Under My Thumb (Serenade Series #1) (19 page)

“Uncle Cash!”

“I’ve been spotted,” I said with a laugh.

Natalia migrated through the sea of legs until she reached me. She hugged my legs like she always did. “I found you.” She giggled loudly.

She was so fucking cute.
“Hey, beautiful.” I picked her up and held her in my arms.

“Hi.”

I turned to Prudence. “This is my girlfriend. Please make her feel welcome, Natalia.”

Natalia’s eyes widened. She was normally scared of strangers or people she didn’t recognize. But that wasn’t the case with Prudence. “She’s purty…”

“I know she is.” I couldn’t help but smile.

Natalia reached her arms out to Prudence. “I want.”

Prudence chuckled then grabbed her. She placed the little girl on her hip. “It’s nice to meet you, Natalia.”

Natalia giggled while she stared at her. “You like my uncle?”

“I do.”

“I like him too.”

“Then we should get along just fine.”

Natalia sucked her thumb then pulled it out again. “Did he bring me a present?”

“Yes, he did. But I picked it out. I hope you like it.”

“Ooh…” Natalia clapped her hands. “I want!”

We walked back to the front door and Prudence put her on the ground. Her eyes lit up when she saw the big bag. She laughed then ran to it. The rest of my family joined us and watched.
I didn’t realize we’d have a damn audience.

Natalia took out the small guitar then screamed. “It’s so cool!”

Prudence’s eyes softened when she stared at my niece. I knew I should look at Natalia, but I couldn’t. Prudence had my full attention. The joy on her face made my heart accelerate.

Natalia played with the chords then sang under her breath. I had no idea what song she was trying to recreate, but it looked like she was having fun. “I don’t know how to play,” she said sadly.

“I could teach you,” Prudence volunteered.

“Really?” Prudence was her new favorite person in the world.

“Yeah.” She sat down then held the guitar. Natalia stood at her knee and watched her fingers. When Prudence started to sing, Natalia was mesmerized, but so were the rest of us. My mom clutched her chest while she stared. Then she leaned toward me. “I love her.”

“You don’t even know her,” I snapped.

“I don’t have to. I can just tell.”

I rolled my eyes.

“And I know she loves you.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

♬

Prudence
Clearwater

There was no question that Cash’s family liked me. Even though I didn’t do anything to deserve it. It was clear they were all invested in his personal life. They just wanted to see him settle down. Now I understood why he wanted this arrangement. It made his family happy.

After I showed Natalia how to handle the guitar and play a few strings, she carried it everywhere and strummed it for her family. She wasn’t very good and sang incoherently, but it was still adorable.

Cash was beside me the entire time, his hand on my waist. I wasn’t sure if it was for affection or just to protect me from his family. Either way, I liked having him beside me.

We sat down for dinner and I ate everything on my plate. Cash’s mom and sister cooked, and I wanted to be as polite as possible, even though they put way too much food on my plate. They made me a special vegetarian dinner. Cash must have told them. He was so thoughtful. Every time I looked up, his mother was staring at me with a look of adoration.

Wow. She really wanted Cash to get married.

“How long has this been going on?” she asked.

I let Cash handle all the questions. “A month.”

“Good. So, you’re a musician?”

“Yes,” I said. “I play in a band.”

“You intend to become a professional?” she asked. I could hear the skepticism in her voice. I didn’t need her approval, but I wanted to impress her for Cash. So I decided to brag—which I hated doing.

“I graduated with a bachelor’s in chemistry. If I don’t get a record deal, I intend to work in a lab.”

Her eyes widened. “Wow. That’s impressive.”

“And badass,” Denver said.

I felt my cheeks blush.

“Where did you go to school?” Ophelia asked.

“Cambridge.”

“Wow,” she said again. “You are artistic and scientific. That’s very rare.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. I wiped my lips and put my napkin in my lap.

“How did my brother get you?” Denver asked with a laugh.

“He was a perfect gentleman,” I said. “That’s how.”

Cash smiled at me then gave me a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Awe.” His mother’s eyes softened. “My baby.”

Cash sighed in annoyance. I knew he was getting irritated with his family. I understood why, but they just cared about him, which is more than what most people had. My mom didn’t care who I dated, and my dad didn’t care about my existence u
ntil recently. What was it like to be loved unconditionally? The only love I ever received was from my brother.

Cash placed his hand on my thigh and leaned in close. “Thanks for putting up with this.”

“I love your family,” I blurted.

He raised an eyebrow. “You do?”

“They just care about you, Cash.”

“I wish they showed it in a different way.”

“You should feel lucky.”

His eyes softened as he looked at me. “I guess you’re right.”

“Prudence, we’re going golfing tomorrow,” Ophelia said. “Please come.”

Umm…what should I say?

“I’m working tomorrow,” Cash said.

“And I didn’t invite you,” his mother said with a laugh. “Prudence, will you join us?”

Cash kept his mouth shut and didn’t intervene.

“Sure. I would love to.”

“That’s wonderful. We’ll get to know each other a little better.”

Cash leaned toward me. “I
’ll teach you a few things later.”

