“Amanda, this is Jake Mullins, Cassia’s father,” Cade introduced the man.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, your daughter seems very nice, though I haven’t gotten to know her well yet,” Amanda offered her hand.
“It’s nice to meet you too. I knew there was someone this man was longing for. I’m glad you two found each other again.”
“Thank you,” Amanda smiled at the man.
The crowd was thinning now, people drifting back to their tables. Amanda noted a young woman, probably only a year or two older than herself watching as she leaned against the bar. The young woman was frowning at Amanda, her eyes dark, though she didn’t look to wish Amanda ill exactly. She was the woman Cade had gone out with a couple of times, Amanda realized. She actually felt a little bad for the woman and offered a smile. The woman gave her a hint of a smile and a nod.
“Thought you had married,” a man at her elbow spoke.
“No, no I never married. I’m afraid my father exaggerated my relationship with the man I was seeing,” Amanda explained.
“Good; Cade came dragging in here one night looking like the world had just crashed in on him and we were all worried about him,” the man informed her.
“Wish I had known where he was,” Amanda told the man.
“Me too,” the man smiled at her.
“So you two are marrying soon?” George asked, pulling Amanda’s attention back their direction.
“Yes, I’m sure we’ll marry in Manny’s hometown; but I’d like to have a reception here so everyone can get to know Manny,” Cade explained.
“Have it here; I’ll make you a deal,” George grinned.
“Thanks, George,” Cade smiled at the man. “Come on, let’s see if we can finally make it to a table,” Cade led Amanda across the room.
Amanda smiled at Cade after they were seated.
“What’s that smile for?”
“I can see how well liked you are and I know it sounds silly, but I’m proud for you.”
“Doesn’t sound silly,” Cade assured her. “I like these people; they’ve been good friends to me.”
“Good.”
“It’s so nice to be able to introduce you to everyone. I know they probably got tired of hearing about you,” Cade handed her a menu from behind a ketchup bottle. “Decide what you want and I’ll put our order in; things are rather informal here.”
“The food smells good,” Amanda noted. There was a door behind the bar; smells and sounds of cooking carried into the dining area. She made up her mind and passed her order onto Cade and watched as he stood and moved to the bar. She watched him lean against the polished surface and admired the long length of his legs, the breadth of his shoulders, and his smile. He glanced her way and winked; Amanda sighed. She couldn’t wait to spend every day of the rest of her life with this man.
The sound of the door opening pulled Amanda’s attention to the woman entering. A woman with dark brown hair entered; she was wearing a pair of skin tight jeans and a tight, low cut shirt. The woman’s brown eyes lit when they landed on Cade. Amanda watched her sidle up to the bar.
“When are you going to quit being stubborn and come home with me, Cade?” the woman invited in a low sultry voice.
Amanda watched Cade, his eyes guarded, step back.
“We’ve had this conversation before, Tonya,” he reminded her.
“So let’s quit talking and start doing,” Tonya leaned forward.
Amanda sighed, rolled her eyes, and stood. It was time to let this floozy know Cade wasn’t on the market anymore.
“Hi, Tonya, was it? I’m Amanda, Cade’s fiancée. If you’ll excuse us, we’re trying to enjoy an evening out before we head home to tuck our daughter into bed for the night,” Amanda nodded at the woman as she took Cade by the arm.
“See you,” Cade nodded at Tonya; his eyes were lit with amusement. He led Amanda, not to their table, but to the dance floor. “It’ll be a few minutes at least before our order is ready. Thought we’d dance,” Cade informed her.
“I like dancing with you,” Amanda smiled up at him.
“I’m glad to see you kept your claws sharp,” Cade teased as he pulled her into his arms.
“A wise woman always does, especially when the man she’s loved for years is as sexy as you are,” she returned.
“Guess I need to make certain I still know how to throw a punch,” he joked right back.
