AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“If we’re playing that game, then how about you and Jamie, Nilah, Becky, Selena, Josie—”
“That’s enough. My escapades behind that barn are things you promised to keep a secret,” Cassidy quickly cut me off, and I grinned, laughing. “At least I was smart about them.”
“And still one of your ex’s tried to kill my cattle,” I teased, and he shook his head. “I guess at some point you were bound to meet a crazy or two, the pool is quite large.”
He punched me in the shoulder. “I’m not like that anymore.”
“Uh huh.” I grinned.
“Really, when’s the last time you’ve seen me on a date?”
“When you set Tenley up on a blind one with you.” I lifted an accusing brow, and Cassidy grimaced.
“In my defense,” he threw up his hands. “I didn’t know about it until halfway to her house.”
I smiled at him and he sighed. Running a hand through his tousled hair, he leaned back against the headrest. “You think I’m deserving of someone like Tenley?” His voice was quieter, almost defeated.
“Why wouldn’t you be?” I asked.
Cassidy shook his head. “As you’ve clearly pointed out, it’s not like I’ve been choosy about the women I date.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Never too late to start.”
“But my past could scare a girl off.”
“Yeah, it could.”
He took a deep breath and exhaled, glancing out the side window. The snow was falling heavily, coating the tracks my truck left on the road.
“But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try,” I added. “If you want something serious, then you need to go for it.”
Cassidy didn’t look at me, nor did he say anything in response as we continued the drive home. Seemed a bit strange to see my little brother like that. Sullen, somber, almost withdrawn. Cassidy was always a spitfire of a kid, and even more so as he grew up. Which is why I liked him around, felt grateful to not just call him brother but friend and foreman.
He was the one constant in my life. So seeing him like this felt odd. In a good way, though. Maybe he was maturing.
But there was a small voice in the back of my mind, whispering that maybe it wasn’t maturity and, instead, this entire time he’d been waiting for me to find someone first. Blaming himself for the accident and the life altering path it put me on. No matter how many times I’d tried to tell him it was my choice, and mine alone, maybe he’d never believed me.
I grabbed his shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. The edge of his lip twitched upwards, and I pulled us into the ranch in silence.
I kept my conversation short with Butch yesterday. Reminding him to be safe, and then Cassidy and I somehow managed to help him get the cookies done before his mama returned home. Leaning back against the couch, I relaxed, waiting for the rest of my family to be ready to leave this morning.
The sun hadn’t risen by the time I was up and going, excited to see Tenley again today. And all the more determined to turn this third first date into a success. As well as making up for my lack of kissing her back yesterday—or kissing her in general. That was on my mind, almost a constant dull thud in the back of my head telling me that we are dating, I could kiss her when I wanted. I should’ve kissed her back. I should’ve kissed her and kissed her hard.
“Weston, can you help me load the rest of the cookies?” Pearl called from the kitchen, tugging me from my thoughts.
Rising from the couch, I trudged away from the fireplace and up toward the long granite countertop. Baskets lined the kitchen island with cute Christmas tea towels covering the sugar cookies we’d made last night.
I grabbed the handle of two of them and slid them down as Pearl snagged two baskets herself. “I was shocked to find these cookies made by Butch when I got home,” she began, suspiciously.
“Mmmm,” I muttered, not really saying anything in reply.
“You’re not going to fess up that you helped him?” she snapped, skirting in front of me and lifting an accusing brow.
I merely looked at her. Though it was hard to not chuckle as she tried to look angry in her elf costume.
“I know you ditched out yesterday. Butch was supposed to do this by himself and you directly went against the agreement he made with me to stay home.” She narrowed her gaze.
I took a deep breath but still remained silent amidst the interrogation.
