Tutus & Cowboy Boots (Part 2) (15 page)

“I love it. Daisy and Paisley,” he says,
walking up to her. “What do you think, little one? You like the
name Paisley?” he asks the calf. I watch her nudge his hand. “I
think she likes it,” he says.

“I love it,” Gran says from behind us. We
look from Gran to Daisy and I think she likes it too. We spend a
little more time with them before going on with the rest of the
day.

***

I know this is the week I told myself I was
going to make a decision about going to Boston but all I’ve done
besides school is spend time with Barrick, take care of Paisley,
and dance. Barrick and I have been using our alone time in the barn
to attack each other’s lips. It has almost become a distraction at
dance when I drift off thinking of his lips on mine, but Jade
quickly pulls me back into focus on our routine.

“Girl, you got it bad. But you better not
hurt my brother. What are you going to do about Boston? Are you
going to go? Have you told him yet?” Jade bombards me with
questions as we walk out of the studio on Thursday.

“No, I haven’t told him. I didn’t want to
until I made up my mind. I almost told him after Paisley was born
but I chickened out. I know it’s not right to ask you to keep a
secret for me.”

“Cade, I told you I would but he needs to
know. I know my dad’s been riding him about college as well and I
know he doesn’t want to leave you.”

“He doesn’t?”

“Cadence, he loves you and I’ve never seen
him like this before. He’s always a gentleman with girls but he’s
different with you. I know you don’t know yet but don’t lead him
on.”

“Jade, I promise as soon as I decide I’ll
talk to him,” I assure her.

“Okay, well don’t wait too long. Oh, hey,
can I ride with you tomorrow? My parents have some big shindig to
go to after the competition Saturday night.”

“Sure, no problem. I’m so glad all our
routines are on Saturday this weekend.”

“Me too. Maybe we’ll be able to have some
fun afterward,” Jade says with a wiggle of her hips. I laugh and
hope this weekend is as magical as last.

Barrick

Jade and Cadence went to
the dance competition today and I miss my helper.
It might have to do with the way she
kisses.
I know they won’t be home late but
now it’s five and they still aren’t here. I’m done for the day so I
decide to go home and get cleaned up in case Cadence wants to go
out tonight.

“Where y’all goin’?” I ask when I walk in
the house and see Mom and Dad all dressed up.

“We have the function at Two Mountains
Farm.”

“Oh. What time do you think the girls will
be back?” I question.

“I’d think in the next hour. Remember, no
girls in this house without a parent,” Mom states.

“Mom, I’m an adult.”

“As long as you’re under my roof, the answer
is no,” she says with her arms crossed.

“Yes, ma’am,” I say, knowing not to push
it.

After Mom and Dad leave, I check on things
in our barn before I shower and put on clean clothes. I’m sprawled
out on the couch when I hear the side door open and close. I jump
up to see if Cadence came in with Jade.

“Cadence didn’t come in with you?” I
question.

“No, she said she wanted to take a shower
and that you should text her about doing something later. I won’t
tell Mom and Dad if she comes over,” she says with a wink before
vanishing to the bathroom. After she’s showered Jade returns to the
living room, flops down on the couch, and steals the remote.

“Hey, I had that first.” She sticks out her
tongue and changes the channel.

“Real mature, Jade,” I say as I steal it
back and put the channel back on the rodeo. When Jade begins to
pout, I throw her the remote and she grins from ear to ear.

“You know you love
Pretty Little Liars
,” she
laughs.

“Oh yeah because the girls are hot.” She
rolls her eyes.

“You’re such a dude. There are more
important things than good looks. Take Cadence for example. She’s
beautiful, but you hated her to start. What if you had given Maddie
the same chance? I mean she’s got good in their somewhere, doesn’t
she?” I stare at Jade.

“Jade, where do you get this stuff? I mean,
damn. Maddie has always been a bitch. It runs in their family. Have
you met her older sister? Misty is a queen bee on steroids. I felt
sorry for every girl and guy that crossed her path in high school,
including myself.”

She starts to laugh. “I guess you’re right,
but I always believe that there is good in everyone. It’s a matter
of whether they choose to embrace it.”

