A Child's Heart (Trent & Cassie's Story) A River City Novel (27 page)

He opened a closet and popped a panel off the wall.
“Copper pipes, probably has lead in the solder, but so does our
house.”

He put the panel back and looked around some more
before taking Cassie’s hand in his. “It needs some work, but I
don’t know how much. These old houses are solidly built. Notice
there are no cracks in the walls?”

She shrugged. At least he was seriously looking at
the place, which caused that little kernel of hope to grow in
size.

“There’s more to see. You missed the laundry room.”
Amanda smiled at Cassie.

Trent raised his eyebrows. “This place has a laundry
room? I figured that the hookups would be in the garage.”

“No, and wait until you see what is on the other
side.” Cassie led the way back downstairs and opened the door to
the laundry room.

“Pay dirt!” He opened a small metal panel on the
wall. “Just what I suspected. Fuses. This needs to be upgraded." He
unscrewed a few and looked carefully at the connections. "Seems to
have enough amperage.”

His poker face was clawing at
Cassie's insides. She wanted to know what he was thinking, but he
was saying very little. She had a feeling he was mentally
calculating the cost of repairs. He was looking hard at things that
she never noticed.
Maybe that’s a good
thing.

She opened the door that connected the small
apartment to the main house. "Check this out."

“Huh?” he grunted. “The whole thing?”

“Yes, both sides.”

He looked around the tiny apartment. “It’s only one
bedroom.”

“It’s perfect for your mom." Cassie put her hand on
his back, sucked in a deep breath before allowing it to escape
slowly. "She’d have her own place, and it won’t cost her a penny.”
She held her breath and waited for his response.

He walked away from her and opened a window. “They
need work.” He pulled it back down, locked it, and then walked out
of the kitchen into the backyard. “Someone loved to garden. There’s
a fortune in perennials out here.”

“Let me get Amanda and see if she knows how to get
into the garage.”

Amanda walked out of the other kitchen door, carrying
a key. “Is this what you want?”

“Yes.” Cassie snatched the key.

“How’s it going? He’s very quiet,” Amanda asked.

“He only seems to mention what is wrong. I don’t know
what he’s thinking.”

“I’ll wait for you inside.”

Cassie nodded and went back to Trent. The garage was
hot and the upstairs was even hotter. The first floor would easily
hold four cars with ample room for all of Trent’s tools. The second
floor was one large room, but could easily be turned into an
apartment because all the plumbing lines had been run and capped,
along with additional 220 outlets. Sweat beaded and poured off
Cassie.

“Sorry, Trent, this is too hot for me.”

“Me, too.”

She noticed that sweat had soaked the front of his
shirt. She waited for him outside and watched as he pulled the door
closed, and checked to make sure it was locked.

“Ready to hear what this place is going to cost?”

“No. I can’t afford it.”

She scrunched her nose. “I think I can from what
Amanda told me this morning. The mortgage will be about equal to my
rent. I’m going to have other expenses, such as water and sewage.
There’s no way I can do this alone. I don’t have time to cut grass,
and I doubt that I can afford to pay someone.”

“There’s more to it than just paying for a house. It
costs money to change out the electrical box. Every little project
has hidden expenses. Even cleaning the gutters will require a
longer ladder than what I have now. This place is going to need
painting on the outside every few years. And you probably want all
new appliances in the kitchen.”

“I can live with what is there. I don’t need
everything to be shiny and new.” She paused before opening the
kitchen door. “Trent, I love you. I want us to be together.”

They listened to Amanda as she went over several
figures. Then Amanda handed Cassie a sealed envelope from McGuire
Investments. Cassie opened it. Inside was a sheet of paper on which
Mac had scribbled, “If you love the house, buy it! You can afford
it.” She laughed as she read it.

“Okay, where do I sign?”

Thirty-five minutes later, Cassie gazed at Trent as
they walked to her car. “You drive. I’m shaking. I think I just
sold my soul, and you’ve never once committed to moving in with
me.”

He looked at her and laughed. “Give me the keys,
woman.” He opened the passenger door for her and then planted a
full kiss on her mouth. “Are you sure you want Mom living with
us?”

