First Kiss by Bernadette Marie Page A

slept. He loved the sound of Aspen Creek as it flowed under the Rose Bridge and the slow mornings in town.
    Before school would start in the fall, the echo of the marching band filled the valley and the grunts from the football players practicing on the field did the same.
    He’d been on the phone with Ashley about sixty times since he’d left his aunt’s house in Vegas. Nothing and no one in Green Bay needed him or had even noticed he’d been gone. But the woman and boy in Aspen Creek seemed to be keeping his time, mind, and heart occupied.
    Ashley said the house was fine and beer was plentiful. The view of Lake Michigan was beautiful and his ugly mug would only ruin it. That had made him laugh.
    Olivia parked the car in front of the motel and turned off the engine. “I’ll be right back.”
    He reached for her and touched her arm. “I want to go in with you.”
    She agreed with a nod.
    By the look on Celeste Baker’s face, the day had been a hard one. Cade wasn’t sure what Olivia had been thinking, leaving her son with her mother all day. It didn’t sound like a good idea to him.
    Gage was balanced on her hip. His face and hands were sticky and dirty, and his cheeks were tear stained.
    The moment he saw his mother, he leapt for her.
    “Gage, it’s okay. Mom, what happened to him?”
    Celeste lifted her hands in the air. “He’s a handful, this one.” She looked past Olivia and her stare bore right into Cade. “Nice to see you, Cade.”
    The words were courteous, but the tone was much different.
    “Ms. Baker.” Gage looked over his mother’s shoulder and saw him. He reached out and Cade took him from Olivia. “Hey, big guy, you look like you had a busy day.”
    Gage rested his head on Cade’s shoulder and the ache he’d felt in his chest for the past week eased.
    “Mom, let’s go inside and get his things.” Olivia started for the door.
    “Actually, why don’t you take Gage, get him cleaned up, and let me talk to Cade.”
    Olivia shot him a look, and he nodded as he handed Gage back to her.
    Celeste watched her daughter go back into the room and then turned her eyes to him. “Let’s walk down to the end there and get me some ice.”
    Cade walked with her. He didn’t remember her looking so old, but such a hateful life would cause anyone to look years older.
    “I met up with your aunt in Las Vegas. She’s doing well,” she said.
    What a pair of interesting women, he thought. Nothing good would, or did, ever come from the two of them together. “I’ve seen her recently.”
    “I’m curious. What was my daughter doing with your father? Seems odd to me that he left her everything and cut you out completely.”
    Cade clenched his jaw. “I don’t see where that is anyone’s business but my father’s and Olivia’s.”
    She nodded. “Looks like my grandson has already taken to you. I suppose that’s good since he looks just like you.”
    Cade looked back toward the room. Olivia was carrying Gage to the car. “Do you think so?”
    She gave a small groan. “I’m sure it didn’t escape you.” She narrowed her eyes on him. “Is he your kid?”
    Cade contemplated his answer. Gage certainly could be his son, and the thought sparked something in him. But he assumed she’d also seen the birth certificate if she knew about the contents of the will. “You don’t know who his father is?”
    Celeste shrugged her shoulder and stopped as they approached the ice machine. She took a plastic bucket from atop the machine and held it under the dispenser.
    “Your aunt had some papers that told us who his daddy was.”
    “And you think that’s how it is?”
    She shifted a glance to him. “I think that’s how it’s been for years. Even my ex-husband had words with him over it.”
    The mention of her ex-husband had the heat rising under his collar. The man was a horrible man who had nearly violated Olivia on more than one occasion, and Celeste had blamed her for it. “If I remember correctly, the