Page 73 of Heartstrings & Horizons
Cade
We continued our kitchen encounter with a quickie in the shower before we finally got ourselves cleaned up and presentable. Walking up behind Paige, I wrap my arms around her towel clad body, resisting the urge to toss it to the ground and go for round three. I’m only stopped by the loud rumbling of her stomach.
“Ok, Muffin Menace. I think we need to get you something to eat that doesn’t resemble charcoal.”
She turns in my arms, slapping me on the chest. “It wasn’t my fault!” she says. Her voice is dripping in irritation, but her face betrays her with a subtle smile and a gleam in her eyes.
I grip her chin between my thumb and index finger, bringing her lips to meet mine. “Fine, but you still need to eat. Let’s head over to Rosie’s. She accosted me on the sidewalk again and if we don’t get over there soon, she’s liable to show up at the door.”
“Fine, but I'm ordering extra toppings.”
“I’d expect nothing less.”
“Give me 10 minutes to get ready. I’ll meet you downstairs.”
She turns to walk into the closet, but before she can get far, I reach out and slap her ass, watching it jiggle as she startles from the contact. “Don’t make me wait long, baby.”
“Don’t threaten me with a good time, Cowboy.” And with that, she drops her towel, sauntering into the closet, and my cock is ready to go again.Down, boy.
15 minutes later, we pull up to the curb in front of Rosie’s. Paige looks beautiful in a pair of figure hugging jeans cuffed at the angles, and her signature red peacoat. There’s a chill in the air as I intertwine our fingers, tugging her towards the entrance. The familiar bell chimes overhead as I lead my girl into the diner. Archie is in his usual spot at the end of the counter, Rosie leaning over to whisper in his direction as we lock eyes from the front of the restaurant.
“About damn time!” she shouts, as she rushes over, arms spread wide. “It’s so nice to finally meet you, Paige. Cade has told us so much about you, he can’t seem to help himself.”
“I think most of what you’ve heard is gossip, Rosie, but I can’t deny that I’m pretty smitten with my girl.” I release her so she can embrace Rosie and I immediately miss the feel of her in my arms. Rosie squeezes her tight like a grandmother welcoming home her long lost grandchild. There’s a hint of sadness in Paige’s eyes as Rosie releases her.
“Counter or the usual booth?” Rosie asks.
“I was actually thinking we’d join Archie at the counter today. You good with that, Arch?” I call over to the older man. His silver hair is neatly combed back, eyes twinkling with years of wisdom. He’s wearing a blue plaid shirt tucked into his well worn jeans and weathered boots. He gives me a subtle nod, patting the seat beside him. “Come on over, kids. Keep this old man company.”
Paige smiles the genuine smile that makes her nose crinkle and her eyes shine. She holds out her hand to Archie, and says “So nice to meet you, sir.”
“Oh please, pretty girl like you can call me Arch, and I’m a hugger,” he says, as he pulls Paige into a quick hug, patting her once on the head. I’ve never known Archie to be so openly affectionate, but I’m not going to call him out on it. Nothing gets past Archie, and I suspect he saw the look on Paige’s face when his wife hugged her, too.
“What can I get ya?” Rosie asks from the other side of the counter.
We place our orders, and true to her word, Paige orders the extra toppings for her pancakes, including strawberries, whipped cream, and chocolate chips.
“Hang onto this one, Cade. She’s a keeper.”
“That’s the plan, Rosie.”
While we wait for our orders, Rosie asks Paige about her photography. Nothing gets her more animated thanasking her about something she loves. The short list of those things includes photography, books, and Goose. I’d like to think I’m somewhere on that list, too.
“You know, I could use your help with the diner. My son says I need to start something on that Insta photo app. Now I don’t know a thing about that, but I’d love some new photos.”
Paige’s entire face lights up at the opportunity. “Really? I would love that, Rosie. Truly.”
They get to talking through the details, making quick work of our meals as the conversation continues for well over an hour, diving into Paige’s vision for the styling, portraits of the employees, and even going so far as creating the social media accounts for the diner. By the time we’re ready to leave, Paige has scheduled her first photoshoot in Oak Ridge and I’m ready to take her home and show her exactly how proud I am.
Chapter 28
Cade
? The Bones - Maren Morris & Hozier
We’ve been in Oak Ridge for nearly a month when the real world comes crashing down around us. I knew I couldn’t avoid my mother forever, and I put it off as long as I could. Paige running into Jemma at the bridal boutique triggered a million and one questions from my family that couldn’t go unanswered. By now, everyone had heard about the engagement among other gossip that had been making the rounds. You don’t live in Oak Ridge and expect to keep anything secret. It’s time to take Paige to meet my mom; there’s no more delaying the inevitable.
Paige’s nerves are practically vibrating through the truck as we make our way along the narrow street towards the neighborhood where I grew up. Memories of scraped knees and learning to ride a bike flash in my periphery as I pull into the familiar driveway. I take a tentative breath as we approach the front porch of the single story bungalow with green shutters and weather-beaten siding; I don’t bother knocking. “You ready?”
