26. Dani
26
dani
I enter Bottle Grounds to a calm atmosphere and immediately start searching the big room for my mom.
Of course, there are neighbors and friends surrounding her, chatting her ear off, and I roll my eyes. She’ll never not be the life of the party.
When they all see me coming, they give me a quick wave and smile, then head back to whatever they were doing before. Meryl Mason—aka town gossip—jots something down on her ever-present pad of paper before she scurries away.
Mom shifts in her seat, a pleased smile on her face. “Dani, honey, I’m so glad you could come to lunch.”
I narrow my eyes at her. “I saw you at breakfast.” I pause, sliding into the bench seat. “I live with you.”
She waves a hand in the air, batting away my answer. “Yes, well, I wouldn’t know, considering I saw a girl there this morning with a dreamy look on her face, but not much to say.”
I shift in my seat, a tiny smile breaking out on my lips.
Cade and I had arrived home late last night and immediately went to get the horses settled into their stalls. I think the horses were as relieved as we were to be home, and General was beside himself, happy to see Lady again.
Cade told me to just park my trailer and unload it today when I was at the ranch for Graham’s next session, and I was tired enough to agree.
Then he took me against his truck and kissed me until the stars I was seeing weren’t just in the sky.
Yeah, that was cheesy, but I was in that vibe right now, and no one was going to get me down.
Except maybe my mom.
“Well.” She lifts an expectant eyebrow. “Did you and CT do the dirty?”
My eyes widen, and I glance around the space, making sure no one is within hearing distance, letting out a groaned, “Mom!”
“What?” She frowns in confusion. “This is normal, Danielle. You were holed up with your ex-boyfriend—who you still love,” she gives me that all-knowing mom glare. “For nearly a week, and you’re telling me that nothing happened?”
“First of all,” I start, raising a finger in a sassy gesture I learned from the woman sitting across from me. “We were not ‘holed up,’” I quote. “For a week. We were at a horse show, which is basically a business trip.”
She rolls her eyes.
“Second of all.” I clear my throat and ponder how much I should tell her. Not the nitty-gritty, of course. She’s still my mother, after all. But she was going to find out sooner or later that I am with Cade again. “I never said nothing happened.”
A slap hits the table, making me jump, and Mom is nearly out of her seat, glee written all over her face, and every single eyeball in the place is now on her. “Aha! I knew it! I knew he’d be a part of this family one day!”
“Mother!” I groan, smacking myself on the forehead. “Will you sit?”
“I will.” She grins. “But only to toast you and the future Mr. West.”
I let out a deep sigh and say, “I don’t even know what that means.”
“That’s okay, baby.” Again, she waves her hand, and I sigh. “So, what happened?”
I did not tell my mother what went on in that trailer.
I did, however, explain that we were reconciling, and as far as I could tell, we’d both matured since we broke up all those years ago.
My window is rolled down as some old-school Shania Twain blasts from the speakers, the summer sun is shining on my skin which is offset by the breeze that hits me, and for the first time in a long time, I feel relaxed.
Maybe it was this week, maybe it was reconnecting with someone who I’ve loved most of my life, that’s settled me.
Or it could be getting back to the show. I feel good about what I accomplished there and am ready to practice for the next one.
Just as I’m turning onto the long driveway that leads to Three Rivers—I’ve started calling it that now and love how it sounds—my phone rings, and Amy’s name is displayed.
“Long time no talk,” I answer with a smile.
“Hey!” She sounds like she’s in a car as well, and I roll my window up so I can hear better. “Holy shit, did you hear what happened to Tommy?”
My heart thuds in my chest as I still. “No, what happened?”
“Well, no one really knows. He’s not talking. But he left the show yesterday with a broken nose and some blood all over his face and shirt.”
I cover my mouth with my hand, shocked. Cade didn’t do that…did he? “He’s not saying who did it?”
“Nah, girl. But he’s been asking for shit like that to happen to him for years. He had it coming.”
I think about the bruises I’m still having to cover. I’m glad my mom didn’t notice them because she’d probably act as Cade’s backup.
Something in my gut tells me he did it, but instead of getting mad at him for defending me, I feel touched…something is seriously wrong with me.
