Finding Charley (Full Circle) (8 page)

“I understand, Dustin.  Just be ready because I’m done playin’ nice.”

We finish our supper and then make our way back to Cash’s truck.  It’s no shocker when Tessa decides to take off with Dustin and meet us there.  I’m gonna have to talk to that girl.  She better be using her head because I can tell she’s head over heels in love with him.

Cash cranks up the truck and asks Piper if we need to find Old Man Bill to buy her some beer.  And, of course, she already has it covered.  Go figure.

Cash puts it in drive and heads out of town and toward the McCracken’s farm.  We turn up the radio to a little Cole Swindell’s “Chillin’ It” and sing at the top of our lungs.  Cash makes quick glances at me, letting me know exactly how he feels about me.

We make our way up the dirt road with the four-wheel drive and park in the field.  The bonfire is the first thing we see as the
flames tower high in the sky.

Cash parks the truck and hurries around to open my door before I can hop out.  Now, this is what being a gentleman
is all about.

The cool, crisp air on my cheeks and the smell of burning wood heighten my senses as we make our way toward the middle of the field.  Cash locks his fingers in mine as we make our way up the hill into the field.  I steal a glance in his direction, and he catches me.  Those eyes and that damn smile get me every time.

Piper, Cash and I hang out by the fire, and Piper pops a top out of her purse. 
How does she fit all that shit in there?
  She offers me a beer, and I shake my head no.  These memories don’t need any clouds in the way.  As if Cash knows what I’m thinking, he produces a Choice Cherry Gold.  I twist off the cap and take in the sweet cherry goodness.  A Choice Cherry Gold, a roaring fire, country music blaring, and my two best friends by my side.  It doesn’t get any better than this.

Piper spots Justin making his way up the hill.  No matter how long we’re gone from Grassy Pond, when we return, it’s like time has stood still, and we pick up where we left off.  Piper
opens a new beer and saunters her cute self toward Justin.  Like I said, it’s like we never left.  Justin looks hot as always with his two brothers on each side of him and a Coleman cooler in his hand.  Cash stands behind me and pulls me into him as we watch Piper walk away.  She’s got him wrapped around her little finger.  Cash wraps his arms around me, and I glance over my shoulder to look at that perfectly chiseled face.

“You know, Char-coal, he ain’t ever gonna get over her.”  I close my eyes, pull his arms tighter, and savor every moment I have with Cash Money. 
Just like I’ll never get over Cash Money.

As the music begins to slow, I realize
it’s Eli Young Band’s “Crazy Girl”.  How fitting.  Cash’s arms tighten, and we begin to sway back and forth as he whispers into my ear the lyrics, “Have I told you lately I love you like crazy, girl?”  Every ounce of control and desire unite at once.  I turn and face Cash and put my forehead against his as he sings the entire song to me.  I don’t close my eyes; I look deep into the soul of my childhood love.  It’s evident that this isn’t a childhood crush. He’s the love of my life that’s willing to let me live my life and come back to him when I’m ready.  Unfortunately, it all comes down to Dylan.  Will I be able to escape his control and will my plan play out like I wish?  The song ends, and Cash’s lips graze mine with soft, tender warmth.  I feel my temperature rise because I cannot get enough of Cash Money.

I realize we now have an audience and think that might not be the best game plan for what I have in mind
for the remainder of my break.

“Cash Money, I don’t wanna stop, but if we want to make the plan work, then we need to make it look like we’re not together… and this… makes us look like we’re together.”

Cash takes a minute to distance himself from me.  I hate the fact that we are going to have to play enemies for the next month or so, but it has to be done.

I move in close to him again. “Just remember the club.  It’s our place.  It will always be, and we can always be ourselves there.”

“Well then, Char-coal, you better plan on camping out tonight.”

“You got it.”

