Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Huck hadn’t planned on telling Cadee he was in love with her on Honky Tonk Heaven’s dance floor.
All the memories and the feel of her in his arms had been too much and the words just spilled out.
When he walked back inside after helping Dawson escort the idiot drunks out—or more like toss them out—and couldn’t find Cadee anywhere, he realized he’d made a big mistake.
Way to take things slow, dumbass.
He pushed his way through the crowd to the bar. “Where’s Cadee? Did she leave?”
Poppy picked up a rag and started wiping down the bar as if she had all day to answer. “I’m not sure. She mumbled something about needing air and headed for the back door. What the hell did you say to her on the dance floor? She looked like she’d been hit by a semi.”
He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “I told her I love her.”
Poppy stared at him for a long moment, and he figured he was going to get a lecture on how Hennessys didn’t know the meaning of the word love. But instead she just went back to polishing the bar. “Then you better go see if she’s okay. I’ll cover for you.”
Panic set in when he stepped out back and didn’t see Cadee. He started to head around the building to the front parking lot when she separated from the shadows beneath the old oak.
When he’d first seen her in the short red dress, he’d almost swallowed his tongue.
It fit her body to perfection, hugging her full breasts, flaring at her curvy hips, and showing off her lean legs.
The halter style exposed most of her back.
As he’d watched her sit at the bar, all he’d been able to think about was tugging loose the single knot at the back of her neck.
Underneath, did she wear a strapless bra or no bra at all?
The thought of untying that knot and her dress slipping off, leaving her in nothing but a pair of sexy lace panties and those even sexier high-shank black boots had given him a major boner.
Even now, when he was scared to death he’d ruined things with his hasty words of love, he felt himself harden. All he wanted to do was wind his fingers into those dark curls that framed her pretty features and delved into the candy-apple lips that matched her dress.
But he’d let his baser instincts take over before and it hadn’t gone well. He refused to make the same mistake. Especially when it looked like she was already upset.
He hesitantly stepped closer. “Are you okay?”
“Okay?” Her voice quavered. “No, Huck, I’m not okay.
You can’t just blurt out things like that and expect me to be okay.
Not after everything that’s happened. Not after you left me and refused to answer my phone call and texts.
I get it. You were young and confused and scared.
” Tears welled in her eyes. “But so was I. And while maybe you had to deal with a few sleepless nights, you never had to sit on the floor of your bathroom staring at a positive pregnancy test and wondering what the hell you were going to do. You never had to spend every morning for months leaning over a toilet. You never had to deal with sore boobs or stretch marks or childbirth. I went through all those things, Huck, and I did them without you. So excuse me if I don’t fall into your arms just because you make a declaration of love.
Words mean nothing without actions. You left me and then when you did come back, you didn’t stop by to see me once .
. . until you found out about Camden. If that’s how you love, I want no part of it. ”
She turned and walked away.
Huck felt like his heart had been cleaved in two. She was right. How could she possibly believe in his love when he’d deserted her when she’d needed him most? If she couldn’t believe in his love, there was no hope. No hope at all. He should just give up and accept it.
But that’s what he always did. Gave up. This wasn’t about making a stupid high school football team.
Or striking it rich from one of his idiotic get-rich schemes.
This was about spending the rest of his life with the only woman he’d ever loved.
The only woman he would ever love. And even if there wasn’t a chance in hell of getting her back, he would never stop trying.
Never.
“Cadee!” he yelled and took off running toward the front parking lot.
He caught up with her just as she reached her truck. He knew there was nothing he could say to make her believe him, so he didn’t try. Instead, he whirled her around and kissed her.
He knew his hands gripped her hips too tightly, his lips tasted hers too hungrily, his tongue raided her mouth much too boldly.
But he was desperate . . . and she didn’t seem to be fighting.
In fact, her lips softened beneath his and her hands fisted in his shirt.
It was all the proof he needed. He’d hurt her and she didn’t trust him.
In order to regain her trust, he needed to prove his love with actions not words.
He cradled her face in his hands and softened the kiss before drawing back. She stared at him with dazed eyes. He’d take dazed over hurt and teary any day.
“You want proof that I love you and you’re going to get it. Because what we have, Cadee Stockton, is too special to let go of.”
He gave her another quick kiss, then opened the door of her truck. She stared at him with confused eyes before she climbed in. After she drove away, he headed back inside.
He had plans to make.
* * *
One of those plans had him knocking on his brother’s door bright and early the next morning. Jaxon jerked open the door wearing nothing but boxers and a huge scowl.
“What the fuck, Huck?”
Huck grinned. “I’ll never grow tired of hearing that rhyme.”
Jaxon rolled his eyes. “What do you want? And it better be good to get me out of bed so early.”
