Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
“You okay?”
Cadee pulled her gaze away from Camden and Huck, who were riding a few yards ahead of them, and turned to Cooper, who was riding next to her.
Like every kid, she’d told lies to her mama and daddy, and even her little brother.
But she had never lied to Cooper. He had never given her cause to.
He wasn’t judgmental or bossy or controlling.
He was protective, but only when it was justified.
“No.”
He nodded as he glanced at Huck and Camden. “I didn’t realize how much Cam looked like the Hennessys until now.”
She had realized it. From the time Camden had been born, he’d reminded her of Huck.
His wayward hair, his pretty hazel eyes, his mischievous dimpled grin.
But she’d been able to deal with her son’s resemblance to his father so much better when Huck had just been a memory.
Now that he was here in real life with the similarities smacking her in the face, it was emotionally overwhelming.
She didn’t know how she was going to handle Huck showing up at the ranch whenever he wanted.
As if reading her thoughts, Cooper spoke. “So how often is he going to be here?”
“I don’t know.”
Cooper shot her a glance. “Don’t you think you should get that ironed out? I get that he wants to see his son, Cadee, but he can’t just barge in and disrupt you and Cam’s lives—I don’t care how much money he’s giving you. You need to set some boundaries.”
“I know. But I also agree that it will be easier for Cam to accept him as a father if they get to know each other. And we can’t keep it a secret for much longer. If people in town see them together, they’re going to figure things out.”
Cooper sighed. “Cam is still going to be hurt you weren’t honest with him from the start.” He hesitated. “I’m sorry for that. I shouldn’t have pushed you to keep it a secret.”
“You didn’t have to push too hard. I didn’t want the townsfolk judging Cam either. I’m still worried about that.”
“I worried about that too until I was in Grounds For Divorce the other morning and heard the A-Sisters chatter nonstop about how much fun they’re having at Honky Tonk Heaven and how nice it is to have the dancehall reopened.
I think the entire town feels the same way.
They’re willing to overlook their mistrust of the Hennessys for the convenience of live country music, two-stepping, and beer. ”
Cadee wished it would be that easy to win over the townsfolk. “Their love of the bar won’t stop the gossip. Even before the fire that gutted Honky Tonk Heaven, folks loved gossiping about Rosie, her husband’s gambling and tragic death, and her wild kids who had left and never returned.”
“True. But mainly because she made no effort to be part of the town. She always kept her distance as if she thought she was better than the townsfolk. But that isn’t the case with her kids.
They’ve become part of the town. Jaxon married the sheriff’s daughter, and Dawson is dating Otis Hastings’ niece.
” Cooper hesitated. “And Camden is a Stockton. No matter who his father is. Yes, there will be gossip about you and Huck, but it might not be as harsh as you think.” He glanced over at her.
“And are you sure you’re just worried about how the townsfolk’s gossip will hurt Camden?
Or are you more worried about the leftover feelings you have for Huck? ”
She tried not to show how the question had tightened every muscle in her body. “I don’t have any leftover feelings for Huck. We were friends and then we weren’t. It happens. Friends come and go in life.”
Cooper’s gaze drilled right through her. “I was there after he left, Cadee. I saw your heartache. I think you cared for Huck much more than just a friend.”
She started to deny it but then shrugged. “I was a teenage girl, Coop. Lots of teenage girls mistake hormones for something more.”
“You sure? Because I always thought you and Huck had something special.”
“Which is why you never tattled to Daddy when you caught us hanging out together?”
He frowned. “Maybe I should have. Maybe it would have saved you a lot of heartache and grief.”
She shook her head. “But then we wouldn’t have Cam.” She glanced at her son who was chattering away to Huck like they were best friends. “And no matter the heartache, he’s worth it.”
“Hell yeah, he is,” Cooper agreed. “Did you ever talk to the school about your suspicions that Miles is bullying him?”
“Yes, and it must have helped because Cam seemed so much happier when he got home from the bus the other day. He even said he wants to be a raptor for Halloween again.”
“Well, that’s good. I wasn’t looking forward to going to the school and threatening a kid.”
Cadee threw him a fake shocked look. “Don’t tell me that Cooper Stockton, Mr. Goody Two Shoes of Promise Springs, was going to do some of his own bullying?”
