From Ashes(44)
Author: Molly McAdams

Jesse looked at the Tahoe with wide eyes, then back to me. “First, I don’t want to know what you did to come into this money. Second, I’m stealing that car from you. Third, didn’t Gage tell you about the bills?”

“What? No, what happened with the bills?”

“Cass.” He sighed and grabbed my hand to lead me to the porch swing. “The day y’all first brought food over for us, when Gage took me outside, he said he and his dad had talked and were going to pay for all Mom’s bills. They even paid the mortgage last month.”

My heart swelled for the man I loved. I knew he had reservations when it came to Jesse, but he’d been silent about them since I told him about Isabella. Still, I’d never expected him to do something like this. “Oh, Jesse—”

“Yeah, tell me about it. And without the stress on either of us, I can see how much easier it is on Ma. Only having to concentrate on fighting the cancer has helped her a lot. It’s been a blessing. But, Cassi, tell me why you left.”

I took a deep breath in and out. “Can I come in? I grabbed some groceries so I could make you two an early dinner. I went home to see Gage, but he’s already back at the ranch. I was going to go there but it’ll be too late and I’ll need it light when I drive to find my way, so I’ll wait ’til tomorrow. If you want, you and Isabella should come with me, so Gage’s family can meet her.”

Jesse grinned. “I think we’d both like that. Why don’t you sleep here tonight, we’ll leave early tomorrow, yeah?”

I could have gone to Tyler’s, but I didn’t know if he was still in town. I hadn’t talked to him since he’d come back either. “All right, help me with these groceries. I’ll get the food started, then I’ll tell you guys everything. But first, I think I need a hug from your mom. I’ve missed her.”

His crooked grin turned into a full-blown, blinding smile that reached his dark eyes. “She’s missed you too. It’ll be good to have a Cassidy meal again.” He winked and nudged my side before helping me up and following me to my new Tahoe. “Stealing this car,” he mumbled as we approached it.

“How about this: you can have this if you give me your ’69 Camaro.”

He looked appalled. “Oh hell no.”

“That’s what I thought. I’ll keep my pretty beast, and you can keep your baby.” That car was his baby. He’d tried to sell it a hundred times to help with his mom’s bills but she would hide the keys so he couldn’t drive or sell it. I knew he would’ve in a heartbeat, but I bet he was glad he still had it.

“Stealing this car,” he breathed again, and I laughed as we shut the doors and headed back up to the house.

Chapter Sixteen

GAGE

I WAS JUST pulling up to the main house on the ranch as Dad was getting ready to start the day. He took one look at me and hung his head, let it shake to the side once, then came over to me and pulled me into a hug. One I didn’t, couldn’t, reciprocate.

“What happened?” he asked when he pulled back.

“She’s gone.” I tried to act like it didn’t bother me, but fuck, it did. My world, my heart, was gone.

“She gonna stay in California?”

“Nope.” I let the word pop and looked over toward the stables. “Got to the house and Aunt Steph was surprised as all get-out to see me. Said Cass asked her to take her to the airport that morning when she got back from getting coffee. Cassidy’s words: ‘I need to leave, would you please give me a ride?’ She’s gone, Dad. I came right back and drove through the night.”

“Shit, son, well, maybe she’s coming back to Texas.”

“And still not calling me?” I laughed humorlessly and shook my head. “No, Dad, she’s gone.” I had to bite my tongue and looked over at my hand, which was gripping the door to my truck. Slamming it shut, I yelled, “Damn it!” My hand fisted and I wanted to punch something, anything, but like Tyler had said, my temper was what had driven her away. I let my back hit the door and slid down ’til my ass was on the ground and let my head fall into my now-relaxed hands.

Dad sat down next to me, and before I knew it, Mom was out there in front of me with her hands on my knees, staying quiet, which was completely out of character for Mama.

“She’s it. Cassidy’s it for me, I’ve never doubted that, not since I first met her. Y’all know what Tyler did to us; y’all know why it was so hard for us. And now? Now I can’t blame anyone but myself. I pushed her away, and this time she’s not coming back.”

“If she’s it, then she’ll come back,” Mama said hopefully.

“Not this time, Mama.”

After a couple minutes, Mom spoke again. “You’ll find someone, Gage.” But even she sounded doubtful. She’d been worried when Cassidy and Tyler broke up, but after I’d told them about what Tyler had done to me and Cass . . . hell, Mama was practically planning our wedding.

“Yeah, I will,” I said, surprising the shit out of both of them by the looks on their faces. “But she’ll never be Cassidy, she’ll never have me. Not the way Cassidy does. She’ll always be the girl for me, no matter what.” I mumbled the last part, then stood and walked into the house, up the stairs, and to my room to take a shower.

After, I lay on my bed for a couple hours before going down to the kitchen to grab breakfast. The girls looked at me like they still hated me, and I hated me too. “Goin’ for a ride,” I announced when their glares got to be too much. Hell, Emily at barely six was glaring just as good as Amanda was.

