by Casey Peeler
“Cadence, sometimes life throws us a curveball so we slow down and take a step away from the plate. It helps us see what we are really meant to do. Take a little bit of time for yourself and focus on what you want right now.”
Gran doesn’t say anything else. Instead we rock on the swing quietly until Mom barges through the screen door.
“Cadence, there you are! Can we talk a minute?” she asks as Gran stands. Can we talk inside? As if Mom just read my mind, she smiles at me and says, “Let’s go in.” I stand and follow her to the living room. As Mom fidgets while trying to find the right words to say, I help her.
“Mom, it’s okay. I want you to be happy.”
“Aw, Cade, thank you. I was so worried about how you would feel.”
I take a deep breath. “It’s weird, but you deserve to be happy. I know it’s not going to be with Dad. He’s an asshole.”
“Cadence!” she scolds.
“What? It’s the truth.”
“Regardless, he’s your father, and you have to forgive him.”
“Hate to break it to you but it’s not going to be today,” I say, looking at the time.
“Just try. That’s all I’m asking.”
I shrug my shoulders, and can’t resist making a comment as I stand. “Mom?”
“Yes?”
“Good girls are home by midnight. Remember that.” I wink as I walk toward my room and she lets out a giggle.
Barrick
Jade is doing anything and everything in her power to torture me while I wait to pick up Cadence for our date.
“Barrick! Come watch PLL with me!” she hollers as I close my bedroom door from getting a shower.
“No! I just got out of the shower,” I yell back.
“Please!” I don’t know why I argue with her, it’s a never-ending battle.
“I’ve got to get ready.” I hurry and throw on some clothes because I know her… three… two… one… she swings my door open without knocking. “Knock much?”
“Oh please! Ain’t nothin’ I ain’t seen before,” she says as she makes a joke about the size of my man parts.
“Shut up!” I say as I throw my towel at her.
“Bare! It’s on,” she says as she throws it back at me and I laugh at her attempt to be tough.
“That’s not funny. Seriously, I need you to come watch PLL.”
“You don’t need me to watch anything. You want to torture me to death with that ‘A’ mess. I don’t care who it is. I’ve got a date.”
She pauses. “So everything’s good between you two?” she questions and changes her demeanor to nosy sister. I nod my head yes and try to ignore her. “For real?”
“Yup,” I say, but then wonder if she can give me insight. “I’ve got a question.” She gives me her full attention. “When something’s bothering you, what do you do?”
“Dance,” she states.
“What about when you’re sad?”
“Dance.”
“Happy?”
“Dance.”
So you mean to tell me no matter what you are feeling you dance?”
“You got it. It’s the only way I can truly express myself without someone getting in my head. Why?” she questions as she takes a seat on my bed.
“Something’s going on with Cadence.” She starts to laugh. “What’s so funny?”
“Cadence always has something going on. Don’t you remember when you first met her?” I nod my head. “She’s got a lot going on. We all do. She handles it how she knows best. I’m sure she’ll be okay. Not to mention, with practice starting up she’ll have plenty of time to work through whatever is going on.”
“What would you think if Aaron interrupted your time dancing?” She stops and her mouth falls open.
“Like as in takes up all of my time? We’re so not like that! I can’t even believe you’d say that. I mean I like him and all, but no, I wouldn’t want him to come between me and dance.”
I shake my head; she’s such a girl. “No I meant like if he actually interrupted you while you were dancing. Would that piss you off?”
Jade’s eyes bug out of her head. “What did you do?”
“Well…”
“Spill it,” she says with her arms crossed.
“Cadence kinda drifted off at lunch today and I could tell she had a lot of her mind. So when I was finished with my chores I saw her dancing out back. She was so intense and looked like you do when you’re pissed. When she paused between songs… I kinda danced with her.”
“Like intense dancin’ or twerkin’?”
“Lord no! The next song was slow and not country.”
Jade stands and puts her hand on her heart and fake cries. “Why Bare, I’m so proud of you. You’ve turned into such a charmer.”