“I know how to golf,” I said automatically.

“You do?” he asked in surprise. “What do you not know how to do?”

I thought for a moment. “I couldn’t change a tire if my life depended on it.”

He rolled his eyes. “Wow. Your one flaw.”

“No, I’m very flawed.”

“Sure…” He pushed his empty plate away.

His mother stood up and started gathering the dishes with Vivian. They carried them into the kitchen and turned on the faucet. Cash stayed beside me, never leaving my side.

Natalia ran to his knee then blinked her eyes. I could tell she was getting sleepy.

“Time for bed?” Cash asked with a smile.

“Will you read to me?”

“Of course.” He leaned toward me. “I’ll be right back.”

“Okay.” I couldn’t pull the smile off my face. His relationship with his niece was adorable. It was a soft side to him that I hadn’t seen. I knew it was there, but I never thought I’d have the honor of witnessing it.

When he left, it was just McKenzie and I. Everyone else was helping in the kitchen. I offered to help, but Ophelia rejected my offer.

McKenzie stared at me before she took the seat beside me. My heart rate increased when she came near. I wasn’t sure why she wanted to be so close. When her voice came out, it was quiet.

“My brother
has been through a lot. He deserves someone that isn’t going to fuck him over.” Her words sliced through the air like a threat. I understood sibling love, but I didn’t expect this. Jeremy would never say these things to Cash. “Are you going to fuck him over?” She looked me square in the eye, studying my features.

I didn’t back down. I never backed down from a fight. “No.”

She eyed me. “Because if you’re just using him for his money or his connections, you should get out now. You won’t get anything out of him. And I’ll make you regret it.”

Did she just threaten me? And use him for what? I didn’t need his money. I didn’t need anyone’s money.
“Then it’s a good thing I’m not.”

“I don’t mean to sound cold. My brother just can’t afford another heartbreak. It already screwed him up once.”

Another heartbreak? What did that mean?
The idea of him being in pain, heartbroken, shattered my heart. “I love Cash. I’d never hurt him.” My voice was full of emotion, and the words flew out of my mouth before I could think.

She nodded. “That’s what I needed to hear.” She left the table, leaving me to ponder the meaning of her last words.

Chapter Twenty-Four

♬

Cash Matthews

The weight disappeared from my shoulders as soon as we left. My family thoroughly embarrassed me and made it seem like I was desperate for love—which I wasn’t.

When we returned to the house, I felt a million times better. Now I got to spend the rest of the day with my musician, my muse, and take her all over my house. That always helped relieve the stress.

Prudence seemed to be in an odd mood. She wasn’t upset but she wasn’t her normally cheerful self.

I knew my family got to her.

“I’m sorry about the way they acted. They are just…excited for me.”

She pulled her hair over one shoulder then placed her purse on the table. “No. They were lovely.”

I came behind her and placed my hands on her shoulders. I gave her a gentle squeeze then kissed her neck. “Then what is it, baby?”

She stared
at the painting on the wall but didn’t speak. Finally, she turned around. I had no idea what she would say, but I knew it was important. I just hoped it wasn’t bad.

“I’ll answer one of your questions if you answer one of mine.”

It took a moment for me to process her words. Where was this coming from? “It depends on the question.”

“I’ll ask it first. Then you can decide to answer it.”

“And in return I can ask anything I want?”

She nodded.

That was very tempting.
She and I kept our pasts close to our hearts. It was never said, but it was implied. We never violated each other’s privacy. We never got too close. “Okay.”  I swallowed the lump in my throat.

“What happened with the woman who broke your heart?”

I stilled at the question. How did she know? Realization dawned on me. “Who spoke to you?”

She didn’t answer.

“Who?” I repeated.

“McKenzie.”

“And what did she say?” I felt anger brewing inside. I never asked my sister to protect my secrets, but I didn’t expect her to bring it up to Prudence at the first opportunity, especially when I left her alone for only five minutes.

“She threatened me.”

“What?” My hands automatically formed fists. “What the hell did she say to you?” I was going to have a nice chat with that brat.

“She said you’ve been hurt before, and I better not hurt you again.”

“Fucking brat…”

“I’m not mad,” Prudence said. “She meant well. She’s your sister.”

“That’s still completely uncalled for,” I snapped. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” she said gently. “She loves you.”

“That doesn’t give her the right to disrespect you.”

“Let it go.” She gave me a gentle smile
. “Now tell me, Cash. What happened?”

I sighed, preparing for the plunge. I never expected to tell her what happened to me. I never spoke about it to anyone, and everyone acted like it never happened. I was humiliated, devastated, and destroyed. It was the single worst thing that ever happened to me. But I wasn’t scared to tell her…I didn’t know why. And that was a first. “I used to be married.”

Her eyes widened but she didn’t speak. I gave her a moment to process what I said. It was a lot to take in. I definitely wasn’t the kind of man to take a wife.

“When we met, she was perfect. She was beautiful, funny, outgoing,
playful—everything I wanted in someone else. When I found her, I couldn’t believe how lucky I was. She was the one, the love of my life. So I married her.”

Sympathy came into her eyes. “What happened?”

