by Casey Peeler
“Regina and I got it. You two go have fun. Now shoo!”
He turns to me, “You ready for some fun?”
“Hell yeah.” I can’t wait to put New York behind me.
Chapter 2
Cadence
“Ms. Mae, I’ll have her back by four,” Barrick says as he takes my hand and pulls me toward the truck.
“Bye, Gran,” I say with a wave.
“You kids have fun. We’ll see you at four.”
Barrick helps me into his truck and once he’s seated, he takes his phone out and sends a text.
“What are we doing?” I ask him when I see the big smile on his face.
“It’s a secret,” he says with a wink.
Within a few minutes, I realize that we are going toward his house and suddenly I can’t wait to see Jade. When we pull in the driveway, she comes running out of the house.
“You scared me to death!” she says as she gives me a hug that almost breaks my ribcage. “Everything okay?”
“I’m fine. I promise I’ll fill you in later but right now I just want to have fun,” I say as I turn to see Aaron pull up with something in the back of his truck.
“Well, if you’re ready for some fun, Aaron just brought it!” Jade squeals as Aaron gets out of his truck.
“Um, what are those?” I question as Barrick helps Aaron unload the truck.
“How many months have you been here?” Jade asks. “It’s a four-wheeler. Get ready to get some mud on those boots.” She laughs and I look at Barrick with horror.
“Come on,” he says as he pulls me to the barn, where his four-wheeler is parked. “I promise you’ll have fun.”
“Okay, but before we get started you better swear that you won’t accidently make my ass fall in the mud like you did that pile of shit,” I say with a smile.
Holding three fingers up, he says, “Boy scout’s honor. Now come on.”
Barrack climbs on first and instructs me to climb on the seat right behind him. Oh, good, because sitting on the metal rack on the back could have caused some serious damage to my future.
He glances over his shoulder. “You ready?” I nod with a smile and hold on tight.
For the next two hours, we ride through the fields to the woods, and then across the creek to places I never knew existed. I’ve laughed, smiled, and kept my arms wrapped around this amazing guy who has made my ugly memories of New York fade into the mud we’ve splashed through. As their house comes into view, sadness consumes me because I fear the bad memories will return the moment I let him go.
Barrick
Having Cadence’s arms around me filled me with warmth and happiness, but when she would squeeze me tighter over the bumps, it was beyond perfection. I knew I was the reason for her happiness and I didn’t want the moment to end. As she climbed off the four-wheeler, I felt the cold return but I knew we could still look forward to being in each other’s arms again tonight.
After we park the four-wheelers, Aaron and Jade walk toward his truck and I pull Cadence in for a hug and a kiss. “I can’t watch those two lock lips so I’d rather lock lips with you.” She starts to laugh as I lead her to my truck so I can get her home by four as promised.
“Hey, hold up a second,” she says as we arrive at Ms. Mae’s. “I have something in the house for Jade.” Cadence quickly runs in the house and hurries back to my truck with bags in her hands.
“Give these to your sister,” she says and I am shocked when I glance in the bag.
“Where’s mine?” I ask. When she sees my pout, her face falls. “I’m just kidding. I didn’t expect you to get me anything.”
“No really, I tried. I looked but there wasn’t anything that screamed Barrick.”
“I tell you what, I can take you to a place that screams Barrick and you might be surprised to even find something for yourself,” I assure her.
“Doubtful on my part,” she says with a grimace. “I’ll see you in a little bit.” She winks and sways her hips as she walks into the house.
Chapter 3
Cadence
“Well, how was it?” Gran startles me as I walk in the door.
“Did you know where we were going?”
“Heck yeah! Nothing like a little four-wheeling,” she says, vrooming around the room like she’s driving one.
“Gran! Seriously?” I laugh and roll my eyes as I walk to my room. Closing the door, I take a few minutes to just breathe and take in the wonderful day I’m having. I then take the apricot, chiffon dress out of my suitcase and smile knowing that when I picked it out, it would be perfect for tonight - simple yet elegant.
