have a commitment and they were perfectly matched. They’re happily married with children now. That’s part of the reason why I moved here; it was painful seeing them together. But I got over him and got to love it here, so I stayed.”

“I would imagine it’s hard to meet eligible men in your line of work, especially since you often move in with your patients until they’re well.”

“Yes, it is, and most of them are married or too old for me. Even the younger women I nurse have sons too young for me, and the older ones have sons who already are taken. Of course, that doesn’t stop some of the men from flirting with me behind their wives’ or girlfriends’ backs. Maybe I’ll be like you and not marry until I’m in my thirties.”

Cass felt moved by Linda’s revelation and disclosed the sad details of her first marriage and the husband who had cheated on her.

“That’s a shame. Men can be such asses at times.”

“Yes, they can, and often, by the time we realize what a sorry bastard one is, we’ve already fallen for him.”

“I know what you mean; I’ve had a few soured romances. Sometimes I fear I don’t know how to choose the right kind of man.”

Now, I know what you mean!
“I only had one slightly serious relationship between my divorce from Brad and marriage to Tom, but experiences like those can cause us to doubt ourselves.”

“Do you dread getting back into the dating game?”

“Absolutely, and it will probably be a long time before I do.”

Sorry about that, Jason,
Linda thought,
but she could change her mind; you could change it for her. I’ll have to whisper in your ear about her bad experiences with men so you’ll understand why she’s gun shy about romance.

On Thursday, while Inez cleaned the house and grocery shopped, Cass and Linda followed their established routine to return Cass to physical and emotional well-being.

Jason did not come over, but he phoned to check on Cass. While she had privacy, Linda told him about Peter discussing business and Tom’s will with Cass last night but that her patient hadn’t seemed to get upset and her vital signs were good afterward. She related how solicitous Peter was, and how well he and Cass seemed to get along.

When Cass was summoned to speak with Jason, she told him that Peter sent his thanks for her excellent care and speedy recovery. And she told him she was feeling stronger each day, thanks to him.

Jason wondered why Peter was not upset by or suspicious of the fact that the man whom he had helped cuckold was the physician who was treating his stepmother. He couldn’t deduce why Peter had not mentioned to her that they knew each other
and how; of course, Peter’s doing so would expose his perfidious deed in the past. Then again, neither had he told Cass. He intended to reveal the truth to her as soon as she had time to get to know him better, because he didn’t want to risk her misjudging his motive for reaching out to her.

After her talk with Jason ended, Cass realized the call had been too short and formal to suit her. Many grim tasks loomed before her, and she had missed his enjoyable visits. She dreaded calling the gynecologist tomorrow, and wondered how and what she would tell Jason if any of those tests came back abnormal or positive.

Friday afternoon while she was supposed to be resting, Cass phoned the gynecologist’s office for the report on her recent blood tests. She almost cried in joy after receiving the good news that all results were negative or normal. At least Tom had spared her a sexually transmitted disease. She had one enormous worry off of her mind and burden off of her shoulders.

As soon as Linda departed next Tuesday and while Inez was gone for the night, she planned to get rid of those repulsive videos and risqué lingerie from Tom’s briefcase and car. She also needed to do a thorough examination of the house and Tom’s belongings to make certain there were no other revealing items secreted elsewhere. The bracelet Tom had purchased—perhaps or perhaps not for her—needed to be returned or exchanged, as it was too expensive to give to Linda as a farewell gift, and
she
certainly didn’t want it after what she had learned about the man.

She was disappointed that she hadn’t heard from Kristy by now, and hoped that wasn’t a sign that her friend wouldn’t forgive her. If Kristy didn’t write or call within another week,
she would make another overture. If that one also failed, she would cease trying for a while.

Inez…Cass didn’t know what she should do about her housekeeper. The older woman had been too quiet and watchful this week. Although Inez had not been belligerent to either her or Linda, she had continued to notice the woman’s offensive expressions when Inez didn’t realize she was being watched. Cass wanted to be happy again; and she didn’t think that was possible with Inez working for her. Yes, she was grateful for all the woman had done for her, especially recently, but that didn’t mean she had to make herself miserable.

As for Jason, according to Linda, he wasn’t coming by today to examine her, but was to phone for an updated report on her condition. She couldn’t help but wonder why Jason hadn’t been over since Tuesday, after coming to see her for the four previous days. He had seemed to enjoy himself. Perhaps he thought Peter might not approve of a housecall, since they were both single. Or perhaps he was worried about her misreading his interest in her. She hoped she hadn’t scared him off by allowing her feelings to show!

Cass was in the shower when Jason phoned later that afternoon, so she didn’t get to speak with him. Yet, she was delighted when Linda told her that Jason was taking them to a wonderful restaurant on St. Simons Island, tomorrow night. He told Linda to tell her that she needed to get out of the house that it was her “doctor’s orders” to be ready to leave at six o’clock.