Amanda smiled up at him a moment before laying her head on his shoulder and losing herself in the moment. They danced until their food was ready and after eating left to return back to the ranch. They entered the house to find Cadey-Lynn sprawled in the floor with a coloring book open while Cassia and Ben watched the news.
“Mommy! Daddy!” Cadey-Lynn jumped up and ran to them as they entered.
“Thanks, again for watching Cadey-Lynn,” Cade said to his foreman and his wife as they stood to go.
“No problem; she’s a doll, Cade,” Cassia offered him a smile.
Amanda bid them good night; then she and Cade tucked their daughter in and read to her from her favorite book.
They had already turned all the lights off in the front of the house and crossed the hall to the master bedroom together. Amanda sat down on the bed to remove her boots and watched Cade do the same. It felt a little odd after being by herself for so long to walk into a shared bedroom and begin undressing for bed as though she did this every night. Amanda stood, unbuttoned her shirt and watched Cade pull his off. Her gaze landed on his scar again and she moved to stand in front of him, once again running her hands over it, a frown on her face.
“I don’t like thinking of you in pain,” Amanda informed him.
“It hurt like hell,” Cade admitted as he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close to kiss her belly. Amanda, feeling heat climb into her cheeks, laughed.
“Why do you still blush when you’re undressed in front of me?” he asked in amusement before tugging her into his lap.
“You are the only man I ever been undressed in front of,” she reminded him. “Completely anyway,” she added as an afterthought.
“What?” he frowned?
“It’s nothing.”
“No, you’ve been partially undressed in front of someone?” his gaze was possessive.
“I told you I intended to sleep with Reese to prove I was over you,” she reminded him.
“I know; I just didn’t realize it had gotten that far,” he was frowning.
“It got as far as my shirt being unbuttoned; then he found this,” Amanda lifted the ring from her chest. “I keep meaning to give it back to you.”
“I noticed it there but I liked the idea that you had been wearing it all this time,” he admitted. “I don’t like the idea of another man touching you,” his hands tugged her even closer.
“I’m sorry, Cade; I wish I had known you still loved me,” Amanda kissed his forehead.
“Me too,” he agreed. “But we’re here now.”
“Yes, we are.”
“I love you, Manny.”
“I love you too,” Amanda ran her hand through his hair. “I didn’t like Tonya flirting with you tonight. You’re mine.”
“Yes, I am,” he agreed with a smile. “Are you mine?”
“Nobody else’s,” she promised.
“Good,” he nodded.
“Cade, you do know that I could never be as bold with someone else? I mean, I did not come on to Reece the way I came on to you; I had to let him take the lead. The only reason I threw myself at you the way I did is because I loved you even then,” she assured him.
“I know that, Manny. Why do you think I made you wait so long? I didn’t want you feeling as though I had used you or you were some fling. Which is what you ended up believing in the long run, anyway,” he sighed.
“I think I knew better deep down; that’s why I couldn’t let go.”
“I should have told you I love you sooner, Manny. I’m not sure why I didn’t.”
&n
bsp; “I didn’t say it either,” Amanda admitted. “In a way I was scared to, afraid that I would scare you off.”
“No, you wouldn’t have scared me off but I should have said it first. I was scared to say it too. The only person I ever loved before you and now Cadey-Lynn came along, was my mother. I guess I was afraid that saying it would somehow jinx it. And honestly, Manny. I think after the first few months after I left passed that I was almost scared to come after you. I was afraid that maybe you had changed your mind. I should have known better; I should have come back for you and I should have told you I love you.”
“Doesn’t matter now,” she assured him.
“I plan on saying it every day, Manny. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“It blows my mind that you love me, Manny.”
“What?” she laughed.
“I had no right to even try for you.”
“And I was certain that you would never settle down,” she informed him.
“I’d never had a reason to want to before.”
“Aren’t you sappy,” she teased.
“You don’t like it?” he was grinning at her.