“Nevermind,” I say as I turn to give her the clue to get out.
“Bare, seriously, that’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. I don’t know where you got that one from, but I bet that just stole her heart.”
“Thanks, I just didn’t want her to think I was crazy. Now can you get out? I’ve got to get ready for my date.”
At exactly six, I arrive at Cadence’s and make my way to the door. Cadence answers as I begin to knock.
“You ready?” she asks.
“Sure,” I say as I take her hand in mine. I use the other to wave to Ms. Mae and Regina, who is decked out for her date. No wonder she’s ready to go.
“You hungry?” I ask her.
“Yes. Please tell me we’re eating more than popcorn.”
“I’ll take you somewhere good, as long as you don’t eat a salad,” I say with a smile.
“You’re on,” she says as she kisses my cheek and steps into the truck. I’m so relieved she doesn’t seem upset that I danced with her this afternoon.
Arriving at the steak house in Hickory, Cadence makes a face. “I promise we don’t supply the cows,” I say with a laugh and she punches me in the arm.
I hurry to open her door, she slides out and we make our way inside. We take a table near the back, where the lights are dim. It’s perfect. I pull Cadence’s chair out for her and slightly slide it in as she sits before taking my own. We place our order and I’m surprised when she orders a filet. The South might be rubbing off on her after all.
As we eat and talk, I’m oblivious to everyone in the room but her. Her smile radiates the room and I can’t get enough of her. I try to keep the conversation upbeat and off her family. When the server brings the check, I notice her staring at the door. I glance over my shoulder and see Regina and Hamilton. Crap.
“Hey, no worries,” I say to her as I take her hand.
“I wish I didn’t have any. I guess that star didn’t work,” she says as she lets go of my hand and looks down at her lap.
“You wanted your dad back but you also wanted everyone to be happy, right?”
“Yes, but…”
“Maybe this is what is supposed to happen. Maybe your mom can be happy and you can find a way to see your dad.” She goes from sad to pissed off in two seconds.
“Are you taking her side? I mean, why him? He’s so not her type,” she says with a ton of attitude.
Trying my best not to put my foot in my mouth, I take a second to gather my thoughts. “Cadence, I’m sorry. I’m not sure what your mom’s type is, but Hamilton’s a good guy.” She stares at me, waiting for more. “His first wife left him for some doctor in Charlotte. He’s been hurt before too.”
“How do you know this?”
“Small town. Everyone knows everything,” I say as I take my wallet out to pay the bill. “Plus, he and my dad are best friends and I overheard most of a conversation one afternoon when he was at my house. Just give it a chance,” I say, praying she doesn’t throw something at me.
She sits there quietly and as she’s about to speak, Regina walks to the table.
“Hey guys! Thought you were going to the movies,” she says.
“We are, but we needed a bite to
eat first,” Cadence says.
As Hamilton approaches, I see Cadence tense, “Hey Barrick, how are you?” Hamilton says to me.
“Good. Hope you are as well,” I say as Regina interrupts our conversation.
“Hamilton, this is my daughter, Cadence,” she says as Cadence puts a smile on her face and stands to greet him.
“Nice to meet you,” she says, shaking his hand.
“Nice to meet you too,” Hamilton says.
“Well, I just wanted to introduce you. I’ll see you at home, Cade,” she says as she gives Cadence a hug. If Cadence isn’t happy, she’s put up one hell of a front.
As they walk toward the bar, I notice Cadence has tears in her eyes. “Cade, talk to me, it’s okay, you can tell me how you really feel about all this.”
“It’s all so fast. I understand Hamilton’s been hurt too, but I wanted everything to go back to how it used to be in New York. It’s hard to change. I want my mom to be happy, but knowing that’s not my dad is hard to grasp even if my dad’s an asshole, ya know?”
“Change is hard, but remember that change is what makes life an incredible journey.”
“That’s a good point, but it doesn’t make it any easier,” she says as the server brings back our change.
“You ready?” I ask as I leave the tip. She nods and I place my hand on the small of her back and guide her toward the truck. “So what kind of movie would you like to see?”
