Chapter 14
Just Give Me a Reason – P!nk ft. Nate Ruess
Gunner
Cassidy and I had managed to thrash out the basic details of the camp. It had been a little fraught at times. She didn’t appear to like my natural charm, but at least we managed to get through a couple of hours of work without drawing any blood.
“Hey Uncle G. You look nice.” Bertie stood with her hands on her hips, looking me up and down. “Got a date?”
I looked down at my white button down and the clean jeans. Nothing special. “Do I look like crap usually?”
“Nope.” Her little brow furrowed as she pursed her lips. “Just not as good as you do today.” She lifted her chin and sniffed. “Smell nice, too.” Her eyes narrowed on me. “Am I going to get another teacher in the family? I mean having my momma as a teacher is one thing, but an aunt, too. Jeez.”
“What are you talking about, short stuff?” I knew what she was getting at, and it was making me feel distinctively uncomfortable.
“You and Miss Turner. I’ve seen you making eyes at her. You smile differently when she’s around.”
“I have not! I do not!”
“Have so. Do so.” She grinned and leaned forward to poke me in the stomach.
“Just like I told Daddy when he and Momma made out they didn’t like each other, that’s the best fairytale I’ve ever heard.
” She then patted where she’d poked. “Anyways, you have fun now. Come on Dorcas! We’re going to see Ariel and then play in the tree house! ”
“Short stuff,” I called after her. “Do not take that puppy up the tree.”
She waved at me over her shoulder. “How stupid do you think I am, Uncle G. Uncle Wilder rigged up a lift for him with an old basket. And don’t you forget to have fun.”
As I watched Bertie skip away, her puppy following, Lily started to chuckle behind me. I spun around to see her leaning against the doorway with Billy on her hip, him playing with her hair.
“You are so deluded,” she said with a huge grin. “She’s deluded, too.”
“Who, Bertie?”
“No and you know exactly who I’m talking about. Cassidy.” She shifted Billy whose head had started to lol against her shoulder, her hair wrapped around his tiny fingers.
I walked to her and dropped a kiss to my nephew’s soft hair, inhaling the smell of baby powder and milk. “There’s nothing to talk about where Cassidy and I are concerned,” I whispered so as not to disturb Billy. “I’m not going to give you the ‘we’re just friends’ line, because we’re not even that.”
“You know what they say about love and hate, Gunner?”
Damn meddling woman. “Lil, don’t get things in your head that don’t need to be there.” My stomach felt weird again. “We’ll be building up the camp together and that is just about it.”
As I walked past her, Lily followed me and gently placed Billy on the sleep mat inside his playpen. It was now a permanent fixture in our large kitchen and provided Wilder with hours of fun. Yep, Wilder!
“Why do you two dislike each other so much?” Lily asked as she ran a hand over her baby’s head.
“You know this story,” I told her as I took a glass from the cabinet. “We had a shit date. A huge difference of opinion about how kids around here should be taught.”
“You thought she was trying to bring her big city ways where they weren’t wanted.
” She rolled her eyes. “Blah, blah, blah. You know now that isn’t what she meant.
” When I didn’t respond she blinked slowly.
“Oh, come on, Gun, do you really think that Cassidy doesn’t want the best for the kids of this town?
Still? Even after having the idea about the camp. ”
I ran the cold water for a few seconds before filling my glass.
Before answering I took a long sip, delaying having to admit that maybe I’d been wrong.
Maybe I admired the woman who I’d spent all this time disliking.
And that didn’t sit well with me because I always gave people the benefit of the doubt; just not Cassidy Turner it seemed.
“Whatever happened on our date all those years ago, was all those years ago. It was what it was.” I turned and leaned against the sink. “Now, because of that and the time that has passed I’m sure we can only ever be colleagues on the camp and then acquaintances after.”
Lily’s hand went to her throat as she gasped softly. “Gunner, no. Don’t just dismiss it like that.”
“I’m not, Lil, because there’s nothing there.”
Even as I said it, I remembered how she’d leaned over my desk earlier, pointing out details in her plans, the scent of her shampoo mixing with her perfume.
How her voice had softened when we’d talked about the kids, about loss.
How different she was from the woman I’d dismissed three years ago.
Yes I was attracted to her. No, she wasn’t the person I’d thought she was.
Yes she was a much better teacher and person than I’d ever given her credit for.
The way she’d talked about helping those kids today, the passion in her eyes when she’d laid out her plans.
.. I’d been dead wrong about her, and that was harder to admit than the attraction.
That didn’t mean I should pursue something that probably wouldn’t last anyway.
We were too different, too stubborn, too set in our ways.
And yet every time she challenged me, now I found myself wanting to push back just to see that fire in her eyes.
“I wish you would both realize that you’d be great together.” Lily moved closer and placed a cool hand on my cheek. “Firey but great.” She gave me a little smirk. “And think about all the makeup sex.”
The idea of that was tempting but…
“Lily, leave it be, okay?” I kissed her cheek. “Now, I have a town meeting to go to and find out what those trucks are doing near our land.”
She looked me up and down, just like Bertie had done. “Dressed up like that. For a town meeting.”
“Yep I am. Nothing wrong with being smart for your adoring public.” I gave her a wink and then sauntered out to the foyer. “Nash,” I called up the stairs. “You coming or not? We don’t want to be late.”
