Afraid to say the wrong thing, she merely nodded.
A smile slowly took over his face. “Well, Mrs. Sweet. It looks like I’m going to have to book another seat back home.” His brows suddenly buckled and he looked at her through a frown.
“Change your mind already?” She made it sound like a tease, but she was praying he hadn’t.
“No.” He shook his head. “It just struck me, how am I going to explain to my mother that I was married by an Elvis impersonator?”
Chapter Five
Standing inside Cassidy’s apartment, Kade understood a little better why leaving wasn’t difficult for her. The furnishings were neat and clean, but sparse. The kitchen and bathroom appeared to be near original, which made them older than him.
“It will only take me a few to pack,” she called from the bedroom.
He walked over to the doorway. “Can I help?”
Standing in front of her closet, staring at the clothes hanging from the rod, she sighed. “Is it cold in Texas?”
“In the winter, yes.”
Her head bobbed as she fingered a few sundresses.
“It’s also pretty darn hot in the summer.” His gaze drifted to the two suitcases resting on her bed. It dawned on him that she expected to pack her entire world in two suitcases. He should probably offer to store her belongings for the year. “I could look into storage units for whatever you’re not taking with you.”
Grabbing an armful of clothes, she spun about. “There’s nothing here I want to keep. I’ve already texted a friend from work. She’s going to come by, get my key, take what she wants, and sell the rest.”
“Are you sure?”
Her gaze scanned the room that reminded him more of an efficient bachelor pad than the warm and welcoming home you’d expect from a woman. “I’m sure.”
By the time she’d filled the two suitcases with her clothing and a small toiletry bag, her friend had arrived, gleeful to have a free shopping spree and promising to send Cassidy fifty percent of whatever she earned from the sales.
A pang of guilt stabbed at him. How could he possibly ask anyone to leave their world behind to play house with him for one year? Had he ever done anything more selfish in his life? It wasn’t like this was life or death, or that the ranch was in the same dire straits as several months ago.
While the friend was opening and closing kitchen cabinets he walked up to Cassidy, standing over a dresser.
“It’s all second hand.”
“Excuse me?”
She closed the lid on a small wooden box and tucked it into the still open suitcase. “Everything in here is second-hand. Most of it I picked from the trash. Didn’t even pay for it.”
That surprised him. Not that it was second-hand, but nothing looked as though it had been scavenged from a dumpster.
“So you can relax.”
Now his eyes popped.
A smile replaced the lost look he’d seen in her eyes a moment ago. “Did you know you’re easy to read?”
Was he? He shook his head.
“Maybe not to everyone on the street. But kids in foster care learn how to read the lightest of nuances. We have to know if we’re wading into dangerous waters, or able to bask in the sunshine.”
“Interesting metaphors.” And he didn’t like the idea that she’d had to learn to read people to protect herself. That,of course, wasn’t exactly what she’d said, but it was clear nonetheless, and he didn’t like it. Not one bit.
“I just want you to know that leaving all this behind seems to be harder on you than me.”
Heaving a sigh, he studied her. “You’re sure?”
