Strong & Wilde Page 3

  “Is that why you were out here alone to...uh...?” I pointed to his eyes not wanting to acknowledge that I caught him crying. I’d already made him feel bad enough.

  “I was lookin’ for a photo I had of my dad. I thought maybe I dropped it when I gave your dad my matches, but I couldn’t find it. Then I thought maybe it fell out earlier today when we were wading in the stream.”

  “Did you find it?”

  “No.” His chin quivered and he turned his head away.

  “Maybe your mom has another one?”

  He cleared his throat, still facing away from me. “Yeah, but this one’s special.”

  “Why?”

  “It was taken the day I was born.”

  “Oh. Well, I’ll help you find it. I’m sure it’s around somewhere—” I scrambled to my feet and headed back toward camp. “Wait here. I think I know where it is.”

  I rushed passed the tents and went to the back of my dad’s truck. Grabbing the trash bag, I ran back to Cody.

  “I bet it’s in here,” I said, dumping the contents onto the ground.

  We leafed through the paper plates, cups, and wadded up napkins. Stuck between two candy wrappers, I pulled out a photo. A pair of bright blue eyes like Cody’s stared back at me. “Here it is,” I said, handing it to him.

  He took the photo and held it as if it was the most precious thing in the world to him. And then he did something that scared me.

  He cried.

  It was a soft rolling of tears at first. That wasn’t the scary part. It was when his breath started coming out in pants, his chest heaving up and down like he couldn’t breathe and his face turned a bright red. I didn’t know what to do.

  Something inside of me told me to put an arm around him. I hesitated at first, not sure how he’d react. When I finally did, he didn’t pull away. Instead, he buried his head into my shoulder and sobbed even harder. So I hugged him tighter and rocked him just like my mom did whenever I was upset.

  Hearing his pain touched something inside of me. A lump formed in my throat and I began to ache for him.

  When he finally stopped, he pulled away, sniffing. “Please don’t tell anyone.”

  I took a wadded napkin from the trash bag that looked reasonably clean and handed it to him. “Friends keep each other’s secrets.”

  His eyes widened in surprised. “We’re friends?”

  “Yeah. I mean, that is if you want to be.” I looked away, fussing with the trash. “Don’t blame you if you didn’t. I kinda acted like an idiot.”

  “Hey, no one calls my friend an idiot.” He pushed me playfully.

  I looked at him, and he grinned, flashing a dimple on his tear-stained cheek. “I promise to be a better friend to you. And I won’t tell anyone what happened.”

  “And I won’t tell anyone that you fart in your sleep.”

  “I do not!” I pretended to be mad at him for saying that but my laughter gave it away. The lopsided smile on his face was priceless. I lifted my hand, wiggling my pinky. “Pinky swear?”

  “Girls,” he muttered, shaking his head. Then he stuck out his hand and curled his pinky around mine. “Pinky swear.”

  I had a sudden idea and I reached into my pocket. “There’s something I want you give you.”

  I took his warm hand, facing it palm upward. Then I dropped an amber gemstone into it. “My dad gave it to me for my birthday. I think you need it more than I do.”

  His fingers ran over the smooth surface of the pear-shaped gemstone. “I-I can’t take this.”

  I shook my head when he tried to hand it back to me. “You can’t give back a present from a friend. It’s just plain rude.”

  “But—”

  “Nope, no buts. It’s a tiger’s eye. It gives you protection and courage. I have my dad and he’s always been there to protect me. Well, now that your dad...well, you know...”

  He nodded.

  “It’s my present to you. Happy Birthday!”

  “Thanks, Cassie.” He gave me a smile that lit up his beautiful eyes. Wow!

  I think my heart melted a little.

  FIVE: Cassie

  1987

  “Happy Birthday!” Squealed my best friend, Mandi Ruiz, on the other end of the phone.

  “Oh my ears,” I moaned. “Do you have to scream like that?”

  “Why aren’t you up already? You should be excited. You’re seventeen today. Didn’t your dad say he was getting you a car when you turned seventeen? Woo, hoo! We’re gonna party, party, par-tay!”