Cass decided that since Linda would be their chaperone and Peter had also advised her to get out and have fun, she would do just that! She already knew what she was going to wear: a special outfit from Gruppo Americano Studio that she had purchased last spring from Neiman Marcus. It had a white double-breasted jacket in satin-back crepe with navy buttons and piping around the pockets and lapels. A navy bustier with
white trim went underneath, and its pleated pants had navy-and-white stripes in a seersucker pattern. She would complete her attire with navy Calvin Klein strappy “Sabrina” heels, matching camera bag, and pearl studs in her ears. She would shampoo her hair tomorrow and set it with large hot curlers. She would apply her makeup and perfume with subtlety so it wouldn’t appear as if she were trying to impress and ensnare Dr. Jason Burkman, which could be exactly what her contradictory thoughts had in mind.

At Blanche’s Courtyard on Ocean Boulevard on the next island, Jason opened the front and back doors for Cass and Linda to get out of his BMW sedan. The restaurant was seemingly nestled in a cool and shady spot with lots of greenery, and its a bayou Victorian atmosphere appealed to locals and tourists.

Jason held the door for them. They were seated immediately in a raised section of booths whose benches had floral padding for comfort. Tables were decorated with striped cloths in mauve, green, blue, and gold which matched the colors on the benches. Other areas were more casual with wood tables and kitchenstyle chairs in a pink-and-aqua color scheme. The decor—pictures, mirrors, art objects, some furnishings, woodwork, wallpaper—again reflected that bayou Victorian air.

Their waitress took their cocktail orders. While she left to fill them, they studied the menu and read the daily specials from a chalk board on a nearby wall. Cass decided on grilled snapper; Linda, on mahi mahi; and Jason, on steak.

“Are you sure I’m allowed to have a drink tonight?” Cass asked him.

“You deserve one to celebrate getting better; that’s why I told Linda to skip your medication today. I hope you’ll like that special I ordered for you.”

I’m sure I would love almost anything you selected for me.
“I suppose this is what could be called a day off for good behavior?”

“Absolutely, Cass. Doctors always like it when they have cooperative patients who make them look good by obeying their orders and getting well,” Jason responded with a grin. “Consider tonight your reward.”

“I’m sure it will be; I’m already having a wonderful time. And I have you and Linda to thank for helping me reach this point; I couldn’t have done it without you two or if I had stayed under Doctor Hines’s excessive treatments. I should be the one treating you two to dinner to show my gratitude.”

“A verbal thanks and a bright smile are all we need. Right, Linda?” Jason asked, and the nurse smiled and nodded agreement.

“And you need for me to pay my bills on time,” Cass jested.

“Don’t worry about your account with me; your insurance company will cover most of the charges, and I trust you to take care of the balance at your leisure. Linda’s salary goes through my office.” As Cass and Linda chatted, Jason’s mind added,
But I don’t care if you don’t pay me a cent; just being with you is all the compensation I need. I admit it, woman, I love you and want you, and the obstacle that stood in the way of me trying to win you has been removed by fate.
Then, Jason realized there could be another obstacle to hurdle.
Lord help me if Peter messes up this chance for happiness, because I don’t know what I would do to him this time for screwing up my life again. He wronged me, but there’s no telling what the clever bastard would do or say to exonerate himself in her eyes. He was so damned careful and devious during his affair with Brenda that he made himself look innocent but I know the sorry bastard was just as guilty as she was! I just don’t know how close you two are, or whose story you would believe. But either way, I’m in an unpredictable position because it might appear as if I have an ulterior motive for helping and pursuing you. Please, Cass, trust me.

When the “special” arrived, it was a mixture of liqueurs and fruit juices in a souvenir glass shaped like a flower pot. Across its side was printed in black letters, “I got potted at…Blanche’s Courtyard.” It also included a drawing of a Victorian lady. Cass eyed it, then looked at Jason. “If I drink all of this, I
will
be potted. You two will probably have to carry me out on a stretcher.”

They laughed before Jason lifted his glass of Chivas Regal and said, “A toast, ladies: To good friends and better days ahead for all of us.”

Cass tapped her “pot” to his glass and to Linda’s one of white wine.

As they sipped their drinks and ate appetizers, Linda and Jason told her about the restaurant’s appeal as a fun place where the band members often coaxed customers to sing along and dance in the large area near a railed-off music corner with Victorian latticework near the ceiling. Inside the semi-circle was a ragtime piano, drums, and other instruments.

“They won’t start playing until later,” Linda said, “but I think you’ll enjoy them. I have a good time just watching other people cut up. Sometimes the guys who play here remind me of an old-timey vaudeville act.”

“Sounds great,” Cass responded. She looked at Jason and asked, “How are your children and grandchildren?” She saw his eyes light up with love and pride, which warmed her heart.

“They’re doing fine. I talked with both of them yesterday. I’ll be going up to visit them in May. I have to see those grandsons of mine at least every six weeks so they’ll remember who Granddaddy is. I wish Traci and her family lived here so I could see them more often, but at least Savannah isn’t too far away for frequent visits, and Atlanta won’t be either after Stacey finishes medical school and goes into practice there.”