“If that’s what it took to get the smile back on my nephew’s face, then so be it.” He glanced ahead at Camden. “But it looks like your little talk with the principal worked.”
Camden was laughing so hard at something Huck said he almost fell out of the saddle. Which had Cadee’s heart dropping. She clicked her horse into a trot to get after him, but before she got there, Huck did.
“Easy there, sport.” He reached out and steadied Camden. “We don’t want to test out that helmet.”
Camden grabbed onto the saddle horn but kept laughing. “It’s just too funny. I mean I can’t picture my church-going mama dropping a water balloon on the town preacher.”
Cadee’s eyes widened and she glared at Huck’s back as he chuckled. “Your mama might act all sweet and innocent, but let me tell you, she’s got a wild side. There was this time when we got some bright red paint and painted a huge—”
“Huckleberry Hennessy!” Cadee nudged her horse between them.
Both Huck and Camden turned to her and again she was struck by how much they looked alike. Especially with their eyes twinkling with humor.
At her expense.
“Just what do you think you’re doing?” she asked Huck.
“I was just telling Cam about some of our childhood antics.”
She sent him an annoyed look. “I’m sure Cam doesn’t want to hear about silly things we did as kids.”
“Yes, I do.” Camden leaned over his saddle horn to look at Huck. “What did y’all paint? And where?”
Cadee narrowed her eyes at Huck, and he seemed to get the message because he kept his answer vague.
“Oh, you know, we just painted a silly drawing on a window in town.”
Camden’s eyes widened. “That’s called graffiti and it’s illegal in Promise Springs. When Sheriff Gentry came to my class to talk about bike safety, he also talked about displacing public property, which means you can’t spray paint things or throw rocks and break windows in town.”
She sent an exasperated look to Huck before addressing her son. “It’s called defacing public property and the sheriff is right. It’s wrong and something I don’t ever want you doing.”
“But you did it. And you dropped a water balloon on the preacher’s head from the church’s gymnasium’s roof. You never let me throw water balloons from the hayloft. You say it can really hurt people from that height.”
Huck jumped in. “Your mama is right. That could hurt folks and you shouldn’t do it. And I was exaggerating a little to make my story better. Your mama didn’t actually drop it on his head. It just splashed him a little when it landed by his boots.”
Camden looked totally disappointed “But Mama helped you graffiti, right?”
“Well, I wouldn’t really call it graffiti. Painting glass is different than painting walls. Paint comes right off glass . . . with a little scraping.”
Camden squinted. “Oh, so it was like when the A-Sisters had Meryl Higgins paint candy canes on their windows for the holidays.”
Huck pointed at him. “Exactly. Me and your mama painted a huge candy cane.” He smirked at Cadee. “Your mama is quite the artist.”
“You should see her draw horses,” Camden said.
“I bet she draws them well.” Huck’s hazel eyes twinkled devilishly. “She’s always loved a good stud.”
She rolled her eyes at him before looking at Camden. “Did you put sunscreen on before you left? If not, I brought some.”
“Uncle Coop forced me to put some on,” Camden said. “But did you bring something to eat? I’m starving.”
“How can you still be hungry? You ate two burritos for breakfast.”
Camden shrugged. “Like Nana says, I’m a growing boy.”
Huck reached into his jean jacket pocket and pulled out a foil-wrapped burrito. “It just so happens that I have one of your grandma’s burritos on me. You’re more than welcome to it.” He handed it to Camden.
“Thanks!” Camden rearranged the reins in his hands so he could peel back the foil. But he stopped before he took a bite and looked at Huck. “So you didn’t even have one?”
“No, but I’m not very—” Huck’s growling stomach cut him off.
Camden laughed and handed the burrito back. “Sounds like you need this more than me.”
Something passed over Huck’s face that had Cadee’s heart swelling. “Thank you, Cam.” Huck tore the burrito in half and held one half out to Camden. “How about if we share?”
“Deal!” Camden crowed.
It was a good thing Huck got something to eat.
Once they reached the grazing herd of cattle, Callum took it upon himself to make Huck’s first cattle drive as brutal as possible.
He stationed Huck at the rear of the herd where he knew Huck would spend the morning eating dust. If that wasn’t enough, Callum seemed to enjoy hassling him every chance he got.
“Stop lagging behind, Hennessy! You scared of cows, city boy?”