“When did you get so smart?” I ask, pulling
her into my shoulder.

“I think it runs in the family,” she says
with a smile. “Speaking of smart, what did you tell Dad about
college?”

“That I didn’t know what I wanted to do now
that Cadence is in my life.”

“Oh, wow, so it is as serious as I thought.
Bare, just because I gave Cade a chance and found out that she’s
actually not a bitch, be careful you don’t get hurt.”

“Do you know about Boston?” I ask.

“You
know about Boston?”

“Yeah, Dad told me last week. Told me not to
let my feelings for Cadence influence my decision about school.
Jade, I don’t know if I can do that. I love her and I’ve never felt
this way before. I just don’t understand why she hasn’t told me
about it yet and it kinda hurts that she doesn’t trust me. If she
loves me as much as I love her, she should be able to tell me what
is going on in her life.”

“Bare, she asked me not to say anything to
you because she wanted to wait and tell you when she decided what
she was going to do. I know she loves you and it’s killing her to
make a decision. She has to decide whether she wants to follow her
lifelong dream or… you. Personally I’d pick the dream,” she says
with a straight face. I smack her with a pillow and she starts
laughing.

“Seriously though Bare, you both just need
to talk to each other.”

“I know,” I admit and then look at the TV.
“So, who’s ‘A’ anyways?”

“I’ll never tell!” She winks and I
laugh.

“You and those dang books. You already know
the answer. Why do you need to watch the show?”

“Why do you have to watch
those
Dukes of Hazzard
reruns?”
Good point.

I leave it alone and sit with her for a few
minutes. As I sit and think about what she said, I realize I have
an amazing sister. She is one of a kind, and I love her dearly. I
know I need to follow her advice and talk to Cadence.

I text Cadence and ask if
she wants to come over. She quickly texts back with a
yes
and before I know it,
there’s a slight knock on the door. When I open the door, Cadence
is standing there dressed like she’s ready to take on the
town.

“Hey, beautiful,” I say as I kiss her lips
and pull her into me.

“Hey, now, you two be good,” Jade hollers
from the couch. Cadence starts to giggle and the moment is
ruined.

“Wanna get outta here?” I ask her.

“You know it,” she says with a quick kiss
before telling Jade bye.

I hear Jade call out, “Good girls are home
by midnight.”

Cadence looks at me. “What if I’m not a good
girl?”

“You better stop before you get us in
trouble,” I say as we walk out the door and I help her into the
truck before driving to our spot.

Our spot looks a little different than it
did before without the lights. But we snuggle up on my tailgate and
we take in the sound of the crickets and the cool spring
breeze.

I take her hand in mine and kiss it gently.
“Cadence, I didn’t think y’all were ever going to get home
today.”

She turns to look at me. “I felt the same
way. Once we were done with our routines, I couldn’t wait to get
out of there. I didn’t even care what awards we got.” I pull her
even closer. “What’s that noise?”

“What do you mean?”

“That creaking sound.”

“Oh, you mean the crickets. They’re one of
my favorite things about places like this. No cars. No lights. No
loud noises. Just the sounds of nature. It makes me feel closer to
God. Just wait until it gets closer to summer; the lightenin’ bugs
are amazing.” She crinkles her nose. “Don’t worry, you’ll love
them, I promise,” I assure her.

“How did I not know life like this existed?
I mean I used to visit Gran but I just never really appreciated it.
I just counted down the minutes until I could get back to the
city,” she says and I say a silent prayer that she’ll want to stay
close to Delight.

“Sometimes light can be blinding. When I
used to feel like life was getting in the way, I would just go out
to the middle of nowhere and listen. It’s amazing how clear things
can be when there aren’t any distractions.”

She bites the side of her lip and I know
she’s thinking about something. “Can we just sit and listen. I
think I have a few things I need to figure out.”

“Sure,” I say because as much as I want to
help her make her decision, I know she needs to just listen for God
to give her the answer. I hold her tight until she falls asleep on
my shoulder.

