Strong & Wilde 2 Read online

  “Anything you get her will be fine,” I said, reaching for my soda. I lifted the tab, popping it open. It hissed, sending a spray of soda droplets into the air.

  “I want it to be special. It’s our six month anniversary.”

  “Shh. She’s coming.” I took a sip of my drink as I watched Mandi bounce across the cafeteria, carrying a tray full of food. She was singing—a good sign that she was in a better mood today. Gold hoop earrings swayed as she bounced toward us singing Robert Palmer’s Addicted to Love. She got to the chorus about the girl admitting she was addicted to being in love.

  “Go ahead face it, you’re a dick in a glove.”

  Soda droplets spewed onto the table and up my nose. I choked with laughter.

  “What’s wrong with you?” Mandi looked at me like I was crazy.

  I gasped for air. “I think...the lyrics...never mind.”

  I leaned over, whispering to Nic, “You can buy her a song lyrics magazine. There’s some on the magazine rack at the Piggly Wiggly.”

  He chuckled. “I prefer her lyrics, but that does give me an idea. Do you know anyone who plays guitar?”

  “What are you guys talking about?” Mandi placed a tray with three large slices of pizza and four brownies on the table. I think I gained about ten pounds just looking at it.

  “I was just wondering if she knew anyone who plays guitar.”

  “Oh,” she said, reaching for one of the brownies. “Cody knows how to play. Brownie?”

  I shook my head. “I didn’t know he played.”

  “Yeah. He used to play in the courtyard during lunch last year.”

  “Why doesn’t he play anymore?”

  “I don’t know. Ask him. He’s over there.”

  I turned and saw him walk through the cafeteria. He glanced over to where we sat, giving me a slight smile and then continued to walk out the door.

  Damn you, Cody Wilde!

  I huffed, turning my attention the stack of chocolaty goodness. I snatched one, biting into it. “Never mind. I don’t want to know.”

  “Why have you been so grouchy lately?” Mandi asked.

  “I’m not grouchy. You’re grouchy.”

  “Nuh, uh. I’m adorably anxious.” She lifted her pizza, pointing it at me. “You are grouchy. Go talk to Cody already. You know you want to.”

  “No. I do not.”

  “Yes, you do.”

  “Do not.”

  “Do too.”

  “Not.”

  “Too.”

  “Alright! Time out, please,” Nic interrupted, laughing. “I think I’m about to experience my first migraine.”

  “Whiner.” She nudged him playfully then turned back to me. “Cassie, stop being a chicken. Ask Cody out.”

  I dropped my jaw. “I can’t do that!”

  “Girl, it’s 1989 not 1889. Go get your man.” She snatched the brownie out of my hand. “Shoo! And don’t come back in here without him.”

  I couldn’t believe I was going to do it. I took a quick swig of my soda and headed to the exit. When I reached the door, I turned back looking at Mandi warily. She gave me a thumbs up. I sighed. Well, here goes nothing.

  I trudged outside to the courtyard where I knew he’d be. My heart pounded when I found him. He was alone.

  My feet were glued to the pavement. Even though I’d seen glimpses of him walking down the hall or passing through the cafeteria during lunch, I didn’t realize how tall he’d gotten in the past six months. How was that possible? Okay, it was possible. But how did I not notice?

  His body seemed to be more toned and muscular than I last remembered. His Stetson casted a shadow over his face. There was a light smattering of stubble along his square jaw.

  My eyes drifted from his broad shoulders down to his narrow hips. He was wearing my favorite black t-shirt—the one that fit tightly across his muscled chest and arms. I felt like a creepy voyeur, ogling him in the middle of the courtyard, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself from doing it.

  He must’ve felt my presence because he lifted his head. Summer blue eyes locked with mine.

  “Hey, Cassie.”

  Any anger I had felt earlier melted as his voice said my name.

  “What’s up?”

  This was it. If I was going to make this happen, I had to do it now. I took a deep breath. “I, uh, I was wondering if you’d like to go with me to the movies sometime?”

  I can’t believe I did it. I actually asked him out on a date.

