Chapter 66
CHAPTER 66
CASSIDY
I woke up in Karen’s old room, staring up at the ceiling. I felt like I was getting a day in her life. I felt more connected to her. I turned my head and looked at the boxes stacked in the corner. I knew she was feeling a little melancholy about packing up and moving away. I hoped I could be enough to fill in the hole that was going to be left after she went back to Kentucky.
The picture of her and her friends was still sitting on the dresser. Karen was beaming at the camera, her arm around Mary Ellen. It looked like they had been having the time of their lives and I suspected there were a few of Rylee’s cocktails involved.
I hoped I could make her smile like that and bring her that same joy. I rolled over and picked up my phone off the nightstand. Karen was enjoying her girls’ night and day with her friends. Today, I was spending it with the guys. Tomorrow was the wedding and then we were heading back to Kentucky. I missed the ranch, but I was enjoying being here with her.
When she arrived at the ranch, she was Don’s niece. Now, she was my Karen. Her presence at the ranch brightened the place up. I wanted her to always feel this happy and loved. Ginny and Kenny loved her. They were going to be honorary aunt and uncle of our little one. I knew the large group she had here in Dallas would be making plenty of visits to the ranch as well.
I felt a sense of responsibility. The guys made it clear they were entrusting me with Karen. She was like a sister to them.
I sent a quick text to Karen. Good morning. I love you. Give my baby a little belly rub. I’ll see you tomorrow.
She was going to be spending the day with her friends getting pampered. Last night was the party and tonight they were staying at the hotel to keep Mary Ellen from seeing Archer. I had a feeling Archer was going to be climbing the walls. I was still trying to get my head around the idea of a guy like him falling madly in love with a woman like Mary Ellen. I didn’t think I had ever seen such a mismatched couple. She was a librarian, not frumpy but certainly the most conservative dresser of the five ladies. And Archer, hell, that guy could probably kick some serious ass. He was all hard and edgy, but when he looked or talked about Mary Ellen, he turned into a warm and fuzzy teddy bear.
I knew exactly what he was feeling because that was what I felt for Karen. She was always on my mind. Even now I was eager to hold her close. I felt a pang of longing every time we were apart. I knew Karen had doubts about leaving her life behind in Dallas, but I also knew she was embracing our future together. I was going to do everything in my power to make sure she never regretted her choice to move to Kentucky.
My phone vibrated with a text. I love you. Have fun today. Try not to freak out. I’ll see you tomorrow. I’ll be the lady in blue. Well, one of the ladies in blue.
I wasn’t sure why she thought I was going to freak out today. From what the guys said, we were going to get haircuts and last-minute fittings for our tuxes. She must really think I was a hick.
Before I could think any more on it, my phone vibrated again. I looked at the screen. It was my loan officer. I closed my eyes and prayed.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Cassidy? I’ve got good news! The bank approved the loan. You’re good to go with the offer. It’s moving forward. We should be able to close within a couple of weeks.”
I was speechless for several seconds.
“Really?” My voice was barely a whisper.
“Yes! I understand you’re out of town. I’ll forward the paperwork to the broker handling the sale. Congratulations! You just bought yourself a ranch.”
“Thank you,” I said, still feeling a little wooden.
“Anytime.”
After we ended the call, I lay there for a few seconds letting it process. Relief flooded over me. I had finally done it. The ranch was as good as mine. It was a piece of land I had always dreamed about, and now, it was mine. Karen and I would have a place of our own, a place to build a life together, raise our kid. I could already picture her there, sitting on the porch with our baby in her arms watching the sunset.
I wanted to tell Karen the news, but I didn’t want to tell her over text. This was the kind of news that needed to be delivered in person. I was sure I would explode with excitement before then, but I would wait.
I threw off the blankets and got up. The guys would be here soon. I quickly showered and dressed. I had barely made it downstairs when the front door was thrown open.
Simon and Archer strolled in. “Ready to go?”
“Barber shop first?” I asked.
They grinned. Something told me I said something wrong.
“The salon,” Archer said.
“The what?”
“The salon, man,” he said. “Haircuts, beard trims, the whole nine yards. Wedding prep.”
I ran a hand over my jaw, feeling the rough stubble. “I got a trim last week.”
“Well, you’re getting another one. This isn’t just a regular day, you know? Prepare to be pampered.”
I was more nervous about a trip to the salon than I had been about hitting the golf course for the first time. I piled into the car with them. We pulled up in front of a sleek building with big glass windows and neat, white signage. Inside, the place smelled like a mix of lemon, lavender, and something else. Something sharp and almost medicinal.
There was soft music playing and an actual bar in the corner.