  I didn’t know who was more excited about my birthday, Mandi or me. I could imagine her dancing around her living room, jet-black hair flying, and her brothers and baby sister staring at her like she was nuts. Ever since my dad joked about getting me a car so that he wouldn’t have to drive Mandi and me around¸ she’d been counting down the days to my birthday. Mandi and I had been friends since the eighth grade when her family moved from Los Angeles to Koppe.

  “He was kidding about the car, Mandi.”

  “I don’t think so. My dad said he saw your dad at a used car lot in the city. Not that I would call College Station, Texas a city. Now LA, that’s a city.”

  I shot up from my bed. “Really? Don’t mess with me, woman.”

  “I kid you not. My dad wouldn’t make that up. So when you get the car, you need to come pick me up so we can plan our weekend. I love mi família, but girl, six people in a two-bedroom house is enough to drive a saint crazy. And you know I ain’t no saint.”

  “Manuela! Quitate del teléfono y cambiella el pañal de Selina,” called a voice in the background.

  “Ay, Ama! Call me Mandi!” Mandi yelled in response. “I’ll be there in a minute!”

  I laughed. Ever since we started high school, she insisted everyone call her “Mandi.” I didn’t know why. I thought the name “Manuela” was cool and unique.

  “See what I mean? My mom’s calling me to change my sister’s diaper, and I just changed it five minutes ago,” she said.

  Mandi’s family was awesome. Though her parents understood English, they spoke mostly in Spanish when at home. Her brother, Juan, was fourteen and already popular with the ninth grade girls. And her little brother and sister were adorable. It was the highlight of my week to go over to her house, as crowded as it was, to help take care of three-year-old Miguelito and baby Selina.

  “If I get the car, and I still think it’s a big ‘IF,’ I’ll come and get you. But if I don’t, you’re still coming over this afternoon to celebrate right?”

  “Of course. You’re my best bud with or without wheels.”

  “Are you sure you won’t come camping with me this weekend?”

  “Um, after the last time I went, you’re better off without me. You could ask Cody.”

  “Cody Wilde?” Cody had moved to Salt Lake City during our freshman year. I didn’t think I’d ever see him again. Camping wasn’t the same without him. I loved Mandi but when she went with Dad and I last year, well, let’s just say you can take the girl out of LA but not LA out of the girl. She used up two cans of Aqua Net trying to keep her hair in place.

  “Yeah. You didn’t know? He’s back in town. And girl, you should see him. The boy is like totally hot!”

  “Are you sure the guy you saw was Cody?” An image of him flashed through my mind: freckles and zits all over his face, skinny and tall with bony elbows, a head too big for his long neck, his voice squeaking every other word when he talked.

  “Yep. I ran into him at the Dairy Queen. He looks different. Way different. Even Lynette thought he was hot. She was wearing her daisy dukes and kept dropping and picking up her napkin in front of him.”

  I rolled my eyes. Lynette Baker was one of those girls. Tall, blonde, slender with boobs that made grown men weep. Even worse, she wasn’t afraid to show them. There were even rumors that she was working her way through the football team.

  “He didn’t fall for it did he?” I asked.

  “Jealous?”

  Why
would I be jealous over my good buddy Cody?

  “No. I just don’t want to see him get hurt. You know how Seth and his brothers are. They’ll look for any excuse to pick a fight with him.”

  I didn’t know what it was about Cody that made him a target for Seth and his brothers, Dillon and Chase. He had stopped fighting back after his dad died. Unfortunately, the Bakers didn’t. As much as I missed him when he left, part of me was a little glad that he did—at least he didn’t have to put up with the Bakers anymore.

  “Cassie! Are you up yet?” My mother yelled from down the hall.

  “Mandi, I gotta go. I promised my mom I’d help her with the flower beds today.”

  “They got you doing hard labor on your birthday? Dang, girl. And I thought I had it rough.”

  “It’s not that bad. Want to come over and give it a try? Flowers smell better than dirty diapers.”

  “Ha, ha. Nice try. See you this afternoon.”

