Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“. . . Huck even has this round saw that is wicked cool and will cut through just about anything. He showed me how it works, but he wouldn’t let me try it.
He says I have to start with hand tools before I can graduate to power ones.
” Camden sighed dramatically. “And do you know how long it takes to cut through a piece of wood with a handsaw? Like five thousand hours. It took forever for me to cut one piece of wood for the arm of—” He cut off before starting back up again.
“Anyway, Huck’s workshop is the best thing ever and you should see all the people that stop by to ask him to make things for them.
He has orders all the way through Christmas. ”
Cadee wasn’t surprised Huck’s carpentry work was in such high demand. She was surprised that he’d started his own business. He’d even placed a sign on the side of the road leading to the house.
Hennessy Custom Carpentry:
Making your ideas a reality.
And she was also surprised to find out he’d taken orders all the way through the holidays. Of course, that didn’t mean anything. Just because he took orders months in advance didn’t mean he was going to stick around to complete them.
Huck’s promises meant nothing.
The last few weeks had been a perfect example.
He’d said he was going to prove his love, and he’d barely talked to her since the night at Honky Tonk Heaven.
He waved and smiled at Camden’s soccer practices and games, but he didn’t come over to talk to her.
Nor did he show up at the ranch long before Camden got off from school and help her with mucking stalls, gardening, and canning.
Instead, he made arrangements with her every few days via text to pick Camden up from the bus stop.
When he dropped him off later, he never got out of the old Dodge truck he’d traded his motorcycle for.
That surprised her too.
Huck had always loved motorcycles. As a kid, he’d had a dirt bike he’d ridden around the roads by his house.
As a teenager, he’d graduated to a Honda 650 that all the girls loved getting rides on.
Cadee included. It was the only time she’d had an excuse to touch him.
She’d loved the feel of being wrapped around his lean body as the wind whipped through her hair.
She knew Huck had gotten rid of his motorcycle as a way of proving he’d changed and was no longer a wild hooligan. But it would take more than a vehicle switch and opening a new business to make her believe it.
Which was why she should be thrilled that he wasn’t seeking her out. Thrilled that he’d come to realize she was right.
It was too late for them.
Now all she needed to do was stop thinking about him twenty-four seven. Stop thinking about the way he’d looked on the dance floor when he’d told her that he loved her. Stop thinking about the hot kiss in the parking lot that had lit her up like a Fourth of July sparkler.
Stop thinking, Cadee! Just stop thinking!
“Mom?”
She blinked out of her thoughts to see Camden looking down at the pencil she’d been using to help him with homework.
It was snapped in two.
“Oops! I guess I’m stronger than I thought.” She dropped the eraser end and used the stub to point to the next math problem. “Okay. How would you figure out this one?”
Later that night, after homework and dinner were finished, she and Mama retired to the rocking chairs on the front porch while Cooper, Callum, and Camden did the dishes.
Since it was late October, the evenings were starting to cool down.
The strong breeze helped. She and Mama were usually too tired from the day’s work to do more than rock and look out at the setting sun.
But since the Harvest Festival was only a week away, Cadee figured they should go over the list of things they needed to do before Saturday.
“I called all the cake-baking volunteers today to remind them to have their cakes for the cakewalk at the church by noon on Saturday. I checked in with the church custodian to make sure he cleans the gymnasium floor after the youth’s basketball game on Friday afternoon so we can start putting up the booths on Friday night.
Did you ever get ahold of Dale Winslet to make sure he will have the booths all ready to put together? ”
Mama nodded. “I didn’t get ahold of Dale, but I did get a call from his wife. I guess Dale had to have emergency gallbladder surgery this morning.”
“Oh, no. Is he okay?”
“He’s right as rain now, but he can’t lift anything heavy for weeks.” Mama hesitated. “So I had to recruit someone else to take over the job of putting the booths together.”
“Cooper and Callum?”