Tessa and Dustin arrive ten minutes later.  I inwardly question what my sister’s been up to because she looks like she’s been up to no good!  They approach us, and she gives me the look like don’t even say what you’re thinking.  I don’t say a word right now, but I will later.   That’s what big sisters are for, right?

We spend the rest of the night catching up with old friends.  Justin and Piper are in their own little world while Tessa, Dustin, Cash, and I hang out, laughing a
t all the drunken country folk.

Around midnight, I’m beat and ready to call it a night.  I break up Justin and Piper’s tonsil hockey session and tell her this chick is leaving.   She just grins because I know she’s leaving with Justin.  We give Tessa and Dustin a little privacy while they say their goodbyes, but
don’t think I don’t holler for her to hurry it up.  She shoots me the bird and then makes her way to the truck.

“Char, are you freakin’ kidding me?  I mean, damn!  Can’t I get a break?”

“Hey, Dustin could have taken you home, but I doubt Dad would want you rolling in this late with him.  Oh, and what took y’all so long tonight?  Was that like the dessert from earlier?”

“What if it was?” Tessa smirks.

“You better be using your head.  That’s what I’m sayin’.”

“So, where are we meeting tomorrow to put this plan into action?”  Cash says, breaking the tension between Tessa and me.

“The club at three o’clock?”  I reply.

“Sounds good to me,” Tessa answers, and Cash nods.

“Hey, Tessa, will you let Dustin know?  I’ll text Piper.”

“Sure.”

We make our way back to the farm, and Cash pulls into the driveway.  Tessa jumps out first, and I go to open the door when Cash says my name.

“Char-coal.”

I stop and turn to face him.  He brings his hand to my face and brushes his thumb along my lips before pulling me in for a kiss that speaks more than words ever could.  The hunger I feel for him ignites, and I can’t get close enough to him.

Before I have time to think about what I’m doing, I’m straddling Cash in the driver’s seat of his truck.  The kiss is no longer sweet and innocent, but fuel to a fire that has
been burning for over a decade.  My hands run up his washboard stomach, and his hands squeeze my thighs like he is trying to gain control of the emotions that he has lost.  I don’t want him to; I want him to let go of those emotions because tonight could be the last night I get to stay with him as just Char-coal and Cash Money.  Tomorrow, I put up a new front, one that says I want Dylan Sloan back in my life. It is a front that is the biggest pile of horse shit I have ever heard.

Cash begins to slow down and brushes my hair from my face.  He breaks our kiss and looks into my soul.  He doesn’t have to say what he’s thinking because I know.  I know he loves me
for me.  Plain ol’ Char-coal.

“Char-coal, we’ve got to stop.  If we keep going at this rate, I’m not going to be able to stop myself, and when I’m finally with you, it’s gonna be special.  The two of us in the front seat of the truck ain’t special.  You deserve better than that.”  He kisses my lips.  “Now, are we going to the club or what?”

“Damn straight, we are.  I’ll meet you there in fifteen.”  I slide to the passenger seat, grab my purse, and make my way to the house.

Before going inside, I glance over my shoulder and wave to Cash.  Trying to calm my emotions, I take a few deep breaths and go inside.  Of course, Mama and Dad are waiting up, even though they are asleep on the couch.  They are too cute.

I walk over to them and give them a nudge to tell them we’re home.  They claim they had just closed their eyes and weren’t sleeping. 
Whatever!
  I let them know I need to go to the club.  My mama gives me a look that I’ve never seen before, and then she says what I thought I’d never hear.

“Char, are you sure that’s the best idea?  I mean, we trust you two completely, but don’t put yourself in a situation that leav
es open doors for mistakes to be made.”

“Mama!
  Are you kidding me?  It’s Cash for crying out loud!”

“That’s exactly my point.  You love him with your heart, and he feels the same way.  Things can happen, ya know?”

“Stop, Mama!  It won’t.  I’m going.”  I turn around and hear my dad in the background.  He can’t believe she just said that, but I bet he actually can.

