Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
PRESLEY
“Someone’s looking awfully happy today.”
I startle, nearly dropping the empty plates as I head back into the kitchen as Rylee greets me. “What do you mean?”
“Oh, I don’t know. You missed girls’ night last night.”
“Crap. That was last night?” I grab the towel and wipe my hands off.
“Mm-hmm. But none of us minded,” she says, a happy lilt to her tone.
“Really?”
“Only if you tell us where you were.”
I can’t help the flush that creeps up my cheeks. “I was with Kade.”
Time seems to be moving at the speed of a light-year. Ever since he asked me on a date, I want to spend all my time with him. If I’m not going over to the ranch, he’s coming over to our place.
After Poppy’s bedtime. I don’t want to give her any ideas, even if she’s loving her time learning to ride out at the ranch.
“Safe to say things are going well?” She waggles her brows at me.
“I don’t even know if I should be talking about this.” I slap my hands over my cheeks.
“We’re your best friends. If you can’t talk about it with us, who can you talk about it with?” Rylee says, crossing her arms.
“It’s just…it seems too good to be true.”
“You mean because he’s back in town or you don’t know for how long?”
“Both?” I question. “I don’t know, Rylee. One minute he was here then the next he was gone, and now he’s back. He’s trying to have a relationship with both of us, and I just don’t know how to feel about it.”
“You know, you’re allowed to be happy,” she says. “I know you’ve had a lot going on with separating from Paul and the flux with your dad’s estate, but you don’t have to put your entire life on pause.”
“Is it really that obvious?”
“We all see it,” Rylee says.
“We all do!” Betty chimes in.
“Thanks, Betty,” I yell back, shaking my head at her.
Pinecrest is the gossipiest small town ever. Everyone is in everyone’s business. If you look at someone the wrong way, they’ll know. I still remember the pitiful looks I got after Kade left. I couldn’t go anywhere without people looking at me. I hated it.
“Trust me, Presley. You’re allowed to be happy.”
“It feels like I can’t.” There’s still too much unsettled. With so much up in the air, it feels like I’ve been treading water.
“You’ve been through a lot,” Rylee says, dropping her hands on my shoulders. “We all love you. And Poppy, and we only want what’s best for you.”
“Is starting a relationship with Kade the best thing for me?”
This time, she gives me a smile. “I think it is. I mean, I’ve only seen him here with you once, but he looks at you like you hung the moon.”
“Only the moon?” I laugh.
“Well, maybe the sun and the stars too.”
“Okay, ladies, enough yapping. Get back to work,” Betty calls out to us. “This food isn’t gonna serve itself.”
“On it, Betty,” Rylee says.
Grabbing the fresh plates of food, I start delivering food to our waiting guests. There’s a small group of people waiting. This time of year in Pinecrest, it’s always busy. With the leaves changing, it brings everyone here to visit the mountains surrounding the town. It’s stunning.
I do my best to focus on everyone, but it’s hard. Because my attention keeps turning back to Kade.
Have I really been sabotaging myself and my happiness these last few years? I tried to make it work with Paul. For the first year or two, we were happy. Everything was good between us. Family vacations. Hikes to the mountains. Laughing around the dinner table.
But when my dad got older and he wanted Paul to take over more of the company, things changed. Paul started working longer hours and paying less attention to us. Before I knew it, we were two strangers living together. Things were too far gone to try and repair them, so I left.
Now if I could only get him to sign the damn divorce papers. Maybe then…maybe then I could really have a shot at happiness.
Will it be with Kade? I don’t know. He has a life back in Seattle. Every time I think about him staying, I get anxious. That growing feeling of unease never seems to go away. He left once. Could it be just as easy for him to leave again?
Taking a guest’s order, I head back to the kitchen to start mixing up a milkshake before delivering it.
“Hi, Presley.”
I stop at Serena’s booth, giving her a cheery smile.
“Hi, Serena. How are you?”
“Good, as always. You seem to be in better spirits.”
“You know what, I am,” I say.
“That Lovers card must be working out for you.” She gives me a coy smile.
“Anything I can get for you?” I ignore her comment.
Whether it was just the timing or right card, I don’t want to admit she’s right. Or could have been right.
“Just a coffee today.”
By the time I head back to the dining room to deliver it, I smile as I spot two new guests.
“Hey, you two,” I say. “What are you doing here? I thought you were riding at the ranch.”
Poppy runs up to me, wrapping her arms around my legs.
“Kade said riding horses is always better when you have a milkshake.”
“Is that so?” I peer up at Kade.
A small smile flirts across his lips. “I’m pretty sure I told you the same thing back in the day, Pres.”
I cover Poppy’s ears so she can’t hear. “I thought you were doing that so our dates would last longer.”
He shrugs a shoulder. “Well, that too.”
