Chapter 13
thirteen
. . .
Presley
Well, this was an unexpected turn of events. I felt a little dumb for coming to his defense, seeing as he was not telling the truth when he’d told me Gracie was just confused.
I wanted to be irritated, but honestly, I was honored to be tattooed on the man’s body for life—I just wasn’t sure how to feel about it.
“My work here is done,” Brinkley said, dropping a dinner roll onto her plate like it was a microphone. The entire table erupted in laughter, aside from the big grump sitting next to me.
I covered my mouth with my hand. It wasn’t that big of a deal. He was being a bit dramatic.
“Sleep with one eye open, Brinks,” Cage grumped.
“I look forward to it.” His sister waggled her brows and then turned her attention to me. “So, how long are you staying, Presley?”
“Probably a couple more weeks. My dad is on the mend, but I want to stay until he’s fully recovered, or at least well enough to be without the full-time nurses at the house.”
“I’ve missed you. I’m glad you’re home. Don’t stay away so long next time.” Georgia smiled at me, and that heavy weight settled on my chest again.
I’d always loved his family, and when I lost Cage, I lost all of them.
“I won’t.” I shrugged. “And at least the big guy here has me inked on his heart forever, so I’m kind of with you all in spirit, right?”
It was silent at first, and then laughter bellowed around the room from everyone, including Cage.
“Relax,” he said once they all pulled themselves together. “I’m probably going to ink Maxine there next.”
Gracie was clapping, and I spent the next hour laughing and talking and catching up with this family, whom I’d missed so much.
After we ate dessert and had some coffee, we all moved to the family room, and I sat on the floor with my back to the couch as Bob Picklepants, the cutest dog on the planet, sprawled across my legs.
I still couldn’t believe that Cage had agreed to keep Maxine at his house. Being a dad had softened him in a way.
Although that was probably the only thing soft about him.
Damn. Why did my mind keep going there?
It had been so long since I’d felt anything physically. Of course, this would be the one man who had to make me feel all the things.
My phone vibrated, and I glanced down to see a text from Lola.
Lo
Hey, girl. How’s it going with Dr. Dreamy?
I quickly responded.
Stop. All good. Are we meeting for brunch tomorrow? I can meet you at Cottonwood Café after I take Honey out and spend a little time with my dad.
Lo
Yes. But don’t avoid the question. I know you’re still thinking about your night spent spooning him and his giant
I tucked my phone away and looked up to see Cage watching me intently. Almost like he knew that I was texting my bestie about him.
I should go. I’d been here a long time.
“Well, thank you so much for having me. Nothing has ever compared to a Reynolds family dinner.”
“Are you heading out?” Alana asked as I gently slipped Bob off my lap and kissed the top of his head. I pushed to my feet, and she wrapped me up in a hug.
This was what I’d always wanted.
A mother who loved me the way that Alana loved her kids. I’d always thought I’d be that kind of mother someday, but clearly, that hadn’t happened.
Work had become my life, and I didn’t mind it when I was there. But being here made me look at life a little differently.
I didn’t have casual dinners on a Sunday night with friends. I worked long hours. My dinners were normally work related, or we’d do a fancy dinner out in the city with clients. There was nothing casual about it.
And when Wes and I did get together with other couples we’d socialized with over the years, conversations were more about what fancy vacation you were taking next or what second home you were considering buying.
I wasn’t around people who just laughed a lot and asked how you were doing and how you were feeling.
People who really cared, I guess.
Aside from Lola. She was the one person who’d kept me grounded. I’d need to find that kind of normalcy and comfort when I got back home. I was going to make it a priority to spend time with people outside of work.
“Daddy, please?” Gracie had her hands together like she was praying, and her fancy dress swooshed around her ankles.
There was nothing that I loved more than a girl who could rock a dress fit for a wedding, with a pair of cowboy boots. Throw in a pig and a dog and a father who adored her, and she was winning at life.
“Come on,” Brinkley said. “Lincoln and I haven’t gotten to have Gracie spend the night in a while. And I was already set to pick her up in the morning, but this way we can just wake up there.”
I’d heard Cage mention earlier that she didn’t have school tomorrow due to a teacher’s in-service day, or something like that.
“All right. I’ll pick her up after work tomorrow.” He scooped up his little girl and rubbed his scruff on her neck. “You need a break from Daddy, huh?”
