Love With A Stranger (32 page)

“What I said by the pool the other day is still true, Jason; it is too soon for me to be dating seriously. But I do have deep and strong feelings for you. I enjoy being with you. I look forward to seeing you or even to speaking with you on the phone. I do want to date you. I do want to get to know you better. I would like for us to have a relationship one day. Where it might lead, I don’t know. It’s just that I’ve been through so much in the last few months that I have to make sure I’m ready to turn to another man. I don’t want to hurt you and I don’t want to get hurt.”

“I would never hurt you, Cass, not intentionally.”

“That’s what my first husband said, and what Tom said. They both lied to me and deceived me. I can’t fall in love with another stranger and end up with another broken heart. Besides, there are things you don’t know about me and my marriage to Tom and about my current position in certain matters. I can’t divulge those things to you, and you wouldn’t understand certain decisions I have to make without knowing my reasons.”

“There’s nothing we can’t work out together, Cass. Let me help you.”

“Perhaps I’ll tell you everything one day, but not today or any time soon. Now that I know about Brenda, I understand why you were giving me subtle warnings about Peter and why you were so concerned about my ill health. I must tell you, at those times, I found your attempts to cast doubts on him strange, and after I learned about the trouble between you two, I viewed them as being suspicious. That’s no longer true. I know now
Peter can’t be trusted. It’s nothing he’s said or done overtly, it’s just a feeling I have. He and I never got along until after Tom died; now, he’s trying to act like my best friend.”

“Since you’ve told me that much, Cass, I’ll reveal another worry I have: I think Peter and Hines were responsible for your strange condition.”

“So do I.” She saw him look surprised. “I think Peter needed me doped up so he could discover the will’s contents and carry out other business matters without my interference. I can’t say anything because I have no proof. Rest assured I know he’s up to mischief—or was—and that I’m being alert. For those reasons I can’t explain at this time, I have to pretend to believe him and be friends with him. I appreciate all you’ve done for me, but this is something I have to handle on my own.”

“Do you think he had anything to do with his father’s accident?”

“No, but I think he will go to great lengths to get the entire estate, short of murdering me. So if you see us together and we appear to be having fun, understand it will be nothing more than a pretense, each of us trying to dupe the other for different reasons.”

“You don’t know how happy and relieved that makes me, Cass. I was afraid he would turn you against me and might harm you.”

“The only thing that could turn me against you is if you’re lying about your feelings for me. I won’t be fooled in that department again.”

“I swear to you, Cass, I love you and want to marry you, that’s all.”

“I have strong feelings for you, too, Jason, but I have to be honest and tell you that marriage isn’t in the picture for us for a long time.”

“I can wait, Cass, as long as I know my hopes aren’t in vain.”

“If you’re trustworthy and sincere, they aren’t.”
Because I have a plan to outwit Tom and Peter. With it, I’ll get you and the money.

Jason gazed into her eyes and vowed, “I’m both of those things, Cass, believe me.”

She smiled and urged, “Then, be patient while I resolve one final matter.”

“You have my word of honor; I won’t break it again.”

“I believe you. Now, if you resist the urge to phone me or visit me this week, I’ll come over to your house Friday night for dinner.”

“You will?”

“Yes, but you have to leave now before Peter returns home and finds you here. I don’t want to antagonize him.”

“Consider me gone, but as a happy man this time.”

They exchanged smiles, and kissed. The kiss was long, deep, and filled with emotion; and it ignited their desires.

When they felt their passions rising, they parted as if on cue and grinned knowingly at each other.

“I best hightail it while I can keep my new promise because you’re mighty tempting. I’ll see you Friday night at my house about six.”

“I’ll phone you I’m on the way so you can open the garage for me; that way I can hide my car from everyone’s view, especially Peter’s.”

“I do love an exciting adventure.”

“So do I when I’m on the winning side. Now, scat, Doc.”

“I love you, Cassandra Grantham. Good-bye until Friday.”

She caressed his cheek, smiled, and echoed, “Until Friday.”

After he was gone, Cass thought,
You went with your head the other two times and did what you thought was best for you;
this time, go with your heart and your feelings and see where they lead you.