  After we hung up, I threw on a comfortable pair of shorts and a tank top. Pulling up my chestnut hair into a ponytail high on my head, I ran down the stairs into the kitchen. “Sorry, Mom. I didn’t know it was so late.”

  “Happy birthday, sweetheart,” she said, giving me a hug. “I have a surprise for you in the front yard.”

  Oh my god! Mandi was right. Dad got me a car. I tried to keep my cool. “Oh, yeah?”

  She reached into a cabinet and pulled out a tray. She placed a pitcher of lemonade and two glasses filled with ice cubes onto it. “Cody’s here.”

  “Oh!” I tried not to laugh. I had a funny feeling Mandi was going to be extremely disappointed that Cody was not a car.

  “He’s outside unloading the mulch. He’s been out there for an hour already. Why don’t you take him something to drink?”

  “Sure.”

  Ever since my father decided to pay special attention to Cody, my mother also took a liking to him. Over the years, Dad frequently called Cody to help him fix things around our ranch and paid him for his work. I was mad at first. I had two hands, didn’t I? Then I realized that it wasn’t that dad thought I couldn’t do it. It was a way for Cody to earn some extra money for himself. Dad was a total hero in my eyes.

  After Cody and Dad had finished their work, Mom would invite Cody to dinner. We’d sit around the table and laugh at the funny stories Dad shared. Mom was always extra nice to Cody, even making his favorite meals whenever he was there. I remembered the promise we made when we were eleven: I was going to a better friend to him. And that included sharing my family with him.

  Humidity slammed into me like a thick wall when I stepped out onto the front porch. I swear I could feel my hair curl up in fright.

  I placed the tray of drinks onto the table and wiped my brow. I’d only been outside not even a minute and I was already sweating. Cody had to be dying of thirst by now.

  In the front yard was an old navy truck with stacks of twenty-pound bags of mulch in the bed. I didn’t see him anywhere.

  I heard the squeal of a water hose being turned on. That was probably Cody trying to get a drink from the hose. That was so like him, not wanting to bother anyone to ask for a drink of water. I jogged down the porch steps, my bare feet slapping against the hot steps.

  “Hot, hot, hot!” I squealed, hopping and laughing down the steps until I finally reached the cool grass. Native Texan or not, I still forgot to put on sandals whenever I went outside. It was totally worth it though. I wiggled my toes as I relished the feel of the soft grass. I took a deep breath, lifting my face up to the sun. It was a gorgeous day without a cloud in the sky.

  Despite the heat, I was actually looking forward to planting the flowers in the beds alongside the wrap-around porch. It took a lot of work, but the effort was worth it. Each evening, when Dad was home from a long day patrolling the county, we’d sit on the porch and watch the fireflies twinkling in the dusk. A soft breeze would blow, sending the sweet scent of flowers in the air. It was heavenly. It was home.

  I walked with a bounce in my step toward the sound of the running water, excited to see my good buddy again.

  When I turned the corner, I froze.

  I had expected to see Cody.

  There was no Cody.

  There was a Greek god running a water hose over his head in my back yard, shirtless and wearing nothing but a pair of jeans that hung low on his well-defined hips. Water rolled down a flawless face, dripping off a strong square jaw and onto a bare chest. And what a chest! There were like abs and everything. One, two, three...gah! Six. There was an actual six-pack there. The closest thing I’d ever seen to a six-pack was when Dad brought home his six-pack of Shiner beer for our Saturday barbecues.

  My stomach plummeted and landed who knew where when the Adonis bent over to turn off the faucet.

  I’m not the kind of girl that notices things like this; I swear I’m not. But, that ass!

  A sudden flash of heat swept over me and it had nothing to do with the fact that Texas was in the midst of heat wave.

  The Adonis reached for the faded checkered shirt that hung over the porch railing and used it to towel off.

  I don’t know what it was about the way he wiped the shirt over his chest, but at that moment my stomach decided to reappear. This time it was doing cartwheels as I watched his strong hand travel slowly down his chest and onto his abs wiping away droplets of water.

  I think I might have groaned a little when he stopped and reached over to the railing for his Stetson and plopped it on his head.

