Fullness Of Life Ch. 02

Cassidy had never been called doll in her life and it was all down hill from there. Brad Frazier was a sponge, who never did more than day labor and beg off of his parents, but he was a silvertongued sponge, much beloved around the entire county. He had wowed Cassidy into their first date, even managing to make her feel lucky when he let her pay the check.

After that Brad set the tone for their relationship by telling Cassidy upfront that he liked for "his woman" to take good care of him and to dress a little less noticeably than other women. After all, he didn't want to have to be jealous. In retrospect, Cassidy wondered why she hadn't see the red flags then. But, instead, she had bought even plainer clothes and cleared out her calendar to begin her long standing courtship with Brad.

Cassidy had finished her degree and built up a steady business for herself. But, during the past year, Cassidy had been turning more and more of her work load over to a young woman who was just finishing up her own degree in accounting. Brad had been dropping hints that he didn't think Cassidy was spending enough time with him and that "his woman" wouldn't be a working woman. In the end, it had only been a week ago that Cassidy had handed over the last account to her co-worker and resigned herself to not working. Again, Cassidy wondered where the red flags had been.

Cassidy was surprised at first that Robin seemed to be genuinely interested in her life story. She had always thought of herself as rather boring, but as Cassidy listened to the words she was saying, she realized that there was a lot to who she was. In telling her story out loud, Cassidy realized that she had overcome a lot of barriers and had done some things to be proud of. She hadn't just begun coming to life a few nights ago in the Sweetwater Diner. She had been in the process all of her life - this was just the biggest growth spurt she had ever had!

Finally, when the clock struck midnight, the two women hugged each other good night and headed off to bed. Cassidy felt closer to Robin than she had to anyone during her entire life. But, sharing such intimate details of who she was left her drained and exhausted - and proud. Dropping into her bed, she smiled, pleased with who she was becoming and where her life was going.

As Cassidy drifted off to sleep, she entered that state of consciousness where thoughts are not bound by the constraints of logic. When she slowly lost herself to sleep, the last thoughts she had were of being in Jesse Turner's bedroom and in Jesse Turner's arms.

When the morning came, Robin was once again gone before Cassidy got out of bed. Cassidy grabbed a bowl of cereal and opened the newspaper to look for jobs. She knew that she could eventually establish the same kind of operation she had once had in Sweetwater. But that took time and contacts. For now, she needed to find a job she could work at while she was feeling out the territory. Nothing jumped out at Cassidy in the want ads, so she decided to go on line after her shower.

Cassidy took her time in the shower, shaving her legs and washing her hair. When she got out, she put on body lotion and the barest of make-up. After drying her hair she wrapped the towel around her, pleased to see that Robin's towels were big enough to actually make it around her body. Then she headed down the hall to her bedroom.

When Cassidy was halfway down the hall, she heard someone in the kitchen. Knowing that Robin was at work, Cassidy almost screamed. But being a typical human being, instead of going to another room and calling the police, Cassidy sneaked down the hall to peek into the kitchen to see what was going on.

Cassidy got close enough to see through the crack between the door and it's frame. Again, she almost cried out when she realized that there was a man standing in the kitchen. He wasn't that tall, but he was broad across the shoulders. Cassidy could see his ponytail and guessed him to be in his mid-30's. She committed as many of his features to memory as she could, so she would be able to give the police a good description when the time came.

Cassidy couldn't tell why the man was in the kitchen, though. Yet again, instead of going to call the police, Cassidy leaned closer to the door to try to figure out what the man was doing. Cassidy wasn't the most graceful of human beings and trying to be stealthy was really stretching her abilities. Without warning, she suddenly lost her balance and stumbled into the kitchen door which swung open, letting her continue falling forward. She didn't stop until she was finally able to regain her footing - in the middle of the kitchen!

The man, who had been talking on his cell phone, facing sideways, looking out the window, lunged forward to catch her. This time, Cassidy couldn't stop her scream. When the terrified sound tore from her throat, it was matched in volume by an identical sound coming from the man. Cassidy suddenly realized that this man, whoever he was, was just as frightened by her sudden appearance as she was by his.

Managing to catch her breath, Cassidy said, "Who are you?"

The man, who was still holding Cassidy's arm that he had grabbed to steady her when she had first entered the room, said, "I'm Mick - the security guy. Who are you?"

