Page 54 of Country Charm

There’s nothing I’ve seen to catch my interest. I see how people could be drawn to the variety, and the constant motion, but I prefer my small town. I like the connectionseveryone has with each other and how if something happens, the community pulls together to help each other out. The fact that everyone knows your goddamn business can get old, but that also means when shit hits the fan you have a literal village behind you.

Franny was awful pissed about the cookout and Cassidy. I haven’t heard much from her directly, but Harrison said there was town talk. Half the town is happy I’m showing interest in a woman, no matter who she is, and the other half is mad for Franny. She didn’t make her usual stop over to my stand today at the market, and I didn’t go looking for her. I had one thing on my mind all morning and that was coming up here to see Cassidy.

Now that I’m reflecting on the morning, I’m realizing Jake was more quiet than usual. He seemed to have a small chip on his shoulder about something. The kid is a hard worker, but generally in a decent mood. I feel slightly careless for not paying closer attention to him today.

Selfishness is not a quality my parents would be proud of.

“Something on your mind, Hunt?” Cassidy’s voice pulls me from my thoughts.

“This is going to sound shitty, and I have been listening, but I was just thinking about Jake.”

“He okay?” She’s genuinely concerned. The backstory on this kid and my updates have become a regular in our conversation. Cassidy is a caring, sensitive woman; she has a tough exterior, but I’ve seen that there’s so much more to her than even she realizes.

“Yeah, he just seemed distracted today at the market. Then again, I was distracted too.”

“Is his mom okay? Kids with single parents tend toworry about their parent all the time. If something is up with his mom, for sure something will be up with him.”

Cassidy’s voice is determined and even. She’s known what it’s like to only have one person to rely on other than herself. She and Jake are cut from similar cloth.

“Did you worry about your dad?”

Cassidy stops walking in her tracks and looks at me, her meadow eyes filled with emotion.

“Every. Damn. Day.” I rub my thumb over hers and lean in to kiss her temple.

“He was a great man; he was always smiling when I was around, and never made me worry about money. But I saw him run like hell after he would drop me off at school to catch the bus. When we finally got a car, I saw that the tank was never more than halfway full. I noticed that he ate less than me at breakfast and dinner. He spent money where he thought it mattered. I had cute clothes, new shoes, and a new backpack every school year, but I ate discounted hot lunch and the same ten dinners. You start to notice those things when you’re young and then you never stop noticing them.”

I think about Harrison and my childhood. Ma was a master in the kitchen, and I think we ate the same meals, but she knew a hell of a lot more than ten. We got to play Little League and football. We both got trucks when we were in high school; they weren’t new, but they were a set of wheels. My pop always had petty cash to hand us if we asked. At every cookout we got to play games and eat food, and never once did I worry if we were spending too much. Cassidy grew up noticing and worrying.

“What would you do?”

“I would take small jobs that would pay under the counter after school. Putting library books away, cleaningpeople’s houses, picking up dog shit… it didn’t matter to me. Then I put that money away. When I was a senior in high school my dad was so proud of my scholarship. I worked that summer and gave him mostly everything I ever earned as a parting gift.”

“Did he take it?”

“He played it in the stocks, put it in a high-interest stable stock, and put it in my name. He built me a small trust with the cash I earned myself when I was a kid.”

“Damn, that is a good man.”

Fuck, Cassidy’s dad was smart and loving. Almost impossible shoes to fill in an only daughter’s eyes.

“The best.” Her tone tells more than she leads on. I can tell she has already grieved her loss but missing him never stops for her. Growing up in a house with both parents, a brother, and pretty much the entire town in our backyard means I never once felt alone. Cassidy must have felt so isolated after her father’s death. She had the girls, but I believe each of them is successful and married.

“Jake’s probably doin’ the same thing for his ma right now. Givin’ her the money, but I think they need it bad enough that she may need to take it.”

“He’s doin’ his part; he won’t resent her for it. If anything, he probably wants to help more. I’m really glad you look out for him so much, Hunter. You’re a good man, too.”

People have been maneuvering around as we’ve stood still in front of a small clothing boutique. Giving praise such as being a good man is likely huge for Cassidy. Her idea of a good man is her father, and that man sounds like the kind even I would be nervous asking for her hand. He did everything he could right by her. I want to do the same.

I step closer to Cassidy and slide my hand around herneck toward the back of her skull. My fingers splay into her brown tresses, and she sighs into my grasp. Bending over, I bring my lips to hers and lightly brush them together before pressing more firmly. Her tongue darts out to lick them, but I take the opportunity to slide mine into her mouth and kiss her deeply. Our tongues glide effortlessly together, and I feel her pull one hand away from mine to grab my shirt with both.

She finally pulls away and her emerald eyes gleam. “Even though you’re a good man, I hope you’re thinking some bad thoughts right now.”

“You want to head back to the apartment?” I press a kiss to her temple and stand straight again.

“Yes, please.” With that, she slides her hand back into mine and pulls out her phone to order us a car.

Chapter Twenty-Four

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