by Bliss Carter
Cade left Kresley’s apartment and walked downstairs. He could feel the eyes of her sisters and Grace on him as he came into the warehouse front store area. He held up a hand in gesture of goodbye and left out the front door. He needed to get back to the office to write notes from his interview with Kresley. As he drove across town to the police department, Cade took in all that had happened to him in the past 24 hours. A hell of way to find “the one”.
He could almost picture the looks of disbelief that would be sent his way if he dared voice that thought. He could just hear the chirps of crickets from his fellow brothers in blue if he uttered any words of having feelings for a woman he had just met. Cade snorted to himself. Like he cared. His parents were long gone now. He laid them in the ground 5 years ago, 6 months a part. He knew what it looked like to die of a broken heart. His mom grieved for his dad so hard that it took her life. And Cade didn’t have any siblings, so now it was just him and his aunt Mae. She was all he had, until now. Now Kresley was in the picture. And she wasn’t just standing on the fringes. She was in the middle of the photo.
Cade wanted a marriage like his parents had. One full of love and laughter. Oh, his mom and dad had fought, but at the end of the day loving each other and forgiving was more important than being the one who was right. Cade hadn’t been on the hunt to find a woman that fit what his parents had lived, but he never overlooked any woman he thought might could fit into the storyline he had in his head for his future. There had never been a woman who fit until Kresley.
Cade parked his sedan and walked into the PD, greeted by the front desk clerk. He went through the locked doors, entering in the code. Once that door shut, Cade could hear the sounds of cops talking to each other or on the phone. He thought he’d miss the chaos and noise of his precinct in Nashville, but this was definitely more his speed. He worked his way through the maze of cubicles and offices. He walked into his and sat down at his desk. It was organized and clean since he had only been working for a few days. He hadn’t had time to make it messy yet, but he would. He pulled out his phone and opened it to his recording with Kresley. He sent the digital file to his work email so he could retrieve and save it in the PD’s database. He then logged in to his desktop PC and opened his emails, saving the recording and opening it up to listen while he typed out notes. He would send it for a full dictation report later, but for now he could look at his abbreviated notes while he spoke to others about the murder investigation.
For the next few hours, Cade spoke on the phone with several assets and got the same info about Drake Harris and his relationship with Kresley. The average opinion around town was that Drake screwed over Kresley in a big way and she never forgave him. It seemed that she broke up with him and then pretended he didn’t exist anymore. Cade couldn’t blame her for that, not really. What Drake Harris did to her, even if they were basically kids, was distasteful and showed his true character. Cade’s heart hurt for Kresley then and now. He rubbed his hand over his chest as if to ease the ache, then saved his typed notes and moved on to the next item on his to-do list.
Cade’s thoughts were interrupted at a knock on his open door. He looked up and saw Officer Boomer Collins and another man standing there expectantly.
“Hey Boomer, come in. I was just finishing up some notes”, Cade said as he looked at the other man standing there quietly. This man was tired, Cade determined. He had circles under his eyes like he hadn’t slept in days and his 5 o’clock shadow had already turned into dark beard scruff. He was tall, around Cade’s height, and had no emotions in his face or eyes. Boomer walked further in and took a chair closest to the wall, then gestured for the man to have a seat in the remaining chair across from Cade’s desk.
“Detective Cade Grantham, I’d like you to meet Braxton Harris, Fire Captain for the Mercy Springs Fire Department, Station 5. He is also brother to Drake Harris”, Boomer quietly stated.
Cade immediately sat up straighter in his chair and held out his hand. “Hello Braxton. I am so sorry for your loss. I’m working as hard as I can to follow any leads on what could have happened to your brother last night. Any info that you have would help as well. I didn’t want to bother you or your parents right now, nor Drake’s fiancé Claudia. I appreciate you coming down here anyway.”
Braxton took a deep breath and stated, “Thanks. I appreciate it. My family and I are just kind of baffled and numb by the whole thing. This comes out of nowhere right before Drake is to be married. It doesn’t make sense. And where he was killed doesn’t either. I have no clue why he would be at the back door of Whimsy Events at night. Alone. Well, except for some crazy reason that he talked to me about earlier yesterday. I told him he was nuts and to get that shit out of his head now. I’m guessing he didn’t listen to me. Like he ever did any way.” That last part was grumbled under his breath, but Cade heard him just the same.
