Love You to Death (23 page)

“Shhh...It’s okay. You’re okay. I’m not gonna
hurt you. Shhh...” He kept repeating the words as he gathered me
into his arms. I collapsed, sobbing against his chest. He rocked me
back and forth, comforting me as a father would a child.

Clarity came back to me, slowly. This was
Gideon. Dear, sweet, perfect Gideon was holding me. He was
carefully smoothing his large manly hand over my hair, just as
gently as he did when he soothed a skittish horse.

“I’m sorry,” he said, bending his head, mouth
to my ear. “Talk to me, Cherry. Tell me what happened.”

I wanted to. I wanted to tell him all about
my mom and dad. I wanted to tell him how Cass almost killed me,
body and soul. I opened my mouth, licking my lips. I tasted the
saltiness of the tears. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t find the
words. They were trapped inside of me, and I didn’t know how to
free them.

Gideon’s chest rose and fell sharply. Then he
steered me back to the truck. When we were once again settled in
the cab he shifted the truck out of park, backing up to turn
around. Then he stopped.

“Look at me,” he said.

My head rested on the seat. I rolled to the
left to look at him. His eyes glistened in the light glowing from
the dashboard. He raised his hand to my face, cupping my cold cheek
in his hot palm. “I might get angry. I might yell. But I would
never—do you hear me—I would
never
touch you in anger. I’m
not him. You know that, right?”

I nodded.

“Good. Now, promise me you’ll never pull such
a ridiculous stunt like this again.”

I nodded again.

“Say it.”

“I promise.”

A slightly concealed smile played over his
lips. He shook his head, muttering something about hare brained and
thick headed.

* * * *

I expected all the adults to be waiting for
us with full, blown-out parental lectures, but they weren’t.
Gideon, Cort, and Maggie were the only ones who knew I’d been
missing. Everyone else was in bed.

Maggie came to my room, getting me into a
warm bath before helping me into bed. “If we couldn’t find you then
we’d have told mom and dad,” she’d explained, tucking me in.

“How did you find me?” I asked, burrowing
under the covers.

“Cort. He’s a great tracker. It’s easier in
the day time, but we had spotting lights and two-way radios. Gideon
was fit to be tied. You should’ve seen him. Well, maybe it’s good
you didn’t.” She smirked.

“He lectured me the whole way home.”

“Yeah, I got it from both of them. Gideon
said he never heard of such stupid antics from two silly girls.
Said he oughta bend us both over his knee, that’s a direct quote,”
she scoffed.

“As if—” I yawned and promptly fell
asleep.

* * * *

I woke up stiff but happy to be in my own bed
and not lost in the woods. I was anxious to see Maggie and hear
what happened on her end last night. I quickly got dressed and went
looking for her. I found her in the stable, brushing Lola.

“Good morning,” I said.

She stopped and popped her head up over the
backside of Lola.

“It’s about time.” She smiled at me. “Grab
some brushes.”

Normally I wouldn’t get anywhere near Lola,
but the diva liked to be brushed so I knew I was safe.

“So tell me! What happened?” I asked,
sweeping the brush over Lola’s side.

“Oh Cherry, you should’ve been there,” she
said all girly and breathy. “Well not literally...you know what I
mean...”

“Yeah, yeah, get on with it.”

“At first he was tryin’ to get out of helping
me, sayin’ he thought you just went off to be alone. I told him he
was a selfish jerk and what would he do if you were hurt or worse.
Then he was sorry and said he’d help me look for you. After we rode
around for a while, I asked him if he had a date for the Gala. He
said no. I was so happy to hear that.” She giggled. “Then he asked
me if I was takin’ Jesse. I told him I might if someone else didn’t
ask me first. You should’ve seen his face! He was spittin’ mad! He
started lecturing me on my choices in men. He went on and on, which
made me mad. So, I just went for it. I told him he was blind as a
bat when it came to love because I’d been in love with him for
years and he never noticed.” She stopped brushing to look at
me.

“You didn’t?!” I stopped brushing too. We
stared at each other over Lola’s rump. “What’d he say?”

“He said I was the wiliest woman he knew, and
he wouldn’t have me using my wicked ways on him so I’d better
straighten up. Then he kissed me. He kissed me!” Maggie danced away
from the horse, spinning with her arms out, brushes in hand.

