Right Where He Belongs. Rebecca Russell
her promise to Mr. Frank, of course. She had to earn Tanner’s trust. “Have you checked out the barn yet?”
“It was locked. I’ll call the lawyer about a key.”
“A spare key is in the broom closet. You’ll love the barn, Tanner. There’s so much history in it. Right now, it’s just storage for your grandfather’s old Thunderbird, but when your great-grandfather lived here, this house was actually out in the country and he traded horses. The town spread out until Fairfax House ended up in the middle of town. You’re allowed to keep the barn because it’s the original structure.”
Her cellular phone rang. “Excuse me, Tanner.” Cassie dug the phone out of a bib pocket and checked the phone number. Good. “It’s my painter. I’ll just be a minute.” She put the phone up to her ear. “Hey, Georgie.”
“Hi, Cas. I’m on my way to Mr. Dibble’s place. And I wanted to thank you again for letting me off early yesterday. Emily scored the team’s only goal!”
Cassie grinned as she pictured the curly-haired six-year-old in her purple-and-white uniform. “Not a problem, Georgie. Looks like I owe her an ice-cream cone.”
“Now, Cas, it isn’t necessary to bribe. She lives to tear up the field.”
“I know. But she’s so cute, I’d end up treating her anyway. Oh, and in case you forgot, wait a while after you ring Mr. Dibble’s doorbell. He uses a walker and might take a while to get to the door. And don’t waste much time going over paint chips. He always ends up choosing the original color.”
“Okay. I’ll check in later, then. Bye.”
“Bye.” Cassie hung up and dropped the phone into a pocket, aware that she didn’t have any time to waste, either. She had less than a month to make Tanner feel connected to Fairfax House, to New Haven.
“Is your business a family operation?” Tanner’s deep voice interrupted her thoughts.
“No. There’s only me. But I’m all for the idea. I think a family that works together, stays together.” She had observed too many couples drift apart while chasing after different dreams; her sister was a perfect example.
Tanner looked as if he’d taken a bite of lemon. No surprise there.
“Why do you ask?” she persisted.
He shrugged. “I just assumed. Why else would you know if a worker is hurting for money, or if their kid has a game?”
Cassie smiled. Questions, the first sign of interest. “That’s the beauty of small-town life. It’s second nature to me, since I’ve either grown up with or around these people. I always prefer to use local subcontractors, people I can trust.” When she cared, remembering the important things was easy. “I take it things are a little different where you come from?”
“You could say that.”
Darn. A closed door. Somehow, she needed to spark Tanner’s interest in the house, in his family history. Maybe she should start with what fascinated her the most about the mansion. “This may sound crazy, but I have a favor to ask.”
Tanner raised his eyebrows. “A favor?”
She rarely allowed distractions during work, but she had more than one job to do. The price and the time frame for the repairs to the kitchen had already been agreed upon. Her other job, her promise to do all she could to convince Tanner to make Fairfax House his home, was a freebie, no invoice required. “Would you mind if I went upstairs for a look-see?”
“Do you suspect more water damage?”
“No. The damage was limited to the separate roof above the kitchen. This is sort of personal.” She leaned forward, elbows on the table. “I’ve been in this house many times, but my sister and I were never allowed to go upstairs. It seems silly, I know, but the spiral staircase always reminded me of a beanstalk.”
She paused and grinned. “I desperately wanted to be like Jack and climb that sucker. Later, when I got closer to Mr. Frank, it seemed too much of an invasion of privacy to ask. Not to mention sort of odd. But I’ve always wondered what was so special or scary about the upstairs that kept it out of bounds.”
“But you’ve been working in this house. If it was that big of a deal, why didn’t you just look on your own?”
“I was tempted. But it felt disrespectful.”
“Some willpower.”
“Tell me about it. But now that you’re the owner, I won’t feel guilty if you say it’s okay.”
Tanner unfolded his long frame. Dark eyes shined with amusement. “Lead the way.”
“Great.” She hurried through the parlor and formal living room to the ornate staircase, breathless with anticipation. The last time she recalled feeling this excited was as a child on Christmas morning. Well, maybe as an adult last Christmas. She hadn’t changed that much. The fact that Tanner followed closely behind only added to her eagerness.
Maybe she could hook his interest with one of her favorite stories. “This staircase originally came down into the dining room. Your grandmother mentioned how much better it would look this way, and the next day Mr. Frank brought in an architect. He would’ve done just about anything for her.” Anything except admit he’d been wrong about what mattered to her most—their son.
Cassie paused at the bottom step. The stairs seemed to have shrunk over the past twenty years, but what lay beyond was huge and she felt daunted by the immense responsibility before her. She had learned not to take promises lightly; she would not let Mr. Frank down.
“Go on.” Tanner urged. “But don’t get your hopes up. I did a quick inspection last night—I was too beat from driving straight through to do more. It’s just hallways and rooms.”
Cassie refused to buy into his pessimism. Although she had asked to explore as a ruse to snare Tanner’s interest in his family, she was still excited to finally have the chance to appease her curiosity.
She slowly made her way up the wooden steps, trailing her hand along the smooth banister. She’d waited a long time for this opportunity and wanted to savor every moment. “I’ll bet Mr. Frank is smiling right now. He always warned me that I had an overactive imagination.”
“I don’t get it, Cassie. Once you got older, what made you want to hang around an old guy you weren’t even related to?”
Her plan had worked! More questions, the first step toward understanding. “My father died when I was nine. My mom and sister found comfort in doing things together. Cooking, baking, sewing. Things I was dreadful at. That’s why I enjoyed puttering around with my dad in the yard and garage so much.” Having lost that connection, she’d never felt so alone in her life. And guilty.
Just before her father passed away, he’d asked her to promise to be less of a tomboy. Her mother didn’t need more to worry about, and she fretted that Cassie would never fit in. Once he was gone, they would all need to lean on one another.
Cassie had tried to act more like her sister, a girlie-girl, but it proved such a bad fit, she’d given up. So much for keeping promises. “Your grandfather, bless his heart, saw how lost I was and found things for me to do around this house.”
She realized, looking back, that the old man had been just as lost as that frightened young girl. Before long, she even thought of the house as a lost soul—locked in dark colors and heavy wood, unhappiness and regret in every corner.
Such a treasure deserved a second chance. If Tanner decided to put down roots in New Haven he could bring the house into the light, turn it into a home, not just a pristine, cold showcase.
More importantly, though, Tanner would have found where he truly belonged. He’d lost so much already. “Let’s see what’s behind door number one.” Cassie opened the door and strolled inside the room, surprised to find she had been holding her breath.
Darn.