Cassidy looked down at Mick's shirt pocket that clearly stated the name of a well known security company. "What are you doing here?" Cassidy asked, breathing heavily and ignoring Mick's question.

"Mr. Henderson said that he had cleared the installation of a new security system with a . . . " Mick looked down at a piece of paper laying on the counter nearby. "A Miss Jordan?"

Cassidy laughed nervously. "Mr. Henderson? Van Henderson? And Robin knows about this and is OK with it?"

Mick finally dropped his hand from Cassidy's arm and stepped slightly away. A slow grin spread across his face. "I take it that you aren't Miss Jordan?"

Cassidy's face reddened. "No. I'm a houseguest. I didn't know that Robin had agreed to anything like this. We only met Van two days ago . . . I'm sorry that I screamed at you."

With a short laugh, Mick said, "It's ok. It's not everyday that I have a half dressed woman run screaming into my arms."

Glancing quickly down at her body, Cassidy realized she was still wearing just her towel. Remarkably, it had stayed put during her entire encounter with Mick. Realizing that she was about to start babbling due to her embarrassment, Cassidy opted to refrain from answering Mick immediately. After a few moments, when she felt a bit more composed, she raised her head to respond.

It was a lost effort, though. Mick was standing in front of her, grinning like a Cheshire cat, leering at her playfully. Suddenly Cassidy couldn't hold her laughter in any more - it burst forth from her and was met by Mick's own. The tension of the encounter had left them both with unused adrenaline and it seemed to find its outlet in their uncontrollable laughter.

Cassidy and Mick were laughing so hard that they failed to notice that they were no longer alone in the kitchen. Mick had, once again, stepped closer to Cassidy and had dropped his arm around her shoulder. "Sweet thing, you can join me anytime - you sure brightened up my day!" Mick said between gasps of air.

Cassidy's response was cut short by the loud cough that came from the other side of the kitchen. Both Mick and Cassidy jerked their attention to the door across the room. Standing in the opening was none other than Jesse Turner.

"What are you doing here?" Cassidy asked.

It was obvious that Jesse was talking through clinched teeth when he answered, "I was checking to make sure Ms. Jordan's security system was being installed correctly. I didn't realize that the security company was in the habit of offering other services - or that you would be here happily accepting their offerings!"

Both Mick and Cassidy stared open mouthed at Jesse. Cassidy was the first to recover. "How dare you! Get out of this house! I will not tolerate you barging into my house - or the house I'm staying in - or any other house - and making such accusations!"

Mick was a little more straightforward. "Buddy, you might be a little bigger than me, but I think you owe the lady an apology. She came in here to defend her friend's home and she doesn't deserve to be slammed like that. If you can't find it in you to be man enough to tell the lady that you are sorry, I think you and I need to step outside for a few minutes."

When Jesse scowled at Mick and didn't immediately answer, Cassidy looked from Mick to Jesse and back to Mick. Realizing that neither one of them was paying her any attention, she threw her hands in the air, and said, "Fine. You two stand down here and play your macho games. I'm going to get dressed." Then she spun on her heel and left the kitchen, heading to her bedroom.

Cassidy had managed to put on her jeans and tee shirt before she heard a knock on her bedroom door. Opening it, she was surprised to find Mick standing in the hall. He was holding a handkerchief up to his nose, which was obviously bleeding. "Mr. Turner said that your name is Cassidy. I just wanted to tell you that I am sorry for surprising you. I didn't know anyone would be here. But, I'm not sorry about anything else. Any time you want to run into my arms, they're wide open." With a playful wink, Mick turned and walked down the hall.

Cassidy was rooted to the spot. A sexy man had obviously just made a pass at her after defending her honor. Her brain was spinning. She still hadn't managed to move when she saw Jesse coming down the hall toward her. When he stepped into the light coming from her bedroom, she was shocked to see that his eye was red and already swelling.

"What did you two do? Go at it like two school boys?" Cassidy asked in amazement.

She was floored when Jesse's face broke into a wide grin. "Nah. We men have more sense than that. We just kinda agree to trade punches and call it even. Course, your Mick got in two since I was the one at fault."

