Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
PRESLEY
“Ithought you said Kade was coming with us.” Poppy swings her hand in mine as we stroll down Main Street.
It’s one of the last days for the farmers’ market, and with the day off work, I’m glad that the three of us can spend it together.
“He’s going to meet us there. He had some work to do at the ranch.”
Poppy looks up at me through her pink, heart-shaped sunglasses. “Do you think he did something fun with Lollipop?”
I smile at her, loving how much she’s enamored with the horse. “He said he had something else to do today.”
“Kade told me that next week he’s going to show me how to brush her.”
“And I’m going to.”
Poppy startles, spinning around to spot Kade behind us.
“You’re here.” Poppy throws her arms around him and he lifts her into them with ease.
“I told you I was coming.”
In his usual cowboy hat, a dark jacket, and jeans that stretch across his thighs, Kade is the epitome of a cowboy.
Make that one sexy cowboy at the small smile he sends my way. That smile does funny things to my insides.
“The market is fun. Mom lets me spend my allowance however I want.”
“However you want?” he asks, sending a wink my way.
It does funny things to my insides. But it pales in comparison to seeing how good Kade is with Poppy. He’s a natural. He loves getting to spend this time with her, and I love how easily she’s taken to him.
Poppy has talked nonstop about our ride out into the mountains with him. Everything is now all about Kade.
“Miss Serena has pretty bracelets I want to get.”
“Serena has a booth at the market?” Kade asks.
“She does.” I laugh.
We stop at the crosswalk and he sets her down. Poppy takes his hand and looks up at him. “She tells you good luck things.”
Kade eyes me. “Good luck things?”
“She tells you your fortune.”
“Yeah, good luck things,” Poppy reiterates. “And she has pretty bracelets. Mom said I can spend my money however I want.”
“We do have to get veggies for dinner this week first.”
“Please not broccoli,” Poppy whines.
“Come with me and you can pick what we get.”
The light changes as we head toward the town square where the market is held.
“You know, some things haven’t changed,” Kade says. “This all looks the same as it did when I was last here.”
“Be careful.” I smile over at him. “They’ll still chat your ear off.”
Poppy skips ahead of us. It seems everyone in town is here. I smile and wave to my usual customers. Say hi to Poppy’s teacher and her husband. Poppy pets all the dogs she sees as we head to our first stop of the day, where our daughter is elbow deep in a basket of carrots, talking with the vendor.
“Hey, Presley.”
“Hey, Vilma. How’s it going today?”
“Better now that my two favorite customers are here.” She gives me a big, toothy smile before turning her attention to the man next to me. “Kade Miller as I live and breathe. I heard you were back in town. How are you?”
“Doing well. It’s good to see you, Vilma,” Kade says, giving her a peck on the cheek. “Glad to see Vilma’s Veggies is still up and running.”
“Only place to get a good vegetable anywhere in town.”
“Don’t let Mr. Moore hear you!” Poppy chimes in, arms stuffed with carrots and zucchini.
“I’ll worry about him,” Vilma says. “Is this all for you?”
“Throw in a few tomatoes as well,” I say.
“Vilma, do you sell to local businesses?” Kade asks.
“Sure do. Why?”
“Any interest in talking to me about supplying the ranch? Our chef was complaining the other day about the quality of produce and I’m thinking I might need to make a change.”
Her eyes light up. “I’d love to help you out. Why don’t I swing by Monday morning and we can talk.”
“Sounds good.” He passes over a twenty for our vegetables before I know what he’s doing. “I’ll see you then.”
“Kade. You cannot buy our vegetables,” I scold, taking the bag from Vilma and waving goodbye.
“I can do what I want.”
I shake my head at him. “Then you have to come over for dinner so I can make something for you.”
He tips up his cowboy hat, staring down at me. A promise is written in those brown eyes of his. “Twist my arm, Pres.”
Glancing around to make sure Poppy isn’t nearby—she’s already moved on to the next stall—I hook a finger into Kade’s jacket and pull him close, giving him a quick peck. “Consider it a date, Bubs.”
He beams back at me as he pulls back and walks to where Poppy is.
“Look. I bought Kade and I bracelets,” Poppy says as I walk up to them. “They have horses. Like Lollipop.”
“This is a bracelet?” he asks, looking at the flat, plastic slap bracelet.
“Yeah. You do it like this.” Poppy hits it on her wrist and it wraps around. “They’re fun.”
“Put mine on, Pop.” Kade lifts his sleeve and holds his wrist out for her to do the same to him.
“Now we’re twins,” she says, holding her wrist next to Kade’s. They both have the same yellow bracelet covered in different-sized horses. “I can’t wait to show these to Lollipop.”
“She’ll love them,” Kade says. “Thanks for getting this for me.”
“You’re welcome. Can we go see Miss Serena?”
I sigh, scanning the market to find her usual booth set up in the corner. Purple fabric hangs from the top of the tent with people gathered underneath.
“Sure.”
Her head bobs through the crowd as she makes her way to Serena’s stand. Meanwhile, Kade’s eyes are still staring at the cheap piece of plastic on his wrist.
“You okay?” I nudge his shoulder with mine.
“No one’s ever gotten me anything like this before. It just…it means a lot. Coming from Poppy.”
