AllFreeNovel
Share Us
With his fingers, Cash gently lifts my chin and brushes his lips against mine, before speaking as he continues to rock me back and forth in his arms. “I don’t have many memories of my mom. She died when I was so young…But one thing I do remember is dancing.” He sighs as he seems to sink back into memories. “Maybe it isn’t even a memory—it could just be something Carter told me about so much that I think I remember it. But for some reason I can really picture her holding me as she danced, or spinning Cat around the room, or laughing as Carter tried to dip her. I don’t have any memories of her and my father dancing—honestly, if I did it might have ruined it—but my mom, from what I remember, she loved to dance. You asked me the first night if I tried to woo all the girls with dancing…” Cash pauses as he looks down at me, his whiskey eyes growing lighter with his confessions. “I never danced with anyone until you. I’ve never wanted to dance with anyone until you.”
A gasp falls from my throat, and I whisper, “Oh, Cash.”
He quiets me with another kiss. “I love you, Grace. I brought you here to meet my mom. Although apparently you already have.” He shakes his head in wonder, and his eyes sparkle.
Only then do I see the headstone which sits within the garden.
Cash’s mom.
My heart cracks. I wish I could bring her back for him. I wish my mom wasn’t so terrible. I wish life was different. And yet, I’m so grateful for the man beside me. So beyond thankful that Marion played fairy godmother.
For so long I had very few people I could rely upon. Tessa, Marion…and I thought Steven and my mother. That group has gotten smaller. It felt like it had been decimated for a moment, but as always Cash saw my broken pieces and put them back together. He saw me on the plane, truly saw me, in a way I don’t think anyone ever has. He’s pushed for the past month to get me to open up, to truly let go of the baggage that was holding me back, and he took the cracks in my heart and filled them with his love, fusing us together, so that I can no longer see a life without him.
Cash walks me over to the stone, and we sit quietly for a while, beneath the stars, and spend time with his mother.
Chapter40
Grace
“You sure you’ll be okay?” Tessa asks as she and Carter stand by the door. Tessa looks back to Carter and I see her waffling. “I won’t go if you need me, G, you know that.”
Cash squeezes my shoulder. “I’ve got Grace; you need to get to the airport.” I force a smile onto my face. Tessa got a call this morning from her editor—a story is about to break about a congressman and she has a potential lead from one of our college friends. Carter offered to take her to the airport so she can make the next flight to DC.
I pull Tessa into a hug, squeezing her tight. “I’ll be fine. You know me, I bounce,” I say softly into her ear. When I pull away, I sneak a look back to Cash. “And he’s right, I’ve got him.”
The lines on Tessa’s forehead don’t ease. “When I get back I’m going to the burbs and cutting your ex-husband’s dick off…and then I’m feeding it to your mother.”
We all laugh at her absurdity. “Thanks for always having my back.”
She winks and points at Cash. “I expect you to keep that smile on her face, Cash. That means lots of oral.”
I groan. “Out!” I push her toward the door, and she flashes me her saucy smile again.
“You can thank me for all the orgasms later.” Ihear her laughter as she walks to the car, and I shut the door. Leaning back against it, I watch as Cash stalks toward me, caging me in.
His mouth goes to my neck, and he inhales me, before trailing hot kisses up to my jaw. “You heard the lady; I’ve got work to do.”
Playfully, I push him back. “As wonderful as that sounds, I need a shower.”
He shrugs. “Fine. I have some work I have to catch up on anyway. And I have a surprise for you in the sunroom. Go take a shower. I’ll get everything set up and meet you in there when you’re done.”
Intrigued, my eyes raise in excitement. I love surprises. “Okay, Whiskey, I’ll be quick.” I drop a kiss on the side of his mouth and move to walk away, but he grabs my arm before I make it past him, pulling me back against his chest.
“Don’t tease me with half kisses, Angel.” His lips crash into mine, and he spins me and pins me against the door again, giving me a kiss that leaves me weak in the knees and breathless. Then he brushes a hand through my hair and gives me a lazy smile. “Much better.”
This time I wait for him to walk away. It’s a good thing the door is behind me, since it’s the only thing holding me up.
I find myself rushing through my shower, wanting to see Cash’s surprise, and even more than that, just wanting to spend more time with him. Even though this has been the most devastating weekend, it’s also been one of the greatest. And that is solely because of Cash. His love for me, his attentiveness, and the way he works to keep a smile on my face are only some of the reasons he’s quickly becoming my favorite person.
Well, tied with Tessa that is. Both of them work pretty hard to keep a smile on my face.
With my hair dry, comfy clothes on, and light makeup applied, I walk through the house in search of my boyfriend. I find him in the sunroom, as promised, standing at the window, staring out at the ocean. He’s wearing a pair of gray sweats and a white T-shirt, and his hair is still messy from sleep. From behind, I slip my arms around his waist and snuggle into his back. “I like you like this,” I whisper.
He wraps his arm behind him and hugs me tight. “I love you like this,” he says before turning and looking down at me. He’s so perfectly mine in this moment. His eyes sparkling with adoration and a bit of mischief, his lips lifting into a lazy smile. “But I have a feeling I’m going to love you over there even more,” he says, pointing behind me. I turn to see what he’s pointing at and find an easel set up with a paint brush and a blank canvas.
Closing my eyes, I memorize the way I feel right now, so completely treasured and understood.
Cash sees me. He really sees me. He knows what I need without my asking. He didn’t try to use sex to make me feel better, that would be masking my pain. He gave me my peace back, the thing I told him was just for me—my painting. He remembered that little detail I’d told him about so long ago, reminding me that not only was he always paying attention, but that he cared enough to make it a reality for me. Before I have the opportunity to thank him, he drops a kiss against my shoulder and pushes me toward the easel. “Go paint, Angel. I’ll be in the other room.”