“I do,” she admitted with a wide smile.
“Thought so,” his hands were caressing her legs as he inched her skirt up. “You have beautiful legs, Manny, and I think I’ve already told you I like skirts on you,” he grinned at her. Amanda, knowing that she was blushing again, smiled back. She leaned forward to kiss him and buried her hands in his hair.
Forty-One
Amanda woke feeling slightly disoriented before remembering where she was: she and Cade had gone to dinner, come home, put their daughter to bed, made love, and she had obviously fallen asleep. The lamp was still on, but she wasn’t quite sure what had woken her. She rolled over to find Cade reading her journal; tears streamed down his face.
“You okay?” she asked him.
Cade looked embarrassed that she had seen his tears and quickly swiped at his eyes with his arms.
“Just realizing how much I missed and kicking myself for not coming back for you. You had agreed to go with me and I should have come back for you. I could have dealt with your father later. I just wanted something to offer you and as pathetic as it sounds, your father’s blessing,” Cade voiced his troubled thoughts.
“There’s nothing pathetic about it, Cade,” Amanda assured him as she propped herself onto her elbow and leaned over to kiss him lightly.
“I’m sorry, Manny. Reading this and realizing how deeply I hurt you…”
“Cade, stop,” Amanda laid her finger against his lips. “I didn’t write all of that down to throw it all up to you. You wanted to go to my Dad right after you came back from college, perhaps if you had it wouldn’t have happened the way it did. This could all be my fault.”
“I missed so much, Manny.”
“I know and unfortunately there’s no getting it back,” Amanda acknowledged.
“I understand his desire to protect you, Manny; I kind of even get it. But how could he keep my daughter from me?” Cade wrapped his arms around her, his face buried against her as sobs wracked his body. Amanda held him, adding her own tears; there was nothing she could say to make it better and she knew it. Amanda was aware of Cade slowly bringing his emotions back under control as she stroked his hair. She knew he was going to be embarrassed. She was surprised he hadn’t lost it sooner.
“I’m sorry, Manny; I didn’t mean to fall apart like that,” Cade pulled away from her.
His gaze was so vulnerable when it met hers that Amanda was certain her heart had just cracked.
“You have no reason to apologize, Cade. When two people love each other they should be able to share their tears,” she assured him.
“I’m supposed to be the strong man,” he offered a self-depreciating smile.
“It’s always been my belief that big, strong, men feel things very deeply,” she informed him with a smile of her own.
“I love you, Amanda; I love you so very much,” Cade reached out to cup her face, his thumb caressing her jaw.
“I love you too, Cade; I have since I was fifteen.”
“I know,” he admitted. “And I’ve loved you just as long. Waiting for you to grow up felt like a life time. These past five years have felt like an eternity.”
___________________________________________________
Amanda entered the kitchen the next morning just after Cade had stepped out to start morning chores and before Cadey-Lynn had stirred for the day. Cassia was already bustling around cleaning and putting something in a crock pot.
“Good morning, Manny; it is okay if I call you that isn’t it?” Cassia paused to survey her.
“Yes,” Amanda smiled and shook her head slightly; that was what all the men called her as well.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, it’s just that for years Cade has been the only one who called me that,” Amanda explained.
“Sorry, it’s kind of how we all think of you,” Cassia was smiling now. “I wasn’t sure if I should come today as expected but Cade said for the moment we would let things stand. I hope that’s okay.”
“That’s fine,” Amanda shrugged. “Everything is happening so fast I’m not sure what is what either,” Amanda admitted.
“I’m glad you found him, Manny.”
“I am too; the last few years have been hard,” Amanda helped herself to a cup of coffee.
“Mind if I join you for a moment?” Cassia requested.
“Please do,” Amanda smiled as she seated herself.
“They’ve been hard for Cade too,” Cassia informed her then smiled and shook her head. “I had a crush on him when he first arrived,” Cassia admitted.
