28. Cade
The Bones - Maren Morris there’s no more delaying the inevitable.
Paige’s nerves are practically vibrating through the truck as we make our way along the narrow street towards the neighborhood where I grew up. Memories of scraped knees and learning to ride a bike flash in my periphery as I pull into the familiar driveway. I take a tentative breath as we approach the front porch of the single story bungalow with green shutters and weather-beaten siding; I don’t bother knoc king. “You ready?”
Paige inhales a shaky breath, and then plasters on a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes.
“As I’ll ever be.”
Mom sidles into the entryway, a flicker of irritation evident in her weathered features. Her gaze flicks to Paige, then back to me. Mom is usually harmless, at 5 foot nothing and 100lbs soaking wet, but I don’t miss the feel of Paige stiffening against my side as she clings to my biceps.
“Mom, this is Paige. My fiancée.”
Paige offers her a tentative hand, the lackluster smile on her face faltering slightly. “It’s so nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Brooks.” Shit. That definitely won’t go over well and I didn’t think to prepare her.
Mom doesn’t return the gesture or the smile. “Cade,” mom turns towards me, “come in.”
Paige lowers her hand, tears glistening in her eyes — she’s embarrassed. I give her a reassuring squeeze to let her know we’re in this together, then follow mom into the living room, a mix of anxiety and determination taking over. The room hasn’t changed much over the years. The same floral curtains, well-loved sofa, and framed family photographs are scattered throughout the room.
Mom excuses herself to the kitchen and returns with a pitcher of sweet tea and three glasses. She places them in front of us on the coffee table, then takes a seat in the recliner across from the sofa that Paige and I have perched ourselves on. “Where’s Pops?”
“Oh, you know him. He’s out in the field making sure everything is ready for spring.” Mom and Hank own a small farm outside of Oak Ridge, and it’s my step-dad’s pride and joy. “So, Paige, Cade tells me you’re a student?”
“Actually, Mrs. Brooks…”
“Call me Diane , Brooks was Cade’s daddy and I no longer associate with that trash.”
“Mom!” Paige places her hand on my arm to stop me from reprimanding my mother.
“Diane,” her voice shakes before she steadies herself, “I withdrew from my studies a few weeks ago to pursue photography. The engagement has complicated things.” Paige is concise as she explains our situation, only addressing the questions we have answers to for the time being. We still have some details to work out, like the wedding and the paperwork.
“Interesting,” I can tell my mom is less than impressed. “Cade tells me you met on some sort of dating app?”
Paige nods but I cut in, sensing her distress at my mom’s judgmental tone. I squeeze her hand again and fill the momentary silence. “It took some convincing. She wasn’t impressed with my preference for pizza toppings, and the distance was a challenge at first.” It’s simple and honest. I adore this girl and I have no intention of letting my mom pressure her with an interrogation.
“Cade, can I speak to you alone for a moment?”
“No, whatever you need to say you can say in front of Paige.”
“Fine,” her eyes narrow and I realize I may have made a grave mistake. “I think you’re rushing into something you’re not ready for. What do you two even know about each other? What could you possibly have in common with this girl who doesn’t even have a job or any prospects to speak of? Is she going to move into my mother’s house like a freeloader, taking advantage of your kindness?” Paige flinches. “She’s not good enough for my son.” Her words are dripping with disdain. She opens her mouth to continue but I don’t give her the chance.
“ENOUGH!” My voice is deafening in the silent living room.
Paig e
Don't cry, don’t cry, don’t cry.
I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this. I knew Cade’s mom would be apprehensive about our relationship; I even understood it to a degree, but I wasn’t prepared for this level of vitriol.
Meeting Jemma had definitely provided me with a false sense of security where the rest of Cade’s family was concerned. This is a disaster, and I’m fairly certain we’ll never come back from this. There’s no relationship redemption arc in sight. I’m usually a pretty forgiving person, but I feel utterly debased and humiliated beyond repair.
“You may not understand our decision, you may not even support it, but you will not disrespect my future wife that way ever again.”
“I raised you better than to speak to your mother that way!”
“You raised me to be kind, and here you are, spewing hateful words about the woman I love. I think you need some time to calm down. We’re leaving. Call me when you’re ready to apologize to me and especially to Paige. Until then, I don’t want to hear from you.”
The L word is not lost on me, but I can’t bring myself to contemplate whether or not he really meant it. Cade lifts himself off of the couch and reaches for my hand, lacing our fingers before tugging me into the entryway and out the front door. The skies have darkened, signaling an impending storm. He pulls me around the side of the house as the emotions of the last few minutes come crashing down around me.
I lose my resolve and let the tears come. Cade’s hands frame my face as he leans his forehead down to meet mine. There are lines of strain around his eyes as he wipes the tears from my cheeks, a low curse on his breath. “Fu ck, I’m so sorry Paige.”
“Take me home, Cade.” They’re the only words I can muster.
