Losing Charley

Chapter 12 Part 2

We all make our way into the house and take a seat at the kitchen counter. I grab each of us a drink. As I hand Piper hers, I hear a knock on the screen door. Cash. I toss her the drink, do a happy dance, and smile.

"I'll be right back." Piper starts making kissy faces at me, and Tessa joins in.

I walk out of the kitchen toward the front door.

"Cash, is that you?"

As I turn left from the kitchen doorway, I can smell the Lacoste cologne, and I know I am right. I make the turn to walk to the foyer and run smack dab into Cash.

"Slow down there, Char-coal." My body stumbles backward from running into his. He grabs my arm and retracts me into his body in one fluid motion. He takes his arms and folds them around my shoulder blades and takes a deep breath.

"Watcha doing, Cash Money?"

"Breathing you in. I don't ever want to forget the smell of Aruba Coconut."

"You do know it comes in a bottle, right?"

"But not with a splash of Charley."

"I can't argue there. Hey, Piper's here."

"I know. I saw her car."

I start to pull myself away to walk back to the kitchen, but as I try, Cash holds on tighter. He starts to laugh, and I finally give up because I know I can't win with him. I just look up at him with puppy dog eyes and just as I think he's finally going to let me go, he tightens the reins and I look up. Mistake numero uno.

Cash smiles his crooked grin and moves closer to me. Just as I think that he is going to kiss me, he lets go and starts to walk toward the kitchen. As if he's reading my mind, he turns back around, takes three large steps, wraps his arms around me once more, lifts me off the ground and brings my lips to his. As I kiss him, my left leg pops, you know, like in The Princess Diaries, and I thought that mess just happened in fairy tales. Our moment is totally ruined when I hear Piper yell, "Get a room! The Super 8 charges by the hour!" With our lips barely touching, we laugh together.

"Guess we better get in there?"

"Yeah, I haven't seen Piper in a hot minute. I still can't believe she is just now coming home." I look at Cash like he's on crack. He just shrugs his shoulders, and we walk to the kitchen.

"About damn time, you two! I love Tessa and all, but at least if you are going to make out, give us a little piece of the action."

Cash looks at me, and before I can think, he starts to go in to kiss me, but then does a one-eighty, puts his hand over Piper's mouth and fake kisses her. Her arms are flapping, trying to get him to stop, Tessa is about to pee in her pants, and I'm right behind her. This is why I love Cash. He knows exactly what to do in any given moment. When he knows he's about to have crossed the line, he backs away from Piper like he is a true gentleman and kisses her hand.

"You are so dead, Cash! You just wait!"

After a little small talk, Piper heads home, Tessa goes to Sally's, Mama and Dad get home, supper is fixed and eaten, and Cash goes home.

I go up to my room and decide to call it a night. I sleep like I haven't in ages until four in the morning. I wake up in a puddle of sweat and a nightmare that is fresh in my mind. One word. Dylan.

I get out of my bed and walk down the hall to Tessa's room. She is knocked out, and I slide in the bed with her. I doze back off and wake up to the sound of our rooster, Big Byrd, calling us to rise and shine. I roll out of bed, throw on my clothes and go help Dad with the chores on the farm.