Cade didn’t get as long of a lingering look at Kresley that she did of him when they were introduced, but he was able to form a first thought, and it was…wow. He tried to be a gentleman and not stare at her too long so it wouldn’t make her uncomfortable or get him a head slap from his Aunt Mae for gawking at a woman. From the red hair flaming down her back like silk rivers of fire, to the peaches and cream on her cheeks, Cade took notice. But what he imagined could have been an electric spark when their hands touched quickly turned into a Three Stooges movie. Cade was a chivalrous person. He opened doors for those around him, pulled out chairs for his dates and always used his manners in the company of women. Oh, he could be devilish when it was called for. Cade was a 6’3, well-muscled package of sexy sweetness. Dark brown hair that was mostly styled short for convenience, light blue eyes that turned darker with his mood, and chiseled facial features that spoke of his small percentage of Native American ancestry, were all packaged together and ready to be shared with a woman. Not just any woman, but the right woman. He wasn’t a romantic per say. He didn’t believe in angels singing and birds flying overhead with heart emojis for when he met the woman that was supposed to be his to cherish. But Cade did believe in meeting someone and just knowing they were created for him. Call him an alpha male if you want to. That was fine with him. Cade just didn’t believe in wasting time when he saw something he wanted and needed.
And although he was a true gentleman, he also had a wicked sense of humor. When he saw that red-haired beauty fall from grace, off the sidewalk, and onto her shapely butt, Cade lost it. It was the funniest thing he had seen in quite some time. And he really needed that laugh. It was probably the first time he had really laughed at anything in months. And all thanks to a red-haired southern woman. He could recall the look on Kresley’s face as she fell. One minute she had been staring at Cade’s hand as it held hers, a look of wonder and fear on her face, and the next she was sprawled out in front of him, looking confused, hurt and then the beginnings of a fiery temper appeared. Cade knew it was bad manners and felt the pinch that his Aunt Mae gave him for laughing at a lady in distress. A head slap was one thing, but if Aunt Mae ever pinched you, you knew she was pissed. But he couldn’t help it and even Aunt Mae started laughing at the sight. Kresley soon joined in on the hilarity, but Cade could tell the laugh was forced. That sobered him up quickly. His chest ached a little at seeing the quickly veiled sadness on Kresley’s face as she sat in water.
Cade didn’t get a chance to apologize either because for the first time in his life, he was outsmarted. By a red-haired beauty with slick ninja skills. He didn’t see it coming when her foot and leg swept his feet out from underneath him. He can still feel the hard landing on the sidewalk now. He was surprised to hear the mumbled word asshole that his red-haired ninja chose to call him as she got up gracefully, fake-laughing at herself, and quickly ran down the street to her car. She never once looked up to meet his eyes. Oh, how he wished he could have seen her eyes again to know what color green they were at that moment. He imagined fire would be evident in them. He didn’t even get to see much of her face. But he remembered that laugh and husky tone of voice and the way it made his gut tighten and his blood pressure increase. His mission was to meet her for real tomorrow and apologize for being less than a gentleman. After the post office fiasco, he took his aunt back to her house and went on with his day, with thoughts of Kresley Anderson creeping in sporadically.
Cade was just leaving the department building for the night after finishing up some HR paperwork when he got the call of suspicious activity over at Whimsy Events on Bradford Avenue. He knew where that was and had driven by it several times in learning his way around Mercy Springs. He knew it was a warehouse building with a back alley, front parking lot and small employee count inside. As Cade sped up his unmarked vehicle, his mind wandered back again to Red, as he was choosing to call her now. He remembered her name. Kresley. The sound of it was lilting, like music spilling off the pages of a piece of sheet music. Cade snorted at that. When did he become so poetic? He didn’t even know what Red looked like totally. He had paid more attention to her hair and eyes when they met, but hadn’t gotten a great look at the rest of her before she fell on her ass in the street. Looks aren’t what he used to figure out if a woman is worth his time or not anyway. He wasn’t shallow. Personality, feistiness, intelligence and humor were largely important to him. But he definitely had a thing for freckles, so he was hoping that Red would wind up having them to look at and count, up close and personal.
Cade grinned at that thought and shifted in his seat. He quickly sobered as he eased down the entrance to the back alley, the noise of gravel shifting under tires the only sound. The 911
