Page 20 of Cassie
“I wanted to see you again. Everything past that?” He shrugged and leaned closer. “It’s all gravy. You ready to ride, baby?” She nodded and he bent the last few inches to brush his lips across hers, not missing the tiny gasp she gave at the contact. His stomach twisted at the sound, afraid for a moment it signaled panic, then her hand lifted and settled on his arm, fingers curling and gripping.Holding on. He kissed her again, her lips softly giving under his gentle pressure. “Then let’s ride.” She swayed slightly as he stepped back, her eyes unfocused for a moment. She blinked and glanced up at him, a tiny smile curling the corners of her mouth. “Roll out when you’re ready. I’m in no hurry.”
***
Cassie
Seated on the top of the picnic table, she tipped her face up and closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth as she caught the final rays of sunshine streaming through the leaves. “It’s gorgeous, Hoss. Thank you for bringing me here.” They were in Ouabache State Park near Bluffton, and Hoss had laid claim to a table near the lake. She opened her eyes again and stared at the tiny waves on the water reflecting the reds and purples of the sunset. The trees behind them kept the area from feeling too open, and the view in front of her was stunning. “This is perfect. Just so beautiful.”
“Yeah,” he responded softly, bumping her shoulder with his. “Beautiful.”
Knowing what she’d see, she angled her head to look at him, grinning and rolling her eyes when he wasn’t looking at the scenery. “You’re a goofball.”
“And you are the most beautiful thing in view, Cassie.” He shifted and put his arm around her shoulders, fingers gently caressing her bare arm. “You know I’m right. After all, I’m an artist. I have a biased eye.” He pressed against her side. “I’m the luckiest guy right now.”
“How do you think?” Cassie let her head drift sideways, cheek resting against his shoulder.
“I’m at a beautiful location, on a beautiful day, with a gorgeous woman snuggled up to me. How can that be anything except lucky?” He gave her a squeeze.
It had been a good day, followed by what she could only describe as a heavenly ride, following Hoss out of town and onto a series of gently winding roads. When they stopped at the ranger’s station at the entrance, he’d dug out his wallet and paid their fees without pause, comfortably joking with the man on duty like they were old friends. He hadn’t needed a map, but easily guided her to the table where they now sat. Then he’d proceeded to stun her as he pulled out containers of food and bottles of water, laying everything out on the table with a quick efficiency that spoke of many picnics like this.
An uncomfortable ache set up again in her chest, growing with every thought of how many women he’d probably brought just here, set to sing the praises of the sunset and beauty of the week in his arms.Stupid.Why would you think you were the only one since his wife?
Cassie sat up and scooted sideways. Hoss gave her shoulders a pull she resisted, his hold easing when she wouldn’t come back to rest against him.
“What’s wrong?” He ducked slightly, looking into her face. “Cassie?”
Tightlipped, she shook her head, staring fixedly at the lake to hide the stinging wet in her eyes. “Isn’t the sunset reflecting off the water pretty?”
“Babe.” Now he was frowning, gaze tracking across her face. He gave her a tiny shake, asking again, “What’s wrong? I can’t fix what I don’t know.”
In for a penny. She twisted to stare at him. “You come to the park a lot, Hoss?”
“Yeah. During the summer, sure.” His brows arched, then bunched together again. “Why?”
“You knew the ranger, and just the right table for the best view of the sunset.” Cassie rolled her lips, biting down lightly to still the threatening quiver. “I just realized you must come here a lot.”
He studied her for a minute, then slowly his features eased, the furrows between his brows smoothing out. “My daughter loves to fish, something she learned from her brother, who I taught. I might live in Indiana now, but I grew up in the backwoods of Alabama and never quite lost the country boy in me.”
Cassie’s head jerked back slightly. “What does that…?” Her words trailed off as she realized what he wasn’t saying.Ah, God. “I’m an idiot.” Chin to her throat, she turned to stare over the water again, lungs tight as she tried to pull in air that had ceased to exist.No. Not now. She swallowed deliberately, trying to prove to herself she still could, that her throat hadn’t closed, then dragged in a quavering breath to convince her mind she wasn’t suffocating.Please, no. Tight and small, her voice was scarcely audible when she whispered, “Sorry.”
“Hey.” His fingers trailed down her arm, following the racing blood just underneath her too hot skin. “I’m flattered, Cassie. Not upset.” Blunt strength wedged between her fingers, heat and comfort folding around her hand. “I’ve never brought a woman here. Not one.” His tone grew wistful when he said the name she’d been avoiding, his voice pained but affectionate. “Not even Hope, way back when. We talked about it, bringing Sammy down, but it just didn’t work out. I’d never even been here until Sammy’s junior high leadership group had a party here. He fell in love with the place, and Faynez wasn’t far behind him. Finding something they enjoyed meant I’d turn myself upside down giving it to them, so we’ve spent a lot of summer days parked at this table.” He gave her hand a squeeze that eased the tightness in her chest. “It’s a beautiful place, so when I was trying to come up with somewhere you and me could ride to that might impress you, it was one of the first I thought about.” His shoulder bumped hers and she leaned against him, not quite assuming her previous position, but close. He supported her, not seeming to notice how close they were. “I wanted whatever we did to set the tone for all the dates that follow this one. Wanted to make it special. So, do you like it?” She nodded, gaze on the darkening water, watching the fleeing colors as the sun fell below the rim of the earth. “Are you impressed?”
