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“Yeah, sweetheart. I know she’s still young, but life is full of uncertainties, so I figured it was better to be ready and never need it than to be unprepared and have to cause her any kind of upheaval as it’s renovated.”
“You really have thought of everything,” I murmur as we step into what will eventually be her mom’s home.
He nods as once again, I explore every little nook and cranny, my excited chatter making him smile as I enthusiastically notice all the upgrades Jared had installed.
“Every counter is slightly lower, which works whether she’s ever in a wheelchair or not,” he points out.
“This is true since she’s barely five feet tall,” I tease, giggling.
“You’re not all that much taller, honey,” he reminds me, smirking.
“Also true,” I muse, looking up at him. “But seeing all of this, I have to ask again, who did you do this for?”
I feel like I’m about to explode, especially when I see him take a deep breath. While I thought I was in love with Cade, the years that have passed have shown me that what I felt we had wasn’t reality at all. There was a shallowness in our relationship; we did what he wanted to do, hung out with his friends, and there were no in-depth talks about anything beyond us getting married when I graduated.
Jared, however, I shared every little thing with him, from the stupid fights I had with my parents when they lowered my curfew after seeing I planned to continue dating Cade, to his opinion on whether or not I should cut my hair. There wasn’t a topic that was off limits between us, and I fondly remember us sitting in his dad’s boat fishing every chance we could get.
“You.”
His voice is barely above a whisper when he finally replies, but his eyes never waver from my own searching gaze.
“Me? But… but you haven’t sought me out since I came back to town, Jared. The first time I saw you was in your office, for heaven’s sake!”
He clears his throat but maintains his distance, as if he senses what he’s about to tell me is about to turn my whole world upside down.
“Cassidy, the times we hung out when we were in high school were some of the best times of my life. You were my best friend in the world, and my only regret is that I didn’t ask you out first. You know pretty much all of my secrets, except what I haven’t shared during the time we’ve been apart, and because you’re you, I think you’re one of the most loyal, caring, kindhearted people I know.”
“Jared.”
His name comes out as a whisper while everything we did when we were in school flashes through my mind like a movie. The only thing missing is a soundtrack, although if I think about it long enough, I could probably add one of those too based on the music we listened to, sometimes on repeat.
Eight
Jared
All of my favorite memories as a gangly, gawky teenager have her in them. Hell, even the day that I told her about Cade’s marriage, one of my secret wishes came true because I got to hold her. Seeing her now after showing her all I’ve done on a house I built with her in mind when I didn’t even know whether or not she’d give me the time of day has me wondering what she’s thinking.
Hell, I wonder if maybe I’m a little bit crazy myself because who does something like what I’ve done?
“Cass?” I cautiously ask. “What’s on your mind?”
“You… you did all of this for me. What if I hadn’t agreed to go out with you? What if I said no when you asked if we could date?”
“Then you would’ve said no,” I reply. “But I would’ve kept asking, Cassidy. Because even though I wasn’t sure of the reception I’d get when I asked to see you, I knew I’d keep pursuing you until you remembered what we had years ago. We built a solid friendship, sweetheart, and while I figured I’d have an uphill battle, I wasn’t giving up.”
“Ever?” she questions.
“Not ever,” I confirm, finally stepping toward her and gathering her in my arms. “If you said you would run away with me and get married, I’d call one of my judge friends and have them perform the ceremony.”
She starts giggling, her hands against my chest as she stares up at me. “Um, just saying, Mr. Knox, but as a little girl, I dreamed of someday getting married, so you’re not getting off that easily.”
“Good to know,” I tease. “Are you ready to go grab something to eat?”
“Yeah,” she replies, leaning up to kiss the underside of my chin.
Leaning down, I capture her lips with my own, slowly deepening the kiss until we’re both breathless and I realize if we don’t get out of here, I’ll be taking her against the wall, since neither the main house nor the smaller one I built for her mom has any discernible furniture to speak of.
Taking her hand in mine, I make sure the tiny home is locked up before we make our way to the main house, where I again lock everything up then set the alarm. Once back in the truck, I grin at her because suddenly, the future is beyond bright.