  Time seemed to slow down as I waited in agony for him to answer. I don’t know how guys did this; asking girls out without throwing up. I thought I was going to die. What if he said no? Or worse, what if he laughed?

  My heart raced as I casually leaned against the wall, struggling to look cool. If he didn’t say something soon, I was going to land face down on the grass next to his boots. Picnic tables shouldn’t be swaying around like that, should they?

  I snuck a peek from beneath my lashes. His face was serious as he studied me. My heart was pounding so loudly, I swore he could hear it. He looked like he was fighting with something inside of him. Or maybe he just ate something that wasn’t sitting right. Who knew? All I knew was that in one more minute, the brownie was going to make a reappearance.

  Oh my god! What if he was still with Lynette? Maybe he was trying to find a way to let me down easy.

  “Uh, unless you’re still dating Lynette,” I said quickly.

  He jerked back his head, surprised. “Lynette Baker? I was never dating her.”

  My heart sang. “Really?”

  “Yeah. Whatever gave you that idea?”

  “Well, she was always around you and uh...well...”

  Should I tell him that I was spying on him at the football game? He’d think I was a crazy stalker chick.

  Before I could think of an excuse, something wonderful happened. The heavens opened up and the birds started to sing in harmony with my heart.

  “Yeah. I’d like that. How ’bout Saturday night?”

  Okay, so I was exaggerating about the heavens and the birds and the duet. But the way he looked at me when he said that made me feel like I could fly.

  “Great. Um, I think the Koppe Drive-in plays classic movies at their eight o’clock showing. But there’s a new release at ten. They’re showing Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.”

  I tried not to make a face when I mentioned the name of the movie. I was planning on coercing Mandi to go with me to see the eight o’clock showing of Splendor in the Grass. It was my favorite and I was dying to see it on the big screen.

  “What’s the other movie?” he asked.

  “Splendor in the Grass.”

  “Let’s go see that one.” He gave me a lopsided grin, his dimple flashing.

  “Really?”

  “Sure, why not? Pick you up at seven thirty?”

  “Yeah, that’ll be perfect.”

  I spun on my heel, heading back into the cafeteria. I think I might’ve floated there instead of walked. I’m not exactly sure. All I knew was that Saturday night could not come fast enough.

  FOUR: Cody

  “Two Cokes and a bucket of popcorn.” I reached over for a napkin and wiped the sweat from my brow. I didn’t know if it was the heat or my nerves that were making me sweat bullets.

  After paying the cashier, I took my time walking back to the truck. It was springtime and the scent of popcorn mixed with the fragrance of wild flowers. The sunset was a mixture of orange and reds that fell behind a carpet of blue bonnets surrounding the outskirts of the drive-in. It was the perfect night for a date.

  The movie wasn’t starting for another fifteen minutes and I had no idea what to talk about. We’d never had this problem when we were growing up. Now, it’s like my brain went on stupid mode every time I looked at Cassie.

  I sighed, wishing I had thought about making this a double date. Mandi and Nic talked nonstop. I’d hoped that they’d be at the drive-in too. Then Cassie mentioned that Nic was having d
inner over at the house to meet Mandi’s parents. There went that plan.

  Nic was cool, not like most of the guys at school. He was pretty strong too. When I had jumped into the river that night six months ago, he’d almost had the ropes undone. He was so determined to go out with Mandi, I didn’t have the heart to say ‘no’ when he told me his plan.

  I envied him. He knew what he wanted, and he went after it. There was nothing getting in his way, even Mandi herself.

  I couldn’t believe I’d said ‘yes’ when Cassie asked me out. How could I turn her down when she asked me the question I’d been dying to ask her ever since she came back to Koppe? When those big brown eyes gazed up at me, full of hope, all thoughts of Seth Baker’s threats flew out of my mind. Besides, Seth would never be caught alive at a chick movie.