“It’s not exactly the same as living with us. She
will have her own space.”

“I don’t know how she’s going to respond to the idea
of moving. She’s lived in that house since before I was born.” He
sat in the driver's seat. “I thought you didn’t like my mom.”

“Can’t say she’s been exactly nice to me, but I think
I know why.”

“Really?”

“Yes. She’s scared you’ll run off and marry me. She
can’t afford to live alone, so she’s protecting her own interests.
I don’t think she dislikes me.”

“She’s livid about our sleeping together.”

“What mother wouldn’t be? Well, I think my father
would prefer to string you up if he knew.”

“Then you haven’t told them about us?”

"No them, just my dad. My mom died several years ago.
I’ve told my brother. He thinks it’s great that I’ve found someone
special.”

“When do you plan to tell your dad?”

“Maybe never.” She grinned.

“I’m not exactly up to his standards, am I?”

“A little inferiority complex?” She watched his face
for some kind of reaction and got none. “Stop putting yourself
down. I love you, not some degree behind your name or large bank
account. I love you, the man.”

“Cas, you deserve someone better.”

“I want you, only you. Actually, that's not true. I
want you and Shawn.”

***

He parked the car, then came around and opened her
door. As she stepped out of car, he drew her to his chest and
kissed her. The way she fit against his body and the sensations she
stirred in him made him realize just how much he wanted her.

She had offered him everything he had ever wanted,
and he knew it. But the depth of his love for her went beyond what
she could provide. They belonged together and nothing else
mattered.

His tongue circled her lips as he drew in her breath,
warm and sweet. It filled his lungs, swirled through his stomach
and pooled in his pelvis, as his mouth slanted over hers, again and
again.

The sound of an approaching car pulled him from her
lips. He waited as the car passed, his heart beat against his ribs
as her blue eyes stared back into his. He closed his eyes and tried
to control the swelling in his jeans. His cheek found hers.
Inhaling her slightly floral scent, he steadied himself by putting
his hand on the roof of her car.

“Got a problem?” she asked.

“Yeah, if it weren’t for my damn shoulder, I’d push
you into the back seat of this car.”

“Well, that’s not going to happen, and furthermore, I
got my period this morning.”

“Oh.” Every drop of masculine need drained from his
body. “Guess that kills our night.”

She licked her lips and grinned. “I’m sure there’s
something I can do to satisfy my very handsome man.”

“Hush. We need to walk back inside, and for the next
few minutes, I don’t think I’ll be able to leave this garage.”

“Save those thoughts for tonight.”

~~29~~

Trent and Cassie walked the long hall to Shawn’s
room. When they reached it Shawn was not alone. His grandmother was
sitting in the room with him.

“Cas, do you mind? I’d like to tell her.”

“No, go right ahead. I’ve got twenty-five gift
certificates to the museum to give away.”

He smiled at her, then joined his family.

“Hi, what’s up?” he asked.

“Grandmom walked me down the hall.”

Trent raised his eyebrows. “She did?”

“Yep. What was your surprise?”

“It's a big one. How would you like to live in a big
house with a big backyard?”

“With Cassie?”

“Yes, and with Grandmom, if she’s willing to come.”
He looked at his mom and watched her purse her lips in displeasure.
“You’d have your own apartment. Amanda McGuire called it a
mother-in-law suite. The woman who owns it had her mom living
there. It’s one bedroom and quite spacious.”

“So what am I supposed to do, give up my house and
come live with her?”

“With us, and you don’t have to sell your house.
Amanda said you could rent your house in a heartbeat. It’ll give
you a tidy income. You don’t have to make a decision tonight. Think
about it.”

“And where is this mansion?”

“Cobblestone. It’s 3816 Baneberry Cross Road. Drive
by tomorrow. There’s no for sale sign in the yard. Your door is on
the right, the one flanked by geraniums.”

“My door? You’re assuming I’m just going to move in
with you.”

“Why not? You want to be near your grandson,
right?”

“And if things don’t work out between the two of you,
then what?”

