Page 51 of Freeing the Wild
Cassie
Non-stop buzzing wakes me up.I try to ignore it.It must be the middle of the night.I crack one eye and groan.Goddamn Not Angels and sangria.My head feels like it’s spinning and my body aches all over.Still, the buzzing continues, and my phone is just out of reach.Sun streams through the windows and blinds me as I half roll to the other side of the bed to reach for whoever is rudely waking me up.When I get to said side of the bed there is a huge glass of water, an electrolyte drink and Advil sitting there for me.Thank the fucking Lord.I pop the pills, suck back the water and turn my phone on do not disturb before drifting back to sleep.
When someone knocking on my cabin door wakes me a bit later, I glance at the clock.Almost ten a.m., and thanks to the pain pills I actually feel like a human being.And now I’m hungry.
I sit up—reminding myself that murdering whoever is on theother side of that door is not an option—before wrapping my fluffy robe around my body and popping my warm slippers onto my feet.
The moment I reach my living room, I notice the folded blanket on the sofa.All the memories from last night come rushing back and mortification washes over me when I recall being pretty much naked in front of Haden and throwing myself at him.Bad, bad Cassie.
I make my way to the front of the house and pray it isn’t him at the door.I swing it open and brace myself for what awaits.Mercifully, it’s Ivy and Billi on the other side.And my sister is looking mighty smug.
Even in this depleted state, when Billi smiles and reaches her chubby arms to me, I pull her in for a cuddle.At six months old, she’s the cutest little black-haired, blue-eyed baby I’ve ever seen.
“Hmmm, Auntie Cass looks like death, doesn’t she, baby?”Ivy muses as I prop Billi on my hip and kiss her head.She smells like heaven.
“You sure you’re able to operate a child right now?”she asks.
“Only this one,” I say as Billi pats my face.I nuzzle into her neck and sing to her that she’s my sunshine as she giggles.
“So …” Ivy starts.Here it comes.“I’m here to drop you off some batteries, some candles, and I had Wade leave more wood out back.Laurel Creek is gonna get some snow here while we’re in Florida, and the ranch has been known to lose power when the weather gets rough.You need to be ready is all.”
I know she and Wade—as well as my mama, Jo and Dean—are all heading to Tampa for later today for Angel’s Wings’s prep race.I nod, wondering what this ranch will feel like with all of them gone.
“Also, I ran into Haden this morning,” Ivy continues.“He said he was at the Horse and Barrel last night with Cole.Said he ended up bringing you home.He figured you’d need some food,so he packed you a plate.I was coming round to bring it to you.Fresh from Jo’s kitchen up at the big house.”
She sets a foil-covered plate down on the counter and I just know whatever is under that is gonna be delicious.I almost start to cry with the gesture.
“I was also gonna make you some coffee but it looks like you already did that.”I did?I glance at the huge percolator coffee pot, which isn’t mine.Did he bring that from his house?
“You had no idea this coffee was made, did you?”Ivy snickers as she comes to take Billi from me.
“Apparently your mama is a detective,” I say to my baby niece as I hand her back.
“So … Haden?”
I don’t reply for a moment as I grab a mug and pour myself some coffee.I think today it would serve me better to inject it right into my veins.
“Don’t get your panties in a twist.Nothing happened.He just brought me home.”
“And made you coffee this morning?”
I turn to face her with both hands on the mug before taking a big sip.
“He slept on my sofa.He thought I’d end up in the creek if he left.”
“You might of.Remember when I had to pick you up from the barn party at Steph Branson’s in high school?”Ivy tips her head back and laughs.I wince.The sound is still too loud for me.“You decided skinny-dipping in the pond behind her house was a good idea.”Ivy looks around.“What is that damn buzzing sound?”
“My phone.It wasn’t you texting me earlier?”I ask her as I move to the back of the house.
“No,” she says.I groan and start down the hall.
It’s obvious when I reach my room and pick it up that it’sDax.He’s sent me ten text messages and there are two missed calls.I skim-read the texts.Apparently he would rather see me working on sharing my healing journey on social media than partying at some bar in Kentucky.Obviously, someone recognized me and recorded me because he’s also sent me three clips.There is nothing sinister about them—just two of me and the girls dancing, and one of me leaving with all of them as a group.
It’s the Lord’s Day in Laurel Creek, Dax.Leave me alone.This town rests on Mondays.
And I didn’t do anything stupid last night.I was just having fun.
A memory of me telling Haden he was good at eating my pussy flashes through my mind.At least, I didn’t do anything stupid at the bar.