“Kade, can I pick our flavors?” Poppy asks, spinning in my arms.
“Sure.”
“Yes.”
I nod toward the kitchen. “Go tell Betty what you want and she’ll help you, okay?”
She takes off around the counter and I can hear Betty’s squeals of delight when she sees Poppy.
“Poppy is everyone’s favorite.” Kade laughs.
“She is,” I say, stepping closer to him. I want to take him into my arms, but I can’t. Not when Poppy could dart around the corner at any moment. “Are you going to be okay with her today?”
“I mean, I think so,” Kade says, sliding into a free stool. “Nothing can be worse than screwing up her mac and cheese.”
I snort a laugh. “Well, at least now you know what kind she likes.”
“It’s mac and cheese. It’s all the same.”
I shake my head, dropping a kiss onto his cheek. “It’s not. The blue box is superior.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Poppy comes walking around the counter with two large glasses in her hand with straws poking out.
“This one is yours, Kade.” She passes it to him.
“What kind is it?” he asks, taking it from her.
“It’s a surprise,” she says, looking like it’s the dumbest question.
“Okay.”
Poppy takes a big gulp of hers as Kade takes a sip. His eyes go wide.
“Poppy, what’s actually in this?” He sets it down on the counter behind him.
“It’s a chocolate and strawberry one. It’s Miss Betty’s secret flavor. I thought you’d like it.”
“Oh, shit,” I mutter.
“Is it yucky?” Poppy asks.
“It’s okay. I just can’t eat strawberries.”
Poppy’s eyes go wide. “You can’t? What’s going to happen?”
“It’s okay,” Kade says, nervously running his hand through his hair.
Hives start to break out on his face. And while I know that’s the worst of it, having experienced this in high school, I can already see tears welling in Poppy’s eyes.
“What can I get you?” I ask, resting a hand on his shoulder.
“Got any allergy meds?” he asks.
Hives start to break out on his neck as tears streak down Poppy’s face.
“Everything okay?” Rylee asks, coming over to us. It seems like all eyes are on us.
“Can you grab some allergy meds from the first aid kit?” I ask.
She nods, heading back into the kitchen as Poppy buries her face into my stomach, tears wetting my shirt.
“I’m sorry,” she keeps repeating.
“Hey, come here.” Kade holds his arms out to her and she goes. “It’s okay. You didn’t know, and it’s my fault for not thinking to tell you.”
“I thought you’d like it,” Poppy sniffles.
“Maybe next time we can get something different.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Rylee comes back with two pills and a tall glass of water. Kade nods his head in thanks to her.
“Are you going to be okay?” Poppy asks.
Kade pops the pills and swallows them down. “I’ll be fine, Poppy.”
“Does this mean we don’t get to ride horses today?” she asks.
“I’ll tell you what,” Kade says. “Maybe we can ride horses after school tomorrow? You mom can bring you to the ranch after school.”
“Yeah?” she asks, brushing a tear away.
“Yeah,” I say. “And maybe we can have Kade over for dinner tonight.”
Her lip quivers as she nods her head.
“I promise, I’ll be okay,” Kade tries to reassure her. He gives her a smile. “Maybe you can help me make us some mac and cheese?”
“Mom, do we have the good kind?” Poppy asks.
“We do.” I nod. I drop down to my daughter’s eye level. “Why don’t you go ask Miss Betty if we can take some fries home to have with it?”
Her nose screws up. “You always say I have to have veggy-tables with it.”
Kade smiles at her misuse of the word. “It’s a special night, Pop. I think we can have some fries.”
“Okay.”
She slides out of Kade’s lap and goes back into the kitchen. When she’s out of sight, I turn my attention back to Kade.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”
He nods. “Do you remember the day I had a reaction because you borrowed Georgia’s lip gloss before our date and it was strawberry flavored?”
I groan, burying my face in his neck. “God, don’t remind me.”
“I was fine then, Pres. I’ll be fine now.”
“At least this will be contained to your face. Not…everywhere else.”
“Hey.” Kade cups my face and pulls my gaze to his. “That was still a good day.”
“Even if you had to have a doctor look at your, you know…” Dick, I mouth, not wanting anyone else to hear it.
“Worth it to have you take care of me all night. Even though I didn’t need it.”
“So you don’t need it tonight?” I quirk a brow at him.
He shakes his head. “I definitely need someone to take care of me. Maybe make me some mac and cheese.”
I smile at him. “Done.”
“And maybe spend the night?”
“Can the ranch spare you?”
He nods. “Yes. They’ll be fine.”
“Good. I’ll finish things up here and take Poppy home and you can meet us there?”
Kade gives me the sweetest smile. One that does funny things to my heart.
“I’ll see you soon, Pres.”
“See you soon.”
I can’t wait.