“No, the concert is in my backyard baby. A concert for just you and me. Some other musical delights before the concert even starts, as well. Oh, and there will be slow dances for sure later on”, Cade stated with a wink and a devilish grin.
Kresley smiled back with several curious questions in the back of her mind, but she chose to stay quiet and followed him outside into his enormous back yard. They set up their food and Kresley poured them both a mason jar mug full of ice-cold lemonade. She noticed a projector screen in one corner of the fenced in yard, several large fluffy pillows laying on top of a blanket on the grass. There was a small table that had a small projector and laptop. Cade saw where she was looking and just grinned shaking his head as if to say to her to wait. He looked like an excited teenage boy wanting to please his new girlfriend.
After they ate a delicious meal of chicken, pasta and fruit salads from The Blue Café, Cade pulled Kresley over to the large mass of pillows and blanket and told her to have a seat. Kresley did as he requested and sat among the pillows, deciding to recline on her side and propping her head on her hand, her other arm draped over her hips and stomach. “So, who are we going to hear in concert tonight honey?”
Cade held up a single finger as if to ask her to wait, then went to work on his laptop, turning on the projector. Kresley noted tears starting to well up in her eyes as images started playing across the projector screen and the sounds of music began playing from speakers in the yard. Kresley recognized the bright colors and lilting musical notes of one of her favorite Disney cartoons of all time. She looked back at Cade with surprise and found that he had sat down behind her, legs spread out. He pulled her easily up and into his arms, pulling her back against his hard, muscled chest. He wrapped both arms tightly around her chest and kissed her cheek, her ear, her throat before saying softly in her ear, “Are you surprised baby? In a good way?”
Kresley could only nod, huge tears caught in her throat and threatening to spill over her cheeks. Only her sisters and Grace knew that the cartoon that was playing on the projector screen, the beginning notes of the opening song, was her favorite in the entire world and reminded her most of her parents. As The Little Mermaid played in the background, Kresley turned in Cade’s arms and looked up into his eyes. “Thank you, Big Sexy. I have no clue how you knew to do this for me, but this is perfect. Truly.”
Cade gently wiped a few tears that had escaped down her cheeks and kissed Kresley gently on the lips. “It’s my pleasure to bring you happiness of any kind sweetheart. I wish I had known your parents, and I know that tomorrow is going to be hard for you. I wanted to do something to make it easier in some way. I hope I succeeded. And you can thank Grace for the inside info.” Cade gave her a cute grin and turned her back to the screen. “Oh, after this goes off, there is, indeed, a concert of my choice for us to slow dance to. I love me some Kenny Rogers and I found an awesome concert of his greatest hits. I can’t wait to hold you and dance toShe Believes in Me.” Cade squeezed her gently and turned his attention to the screen.
For the next hour or so, Kresley enjoyed the film and music in front of her and the man holding her up so solidly in back. It was a perfect night. Kresley looked up at the stars that were shining in the sky and said a silent greeting to her parents, asking if they had sent Cade to her. After a few moments, Kresley swore she saw a shooting star, but it was gone so quickly that she wasn’t sure. But she still took it at face value and as an answer from her mama and daddy, as if they were letting her know that, indeed, Cade was sent by them for her. She silent thanked them and blew them a kiss, then concentrated on the man whose arms were wrapped so tightly around her that she didn’t know where he began and she ended.
Kres smiled, then laughed quietly when Cade started humming, then singing along with Sebastian the Crab as he sang about kissing the girl. Kresley’s heart melted further into a puddle when Cade gently placed kisses all along her cheek and chin, singing softly in her ear, as if sharing some secret for them alone. After the cartoon finished, the concert starring one Mr. Kenny Rogers began and Kresley discovered that Cade, indeed, loved him some Kenny. They slow danced in the middle of Cade’s back yard to all of the slow songs, which were most of them. Body to body, heart to heart. What an amazing man Cade Grantham was. Mine.
Chapter Twelve
Group chat titled “Kres and Big Sexy” with Anderson sisters and Grace, minus Kresley.
Birdie: So, what do we know about what happened last night with Big Sexy and Big Red?
Grace: Well, I know that he set up a home theater in his back yard and played The Little Mermaid after dinner.
Francie: He did NOT! Lordie Bessie. I wonder how Kres dealt with that?
Gertie: We all know the word mermaid makes her eyes water. How did he get that info? One of y’all snitched. Bitches.
Grace: I did NOT
