Chapter 31
Barrick pulls me into his chest and we continue to dance to whatever song is played. At this point I don’t care what it is. I just want to be held in the most loving arms I know. As the house lights begin to rise, Barrick looks at me.
“Want to go wish on our own stars?” he asks.
“You bet!” I say as we walk out to his truck.
When we get to our spot, Barrick and I walk to the tailgate. He lifts me onto the back like he’s done before, but instead of sitting beside me, he places himself between my legs and caresses my face with his hands.
“Tonight has been perfect,” he says, tenderly.
“As long as I’m with you, life is perfect,” I reply.
I can feel my nerves rise as he looks at me with a hunger I’ve never seen before.
“Barrick, I’ve never…” I start.
“Me either,” he replies and I’m completely caught off guard. “And I don’t plan on doing it tonight. You’re worth more than the bed of a truck, Cadence. One day when the time is right it will happen, but right now I just want to fall head over boots in love with you,” he says with a smile.
He pulls his phone out of his pocket and hits play before pulling me down from the tailgate. He softly sings the words as I sway in his arms and listen. He’s swept me off my feet tonight. He is everything I need and I’m glad that I’ve found the one person who has made me worthy of their love.
As the song ends, the sounds of spring fill the air and we dance to the world around us until we can’t dance any more.
Barrick
Holding Cadence in my arms tonight made everything right in this world. Looking at her and then to the stars above, I count my blessings. I never knew what I was missing in this world until she came in like a hurricane. Watching her slow down and grow over the past few months has been good for me as well.
She’s helped me realize what I want for my future. I’m going to go to ECU and get a degree. I want to be able to support her and take care of her and I know that getting a degree will help make that easier. I hope and pray that now she’s turned down Boston she’ll go to ECU with Jade and me.
As Cadence lets out a yawn, I scoop her into my arms and take her to the truck. “Let me get you home,” I say as I sit her in the passenger seat.
She looks at me and my heart flip-flops. “Can’t we just sleep out here?” she questions.
“I… I...” She cuts me off.
“I’ll call my mom. Please?” she pouts.
She takes her phone from her purse and calls her mom. I can only make out half of the conversation but Regina seems to be giving her a lecture of some sorts. Cadence looks at me then hands me the phone.
“Yes, ma’am,” I say as politely as possible.
“Do you intend to have sex with my daughter?” she questions and I want to crawl in a hole from embarrassment.
“No, ma’am. I do not.”
“I’m trusting you with her. Do not let me down.”
“Never. I respect Cadence more than to do something like that. I’ll have her home by daybreak,” I say, handing the phone back to Cadence.
“Yes, Mom,” she says, turning away from me. I give her privacy and lay the blankets out in the truck bed.
As I lay on my back, I feel her come up beside me. “Are you ready to wish on some stars?”
“As long as you’re beside me, I don’t have to wish on the stars any more.”
“Why is that?” she says as she rests her head on my chest.
“I don’t need to wish on the stars because I already have you,” I say as I lean down and kiss the top of her head sweetly before we fall asleep in each other’s arms.