“Yes.” Her whisper clearly met his approval, and he gave that to her when he hummed happily in response.
She went willingly when he lifted her chin and pulled her close, his mouth descending to brush across hers in a quick peck, then a second one, then a longer kiss, more demanding, lips working against hers as the deepening kiss made her shudder. “I’m impressed too, honey. Everything I learn about you makes me want to know more.”
“Why?” Cassie kept her eyes closed, face still aimed towards him. Questions were sometimes easier to ask when you couldn’t see the other person’s reactions. She exhaled slowly, and asked again, “Why me?”
“You’re complicated. Sweet. Creative.” Hot pressure against her mouth, then the wet swipe of his tongue across her bottom lip made her gasp, letting him inside to stroke her tongue with his for a moment, the slow glide burning through her like a wildfire. “Beautiful. Cute. Intense.” Another slow kiss, another sweet slide into her mouth, the taste of him filling her senses. “Did I say cute?” He chuckled, the sound moving across her skin leaving goose bumps behind. “You’re like nothing I’ve ever known, Cassie. And I want to know more. I want more.” A gentle brush of his lips at the corner of her mouth, then the rasp of his stubble against her cheek, hot breath on her ear as he whispered, “I want you.”
Hoss pulled back and Cassie blinked, her eyes slowly focusing on his face. One corner of his mouth quirked, pulling his lips into a sideways smile. She opened her mouth to respond to his declaration, surprised when his palm covered her mouth.
He shook his head and leaned forwards to press his temple to hers. “This ain’t a tit-for-tat conversation, babe. That was just me layin’ it out there. Making it so you don’t have to wonder and worry what my end game is with all this.” He paused, and she heard him swallow, and the idea that he shared her nervousness was somehow steadying.He doesn’t want to mess up any more than I do. “I don’t have one. Swear to God. But I do want this to be the first of many dates. Want to spend time with you alone, and with friends. Want you to meet my kids—” He chuffed a laugh. “Well, meet them again, this time official-like. Want more chances to hold you, have you in my arms, sweet as you can be. And I want you in my bed. There ain’t no end game because this ain’t a game to me. We’ll move forwards, and I figure the build-up to get there will tell us where we’ll go afterwards.” His voice softened as his arm tightened, palm slipping from her face to cradle the back of her neck, holding her close. “I expect to fuck up. You should know that about me. I’m not always an easy man to know, but when you have my loyalty and friendship, I’ll be in your corner, always. When we come together, like I…God, like I need you, I promise you I’ll take care. Swear to God, babe. I’ll always take care of you.”
Cassie remained still a moment, letting the conviction in his words wash over her, buoying her up where only moments before she’d been awash in the waters of uncertainty. From the first time his hand had touched hers, there’d been a current between them, sparking to life again and again only to have her try to cover and smother it. “‘This ain’t a game to me.’” She softly repeated his words back to him and Hoss’ arms tightened around her. “It’s not a game to me, either. There’s a lot about me you don’t know.”
“Do you like me?” He pulled back and stared at her, the look on his face earnest and honest. “Do you want to see where this goes?” She nodded, and he smiled his crooked grin, making her heart skip a beat. “Feels kinda like second grade. Next thing you know I’ll be pullin’ out a note to pass to your friend who will pass it to you, and you’ll open it to see two check boxes. But you and me, Cassie, we’re not kids and we know life isn’t fair. I don’t know everything about you, but what I do know I like. What I don’t know?” His fingers gave the back of her neck a squeeze. “You’ll teach me and I’ll learn you. I’m a big fan of not letting time pass, and I know you understand why. You’d think that’s the most important thing you can know about me, that my wife died in my arms, but you’d be wrong. Hope taught meher, and taught me a lot about myself in the time we were together.” His gaze held hers, steady and unwavering, and she wondered how much it cost him to talk about the woman who’d held his heart, who gave life to his family. Tiny crinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened, exposing the tension he carried with this topic. “She taught me that home isn’t a place, it’s the people you keep around you. I like the way I feel around you, Cassie. I like the way you make me feel about myself. Damned if I understand a lick of it, but I have to wonder if there were stronger forces at work in the world to pull us into each other’s lives like this.”
She opened her mouth and he shook his head, the tip of his thumb caressing her lips. “Hush, honey. I’m not saying it’s fated love, because I don’t know how much I believe in fate. But I do know how you make me feel.” He leaned down and brushed a kiss across her mouth, ending with his lips at her ear again, his whisper sending gooseflesh chasing up her arms. “You make me feel like anything’s possible, and I want you. Don’t matter if you check yes or no, you and me are going to see where this goes, yeah?”
“Okay.” Her whispered word had scarcely hit the air when his arms convulsed around her, holding even tighter. “Just so you know,” she paused, turned her head, and pressed a kiss to his cheek, “I would have checked yes.”