“I found out she used me. She just wanted me for my connections so I could make her famous. She wanted gigs in the industry and I arranged them. And when we got married, she refused to sign a pre-nup, saying it was a slap in the face to our marriage. It was important to her, so I respected her wishes.” Just talking about it made me feel like shit again. “It was a lie. She was cheating on me before we were married, and she cheated on me for the entire duration of our relationship. Everyone knew but they were too scared to say anything to me—because I was happy. When I found out…I broke down. I was humiliated and shattered. I loved her—at least I thought I did. But it was all a lie. She took half my money in the divorce. She took everything. Now she’s a star in television and movies. Which is what she wanted all along.” I took a deep breath then closed my eyes for a moment. I was over the break-up and I was over her. But it still hurt to mention it. When I opened my eyes, I saw Prudence’s face. She was crying.

“Baby?”

She wrapped her arms around me and held me. “I’m so sorry that happened to you.” She sniffed loudly and squeezed me. “You don’t deserve that, Cash. You’re such a wonderful man. She’s an idiot.” She wiped her tears and continued to hold me.

I returned her embrace and listened to her cry—for me. She shared the pain I felt. She understood it. There was no judgment or dis
approval in her eyes. And that made me feel a million times better. “Thank you.”

She pulled away then cupped my face. The look in her eyes chased all my thoughts away. “You’re every girl’s dream, every girl’s fantasy. She’ll realize what she lost, Cash. And by then, it will be too late.” She kissed each cheek then pressed her head against mine.

For the first time, I felt like I wasn’t alone. She understood the depth of my despair. I had to hide it from the world so I wouldn’t seem weak, but I didn’t have to hide from her.

She controlled her emotions until she stopped crying. A few loud sniffs escaped her nose until the tears ran dry. “Is that why you are this way?”

I nodded. “It’s just easier. With this arrangement, there is no pain or disappointment. I can’t be hurt. And I don’t have a heart to share anyway.” A slight twinge of pain exploded in my heart. I hated the feeling.

She hugged my waist and rested her head against my chest. “Thank you for telling me.”

I kissed the top of her head. “It’s nice to get it off my chest. And it’s nice not to be lectured. You accept me as I am. And that’s what I need.”

“I hate her,” she whispered.

From the moment I met Prudence, she never had a bad thing to say about anyone else—ever. She was never mean or vulgar. So the words she said now caught me by surprise.

“I hate her,” she repeated. “She had the greatest man in the world and she threw it away.”

“You give me more credit than I deserve,” I whispered.

“Or not enough.”

I placed my hand under her chin then lifted her face. Her gaze met mine. Even when her eyes were wet with fallen tears, she looked beautiful. I could stare at her face all day. When I remembered my marriage, all I felt was pain. But I wondered how different it would have been if I picked a better person, a woman who really loved and respected me. Who cared about me, wouldn’t lie to me, and didn’t want me just because of my stature in life. I imagined Prudence being that woman. When I did, all I felt was joy. But reality set in. I couldn’t turn back time and erase the past. I couldn’t find the rest of my broken heart and put it back together. It wasn’t possible.

I pressed my lips against hers and gave her a gentle kiss. I didn’t want her sexually, but intimately. My emotions were too complicated to express verbally. I knew she’d understand me through my embrace.

She returned my affection with precise movements. Her fingers moved through my hair then down my back. When she touched me, I felt her desire and need. She didn’t just want me and need me in a sexual way either. The connection thawed the frozen ice of her heart. I healed her as much as she healed me.

I pulled away and pressed my forehead to hers. “Thank you…for understanding me.”

She stared at me with sympathy.

“Now it’s my turn to ask a question.”

Prudence didn’t react. She waited for me to speak. I knew exactly what I wanted to ask.

“Same question.”

She took a deep breath. “I met my ex-boyfriend in college. We were together for two years.” Her voice grew quiet as she recalled her story. “I always heard rumors from other people, that he was with other girls in other places. Every time I questioned him, he denied it, convincingly. Later, I found out everything he said was a lie. He slept with twelve other women when he was with me. I was just gullible, stupid, and idiotic to trust him. And I paid the price.” She took a deep breath and stopped her tears from falling. “I’ve never felt so stupid.”

Now I felt the burn behind my eyes. Seeing her in pain was a million times worse than anything I ever felt. She was too precious and perfect to be treated like that. This guy was a fucking dumbass. “And that’s why you are the way you are.”

She nodded. “Never again.”

“It seems like we’re perfect for each other.”

“It does.” She ran her fingers through her hair then looked at my chest.

She understood what I suffered through in an exact way. She wasn’t married, but she was equally burned. I knew no one would understand me better than she. Maybe I was meant to see her in that bar, strumming on her guitar. Perhaps we were supposed to cross paths for that very reason. She understood me and I underst
ood her.

“Prudence…”
              “Yeah?” Her voice escaped as a whisper.

But then the doubt settled on my shoulders. I made this decision for a reason, and the flashbacks of my past reminded me of that choice. And Prudence said she’d never change her mind. This is what she wanted—forever. “Never
mind.”