Page 47 of Wanted By You

“You can tell her yourself when you’re less of a prick,” I reply.

“Yeah, I will,” he sighs out with a light laugh. “See you soon, asshole.”

We hang up and I push the phone into my pocket. Frankie finishes his late-night business and comes my way, plopping down on his ass as he gives me a look of disappointment. “Don’t look at me like that,” I grump. “I’ll tell her soon. Tomorrow. After dinner…maybe.”

Now that I think about it… How am I going to tell her that her brother is leaving and she isn’t going to see him—for who knows how long—without it breaking her heart and possibly us when she finds out I made it happen? The better question is,whendo I tell her all this?

I shake off the plaguing question. “I’m doing the right thing here, Frank,” I say out loud and unhelpfully as we head into the house so I can get back to where I want to be—where Ineedto be.

I’ll do anything for her. For our future together.

And I’m about to prove just that.

Sixteen.

Cassidy

“So then, we watchedThe Notebookand ate half the cheesecake I bought for us,” I say with the biggest smile. “We fell asleep at some point after I put on the second movie—I don’t even remember what I picked—and when I woke up, we were still cuddled on the couch together.”

Alison’s mouth gapes open. “You’re kidding. Butch Montgomery watchedThe Notebookwith youwillingly?”

“Yes.” I smile, a smile I haven’t been able to stop doing.

“Tell me again about how he looks without a shirt on,” Janice says, fanning herself. “I need something to think about when I go home to Billy tonight.”

I laugh.

“Be honest,” Alison whispers. “If he tried to…you know, would you have?”

I bite my lip. I may have left out afewminor details for the ladies in mypublic coffee shopversion of last night. Would I have had sex with Butch last night if he led ouractivitiesin that direction? Maybe. But he didn’t. He chose to give me a dripping orgasm and ask me out on a date.

And the reminder of our date later tonight has me giddy all over again.

“Honestly, maybe. He was being so sweet, guys, I’ve never had a man simplywantto see me happy and just be there for it. Regardless of what we were doing. It was a really good night.”

Peggy starts to sniffle, dabbing her eyes with a napkin. “Oh, Peggy, what’s the matter?” Janice asks, rubbing her arm soothingly.

She waves us off. “Don’t worry about me. Keep going, Cassidy.”

I go to her, pulling her in for a hug. “It’s reminding you of Joe, isn’t it?”

She nods against me, sniffling.

The bell chimes and in walks Wade. When he sees Peggy, he comes right over, like he already knows. Wade and Joe were best friends way back when, and like Peggy, he’s a widower as well. He ushers her to join him at his favorite table by the window. They sit, and I gather Wade’s usual and a hot tea for Peggy.

Back behind the counter, Alison holds a hand to her chest, whispering quietly to me, “When is she going to see the look in his eye he has for her?”

“I don’t know.” I sigh, watching Wade clasp Peggy’s hands in his from across the table. “I guess sometimes it’s hard to see what’s right in front of you.”

The bell chimes again and I gaze up to Butch’s half-cocked grin coming in the door. A beaming smile splits my face instantly at the mere sight of him. I quickly grab the to-go cup I set aside for him where I wrote:Trust the timing of your life.

“How was your drive in?” he asks, tossing cash onto the counter.

“Fine,” I say, gathering his order. I had planned to make us breakfast this morning as another thank you, but I slept through my first alarm. Must have had something to do with being curled up around a certain mountain man. “Was Frankie okay after I left?”

“Yeah, he sat and watched me take a shower.” Butch chuckles. “I wrapped him up and put him on the couch like you said. He was already dozing off when I left.”

“Lucky dog,” Janice mutters and I bump her with my hip as I pass her.

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