Page 52 of Freeing the Wild
DAX
Who is this cowboy you left with?
A friend.
DAX
Cassie, you’re supposed to be getting your head right.Not getting under some local hillbilly for the world to see.
Boundaries, Dax.And you just crossed them.We’re done talking.
And he’s not a hillbilly.
I close the conversation with Dax and pull up the message thread with Haden instead.
I forgot to tell you that I have a twin sister.
Apparently last night she showed up at the Horse and Barrel, got really drunk and threw herself at some cowboy when she didn’t mean it.
I wait for a few minutes on the edge of my bed but Haden doesn’t reply.
“Am I here to visit myself?”Ivy calls down the hall.I stand and make my way back out to her.
“Sorry, he’s driving me crazy.”I tell her about Dax.
“Knock knock.”My mama pokes her head around the door with a smile on her face as I start wolfing down the delicious food from Jo’s kitchen.“I brought you carrot cake,” she says, and my heart swells in my chest.My mama’s carrot cake is something I haven’t had in years.I don’t know if its being hungover or just the vision of my mother—healthy and caring in front of me—but I stand up and throw my arms around her.
“What’s all this?”It’s just carrot cake.”She laughs, softly hugging me back.
“I just love you, Mama.I’m so proud of you,” I tell her.
“Aww, honey.I love you too.Hell, if this is the reaction I get, I’m gonna bring cake more often.”I squeeze her hand.I feel so full of emotion and, for the first time since I got here, I’m really looking forward to my session with Dr.Payler today and unpacking the last twenty-four hours with her.
“So what happened last night?”Ivy asks.
I shrug as I help Billi with a little musical ball Ivy brought in her bag, pressing the buttons to make different notes for her.
“What happened was I went out and had fun and then Haden drove me home.He was there with Cole.”
“Mmhmm,” Ivy muses.She is living her best life right now,letting me entertain Billi while she wraps herself in a blanket and feasts on my mother’s carrot cake.
“He’s a good kid.Handsome too,” my mama adds.
“Is he now?”I ask cheekily.“Listen, you two little matchmakers.I live on the road most of the time.I don’t have time for romance.”
My mother reaches over and places her hand on my knee.
“Even singers need their person, Cass.Look at Faith Hill.She landed that Tim McGraw and still kept singing.”
I laugh at her comparing me to the queen herself.“I’ll keep that in mind, Mama.”
Ivy stands and heads into the kitchen.“I’m having another piece.No shame.”
“Get me one too?”I say.No shame sounds incredible.Living without someone constantly critiquing my weight or my image feels pretty damn good, so when I bite into the cake, I could cry.
“You okay?”Ivy asks with a concerned tone when she sees my expression.
“I’ve just really missed cake.”I laugh.Ivy and my mama laugh with me.