“Gentlemen,” said a lady with a sleek bob cut as she approached us. She had a warm smile on her face, the kind that you knew was practiced but still genuine in its own way.
“Hey, Elisa,” Simon said. “We’re here for our appointments.”
She took a moment to look each of us up and down. “Great. Who wants cucumber water?”
I had no idea what that was. I didn’t think I wanted to know.
“Can we get some coffee instead?” Archer asked.
“Absolutely.”
We were all led to chairs. This wasn’t the average barber shop, I quickly realized. The chairs were like sitting on clouds, nothing like the ones back home. The stylist looked me up and down like she was trying to figure out where to start first. I didn’t think I was in that bad of shape.
“Alright, cowboy. Let’s clean you up.”
She draped a robe over me. I watched the other men settle in, some of them with towels over their faces. Just as I was getting used to the idea of this whole process, another woman approached with a little jar in her hands.
“Now for the facial mask,” she said cheerfully. “Hold still, please.”
Before I could ask what was happening, she started spreading the cold, thick stuff over my face. It smelled strange, a mix of eucalyptus and something like dirt. I wrinkled my nose instinctively.
“Don’t wrinkle! This mask has to settle into your pores.”
“My pores don’t usually get treated to anything more than sweat,” I muttered, trying to relax. She worked the mask into every corner of my face. It hardened quickly. I felt like I had a cast on me. I was afraid to move.
Ward was sitting a chair down. “Next thing you know, you’ll be getting a manicure,” he said.
I tried to laugh, but the mask had me so frozen I could only grunt.
Jameson leaned back in his chair, his own mask drying as he watched me squirm. “So, Cassidy, what’s next for you and Karen? Any big plans?”
I felt like they had me trapped. I was their prisoner, and they were going to interrogate me. Running into the street with this shit on my face would be far worse than sitting through another interrogation.
“Actually, yeah,” I said. “I made an offer on the ranch. The bank just approved it, so it’s going through. We’re going to have our own place soon.”
“No kidding!” Archer said. “That’s amazing! Does she know?”
“No. I just got the call. She knows I was trying to get the loan, but things are a little sketchy.” I wasn’t going to get into my inheritance. “We’ve been waiting to hear. I want to tell her in person, but since I won’t be seeing her until tomorrow, I have to wait.”
“She’ll love it,” Ward said.
“Yeah, I think so,” I said, unable to hide my grin even as it cracked the mud around my face. “It’s a beautiful place, a little rough around the edges, but we’ll make it ours. I’m hoping to build a house on the property. Just for us. We need somewhere to raise the kid.”
“Congrats,” Simon said. “I would have pegged Karen for the bachelorette party planner before the family planning type.”
I chuckled, shrugging as best as I could with the mask hardening. “Now she’ll be planning a nursery and making schedules.”
“She’s always been the hardest working person I know,” Jameson said. “You’re lucky, Cassidy.”
“I know it,” I said.
“You know what you have to do next, right?” Simon said. “I mean, you got the baby, you bought a ranch, and you’re talking about building a whole damn house for your family. You’re still glossing over one big step.”
“Make it official,” Jameson added. “That woman is worth it.”
I knew they were right. Karen deserved that, and so much more. I was going to make sure she got it.
The woman returned and began carefully peeling off the mask. The feeling of fresh air hitting my skin was like being born again. The sheer relief knowing my face was still intact was amazing. I had been certain it was going to be peeled away.
“Alright, Cassidy,” the stylist said, patting my face with something that smelled minty. “You’re all set. Now for the spray tan?”
I stared at her, unblinking. “Excuse me?”
“The spray tan,” she repeated, dead serious.
I looked around at the guys, but none of them seemed the least bit shocked. “You want me to strip down and let someone spray-paint me like a pumpkin?”
She arched an eyebrow. Ward leaned over, trying to hide a grin. “It’s the final touch, Cassidy. Think of it as a rite of passage.”
“No way in hell,” I said, putting my foot down. “I’ll take the face mask and the trim, but this? Not happening. I’m a cowboy. I get my tan the old-fashioned way.”
That was when the guys burst out laughing.
“Man, we got you good,” Archer said. “There’s no spray tan. We just wanted to see if you’d do it.”
“Man, I was thinking you city boys had lost your damn minds.”
“For a second there, I thought you would,” Jameson said.
“Let’s move on,” Archer said. “We need to go to our tux fittings.”
The mention of a tuxedo did not make me happy, but I felt honored to be asked to be one of his groomsmen. They didn’t know me, but they welcomed me into their group. Being confined to a suit was as bad as that face mask for a cowboy like me, but I would do it.