“Do they know who did it to him?”
“There are some rumors, of course. Given that Cade has just come back, the timing is suspicious. Do you know who did it?”
“I don’t,” I tell her because I’m not sure. And even if I did know, I’m not about to throw him under the bus.
“Bummer, I was hoping you had some tea. ”
I smile a little at Amy’s comment and sigh, “Sorry, girl. I’m just about to hop out of my truck though. Talk soon?”
“You know it.”
We hang up, and I head inside the barn. Graham’s truck isn’t here yet, but I figure I can talk to the sexy cowboy who works here. Though now that my cousins will be around helping, I better be careful when I sneak up on someone.
They’d turn around and punch me without a thought.
I head toward the tack room and smile when I see Cade in there, rearranging his stuff. He’s wearing his ball cap today, and I find that just as sexy as his cowboy hat.
“Hey, stranger,” I flirt, leaning my shoulder against the wall. He turns toward me and grins. I gasp when I catch sight of his dimples. “You trimmed your beard. A lot.”
He drops the bridle that is in his hands and stalks the three or four feet to the doorway. His hands cup my face, he brings his mouth down onto mine, and I melt.
I grasp his forearms and kiss him back with just as much need pulsing through me. It’s amazing to me how I went six years without this. My stomach tightens, and my eyes sting. I desperately don’t want to lose this again.
After a moment, he pulls back and grins down at me before pulling me into a hug. “How are you?”
“I’m good,” I tell his chest, allowing myself to have this moment and enjoy the feeling of being held by him. “What are you doing?”
He pulls back and grabs my hand. I walk into the room with him, and he gestures to the spot he is cleaning out. “Making room.”
“Room for what? Did you buy another saddle?”
“Nah, room for you,” he announces, and I feel my eyes widen.
“You’re making space for me?”
Cade looks at me like I’m crazy. “Of course. I can’t have you hauling your saddle in here every day. That’s crazy when I can make room.”
This is the equivalent of giving me a drawer in his house.
“You’re the best,” I tell him, tugging on his belt loop, so he’ll look at me. “I just talked to Amy.”
“Oh yeah?” He chuckles, glancing down at me. “She misses you already.”
He says it like a statement, and I wonder how much that’s him saying, “I miss you already.”
Maybe don’t read into everything, Dani.
“Yeah, she was telling me something interesting.”
“What’s that?”
I toy with the loop I’m holding. “Something about Tommy Smith leaving the show yesterday with a broken nose.”
Cade hums and leans closer to me. “Interesting.”
I look up at him, catching his eyes. The hunter-green color is deep today, but the look he’s giving me is confident. “Did you have anything to do with that?”
I reach and grasp his right hand, turning it slightly and sure enough, the knuckles are red and bruised. I look back at him for an explanation.
He sighs and says, “Dani, he hurt you.”
“Right.”
“I can’t let anyone hurt you.” His face turns vulnerable. “If you got sick or hurt, or…” He blows out a breath, shaking his head. “I can’t let anything happen to you. And it’s my responsibility to take care of it if something does.”
I nod slowly, my mind going a million miles a minute. “Your responsibility, huh?”
“Yes.”
His voice is so sure, so confident, like the thought about it not being his responsibility never crossed his mind. I wonder how much he thought about this before he messed up Tommy’s face. Is this my burden to bear because I was the victim? Or is it his because he acted on it?
“Why isn’t Tommy naming you?”
“He’s not as dumb as he looks.” I give Cade an unamused look, and he sighs. “Because he knows that we’ll just dump on him. I’m not afraid to take this up with the board. He’s unethical.”
The board he’s referring to is the NRCHA, which stands for National Reined Cow Horse Association.
They wouldn’t take these allegations lightly.
“Right, well, how about we just steer clear of him for now?”
“I plan on it. The last thing I want is to be around Tommy Smith. I especially don’t want you around him.”
I nod. “Not planning on that happening.”
“Yo! Anyone here?” Graham’s voice carries to us, and I give Cade a quick peck on his lips.
“Time to work,” I tell him.
He smiles, and I marvel at that dimple in his cheek again. Cade may react emotionally, but I know for certain he would do anything for me, and that makes me feel pretty freaking amazing.