“What crazy shit was he saying?”, Cade asked slowly.
“Drake called me up yesterday morning, right before lunch, and stated that he was rethinking this whole marriage thing to Claudia. He said after seeing Kresley yesterday, it made him think about what he was missing out on by anchoring himself to one woman. As soon as I heard him say Kres’ name, I tried to shut him down immediately, telling him to leave her alone and not to make waves. I mean, he humiliated her enough in high school with that stupid ass situation he got himself into.”
“Did Drake state he wanted to make advances towards Ms. Anderson?”, Cade asked. The man was dead, but Cade still wanted to beat the shit out of him.
Braxton paused for a moment, then stated, “Not in direct words, but he definitely insinuated it in things he said. Not that I blame him. Kresley is a fantastic person. All of the Anderson girls are. But she deserves better than what Drake could offer. I love my brother, but he was all about himself and no one else. I felt sorry for his fiancé at times because it seemed Drake was so focused on himself that he forgot about Claudia entirely. Which isn’t how a woman should be treated.”
Boomer agreed with that last statement with a grunt and nod of his head. He sipped on a large drink from a local eatery, reminding Cade that he hadn’t had lunch yet.
“We aren’t sure why your brother was at Kresley’s back door after work hours, but we do know that she didn’t invite him to her work place or apartment. She stated that she was surprised to find him there. We found a melted milkshake laying on the pavement beside him and the plastic top on top had written “banana pudding” on it. I’m not sure what significance that has to any of this, but I found it strange.”
Braxton gave his first smile in more than a few days. He looked at Cade, then at Boomer, and leaned in as if he was confiding a secret. “Drake must have stopped by the Ice Cream Spot to get a banana pudding milkshake. He knows that it’s Kresley’s favorite treat, even 10 years later. If he had that with him, then I know for sure that he wanted to talk to Kresley about the idea of getting back together with him or at least going out on a date. Maybe even just a booty call. Knowing my brother, he probably would have been fine with the last suggestion.” Braxton raked a hand over his face, scratching at his beard. “Man, I’m tired. I just got off a 72-hour shift at work and found out during the middle of the night about Drake. I haven’t had any sleep yet and can feel it in my bones.”
Boomer stated to him to go home and get some needed sleep. “At least you have quiet neighbors beside you so you can sleep without being disturbed," he stated with a wicked grin, like he knew differently.
Braxton snorted at that, stating “I live beside Gertie Anderson. It’s anything but quiet over there when all of her sisters come over, plus Grace. It’s like a huge hen party and anyone else that gets sucked in becomes just as loud and annoying. Boomer, remember that time the PD was called by my other neighbor, Mrs. Smith, about Gertie’s house? They were mud wrestling in the back yard in a mud puddle they had made themselves? Poor Gertie just sat there on the sidelines, watching her sisters mud wrestle with each other, trying to not get
dirty and playing referee. Cutest thing I’ve ever seen. Seems that Gertie watches life more than she participates. She’s been that way for a few years now. It’s kind of sad.” Cade and Boomer exchanged looks at that insight into Gertie Anderson and Braxton.
Cade sat there silently, soaking in this new info about his Red. Good Lord, now he couldn’t get the image out of his head of Kresley wearing a bikini and mud wrestling with one of her sisters or Grace. Sweat formed on his forehead and he was drawn back into the conversation from Boomer, who was calling his name with a knowing grin.
“What are you thinking about so hard, Cade? Could it be a certain red head that starts with the letter K, in a bikini with mud on her ass?”, Boomer laughed and held up his hands as Cade cut a glare his way.
“Wait, you and Kresley Anderson? Are y’all dating? I thought you had just gotten here a few days ago?”, Braxton asked.