“Something that will make me laugh my ass off.” I glance at her backside and she catches me.
“I’d hate for you to lose that,” I say, and she pulls me in for a kiss.
We steal glances at each other on the way to the theater. Luckily for Cadence, there’s a new comedy playing. We order popcorn and share a drink. Cadence snuggles up under my arm and we laugh and enjoy the movie together. I could get used to having her this close.
When we get back to the farm, Regina and Hamilton are at the edge of the drive. I don’t want her to get upset again so I look at the clock to see if I have time to take her somewhere while they say goodbye. And, if I’m being honest, I really don’t want to let her go.
“You wanna get outta here?” I question.
“Nah, let’s go check on Daisy.” What did she say?
“Where is Cadence and what have you done with her?” I ask with a smile.
“Look, I don’t want to see that and we don’t have much time, so we can go talk to Daisy. She gets me,” she says with a wink.
I park the truck at the barn and we make our way toward the fence line. As if Daisy knows we’re here for her, she wanders over.
Cadence waits for her to approach and smiles as she reaches across the fence and rubs her ears. Daisy turns her head and licks her sleeve.
“Oh my gosh, Daisy I love you but this shirt cost a hundred dollars,” Cadence says as she squirms.
“You’re kidding right? Ms. Mae has a washing machine.” I wink as I stand behind her and wrap my arms around her. “It will be fine. Isn’t that right, Daisy?” She moves her head. “See, Daisy just said yes.”
“Well, I guess if Daisy says so, it will be fine.” We both chuckle and then stand in silence as Daisy moves back out into the field.
“Thank you, Cadence.”
“For what?” she asks, turning to face me.
“For letting me in.” She pauses and looks up at me. I think she’s about to say something but instead her lips collide with mine.
Chapter 8
Cadence
The date with Barrick was perfect. I’m still on cloud nine when I wake on Monday.
I feed the cows and check on Daisy before school. When I get there, Jade and I discuss our dance schedule for the next two months – it’s going to be killer. And we notice that Maddie is no longer bothering us, which is a big relief. We don’t need her crap on top of our dance schedule.
As we drive to the dance studio together after school, I tell Jade I’ve got a new idea for our duet. I even admit that Barrick may have helped me come up with it. She gives me a smirk and starts singing, “Cadence and Barrick sitting in a tree, d-a-n-c-i-n-g.” I know he told her. I’m going to get him for that one, but all I can do is smile at her.
Ms. Lyndsay greets us at the door. “Hey girls! How was break?” she asks in a bubbly voice.
“Mine was awesome!” Jade says.
“Cadence?” she questions.
“It was okay,” I say, not really wanting to elaborate.
“Okay? Come on now. You’ve got to have more than that?” I notice Jade looking at her and shaking her head. Oh why not just lay it out there.
“It pretty much sucked except for New Year’s Eve.”
“Cadence, I’m going to let that one slide but that’s not a word we use in this studio. I’m sorry it wasn’t what you hoped it would be. If you need to talk, I’m here for you.”
“I’m sorry Ms. Lyndsay, it really was bad but there is good news. I think I might have something new to add to our duet.” She looks at us both with confusion.
“Well then, I’m happy to hear there is some good news. I can’t wait to see it. You have five minutes before we get started.” We put our stuff away and I can’t wait to show her the new combination.
We have to condition and it’s brutal. I swear I don’t want to do another crunch, plank, or jumping jack. I forgot how not doing those types of exercises for a few days can hurt you.
By the end of practice, I’m ticked off that she didn’t let us work on our duet and I’m sure it’s obvious. She calls me over and informs me to drop the attitude and we will get to it later this week. I shake it off, grab my bag, and wait for Jade at the door.
“What’s the deal?” Jade says as we get in the car.
“What kind of practice was that? I could have done that at home,” I state.
“True, but would you?” she laughs. She has a point. I would not have.
The next few days all I do is visit Daisy, see Barrick in passing, go to school, and dance my ass off. I swear I should move to the studio. It would save so much time.
