“Are there neighbors near you?”
He shook his head. “I have over threethousand acres. It’s isolated and lonely and I’m gone most of everyday. In the winter the landscape is bleak and the house is drafty.The house sits more than a mile off the snow plow route, sosometimes I’m snowed in for a week or so.”
She wrinkled her nose. “You make it sound soattractive. How could I refuse?”
He stared at her for a moment. “Are youaccepting the job?”
It was hard to tell whether the sarcasm hadgone over his head or he simply wasn’t amused. She sighed.
“Not yet. What would my duties entail?”
His expression was bland – his voiceunemotional, as if he were discussing the weather. “Laundry, dishes- general housekeeping - cooking my meals. I eat breakfast at sixin the morning and supper at six in the evening. Sometimes I comein for lunch and sometimes I’d expect you to pack me a lunch. Therest of the time you’re free to do as you please. I have somehorses you can ride and there are several creeks, ponds and even asmall lake on the land.”
She rested her elbows on the table and cuppedher chin in her hands, staring out into the night. The lastsentence was the clincher. Riding horses was one of her favoritepastimes, and the country out that way was gorgeous - winter orsummer. Best of all, she could save a substantial amount of moneyfor a down payment on her own place. It all seemed to be tailormade to her preferences - all but the part about staying alone inthe house with him. Of course, Mr. Cade hardly seemed the seductivetype and she certainly wasn’t going to encourage it. Finally shemet his patient gaze.
“Let me think about it for a while.Okay?”
His nod was nonchalant. “Fine. I’ll be innext Friday. If you decide to take the job, have your things readythen.”
He gulped the last of his coffee and stood.“Thanks for your time.”
With that he turned and left the diner.
The walk home was quiet, but hardly relaxing.In fact, she was so keyed up when she reached her apartment thatshe decided to call her best friend with the news.
“Mary? This is Cynthia.” She said when afamiliar voice answered on the fifth ring. “Hey, you’ll never guesswhat happened tonight.”
The voice on the other end of the lineresponded in a dry tone. “You accepted a date.”
“No.”
“That’s as far out as I can get. Whathappened?”
“You know that man I was telling you about -the one who comes in at exactly eight every Friday night?”
“The good looking one?”
“I didn’t say he was good looking,” Cynthiasaid. “I said he had interesting eyes.”
“Yeah, okay - whatever. Did he ask youout?”
“No - well, in a way, I guess. He offered mea job out at his place.”
A moment of silence preceded Mary’s response.“Let me get this straight. You are talking about the guy everyonein town calls the hermit - Russell Cade.”
Cynthia grinned. “One and the same. He needssomeone to look after his house while he’s working the ranch.”
After a long pause, Mary’s voice soundedconcerned. “Cindy, that’s forty miles out in the middle of nowhere.Have you seen that house? It looks like something out of a horrormovie. Besides, it’s huge.”
“So he says. No, I haven’t seen it, but Iwon’t be driving the forty miles every day, either. He offered me ahundred dollars a week plus room and board.”
Mary gasped. “You intend to stay out there -alone with him?”
Cynthia looped the coils of the telephonecord around her finger. “It does sound a little eccentric, doesn’tit?”
“Eccentric? It sounds downright scary.”
“Oh, he’s not mean. He just isn’t social.What can you expect out of a recluse?”
“Cindy, I’ve known Russell Cade since hefirst moved to this area - since high school. He’s as sweet as hecan be and I have no doubt his intentions are honorable. But aren’tyou a little concerned about what people will say? I mean, a prettyyoung girl living alone with an eccentric bachelor - and what aboutRuss? Don’t you think he might get ideas?”
“You make him sound like an old lecher. Doyou know something I don’t? As for what the town thinks, I don’tcare. I didn’t grow up around here like you, and I don’t intend tospend the rest of my life working at the diner. Not that anyonecares what I do. We’re living in the 20th century, Mary - the endof it at that. Anyway, I’m not pretty. In fact, I’m tall, skinnyand awkward. My mouth is too big and all teeth.”
“You’d put on some weight if you’d slow downa little. You do more work than the other two girls put together.Sure, you’re thin, but you’ve got everything situated right. If heisn’t blind or dead, I’m sure he’s noticed. As for your mouth,people are always commenting on your beautiful smile and how thoseblue eyes of yours are so full of life. Are you trying to tell mehe hasn’t even noticed all that?”
“Don’t forget the mess of red hair andfreckles. I suppose he missed those. Oh, and you know what theysay: Men don’t make passes at girls who wear glasses.”
“Auburn hair - and you barely have enoughfreckles for anyone to notice. Don’t get on that kick about howugly you are. I’ve noticed the guys eyeing you - glasses and all.Now tell me. What else does the hermit want for his $100 aweek?”
“Oh for crying out loud, Mary. Don’t youthink he’s a little old for me? Anyway, he’s about as romantic as adoorstop. All he wants is a housekeeper.”
“Old? Oh yeah. I forgot. He’s almost thirty -like me.” She sighed. “So you’re not the least bit interested inhim?”
“Not romantically. If I were, I wouldn’t takethe job. Do you think I’m crazy?”
“No, just naive.”
“Why? Because I’m still looking for a guy whodoesn’t make me feel like a tease when I won’t sleep with him - orbecause you think I’ll never find a man like that?”
“Because I think you just did. I don’t knowif the years have changed his philosophy,