“Keep the herd moving, Huckleberry. This isn’t a lazy raft trip down the Mississippi where your slaves do all the work.”
“Where did you learn to ride, Huckle? The pony ride at the county fair?”
Callum’s hassling became so bad that even Camden took notice and came riding over to where Cadee was riding right flank.
“Why is Uncle Cal picking on Huck? Doesn’t he like him?”
Cadee didn’t want Huck to enjoy the cattle drive either, in hopes that it would deter him from spending too much time at the ranch. But like her son, she’d had about enough of watching Huck be bullied by her brother. Especially when she’d just dealt with her son being bullied.
“Stay on flank and watch those calves to make sure they don’t get separated from their mamas. I’ll be right back.” She wheeled her horse and rode over to Callum.
“What’s up?” Callum asked as he worked a wandering cow back into the herd.
“Stop hassling Huck unless you want me to point out to him that you did learn to ride on a pony. A pony you loved and named Cissy. Which had Cooper calling you Cissy Boy.”
“I was a Cissy boy. Cissy was the best little pony a boy could ask for. It broke my heart when she passed.” Callum scowled in Huck’s direction. “And why are you sticking up for him? You said yourself he doesn’t belong here. The sooner he figures that out, the sooner he’ll be gone.”
Cadee still believed Huck didn’t belong on the ranch. Or in a small town. He’d made that perfectly clear when they were kids and kept talking about shaking the dust of Promise Springs from his boots. At one time, Cadee had thought she could change his mind. Now she no longer wanted to.
But watching him with Camden today made her realize she had no right to try and keep Huck from his son.
Even if Camden ended up getting hurt.
“I was wrong, Cal. I was wrong to want to keep Huck from Cam. He has a right to know his father. Just like Huck has a right to know his son. And all of us need to accept that.”
Callum scowled at Huck for a long moment before he blew out his breath. “Fine. But I’m keeping him on drag. Every cowboy needs to learn how to eat Texas dust.”
Since she’d eaten her fair share of Texas dust, she nodded. “Fine . . . Cissy Boy.”
“Smartass.” He reached out and shoved the bill of her cap over her eyes.
When she left Callum, instead of going back to Camden, who looked like he was doing just fine, she rode to Huck. He might not sit a saddle as well as her brothers. But for not growing up with horses, he wasn’t such a bad rider. Or a bad cowboy.
Of course, the horse he was riding didn’t need much direction. Cocoa was an experienced cutting horse who knew her way around a herd of cattle. Still, Cadee had to hand it to Huck for keeping his seat in the saddle when Cocoa dodged and lunged at a stray calf, maneuvering it back to the herd.
“How’s it going?” she asked when she reached him.
He leaned over and spit before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Besides my sore ass and the fact that I’ve swallowed enough dirt to fill a dump truck, pretty good.
” He studied her from beneath the brim of his cowboy hat.
He had always looked so damn good in a Stetson.
“So are you hoping I’ll quit like your brothers? ”
She had been, but she discovered she wasn’t feeling that way anymore. “It doesn’t matter what they want. Or what I want. What matters is what Camden wants. And he is thoroughly enjoying having you here.”
It was hard to see Huck’s face under all the dirt, but she could see his eyes.
They held a lot of hope.
“Really?”
She nodded. “I’ve never heard him laugh so much. Even with his uncles.” She shot him an annoyed look. “But I’d appreciate it if you didn’t use our childhood antics to entertain him.”
He flashed a smile that looked even brighter against all the dust in his mustache. “But our childhood was so entertaining.”
She couldn’t deny it. “It was fun, but I don’t want Cam getting any ideas. All we need is him painting a penis on a store window.” Huck laughed. She realized how much she’d missed the sound. He’d always had the best laugh. Loud and uninhibited.
“The A-Sisters still blame Jaxon for our devilish deed.”
She smiled. “According to what I heard, they think it was Dawson.”
Huck laughed even harder, until like Camden, he looked in danger of falling off his horse.
She reached out and swatted him. “Be careful! You’re gonna fall and break your fool neck.”
He sobered. “Would you cry at my funeral, Catydid?”
She untied the bandana around her neck and held it out to him. “Not a tear.”
A soft smile lifted the corners of his mouth as he took the bandana and tied it around his neck. Pink was his color. “Liar, liar, pants on fire.”