Linda called her later that afternoon and they made plans to go to a local beauty spa and have lunch on Thursday. Cass didn’t tell her about Jason or Peter or Brad; she would wait until they saw each other to mention those subjects, if she decided to do so. Perhaps Linda would be willing to be her alibi for her planned mischief Friday night.

Mary came on Monday, and they did their separate chores; then Cass ran an errand that took longer than she had expected.

When she returned home at seven-ten, Peter joined her at the car and helped her unload the sacks. “I was wondering where you were and I was getting worried about you. It’ll be getting dark soon.”

Cass pasted on a bright smile and said, “As you can see, I went to Winn-Dixie. I’ve been there since Mary left at five. I must be bored out of my skull because it was fun. I walked up and down every aisle and probably looked at every item on the shelves. I haven’t gone grocery shopping in ages; Tom insisted that Inez always do it. I must have bought enough to last me for months. With her gone, I’ll get to plan my own menus and I’ll have to bone up on my cooking skills.”
That’s it, Cass, make him think you’re simple-minded and easily appeased, totally gullible, and oblivious to business and his deceits.

As she unpacked the bags and put away her purchases, Peter asked, “Would you like to grab a bite to eat at Mullet Bay? Afterward, we can go for a swim or take a walk on the beach to settle our tummies.”

Cass glanced at him and forced out another phony smile. “I’m tired tonight, Peter. But we can do those things on another evening, if you don’t mind. Besides, I’ve already eaten,” she lied to get rid of him.

“You did have a busy day. I’m glad to see you so well, and getting out a little, even if it’s only to run errands.”

“I have you to partly thank for my improvement. If you hadn’t called Doctor Hines when you did, I may have had a nervous breakdown. I don’t know what got into me or came over me to cause me to act so crazy. It was weird and scary, almost like I was inebriated or on drugs.” She gave a fake nervous laugh.
Don’t let him suspect you’re watching him for slips.
She used a serious expression and tone to add, “I hope it didn’t give you a bad impression of me, and I regret other people saw me like that. I’m going to take good care of myself because I never want to go through that dark maze again.”

“You won’t, Cass, because you’re completely recovered, and you’re a smart and strong woman. You just got caught up in a terrible ordeal with Dad’s death, the police investigation, and nosy people. I’m sure everybody realized you were suffering from grief and exhaustion. As for me, it helped me understand how much you loved and missed my father.”

“I suppose you’re right. But it showed me a side of myself, I didn’t like.” After placing the folded paper sacks in the pantry, she stretched and yawned to deceive him. “Well, that’s all of the groceries put away. I think I’ll take a long bubble bath, curl up with a book and cup of hot herbal tea, and relax.”

“In that case, I’ll get moving.”

“Bye, Peter, and thanks for helping with the groceries.”

After he left, she leaned against the kitchen counter and frowned. If she wasn’t mistaken or grasping for straws, Peter had looked strange for a moment when she mentioned drugs and her erratic behavior. The fact Jason—a physician—also suspected she had been tricked with them convinced her she was wise to be wary of Peter and Doctor Hines, and even Inez.
She also believed that Peter had requested those unusual blood tests, either from knowing about his father’s sexual antics or from distrusting her. Hines certainly was nervous when she questioned him about them. And, Johnson and Dredger had seemed tense and alert when she saw them, as if they were concealing something from her. Jason had been right and kind to caution her about those men.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, Cass went shopping for a new wardrobe, and took those items selected by Tom to a secondhand store in Brunswick and sold them. She decided not to do any more redecorating of the house in case she decided to move soon.

Cass ate with Peter on Wednesday night at Bennie’s Red Barn on St. Simons Island. Afterward, she let him take her to Ziggy Mahoney’s which was adjacent to the restaurant. Reluctant to spend private time with him at home, she lingered there with him for hours and listened to the male duo perform old hits from the 1940’s up to the sixties. She especially liked Keenan’s voice and delivery style; he sang several of her country western and rock and roll favorites upon request and even visited their table during a rest break to chat for a while.

