you so very much,” Cade reached out to cup her face, his thumb caressing her jaw.
“I love you too, Cade; I have since I was fifteen.”
“I know,” he admitted. “And I’ve loved you just as long. Waiting for you to grow up felt like a life time. These past five years have felt like an eternity.”
___________________________________________________
Amanda entered the kitchen the next morning just after Cade had stepped out to start morning chores and before Cadey-Lynn had stirred for the day. Cassia was already bustling around cleaning and putting something in a crock pot.
“Good morning, Manny; it is okay if I call you that isn’t it?” Cassia paused to survey her.
“Yes,” Amanda smiled and shook her head slightly; that was what all the men called her as well.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, it’s just that for years Cade has been the only one who called me that,” Amanda explained.
“Sorry, it’s kind of how we all think of you,” Cassia was smiling now. “I wasn’t sure if I should come today as expected but Cade said for the moment we would let things stand. I hope that’s okay.”
“That’s fine,” Amanda shrugged. “Everything is happening so fast I’m not sure what is what either,” Amanda admitted.
“I’m glad you found him, Manny.”
“I am too; the last few years have been hard,” Amanda helped herself to a cup of coffee.
“Mind if I join you for a moment?” Cassia requested.
“Please do,” Amanda smiled as she seated herself.
“They’ve been hard for Cade too,” Cassia informed her then smiled and shook her head. “I had a crush on him when he first arrived,” Cassia admitted.
“I’m sure I must have driven him just about nuts! My daddy owns the spread adjacent to here to the north and I found every excuse I could to be here. My daddy finally caught on and says to me ‘Cassia, girl; that man is in love with someone, deeply in love and for whatever reason can’t be with her. Give the man his peace.’ I was angry at Daddy at first but then I was riding one day and Cade was sitting on the bank of one of the streams. He was studying a picture when I approached. I could tell it was of a woman so I asked him: ‘Who is she?’ He handed me a picture of you and says, ‘That’s my Manny; I’m trying to earn her dad’s respect so I can see her and do things right.’ I knew then that it was hopeless,” Cassia was smiling at her now.
“It was just after that that Ben came to my rescue after a riding accident; it was the beginning of something very special for us and I am so glad things worked out the way they did.”
“You seem very happy,” Amanda noted.
“I am,” Cassia nodded, then seemed to study her a moment. “That man loves you, Manny. He has worked so hard the last few years that we all feared he would make himself sick. Ben says he kept saying he had to have something to offer you and wanted your father’s respect. He certainly earned Ben’s and Mr. Carter’s. And my Daddy’s and that isn’t easy.”
“My daddy was mad at him because of me and only because of me and I suppose had we been more up front with my father as Cade requested perhaps we could have avoided this mess. Then again, maybe not. Had my father told me not to see him it wouldn’t have stopped me,” Amanda shrugged. She had asked herself many times if things would have been different if she had let Cade approach her father right after he came home from college as he had wanted to. There was no way of knowing now.
“Hard to say about fathers,” Cassia grinned. “I was afraid Daddy wasn’t going to be happy about Ben and me but he handled it pretty well. Why he thought I would want to move off to the city for a career man is beyond me,” Cassia rolled her eyes; Amanda laughed.
“My daddy had it is head that I didn’t need to be a rancher’s wife. Men can be so illogical,” Amanda was still chuckling.
“Most folks around here are going to be quite pleased to see you,” Cassia informed Amanda. “There will be a few ladies who aren’t quite so pleased.”
“Oh?” Amanda frowned at her.
“Cade has a few admirers and they took his recent hand full of dates with Carey as a good sign. He’s driven them nuts for years; they aren’t going