“Yes,” she said, leaning in for a hug. “I love you. And I promise I’ll help you get back on your feet.”
As she and Elaine sat inside the Dairy Queen, catching up and eating their cookie dough Blizzards, Gabby thought about everything that she had gone through to get to this point. Maybe she and Tony weren’t supposed to end up together, after all. Maybe he and Mr. Ford were put in her life to get her mom back, to help her forgive Elaine for what she’d done, to understand how quickly one lie could snowball into another. And as painful as it was that she’d never be with Tony again, there was something comforting about knowing she got a second chance with her mom. She’d wanted so badly to be a part of his family . . . but now, against all odds, she had her own back again.
37
madison
“SO, WHY AREN’T you wearing one of those sexy lil’ black and white uniforms?” Cash asked as he greeted Madison with a nuzzle on the neck and welcomed her into his trailer.
“What the hell are you talking about?” she asked, raising an eyebrow and tossing her backpack of cleaning supplies on the floor.
“You know—like those French maids.” He opened the fridge and handed her a cold can of Budweiser.
She rolled her eyes. “Je ne suis pas fran?aise.” It was one of the phrases she remembered from high school French class, and the only one she could think of off the top of her head that was actually relevant to this conversation.
“Ooh . . .” Cash smiled. From the look on his face, it was clear he had no idea what she had said to him. “Talk dirty to me, baby.”
She laughed, then took a sip of the beer.
“So, remind me why this rich husband of yours is making you work again?” He propped himself up on the kitchen countertop in the one spot that wasn’t covered in empty boxes, beer cans, or dirty dishes.
She walked over and sat down on the hideous orange couch—he had taken it from his parents’ den when he moved out after high school graduation. Madison had helped him hoist it from the house and get it to their backyard, where his new home was parked.
“I’m just helping my mom make some extra money.” She leaned back. “George is already paying my dad’s medical bills and their mortgage. I can’t really ask him to give them an allowance every month. . . .”
“I dunno.” Cash swung his feet from the counter. “It sounds like you got him wrapped around your finger.”
She gave him a look. “So, what was so important that you needed me to come here immediately?”
Cash had texted her an hour before while she was cleaning the home of Ms. Benoit, an eighty-nine-year-old woman with four cats. Madison knew the only reason the old lady paid for the service was so that someone would check on her at least once a week to make sure she didn’t die and get eaten by her felines. And Madison couldn’t blame her—she had seen those kinds of stories on the five o’clock news, too.
Cash jumped off the counter and walked toward her. “Guess what!”
She had never seen him so excited—save for the time when he and his brother successfully stole the NO SEMIS ALLOWED sign from Caldwell Lane. “What?” she asked.
“We’re going on tour with Pistols and Pops!” He threw his arms out so excitedly, she half expected him to break into jazz hands. “It’s a full U.S. tour—all the big cities like New York, Los Angeles, Austin. . . .”
“No way! That’s awesome!” She stood up and gave him a hug. She was so proud of Cash; all of his dreams were finally coming true. “When does it start?”
“We’re heading out next week, starting in Mobile, Alabama.” His smile revealed his slightly crooked teeth, the ones she for some reason found so sexy.
But as thrilled as she was for him, a lump was forming in her throat. “That’s so great,” she said, trying to sound like she meant it. The idea of Cash going on a cross-country road trip without her made her heart ache.
“Ditch your sugar daddy and come with me,” he said, kissing her.
Madison pulled away from him, wondering if she heard him right. “What?”
“You heard me, baby,” he reassured her, flashing a devious grin. “Blow him off. Come with me. You know you wanna.”
She stared at him, processing his words. For years, this was all she ever wanted. Exploring the country together. Standing in the crowd, cheering him on. Flashing her backstage pass and walking past all the jealous girls. Now it was finally happening, and she couldn’t go. A wave of dizziness washed over her, as she sat back down on the couch heavily.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?” he asked, sitting down next to her.
“I just wish this would have happened a few months ago,” she said, pushing her hair behind her ears. “I’m married now, Cash. . . . I can’t just pick up and leave.”
“Oh come on, we both know it’s not a real marriage.” He laughed. “Dude would probably pay for you to come.”
She shook her head slowly. “Cash, it’s more complicated than that,” she said, thinking of her parents. How could she let George pay for their mortgage and medical bills while she was riding around the country with another guy?
Cash narrowed his eyes. “Are you in love with him?”
“No.” She nudged his foot. “But you and I are complicated, too. I mean, we’ve been hooking up for years and you can never even tell me what I mean to you.”
He pushed her bangs out of her eyes. “I love you, babe. I don’t say it, but you know that.”
She put her hands on his muscular chest. “I love you, too,” she whispered. So long she had fantasized about him saying those three words—so long—and this is when it actually happened? When she was a married woman? “But that’s not what I’m asking.”
“Look, I don’t understand why you’re so obsessed with the idea of settling down.” He leaned back. “How can I know if you’re the one I want to be with for the rest of my life? It took me like a year to pick out my guitar, and I still stay awake at night thinking I should have gone with the Fender.” He rubbed her thigh. “I love you. I’m happy when I’m with you. Isn’t that enough?”
She lowered her eyes. It was always a game with Cash. But she was guilty of it, too—after all, she always had it in the back of her mind that George was a way to get under Cash’s skin. And she knew he would crack one day. She just wished it would have been before she got married.
“I want to go . . .” She paused. “But I can’t. Not right now.”
Cash shook his head in disappointment. “You can’t or you won’t? There’s a big difference there.”
“You know in any other circumstances I would do it,” she said, massaging the back of her neck. “But I can’t afford to ruin this right now.”