Faking Amends (BadLuckBrides series #2)

20

Ivan

"So, why do you all call her peach?"

I hear Cassie sigh to the right of me, but I ignore it.

She's cute when she's mad. When she's embarrassed. When she's trying to play it all off like she doesn't care, but I can practically see the steam leaving her ears every time I speak.

She's bound to crack at some point. Even if it's to yell at me, ill take it.

"Oh," Grandma Nel begins, clapping her hands together in excitement. "Well when she was a baby she was the fattest little thing we ever saw. She had the biggest cheeks and the cutest little peach bottom—"

"Gramma!"

I grin, a few chuckles slipping out of me. "I bet she did, Grandma Nel. I bet she did."

Cassie groans, pushing herself up to a stand from the sunken in, but really comfortable couch we've all been sitting on.

I thought about following her, but let the idea pass.

She's annoyed with me enough for just being in her space. I'll let her cool down for a little longer before I give her my plea.

Whatever that is.

Besides, I actually really enjoy her Grandma's company.

Makes me realize I never had that good of a relationship with either of mine. They're both dead and gone, and have been for a long time. But when they were here they barely even glanced my way.

Cassie has all these sweet nicknames, stories told about her that aren't negative. Her grandmothers smile and the light in her eyes when she talks about her is unmistakable.

It's something else.

I sat tight while she told me some more things about Cassie. She volunteered the info, I didn't even have to ask anymore. She could go on and on about that woman all day, and I loved to hear it.

In the short few hours I've been here, I've learned more about her than I did the past two weeks combined, and I'm just eating it up.

"She's an ornery ol girl, ain't she? When she's mad, she's like a hornet. But still just the sweetest soul. And when she cares about something, she cares real hard. I know she's been trying to come back home for a while now, but stayed for that last boy. Then he dumped her like a sack of flour and she ain't been the same since."

"Is that right?" I inquire. "What exactly happened between them, if you don't mind me asking?"

"You don't know? Boy was a cheater and a liar. As much as I hated to hear about it, I was glad he'd finally told the last lie she needed to up and leave."

"Yeah, she doesn't deserve that." She doesn't deserve a lot of things that have happened to her. A few of them I was responsible for, or could have stopped.

But I'm here now. That's gotta matter, right?

"I never heard her sound as happy as when she first called and told us she was getting married. That you wanted to give her all that she wanted. Her dream wedding."

"Yeah, I'd do anything for her."

"I know you would."

"Especially now..." I sigh, stretching my legs out in front of me. "She's upset with me. I did something stupid, but I just want to make amends. I want to move forward."

"I know. We heard what she was willing to tell." She shrugs. "She is pretty upset. Been moping around since she got here, but I will say she's got that little twinkle back in her eye ever since you showed up."

"She does, doesn't she?"

I noticed it too. Something.

A tiny little sparkle that's enough for me to stick around even after she tried to break my foot in the door. After her brothers ganged up on me, after I realized I really fucked up and who knows when she'll be ready to approach me, hoping she'll just give me a chance to speak.

"Yep, she sure does. You seem like a good guy, Ivan. You look like a man who's got it all together. A man who knows what he wants."

"Yeah, I do. I do know what I want...and that's her. It's Cassie."

Speaking those words out loud felt weird, but right.

Maybe I'd wanted her longer than I wanted to admit. It's hard to admit it even now.

"Well why you tellin' me, son? I think she's the one who ought to be hearing you say that."

"You're absolutely right, Nel."

A wise woman like her? She could only be right about most things. I know what I need to do without her guidance, but the validation gives me a burst of motivation I really needed to push me up off the couch and off to do what I came here to do.

I'm a man of action. Always have been, always will be, but for whatever reason I've been wanting to tread lightly with her.

Maybe had I not kept fucking up, I wouldn't have to treat her like she's this fragile thing I can't afford to let slip out of my hands.

"Ivan." Her father wiggles a big dirty finger at me before wiping his hands on the red cloth he had draped over his shoulder. "Can I get a word with you."

I glance again at Cassie as she cuts through the field, her dress rippling in the wind as she steadily marches like it's her prerogative to stay away from me.

Like it's the only thing that matters to her.

I broke my eyes away from her when he roughly cleared his throat and I followed him into the stables.

"I'm not going to give you the whole, if you hurt my daughter I'll kill ya, speech so relax." He waves over at the bench between us. "Have a seat."

"That's...that's definitely a relief, sir."

"It should be, because I sure do have the tools to act on impulse. And that one, that's my little girl. My only daughter, and I'll be damned if some hot shot lawyer's gonna come to my house unannounced and think he can just treat her any kind of way."

I shake my head. "That's not—"

"Listen, I don't know you. I don't know how well she knows you, but my daughter is a genuine person. The most genuine, kind, helpful soul I've ever met, and I just hope you know what you have. I hope you value what you have."

"I know. I mean, I didn't, but I know now, and that's why I'm here."

He nods subtly, with a low grunt before rising from the bench. "You know, I really called you over here because I could use a hand."

"Sure, anything." I give him a lazy shrug and see him reach for a shovel, tossing it at me.

My hands fumble with it, not anticipating how heavy it'd be, but I manage to catch it anyway.

I just want everyone here to see me as I really am. Not who I've spent my whole life portraying myself to be, and while I'm here maybe making myself useful will do just the trick.