First Kiss Last by Sara Miller (read e book .TXT) 📗

“I fell asleep, didn’t I? This is a dream and that’s how you are here?” He said, answering his own question.

Leah nodded in agreement, but realized she didn’t know where ‘here’ was. As she looked around, Cade rose from his crouched position and sat beside her.

They sat at a weathered picnic table, facing out. Straight ahead was a small patch of sandy beach lakefront. To the left and right were tall old-growth trees, their leaves already starting to color. It was picturesque and yet somehow familiar. She turned to look behind her and saw a family backyard, complete with swing set, a fire pit, and a barbecue grill on the back patio. When she saw the house, she knew where she was.

Leah had been here before. In real life. The summer before she started her freshman year of high school, they had attended the same youth group. That was how she met Cade. All the teens had come here many times to swim or have a bonfire. Most times, both.

She fell in love with Cade that summer—given away the first piece of her heart to the firecracker of a boy with the bluest eyes she had ever seen. His face still had the roundness of youth, but it did not hide his square jaw or the stubbornness that went with it. His skin was bronzed and his sandy blond hair streaked from the sun.

When he slipped her a note, asking if she wanted to be his girlfriend, Leah was elated. Her hands shook and she’d checked “yes” so fast it looked like a scribble. But that was all it took to make them a couple.

At such a young age, there was not any true dating going on. It was just simple things like sitting together during youth group outings, passing notes or talking on the phone. Leah liked when Cade sought her out and sat extra close. He was the first boy to hold her hand. She’d felt so special! They talked on the phone all hours of the day. Leah remembered how Lily had hated her hogging the phone. She smiled.

“Hey, that’s better.” Cade said hopefully, bringing her back to the present.

“I was remembering coming here. This is your grandparent’s place, right?”

Cade cleared his throat. He stared out at the water. “It was. My grandpa left it to me after he passed. I was . . .” he paused, still looking ahead, before trying again, “want to know the truth?”

She nodded. He did not see her answer, but continued anyway.

“I wasn’t in the best place in my life when Pops was nearing his end. I saw it coming and I tried. Dammit. But . . . he died before I got my shit together. I let him down.”

Cade reached down, found a stone and threw it. They were far enough back from the edge of the lake that it barely reached the water.

“I promised him. Promised him on his fucking deathbed that I’d get my shit together and make him proud.” He turned to look at her. “I told you I wasn’t always the best dad and it’s the honest-to-God truth. And after Pops died, I worked the hardest I ever have in my life.”

Leah sat quietly and just let Cade talk. No judgements. Just her hand on his leg, encouraging him. Giving him strength? She felt the need to connect with him and be part of this with him. He put his hand on hers and squeezed. She hoped that meant he felt the same way.

“Here’s the worst of it. I’d been in jail. My ex, Nicole was in jail too. Me? I beat the crap outta some loser over something stupid.” He looked at her and smiled sheepishly.

His life, at least what she had witnessed in high school, was filled with his doing stupid things for dumb reasons.

“But Nicole, well, she had DUI charges and drug charges and well, yeah. State took away our baby girl.”

Cade reached in his pocket, pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit up. He leaned slightly and carefully blew the smoke away from her.

“Pops was dying when I got out. I was a broken man when I went to him, still behaving like a kid doing stupid stuff. He called in a favor and got me a construction job. He gave me money for a lawyer so I could get Skyler back. Even my own parents had basically told me I was on my own. Guess they felt like they’d helped me enough. Decided to try some tough love. But not Pops.”

Cade paused to take another drag. He looked at her, checking to see if she was going to say something or judge him. She just kept her hand in his and waited.

“No matter what, right up until the end. He just kept loving me. He was the only one who never judged me. Except . . . except maybe you.” He squeezed her hand, finished his cigarette and put it out in the dirt before continuing.

“Pops left me the house. My parents weren’t too happy but what could they do? So I kept my head down, worked hard, got my daughter back, and moved in here. All thanks to my grandpa.”

It sounded like the beginning of a happy ending but what about Liam? Leah knew Sky was only half of Cade’s story.

“And Liam?”

“Yeah, my buddy,” he smiled proudly. Then the smile faded. “Nicole saw me with a steady income and a good place to live and wanted in on it. She’d finally gotten outta jail too and swore she’d seen the light. No more drugs, no more trouble. Wanted to be a good mama.”

Cade shook his head and sighed. “What can I say? I wanted what she was selling. A happy ending, a forever after. So I let her move in. I worked hard and paid the bills. I got my contractor’s license and branched out on my own. When Nicole told me she was pregnant again, I thought I