Page 24 of Sweet Music
CASH
Cash thought about Bella Wood all the way back to the farm.
There were a million other things he knew his mind should be on, like what he was going to say to the boy, how he was going to tell his parents what was going on, and how long he could possibly put off his national tour to get to know his son.
But somehow, he kept getting caught on the memory of the girl’s serious brown eyes, and the lightning flash that had gone through him the second his hand touched hers.
There was a tingling in his veins and his foot wanted to tap on the gas pedal, almost like back in the days when he was writing songs and couldn’t sit still until he got alone with his guitar to put them down.
But that was probably just wishful thinking. He hadn’t had days like that in a long time.
You’re just distracting yourself by thinking about the girl,so you don’t have to think about talking to Mom and Dad.
And the truth of it was that he was going to be home any minute, and he still had no idea how to broach the subject with them.
But Mom had book club later today, and knowing Dad, he’d stop by the feed shop to chew the fat with the boys sooner than later. And the fact that Tripp already knew told him that the rest of his siblings probably did as well. His brothers might not spill the beans, but Allie was especially bad at keeping secrets. The window for Cash to tell his parents about things himself before someone showed them that video was closing quickly.
As he pulled down the driveway toward the stone farmhouse, he spotted Dad’s truck, thankfully still parked out front. They hadn’t gone anywhere just yet.
He parked and hopped out into the cold, bright sunlight, mesmerized for a second by the way it glittered on the snowy trees that lined the drive. He was tempted to stop and drink in the familiar sight that he hadn’t seen in so long.
Stop that,he scolded himself.No more dillydallying. Go inside.
He jogged up the steps and opened the front door.
“Shoes,”his parents called from the back of the house.
He kicked off his boots in a hurry and headed back to the kitchen, determined to tell them everything before he lost his nerve.
The family photos on the wall along the way seemed to taunt him, now that he knew there was a missing face that should have been here with all the others…
When he reached the kitchen, he was glad to find thatit was just Mom and Dad, working on lunch. With the whole family living on the farm, and Mom and Dad’s place at the heart of it, it was kind of a miracle to find them alone.
“Son,” Dad said warmly, holding out an arm.
Dad had this nice way of doing that ever since Cash was about twelve. He would hold out that arm in a way that you could wave to him, high-five him, or collapse into his chest, depending on how grown-up you were feeling at the moment.
Cash probably surprised him when he went in for the hug today. And even after all these years, the reassuring strength of his dad’s arms around him and the light scent of his aftershave made Cash feel braver.
Could my hug make Cody feel like that one day?
“I have to tell you both something,” he said as he pulled back.
“Of course,” Mom said, setting down the knife she was using to chop vegetables and wiping her hands on her apron.
But suddenly, he wasn’t sure what to say.
“What’s on your mind, son?” Dad asked.
“I’ve tried to live in a way you two could be proud of,” Cash said. “I sing good old-fashioned music. And I don’t party, not anymore at least. I put most of my earnings aside for a rainy day. And I make sure my crew is paid well and taken care of.”
“Wearevery proud,” Mom said.
Dad nodded, listening.
“When I first broke out though, I waskind of going through a hard time,” he heard himself admit. “It doesn’t make sense, I know that. All my dreams were coming true.”
“I, remember,” Dad said matter-of-factly. “We figured you were going through some kind of breakup.”