“Yeah, well, I met her yesterday morning when my Aunt Mae introduced us and watched her land ass first in a puddle on the street and ticked her off when I laughed. Then she tripped me into the same puddle and disappeared. I came on to the scene last night at her business, but had no clue it was her. I took a look at her laying in the alley and her green eyes locked on to mine. I was a goner after that. She knows I’m interested. I’ve already interviewed her this morning about the events yesterday, but she is as lost as everyone else about Drake’s reasons”, Cade stated evenly.
“Good luck man. I’m happy for you if you know what you want and can go after it. If you want to know the truth, I’ve been eyeing her sister Gertie for awhile now. But Gertie shuts that shit down every time we talk. I’m not sure what’s going on with her, but there’s something there behind her eyes that I know that I need to understand, but she can’t talk about it for some reason. I’ll solve that mystery one day, but not now. Gertie is one of a kind and a great neighbor. She’s easy on the eyes as well. Hell, all of those girls are, even their mother when she was alive. There’s just something about green eyed red heads.”
Boomer sat between the two men, listening intensely. “Unless their blondes with big curls and big blue eyes. All of the Anderson girls, Grace included by proxy, just have that something extra. I’m not sure where they get it from, but it’s a mix of southern and Irish that just hits you right in the heart.”
Cade saw that Braxton was surprised by Boomer’s words. “Braxton, Boomer here is infatuated with Grace. It seems all three of us are being influenced by the crook of a finger from the Anderson girl tribe. And it feels really good.” Cade laughed after that last statement and gained two big smiles from Boomer and Braxton. All three made a non-verbal agreement to have each other’s backs in their pursuit of love.
“Okay, I’ve got to go home and get some sleep before I honestly turn into a zombie. Thanks again for working hard on this case. My brother may have not been the best man in the world, but he was my bro. Always there for me and my parents. I haven’t spoken to Claudia yet. They had to sedate her last night after she heard the news. She and my parents are supposed to go to the funeral home later today to start making funeral plans. My chief has given me some time off, so if you need me, here’s my cell number. You can text or call. I always have it on me.” Braxton gave his number to Cade, gave Boomer a fist bump, then left out of the office with heavy shoulders carrying a heavy burden.
“I like him. He seems solid”, Cade stated. He waited for a reaction from Boomer and just got another of his nods. “I just wish we had met under better circumstances. I’m trying to find good friends here and I think Braxton could be one, along with you. Will you be my friend, Boomer?”, Cade asked in a jokingly, sweet way that reminded Boomer of how a woman would ask something to manipulate.
Boomer snorted at Cade and then stated, “I guess I don’t have a choice, douche bag. Without me you’re going to totally screw up any chance you have of landing Kresley Anderson as yours before summer gets here.”
Cade laughed and stated he was looking forward to teaming up with the big buy.
Just then Officer Sloan Smith walked by Cade’s door and stopped at the threshold. “Hey guys, how are things?”
Both men stated fine. Cade asked, “Sloan, what’s your take on Drake Harris. Any insights?”
Officer Smith paused for a moment, then stated, “the only thing I’ve heard in my years being here is that the guy is basically a loser. It seems people still like to talk about what he did to that Anderson girl. And honestly, if he did do that, then I agree, he’s a douche. Well was a douche. But that’s about all I know of the guy. We don’t hang in the same circles. I have met his fiancé a few times at different fundraising events. She’s as cold as they come. Ice is warmer than her. Oh, hey Boomer, I need to see the list sheet of all bagged and tagged evidence from the Harris murder. I want to compare it and make sure everything is accounted for.”
Boomer nodded his head, stating, “sure thing Sloan. I’ll email it to you in a few minutes.” At that, Officer Smith left with a nod at both men.
Boomer told Cade he had to get going. Cade reached for his phone as he watched Boomer walk out of his office with a wave over his shoulder. He decided to start getting to know Kresley now and what better way than to fire off quick questions and get answers by text.
Cade: Hey you. Gotta question. Favorite color?
Kresley: Hmmmmm… Fave color is hard to say. I guess I’d have to say pink.
Cade: Wow, okay. I thought red heads didn’t like pink. But that helps me for future reference.
Kresley: Pink is my signature color *GIF of Julia Roberts in Steel Magnolias*
Cade: You’ve got her beat by a mile with beauty and grace.