Tears well in his eyes when he turns to face me. I want to wrap him up in my arms and show him just how much he means to me. The fact that he already loves our daughter this much means more than I could ever say to him. All because she thought of him and their time together.
“You’ve done a good job with her, Pres. She’s the best kid.”
“She has a lot of you in her too. That adventurous side? That’s all you.”
“Well, well, well. Isn’t this quite the reunion?”
That voice. It dumps a bucket of water over us. Kade stiffens next to me as I turn to face Paul. My ex. Well, hopefully soon-to-be ex.
“What are you doing here?” I bite out.
He holds up a plastic bag in his hand. “Had to get a few things. I’m still allowed to come into town, right?”
Even for a Saturday morning, Paul looks slimy. In dark pants, a sweater, and a peacoat, he looks like he’s going for a meal at a steakhouse instead of the farmers’ market.
“I’ve never once seen you here.” I cross my arms. Every nerve is standing on end.
Why the hell is Paul here? In all the years we were married, he never once came to the market. It’s something Poppy and I do together. Paul thought it was a waste of time to come here for food when we could just go to the store.
Paul smiles at me and I fight the urge to cringe. “I was hoping to bump into you here.”
“Why?”
“To talk some sense into you.”
Kade takes a step toward him, but I pull him back. “Don’t.”
“Is he your guard dog now?” Paul nods at Kade. “Your dad never liked him.”
“What did you want to talk about?” I ignore his comments. It’s no use rehashing the past with him. I want to get away from him before Poppy sees him. He ignores her, not even wanting to talk to her on the phone. I don’t want her to feel rejected by the man she thinks is her father.
“Give me the company, Presley. It’s in everyone’s best interest.”
“And if I don’t?”
“You know what will happen. Or you can come back to me and we can put all of this behind us. I’m on her birth certificate. I’ve raised her. That means something here in Pinecrest. I was never absent.”
“She’s not yours,” Kade growls. “No court will ever give you custody of her.”
That same sleazy smile gets even bigger on his face. “And yet, it’s my name on the birth certificate. I think that will be hard to contest.”
“Leave,” I spit out. “No one wants you here. You don’t want Poppy. I don’t want you, so why are you fighting?”
“Because I want what I’m owed. Your father promised me his company, and I’ll do whatever it takes to get it. Even if it means feigning interest in a marriage with you.”
“Unbelievable.”
I can’t believe I was married to someone like this. That I tried to make it work. It’s clear now, staring back at this man with the slicked back hair and conniving in his eyes that he never loved me. All he wanted was the glory that came with being part of the King family.
Paul closes the gap between us, leaning close to whisper in my ear. “You know I have the money to fight this, Presley. Do the smart thing and give me the company. It’s in your best interest. Then I’ll walk away. Divorce papers signed and you’ll never hear from me again.”
He’s gone in a burst of overpowering cologne that I wish I never had to smell again. Fury radiates through every part of me.
“I hate him,” I whisper.
“Deep breaths.” Kade presses a kiss to the crown of my head. “He won’t get Poppy.”
“He never loved her. Never loved me. I can’t believe I was married to him. Or that he still wants to stay married to me.”
“Hey.” Kade spins me toward him. “He’s a dick. But don’t let him get into your head. Let the lawyers figure it out.”
“I only wish they’d hurry up because I want to be done with him.”
“Is it because there’s someone else you’d rather be with?” Kade waggles his brows at me.
With the sun beating down on my back and Kade’s warmth on my front, it’s hard to hold on to that anger. At least for right now.
“I mean, there’s this guy I kind of like.”
“He kind of likes you too.” He sneaks a kiss before taking my hand in his. He doesn’t let go as we draw eyes from everyone in town as we find Poppy sitting with Serena.
“Mom. Look what I’m getting.” Poppy’s eyes light up as she holds up a gold necklace.
“It’s for good luck,” Serena says. I’ll give her credit—she knows how to talk to her customers. Even the young ones. “If there’s something you’re wishing for, this would be a good one to have.”
“How much is it?” Poppy asks.
Serena eyes her. “For you, Poppy? Ten dollars.”
Opening her pink wallet, Poppy counts the bills in her bag before pulling out the right one.
“Thank you.”
“Do you want to wear it, or do you want me to wrap it up for you?”
“Can I wear it, please?”
“Yes, Miss Poppy.” Her eyes dart to mine then to Kade’s. “Hi Kade. I knew I’d be seeing you back here.”
“It’s nice to see you, Serena.”
Kade is polite to her.
“I’m sure everyone is glad to have you back in town.”
Serena cuts off the price tag on the necklace and helps secure it around Poppy’s neck.
“Thanks, Serena,” I say. “It was nice to see you.”
“I’ll see you next week at the diner.”
“As always.” I smile brightly at her. “Come on, Pop. Time to head home so you can get ready for your play date.”
“Okay. Bye, Kade!”
“Bye, Poppy.”
“I’ve got to get back to the barn and get some work done,” Kade tells me. “I wish I could spend the afternoon with you instead.”
“I’m not afraid of any hard work.” I stand up straighter, tilting my head back to stare into his eyes. “Use me, Kade.”
“Use you? You sure you know what you’re asking?”
“I do.” I nod.
“Then why don’t you change and come meet me at the ranch. I’ll put you to work, Pres.”
A little hard work and getting sweaty with this sexy cowboy? It will definitely put this morning behind me.
I can’t wait.