I hustle up the steps, change into a pair of black yoga pants, tank, and a Southern swimming hoodie.  I slide on my boots, tell Tessa I’ll see her in the morning and grab stuff for PB&J sandwiches, chips, and two Choice Cherry Golds.  I make my way to the barn, crank up the four-wheeler and head to the club.  I’m not surprised to see the light is already on.

Once I get to the club, I toss my stuff over my shoulder and climb up the ladder.  I place my bag onto the floor before climbing inside. I turn around to see Cash Money, standing in a pair of loose-fitting Under Armour fleece pants, long-sleeved T-shirt, and ball cap. 
Damn. Mama might have been right. 
He squats down to adjust the heater and then looks up at me.

“You brought PB&J’s? 
Sweet.”

He turns on the radio, and we sit in the floor and make sandwiches. Just like it’s us against the world, Cash a
nd I fall into our own bubble.

After our midnight snack, Cash cleans up the mess because we sure don’t want any unwanted critters tonight.  When he finishes, he steals my heart with a Hershey’s bar, marshmallows, and graham crackers.  There’s nothing like S
’mores over a kerosene heater.

We sit in front of the heater and make a S’more each.  When I catch my marshmallow on fire, Cash quickly blows out the flame and pulls it off the hanger and eats it.

“Hey!  That was mine!”

He shrugs his shoulder as he smirks and chews the marshmallow like it’s the best thing he’s ever eaten.  Two can play this game.  Taking another marshmallow, I toast it perfectly and remove it from my hanger, getting the ooey gooey goodness on my fingers.  I place it into my mouth, chew, and then lick my fingers a little too seductively.  Cash stops mid-bite of his S’more, and his mouth hits the floor.

“Remember, Cash. I always win,” I say with confidence.

“Char-coal, you’re always number one in my book, and right now I’m going to kiss you.”

Cash puts down his S’more, takes my hanger from my hands, and closes the space between us.  We are now face-to-face.  His hardworking hands enclose my face, and I can feel the rough calluses from the hours he’s spent working on the farm.  If a guy can do that much with his hands on the farm, Lord knows what else he can do with them.

I close my eyes and get lost in my senses, smelling the open country, heater, chocolate, and Cash’s never-changing perfect scent.  His lips brush mine in slow pecks, but then
turn into a long, passionate war within our souls.  The tug-of-war that we have been playing for so many years is now at the surface, and it is no longer being hidden like a flame in the night.

Cash and I get lost in each other, but he remains in control. If I had something to do with it, I would have given him all of me right there on the floor in the club.  Cash distances himself when things get too intense, but the struggle is obvious.  He reminds me that he wants me to be treated like a queen.  He pulls me into his arms, and we enjoy each other.

As soon as I begin to yawn, he leads me by the hand to the futon and covers me while he starts a movie.  I snicker when I see what movie he has with him. 
Sweet Home Alabama.

“Awe, Cash, you love this movie as much as I do, huh?”

“Maybe.”

“Hey, Cash Money, what’s your favorite part?”

He hits
Play
and lies on the futon beside me.  “Definitely when she realizes she gave away her heart a long time ago and the fact that the country boy beats the city slicker hands down.”

“I love you. You know that, right? 
Now, no talking for the next one hundred and nine minutes.”

“You got it, Char-coal.”  He kisses the top of my head, and we don’t say another
word until the movie is over.

“Why is it when you’ve seen a movie a hundred times, you still watch it from start to finish, no matter how tired you are?” I ask.

“I guess it’s kinda like this, Char-coal. I could watch you from now until we’re no longer on this Earth, and it wouldn’t be enough.  Sometimes you know a good thing when you see it.”

I roll over and look at him.  “I think you just stole my heart, again.  I love you, Cash Money.  I need you to remember that.  I need you to be sure of that when things don’t look that way starting tomorrow.”  I take his face in my hands.  “Do you, Cash?  Promise me that when this is over, it’s you and me.  No matter what I have to do to get there.  Don’t let what I do with Dylan i
nterfere with us.  Promise me.”