“No. They’ll be busy setting up the hayrides out to Birdie’s.”
“Then who did you get?”
Mama continued to rock for a few seconds before she answered. “Huck Hennessy?”
Cadee turned and stared at her. “You talked Huck into doing it?”
“I didn’t have to do much talking. He seemed happy to help.
I figured it’s a good chance for him to get in the townsfolk’s good graces.
Although his new business seems to be doing that.
All I hear when I go into town is raves about his carpentry skill.
I’m thinking about buying one of those pretty whiskey barrel porch swings he makes for here. ”
“We don’t need a porch swing. And you should have asked me first before you talked to Huck.”
Mama stopped rocking and turned to her. “And why is that? I thought you and Huck were friends again. Did something change?”
She thought about lying, but she really needed to talk to someone about what had happened. And her mama had always been a good listener. “He told me he loves me.” Mama’s snorted laugh had Cadee turning on her. “It’s not funny!”
Mama bit back her smile. “I’m sorry, but I’ve known Huck loved you ever since you were kids.” She paused. “And I’ve known you love him.”
Cadee couldn’t deny it. She did love him. Which probably explained why she couldn’t stop thinking about him.
“It doesn’t matter if I love him and he loves me. It still wouldn’t work. Too much has happened. A relationship doesn’t just need love. It needs trust and I lost all of that when Huck ran off without a word.”
Mama nodded. “I can see where that would make you lose trust. But the nice thing about trust is it can be rebuilt. That’s where the love comes in.”
“What do you mean?”
“When your daddy and I were first dating, I found out he was still fooling around with his ex-girlfriend, Janie Horton. I broke things off with him immediately and had no intentions of ever giving him the time of day again.” Mama smiled and continued rocking. “But you know how that went.”
“But how did you trust him again?”
“Everyone deserves a second chance, Cadee. That’s why second chance romance novels are so popular.
Huck screwed up. He screwed up badly. But I think he’s paid for that mistake by missing out on eight years of his son’s life .
. . and yours. It looks like he’s trying his best to prove to you and this entire town that he’s changed.
That he can be trusted.” Mama reached out and squeezed Cadee’s hand resting on the arm of the rocker.
“That’s where the love comes in. Do you love him enough to give him a second chance? ”
She wasn’t sure. “If he leaves, he won’t just be breaking my trust. He’ll be breaking Camden’s too.”
“It’s too late for that. Camden already trusts and loves him. So you staying away from Huck isn’t going to lessen Cam’s hurt if Huck does leave. But I don’t think Huck is going to. I’ve seen the way he looks at Camden. And I’ve also seen the way he looks at you. Like y’all are his world.”
Cadee’s heart tightened. “But what if we’re not enough to hold him?”
Mama smiled softly. “But what if you are?” She patted her hand before she rose to her feet. “Now I better go in and see if the boys are doing dishes or having a water fight. From Cam’s shriek I just heard, my bet is on the water fight.”
After she was gone, Cadee sat there and stared at the darkening horizon.
A star appeared. The first star. The wishing star.
As a teenager, she’d wished for only one thing. Huck to love her like she loved him. She’d been granted that wish. And now the only question was . . . what was she going to do about it?
* * *
The Harvest Festival turned out to be more chaotic than usual . . . especially with the addition of a certain Hennessy Hooligan.
Cadee had made a point of staying away from the gymnasium when the booths were going up. Since Huck had always thought church activities were too tame when they were growing up, she figured he wouldn’t stick around after putting the booths together.
It turned out she was wrong.
Huck stuck around the entire night. He helped at booths when volunteers needed bathroom breaks, fixed the dunk tank when it stopped working, helped Mama sell pumpkin loaves, and kept buying more tickets for Raptor Camden and his friends.
Cadee knew all of this because, regardless of running around making sure the festival was running smoothly, she couldn’t seem to keep from picking him out in the crowd.
