Page 1 of Cade

CHAPTER 1

Cade

The drive through Jasper Springs was always the prettiest early in the morning. The sunrise colored the skies in various rich tones, from blush to ochre to lavender like some picturesque postcard, which was one of the things I had always loved about this town.

It was always warm, a comfortable seventy degrees even in the winter, which wasn’t a terrible thing. I could have only imagined driving in snow, sleet and ice when there was an emergency at the Jasper Springs Pet Hospital, beholden to snow plow trucks and whatnot. In truth, I wasn’t made for the cold, clearly.

I drove past Jasper Springs High and turned up the radio. My heart ached at hearing the familiar melodic tones of Ariana Grande, if only because it reminded me of him. My ex.

I knew then in my heart we weren’t meant to be. Hell, I knew when I started dating Bill, we were probably going to go up in flames, so I absolutely knew that I shouldn’t have been so worked up over everything, but I thought... I thought maybe, just possibly I’d be proven wrong. And when we had passed that six-month mark, I thought maybe I was right. Maybe this one was different. But it turned out Bill was, in fact, not much different from any of my former flames.

The “it’s not you, it’s me” shit? Yeah, I’m a magnet for that.

Most of the men I met were fun for a little while, but eventually my “small town charm” became less refreshing, and more of a thorn in everyone’s sides.

Just because I don’t see myself leaving Jasper Springs any time doesn’t mean I don’t have value, or that I’m not willing to make something long-distance work.

Ariana’s voice on the radio droned on about letting go.

But life wasn’t a Hallmark movie, either. There weren’t exactly many big city boys coming to tiny little Jasper Springs looking for a small town guy wearing flannel to sweep them off their feet.

A man can dream, right?

Just as I pulled into my usual parking space in front of the pet hospital, my phone went off, that annoying siren ringtone somehow knowing just the exact moment to pull me from my thoughts.

Out of all the men I’d loved before, Dawson was the only one I could actually wholeheartedly agree that we made better friends than we ever did as lovers.

Granted the sex wasn’t half bad, but we’re both way too different for things to have ever worked on a non-platonic level.

As it was our relationship didn’t last long before we both realized that we just didn’t feel the way we probably should have.

It was the most mutual “it’s not you, it’s me” I’d ever been in, because for once I actually delivered the speech, and Dawson just shrugged, as if it didn’t matter. And then he asked me if I wanted pepperoni on the pizza.

And of course, I had agreed.

Is there anything better than a pepperoni pizza?

It’s classic.

Punching the green icon and silencing the trill, I sighed upon answering, knowing if I didn’t, Dawson would just keep calling until I would inevitably lose my shit, despite the fact he knew I was working.

“Yes, Dawson?” I deadpanned.

The man is natural cocaine, I swear to God. His energy can be felt before he even speaks.

“M’s Place put up their Bar Bingo & Karaoke schedule today,” Dawson said with absolute delight as I let out a sigh.

It never bothered me, living in a small town, but there wasn’t much to do around Jasper Springs other than hang out at M’s Place or one of the coffee shops or few restaurants that exist. Of course there was a movie theater, a gym, a baseball field...

But entertainment was still pretty minimal. Most of the folks from Jasper Springs liked it that way, but for the social butterflies like Dawson, there was always M’s Place.

Our friend Mitchell’s brother, Miguel, owned the bar, and while they were most definitely classified as a “dive bar”, they hosted a good amount of events. Everything from holiday parties to trivia nights, to Bar Bingo and karaoke.

And they’re not douchebags when it comes to being openly queer either, being as Mitchell is about as openly gay as one can get.

I pursed my lips. I wished I could have the confidence that Mitchell and Dawson had when it came to social situations like that, but I was about as social as a clam at a clambake.

“And?” I huffed.

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