Wide eyed and open mouthed, Cassidy stared at Jesse like he was crazy. Finally, she said, "Look, Jesse, he's not 'my Mick'. I met him minutes before you walked through the door . . . "

Jesse nodded his head. "Yeah, he explained it all to me after he landed his second punch in my gut."

Shaking her head in bewilderment, Cassidy turned back into her room. Shrugging her shoulders, she said, "I've already been in your bedroom. You might as well come on in mine. I have to get my shoes, and I'm not sure I want to let you out of my sight. I can't trust you to not go punch out the mailman's lights."

Jesse laughed behind her as she heard him move into the room. "Your mailcarrier happens to be a woman. We put surveillance on this place the moment that I gave Robin Van's personal business card. When we realized that there had been a few break ins in the area, Van contacted Robin about getting a security system. I see she forgot to mention it to you."

Cassidy turned to look at Jesse. He had sat down on the edge of her bed, with his legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. Rather than the suit he had worn both of the other times she had seen him, this time he was in jeans and a denim shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His boots looked worn and comfortable and he looked big and powerful. And far too much at home in Cassidy's bedroom. Cassidy frowned and cocked her head to one side. Trying to stay focused on the issue at hand, she asked, "Just when did Van ask Robin about this security system?"

Jesse chuckled. "Can't get much over on you. He contacted her at work this morning."

Rolling her eyes, Cassidy said, "No wonder I didn't know! What did you do, have them sitting in the driveway when he offered?"

Looking thoughtful, Jesse rubbed his chin and said, "No - they were across the street. Next time I'll have them in the driveway - that's a really good idea."

Cassidy wanted to throw the boot she was putting on her foot at his head. "You know, Jesse Turner, I have wanted to call you more names in the last 48 hours than I can ever remember wanting to call anyone - no matter how long I had known them. You really are something."

Cassidy finished slipping on her boots and stood up. Because she was looking directly at Jesse, she saw the look that he gave her - the fleeting glance that travelled over her body and settled back on her face. Shaking her head in bewilderment, Cassidy put her hands on her hips and demanded, "What is up with you? Do you make every woman feel like you are undressing her with your eyes?"

Jesse was across the small room in record time. Before Cassidy had a chance to realize what he was about to do, the big man stopped in front of her and hauled her into his chest. Cassidy tilted her head back and looked up at him in confusion. And then he kissed her.

The kiss wasn't at all like Cassidy had expected. Given the fact that the man was huge, he had just been in a fist fight and he didn't seem to have a tender bone in him, Cassidy expected him to be rough. But as all of the stress and pressure of the last hour seemed to explode in the air around Cassidy, Jesse softly caressed her lips with his. After a moment, she felt his tongue gently tickle her upper lip. Opening to him was as natural as breathing for Cassidy. And Jesse willingly took what she offered.

Cassidy wasn't sure how long the two of them stood in her bedroom, liplocked. She just knew that when he pulled his mouth away, she had to lean into his chest to maintain her balance. Jesse was holding her close to him and she was breathing in his scent. For a moment in time, the rest of the world ceased to exist and Jesse Turner was all that Cassidy needed.

But, as the old saying goes, time stands still for no one. The shrill ringing of the phone down the hall in the kitchen brought Cassidy back to reality. Pulling back, she looked up into Jesse's face and then quickly looked away. His arms were still looped loosely around her back.

"I need to go . . . the phone is ringing . . . I need to answer it . . . " Cassidy stammered. Then she stepped away and rushed from the room, toward the kitchen.

Grabbing the phone, Cassidy realized that her voice was too loud as she answered, saying, "Hello? Hello?"

Robin's voice came over the line. "Cassidy, I wanted to let you know that Van suggested a security system for the house and a technician might be by today to check it out. I didn't want him to surprise you."

Cassidy burst out laughing. "You are a little too late, Robin! But, don't worry, I think we've gotten it all taken care of now. I'll tell you all about it later!"

After saying good-bye, Cassidy turned around to find Jesse leaning in the doorway. A little too quickly, she said, "That was Robin. She wanted to tell me about the security system . . . "

Jesse closed the distance between them and put his hands on Cassidy's shoulders. Quietly, he asked, "Are you all right?"

