First Kiss by Bernadette Marie

dropped earlier. “I kissed you.”
    “Yes, you did.”
    He turned to her. His eyes were sad and she couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
    He raised his hand to her cheek and held it there. “My first kiss and it was with the girl I loved.”
    Olivia’s mouth opened, but there were no words. She had to process what he’d said. “Cade, after that day you told me you hated me.”
    “I know.” He dropped his hand. “I did hate you. I hated that you left me here alone.”
    “It wasn’t my choice.”
    “No, your mother’s husband. But I didn’t see it that way. You, Dad, and Conner were my stability. When you left Conner didn’t come around as much. Dad had to work as usual, and you weren’t right there.”
    “You were quick enough to replace me as your friend.”
    “Junior high is supposed to be a bitch.” He laughed, but she didn’t.
    “It was the only time I had in town. Aside from that, I was locked up in that nasty trailer with that horrible man.”
    Her voice had risen in pitch, and Cade took a step toward her. “Tell me he didn’t really touch you.”
    She watched the pulse in his neck grow faster and his jaw set. “What would it matter?”
    “Olivia, I know my own father took a swing at the man over it.”
    This time she had to smile, though it wasn’t worth rejoicing in, but she remembered it so well. “Oh, he didn’t take a swing, he nailed the jerk.”
    “He actually hit him?”
    “Over and over.” She could still see her stepfather bent over in pain. “He’d attacked me…”
    “Olivia,” he reached for her. “You never told me that.”
    “You didn’t talk to me anymore, remember?”
    Cade nodded and stepped back.
    “It wasn’t the first time. He’d tried a few times, and I’d always managed to get out of it.” She turned and moved toward the couch, but he’d covered it in boxes so she just stood there, her back to him. “That last time he’d left a mark and your father saw it. The accusations went back and forth. He accused your father of inappropriate things, and your father threatened to kill him if he touched me again.”
    “And then he hit him?”
    Olivia nodded, and she let the smile land large on her lips. “Oh, yeah. He hit him.”
    Cade shook his head. “I can’t even imagine.”
    “He took care of me as if I were one of his own.”
    “He used to race over when you were small and your mother would leave you asleep in the house alone. We could hear you scream in your sleep, and he never knew who your mom had in the house with you.”
    The smile was gone and Olivia moved to him. “I screamed in my sleep?”
    “Yeah. You had nightmares or something.”
    She let out a breath. “I didn’t know that. But that explains a lot.” She looked up at him and his eyes were narrowed. “Gage does that.”
    “I’ve never heard him scream.”
    “When you’re around, he doesn’t. He’s comfortable with you.”
    That was a truth that hurt her.
    She gripped her car keys in her hand tightly. “I think we should talk.”
    He stood there in front of her with his hands on his hips. He looked at his watch. “Where is Gage?”
    “He’s with my mom.”
    He shifted his eyes and shook his head disapprovingly. “Let’s go get him.”
     
    Cade had a lot to sort out in his mind. He’d come back to Aspen Creek to close up his father’s life,; he’d never in his wildest dreams imagined he’d fall in love.
    He’d tried to work it out in his head. It was just coming home and she was a familiar face. No, that wasn’t the truth and he knew it.
    Olivia had been a stranger for years. Meeting her now had proved that.
    He’d not only fallen in love with her, but then there was Gage. His heart ached at the thought that he might never see him again.
    Love had been everywhere in that stupid, little town and Cade wanted to ignore it. He loved the feel of the mountain air during the summer nights. It wasn’t too hot, and it was just cool enough to keep you comfortable while you