“I’m sure I must have driven him just about nuts! My daddy owns the spread adjacent to here to the north and I found every excuse I could to be here. My daddy finally caught on and says to me ‘Cassia, girl; that man is in love with someone, deeply in love and for whatever reason can’t be with her. Give the man his peace.’ I was angry at Daddy at first but then I was riding one day and Cade was sitting on the bank of one of the streams. He was studying a picture when I approached. I could tell it was of a woman so I asked him: ‘Who is she?’ He handed me a picture of you and says, ‘That’s my Manny; I’m trying to earn her dad’s respect so I can see her and do things right.’ I knew then that it was hopeless,” Cassia was smiling at her now.
“It was just after that that Ben came to my rescue after a riding accident; it was the beginning of something very special for us and I am so glad things worked out the way they did.”
“You seem very happy,” Amanda noted.
“I am,” Cassia nodded, then seemed to study her a moment. “That man loves you, Manny. He has worked so hard the last few years that we all feared he would make himself sick. Ben says he kept saying he had to have something to offer you and wanted your father’s respect. He certainly earned Ben’s and Mr. Carter’s. And my Daddy’s and that isn’t easy.”
“My daddy was mad at him because of me and only because of me and I suppose had we been more up front with my father as Cade requested perhaps we could have avoided this mess. Then again, maybe not. Had my father told me not to see him it wouldn’t have stopped me,” Amanda shrugged. She had asked herself many times if things would have been different if she had let Cade approach her father right after he came home from college as he had wanted to. There was no way of knowing now.
“Hard to say about fathers,” Cassia grinned. “I was afraid Daddy wasn’t going to be happy about Ben and me but he handled it pretty well. Why he thought I would want to move off to the city for a career man is beyond me,” Cassia rolled her eyes; Amanda laughed.
“My daddy had it is head that I didn’t need to be a rancher’s wife. Men can be so illogical,” Amanda was still chuckling.
“Most folks around here are going to be quite pleased to see you,” Cassia informed Amanda. “There will be a few ladies who aren
’t quite so pleased.”
“Oh?” Amanda frowned at her.
“Cade has a few admirers and they took his recent hand full of dates with Carey as a good sign. He’s driven them nuts for years; they aren’t going to be happy to see you.”
“Oh,” Amanda smiled and shook her head. “I think we ran into a couple of them last night. He’s never had a shortage of admirers.”
“No, I guess not,” Cassia smiled back. “I think I’m going to like having you around.”
“I think I’m going to like having you around too,” Amanda admitted.
“Mommy,” Cadey-Lynn came rushing through the door to climb into her mother’s lap.
“Hey, Baby,” Amanda snuggled her daughter close.
“I recognized you from your picture and the moment I saw Cadey-Lynn I knew Cade had been missing more than he bargained for,” Cassia told her. “She looks so much like him it isn’t funny.”
“I know,” Amanda acknowledged.
“If this one is a boy I hope he looks just like his daddy,” Cassia rubbed her rounded abdomen.
Amanda found herself daydreaming about a couple more little ones who looked like their daddy and smiled; she wanted that very much.
____________________________________________________
Amanda rode beside Cade, her hand in his. It had been a relaxed trip so far, but the closer they got to her father’s ranch, the more nervous she became. When they stopped in town to gather boxes for Amanda’s things, they caused a stir.
“Amanda! Cade!” Lisa called as they were passing the maternity store where she was now a manager. “I am so glad you found him, Mandy. It’s good to see you, Cade.”
“Thanks,” Cade smiled, though his expression suggested he didn’t quite recall her from school.
“What’s next for you two?”
“We’re getting married,” Amanda shared.
“Congrats. I’ve got to get back in here but I was so happy to look up and see you together that I had to say hi.” Lisa waved and slipped back into the store. They were stopped several more times before they ever reached their destination.
Under the Open Sky (Montana Heritage Series) Page 38