AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I didn’t want to admit to my brother that I was worried about his safety. I didn’t want him to make fun of me. “Are you worried about me?” he questioned.
I met his eyes. He knew. I couldn’t let him know, so I shrugged.
“Ha, you are actually worried about me.”
I blew out a breath. “Why does that seem so weird to you?” I asked. “I worried about you the last time you were gone, as well.”
Gabe shook his head. “I know. I just figured that now, you’d be glad I was out of the way for a bit.” He winked.
I frowned. I didn’t know what that was supposed to mean. Why would I be glad that he was out of the way? “Gabe, I don’t understand.”
Gabe let out a deep breath and looked over at me. “I see the way you look at him. Don’t think I don’t.”
I could feel my cheeks heat. “I…I…”
“Don’t, Cadence. What I did when we were younger was wrong. I knew there were boys at school who liked you, but I also heard them all talk in the locker room. I didn’t want you to become part of the rumor mill. As for Connor, I knew you liked him.”
I looked at my brother. Was he confessing that fixing Connor and Ella up had been wrong? I reached down under the table and pinched the inside of my leg to make sure this wasn’t some sort of dream I was having.
“He liked you too. He never said it, but I saw how he looked at you.”
“You know, I just told you I was worried about your safety. Are you trying to make me regret saying that?” I questioned, trying hard to lighten this conversation.
“No, Cadence, that is not what I am doing at all. Remember when I beat up Paul Longshire in school?”
“Yeah. Dad was so pissed at you when his dad came to our house. I thought you were a goner.” I laughed. “Why did you beat him up? Dad wouldn’t tell me.”
“I hit him because he said some things about you. Horrible things, and I was defending you because I didn’t want the guys coming around you. Not guys like that.”
I shrugged. “Okay. I don’t see what that has to do with Connor.”
“Connor had been there—for that fight. He’d tried to talk some sense into me, but I pushed him away and went on about how my friends would not take a turn with my sister. After that night, he started ignoring you, and he started asking me to fix him up with someone.”
I got up from the table and took my mug back over to the coffeepot, filling it up. Then I reached into the fridge and added a generous amount of cream to the coffee before sitting back down.
“Say something,” Gabe said, watching me.
“Gabe, I have nothing to say. I told you before I left the Midwest I wasn’t coming back here to be his second choice. So, if that is some plan the pair of you have concocted, then I’ll tell you right now, you better let him know not to bother trying.”
Gabe blew out a breath and shook his head. “It’s not something we’ve concocted. He needs someone. I’m all he has, and I’ll be gone. He needs healing, and if anyone can heal him, it’s you.”
I took a sip of my over-creamed coffee. Why I’d added it I’d never know. I’d only ever drank my coffee black. It was almost as if I’d decided that punishing myself physically would be better than the mental punishment I’d been enduring for the last few years.
“And you are absolutely certain I am the right choice for the job?” I questioned.
“Of course you are the right choice! He hasn’t smiled like that for a long time.”
“Okay, because look at what happened to the last two people I cared for,” I said, sitting back against my chair. “They both died.”
Gabe met my eyes and shook his head. Without another word, he got up from the table and left the room. Just when I thought he was gone, he stuck his head in the kitchen door. “Cadence, you are definitely the right person for the job. Gram and Gramps lived a good life, but they were old. It was their time. Enjoy your coffee. I have to get to work.”
Connor
September
It had been three weeks since Gabe left and I’d yet to see Cadence. You’d have thought that in three weeks our paths would have crossed. I’d been going over to the farm daily after doing all of the chores on my ranch. Since I had yet to see her, today I’d decided to head over early. I wanted to talk to Cadence and find out what tasks she needed help with the most because, until now, I’d been a supervisor.
As I neared the house, I saw her black truck parked off to the side under the large willow tree beside the house, which meant she was home. I cut the engine and climbed out of the truck. The front door was open, and as I approached the house, the door opened, and Cadence stepped outside.
