Love Redeemed

by Tich Brewster

  “Have you even attempted to have that conversation with him?” The waitress came over to their table. Allie ordered an iced tea and asked for a few more minutes to look over the menu.

  “I have but the last thing I want or need is to drag up all of those old feelings.” Cassie thought back to the night before when Ryder had kissed her. The chemistry was still there. Her feelings for him were still very much there.

  “I understand where you’re coming from I really do, but you need to sit down and talk to him.” Allie tapped her manicured nails on the tabletop. “What you’re doing isn’t fair. Set things straight or this will all come back to bite you in the butt.”

  “And tell him what? He’s going to leave just as soon as his manager calls with the next big tour anyway.” The waitress came back and Allie ordered a Grilled Chicken Caesar salad. Cassie, on the other hand, needed more than a salad to get her through the day. She ordered a bacon cheese burger with extra fries.

  “Okay, I get it. I do, but he deserves the truth.” Allie’s phone buzzed with a text. With a goofy smile like that, it could only be one person. Jared. “Jared is having a party this weekend. Please come.”

  Cassie shook her head. Being at a party with Ryder just wasn’t what she needed. The waitress brought their food to the table and topped off Cassie’s coffee.

  “Come on. You can’t avoid him forever.” Allie took a bite of her salad, dabbing the dressing off of her lower lip.

  “Is he bringing another girl? I will think about it as long as he is dateless. I don’t think I could handle watching him grope some hot chick in front of me.” Cassie knew she sounded like a high school girl but she couldn’t help it. Ryder was the first and only love of her life. Whether he knew it or not, he still held her heart in the palm of his hands. There had never been anyone else for her.

  “Goodie. Be there Friday at seven, we’ll make sure Ryder doesn’t bring anyone else.”

  The two finished their lunch, chatting about television shows and books. Neither one of them knew it but sitting outside, in a vehicle parked on the curb, someone was watching them. Cassie was being observed, and not for the first time.

  Ryder nearly choked on his Coke. “What do you mean I can’t bring any girls to the party? I dang sure ain’t bringing a dude.” He shuddered at the image now clogging his brain.

  Allie smiled sickeningly sweet, so much so that Ryder wanted to wipe it off of her face. “I invited Cassie and I do not want you throwing some chick in her face.” She turned and left the room.

  Ryder watched Allie leave. He looked at Jared who just shrugged his shoulders. “Hey, I’m not gonna argue with that.” He too left the room.

  Ryder moved to stand in front of the window unit. The cold air blowing on his back felt wonderful in this blistering hot house. He’d have to go out and buy his friend a central unit. These little window coolers did zero to cool down the house.

  How they lived here was beyond him. To him it made absolutely no sense to live in a house that had a large pool and a pool house but no central air inside the main house. Why have the luxury items outside if you didn’t have them inside?

  If he’d known how ridiculously hot it would be in this house he would have never asked to stay here while he was in town. He brought his ice cold Coke can to his forehead. The coolness helped lower his temperature, just a smidge.

  He sat on the arm of the sofa, the cool air blowing in his face, reflecting on tonight’s discussion. First of all, he wasn’t sure how he felt about being bossed around like a child. He was a grown man and those two had no right to treat him this way, they were all the same age for crying out loud. That behavior would wear on his nerves quick.

  He made a mental note to talk to them later about all of that. Right now he had more exciting things to think about. His friends were having a party Friday night. He’d get to see a few people he hadn’t seen since high school.

  The one thing that brought a wicked smile to his face was Cassie. She was going to be here Friday evening. He couldn’t wait.

  He thought about Allie’s demand. No problem. If Cassie was going to be here then he didn’t want any other girl to keep him company anyway. In fact, since he’d been back, Cassie was the only girl entertaining his thoughts.

  Sure he was still attracted to pretty women but the more he saw Cassie, the more he thought of her, and the more he found his interest in those other women diminishing. He didn’t want a random woman in his arms. He wanted Cassie.

  She was his drug of choice. He’d do whatever he had to do just to get her back in his arms again. Her eyes alone beckoned him like a siren song. Having a relationship would prove to be difficult with his profession but if she was willing, they could enjoy one another while he was here in town.

  Friday night rolled around and Cassie was more nervous than ever, which was ridiculous considering she was a grown woman. She shouldn’t be nervous about going to a party that Ryder would be at. She checked herself over in the mirror one more time before heading out the door.

  She contemplated turning around several times before reaching Jared and Allie’s home. She pulled into the driveway. There were a couple of people there already, the music was loud enough for a party but not too noisy to bother the neighbors.

  She drummed her fingertips on the steering wheel. If she left now she could rent a movie, pop some popcorn, and curl up on the sofa. A tap on her window startled her out of her thoughts.

  Ryder waved and pointed to the lock. Instead of unlocking her door she rolled down the window. The hot summer air hit her in the face causing her to take in a quick breath. The terrible thing about living in Texas during the summer was the evening temperatures were just as hot and muggy as the daytime temperatures, there was no respite.

  “What do you want, Ryder?” She wasn’t in the mood for his charms.

  “I just thought I’d escort you inside.” Once again he pointed to the lock. “But you will have to unlock the car door first.”