“I promise you, Char-coal.  You already have my heart and soul and that will not change.  I love you.”

Our lips crash into each other as the tears fall from my eyes.  I have just given away my heart, and tomorrow I’m making a pact with the devil.

Eventually, our lips slow, and we drift off to sleep.  We wake to the sounds of the
wind whipping around the club.

The sun peeks through the window, and I pull the cover over my head.  “Do we have to get up?”   I mumble to Cash.  He doesn’t answer; he just wraps his arm tighter around me and kisses my neck.

We embrace the cold air and make our way back to our separate farms.  Within a few hours, our world will be different.

I hurry home, shower, eat a fabulous breakfast from my mama, including bacon, of course,
and then get ready for church.

Cash sits on the pew behind me, and my heart warms just knowing he is close to me.   Tessa looks like a lost puppy without Dustin by her side.  It’s kinda sweet to see her actually fall for someone.  I just hope Dustin doesn’t have an ounce of Dylan in him, because if he hurts her, I’ll kill him.  Oh goodness, I’m making threats in my mind at church! 
Get out! Get out! Get out!
I tell myself.

I push those thoughts from my mind and focus on the choir and sermon.  I leave church with a peaceful and easy feeling that everything will be okay.

After Sunday lunch, Tessa and I decide to relax until time to meet at the club.  As we watch
CMT
, I get a text from Piper.

Piper:  I’ll be there in 20

Me: k

When
CMT Top 20
comes on, Tessa and I rock out in the living room. Piper sneaks inside the house, and we realize that she’s videoed the entire thing.

“
Pipe, that better not get put on any website.  You got that?”

“Now, why would I do that to y’all?”

I look at Tessa, and she reads my mind.  One. Two. Three.  We run straight for her and her phone.  That is so getting deleted.

After what feels like a tug-of-war, Tessa manages to grab the phone. She hits
Delete
, and then her face looks like she’s seen a ghost.

“Tessa, what’s wrong?”  She doesn’t answer.
“
Tessa?
”

“You bitch!  How could you still talk to him?”

Wait.  Talk to whom?  The world is spinning out of control as I see Tessa moving toward Piper.  She’s gonna beat her ass.  I can see it in her eyes.

“Both of you stop!”  I scream.  “What’s going on?”

“Char, she’s still talking to Joe!  Can you believe that?  Look right here.”  Tessa points to Piper’s text messages.  A piece of my heart just broke, and I feel like I’m going to puke.

I look at Pi
per, but the words don’t come.

“Char, I’m sorry.  He needed someone to talk to.  I feel like there is something we don’t know.  I just couldn’t let him do this alone.”

“Alone?  Piper!  I’ve been alone for how long?  He needs to suffer for what he did to me!  He lied!  He watched me give a piece of my soul to him, and he still couldn’t confess until he was completely shitfaced!”

About this time, my mama walks into the room to see if everything is okay.  Over the years, she has learned that the three of us are like sisters and are better off to just duke it out and then we are good.  The question I will now have to deal with is
, what did she hear?

“Charley Anne, I think it’s time you start talking.  I know there is something going on, and I have for a while. Spill it.”

The lump in my throat is full and tight.  “Mama, it’s nothing, okay.  Piper’s been talking to Joe, and he’s an ass.  That’s all.”

“Young lady, watch your mouth.  I’m sure Piper has a good explanation for this, but I will not have all this yelling going on.  Get yourselves together.”

I can still feel the flames coming out of my ears, so I try to calm myself.  Piper, Tessa, and I look at each other.  This conversation is far from over.  We put on a happy face, tell Mama bye, and make our way to the club because out there she can’t hear us.

Chapter 11

No words are spoken as we walk to the Gator inside the barn.  I get into the driver’s seat, and we make our way to the club.  I take out my emotions with speed.  The faster, the better.