“I can tell you enjoy them. I’m sure you’re a wonderful father and grandfather.”
I wonder if you’d want to start over from scratch…

“I try to be. Having a family is a real blessing. Joan and I would have liked to have had more children, but it wasn’t in the cards for her.”

“Do you have pictures of them with you?” Cass asked.

“Yep. Would you like to see them?” he asked and she nodded.

As she was looking at the pictures, their meals were brought to the table, and she returned the snapshots to Jason. “Your daughter is beautiful and your son is handsome,” Cass complimented. “Traci’s twins are good-looking boys, too. I bet she adores them.”

He chuckled before saying, “She does, but they can be more than a handful at times. They surely keep her busy.”

“I would imagine so…Well, doesn’t this snapper look marvelous?”

“I’ve ordered it before and it was delicious. I don’t eat that much red meat anymore, but I was in a steak mood tonight. How is your fish, Linda?”

“Divine, cooked to perfection,” Linda answered before taking another bite. She wished Peter could have joined them tonight. She had seen him going to or returning from work on Thursday and Friday and when he stopped in to check on Cass this morning. Each time he had caused her heart to flutter wildly. She would be ecstatic if she could land a date with him, but there was little chance of that happening since their worlds were so far apart and he could have his choice of women. Still, he had looked at her several times and sent her smiles that enflamed her entire body, so maybe he would ask her out.

As they dined, Cass, Jason, and Linda conversed about the current dilemma of the Right Whales whose remaining threehundred count was being dwindled by mysterious deaths, and their migration to the New England and Nova Scotia coasts for the summer. Then they chatted about the different types of businesses in the area, with the pulp company Georgia Pacific being the largest employer of residents. The next two were
seafood companies, highly successful competitors of Grantham’s: Rich-Sea Pack and King & Prince Seafood.

Cass was glad when they didn’t linger on the last topic because she didn’t want to spoil her outing with reminders of Thomas Grantham. Later, she would learn more about that subject because of her business interest.

“We also have the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center located here,” Jason told her, “That’s where Mary’s husband teaches; she’s my housekeeper, the lady I mentioned to you. FLETC provides basic training for law-enforcement personnel in all fields except for the FBI; they have their own training facility elsewhere. FLETC employs over fifteen hundred people and graduates twenty-five thousand students a year. It’s a big boost to the local ecomony. So is tourism, but we’re fortunate this area isn’t overdeveloped and overcommercialized like so many resort locations.”

“Have you heard or read about the Artrain that’s coming to Brunswick during their May HarborFest?” Linda asked her.

“No, I haven’t been reading many newspapers or watching much local television lately.”

Linda told Cass about the Artrain that had three railroad cars altered into a gallery for displaying museum-quality works, and others fashioned into mini-studios for demonstrating the creation of all types of artwork. “The HarborFest will have many varieties of seafood to sample, arts and crafts to purchase, various kinds of music, local history and cultural lessons, and lots of other things to see and do. We should go together.”

“Sounds good to me,” Cass said, “and my bare social calendar has plenty of room.”

“I’ll get the dates for next month and call you later to arrange it. We might even persuade Jason to tag along and be our chauffeur and guard.”
you would.

For a while, as excitement coursed through her, Cass forgot she was a recent widow who should be in mourning. She
coaxed, “Well, Jason, are you game to be our escort if Linda and I promise not to exhaust you?”

“Sounds good to me, too,” he told Cass, then said to Linda, “Just give me the date as soon as possible so I won’t schedule an out-of-town trip or put a golf game in that slot.” No matter how casually he accepted to avoid appearing thrilled, Jason knew he would clear that date if it was already taken. He felt his body warm from the heat and power of Cass’s radiant smile and sultry gaze. Mercy, she had captivating brown eyes; they were as rich and dark and enticing as melted milk chocolate. Her skin was as smooth as costly glass, and just as clear of flaws. She looked ravishing tonight in that navy-and-white outfit; both colors flattered her bisque skin tone. He would be in heaven if he could peel each piece off her body, caress every inch of her, and make slow and rapturous love to her.

Cass noticed that the restaurant was getting crowded and a little noisy. She saw Jason exchange smiles, nods, or waves with people who caught his eye in passing or from another table. She assumed they were a mixture of friends and patients. Perhaps, she mused, he was a regular patron of Blanche’s. Perhaps he had brought some of his past dates there. At that thought, nibbles of jealousy assailed her.
I should be ashamed of myself, Cass admonished herself he isn’t my date, and I’ve just buried my husband!

Despite that rebuke, Cass couldn’t get Jason Burkman off of her mind. He was so different in looks and personality from Tom or Brad. Jason was easygoing, amusing, down-to-earth, caring; he made those around him feel comfortable and admired. He was well mannered, highly intelligent, and interesting. His suit—Armani, she guessed—fit his tall and virile build as if it were made just for him. A pale-gray shirt and patterned tie were perfect choices.to complete his well-groomed image.

She noticed that his tawny hair seemed lighter and his tan was darker, as if he had been in lots of sun since Tuesday. Those two changes made his teeth look whiter and his eyes
bluer. Without a doubt, she was attracted to him, and that made her a little nervous.