Cade
This could not have gone worse. Despite by trepidation, I didn’t think my mom would let me down so spectacularly. I figured she would have a lot of questions, but I was not prepared for the words that came out of her mouth, directed pointedly at Paige. I place a lingering kiss on her temple before leading her back to the truck. The drive back to the cabin passes in silence, the sky opening up as the rain starts pelting on the windshield at an unrelenting pace.
When we pull into the driveway, Paige rushes out of the truck and stands in the rain, eyes closed, face tilted to the sky. It’s an unseasonably warm day for early March in Kentucky, but I’m still concerned she’ll catch a chill. I walk over to the porch, “Come on, Sunshine. Let’s get out of the rain.”
“No. I just need a minute… please,” I can’t ignore the pleading look in her eyes.
She stays like that, the rain cascading over her face, for what feels like an eternity — tears mingling with fresh raindrops. When I can’t stand to sit back and watch any longer, I bound off the porch steps and pull her into my arms as she completely shatters. “God, baby, I’m so fucking sorry.”
We stand like that for several heartbeats, her hands fisted in my jacket, before she allows me to lead her into the house. I guide her up the steps straight into our bedroom, bypassing the bed with a sleeping Goose in the middle, and into the massive en suite bathroom.
I help her out of her wet clothes before following suit. She’s shivering and I’m fucking distraught looking at the broken woman in front of me. I turn on the showe r, checking that the temperature won't overwhelm her cold, shaking body. I lead her into the enclosed space, positioning her under the spray where she lifts her chin and allows the water to flow over her tear stained cheeks, as I avoid the urge to look my fill. Now is not the time for a hard on Cade.
I turn her back to me, squeezing some of her fragrant shampoo in the palm of my hand and running my fingers through her curls before instructing her to turn back around to rinse. Hoping to ease the tension of the last few hours, I massage her scalp and place a soft kiss on her shoulder. We repeat the process then lather her body in her floral vanilla body wash while the conditioner sets in. One last rinse then I usher her out of the shower, wrapping her body in a fluffy towel before taking her into my arms, wishing I could hold her forever. She lets out a long, contented sigh as I head over to my dresser in the bedroom and pull out an old t-shirt for her to wear.
Her face is impassive as I lead her over to our bed, lifting the duvet for her to slide under the sheets. I gesture for her to move into the middle, then scoot in behind her, wrapping her in a tight embrace.
“This changes nothing.” My voice is unwavering — now that she’s here, I can’t remember a time without her. It’s like she’s always been here, a ghost of the future I never cared enough to imagine. Now I can’t wait to call her my wife. Today’s events only confirmed what I already knew, deep in my bones — marrying Paige is the right choice. The only choice. And I would keep choosing her every day for the rest of my life, if that’s what it takes. Given the chance to do things over again, I would choose Paige. Every. Fucking. Time.
So it’s no great surprise to me when an idea starts to form in my mind. I’ll need some help from my friends to pull it off, but I think we can make magic happen. Paige’s breathing slows, and I know she’s fallen aslee p. Carefully extricating myself from the bed, I head down the hall to the den, swiping to open the text message app, I create a new group chat:
Cade: Who’s up for planning a surprise wedding?
Cara: Are you kidding me?! I was made for this!
Miles: Let’s goooo!!!!
Dean: Dibs on best man.
Miles: Rock paper scissors for it.
Dean: Nah, I called it. You can be the ring bearer.
Miles: ….
Miles: I’m not mad at it.
Miles and Dean never cease to make me laugh. They bicker like an old married couple, but there’s a lot of love there — though they’d never admit it. It’s a true brotherhood.
Liam: Why am I here?
Cade: Drinks, groomsman.
Liam: Got it.
Liam is a great guy, despite his gruff exterior. He recently discovered that he has a son and he’s really been going through it. He’s mostly tight lipped about the situati on, but I can tell how much he loves Aidan and he’s a great dad.
Cade: Aidan can be ring bearer. Miles, I’ll need you as a groomsman, too.
Liam: He’ll be stoked!
Miles: Fuck yeah! ??
Cade: Does anybody have Ivy’s number? I know Paige would want to have her there.
Cara: I can get in touch with Ivy. We can work on the decor together.
Cara: What are the chances we can fly Mags down?
Miles: Fuck.
That’s weird. I didn’t know Miles and Mags even knew each other.
Cade: Pretty good, I think.
Mags has been added to the group chat.
Mags: What the fuck, Cade?? Why am I just now hearing about this?
Miles: Well, considering you’re like a thousand miles away he probably assumed you’d be useless.
Cade: Bro… chill. Mags, can you fly in on Friday? We can have someone meet you in Nashville.
Mags: I’ll see what I can do.
Ivy has been added to the group chat.
Ivy: WEDDING?! Hell yeah! Tell me what you need. I have a nominee for the cutest flower girl ever.
I knew I could count on our friends to rally. This town may be full of nosy gossip mongers, but when push comes to shove, they’re always ready to lend a helping hand. Despite today’s disaster encounter with my mother, I’m more certain than ever that she’s the one I want to be with forever.