I hang the dress in the bathroom to remove the wrinkles while I shower. As I look at myself in the mirror, I’m shocked to see the girl looking back at me. Her hair is wild, there are flecks of mud on her cheeks, but there is a sparkle in her eye that I’ve never seen before. I see a girl who is no longer falling and is ready to fly.
I take my time to make sure that my makeup and hair are perfect. I curl my long blonde locks before pinning my hair in place. As I slide on my dress, I marvel at how close it fits at the bust but then flows down my body and stops at the top of my thigh, leaving my legs fully exposed. I slide on my nude, high-heeled sandals as I stand in front of the mirror and realize I need a touch of bling.
I rummage for the perfect piece of jewelry, but there’s nothing that fits what I want for tonight. I call for Mom and when she enters my room, she stops.
“You look stunning, Cadence. Everything okay?”
“Yeah, but I need some sparkle and I don’t have anything that works with this dress. Do you have earrings and a bracelet that would work?” She smiles and after a quick trip to her bedroom, she returns with the perfect set. Glancing at the pearl and diamond droplets, I’m in love.
“Do you like this set?” she asks.
“I love it! It’s just enough bling,” I state, as she helps me put it on.
At exactly seven o’clock, Barrick knocks on the door. I take a deep breath as my stomach begins to turn summersaults. Why am I so nervous? I wait for Mom to acknowledge that he’s here, then take one last glance in my full-length mirror and walk toward the foyer. My breath hitches when I find him standing there in a pair of dark denim jeans and a button up that fits him perfectly. I notice he isn’t wearing a hat and his hair has been perfectly styled.
“You look amazing, Cadence,” he says with a smile as I meet him in the foyer.
“Thanks,” I say as he takes my hand in his.
“Hold on, we need a picture,” Gran says excitedly and I can’t help but laugh when I think of the last time we took a picture and flipped off Dad.
“Only if you take it with us,” I say.
“Of course. Regina, you take it!” Gran says as she stands between us. Barrick smiles at me as Gran grins from ear to ear for the picture. When she’s done, Mom tells the two of us to stay put for another picture. Barrick takes his arm and places it on my lower back as I place my hand on his chest. Mom counts to three, and we smile at the camera. Once we’re finished with the pictures, Mom and Gran give me a hug before I leave.
Barrick helps me into the truck with a smile and then we make our way to The Loft. When we arrive, he ushers me inside with his hand on the small of my back. Jade and Aaron are already seated at a table and Jade stands as she sees us approaching.
“You didn’t have to buy those jeans, but I do love them!” she squeals.
“I was shocked when I saw them, but I couldn’t resist because I knew they had your name written all over them. Merry Christmas.”
Once Barrick and I are seated, he gently lays his hand on mine. I can’t believe how far we’ve come in such a short time. It seems like we were just pulling pranks on each other and now he’s here, holding my hand, making me feel like a totally different person. I can’t even put into words what we are right now but I think I’m going to enjoy figuring it out.
I can’t believe how I wanted to push him and Jade away when a
ll they wanted to do was help me fit in. Jade is the sweetest girl and has been there for me since I arrived at school. I’m so happy to have her as my dance partner. I smile sweetly as I take everything in, but then I notice the change in Jade’s mood as her focus moves from us to the front door. I look to see that Maddie just walked in. Great.
I begin to say something to Jade, but Barrick beats me to it.
“Jade, she doesn’t matter,” he states.
“I know, but I don’t want her to ruin our night,” she replies.
“Oh, there’s no way she’s going to ruin anything. I can promise you that. Barrick and I have the two most beautiful girls in this place. No one’s lookin’ her way. They’re all lookin’ at us,” Aaron says to her as he kisses her temple, and Barrick squeezes my hand.
We take our time and eat as more people arrive. After dinner, we mingle until the place is packed and the band begins to play. As the first few notes are played, I cringe at the thought of line dancing and watching other people attempt to dance. I see the look on Jade’s face and know what is about to happen. I take a deep breath as she pulls me from Barrick and onto the dance floor.
