“He’s very lucky.” Connor’s eyes roamed my face for a few seconds before speaking again. “I’m guessing you want me to put you down now.”
“I’d appreciate it if you would.”
He took a step away from the wall and set me on my feet. “I do like the tattoo, Cass. I like it a lot. I’m guessing you’ve been thinking a lot since Wednesday?” When I nodded he continued. “And you’re ready to start talking, am I right?”
I smiled. “I bought a plane ticket last night; I leave in four hours. I just had to come and see you first. I wanted to show you.”
“I’m glad you did. Not glad you’re leaving though.”
“You’re an amazing guy, Connor, thank you for everything.” I leaned up on my tiptoes and kissed the corner of his mouth.
“I’d ask if I could take you to the airport, and I will if you want me to, but right now I’m going to be blunt and tell you I’m struggling with what I want and what I know you need. You already know I think you’re beautiful, but you come in wearing this, and that tattoo? Christ, Cassidy. I’ve never seen your smile this bright, and God, it’s sexy. So unless you’re ready for me to kiss you again, it would be best if I didn’t take you.”
“Then you probably shouldn’t take me,” I said with a small smile. “In a weird way, you arguing with me and letting me cry into your chest outside the coffee shop helped me more than Tyler or Gage has ever been able to. And you’re not the only one, you know. I’ll cherish these days I’ve had with you, I’ll never forget you, and I’ll always be grateful.”
“Cassidy.”
“Yeah?”
“Go, or I’m pushing you back up against the wall and this time I’m not letting you leave.” He smiled crookedly at me as his hand came to my waist.
I sidestepped toward the door. “Good-bye, Connor.”
“Bye, Cass.”
“CASSIDY, WHAT THE hell?” Jesse whispered as he stepped onto the porch and shut the door behind him. “You’ve been gone, what . . . two weeks? Gage’s a fuckin’ mess and now you’re here all of a sudden?”
“Jesse, it’s a long story. A really long story. You’ve seen Gage? When was the last time?”
“I haven’t seen him for a few days now, but every day for a while there he’d come into the shop and ask if I’d heard from you. So spill. What’s going on?”
I pressed the lock button on the fob for the SUV I went to buy after I’d taken a cab to Gage’s town home to find it completely cleared out. He’d graduated that morning, so I was guessing he was back at the ranch; I just hadn’t expected him to be gone so soon. Even with help, that was really fast to clear out a house and leave. I knew I had to get to the ranch to talk to him, but I needed to make this stop first.
“I can’t go into it all right now, but I need to talk to you about something else. Jesse, I just came into a lot of money, and I know you don’t like help but I want to help with your mom’s medical bills.”
Jesse looked at the Tahoe with wide eyes, then back to me. “First, I don’t want to know what you did to come into this money. Second, I’m stealing that car from you. Third, didn’t Gage tell you about the bills?”
“What? No, what happened with the bills?”
“Cass.” He sighed and grabbed my hand to lead me to the porch swing. “The day y’all first brought food over for us, when Gage took me outside, he said he and his dad had talked and were going to pay for all Mom’s bills. They even paid the mortgage last month.”
My heart swelled for the man I loved. I knew he had reservations when it came to Jesse, but he’d been silent about them since I told him about Isabella. Still, I’d never expected him to do something like this. “Oh, Jesse—”
“Yeah, tell me about it. And without the stress on either of us, I can see how much easier it is on Ma. Only having to concentrate on fighting the cancer has helped her a lot. It’s been a blessing. But, Cassi, tell me why you left.”
I took a deep breath in and out. “Can I come in? I grabbed some groceries so I could make you two an early dinner. I went home to see Gage, but he’s already back at the ranch. I was going to go there but it’ll be too late and I’ll need it light when I drive to find my way, so I’ll wait ’til tomorrow. If you want, you and Isabella should come with me, so Gage’s family can meet her.”
Jesse grinned. “I think we’d both like that. Why don’t you sleep here tonight, we’ll leave early tomorrow, yeah?”
I could have gone to Tyler’s, but I didn’t know if he was still in town. I hadn’t talked to him since he’d come back either. “All right, help me with these groceries. I’ll get the food started, then I’ll tell you guys everything. But first, I think I need a hug from your mom. I’ve missed her.”
His crooked grin turned into a full-blown, blinding smile that reached his dark eyes. “She’s missed you too. It’ll be good to have a Cassidy meal again.” He winked and nudged my side before helping me up and following me to my new Tahoe. “Stealing this car,” he mumbled as we approached it.
“How about this: you can have this if you give me your ’69 Camaro.”
He looked appalled. “Oh hell no.”
“That’s what I thought. I’ll keep my pretty beast, and you can keep your baby.” That car was his baby. He’d tried to sell it a hundred times to help with his mom’s bills but she would hide the keys so he couldn’t drive or sell it. I knew he would’ve in a heartbeat, but I bet he was glad he still had it.
“Stealing this car,” he breathed again, and I laughed as we shut the doors and headed back up to the house.
Chapter Sixteen
G AGE
I WAS JUST pulling up to the main house on the ranch as Dad was getting ready to start the day. He took one look at me and hung his head, let it shake to the side once, then came over to me and pulled me into a hug. One I didn’t, couldn’t, reciprocate.
“What happened?” he asked when he pulled back.
“She’s gone.” I tried to act like it didn’t bother me, but fuck, it did. My world, my heart, was gone.
“She gonna stay in California?”
“Nope.” I let the word pop and looked over toward the stables. “Got to the house and Aunt Steph was surprised as all get-out to see me. Said Cass asked her to take her to the airport that morning when she got back from getting coffee. Cassidy’s words: ‘I need to leave, would you please give me a ride?’ She’s gone, Dad. I came right back and drove through the night.”
“Shit, son, well, maybe she’s coming back to Texas.”
“And still not calling me?” I laughed humorlessly and shook my head. “No, Dad, she’s gone.” I had to bite my tongue and looked over at my hand, which was gripping the door to my truck. Slamming it shut, I yelled, “Damn it!” My hand fisted and I wanted to punch something, anything, but like Tyler had said, my temper was what had driven her away. I let my back hit the door and slid down ’til my ass was on the ground and let my head fall into my now-relaxed hands.
Dad sat down next to me, and before I knew it, Mom was out there in front of me with her hands on my knees, staying quiet, which was completely out of character for Mama.
“She’s it. Cassidy’s it for me, I’ve never doubted that, not since I first met her. Y’all know what Tyler did to us; y’all know why it was so hard for us. And now? Now I can’t blame anyone but myself. I pushed her away, and this time she’s not coming back.”