“Oh Mags, that’s great! It worked!” I went to
her and we jumped up and down like the silly girls we were.

“Well...that was about the time Gideon called
him, lookin’ for you. I didn’t think anything was wrong. Ya know? I
figured you got busy and forgot to call or something. I’m sorry,
Cherry.”

“It isn’t your fault. Don’t worry about it.
Just tell me what happened next.”

She rolled her eyes and walked back to Lola
and started brushing again.

“All hell broke loose. Gideon was beside
himself. He couldn’t find you anywhere. Sampson was missin’. He put
two and two together and called Cort. I was so scared somethin’ bad
happened to you. I spilled my guts.”

“Is Cort still angry? Should I talk to him?”
I asked. I didn’t want all that hard work and planning to go to
waste.

“Nah, he’s over it. I used my feminine charm
on him.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

“What about Gideon?”

“I don’t know. He’s been closed up in the
hospital all mornin’.”

I nodded, trying to think of an excuse to go
to the hospital to see him.

“Oh. My. God!” Maggie exclaimed, startling
Lola. She pranced for a few seconds then calmed as Maggie shushed
her. Then Maggie walked around the horse and grabbed me by the arm.
Her eyes were bugging and her mouth formed a tiny ‘o’. “You like
him,” she said.

“Huh? Like who?” I pretended to be
oblivious.

“Don’t get all mysterious on me. Gideon. You
like him!” She smiled mischievously, looking like the Cheshire cat
from
Alice in Wonderland
.

I blushed. I hated how easily my body
responded to embarrassment. Maggie tossed her head back and laughed
gleefully.

“This is great! We’re a matched set.” She
hooted. Lola snorted her annoyance.

“Shhh! Be quiet,” I warned her, glancing
around furtively.

“No one is in here but us and the horses,”
she said. “Tell me, tell me, tell me!”

“Tell you what?”

“C’mon. I told you,” she half whined.

“There isn’t anything to tell,” I said. A
look of hurt played over her features. I caved. “Okay, so I like
him. Nothing will ever happen though.” I sighed.

“Why not? Is it his age? He’s only
twenty-four. That’s not so old. I mean, heck, my mama’s eight years
younger than my daddy.”

I shook my head.

“Then what?” she prodded.

“I don’t think he likes me the same way,” I
lied. The problem was I was married. I couldn’t tell her that
though.

“Oh, I don’t know. Gideon is the strong
silent type. The way he was all worked up last night was a dead
giveaway that he cares a lot about you.”

I shrugged. “I guess so.”

“Well, I happen to know he doesn’t have a
date for the Gala,” she sang.

“Really?” My heart danced a little jig.

“Yep. You should ask him.”

“I can’t.”

“Sure you can. It’s easy.” She pulled Lola’s
head down and said, “Gideon, will you go to the Gala with me?” Then
she moved Lola’s head up and down. “See, it’s easy.”

“You’re a goof.” I laughed. “But that’s not
it. I’m not going. I don’t have anything to wear.”

“Puh-leeze. Of course you’re goin’. The whole
family goes. We’re the hosts. Besides, I haven’t bought my dress
yet. Mama’s takin’ me shoppin’ this week. You’ll come along and get
your dress too. We’ll make it a girl’s day.”

Chapter
Twenty-Two

I’d shopped with my mother, but shopping with
Sissy and the Ross women was a sport. We traveled to Lexington to
the Fayette Mall.

“This is the one.” Maggie stepped out of the
changing room. She was wearing a skin-tight hot red dress that was
so short it barely reached her upper thighs.

“Margaret, I hardly think that is appropriate
for the Gala.” Aurora shook her head and sent her daughter back
into the dressing room.

A few minutes later Maggie emerged in a very
elegant and sexy floor length baby blue satin ensemble.

“Wow,” I said. “Move over Marilyn
Monroe.”

“That is a beautiful gown,” Aurora smiled
approvingly.

“Finally,” Maggie grinned. “I think I’ll wear
my hair up with some danglin’ earrings.”

“Okay, Miss Cherry,” Aurora said. “Your
turn.” She unloaded an armful of dresses we picked into my waiting
arms, shooing me into the dressing room.

“What exactly is the Gala?” I asked as I
stripped off my jeans.

“It’s the who’s who of the equestrian world,”
Maggie chimed.