I have no idea what I’m doing, so I watch for one eight count and join in. It’s ridiculous how simple all of these dances are, and when I wink at Barrick he’s smiling from ear to ear. I decide to give him a little bit of a show and sway my hips seductively when we get to that part. When the next song plays, I watch the count and join in again. Jade and I are having an amazing time but after the song ends, we head back to the guys who are smiling like crazy.
Barrick
Damn, I am one lucky guy. Watching Cadence sway her hips in that short dress is driving me crazy. She sure knows how to put on a show. After everything that happened yesterday I wasn’t sure what to expect, but seeing her dance and laugh with Jade makes me happy. I just hope this isn’t the calm before another storm.
I wrap my arms around Cadence’s waist once she reaches me. “I thought you hated country music,” I whisper to her.
She smiles. “I definitely don’t like it, but with Jade, I couldn’t resist.”
“Are you sure it was for Jade?” I smirk.
She just shrugs and we talk until the band takes a break. When the DJ plays a non-traditional country song, Cadence gives me a look. “Is this country? It doesn’t sound like it.”
“Yeah. Do you like it?” I ask her.
“It makes me wanna do this,” she says as she rolls her body in one fluid motion.
Hot-oh-mighty. Without saying anything, I take her by the hand and lead her to the dance floor. She shakes her head no, but I won’t let her escape. I look directly into her eyes and she gives in. We begin to move together and I realize we are the only ones on the dance floor. For the first time in my life, I’m thankful Jade always teaches me the newest dance moves because right now it’s paying off big time. As the song continues, I’m aware that others have joined us, but all I see is Cadence. When the song ends, I pull her in close to me. “You’re amazing,” I say to her as she tries to avoid looking me in the eyes. I lift her chin so her eyes meet mine. “You. Are. Amazing,” I say once more and just as I’m about to kiss her, I hear the downbeat of the drums and she jumps. “You want to take a break from this for a minute?” I ask, knowing we have a few minutes before midnight.
“This” —she gestures between us—“no, this country music, hell yes!” Without another word, I take her by her hand and lead her to the side door of The Loft. As I push the door open, the cool winter air envelops us. We pause at the railing and I wrap my arms around her to keep her warm as we look up at the clear night sky.
Chapter 4
Cadence
Chills run through me and it’s not just from the cool air. I’ve gone from despising Barrick to being unable to breathe when he’s near me. The one thing I’m certain of is that I don’t want to share him with anyone else.
As I stand gazing at the stars, wrapped in his arms, I finally feel at peace. We don’t say a word until we hear the lead singer announce that it’s five minutes until midnight.
“Come on, let’s go back inside,” he says as I feel my clutch begin to vibrate. I quickly unfasten the clap and check my text. Dad. I pause to read the message and Barrick looks at me with confusion.
Dad: Cade, I hope you made it home okay. I’m sorry I haven’t called, but I couldn’t let this year end without telling you how sorry I am for how things ended here but no matter what happens, I will always love you.
“It was a text from my dad,” I state while putting my phone away. I have no intentions of replying.
“What did he say?” Barrick questions.
“Just trying to make himself feel better and wondering if I made it home okay. Let’s just go in and not let this ruin an amazing night,” I say, trying to move on from this subject.
“I think you should tell him you’re okay. It’s the right thing to do.” Taking a deep breath, I know he’s right and take out my phone.
Me: I’m home and fine.
Sliding my phone back into my purse, I walk back into The Loft with Barrick to find Jade and Aaron as the crowd begins the countdown.
Ten…Barrick wraps me in his arms…Nine…I look up at Barrick…Eight…Barrick looks into my eyes…Seven…Six…Five…Four…Three…We count down with the crowd…Two…Barrick pulls me in close…One…The crowd erupts around us but we haven’t moved. I can’t look away.
“Happy New Year, Barrick Carpenter,” I say as he smiles before giving me a sweet kiss on my lips.
