Page 60 of The Unbuttoned Ranger
She sighed. “Marriage isn’t easy.”
“I want us to build a home together.”
“But why? You barely know me.”
“I know you’re a good mother, a good human, and that’s saying a lot.”
She searched his expression. He was serious. And why didn’t she say a hardno?
Marriage. She swore she’d never marry again, never even consider marrying someone. And yet, what Sharp offered was safety, security, and a stepfather to Carsen. Yet, marriage was commitment to one’s person. A lifelong commitment and she’d been stripped of her forever once. She’d invested so much of herself into Dante, and he’d betrayed her.
Sharp wasn’t Dante.
Sharp made her feel…what?
Safe. Something she hadn’t felt in so long. Seeing him with Carsen and how they connected made her happy.
“Don’t answer right now,” Sharp told her. “Think about it for a few days. I’m a patient man.”
She stood on tiptoe and kissed him. “Yes you are, and I appreciate everything.”
“I’ll take off and we’ll see each other later.” They kissed again and he left.
She was staring through the window into the darkness of the night when she heard, “You could always marry worse.”
CaDee turned and saw Piper standing in the doorway.
“Piper! Were you eavesdropping?”
“No. I was coming to grab a glass of water and caught the tail end of that.”
“You could have alerted us.”
Piper sighed. “Sit for a minute.” She pointed at the table.
“Piper, I’m tired and I don’t want to discuss the proposal—”
“It’ll only take a minute.” She pointed at the chair again.
CaDee sat. “You know I respect your opinion, but this is something I need to think about.”
“I want to tell you a story.” She stared into the distance as if looking into the past through a painting on the wall. “I was eighteen when I met my husband. He was tall, dark and handsome.”
“Love at first sight?”
“No, I couldn’t stand him,” she huffed. “Arrogant as the day was long.” She waved a knotted hand through the air. “But he pursued me. I knew it was the challenge. Men like my late husband craved the challenge. Matthew had a reputation, you see, as being a player and I wanted no part of that. Ma always told me when looking for a lifelong partner look for a fireplace and not fireworks. Well, he was fireworks. Until one night. The only people who know the truth are dead and gone, and me. AndI’m going to make it two by telling you.” Her sad eyes filled with unshed tears.
“I had just graduated high school and like most kids back then, we were out celebrating down in the holler. A crowd had gathered, we were all drinking and being teens on the precipice of freedom. There was a young man I was fond of. He was a fireplace. He had pretty eyes and a kindness that promised he’d make a great partner. He and I wandered a bit from the others, talking about what our hopes and dreams were for the future, and he kissed me. I’d never kissed anyone before so I was a bit taken back. Soon he started moving his hands on my body and I was scared. I pushed him away and he seemed to understand, but as I started to walk away to join the group again, he came up behind me and dragged me into the woods. There he took my most precious gift. My innocence. Trust. In one act he ruined me.”
“Piper, I’m so sorry.” CaDee reached over and laid her hand on Piper’s.
The woman looked down as if she hadn’t been shown kindness in a long time. “I didn’t tell a soul, except for Matthew. He saw me running away from the party and he was worried, he caught up to me, and I guess I was so relieved to cry on his shoulder and tell him what I had just suffered. He swept me away in his truck to get me away from the others and tried to convince me to go to the Sheriff and report what happened. But I was afraid. Ashamed. Things were different back in those times. I worried that I’d be a disgrace to my parents, and no man would ever want a woman who had been hurt. I was naive. But Matthew, he held me for hours, didn’t judge me. For a month he was there for me, a friend, never taking advantage of my situation.” Her narrow shoulders slumped . “Then I found out I was pregnant. I was devastated all over again. I had no clue how I’d tell my family. Matthew asked me to marry him and madea promise he’d protect me, keep me safe, and always love me and my child. And you know, he came through on his promise. The boy who had this wild reputation turned out to be the best husband a woman could ask for. He raised our son like he was blood and he loved me so well. Then the accident…” She exhaled. “Fate cheated me.”
“Piper, what happened to the boy who did that to you?”
“I don’t know the details. Of course there were rumors. Some say he ran off with one of the girls in town because he got her pregnant. I often wonder if I had a hand in forcing him out of Fin’s Creek, but Matthew and I never talked about that night or mentioned the attacker’s name again. I’ve prayed that whatever happened to him he never hurt another woman. I often felt guilty, thinking I should have come forward not for me as much as for anyone who would be in danger because of him. I’m telling you this because sometimes we need to understand that marriage is as much about friendship as it is lust. Love doesn’t always come crashing through all our walls, but sometimes it’s as gentle as a feather knocking out block by block. I’ve known Sharp all my life and he’s a great balance between the feather and wrecking ball. He needs someone like you who can allow him to expose all the layers.”
CaDee looked down at her lap. “That’s a big step. I enjoy his company. I’ve learned to let down o those walls, but my life is quite a mess right now.”