He’d gotten a haircut and grown a soul patch beneath his bottom lip, giving him even more of a Riley Green look. The western shirt he wore had a gold stripe in the plaid that brought out the color in his eyes. Eyes that twinkled as he went about charming every person he spoke to.
It looked like the townsfolk weren’t holding a grudge over all the ornery things he’d done in the past.
Cadee was the only one still doing that.
The festival was almost over when she got a call from Ada, who was working the cakewalk.
“We’re out of cakes!”
“Just close down,” she said. “Most folks are leaving anyway.”
“Well, that’s all fine and good, but I didn’t realize we were out of cakes until I picked the last winner. I tried to give him an IOU for a dozen donuts from the coffeeshop, but he flat refuses to accept anything but a cake.”
Cadee rolled her eyes. “That’s ridiculous. I’m sure we can figure something out. I’ll be there in a second.”
She headed for the cakewalk and then stopped short when she saw the man standing with Ada in the center of the taped-off numbers on the floor. He glanced over and saw her and his golden eyes twinkled.
“Hey, Catydid. Did you bring my cake?”
She needed to take a deep, fortifying breath before she continued walking toward him and Ada. “I’m sorry, Huck, but we’re out of cakes. Ada will give you an IOU for mini donuts.”
He pointed to the sign hanging above them, the one that read Cakewalk with a three-tiered white cake painted beside it—a sign he’d no doubt put up. “So this is false advertising?”
Figuring this was about to get ugly, she smiled at Ada. “I’ll handle it from here. Thanks for helping, Ada.”
“No worries.” She glanced at Huck. “If you change your mind, just let me know. Everyone knows my mini donuts are better than any ol’ cake.”
When she was gone, Cadee turned to Huck. “Okay. What’s this about?”
He gave her a wide-eyed innocent look. “I was promised a cake if I won and I want a cake.”
“Well, you’re not getting one. At least, not tonight. I can bake one for you tomorrow morning before church. You can get it when you pick up Camden . . . that’s if you’re willing to get out of your truck.”
Huck cocked an eyebrow. “You sound a little ticked off, Catydid. Are you mad at me for not getting out of my truck? I got the feeling that you didn’t want me around. Was I mistaken?”
“You were not mistaken. I don’t want you around. And yet, you always seem to be around.”
He shrugged. “What can I say? Promise Springs is a little town. Since this is now my home, we’re going to run into each other.”
“Home? Since when? You never once referred to Promise Springs as your home when we were growing up.”
“That was before I pulled my head out and realized home is where the heart is . . . and you and Cam are my heart, Catydid.” All her anger fizzled out and her own heart tightened.
It tightened even more when he stepped closer.
“Like I told you before, Cadee, I’m not going anywhere.
So you’ll have to get used to running into me.
” He smoothed back a piece of hair that had come loose from her ponytail, his warm fingertips brushing around her ear and turning her knees to pudding. “Now where’s my cake?”
She tried to keep her voice steady and firm, but it still came out soft and needy. “There is no cake, Huck.”
His gaze dropped to her mouth. “Then I guess you’ll have to come up with a different prize. And I’m not talking about donuts.”
“What do you want?”
His gaze lifted, his eyes intense and molten. Her breath caught and she couldn’t control the slight tremble of her body or the desire that settled hot and heavy inside her as she waited for him to speak.
“A date.”
She blinked. “What?”
“I’ll take a date with you instead of a cake.”
“I’m not a prize to win, Huck.”
He stared into her eyes. “Then you don’t truly see yourself the way I do.
Because you are a prize. You’re not only stunningly beautiful, you’re also smart and kind and hardworking.
You ride a horse better than anyone I’ve ever seen.
You even can peaches! I mean how amazing is that?
And talk about amazing, you’re the best mama Camden could ask for.
So yes, Catydid, you are a prize. I’m going to do everything in my power to win you.
” He tipped his head. “So what do you say? A date, or I tell everyone I was cheated at the church’s Harvest Festival. ”