The Maverick - By Jan Hudson Page 0,10
would have hated it.
Ignoring the urges he felt, he smiled and said, “I’ll see you on Sunday.”
ABOUT MIDAFTERNOON ON Saturday, a florist box arrived for Cass. She took it to her office to avoid the curiosity of her staff. Inside she found three perfect yellow roses and an adorable stuffed kitten with big round eyes and a stitched smile.
The card read: “Thank you for a wonderful evening. Maybe this kitty will do until you can have a real one. I’ll be the one pacing eagerly in front of my hotel on Sunday morning. Griff.”
She put the roses in a bud vase from the supply closet and hugged the kitten. How dear of him to remember her comments about a cat.
She smiled. Charm 101 again. She had his number for sure, but it was fun playing the game. And it was only a game, a flirtation. Despite his interest in moving to Austin, she suspected he’d be gone in a week or two.
Chapter Five
Griff was true to his word. When Cass pulled up to the front of his hotel at ten-thirty on Sunday morning, he was waiting by the door. He wore khaki shorts, some high-end sport shoes and a pale blue polo shirt the exact color of his eyes. He looked good enough to eat with pecans and fudge sauce.
He broke into a grin when he saw her drive up in her little red convertible. “Good morning,” he said, climbing in. “I love a woman who is punctual.”
“That’s me.”
She’d worn khaki shorts as well, but her shirt was red and her shoes were a third the cost of his. But then, she told herself, she wasn’t interested in engaging in a fashion price war. Today was for fun and comfort. When he was buckled up, she headed through town toward Mo-Pac, the freeway that ran along the railroad track and would take them southwest to join up with the more scenic route to Wimberley.
“I like your ponytail,” he said. “It makes you look like a teenager.”
“I wish,” Cass said. “I love to ride with the top down on days like today, and a ponytail is the easiest way to cope with the blowing hair problem. Isn’t the weather gorgeous? March and April are the very best times of the year in Texas. The wildflowers are blooming and the temperature is pleasant. By May many days will hit ninety degrees, and by August it’s hotter than Hades. I guess it’s a trade-off for not having to deal with snowplows.”
“It doesn’t snow in Austin?”
“Occasionally. I think we got about an inch in a brief snowfall four or five years ago. And sometimes we get ice, but it’s usually gone in a day or so and everybody is running around in flip-flops again.”
“Tell me about where we’re going,” Griff said.
“Well, first we’re going to Wimberley to the Burrells’ house. That’s Gabe and my cousin Belle Starr Outlaw Burrell. We’re meeting my sister and her fiancé Ben as well as my cousin Sam Bass Outlaw and his wife, Skye.”
“She’s the veterinarian.”
“Right. And she’s also Gabe’s sister. I think one of the Naconiche cousins and his wife will be there, or maybe two of them.”
“Two of who?”
“Two of the cousins. Three of the Outlaw brothers live in Naconiche, but they don’t usually come all at one time. There’s J.J., the sheriff, whose name is Jesse James Outlaw, Judge Frank James Outlaw and the homicide cop turned professor, Cole Younger Outlaw. And assorted wives and children will be there, depending on who shows up.”
“I hope I can get them all sorted out.”
Cass laughed as she hit the open road and floored it. The scarf that had been holding her ponytail went flying behind them, but she didn’t stop for it. “Sometimes I can’t keep them all straight. Hold the wheel for a minute.”
“What the—” Griff grabbed the steering wheel while she caught her whipping hair in a rubber band.
“Thanks.”
“Do you get many tickets?” he asked.
“For what?”
“Speeding, reckless driving, that sort of thing.”
She laughed. “Never. Don’t tell me you’re one of those nervous nellies.” No sooner were the words out her mouth than she saw red-and-blue flashing lights behind her.
Griff merely lifted his eyebrows.
Cursing her big mouth and her heavy foot, Cass pulled over. When she looked in her rearview mirror and got a glimpse of the state trooper exiting his car, she bit back a grin. When he walked up to her window, the grin broke loose. “Hey, Paul. Long time, no see.”
His eyes widened, then