The Maverick - By Jan Hudson Page 0,4
cauldron of crackers and the saltshaker. “We have three grades of chili—mild, which is comfortably spicy, medium for those who like to sweat a little, and ‘hotter than hell,’ which has about the same kick as a blow torch and is not for the uninitiated. We also have other dishes, as you can see. Our hamburgers and sandwiches are excellent, as well as our chili, and we have a salad bar. May I get you something to drink?”
“Very good,” Griff said.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Your spiel. Well done.”
She frowned again. “Thank you, I think. Drink?”
“Beer would be good.”
“I’ll have it out right away.” She smiled and left.
The whole exchange seemed very peculiar to Griff. Surely he didn’t look so different in his suit that she failed to recognize him. He studied the menu and opted for the house specialty, mild.
A waiter in a red T-shirt and jeans, which seemed to be the uniform, delivered the beer and took his order.
“Where is Cass?” Griff asked.
“I don’t know,” the waiter said. “She didn’t come in today.”
“How can that be? I just spoke to her.”
The waiter chuckled. “That wasn’t Cass. That was Sunny, her twin sister. Happens all the time. Sunny’s here Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and Cass takes over on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.”
“Oh, I see. I knew Cass had a sister, but I didn’t realize they were twins.”
“Identical. Some people say they can tell them apart, but me, I can’t tell one from the other. I’ll be right back with your chili. Want cheese or oyster crackers with that?”
“Sure.” It was a shame he’d picked the wrong day to visit the café, and was risking heartburn for nothing. At least the beer was cold.
While he waited, Griff looked around at the scarred tables and rough, wooden walls covered with all sorts of garish memorabilia. He doubted that much had changed in the past forty years. The bar looked as if it might be original to the building, which was well over a hundred years old. Unbelievable that this place sat on such a prime piece of real estate. He wondered if Cass and her sister realized the value of the land.
Of course they did. Cass was nobody’s fool, and her sister had identical genes.
When his chili was served, he picked up his spoon with trepidation, but his first bite was a pleasant surprise. It must have been his mother’s terrible cooking to blame for his previous opinion. A good thing the food was tolerable since he’d have to make a return trip the next day.
CASS’S CELL PHONE RANG just as she was locking the door to her apartment. It was Sunny.
“What’s up, sis?”
“Did that new guy you met have unusual blue eyes and a Yankee accent?” Sunny asked.
“Yes, why?”
“I think he’s having a bowl of chili at table four. He asked me how my knee was doing. You might want to make a pass through here if you’re interested.”
“Thanks for the heads-up,” Cass told her. “I’m due someplace shortly, but I’ll check it out.”
Her first impulse was to go back inside and change clothes. Stupid idea. She looked just fine in pants and sandals, and comfort was important for the volunteer work she intended for the afternoon. Griffin Mitchell was no big deal, she told herself. Still, she took the steps a little faster than she usually did.
She spotted Griff at table four, dressed in an expensive suit and chowing down on a bowl of chili. “Well, how is it?” she asked as she approached.
He glanced up and smiled warmly, flashing those cute dimples again. “Quite good.” He glanced toward the door where Sunny stood, then back at her. “Cass?”
“In person.”
“Won’t you join me?”
“For a moment,” she said. “I have to be somewhere in a few minutes.”
“Can’t you play hooky for the afternoon? You can show me the sights of Austin.”
“Sorry, but I’ve volunteered to stuff envelopes for a nonprofit organization, and since I’m the president, it would look bad if I was a no-show.”
“I concede your point. Would you like some lunch?”
“I’ve already eaten, thanks, but I’ll have a glass of iced tea and keep you company if you’d like.”
His dimples flashed. “I’d like.”
Cass signaled a waiter for tea.
“How’s your knee today? Your sister said hers was fine and looked at me as if I had grown horns as long as those.” He motioned to the rack of a longhorn on the wall.
She chuckled. “Got us mixed up, did you? A common occurrence. My knee is fine, too. I’m a fast