  If she put the car in reverse she might even have a chance to run over his foot on her way out. Her foot hovered over the brake, her hand on the shift handle. She needed to get away, to protect her heart. Light flooded the yard as Allie opened the front door.

  One look at her friend and Cassie knew she couldn’t leave. Her friend waved frantically, she was excited to have her here. “Fine.” She rolled up the window and unlocked the car door.

  Ryder opened her door and held out his hand. Ignoring his outstretched hand, she stepped out of the car. He shut the door and she locked it. “I’m glad you came. I’d like to talk to you some more.”

  “Not interested.” She picked up speed. She embraced Allie in a hug and informed her that she would have to leave early. Allie knew that Cassie used her editing deadlines as a way to avoid spending too much time in the same house as Ryder.

  Allie hoped that the two of them would just sit down and talk. Neither of them may know it but they were meant to be, their names were written in the stars. She knew this back when they were in high school, which was why she pushed them together way back then.

  They were created to complete the other. Some people called it soul mates. Whatever the case, those two were destined for one another. If they needed a little help along the way then she’d be more than happy to push them in the right direction. Again.

  “Ryder, why don’t you get Cassie some punch?” Allie shooed him away with a wave of her hand.

  Cassie leaned her head on her friend’s shoulder. “I’m not sure this is a good idea. You know what I went through the first time.”

  “Yes, I remember. This time though, you’re both older. Things will be okay. You’ll see.” Allie ushered her in the house and shut the door behind them.

  Other than Jared and Allie there were two other couples there. The DJ switched tracks and played Come Over, her favorite country song.

  Allie grabbed her by the hand, dragging her to the center of the room. “Dance with me.”

  Ryder cam
e back into the room in time to see Cassie and Allie singing and swaying to the music. That was the sexiest thing he had ever seen. He didn’t like country music but he could grow to love this song, especially when Cassie was singing along to it.

  He leaned against the wall, watching. The lyrics were great and spoke just how he felt. He wondered if Cassie would warm his bed again. He still loved her but his life didn’t allow room for a real relationship.

  The song ended and he approached her with a cup in hand. “I didn’t know you could sing so well.”

  “I can’t.” She sipped the punch. Good, no alcohol. “Thanks,” she said raising her cup. “This is good.”

  “You bet.” A slow song came on and he asked, “May I?”

  Cassie knew that accepting a dance with him was dangerous. She shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “Why?” he asked, reaching out to caress her arm. “Aren’t we both adults?”

  “We are.” His touch caused goose bumps to break out on her arms. She couldn’t fathom how she could be so torn where he was concerned. But as much as she wanted to save herself, he was slowly chipping away at that stone wall she had around her heart.

  Unable to stop herself she nodded. His hands firmly gripped her waist, gently pulling her flush up against him. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, her cup dangling from her fingertips.

  His breath against her neck sent shivers down her spine. She closed her eyes, letting the music lead her. Soon they moved in synch with one another, their bodies swaying to the music. That one moment was all it took for the world around them to get lost, for time to stop.

  Everything and everyone around them could no longer be seen or heard. Here in this moment it was just the two of them and the music. The music was the hypnotic thread that held them in their own little universe.

  She was so lost in her dance with Ryder that she never noticed when Allie gently pried the cup from her hand. She could no longer fight this attraction. Being here like this felt so right. This moment with Ryder and these butterflies fluttering in her stomach, it reminded her of a time when she was truly happy.

  Ryder leaned his head forward, touching his forehead to hers. Every alarm in her head rang loudly, warning her that the wall around her heart was on the verge of crumbling to the ground.

  His hazel eyes penetrated hers. All the love she harbored for him resurfaced, overriding the alarm bells that rang in the forefront of her mind. He was the only guy for her. Maybe giving him a chance wouldn’t be such a bad thing.

  The music changed. He grinned at her when I’ll Make Love To You played over the speakers. It was a song that he used to play for her, especially when they were about to make love. They continued to sway to the music even as he backed them out of the room and down the hallway.

  His hands caressed her lower back, then her arms until they made their way to her face. With a hand on either side of her face he leaned forward, tenderly pressing his lips to hers. His soft smooth lips were heaven, lighting her insides on fire.

  She melted into his kiss. Yes, she had most definitely missed this. He guided her into his bedroom, kicking the door closed behind him. The moonlight shone through the window providing enough light to see. He toed off his shoes, lifted her off her feet, and carried her to the bed.

  He unfastened the button of her jean shorts followed by the zipper. Sliding his hand along the flat of her stomach he lightly caressed her navel. He loved the way she shivered and broke out in goose bumps at his touch.

  He stopped when he felt the change in her skin. He glanced down but didn’t notice anything. The moonlight wasn’t bright enough to see the imperfection that he assumed was a tiny scar on her abdomen. The instant he ran his finger along the scar she bolted up off the bed, fastening her shorts. “I need to leave. We’ll talk later. I promise.”

  He sat up, stunned. What the heck just happened? Surely she wasn’t embarrassed over a silly little scar. He wouldn’t look at her differently just because she had an imperfection right below her navel.