  Just as I reached the truck, I paused watching Cassie as she arranged the blanket on the truck bed. Her chestnut hair hung in waves down her back. So different from the braids she wore when we were kids. It was pulled back with two barrettes. Pink and white ribbons were braided through the barrette and fell against her cheeks whenever she bent forward. She wore a light peach blouse with ruffles lining the front. It was so delicate it fluttered in the breeze. Everything about her was soft: her movements, her smile, her voice. She was so beautiful. And she wanted to spend her time with me. How’d I get so lucky?

  I swallowed thickly, wondering how in the world I was going to let her go after tonight.

  Maybe we could find a way to date without Seth knowing. No, not in a small town like Koppe. He was bound to find out soon enough. And it wouldn’t be fair to Cassie either. She deserved to have someone who could shout from the rooftops that she was his girl. That’s something I wanted to do. I wanted that so badly.

  Cassie’s face lit up with surprise when Buster Mills and his father approached her. Mr. Mills owned the Dixie Bar & Grille, often referred to as The Dixie by the locals. She leapt off the truck bed to greet them. Her tiny hand disappeared into Mr. Mills’ as he shook it. As she chatted with them for a few minutes, I admired the way the wind blew her hair and how her face lit up every time she smiled.

  “Hey, Buster. Mr. Mills.” I handed her a soda when I finally approached them.

  “Hey, Cody,” Buster mumbled with his mouth full of popcorn.

  “Call me Travis,” Buster’s dad said. “My, my, Cody. You look just like J.D. did at your age.”

  “He went to high school with my dad,” I explained to Cassie.

  “Cody’s dad was the best quarterback Koppe High has ever seen. Though that Marcelli kid comes real close.” He took a swig of his beer, gazing into the distance, reminiscing. “Those were good times. I was the big man in school back in those days. Though I’m still plenty big nowadays.” He chuckled, patting his beer belly.

  “Dad played fullback,” Buster said.

  “I covered your daddy’s ass plenty of times,” Travis continued. “Yep those were the days.”

  “Guess what? Buster and his dad are big Natalie Wood fans.” Cassie beamed. “I’m not the only crazy person who’s seen this movie dozens of times.”

  “Your girl here looks a little bit like her.” My heart skipped a beat and I wasn’t sure if it was because of the way her face flushed a delicious pink or because he called her my girl.

  “Well, Buster and I will leave you to your date. You two come by The Dixie sometime. Lunch is on me.”

  When they left, we settled into the back of the truck. There was a flash of light in the sky.

  “Looks like it might rain,” I said. “Want me to turn the truck around? We can sit inside.”

  “I’d rather sit out here.” She inhaled and sighed. “It’s so nice out, and I love the way the air smells right before it rains.”

  The drive-in’s screen flickered to life and the movie previews came on. If anyone had asked me what the coming attractions were or had given me a pop quiz about the movie, I’d have failed miserably because the entire time I couldn’t take my eyes off of Cassie.

  The night air was filled with electricity and it didn’t have anything to do with the lightning that lit the sky. Cassie was sitting so close; I felt the warmth of her body. I tried to focus on the twenty-foot image of Natalie Wood on the screen, but she couldn’t compare to the beauty that sat beside me.

  A breeze blew and I inhaled the familiar scent of vanilla mixed with jasmine. I turned my head slightly, watching her from the corner of my eye. Her head was tilted and her lips slightly parted as she watched the movie. She shifted, sweeping her hair off her right shoulder and placing it over the other, exposing her delicate throat. Her skin was creamy perfection. My hand twitched at the memory of caressing her neck and wanting to touch her again.

  My breathing quickened. I was overwhelmed with the urge to reach out to her, to press my lips against her bare shoulder and run my fingers down the length of her arm. I shifted, sitting on top of my hands, hoping they wouldn’t grow a mind of their own.

  I don’t know how long I sat like that. After a while, my hands grew numb. I didn’t care. It was fascinating to watch her watch the movie. She laughed, she cried, and at one point she even booed at the screen.

  “Aww, come on!” she yelled. “Deanie’s not crazy. Bud’s crazy.”

  Lovely brown eyes turned to me making my stomach do some crazy kind of flip flop. “You don’t think Deanie’s crazy, do you?”

  Shit! She’s giving me a pop quiz.