I give one last look up into the night sky
and decide that this is what I want for my life. I want a strong
woman by my side. A woman who is willing to work hard and who will
be there for me as I will be there for her. As a star shoots across
the sky, I know God sent me just the right woman and everything
will work out.

Chapter 23

Cadence

On Sunday morning, I feel so alive after
another amazing night with Barrick. I feel as though I was meant to
be here all along. I decide to let Mom know that I don’t want to go
to Boston and want to pursue one of the colleges closer to Delight
instead.

“Mom!” I call from my room.

“Yes, Cadence?” she asks as she walks into
my room.

“Mom, I’ve decided I don’t want to go to
Boston. I want to stay close to Delight.”

“Cadence, are you sure you’re making your
decision for the right reasons?”

“Yes, Mom. I know that you didn’t want me to
make my decision based on my feelings for Barrick but he’s only
part of the reason. Last night we just sat out under the stars and
everything just felt right, like I am supposed to be here. Near you
and Gran and the farm.”

“Well, Cadence I’d be happy to have you
close by as long as it’s what you want to do. I love you,
honey.”

“I love you too, Mom.” We talk some more
about the other colleges and then I show her Dad’s gift. She’s glad
I opened it and actually cries when she sees what’s in it. She
tells me that she has forgiven him and I should too. I know I will
one day but I can’t just yet.

Jade and I have another long week at the
studio but I’m used to the schedule by now. Barrick and I meet up
in the barn every morning and check on Daisy and Paisley. I feel
like a proud mama and, I guess, grandmama. Paisley is adorable and
I just feel the need to take care of her. Man, I don’t know what
the heck happened to me but I’d never believe I’d get mushy over a
cow. I guess watching a new life come into the world changes you. I
think I’m finally getting used to my new life.

Waking up Thursday morning,
I realize that the sun is creeping in my window. I glance at my
phone and jump out of bed.
Shit! My alarm
didn’t go off!
Looking out the window I see
that Barrick isn’t here yet, which means I didn’t sleep too late. I
toss on some clothes, tell Gran
I got
it
as she finishes her coffee, and hurry to
check on Daisy.

As I open the door, I hear
an odd sound. I look around and don’t see anything. Then I enter
the barn and hear the sound again.
What is
that? It almost sounds like something is in distress.
My heart begins to race.
Oh gosh! Daisy!

Hurrying to the stall, I find Daisy lying on
her side mooing in pain. Without another thought, I sprint back to
the house and pull the screen door open quickly.

As it slams behind me, I yell, “Gran!
Gran!”

“What’s wrong, Cade? I was heading down
now.”

Tears begin to well in my eyes as I try to
tell her between breaths. “Daisy. Hurt. Help her!” I squall. Mom
comes out of the bathroom dressed for work to see what is going
on.

“Call the vet,” Gran yells to Mom. “Cadence,
follow me quickly.” Gran moves without panic or fear. She holds
herself together as we quickly walk to the barn.

My heart begins to pound out of my chest as
I hear Daisy cry out again. Fear fills my soul, and I begin to
shake. When we enter the barn, Gran hurries to Daisy. As Gran
reaches her, she lets out a horrific moan. I look to Gran for
direction, but when I see Paisley, it’s as if my instincts kick in.
I know exactly what I need to do. Leading her from the stall and
into another one, I yell to Gran.

“Gran, what do I need to do?” I question
with a quiver in my voice.

“Stay with Paisley and comfort her. She
needs you,” Barrick says and I’ve never been more relieved to hear
his voice in all my life. “Ms. Mae what’s going on?” I hear him say
as his voice moves away from me.

“Barrick, I have no idea. She’s been fine
all week. Cadence came to check on them this morning like she has
been and then ran to the house like a hot mess. Let’s try and keep
her comfortable until the vet arrives. It has been a long time
since I’ve had an issue like this but I’m afraid we’re going to
have to put her down.”

“Ms. Mae, you can’t be serious?” he says in
a hushed voice and I look at Paisley.

“Paisley, it’s going to be okay. Your mommy
isn’t going anywhere.” I say while I pet her head and pray I’m not
lying. Neither of them says another word as they try to keep Daisy
calm while they wait for the vet.