cast an orange light on her face and made her eyes almost glow. She was breathtaking, and if he could keep her right there forever he couldn’t think of a better view.
“Okay, this was my mom’s favorite song, so you might not know it. “Leather and Lace,” by Stevie Nicks and…oh, what’s his name?” She looked up at the sky, murmuring to herself.
“It’s Don Henley.”
“That’s it! Do you know it?” They never really talked about what kind of music he liked.
“I do know that song. I’ve always had a freaky memory when it comes to music. Just give me a minute to think about it.” He strummed to the tune in his head and then began to sing.
***
The moment Cash opened his mouth and began to sing, Tessa lay there in stunned silence. His voice was smooth, but with just enough scratchiness to make it sexy. She watched his fingers strum the guitar with no effort whatsoever. She couldn’t help but sing along with him, and the words that were ingrained in her mind came out softly, words that had been forever burned into her brain since she was a little girl. Her mom had been a big Stevie Nicks fan and an even bigger Eagles fan.
She closed her eyes listening to Cash. As the night progressed, they stayed right in that spot. The hammock lightly swayed as he played song after song, his voice lulling her to such a state of relaxation she was afraid she was going to fall asleep.
When Cash finally put his guitar down, he turned back to her, pulling her so her back was against his front. “You play and sing beautifully,” she whispered. He squeezed her tight to him, kissing the back of her neck.
Neither of them spoke as they lay there, but they didn’t need to. It was one of those comfortable silences. Tessa’s eyes felt heavy, and she knew she should get up before she fell asleep, but she couldn’t force herself to move from that spot.
Tessa could hear the banging coming from the kitchen and ran quickly into her room. Shutting the door quietly behind her, she slid to the floor, hoping and praying her dad would pay no attention to her. He’d been drinking since he got up several hours ago. There wasn’t a time when she saw him sober anymore. Most days he’d ignore her, but there were days when he didn’t. She prayed today would be a day to forget she even existed.
She knew God didn’t hear her prayers when her dad pushed the door in. Scrambling across the floor on her hands and knees, she tried to get away from him, but felt his large hand wrap around her ankle.
“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?” His speech was slurred, his eyes filled with such hatred.
He grabbed her arm, pulling her up from the floor so hard she was afraid he was going to rip her arm out of the socket. She tried to hold back the tears, but she couldn’t. The pain was almost blinding.
“What did I do?” she cried.
“Where’s the bottle? What the fuck did you do to it, you stupid retard?” he roared in her face. She had no idea what he was talking about. She knew better than to try and hide his liquor. She had the scars on her back to prove it.
“Daddy, I didn’t do anything. I promise. Did you drink it all…” His fist slammed into her stomach so hard it knocked the breath right out of her. She collapsed to the ground where he kicked her one last time and then stormed out.
“Tessa, come on, baby, wake up!” Cash was down in front of her, concern filled his eyes. What was he doing there?
“Tessa!”
Tessa jerked up and almost fell out of the hammock, but strong hands steadied her. She was still groggy and trying to figure out what the hell just happened. Every breath she took seemed to require too much effort.
“Breathe for me, baby, nice and slow.” Oh god, she fell asleep and had a nightmare in front of Cash. She took some cleansing breaths until she could breathe normally. “Are you okay? You were having a nightmare. Do you want to talk about it?”
She shook her head—she
“Okay, this was my mom’s favorite song, so you might not know it. “Leather and Lace,” by Stevie Nicks and…oh, what’s his name?” She looked up at the sky, murmuring to herself.
“It’s Don Henley.”
“That’s it! Do you know it?” They never really talked about what kind of music he liked.
“I do know that song. I’ve always had a freaky memory when it comes to music. Just give me a minute to think about it.” He strummed to the tune in his head and then began to sing.
***
The moment Cash opened his mouth and began to sing, Tessa lay there in stunned silence. His voice was smooth, but with just enough scratchiness to make it sexy. She watched his fingers strum the guitar with no effort whatsoever. She couldn’t help but sing along with him, and the words that were ingrained in her mind came out softly, words that had been forever burned into her brain since she was a little girl. Her mom had been a big Stevie Nicks fan and an even bigger Eagles fan.
She closed her eyes listening to Cash. As the night progressed, they stayed right in that spot. The hammock lightly swayed as he played song after song, his voice lulling her to such a state of relaxation she was afraid she was going to fall asleep.
When Cash finally put his guitar down, he turned back to her, pulling her so her back was against his front. “You play and sing beautifully,” she whispered. He squeezed her tight to him, kissing the back of her neck.
Neither of them spoke as they lay there, but they didn’t need to. It was one of those comfortable silences. Tessa’s eyes felt heavy, and she knew she should get up before she fell asleep, but she couldn’t force herself to move from that spot.
Tessa could hear the banging coming from the kitchen and ran quickly into her room. Shutting the door quietly behind her, she slid to the floor, hoping and praying her dad would pay no attention to her. He’d been drinking since he got up several hours ago. There wasn’t a time when she saw him sober anymore. Most days he’d ignore her, but there were days when he didn’t. She prayed today would be a day to forget she even existed.
She knew God didn’t hear her prayers when her dad pushed the door in. Scrambling across the floor on her hands and knees, she tried to get away from him, but felt his large hand wrap around her ankle.
“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?” His speech was slurred, his eyes filled with such hatred.
He grabbed her arm, pulling her up from the floor so hard she was afraid he was going to rip her arm out of the socket. She tried to hold back the tears, but she couldn’t. The pain was almost blinding.
“What did I do?” she cried.
“Where’s the bottle? What the fuck did you do to it, you stupid retard?” he roared in her face. She had no idea what he was talking about. She knew better than to try and hide his liquor. She had the scars on her back to prove it.
“Daddy, I didn’t do anything. I promise. Did you drink it all…” His fist slammed into her stomach so hard it knocked the breath right out of her. She collapsed to the ground where he kicked her one last time and then stormed out.
“Tessa, come on, baby, wake up!” Cash was down in front of her, concern filled his eyes. What was he doing there?
“Tessa!”
Tessa jerked up and almost fell out of the hammock, but strong hands steadied her. She was still groggy and trying to figure out what the hell just happened. Every breath she took seemed to require too much effort.
“Breathe for me, baby, nice and slow.” Oh god, she fell asleep and had a nightmare in front of Cash. She took some cleansing breaths until she could breathe normally. “Are you okay? You were having a nightmare. Do you want to talk about it?”
She shook her head—she
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