Kresley: *eye roll emoji*
Cade: Next question…favorite food type? Italian, Mexican, Chinese, vegan (please don’t say this word)
Kresley: Honestly pasta is my favorite food in the world, so Italian.
Cade: Brownie points for Kres. I love Italian. I just wanted to stop and say hello and tell you I’m thinking about you. Be sure to eat lunch and rest some so the headache doesn’t come back. I’ll check in with you later on.
Kresley: okay. I promise to not overdo it. I miss you, asshole.
Cade: I’m hard to miss. Big target. Aim above the waist please. Lol Later honey.
Cade put his phone back down on his desk and went back to work, with a big smile on his face.
Chapter Nine
Kresley answered phone call after phone call all afternoon. Many called just to ask if she was okay. Others called to dig for gossip so they could share it with others. And there were the few hang up phone calls as well. By now the whole town knew what had happened to Drake Harris. Kresley cringed at the thought of how she and her family’s business was now connected to a murder investigation. She couldn’t believe this was her life right now. One positive thought though was that it pushed her and Cade together. She was enjoying any time she spent with him and couldn’t wait to see where this could go. Her phone’s tone that she had an incoming text message brought her out of her inner thoughts.
Cade: Hey sweetie. Question. What’s your favorite candy?
Kresley: Hi. Favorite candy. Hmmm…. I’m going to go simple and say M&Ms. Plain, milk chocolate. Next would be a Reese’s peanut butter cup.
Cade: A girl after my own heart. Let’s set up time to spend together this evening. I’m bringing dinner with me and dessert. You find a good movie for us to watch. Sound good baby?
Kresley: That sounds perfect. I’ll be through with work by 5:30 PM and will head upstairs after. Just text me when you arrive and I’ll head down to unlock doors for you.
Cade: Can’t wait baby. Can’t freakin’ wait.
Kresley put her phone down and went back to work with a huge smile on her face. Grace chose that moment to walk in and saw her friend’s face. Not one to let good manners dictate what came out of her mouth, Grace stated, “so what put that shit eatin’ grin on your face Kres? Did Cade text you some sexy pics already? I didn’t ta
ke him for sending out photos of his junk.”
“Oh my gosh Grace, will you shut up? Please? I don’t have any racy pics from Cade or any other person. He was just texting me about us spending time with each other tonight. He’s bringing over dinner and dessert and we’re going to watch a movie together. I’m excited. Oh my gosh Gracie, I am so excited that I think I’m going to puke”, Kresley stated with huge, scared eyes on Grace, her chest starting to breathe in and out faster, her hands beginning to tingle.
Almost immediately Grace brought her hand out from her side and she shoved Kresley’s head down between her legs for a minute. “Just breathe Kres. Just breathe. That’s right, deep breath in, deep breath out. Slowly, breathe slowly. That’s good. Okay, bring your head back up to mine. Feel better now? Good.”
A noise from the doorway alerted Grace and Kresley that they weren’t alone. Grace smiled and greeted her 6-year-old son Jaxson. “Hey Jaxson, you and Sara decided to stop by before going home?”
Jaxson, with his big grin and dirty blonde hair sticking up all over his head, reminded Kresley of a blond version of Opie from The Andy Griffith Show. She heard him say as he looked over her way, “Mama, why is Aunt KK got her head between her legs? Is she smellin’ her fart like I do?”
Grace and Kresley laughed at that. “No baby, Aunt KK was just feeling kind of dizzy and it helps by putting your head down low like that. Now I’m guessing you want some money to get an ice cream before going home to do homework?” At Jaxson’s enthusiastic nod, Kresley dug in her purse and found a $10 bill and handed it to Grace. Grace thanked her and gave it to Jaxson, reminding him to eat ice cream quickly then get his homework done before she got home. He gave her a kiss goodbye, told Aunt KK thank you and goodbye with a kiss on her cheek, then ran out the door like he was never there.
“Gracie, you sure do have one awesome son”, Kresley stated quietly. Grace looked like tears may bleed over from her eyes for a few moments, then she gathered herself together and smiled agreeably.