lifting the window. "Evan…Evan, what are you doing?" Her words went unnoticed, covered by the roar of the grass-eating monster.
She rushed to the closet, pulled her robe from its hook and shoved her arms through the sleeves. With her feet firmly implanted in her fuzzy slippers, she flew downstairs. Her soles barely grazed the steps in her attempt to stop the destruction of her property before the crew went too far.
Cassie burst out the back door and scurried to where Evan stood. "What's going on?"
"Good morning', baby girl. Sorry we woke you, but we wanted to get an early start."
"Yes, but start what?" Her voice no match for the tractor's din, she motioned to the nearest hole. The watchful stares of the strangers in her yard made her uneasy.
"Can I speak to you inside for a moment?" She raised her voice so Evan could hear her.
He craned his neck toward her. "What?"
"Inside…I need to speak to you inside," she yelled.
Evan followed her into the house. When he tried to wrap his arms around her, she pushed him away. "What the hell are you doing to my yard?"
His eyes widened. "I'm making improvements, why?"
"How do you consider digging a huge hole in my grass an improvement?" She crossed her arms. "Evan, I love my backyard just like it is."
"Baby, if you love it now, you're gonna go crazy for it when I'm done. I'm putting in a big fishpond, complete with a waterfall, all the plants and a footbridge."
"Why?" She rolled her eyes. The idea sounded nice, but a fishpond?
"If we want your home to be the showplace for our business, I need clients to be able to view my work…sort of like a menu. When I'm done, the place won't look the same."
Cassie slowly shook her head. "That's what I'm afraid of."
He lifted her hand and brushed his lips across the back. "Don't worry. I promise your yard will be a thing of beauty." He gazed into her eyes. "You trust me, don't you?"
Still upset, she yanked away from him. "At this point, I guess I have no other choice." She pictured her beautiful sod and wanted to cry. "By the way, who are those guys?"
"Some of Stan's crew. I hired them for the weekend." His eyes glistened with excitement. "I hope you don't mind supplying a little up-front money. I don't have enough cash to pay all three."
Great, she had to pay for the annihilation to boot? Her jaw tensed. "I-I guess I can handle that. How much do they earn per hour?"
Mexican labor is cheap, even in California. I promised them six dollars an hour.
"I'll have to get dressed and go to the bank before noon. I don't have enough cash on hand." She looked down her nose at him. "Do you have any other surprises I should know about? Swimming pools, tennis courts, riding stables?"
Evan laughed. "Nope, just a great big pond we can load with lots of Japanese Koi."
"Aren't those expensive fish?"
"Nothing's too good for my baby. Besides, I ordered a new credit card for the business. It should be here any day."
Chapter Thirteen
Cassie pulled into her driveway and found it blocked by a cement mixer and stacks of bags. Not seeing Evan, she walked toward the back of the house. Stopping dead in her tracks, she gasped. Her yard looked unrecognizable. Mounds of dirt littered the once beautiful green lawn, and a pile of rocks had been poured next to a gaping hole. Shirtless, Evan crawled about setting the stones in place for what Cass assumed to be the pond foundation. She tiptoed closer then stood with her hands on her hips. "Uh hmmm."
He looked up, glistening in sweat. "Oh, hi, purdy lady. I didn't hear you come home."
"Probably because the debris in the drive has taken over my parking space."
"Sorry about that." He knuckled away wetness before it dripped into his eyes. "The guys left around 3:30 and I thought I'd do a little more stonework before calling it a day."
Cassie glanced around the yard then threw up her arms. "Oh, Evan, things are such a mess. Mom'll be home next week, and she's going to have a fit."
Evan
She rushed to the closet, pulled her robe from its hook and shoved her arms through the sleeves. With her feet firmly implanted in her fuzzy slippers, she flew downstairs. Her soles barely grazed the steps in her attempt to stop the destruction of her property before the crew went too far.
Cassie burst out the back door and scurried to where Evan stood. "What's going on?"
"Good morning', baby girl. Sorry we woke you, but we wanted to get an early start."
"Yes, but start what?" Her voice no match for the tractor's din, she motioned to the nearest hole. The watchful stares of the strangers in her yard made her uneasy.
"Can I speak to you inside for a moment?" She raised her voice so Evan could hear her.
He craned his neck toward her. "What?"
"Inside…I need to speak to you inside," she yelled.
Evan followed her into the house. When he tried to wrap his arms around her, she pushed him away. "What the hell are you doing to my yard?"
His eyes widened. "I'm making improvements, why?"
"How do you consider digging a huge hole in my grass an improvement?" She crossed her arms. "Evan, I love my backyard just like it is."
"Baby, if you love it now, you're gonna go crazy for it when I'm done. I'm putting in a big fishpond, complete with a waterfall, all the plants and a footbridge."
"Why?" She rolled her eyes. The idea sounded nice, but a fishpond?
"If we want your home to be the showplace for our business, I need clients to be able to view my work…sort of like a menu. When I'm done, the place won't look the same."
Cassie slowly shook her head. "That's what I'm afraid of."
He lifted her hand and brushed his lips across the back. "Don't worry. I promise your yard will be a thing of beauty." He gazed into her eyes. "You trust me, don't you?"
Still upset, she yanked away from him. "At this point, I guess I have no other choice." She pictured her beautiful sod and wanted to cry. "By the way, who are those guys?"
"Some of Stan's crew. I hired them for the weekend." His eyes glistened with excitement. "I hope you don't mind supplying a little up-front money. I don't have enough cash to pay all three."
Great, she had to pay for the annihilation to boot? Her jaw tensed. "I-I guess I can handle that. How much do they earn per hour?"
Mexican labor is cheap, even in California. I promised them six dollars an hour.
"I'll have to get dressed and go to the bank before noon. I don't have enough cash on hand." She looked down her nose at him. "Do you have any other surprises I should know about? Swimming pools, tennis courts, riding stables?"
Evan laughed. "Nope, just a great big pond we can load with lots of Japanese Koi."
"Aren't those expensive fish?"
"Nothing's too good for my baby. Besides, I ordered a new credit card for the business. It should be here any day."
Chapter Thirteen
Cassie pulled into her driveway and found it blocked by a cement mixer and stacks of bags. Not seeing Evan, she walked toward the back of the house. Stopping dead in her tracks, she gasped. Her yard looked unrecognizable. Mounds of dirt littered the once beautiful green lawn, and a pile of rocks had been poured next to a gaping hole. Shirtless, Evan crawled about setting the stones in place for what Cass assumed to be the pond foundation. She tiptoed closer then stood with her hands on her hips. "Uh hmmm."
He looked up, glistening in sweat. "Oh, hi, purdy lady. I didn't hear you come home."
"Probably because the debris in the drive has taken over my parking space."
"Sorry about that." He knuckled away wetness before it dripped into his eyes. "The guys left around 3:30 and I thought I'd do a little more stonework before calling it a day."
Cassie glanced around the yard then threw up her arms. "Oh, Evan, things are such a mess. Mom'll be home next week, and she's going to have a fit."
Evan
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