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So… if he couldn’t have a life then Funches had the right of it—he needed a wife… well, a girlfriend, first. He smirked at how fast his mind jumped. Either way, Porter was missing that friendship, that connection that he couldn’t even share with a twin. He needed to find someone, who he didn’t drive crazy, but more than that—a woman who enjoyed his jokes and brought her own mischief to the table, one who wouldn’t mind the quiet country life… with maybe a few surprise fires to break up the monotony.
People might dismiss him as the resident Harvest Ranch prankster when his twin was around, but he was more than that. Unlike some of his brothers, he wasn’t running away from a little hard work.
Chapter Three
Cadence glided through the entrance of Lacy’s house party. As usual, it was packed with investors and their trophy girlfriends. Drinks were poured freely, and the loud chatter and laughter echoed from the lofty ceilings. Lacy always did know how to throw a party.
She wore her gold dress—the one that Lacy had left in her room in Paris. She knew it looked amazing against the creamy tones of her dark skin. She wore the same sparkling gold against her eyelids.
Lacy was a sucker for her brown eyes. They looked almost gold in this gown, and as she made her way through the crowds, she stood taller in her stiletto heels than many of the women. She’d worn her black hair in ringlets that bounced against her shoulders, just how Lacy liked it.
She wanted to look stunning tonight. Sheneededto look stunning.
Cadence didn’t know why, but a thread of worry sliced through her giddy excitement of finally finding a family in Lacy Lynch. She tried to push it down. She had good news. Fantastic news! She would have a child of her very own. Finally she’d know what it was like to be a part of a loving home. She’d dreamed of this since she’d pretended that Mousy—the silly stuffed bear from her childhood—was her baby.
Sure, she wasn’t sure how to be a mother exactly, and maybe that was where this anxiety sprang from, but her life was changing for the better. Wasn’t it?
Wasn’t it?
As she pushed through the chattering guests, she spied a sight for sore eyes. Emily Mackenzie was standing near the baggage check in a white lacy dress. Cadence’s heart did a happy leap. Her friend’s back was to her, but Cadence would know that dark hair anywhere. She’d heard a rumor that Emily was in Nashville. Her friend’s brother was a superstar in the music industry, and he was sponsoring her debut. She was finally doing it! Cadence was so happy for her—that girl had talent. The two had been roommates at Tennessee State, and Cadence had always encouraged her to perform her own music.
“Emily!” She raised a hand in greeting, her worries swallowed up in the joy of seeing such a good friend. “Is that you?”
Emily swung around. “Cadence!”
Cadence’s tense smile turned more natural at seeing her friend. For some reason, she’d felt lost in the face of so much change. The parties and luxurious vacations didn’t help things—who could get used to those things, especially after coming from such a poor background? Even Lacy’s undying affection and loving embraces, though nice, felt foreign to her. But Emily? She was absolutely unpretentious and normal. Just seeing her sweet face brought Cadence back to earth. It felt like coming home.
She didn’t stop to consider why returning to her old self brought her so much relief, because as Cadence came closer, concern flooded her when she noticed that Emily’s freckles stood out in a pale face that could be chiseled from marble. The girl was terrified. Her delicate cheeks were painted in rose.
A crowd like this might be too much for Emily, who was a small town girl with good country values. This was evidenced by the gratitude in her face at seeing Cadence. “Thank goodness you’re here!”
Cadence cried out with her own relief, reaching for her. She wasn’t sure why she was consumed with a desire to break down in tears. She was happy! She didn’t know why she was so desperate for a hug from Emily, too, only that she desperately needed her friend right now. Cadence wrapped her arms around the shorter girl, and feeling her stiffness, tried everything in her power to wipe that worry from Emily’s face. “You look so good!”
Emily nodded, but woodenly, like she was a puppet on strings. She wasnotdoing well.
Cadence squeezed her more tightly, then pulled back to get the truth from her. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just I’m–I’m performing tonight.” She smiled, but not convincingly.
Oh, stage fright! This was manageable!
“You are?” Cadence asked in excitement. “I finally get to hear you perform in public?” She was more than happy to bolster Emily’s confidence. Cadence let out a happy squeal that also stemmed from herownhappy news. “Oh, Emily! We are so lucky. I can’t wait. Your voice is absolute gold!”
Emily’s big brown eyes lowered shyly. “I hope so.”
It was time for a distraction. Cadence swept a hand over the elaborate gold gown that she wore. It had to have cost Lacy upwards of thousands. “Guess what? I’m working tonight, too. I’m keeping an eye on things here.” She winked and lowered her voice, “I got senior associate at WhiteBoulder Private Equities.”
The distraction worked. Emily’s eyes danced with joy. “Wow. You did it!” The two had taken more than their share of business classes together. Back then, Cadence’s life had been overloaded with a heavy workload of homework and studying in the library. All that hard work had paid off. A year-and-a-half after graduation, she’d gone up the corporate ladder to earn herself a huge paycheck… and a man.
Cadence slid her matching gold designer Bartonia Bag across the counter at the bag check.
“Love your purse,” Emily said. She hauled her purse up next to it. They were the same. “I’ve got one just like it.”
Cadence couldn’t help the bubbling laughter that erupted over her lips. “Copycat!”
She wasn’t sure who had discovered the online bargain store for designer bags, but the two of them had matching bags since they were freshmen. Long gone were the day of scrimping to save up for something nice, but finding good deals like these was a habit that Cadence would never let go.
Instinctively, the duo tugged their cellphones out. The bags could go, but there was no surviving without their phones. The man behind the desk gave Cadence her cubby number then took Emily’s purse next.
