CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
Cassie
“We have room for them here. We’ll make room,” Wade says as we all sit spread out in the Ashbys’s living room.
“We can take the trailers over after we eat. You boys in?” Wade asks Haden, Cole and Nash.
They’re making a plan to pick up Penny’s four now-homeless horses and bring them here, where Haden can care for them.
Haden nods from beside me and Nash and Cole agree to the plan too.
The entire Ashby family are at the big house after their return from Florida, where Angel’s Wings picked up another five points toward the derby.
Now, we’re just waiting on CeCe, Mabel and Papa Dean to get back with pizza from town.
Today was a full day of shoveling and being on hand as the volunteer fire department tore down the collapsed half of the barn roof at Penny Lane and carted the rotted wood and metal off to the county dump.
“Thanks, man,” Haden says to Wade, shaking his hand.
“Of course,” Wade answers. “I had no idea she was struggling that much over there.”
Apparently, the whole town has known about Penny’s work on the farm for years, but no one knew about her financial struggles.
“I haven’t been over there since we found that mare off route 12. You remember that?” Wade asks Cole.
“Yeah.” Cole nods. “Dad called up Will right away, and he and Penny took her in with no questions asked. We found out later the poor thing had been used as a broodmare, and was just discarded on the side of the highway when she wasn’t producing anymore.
I heard a few years back that Penny fully rehabilitated her and found her a new home. ”
I smile as I listen to them talk and think about Marlow, the rescue horse I instantly connected with my first night at Penny Lane. She was so skittish and afraid. Hearing Cole’s story makes me hopeful she can be rehabilitated too.
“If pizza could talk, what would it say?” Papa Dean asks Mabel as they come through the door.
Mabel is already laughing as she kicks off her boots. “What?”
Papa Dean toes his boots off too. “Probably lots of cheesy things.”
Mabel giggles as they come into the room carrying a stack of delicious-smelling pizzas.
“How do you fix a broken pizza?” Dean asks as Jo goes to take the boxes from them.
“How, Papa?” Mabel asks.
Dean brings his thumb and first two fingers together and makes a terrible attempt at an Italian accent. “With a little tomato paste.”
“My nonna would throw a punch at you for that impression,” Ginger giggles.
“Oooh I like when your nonna gets feisty,” Dean says.
A pang of want hits me square in the chest at the scene before me. This is what my mama and Ivy are a part of now, and it’s something I never realized I was missing in my life: a safe place to call home.
“What’s a pizza-maker’s favorite song?” Cole chimes in, cutting through my thoughts.
Ginger rolls her eyes. “Here we go …”
“‘Slice, Slice Baby’!” Mabel sings, and the room erupts with laughter.
“Must have told her that one before,” Cole mutters with a grin as he stands.
“Awww. Baby.” Ginger meets him to tweak his chin. “You’ve told her ALL of them before.”
Everyone makes their way to the dining room table, where there are already paper plates and napkins out thanks to Jo.
“Taught him everything he knows,” Dean says with a grin, grabbing some pizza and taking a seat. Wade enters from the kitchen and sets a big bottle of that tasty bourbon in the middle of the table. There are a dozen crystal glasses in the center.
“Everyone who wants some, take a glass.” He looks at Ivy and CeCe. “Sorry, ladies.”
I grab a tumbler and watch as everyone pours a little into their own. Haden takes the bottle from Ginger and adds some to my glass, then to his own.
“It’s customary to drink to Wyatt,” Haden explains. “He was the king around here.”
“Still is.” Cole grins.
“Still is,” Haden affirms.
“You know, honey, you look like you know a good toast or two,” Dean says, looking right at me.
“It’s also customary for Papa to put new people on the spot.” Jo winks at me.
“It’s fine, I’ve got it. But the only toasts I know are my daddy’s,” I say.
“I love that!” Dean laughs, pointing his glass at me. “Do your best.”
I think for a second, recalling the toast my dad used to always say. “May we get exactly what we want, exactly what we need, but never what we deserve.”
The table chuckles.
“Hear, hear!” Dean says as he knocks his glass on the table. Everyone follows suit, including me. “If you think those jokes earlier were bad,” Dean addresses Ginger and points to Cole, “you should see what this one is planning for the wedding.”
Cole gives him the shut up, old man face as all the color drains from Ginger’s.
“There will not be a series of cheesy dad jokes at our wedding reception,” she says resolutely.
“Course not,” Cole chuckles. She cuffs him on the shoulder and Nash laughs as he takes a swig of his bourbon.
“Goddamn it’s fun to sit on this side of the fence and watch you try to keep him under control,” he says to Ginger.
Mabel skips over from her spot at the table and holds her hand out to Nash. He looks down at her and smirks, pulling a dollar from his wallet. Then another immediately after.
“Here’s another one if you want to grab me some of that garlic bread at the other end of the table and pop it on my plate.” He grins down at her.
“You realize when you have kids you can’t pay them to deliver you food, right?” Cole laughs. “She’s not the maid.”
“Just trying to help her college fund.” Nash turns his attention back to Mabel. “Right, Mabes?”
“For an extra dollar I’ll bring you some of Nana’s cake after too,” Mabel offers.
Nash nods, handing her another note. “You’re on.”
Cole shakes his head as I lean in and grab a couple of slices to eat from the box. I’m starving after a long, hard day of work.
“So, who’s going to help fix the roof?” CeCe asks, taking a seat across from Haden and I, her almost five-month-along baby bump peeking through the flowy little top she’s wearing.