She shagged with Peter twice and allowed him to think he had her fooled, but she was relieved they didn’t slow dance together. Actually, she was having a good time at Ziggy Mahoney’s, partly because she was meeting Peter’s concealed challenge head-on, and partly because she enjoyed the music.

As Peter lazed back in his chair, sipped his drink, and tuned out the music, he made mental plans for his business trip tomorrow. There were a few problems he had to straighten out with the Los Angeles export/import company, problems if left unresolved could get him in to deep trouble with the law.

* * *

On Thursday morning after Mary arrived to clean the house, Cass and Linda left to go shopping, have lunch, and spend the next few hours at a beauty spa getting groomed and pampered.

For a while, they chatted about Linda’s job on Jekyll Island that began tomorrow and her just-completed one, talked about how Cass was feeling and what she had been doing with the house and herself, and planned future outings.

“How are Jason and Peter doing?” Linda asked.

Cass lowered her fork. “Funny you should mention them in the same sentence. Did you know about the past trouble between them?”

Linda leaned forward and asked, “What trouble?”

Cass surmised from the nurse’s reaction that Linda was uninformed in that area. “Do you know why Jason and Brenda got divorced?”

“No, but, knowing Jason, I assumed it was her fault.”

“How about it was hers and
Peter’s?
Adultery,” Cass clarified, then watched the blond gape at her in astonishment. “That’s right, they were lovers for three months, over a year ago.”

“Are you sure? Who told you?”

“Peter and Jason. This conversation must stay strictly between us.”

“It will, Cass; you can trust me.”

“I believe so; that’s why I’m telling you this, and for another reason which I’ll explain in a minute. Since you know Jason so well, you can give me advice about him.” Cass related what the two men had told her.

“That’s so incredible and shocking, I don’t know what to say. Heavens, how Jason must have suffered from what they did to him. I never liked Brenda and didn’t believe she was good enough for him. The little bitch snared him while he was vulnerable and still grieving over Joan’s loss.”

Cass took a calming breath, then asked her friend, “Do you think Jason still grieves over Joan?”

“Not anymore. I mean, I think he’s over her loss, but I guess he still has feelings for her. They were married for a long time and have children, so that would be natural. I didn’t know her; she was gone before I met Jason, but I’ve heard she was a good woman. Why the frown?”

“This part is probably none of my business, Linda, but I care about you and feel I have to warn you about Peter.” Cass saw that her friend looked confused by the sudden change in topics. “I don’t trust him, but I have to pretend to be friends with him for personal and business reasons, at least for a while longer. I think the gossip about him is true; in fact, I think he’s worse than his colorful reputation paints him to be. He’s cunning and skilled at fooling people; he even tricked me for a while. I know you’re attracted to him, but I don’t want you getting hurt by him.”

“I’m sure you’re right, Cass, and I appreciate your concern and caution. I guess I knew it all along, but I sort of got dazed for a while.”

“It gets worse, Linda: I think he was slipping drugs into my food and drinks; I believe that’s why I almost went off the deep end. Jason agrees.”

“So do I, your reaction just wasn’t natural. What’are you going to do about it?”

“There’s nothing I can do without proof, and Peter isn’t one to make a mistake of leaving anything lying around for me to find and use. I’ll just have to accept that part, ignore it, and make sure it doesn’t happen again. Actually, I don’t think it will; I think he just needed me looped for a short period while he checked out Tom’s will and businesses.”

“I don’t know Doctor Hines well, but I’ve heard rumors about him, and I don’t like him. He gives me the creeps, and I’m positive he was overdosing you on medication. But as you
said, without evidence, your hands are tied. You certainly can’t make accusations against either one without it.”

“I know, but at least Jason is taking care of me now. That’s the other thing I need to discuss with you. I…we…How do I put this?”

Linda grinned. “You two are attracted to each other and want to start dating?”

“Is it that obvious?” Cass worried aloud.

“Only to me because I was around you two so much and I got to know you so well. Don’t believe what Peter told you about him. Jason is a good and honorable man, Cass; you can trust him. I truly believe he’s falling in love with you, and I think you two are perfect for each other.”