  He must’ve heard me because blue eyes turned to meet my brown ones. For a few awkward moments, we stood staring at each other. Then his face broke into a lopsided-smile and a dimple flashed.

  Holy crap! It was Cody!

  “Hey,” he said.

  “Hey.” The word came out breathlessly as I watched his arms flex when he put on his damp shirt.

  Hello! Earth to brain! Stop staring and say something.

  His smile disappeared, and he looked at me cautiously.

  “You’re back,” I said. Great. State the obvious.

  “Yeah.”

  Cody wasn’t much for words. That hadn’t changed at all. And it didn’t help that he’d always had a poker face, rarely revealing his emotions. The one and only time I’d seen him upset was when we were eleven and I had promised to keep his secret. Ever since then, it was as if he was careful not to reveal too much of himself. It was rare, but there were times that he’d show his silly side. I doubted if anyone knew that about him. He was actually pretty funny. I wish others could see that side of him, and then maybe they wouldn’t say such horrible things about him.

  Now that my tongue decided to go on vacation, I realized how I was the one who carried the conversations when we were together. That was saying something because I’m not much of a talker either. Mandi could talk a mile a minute nonstop.

  “Thirsty? I have lemonade on the porch,” I finally said, breaking the awkward silence.

  “Yeah. Sounds good. By the way, happy birthday.”

  “You too.”

  Back at the porch, I busied myself pouring the lemonade into the glasses as Cody took a seat, placing his Stetson on the table. “Going campin’ this weekend?”

  “You bet. It’s tradition,” I said, handing him a glass. “You’re coming with us, aren’t you?”

  His blue eyes lit up for a moment and then he quickly schooled his face. He took a long drink of his lemonade before he answered. “Uh, yeah, sure. Mike’s gone on a job in the Gulf. I ain’t got nothin’ else to do.”

  I think I might have turned stupid again for a moment because all I saw were wet lips moving.

  “That’s if you want me to,” he said quickly when I didn’t respond. He looked down at the table and fiddled with the brim of his hat.

  “Yes, I do! I didn’t know if you wanted to since you just got back into town.”

  He let out an audible breath and slowly lifted his eyes to meet mine. “I always make time for my friends.”

/>   He raised his glass and wiggled his pinky.

  I laughed. “You remember!”

  “You bet. Best times I had were campin’ with your dad...and you.” Blue eyes flicked up shyly and then back to his hat again.

  Butterflies fluttered around in my stomach, running into each other, and knocking each other out.

  “It’s the same for me too. I’m glad you came back.”

  “Yeah, I didn’t like Salt Lake City much. Too cold.”

  “I’ve never been, but the photos I’ve seen of the snow and the mountains are gorgeous. Plus all the skiing.”

  “Skiing is too expensive. The snow’s nice to look at but shoveling it every day was a pain in the ass.”

  I bit my lip, ashamed. I knew Cody and his family didn’t have much money—definitely not enough to cover the cost of renting skis and lift tickets. How could I have forgotten that?

  “Mom finally gave in and let me move back to Koppe and live with Mike. Wish she would’ve come back too.”

  “Why didn’t she?”

  He let out a breath and his face grew sad. “She said there were too many memories here.”

  “Oh.” I remembered how Cody’s father and mother used to be. I’d see them in town once in a while. Other than my own parents, I hadn’t seen any other couple more in love than they obviously were.

  “Looks like your dad’s coming.”

  I peered out in the direction Cody was looking. Dust from the dirt road billowed as a sheriff’s car drove toward the house.

  “That’s strange. Sheriff Baker never lets my dad get off duty early.”

  As the car drew closer, my chest tightened with trepidation. All the sheriff’s patrol cars looked exactly the same: white sedan, tinted windows, and the word’s “Briarson County Sheriff” written across the doors in yellow and black. I knew it wasn’t Dad because whenever he came home, he’d flash his lights three times if he saw us outside.

  I went to the edge of the porch, peering out into the distance, praying for Dad’s patrol car to appear. “Mom! Mom! Come quick.”

  “What’s wrong?” Cody asked.

  The screen door opened and mom stepped out with a dishtowel in her hand. “What on Earth, Cassie? What’s with all the—”