Huck noticed he hadn’t said “wake me up so early.” Which meant he’d probably interrupted something besides sleep. He might have felt guilty if he didn’t have good cause.
“I need to talk to you about something important.”
Jaxon hesitated for only a moment before he held open the door. “Make it quick.”
Huck stepped into the living room and was greeted by Dumplin’. The cat encircled his legs with a low purr until Huck leaned down and scratched her back. Then she turned and haughtily headed down the hallway. No doubt to snuggle with Tully.
If the scowl on Jaxon’s face was any indication, he was in a hurry to do the same thing. So Huck didn’t waste any time getting to the point of his early morning visit.
“I want to open my own carpentry business. I have all of daddy’s old tools and his workshop is plenty big enough to handle any jobs I get.
In fact, I already have a couple lined up.
” Jaxon opened his mouth to say something, but Huck cut him off.
“I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking this is just another stupid scheme of mine that I’ll give up on in a few weeks.
I can’t blame you. I have quit on a lot of things.
But I’m not going to quit on this. I love building things, Jax.
And I’m good at it. So even if you tell me it’s a bad idea, I’m still going to do it. ”
The scowl faded from Jaxon’s face. “I don’t think it’s a bad idea. In fact, I think it’s the best idea you’ve ever come up with. You’ve always loved building things. Why not get paid for it?”
Having Jaxon’s support should have left Huck feeling elated, but after years of failure, it was hard to keep the doubt from spilling in.
“You really think I can do it, Jax?”
Jaxon placed a hand on his shoulder. “Hell, yeah, I do. You built an igloo in sixty-degree weather, for God’s sake. And a bar in record time that everyone who comes into Honky Tonk Heaven comments on. Not to mention, you built the best damn treeboat in Texas.”
He grinned. “It is a damn fine treeboat.”
Jaxon squeezed his shoulder. “It sure is. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner how proud I am of you.
You are skilled, little brother. You’ve always been skilled.
Not just with building things, but also with keeping our family together.
Your positive attitude is why we were able to finish the renovations to Honky Tonk Heaven on time.
You never let any of us give up and quit. ”
“And yet, I give up and quit on everything.”
“Never on anything that really mattered. You never gave up on your family, Huck.” Jaxon paused. “Even Mama. When the rest of us had given up trying to make her happy, you never did. You could always tease a smile out of her or make her laugh . . . just like Daddy.”
“I don’t want to be like Daddy, Jax.”
Jaxon nodded. “I get it. But Daddy had a lot of good traits too. He was charming and funny and positive . . . and loved his kids. Just because you accept those traits, doesn’t mean you have to accept his bad traits.
” He smiled. “Not that you have any of those. You don’t gamble and you hate to travel.
” Huck’s eyes widened and Jaxon laughed.
“It wasn’t hard to figure out that you hate traveling.
You spent most of your childhood talking about where you were going to go when you left town and you haven’t traveled to one place. Why is that, little brother?”
Huck shrugged. “I guess I figured out there’s no place like home.”
“Damn right.” Jaxon’s smile faded. “Although I’m going to miss running the dancehall with you and Dawson.”
“Dawson? Dawson quit?”
“Yeah, it seems Otis Hastings wants to retire, and he asked Dawson and Magnolia if they would like to run Time To Read for the next few months to see if they want to take over.”
“Well, it does make sense. Dawson has always loved books as much as I’ve loved building things.
” The look of disappointment on Jaxon’s face had Huck placing a hand on his shoulder.
“This doesn’t mean Dawson and I won’t still help at Honky Tonk Heaven.
As much as we try to deny it, the dancehall is our family’s legacy.
One we need to keep going for our kids and our kids’ kids. ”
Jaxon’s eyebrows lifted. “I think Mama just flipped over in her grave. That’s exactly what she was hoping for.”
Huck laughed. “It was, wasn’t it? And maybe it’s time we let bygones be bygones and give her what she always dreamed about.”
Jaxon sighed. “Maybe it is time.” He shoved Huck toward the door. “Now get out of here.”
After leaving Tully and Jaxon’s, Huck felt much lighter.
Not only because he’d told Jaxon he didn’t want to continue to work at Honky Tonk Heaven, but also because of what his brother had said about Huck being like their daddy.
Just because Huck had some of their daddy’s traits didn’t mean he had all of them.
He could be fun, charming, and good with his hands and still be a responsible man, a reliable father . . . and hopefully a devoted husband.
The thought of marrying Cadee and becoming a family had him heading to Austin.
It wasn’t hard to find a used car lot willing to take his classic motorcycle in trade for a used Dodge truck.
The Harley had been the perfect vehicle for a single guy with no ties.
It was not perfect for a father who wanted to take his son to soccer practice or a carpenter who needed to haul lumber and deliver porch swings.
Or a besotted man who wanted to take the love of his life on a date.