Chapter 11 #2
Hearing a squeal of delight, I glance at the other table in time to see a man leaning toward Cadence who quickly pops out of her chair to hug him.
Tall and burly, the man wraps his arms around her back and lifts her, causing her to kick her feet up behind her.
Once she’s set back down, she turns toward her table and introduces the man.
“Is that Daggett Ryan?” I question, narrowing my eyes.
“Where?” Violet perks up, twisting in her seat and glancing in the same direction I’m looking.
Standing way too close to Cadence, the famous country singer keeps his hand on her lower back while leaning over the table to shake hands with Stone, Clay, and Judd.
“I think it is.” Knox lets out a low hiss, expressing how impressed he is with the rugged master of country music.
Felicity loved his music and I’d paid an ungodly price for tickets to see him in Chicago when he performed at Anchor Field. Plus, we had backstage passes. He seemed like a genuine guy from all I could learn in a ten-minute conversation with him.
“I didn’t know Cadence had a date for the wedding.” I grumble.
Halle gazes at Knox before both of them look across the table at me.
Knox clears his throat. “I didn’t know either.”
With Daggett’s hand still on Cadence’s hip, she leads him to Enya and Sebastian, who stand and greet him in a similar friendly fashion with kissed cheeks and back-slapping hugs.
“Are they friends?” I question aloud.
“Daddy, you sound like a grizzly bear again,” Winnie giggles.
Zelle is watching me, and I clear my throat before casting a glance at Knox once more. His brows pinch but he doesn’t say anything further.
Eventually, dinner is cleared away. I’ll owe the cleanup crew extra for the mess my girls have made.
Cadence has disappeared with Daggett Ryan.
I fight the urge to twist in my seat, wondering where they went, what they’re doing.
Visions of them kissing haunt me for half a second before my girls notice Sebastian and Enya are cutting the three-layer cake.
My brother doesn’t specialize in wedding cakes, but he made his own. The top layer is lemon flavored.
“What is the deal with lemon flavor and Enya?” I ask Knox.
Halle answers. “They met when she went into his bakery for a lemon baby-Bundt cake.”
“They are so good,” Violet adds.
“Their story is rather romantic,” Halle continues.
“So is ours,” Knox interjects and leans over to kiss Halle’s shoulder.
“If you call reuniting by getting locked in a bathroom during a funeral luncheon romantic.” Halle laughs.
Honestly, a wedding is the last place I should be with my headspace and heartache.
Love is oozing inside this tent, between Sebastian and Enya, and Knox and Halle.
I glance again at Stone, noticing Cadence has returned to their table.
My breath catches when she pats his arm again before glancing up at me.
Anger strikes like the flick of a lighter. How many men does she need? Daggett? Stone? Is she stringing them all along like she did me, making them think there could be something between them? Is she hoping to take one of them back to that motel outside of town?
Shaking my head, I scold myself for thinking such things.
Cadence is not Felicity. However, my thoughts are a strong inkling of how I’m going to view women in the future.
I’m not going to trust so easily, if ever.
And I will never give my heart away again.
Distrust and suspicion will hound me at every turn and that wouldn’t be fair to someone else.
Lowering my eyes, I press a kiss to the top of June’s curly-haired head. My girls are all I’ll ever need.
“Hey you.” Cadence’s voice startles me, and I don’t respond to her greeting. “How’s it going over here?”
She squats down, despite her long dress and tickles June’s belly. To my surprise, June opens her arms and leans toward Cadence. I hold her back before she gets her sticky hands on Cadence, but Cadence also has her hands up and open as if she’ll catch June.
“I can take her.”
“She’s a mess.”
“Just the kind of girl I like.” Cadence stares at June, wiggling her fingers for me to hand my daughter over.
I don’t release her, but I do reach for a napkin and struggle to wipe June’s fingers while she squirms on my lap. From the sudden shift in her little body, she’s eager to be released to Cadence.
“No, June,” I admonish.
Zelle’s head picks up at the sharpness in my tone. Fuck, I’m never going to be able to reprimand my girls or correct their behavior without them holding their breath. However, I’m not Felicity, and June needs to sit still on me.
When I don’t release June, Cadence stands tall again.
“Did you lose your date?” My voice is edgier than it needs to be.
Cadence’s eyes narrow as she gazes down at me in my chair. “Daggett is not my date.” Her hands come to her hips. Her voice just as rigid as mine.
“Cozy greeting,” I counter.
“We’re friends.”
“Bet that’s what all the boys think.”
“Ford,” Knox groans from across the table.
Fuck. I don’t know why I said that. I don’t know what I’m saying at all. I don’t like this feeling crawling over my skin. This woman took care of me the other night and I don’t know why I’m reacting like I am to her hugging another man.
She’s nothing to me. We aren’t even friends.
But I watch as Cadence’s stunned expression slowly melts to liquid-filled eyes that drop their gaze to the floor.
Her teeth dig hard into her lower lip. Then her shoulders straighten, and she lifts her head up high.
With those blue eyes, now clear, and lasered in on mine, the fire in them lets me know exactly what she thinks of my retort.
No man is ever going to make her feel small, least of all me. And I’m being a dick.
Abruptly standing, awkwardly lifting June, I hold her out to Cadence.
“Here, take her.” My tone isn’t contrite like it should be. I’m still too riled up and I don’t know why. “I need some air.”
The second Cadence grips June by her sides, June reaches up for Cadence’s hair and wiggles her fingers into the sides of the intricate updo.
Cadence laughs. “Your fingers might get stuck in there, baby girl. I have so much spray on this thing I’m going to need more than wash, rinse, and repeat to get it clean.”
Knox coughs into his fist. “More like repeat, repeat, repeat.”
My eyes narrow at him and the innuendo in his voice but he gives me a knowing grin. Suddenly, an image of Cadence in the shower, washing her hair, water sluicing down her tight body has my own humming again. In a different manner.
Cadence carefully unwedges one of June’s hands from one side of her hair and kisses the tips of her fingers. June watches where Cadence is playfully acting like she might bite June’s fingertips.
“Whatcha got inside you, June Bug? You’re as heavy as a load of bricks,” Cadence teases, jostling June on her hip.
I said I needed air, but I can’t seem to move. I’m not certain I’m breathing watching this superstar powerhouse let my daughter mess up her hair. Felicity would have been pitching the biggest fit.
“I’m the only brick around here,” Knox counters, speaking of his nickname from Halle.
“Got good bones.” Cadence taps June’s nose.
“And strong fingers.” Cadence good-naturedly laughs, distracting June by rubbing her nose against my baby’s and using the tactic to unwind June’s other hand from the other side of her hair.
A clump on each side now sticks out, making Cadence look like she has an extra set of ears.
The image brings back Cadence’s remarks about being the cool aunt versus a good mom.
In her bridesmaid gown, hair askew, and giving my daughter a laugh despite me hurting her feelings only seconds prior, this woman is a pillar of strength, and I doubt she’d be terrible at anything, motherhood included.
The thought sends a strange rush through my gut.
“Your hair,” I whisper.
Cadence’s eyes meet mine. “It’s only hair.”
Felicity would have never said such a thing. She would have yelled. She might have even cried. Then again, she wouldn’t have let the girls get so close to her if she’d been all made up. The dress. The makeup. The hairstyle.
I can’t breathe again, and this time I really do need some air.