Page 31 of The Best Is Yet to Come

She nodded. “I’ve seen how you are with the animals at the shelter. As far as I’m concerned, you’ve proven yourself. You went out of your way to help me when it would have been easy to drive off. I don’t believe you’re a dangerous person, Cade. I trust you.”

“Do you know even what crimes I committed?”

“No, and I don’t need to unless you feel it’s something you want to tell me.”

He sighed and closed his eyes before he spoke. “I was drunk and got into a bar fight. It wasn’t my finest moment. I didn’t deserve any leniency; the judge took pity on me and gave me time served and probation with certain stipulations.”

“Community service?”

He nodded. “Harry…a friend, suggested the animal shelter.”

They’d gotten sidetracked a bit. “You mentioned you’d recently seen your mother. That’s encouraging, don’t you think?”

“It would be, if it hadn’t been inside a courtroom.” He expelled his breath. “I hated that the first time I’d had any contact with her in over six years was when I stood before a judge. It humiliated me for her to see how low I’d gone.”

“Oh Cade.” She tightened her hold on his hand.

“The worst of it is she was sure to tell my father, and knowing my dad, he probably ate it up.”

“You can’t be sure of that.”

“You don’t know my father,” Cade argued. “The minute he learned I’d joined the army, he went ballistic. He was convinced I did it to spite him and that it was the biggest mistake of my life.”

Cade’s voice had grown tight with pain and frustration. He’d revealed a vulnerable part of himself that she was certain he didn’t discuss often, or at all. Darkness had settled over the landscape and over them. The moon slowly started to rise over the horizon.

Cade pulled his hand from hers and settled it on Shadow’s back. “Now that you know the worst, I’ll understand if you’d rather not have anything to do with me.”

Hope thought over his comment, and while she probably should have some reservations when it came to Cade, she went with her gut. She’d liked Cade from the beginning and trusted him.

“I have a question for you,” she said.

“Okay.” He’d tensed right along with his voice.

“Do you have plans Saturday night?”

She felt, more than saw, his head swivel toward her.

“No. Why?”

“I’m chaperoning the homecoming dance at the high school, and I’d like to know if you’ll be my date.”

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