By the end of the week, we are finally working on cleaning up our routines and I show her what I choreographed. Ms. Lyndsay is impressed, but asks me to make a few changes. The biggest change is the music, and it throws me off.
“Alright girls, let’s try this song. Just follow the counts.” It’s nothing I’d dance to and I’m about to tell her but I keep my mouth shut when I look over at Jade, who is counting the beats. She gives me a look that tells me we got this and I’m amazed by how well it works. This is it. Ms. Lyndsay’s ideas are unique and that’s just what Jade and I need to stand out. I may have a newfound respect for her.
“Y’all like it?” she questions.
“I love it!” I say and Jade is beaming from ear to ear.
Barrick
Ms. Mae and I have been replacing the old milking lines all afternoon. I swear this woman never stops. As we finish up, she tells me to go and check on Daisy and the other cows.
When I finish and walk back into the barn, there’s an eerie silence. I survey the barn for Ms. Mae and my heart stops when I see her lying on the ground. Hurrying to her side, I take her in my arms and shake her. “Ms. Mae, are you okay? Ms. Mae?” She doesn’t respond. Please Lord, no! This can’t be happening. I grab my phone and call 911.
“Nine-one-one, what’s your emergency?”
“My boss is unconscious. I don’t know what happened. I just found her lying on the ground. She’s not responding.” After giving the operator the address, I lay Ms. Mae down and slide open the door and stay with her until I see headlights coming up the drive.
“Regina!” I yell from the barn, praying that she can hear me. When I don’t see her, I run to the door and yell as she’s about to enter the house. “Regina, come quick, it’s Ms. Mae!” She turns and sprints toward the barn.
“Mama! Don’t you do this to me!” she cries as she holds her mother in her arms. I take a step back and stand by the door to wa
tch for the ambulance. When the paramedics arrive, I tell them all that I know as they load Ms. Mae into the back. As Regina gets in the ambulance, she tells me to get Cadence and bring her to the hospital. Once they leave, I rush to the studio.
Cadence
Just as I’m about to say something, I see Barrick standing in the doorway. Ms. Lyndsay looks up and walks to the door.
“Barrick? Class isn’t over yet, is something wrong?”
Seeing the fear in his eyes, I know something is wrong and rush over to stand behind Ms. Lyndsay. “What’s wrong?” I ask him when I notice his eyes are glassy.
“It’s Ms. Mae.” Gran. My heart begins to break. “Ms. Lyndsay, I need to get Cadence to the hospital. Jade, take her stuff and I’ll call you once we get there,” he says with authority.
“Yes, of course,” Jade says.
“Cadence, I’ll say a prayer for your gran. Be careful,” Ms. Lyndsay says, but I barely register it as I rush out the door.
I run to the truck and hop in. Barrick is right behind me and peels out of the parking lot.
“Barrick, I need to know, is she dead?” I ask as tears form in my eyes. He shakes his head no. Thank the Lord! I take a deep breath. He starts to ramble. “Barrick, slow down so I can understand you.”
He takes a deep breath. “I went to check on the cows and when I came back, I found her on the ground. Cadence, she wasn’t moving. I don’t know what happened to her. When the paramedics came to get her, they didn’t say anything. They just loaded her in the ambulance and took off. Cadence, I’m so worried.” Barrick’s concern fills me with fear.
We park by the emergency room entrance and hurry inside. We don’t see Mom anywhere so Barrick quickly asks the lady at the desk where she might be. After making a phone call, she lets us know Mom will be right out. Within a minute, Mom comes through the door with a smile on her face.
Barrick looks at me and I look at Mom. “Mom, what’s going on?”
“She’s going to be okay. She tripped over something and knocked herself unconscious. She woke up halfway to the hospital and gave me hell about wasting money on an ambulance.”
As I start to giggle, I see Barrick turn and walk out the front door. I look at Mom and she motions for me to follow him. When I find him, he’s standing at the edge of the sidewalk completely still. I walk up to him and slide my arm around him. “Are you okay?” I question.
