With a groan she turned round to walk back up the path, her mind still revolving. What weapon did she have, what argument could she use to sway this angry man?
And then it came to her...slowly... insidiously.
Cassie stopped at the base of the porch steps, her mouth suddenly dry. Could she do it? Dared she do it?
'Cassie...'
She blinked and looked up. Joan was frowning down at her, Roger at her elbow.
'Jason says he's going over to Dan's tomorrow after school,' Joan said. 'Is that right?'
Cassie swallowed. 'Yes, it is.'
'He also said something about you going down to Strath-haven tonight.'
Cassie could see that Roger was all ears. 'That's right. He's asked me down for a drink this evening,' she Said truthfully.
'Well, well,' Roger beamed. 'And what did you say?'
'Yes, of course.'
If Cassie hadn't been so distracted she might have laughed at Roger's surprise, for it had been years since she'd accepted a date with a man.
CHAPTER SIX
Cassie stepped over to the full-length mirror behind her bedroom door and stared into it. She turned sideways to inspect a rear view, and groaned.
'Dear God, I can't wear this,' she muttered. 'It's disgusting!'
She turned back to face the front, her eyes travelling once again over the figure-hugging red woollen sheath. It had been bought several years ago when she had been very thin, and the material now had to stretch to fit, so that, while the neck-to-knee, long-sleeved style was quite modest, the effect once it was moulded to her shapely body was suggestive in the extreme.
Cassie had merely wanted to look attractive, not like a scarlet woman. Her mother had suggested the dress, and the colour did look well on her, but its present effect was far too obvious, much too sexy!
But isn't that what you need to look like? an inner voice taunted.
A fluttering spasm claimed Cassie's stomach at the thought of trying to vamp Dan McKay. She hoped and prayed that such a drastic solution would not be necessary. It worried her terribly what might happen to her if she did follow that course. What if things got out of hand? She might become the victim, not him, for much as she hated him she couldn't deny that she wanted him, too. And he made love so very very well...
Cassie spun away from the mirror and began to pace the room, talking to herself all the while. She would definitely try eating humble pie first. She would tell him that he could see Jason as much as he wished, provided he didn't reveal his parentage. She would explain the difference between life in a country area and the vast, impersonal nature of a city existence. The man was not heartless, surely? Even if he didn't give a damn for her feelings, he would probably listen to reason over matters relating to Jason.
She could point out how their son would be terribly hurt by the comments of unthinking people, not to mention those made by the other children at school. Kids could be very cruel.
Yes, she would try to reason with the man...at first.
And if that didn't work?
Cassie stopped pacing.
If reason didn't work, she decided with a surge of grim determination, she would try to capitalise on the sexual attraction between them. She didn't have to sleep with the man, merely string him along a little—anything to diffuse the situation, to give her some power over him, some weapon to wield. Maybe it was wrong to promise and then not deliver, but...
She firmly pushed aside any feelings of guilt. Dan should have known better than to threaten the security of her child. Cassie was prepared to do anything to protect Jason's happiness, even if it meant swallowing her pride, throwing away her personal dignity; even if it meant putting herself fairly and squarely into the lion's den.
A knock at her door interrupted the silent tirade of resolutions.
'Cassie? Can I come in?'
'Just a moment.' She pulled out a black thigh-length cardigan, dragging it over the sexy red dress. She didn't want her mother to jump to conclusions, even right ones. 'Come in,' she called, her heart racing.
'Cassie, I...' Her mother stopped and frowned. 'Won't you be hot in that cardigan?'
Cassie picked up a hairbrush and gave a good imitation of nonchalance, talking and brushing at the same time. 'It's going to be chilly in the jeep.' She flicked back her fringe and smoothed the rest into its natural pageboy style, deliberately not looking at her face. She didn't want her to see the over-bright blue eyes, or the parted lips, trembling in scarlet gloss. 'I'll take the cardigan off once I get there,' she added, swallowing a lump of panic at the thought.
Her mother was staring down at her stockinged feet. 'What shoes are you going to wear?'
Cassie had pulled out a pair of outrageously high red sandals which she'd bought one year at a sale. But after putting the dress on she'd changed her mind. 'My black flatties, I guess.'
'Your black flatties?' her mother repeated. 'In that dress?' She spied the red sandals near the bed and picked them up. 'What's wrong with these? I mean...it's not as if you're a tall girl, Cassie. Though it wouldn't matter next to a man like Dan.'