“It’s a party to raise money for the various
charities we support,” Aurora added.

“It’s a big to-do for people to get dressed
up, eat and drink too much, and gossip about each other,” Sissy
griped.

“When is it?” I asked. In all the
preparations no one ever said when it was.

“October 31
^st
,” Aurora
answered.

“Oh.” I guess I’d be celebrating my birthday
in style this year. I stepped into the dress, struggling a little
with the zipper, but after a brief moment of contortionism it was
on.

“Yep, Halloween, but Sissy wouldn’t turn it
into a costume party like I asked her though,” Maggie
complained.

“Too bad, it would’ve been easier to find a
costume,” I said, stepping out of the dressing room.

Sissy, Aurora, and Maggie all stood there,
their mouths hanging open. “What?” I looked down at the front of
the deep plum colored gown, searching for imperfections or damage.
All I saw were the tiny silver sequins dotting the border of the
snug bodice and covering the short tulle skirt that fell to my
knees, flaring out in tufts of sparkling confection.

“You look fabulous, sugar.” Aurora gestured
with her finger for me to spin around.

“Cherry, you should totally get that one. It
makes your eyes look smoky,” Maggie said.

Sissy snorted. “She’s eighteen, Maggie. This
is the Gala. She ain’t Angelina Jolie walkin’ the red carpet.”

Maggie ignored her. “You look fab, my
friend.”

I turned to look at myself in the mirror. The
girl looking back wasn’t anyone I recognized. Not really. I saw the
same long ebony hair and the same gray eyes above a perky upturned
nose and too wide mouth. But she was different from the girl who
just spent the last two years struggling to survive. The girl in
the mirror looked... happy. She looked normal.

I wondered what Gideon would think as I
turned from side to side. I had to stop letting myself think about
him. I focused on something else. Maybe I should wear my hair up
too.

“Alright, Gina Lollobrigida, time’s a
wastin’. We need shoes.” Sissy propelled me back into the dressing
room.

“Who?”
Maggie and I said together.

* * * *

The night of the Gala was a typical fall
evening, brusque and cold. The party was being held at the downtown
Hilton in Lexington. Sissy arranged for us all to have rooms. I was
sharing with Maggie while all the boys bunked together. Only Sissy
got a room of her own.

I was shocked when the stretch limo pulled up
to the house. No one wanted to drive home from Lexington after a
night of excess, so Sissy hired a car and driver for two days.
First things first. When we arrived at the hotel, Aurora arranged
appointments for us girls to get our hair and nails done.

I was excited. I hadn’t told anyone it was my
birthday. But I felt like we were celebrating it anyway since we
were all dressed up and going to a party. I pretended it was all
for me. Stewie hopped into the limo with kid-like curiosity.

“Wow, Cherry, there’s a TV in here!” I heard
him say from inside.

Everyone climbed in, chatting animatedly and
joking with each other. Cort and Maggie sat together, his arm
draped casually over her shoulder. Across from them, JD and Aurora
noticed this and smiled. Gideon sat opposite me. Every few minutes
I felt the weight of his stare.

I hadn’t had the nerve to ask him to go as my
date, but it didn’t matter. We were all going together. I was
hoping to dance with him though. I bowed my head, stealthily
shifting my gaze to him, making it look like I was adjusting my
jacket. He caught me staring and winked. I flushed, fingers
fumbling on the fabric. He chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” Sissy asked.

“Nothin’ Maw-Maw, just thinkin’ of tonight,”
he said, tapping his fingers on his knee.

“I bet,” she said, lifting her brow.

Forty minutes later the limo glided to a stop
at the front entrance of the hotel. There was a large sign
welcoming the guests of the Gala. JD and Sissy checked us in.
Bellboys loaded our luggage onto wheeled brass carts.

We rode the elevator to the seventh floor.
Maggie and I had the last room down the hall, next to the boys. We
dropped off our things and headed back down to the lobby.

The salon was adjacent to the hotel, through
a set of ornate double doors. Sissy and Aurora were already there,
waiting for us and talking to a pair of older women. The taller
blond haired woman had that newly nipped and tucked appearance. Her
shorter plumper friend looked like rawhide, a definite sun
worshipper.

“My goodness, Aurora,” the plastic looking
one said. “Is this your Maggie?”