“Never!” Her head fell back in a fit of giggles.
I couldn’t look away. There was something about seeing them together.
I’d always been so devastated that he’d had a baby with someone else, but seeing it was different.
It didn’t hurt me. It made me happy. He’d done exactly what he should have done all those years ago.
I was the one who’d made all the mistakes, wasn’t I?
I felt a hand in mine and looked up to see that Alana had caught me staring at them.
“They’re sweet together, aren’t they?”
The lump in my throat was so thick that I couldn’t speak. I nodded and smiled.
I gave her another hug and made my way around the group. I agreed to meet Brinkley, Georgia, Lila, and Reese for dinner next week at Cottonwood Café, and they told me to bring Lola. I was looking forward to it.
Cage said his goodbyes, as well. He had Maxine on a leash and Bob in his arms as we both walked toward the door.
I grabbed my coat and zipped it all the way up for the short walk home. I loved that I could walk everywhere here, and it was peaceful and quiet.
Once we were outside, we paused in front of his truck.
“Well, that was painful.” He opened the back door and set Bob down before lifting up Maxine and placing her beside the dog, who was already lying down.
“That was fun.” I chuckled.
“Brinkley wasn’t going to let that tattoo go.” He scrubbed his hand down the back of his neck. “I’m sorry I wasn’t honest with you about it. I did it a long time ago, and I just thought it would make the situation uncomfortable.”
His heated gaze locked with mine, and my stomach fluttered. I wasn’t that girl who got butterflies over all the boys when I was young. It had always been this one boy that gave me every flutter and nervous moment I’d ever had. And that clearly hadn’t changed.
“It’s okay that you missed me, too.”
His gaze narrowed as if my words surprised him, and then he looked away for a few seconds.
“Where’s your car?”
“I walked.” I shrugged. “Being out of the city has been a nice break. It’s so peaceful here.”
“You’re not walking home. It’s late. Get in the truck.” He pulled the door open.
“You’re ridiculous.”
“I’ve been called worse. You going to make me pick you up and put you in the truck, or are you going to do it yourself?”
I rolled my eyes and climbed in. He stared at me before reaching for the seat belt, and I slapped his hand away. “I can buckle myself, Reynolds.”
“Then do it now.”
“So bossy.” I rolled my eyes and reached for the seat belt.
He closed the door and went around to the driver’s seat before pulling out of the driveway.
What was his problem? One minute he was being sweet and the next, he was being an ass.
“I’ll show you something peaceful if you don’t mind taking a pit stop.”
“That’s fine. I planned to walk home, so clearly, I wasn’t in a hurry,” I said, not hiding the irritation from my voice, even though I was not upset about getting a ride home from him.
He pulled into his driveway at his house and put the truck in park.
“This is where you’re taking me?”
“Yep.”
He jumped out of the truck and opened the back door to get Maxine as I helped Bob out, who trotted next to me toward the front door.
“That bastard never walks for me,” Cage said as he glanced over his shoulder at me.
“Maybe you could soften your delivery?”
He laughed. “Maybe you’re right.”
He pushed the door open and flipped on a light as I stepped inside. “Wow. It’s gorgeous.”
“Yeah? I had a lot of help from my mom and my sisters. Clearly, they can’t stay out of my business.
” He tossed the keys onto the little table in the entryway, and I took in the dark, wide-plank floors that ran through the house.
It wasn’t cluttered or busy, but it was warm.
We moved to the family room, and Bob jumped up onto the couch and curled up on the blanket.
Cage lifted Maxine into what looked like a playpen for kids, and she started playing with some sort of ball.
There were pictures of Gracie on the built-in bookshelves, and a few paintings hung on the walls, which I took my time admiring.
“Do you still paint?” he asked.
I had thought about majoring in art for a hot minute because, aside from riding horses, I’d always loved to paint.
My mother was mortified that I’d wanted to pursue a career that would make me one of many struggling artists in her mind.
My father had encouraged me to keep it as a hobby, and he’d never taken it seriously.
But Cage had always thought I was talented.
My eye caught on a frame on the bookshelves, and I moved closer.
It was the sketch I’d done of this house and then painted when we were maybe sixteen or seventeen years old.
I’d given it to him for Christmas as a gift that year, and it was the day that he’d promised that he’d build me that house someday.
“You saved it?” Every detail, from the wraparound porch to the red door and the Adirondack chairs, was there.