Paige
The next morning, a loud alarm startles me awake. I reach over to tell Cade to turn it off but I find the bed empty, so I snatch the phone off his nightstand to silence it. I can hear the shower going, letting me know that he’s already in the bathroom getting ready for the day while I’m still recovering from the events of the day before.
I take a second to admire his lock screen; it’s a photo of the two of us in Toronto for my birthday, taken at the park where he proposed. I realize I don’t have that particular picture so I swipe to unlock his phone, enter his passcode (my birthday) and peruse his photo albums so I can send it to myself when suddenly my eyes snag on something else that piques my interest.
Inside his photos app, there’s an album labeled with a sunshine emoji and the cover photo is a gorgeous shot of the sunrise over the lake. Unable to contain my curiosity, I tap on the album. An audible gasp comes out of my mouth when I see its contents.
There are hundreds of photos dating all the way back to our first conversation. The first photo in the album is a screenshot of my profile, with the number 10 highlighted on the ratings bar. I scroll down where I see the selfie of me and Maggie covered in pumpkin guts, followed by the one I sent during the first snow of the season. There’s even a screenshot of a video chat with the sunrise over the lake in the top right corner and my wide eyed expression filling the screen.
Every moment of our relationship is here, carefully curated and documented. From text message screenshots, all the way back to a photo of my sleeping face on a FaceTime call. He saved everything. Like a digital scrapbook, cataloging every moment we spent denying what was right in front of our eyes all along.
But he knew.
The bed dips near my legs, Cade’s freshly washed scent enveloping me like a warm hug. He’s wearing a tight gray t-shirt that hugs his dense shoulders, and a pair of black boxer briefs that leave absolutely nothing to the imagination, from the semi-hard erection to his thick thighs that I’m certain could crush watermelons. His hair has grown longer these days, an errant strand falling over his forehead as his eyes meet mine, full of something I can’t name. I reach out to push the strand back, my fingers unable to resist the urge to touch him.
“That is every single sunrise I watched without you,” he says, pointing to a cluster of scenic photos. The lake in the foreground, cascading shades of pinks and oranges glistening on the surface. There’s even one taken from our hotel window in Toronto, a sunrise I didn’t even realize he had been awake to witness. “I’ve loved you for a long time, Paige. Longer than I ever wanted to admit to myself. And I’ll love you until my very last breath, if you’ll let me”
I can feel the tears pooling in my eyes as I tear them away from the photos, meeting the gaze of the man who has s tolen my heart. “I love you so much, Cade.”
He takes both of my hands in his; our gazes locked, hearts entwined. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Paige. I want to create a home with you here in Oak Ridge on the lake, and fill it with a family of our own. I want to wake up beside you every morning and fall asleep wrapped around you every night. I no longer see a future without you in it.”
I throw my arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight embrace. My voice is barely above a whisper in his ear, “I want that future with you. I want to make plans, go on adventures, and build a family and a home with you. You could have given up on us the moment things got difficult. You could have walked away and I wouldn’t have blamed you for it. But that’s not who you are, Cade Brooks. You are steady, and kind, and everything I didn’t know I needed. You see me. Nobody has ever seen me before; not really.” My voice is filled with so much emotion, and I don’t miss the tear that rolls down his cheek as he cups my face and brings his lips to meet mine.
“I will always see you.”
He places one last lingering kiss on my forehead, then tugs me out of bed towards the large windows. He parts the curtains and the view steals the breath from my lungs. Another tear rolls down my cheek as the pieces come together.
“You set the alarm so we could watch the sunrise, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Say it again, Cade.”
“I love you.”
Cade
I’ve kept my phone on silent the past few days, only checking my notifications when I’m positive Paige isn’t paying attention. She seems to be in better spirits since the encounter with my mom, but I’ve still been keeping an eye on her and doing my best to reassure her that nothing has changed. She spends her days exploring Oak Ridge with her camera in tow. It’s beautiful to watch her fall in love with the place I’ve called home all my life. The cherry on top of the cake came when we finally admitted just how much we love each other, and we’ve said the words every day since, as often as possible.
The group chat, “Operation Wedding Bells”, has been pinging with notifications for days in a flurry of activity. Ivy offered to get in touch with a friend who owns a local flower shop, Miles gathered some muscle to clear the back deck and hang extra lighting, Liam spoke to Connor for some help with drinks, and Dean reached out to Rosie about providing some finger foods for the reception. Cara comes in clutch, finding a last minute documentary style photographer to capture the entire day, from start to finish, and by Thursday, every last detail is covered.
Mags sent me the link to Paige’s Pinterest board, which is apparently a thing that every woman has at some point. Liam even offered to pick up Mags at the airport, which was somewhat out of character, but he said he had a package to pick up in Nashville, and it was on the way. I didn’t question it, but he’s been acting suspicious. I’m figuring out that there’s a lot more to Liam than meets the eye. Mags is staying with Ivy when she gets into town. I just hope everyone can keep their mouths shut.