“Happy New Year, Cadence Lewis. I know it’s gonna be one of the best,” he says confidently. “You wanna get out of here?”
“Yes,” I say. There’s nothing I want more than time with Barrick as the text from my dad weighs on my mind.
Barrick
As we leave The Loft, I know exactly where I’m taking her – the same spot we visited last night. I only wish that I were the only thing on her mind. Seeing the look on Cadence’s face when she got the text from her dad just about did me in. She was having such a good time and then one text almost ruined our night. I was surprised she didn’t run away like she usually does. I hope I’m having a positive effect on her. I lace my fingers with hers as I drive and she glances over at me.
“Where are we going?” she asks.
“Oh, just to a little place I thought you might like,” I say quietly, as I turn onto the dirt road.
“Barrick Carpenter, is this our spot?”
“If you want it to be.”
I park the truck and tell Cadence to wait while I grab a blanket and my jacket from the extended cab. Once I have the tailgate down and the blanket laid out I walk around to the passenger side and help Cadence out. I lead her to the back and place my hands on her waist to lift her up onto the tailgate.
“Here’s another blanket in case you’re cold,” I say as I take a seat next to her.
“Did you know you were going to bring me out here tonight?” she asks with a slight grin.
“Maybe,” I say as I nudge her shoulder and the sweetest laugh escapes.
I take her hand as we lie back on the blanket and stare at the stars while we take in the peacefulness around us.
Cadence speaks up. “You know how everyone makes a New Year’s resolution?” I nod in agreement. “Well, I don’t want to make a resolution because I never follow through with them. I want a genie to grant me a wish instead.”
“I don’t know a genie, but I know the next best thing,” I say as I look into the perfect Southern sky and see a shooting star.
“Oh, my gosh, was that a shooting star?” she asks.
“Yep! Ever wished on one?” She shakes her head no. I guess it’s hard to see a shooting star in the city with all the street lamps. “Now might be a good time.”
She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath and then opens them again. Just then, the big man upstairs sends her a shooting star.
“Cadence, that one was for you. Make your wish,�
�� I say as I point to the sky.” She closes her eyes again and I can tell she’s making a big wish. Once she’s done, I wrap my arm around her shoulder and she snuggles into my side.
“That looked like a big wish.”
“It was. I wish that my dad put me first. I wish that my mom and I were important to him. But most of all, I want him to be here for me. I don’t want his money or gifts. I just want him. My mom has always been there and I know she’ll never leave me, but he’s always put work before us. When he would actually spend time with me, it was always too short and now I don’t even get a phone call. Just a text when he has time. And now… now he’s moving to Sweden with her and… and… they’re going to have a… a… baby. I’ll never see him.”
Cadence breaks down and starts crying on my shoulder. I can’t believe this man, who barely has time for his grown daughter, is going to be any kind of father to this baby. I know more than ever that I want to be the one that is here for her.
I wipe away her tears as I continue to hold her in my arms. Then I cup her cheek as she opens her eyes and looks at me. I slowly guide her perfectly plump lips to mine and she doesn’t pull away. Our lips fall in tune and we let them express everything our hearts are feeling.
Chapter 5
Cadence
As Barrick’s lips leave mine, I want to pull him back to me and stay in this moment forever. Instead, he wraps his arms around me, kisses my temple and turns us so we are looking up at the sky again. As he runs his fingers through my hair, I stare up at the stars and realize that being in this spot with Barrick is like a little piece of Heaven. I lean into him and pray my wishes come true.
I’m not sure if minutes or hours have passed, but I’m suddenly cold when Barrick shifts to sit up. “I probably should get you home.”
“I’m sure Gran and Mom won’t mind,” I reply.
“Maybe so, but Cadence there’s one thing you need to know…” As he pauses, my heart stops. “In the South, there’s a thing called respect. I not only respect Ms. Mae and your mom, but I respect you. As much as I don’t want to take you home, I know I should. It’s not like I won’t see you bright and early in the morning,” he says with a small laugh. Ugh! I hate getting up early.