  “You’re going to have to tell him sooner or later.” Allie added more lotion to her legs before reclining on her beach towel. They were a long way from the beach but the local pool was just as good as the beach when it came to sun tanning.

  “I know.” Cassie rolled onto her back. “I’m just scared.”

  “Well, honey, you need to let go of that fear.” She gave Cassie a sideways glance. “He’s bound to find out and the last thing you want is for him to find out from someone else.”

  Cassie thought about that for a minute. Allie was right. He would find out soon and it should come from her. She just couldn’t get over the fear of him hating her, and she knew that he would when he learned the truth.

  “I know that. I just don’t want him to hate me.” She blew hair out of her face.

  “I doubt very much that he’d hate you. He might be ticked off at you but that would eventually blow over.”

  “I promise to tell him soon. I just need to build up the courage.” Cassie adjusted her sunglasses. “On a happy note, he called me last night and we had a nice long chat.”

  “Yeah, I know. My walls are thin, remember?” Allie giggled. “It reminded me of high school all over again listening to you guys talk on the phone until all hours of the night.”

  “It was nice. I apologized for taking off like a bat out of hell. Poor guy had no clue what he’d done. I had to reassure him that he didn’t do anything wrong, I just wasn’t ready to move forward so quickly.”

  “Good. I’m glad that the two of you are finally talking.”

  Her cell phone rang. Cassie picked up the device. It was an out of state number. “Hello?”

  “Hey Cass.” That deep throaty voice brought a smile to her face.

  “Ryder?”

  “Yeah, where are you on this beautiful Saturday afternoon?” In the background a keyboard and bass could be heard. “Forgive the noise I’m walking out of the studio.”

  Her smile faded. If he was in the studio already then he must be preparing his next album and that would mean his time here was limited. “I’m at the pool on Hunter’s Parkway.”

  “It will take me at least thirty-five minutes to get there.” A car door shut. “Will you still be there?”

  “Yeah, we plan on going for swim after our tan anyway.” She put her pointer finger to her lips when Allie gave her a very confused look.

  “Great. I’ll see you soon.”

  Cassie’s grin lit up her face. “See you soon.” She ended the call and laid the cell phone next to her on the towel.

  Allie sat straight up. “We plan on going for a swim after we tan? Have you lost your mind? I thought we were going to catch a movie afterwards?” The three questions came out in one breath and Cassie wondered how she said so many words without gasping for air.

  She shrugged her shoulders. “It was Ryder. What can I say?”

  “Oh, well in that case,” Allie said, “maybe I should call Jared to come pick me up. He can take me to the movies while you play catch up with the boy toy.” She had been hoping and praying for these two to realize they belonged together, for eight long years she hoped and prayed.

  Cassie raised one eyebrow. She wouldn’t mind some alone time with Ryder. After last night he was the only thing occupying her mind. Secretly she hoped that he would remember just how much they loved each other before he left Texas to tour the world.

  If he remembered the love they shared then maybe he’d decide to stay. Committing to her wouldn’t mean the end of his career. They would simply have to learn how to work around his music.

  The alarm on her phone went off, signaling that it was time to turn over. She rolled over onto her stomach. She couldn’t wait until her time was up. She wanted to have a nice summer tan but this heat was taking her breath away.

  “I’m glad you finally quit avoiding him.” Allie rolled over. “Now you two can kiss and make up. Maybe you’ll even get married in the very nea
r future.”

  “Whoa.” Cassie shifted so she could see her friend. “Nobody is talking about marriage. We just started talking after these last several years of absence. Besides, he was just leaving the studio when he called.” She bit the inside of her cheek to keep her emotions in check. “You know what that means.”

  Allie’s face fell, just for a brief moment. “Hey, that’s who he is. The two of you can work around something as simple as music.”

  “I hope so.” That had been her dream since she started dating Ryder back in high school. Back then he played in a garage band with a couple of friends. Later that garage band played in late night cafés and anywhere else teenage boys could get in to play.

  She used to dream of the day she became the wife of a rock star. Only she pictured him playing locally. What a silly dream that was. None of it went as she had dreamed it would.

  A shadow fell over her. She opened her eyes. A pair of black combat style chained boots stood just inches from her face. She looked up and saw Ryder, his hands behind his back. “That was fast, I just got off the phone with you a few minutes ago.”

  His expression was one of amusement. “It’s been longer than that.”

  She turned her head to the side. Allie could confirm that it hadn’t been more than five minutes. Except Allie wasn’t there, her towel and cell phone were missing too. Cassie picked up her phone. Thirty minutes had passed since she’d turned on her stomach, thirty-five since she’d talked to Ryder.

  She buried her face in her towel. She must have fallen asleep. “I didn’t snore did I?” She was too afraid to look up.

  “Oh yeah, it was like a freight train. You had these poor kids screaming for help because they thought you were some kind of monster that was going to eat them all.” He laughed so hard his belly shook.

  Cassie picked up her bottle of sun tan lotion and threw it at his chest. “Ha ha, you’re so funny.” She stood, wrapping the towel around her. “Let me change and we can leave if you want.” It was then that she noticed his hands had not moved from behind his back. “What’re you hiding?”