When I got out to the stables and got to Bear, I just stood there staring at him, thinking about the night on the hill with Cassidy, the tattoo on her arm, and the way it felt to have her sitting in front of me on my horse. With a reluctant sigh, I greeted him and ran my hands over him before saddling him up and heading out.

CASSIDY

I HOPPED OUT of my SUV and waited until Jesse pulled in behind me. Taking in a deep breath and loving the smell of the ranch, I stretched my body and went over to help Isabella out of the Camaro.

We’d woken up really early that morning, and after a quick breakfast and making sure Isabella felt up to the journey, we set off. Isabella was more than excited; knowing she was meeting the family had her feeling amazing, even through the sickness. I know I should have called, but I still couldn’t bring myself to first talk to Gage over the phone. His truck and Ty’s Jeep were the first things I’d noticed when we pulled up. I was surprised that Tyler was there, but I’d been out of contact for a bit and they’d always been close, so I was really happy for them.

I’d just gotten Isabella out when Tyler came running out of the house, followed closely by all of Gage’s sisters. I took a few steps from Isabella, since it didn’t look like Tyler was going to stop, and was glad I did when he grabbed me and swung me around.

“Damn it, Cassi, you have so much you need to talk to him about. He’s . . . he’s really f**ked up, sweetheart.”

I nodded my head against his shoulder before he let me down.

“Whose Tahoe?” he asked appreciatively. “And who are they?” he asked, looking at Jesse, who was holding his mom up.

“Uh, my Tahoe, bought it yesterday.” I grinned impishly. “And this is Jesse and his mother, Isabella.”

“You’re Isabella!” Amanda gasped, and she quickly came to my side to hug me, touch my cheek gently with her fingertips, and smile brightly at me. “I’m so happy you’re here, Cass,” she said softly, then turned to Isabella and Jesse to introduce herself.

I was surrounded by hugs from Nikki and Emily and quickly explained to Tyler who Jesse and Isabella were. I’d told them last night about everything, so they knew about the fight, the fire, California, and Tyler, but Jesse still didn’t seem to like Tyler all that much. I did notice he and Amanda couldn’t take their eyes from each other though, and Isabella took one look at them, turned to me, and winked.

Emily and Nikki tugged me toward the house, Amanda helped Isabella, and Jesse and Tyler got all the bags and followed us in. When Gage’s mom, Tessa, heard us all come in, she walked out of the kitchen and actually dropped her wooden spoon as she ran to engulf me in a hug that lasted for what felt like minutes. When she pulled back, her eyes were bright with tears and she was touching my cheeks just as Amanda had done.

“Oh my sweet girl, thank you.”

My eyebrows drew together in confusion, but I didn’t have time to ask what she was thanking me for because it was then that she noticed Jesse and Isabella, and the next round of introductions took place. Of course, she grabbed the phone and called Gage’s dad right away, telling him that he had to come back immediately. Not ten minutes later, he waltzed in, took one look at me, and a huge grin broke out from under that Sam Elliott mustache. He took large steps across the room and picked me up off the floor to hug me before setting me back down.

“Damn, girl, it is good to see you in this house.”

“Thanks, John,” I said softly. I just hoped Gage felt the same way. “John, this is Jesse and his mother, Isabella. They’re the family you’ve been helping.”

Isabella was crying softly and Jesse actually left her side and walked right up to John to hug him. John’s eyes went wide with shock and his hands came up and patted Jesse’s back. When Jesse stepped back and tried to thank him, no words would come out and he just hung his head. John patted his shoulder and walked past him to sit next to Isabella on the couch and pull her into a hug as the rest of the family had done.

Tyler wrapped an arm around my waist and touched the exposed part of my back. “That’s awesome, Cass, when’d you get it?” he whispered.

“Thursday. Where’s Gage?” I’d bought a couple of those racer-back tanks; the one I was wearing today was a dark green, the same color as Gage’s eyes, eyes that I’d spent way too long without.

He pulled me back a ways from the living room toward the dining room. “The girls said he went out to ride a couple hours before you got here. He must have gotten back sometime early this morning; I was still asleep when he did and when he left.”

“Gotten back?”

“He went to California yesterday to get you, Cass; got to my parents’ house, and my mom told him you were gone. From what Aunt Tessa said, he thinks you’re gone gone. I’m tellin’ you, Cass. He’s. Fucked. Up.”

“He went to California? How did he know I was there? Did you tell him?”

Tyler looked at me like I was dense. “Cass, come on, I told him when we were in the airport before we even left Texas. I thought you just left without a word. He’d already woken up and was looking for you. He told me about the note you left him—not a good choice, by the way.” He raised an eyebrow at me.

“Wait! He has known where I was for two weeks and he didn’t try to come get me or call me before yesterday?” Connor’s words in his apartment yesterday morning started flooding my mind.