“We’ll cross that bridge if we ever come to it. I
doubt that will happen.”

“Are you marrying her?”

“Haven’t asked her yet.”

His mom made a little humph sound and then stood. “My
dinner break is just about over. Will I see you tonight?”

He shook his head. “I won’t bring Shawn back to Cas’
apartment. If we aren’t in the house by then, I’ll bring him home
to you, otherwise I’m staying with Cas.”

His mom kissed Shawn and left without another word to
her son. Trent understood she was upset, but he also realized he
had his own life to live.

***

Cassie and Trent split the time with Shawn at the
hospital. Trent’s job needed him, just as she needed to be at her
job. They switched back and forth between mornings and afternoons
so Shawn was never completely alone. As his energy picked up, he
also became more bored. His therapy kept him busy, and Dr. Ramsey
was hinting at the possibility of releasing Shawn earlier than
expected. That also meant that Shawn would need to come to the
hospital for therapy, and that created its own problems. Cassie
assured Trent that she could help, freeing Trent to work
part-time.

Cassie looked at her watch, knowing that Amanda
tended to be busy in the mornings with her own family. But the wait
was chewing at Cassie’s insides. She picked up the museum phone and
punched the numbers to Amanda’s home phone. She counted the number
of rings.

“Hello.”

“Amanda, it’s Cassie.”

“You were at the top of my list of people I need to
call.”

Her tummy muscles tightened. “Oh, good. Wha’cha
got?”

“When I checked my email this morning, the appraiser
sent me a copy of his appraisal. He’s also emailed it to the bank
and the law office. There’s no reason for the bank not to accept
it. He’s twenty-eight thousand dollars over the agreed price.”

“That’s good, right?”

“Very good.”

Cassie drew in a deep breath. “Now what?”

“Did you sign all the papers at the lawyer’s
office?”

“Yes.”

“Then they will close on the house and record the
deed.”

“When?”

“Probably tomorrow. I’ll call the bank and then the
law firm. The appraiser was going to hand carry the appraisal to
the bank this afternoon. Everything is in place.”

“Do other people get this nervous?”

“Absolutely! I was a basket case when I knew I was
getting this house. Are you still planning to paint before you move
in?”

“Shawn might come home as early as Friday. I doubt
that we’ll have time to do all the things we wanted to do.”

Amanda giggled. “May I make a suggestion?”

“Certainly.”

“Call in the troops. We’ll all help.”

Cassie furrowed her brow. “What do you mean?”

“I’ll help you paint. I can ask my brother Ryan to
help, since he's home from college for the summer. I’ll call
Dallas. You call Tate. If you’ve got all the supplies, it shouldn’t
take too long. I’ve got some rollers and things here, but not
enough. Tate and Ari probably still have some supplies.”

“Make a list of what I need, because I have no
clue.”

“Okay. I’ll email it to you. Can’t promise we can get
everything done in a few evenings, but I’m sure we can probably
have the worst of it knocked out by the end of the weekend.”

“I haven’t even chosen the paint colors.”

Amanda laughed.

Cassie hung up the phone, hardly
able to contain her excitement. She tried to steady her heart that
seemed to be beating at twice its normal speed. And as she looked
at her desk, she became aware that it was cluttered with papers
that needed her attention.
What have I
done?

***

Cassie walked into Shawn’s hospital room dangling a
set of keys. “It’s ours!”

“Doesn’t seem real.”

“Oh, it will. And we’ve got help. In fact, I called
home and talked to my dad.”

“You asked him for money?”

“Yes. Well, I didn’t actually ask him, I just told
him my situation and what I still needed.”

“I wish you hadn’t.”

“Wipe that look off your face. He gave my brother
fifty thousand when he bought his first house.”

“I can’t imagine anyone having that kind of money. So
is this a gift or a loan? And what is he giving you?”

She plopped into the chair. “I don’t know. He said he
was going to transfer some money into an old checking account that
I still have from when I was a student.”

“Did you tell him about us?”

She bit her lip. “No. I figured telling him I bought
a house was enough.”