One thing I hadn’t told either Bertie or Lily, was that a certain brunette might be there. And that maybe, just maybe, I’d chosen this shirt because I knew exactly how her eyes lingered when I wore it. Not that I’d ever admit that to anyone, especially myself.
The town hall was packed to the rafters with townspeople wanting to know the same thing we did about the development. There were also some faces that I recognized, including my buddy Deacon and his brother Joe, who was Sheriff of Clementine Hill. No sign of Cassidy, though.
“Deacon is here,” I told Nash, ignoring the rolling of my belly.
He looked over. “There’s a few faces I’ve never seen before. I spoke to Calvin, and he said that the front row are all from Sweet Maple Falls.”
“We’ve got five minutes, let’s go and see what Deacon knows.”
Nash followed me over, greeting locals as we passed.
More than one of them asked what he planned to do about the development, like he was the Mayor and not Calvin.
I wasn’t surprised because he’d always given off an heir of responsibility.
He’d been captain of every football team he’d played in, spokesperson for all his friendship group whenever one was needed.
He was our cheerleader when we needed it and the head of our family, even before Dad turned to the dark side and got sent to prison.
“Hey guys.” Deacon lifted his battered old cowboy hat and grinned. “Great turn out.”
“Shows you how much it’s not wanted.” Nash held his hand out to Joe. “Been a while, Joe. How you doing?”
“Good, thanks, Nash. As long as my brother doesn’t lose his cool tonight.” He gave Deacon a skeptical look.
“Which I will if they can assure us that fucking monstrosity is going nowhere near anyone’s land. Especially people with animals.”
I slapped him on his shoulder. “Appreciate you, because it’s too damn near my horses for comfort.”
“There’s only us here from Clementine, because even though it doesn’t affect us yet this thing is only going to get bigger. So, I promise you most of the town is against it.”
“Most?” Nash asked.
Joe rolled his eyes. “There’s the odd one or two in Mayor Rogers’ pocket, but that’s another story.”
“Hah,” I scoffed. “We know that feeling, don’t we brother?”
Nash sighed, his frown a window into his own thoughts of our dad. “I guess we do.” He patted my back. “We should go and take a seat. Great to see you guys.”
“You too,” Deacon replied and then held up his phone. “Oh, and I have a guy who I think would be a good fit as architect for your construction projects. I’ll send his number over.”
“Great, thanks buddy.” We shook hands and then Nash and I went and took our seats.
“This could get tasty.” Nash nodded over to a group of people standing at the side. In the middle of them was Dudley Granger, local busybody and owner of Dud’s Marvelous Motors. I’d had one of Dud’s motors when I was eighteen, let’s just say they were more duds than marvelous.
“You think he’s for or against?” I asked, leaning forward to look down the row of people.
“Knowing that bastard he’s all for the development. Think of all the new residents that could buy one of his shit vehicles,” Nash replied wryly. “Plus, I do believe he’s been having sexy times with Mayor Rogers.”
“How do you know that?” I glanced over at Sweet Maple Falls Mayor, sitting on the stage reading through something on her phone.
Her long legs were crossed, tucked in next to each other and pointing away from her body like she’d been to etiquette school or something.
It couldn’t be further from the truth, seeing as her dad and brothers were well known, blatant cattle rustlers.
Word was not one of the cattle on their ranch had their brand, and if they did then the original one had been burned off.
She was a year into her first term and had already caused friction by handing her dad a large portion of town land.
She’d done it under some bullshit excuse about incorrect town rezoning years before.
“How do I usually get my info’; Peggy.”
I laughed. Lily’s grandmother liked her gossip and was rarely wrong. “Think you’re right, Nash, things could get tasty.”
The buzz of conversation continued around us as I scrolled through my phone and Nash chatted to the guy on the other side of him.
“Quite a crowd.”
The soft voice startled me. I whipped around to see Cassidy settling in the seat next to me.
She was wearing her glasses, and her hair was up in a high ponytail.
With the soft gray sweats that she was wearing she would have easily passed for a high school senior.
Her face was clear of makeup, except for some shiny stuff on her lips.
I couldn’t tear my eyes away from it. Couldn’t stop wondering what it might taste like.
“Surprised to see you here.”
Cassidy frowned as she dug her hands deep into the pockets of her sweats. “Why?”
I shrugged. “Would have thought you’d welcome the development. Seeing as you like the big city life.”
She rolled her eyes and turned to face the stage. “You talk so much BS it smells like your ranch in here.”
“Just saying.” I laughed emptily. “I know how much you like the excitement that Silver Peaks just doesn’t bring.”
She didn’t answer but took a pause with a huge inhale. When she inched her chair away from me, I thought the conversation was over, but then she nudged me hard in the ribs.
“Hey, that damn well hurts.”
“Good. It was meant to.” She scowled at me.
“You know nothing about me, so don’t ever try and tell me how I think, or what I feel.
I’m here because I hate the idea of some ugly ass buildings ruining the beauty of this place.
Those mountains are like the backbone of this state.
When I look at them I’m in awe at the way their peaks seem to pierce the sky.
And how impossibly blue is that sky? And the land,” she took a deep breath, “it’s the deepest green and the way it undulates, it’s just like…
” She took a breath. “…like crashing emerald waves, while the pines, so damn tall and grand, stand sentry over it all. So no, I do not want this development marring all of that.” She faced forward and gritted out.
“Keep your opinions and shove them up your stupid damn hairy ass.”
And didn’t that little tirade give me a warm feeling deep down in my belly.