Jo comes and joins me to my right. My own mama is missing because she’s making dinner for her new man friend who owns the local hardware store.
I nudge my chair over a little to give Jo lots of room.
As I do, I knock into Haden and the feel of his thigh on mine sends a static feeling right up my leg and through my hips.
Images of his face between my legs flash through my mind and my core instantly heats.
Simmer down, Cass, at least get through dinner.
I look up at Haden at the same time he looks down at me.
“Asher said the other side of the roof is rotting out too, which means it might be best to take the entire thing down and start from scratch,” he says, moving his gaze from me to CeCe.
“A full rebuild?” Wade says. “I guess there’s no sense in joining a new roof to one that will just rot out in a couple years anyway.”
“Only, Pen can’t afford that. I’ve talked to Asher about the possibility of them just pulling the whole thing down in the spring for her, and not rebuilding.
” Haden’s hand strokes my thigh as he talks to the table.
It’s as though he’s trying to tell me he’s thinking about me, even if his attention is elsewhere.
I try to remain cool as I eat, but those butterflies in my stomach are having a heyday.
CeCe’s brow knots as she takes a bite of pizza and Haden continues.
“And even if she could afford it, she needs new equipment before she needs a new barn. Her fencing needs to be redone, and she needs some new storage. Everything is old and she’s been running on fumes since Will died.”
“I can help,” Nash offers immediately. I know he must have money from playing professional hockey all those years, though he never comes across as flashy.
“Thanks, man,” Haden says with a grateful smile. “But Penny has so much pride I know she won’t want to take a handout. Been thinking about helping her myself somehow.”
“Maybe there’s a way we can get the community to help?” CeCe asks. “Her center is donation-based, right?”
Haden nods. “She does accept donations, yes, but I’m afraid everyone is strapped for cash. It’s hard to come by anyone that can help.”
CeCe nods. “Hmmm.”
Ivy starts to laugh softly from behind Wade. Ginger follows suit.
“What?” CeCe asks, her mouth full of pizza.
“You just can’t help yourself, can you, firefly?” Nash nudges her.
“Well, this one won’t let me help her plan the wedding.” She points at Ginger.
“Have you seen you in planning mode?” Ginger asks. “Pregnancy hormones planning mode? The wedding is ten weeks away. If you were planning it, the barn would already be set up and dinner would be prepped.”
CeCe shoots her a haughty look and sticks her tongue out.
Just as I’m about to ask what’s so funny, Haden leans in to whisper in my ear. How this man works all day and still smells this good is beyond me. It takes everything I have to resist asking him to sneak into the closest bathroom and prop me up on the sink.
“CeCe plans the town festival every year. Last year she planned it and her wedding at the same time.” Haden turns to face CeCe with a grin. “It’s a little cold for a festival, isn’t it?”
“Don’t rain on a girl’s parade.” I nudge him. “Maybe we can do something indoors.”
“Yeah,” CeCe says. “Indoors …”
She sets down her napkin on her empty plate and looks at me pointedly. “Cassie, have you ever done a charity event?”
My heart rate instantly starts to rise at the idea of getting onstage. Probably because I wasn’t prepared for the question. Haden squeezes my thigh tight under the table and I take a deep breath.
“I have. But I don’t know if I’m … up to that just yet.”
CeCe’s eyes widen. “Oh no. Of course. I’m sorry, I should have led with ‘Do you know any artists that have done something like that and might be willing to help?’”
I instantly relax. “Oh yes. I might. Depending on what you’re looking for?”
“I just thought maybe with your connections, you might know someone local? I’m thinking we could put on a benefit concert? Nothing crazy. Just a simple night of music. We could hold it at Olympia?”
She turns to look at Nash. I know from Haden that Olympia is the name of Nash’s sports arena in town, where he runs a hockey school and houses the local teams.
“Hockey season is over in April,” Nash replies. “I’m pretty sure the last two weeks of the month are fairly clear. We’d have to hold it soon, in order for Penny to benefit from it.”
I think immediately of Evan Woods. He’s local enough—from Tennessee—and he’s very kind and humble.
“I can ask Evan Woods?” I cut in. “Do you know his music?”
“I LOVE him!” CeCe says with excitement. “He’s really up-and-coming right now too. He’d draw a great crowd. I bet we’d sell out in a day.”
“Oh, Cassie, you’ve gone and done it,” Nash chuckles to me. “There’s no stopping this now.”
“Bite your tongue, baby,” CeCe tells him “Can you be a good supportive husband and tell Cassie you’ll cover Evan’s fee to perform? That way we can give all the proceeds to Penny Lane. And, if we raise enough, maybe we can even help other local businesses affected by the storm.”
Nash shakes his head and looks at me. “Hey, Cassie?”
“Yes?” I laugh. Everyone else does too. Except Wade and Ivy, who have moved into the kitchen to make gaga faces at Billi.
“I’d love to cover Evan’s fee. And match whatever we raise.”
CeCe squeals in delight and kisses his face. Nash just shrugs and I can’t help but laugh at the way this man dotes on CeCe. He’s gonna make the best daddy.
“Well, if that’s the case, Nash … I’d be happy to call his manager and ask.”
“So it’s settled,” CeCe says. “We’re planning another event! Cassie, will you help?
I nod. “That I can do.”
Cole chuckles and points at Nash, his glass raised. “What was that you were saying about sitting on the other side of the fence?”
Nash grunts as he sips his own bourbon, and I grin as I look at the faces around me. I can’t help thinking about Dr. Payler’s advice to associate music with positive experiences.
Looks like I’m planning a concert.