Refusing to meet Jesse's eyes, Cassidy shook her head and stared at his left shoulder. Biting her bottom lip, Cassidy said, "I don't make a habit of doing any of the things that I've done this morning, and I'm afraid that I am not handling this well. You probably have lots of experience with this sort of thing, but I don't. I just got to town three days ago and then I met you and you are so . . . well, you are just so . . . you. And I've never even been in a man's bedroom and I've never had a man in my bedroom. And now, I've done both. And to make matters worse, I'm babbling!"

Jesse's soft chuckle made Cassidy's eyes fly to his face. Cassidy's breath caught in her throat. Even with his growing black eye, he was the best looking man she had ever seen.

Jesse's voice, when he spoke, was soothing and calm. He said, "Cassidy, I don't make it a habit either. Contrary to this image you seem to have of me, I don't date a lot and I don't drag women into my bedroom every night. I didn't mean to kiss you, but you were just so damn cute up there with your hands on your hips, looking all ticked off. I forgot my best intentions and grabbed the chance to taste you." Then, winking at her, he added, "And I wasn't disappointed!"

Cassidy could feel the blush in her cheeks, but she couldn't pull her eyes away from his. She realized that if one of them didn't move soon, they were going to be kissing again. As much as she wanted that, she really wasn't ready for it. So, with what felt like a colossal effort, Cassidy moved away from Jesse.

Crossing the kitchen, Cassidy opened the fridge and said, "I need a cold drink. Would you like a Coke?" She grabbed two and stepped up to the island that sat in the middle of Robin's kitchen. Jesse was on the other side of the island. Cassidy noticed that he didn't miss her pointed effort to put distance between them. But he didn't question her actions, either.

Jesse took the Coke from Cassidy, but before he even opened it, he said, "I think I better be going. The security guy said that he would be back in an hour to look the place over. I'm sorry again about the mix up. I never realized that you would be here alone."

When Jesse was almost to the door, he turned back to face Cassidy, "By the way, the towel looked really good on you - maybe you ought to buy a few more for your wardrobe." Then, with another wink, he was gone.

For long minutes after the door closed behind Jesse, Cassidy remained standing in the kitchen, staring into space. She had never met a man like Jesse. Brad had been handsome and flirty, but he had never touched her beyond a perfunctory kiss good night. But Jesse - well, now he was a different story.

It wasn't long until Cassidy heard the doorbell ring. When she opened the door, she found Mick standing on the front porch. He smiled at her, grimacing when his nose twinged. Trying to stifle her giggles, Cassidy let him in. After she ascertained that his nose wasn't broken, they got down to business.

The next couple of hours was spent looking over the house with Mick. He took tons of notes and made several different sketches. Cassidy had only been in Robin's home for a few days, so there were some questions that Mick asked that she couldn't answer, but she did her best. By 1:30, Mick was finished.

Satisfied that he had all that he needed, Cassidy showed Mick to the door. He stopped at the threshold and turned back to look at her. With a thoughtful look on his face, Mick said, "You know, I've not met many women that I had the honor of defending. And I've not met many women who had a man who cared enough to take on another man over her - at least not sober! But you've got a winner in Jesse. I'm only sorry that he met you first." And then, with a quick smile, Mick walked away.

Once again, Cassidy was left standing alone, staring after the departing back of a man. Twice in one day was just about more than she could take. Shaking her head to clear it, she turned back into the house. She knew that she couldn't handle too many days like this one.

Looking at the clock, Cassidy realized that it was after lunchtime. She was hungry and she knew that there wasn't anything in Robin's fridge that she wanted for lunch. She hadn't taken the time to explore much around Nashville yet and now seemed like as good of a time as any. Grabbing her keys and purse, she headed out to find something to eat and to learn a little about her new home town.

It didn't take Cassidy long to locate a McDonald's to grab a sandwich. She took it to a nearby park that she had seen on her way to deliver Jesse's letter the day before. Sitting on the grass in the sunshine, Cassidy felt her soul sighing in peace. Jesse had turned her world upside down with that kiss, but it was still her world and she was in control of it. It felt good to be alive.

After she finished eating, Cassidy got back in her car and began driving around the city. She saw signs for The Grand Ol' Opry and decided to follow them. She ended up sitting outside the Opry Mills Shopping Center. It called Cassidy's name and she spent the next little while wandering around, window shopping. Cassidy lost track of time and was shocked when she realized it was after 5:00. She hurried to her car and headed back to Robin's house.