  Cassie looked at me patiently, waiting for my answer. She really wanted to hear what I thought.

  “I...uh...no, she’s not. Why would anyone want to believe that?” Did I get the exam question right? I guess I did because she gave me another one of her glorious smiles.

  “I know, right? Bud’s the one who says he loves Deanie than he cheats on her. And his father encouraged it! Can you believe that?”

  “That’s terrible.” I nodded not having any clue what she was talking about.

  She turned her attention back to the screen. “See, look at that.”

  For the first time since the movie started, I looked to the screen. Hmm, I didn’t know Warren Beatty was in the movie.

  “Deanie changed for him!” she cried. “She tried to be what she thought Bud wanted and he still breaks up with her. Boo!”

  She tossed a handful of popcorn at the tormented-looking Warren Beatty.

  I chuckled. “I thought you liked this movie.”

  “I do. It’s just that a girl should be able to love someone freely and not have to be restricted by society’s rules. Deanie’s been told by everyone in her life that she had to be a nice girl. Yet to be a nice girl means losing the man she loves. And she wants to show him her love, but if she does then that means she’s not a nice girl. And Bud, he’s told to find another girl to have sex with. Ugh! And he does it! To him, it’s sex. But to her, it’s love. They’re basically saying to Deanie you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. That’s so not right.”

  A fire lit up inside of her as she spoke. I gazed at her with amazement. Everything she said was true and she got all that from a movie.

  “A woman should be able to love a man and not be afraid to show him her love,” she said with a determined look on her face.

  Our eyes locked for a moment. Her eyes were a blazing brown with flecks of gold. The wild passion on her face was too much for me. My hand found its way onto her flushed cheek. Slowly, my eyes drifted down to pink lips and I found myself pulling her to me.

  I was a breath away from her lips when there was series of flashing light followed by claps of thunder. Sheets of rain poured down.

  Damn! I scrambled, gathering our things.

  “It’s raining!” Cassie’s eyes sparked with excitement.

  Before I could offer her my hand to help her off the truck bed, she hopped off, running to a nearby clearing. “What’re you doing?”

  She held her head up toward the sky, rain washing over her. “This feels wonderful.” She twirled around, dancing in
the rain while everyone else was rushing to get inside their cars.

  “Come on, Cody!” She ran back to me, latching onto my hand. The moment I felt her soft touch, all thoughts of the rain and getting wet vanished. “Have you ever danced in the rain?”

  I shook my head, mesmerized by the way she placed my hand on her tiny waist. I didn’t notice or care that there were dozens of people sitting in their cars at this moment probably looking at us like we were crazy.

  “There ain’t no music,” I said as she lifted my right hand and held on to it firmly.

  She gazed up at me, smiling. “Then we’ll make our own.”

  She started singing a tune. I think it was an Anne Murray song my mom liked to listen to on the radio. Cassie’s sweet voice tugged at my heart. I couldn’t take my eyes off her lips as she sang of magic moments and how it felt right to be together. She pressed into me closer as we swayed to the song. The music was all around us, in my mind, my heart and soul. It was then that I knew there was no way in hell I was giving her up. Holding her in my arms felt right. I never wanted the feeling to end.

  The rain stopped as quickly as it started. She stopped singing and we held each other for a moment. I felt her heart pound against my chest in rhythm with mine. Her eyes met with mine, questioning. She wanted to be with me. She wanted me. This time I’d give her the answer we both wanted.

  With deliberate slowness, I caressed her wet cheek, my thumb stroking her cheekbone. Her eyes closed for a moment, thick black lashes, fanned against her cheeks. Then doe eyes looked up at me again. I dragged my thumb over her soft lower lip and her breath quickened in response. I ducked my head, inching slowly toward her lips. My hands splayed across her cheeks. Closing my eyes, my lips gently touched hers in a feather light kiss.

  Her arms wrapped around my waist and she pressed herself against me. In that moment, everything seemed to disappear. The drive-in, the cars, they all vanished. It was just Cassie, the smell of her perfume, the feel of her breasts against my chest, and her warm breath mingling with mine as I kissed her sweet lips.