One Funeral (No Weddings #2)(52)

With Cade’s every word, my racing pulse calmed. In fact, my heart warmed at his possessiveness while explaining it with great care for my feelings. I slid my hand back into his, holding tight. “Would you like to decide that now?”

He smiled slowly. “Can’t think of a better time. My education’s done. We’ve finished therapy. Why not commit to what we want us to be?”

“And what do you want us to be?”

His expression hardened, his gaze fierce, as he lifted our clasped hands to his mouth. He placed a soft kiss on our fingers. “I want us to be together as a couple, excited about the present and looking forward to our future.”

I released the lower lip I’d been unconsciously worrying with my teeth and smiled wide. “I want that too.”

He sat straighter, pulling his shoulders back. “So I can introduce you as my girlfriend, then?”

I laughed and threw my arms around his neck, leaning over the shifter to be closer to him. “I would love to go steady with you, Cade Michaelson.”

Grinning like the happiest man on Earth, he leaned forward, embracing me back, and gave me a tender kiss. I loved that he’d called me his girlfriend for the first time in the front bucket seats of Granpop’s ’67 Fastback, bridged over the gearshift like long-lost lovers who didn’t care what was between us. Because truly, nothing was.

And I silently vowed that nothing would tear us apart.

Cade leaned back and held his index finger in front of my face. “Wait right there.” He burst out the driver’s door and ran around to the other side, opening mine like the gentleman he was. “M’Lady.”

“Shhh, don’t let anyone know I’m royalty.”

He laughed, shutting my door after I’d cleared it, and crooked his arm out.

I looped mine through, resting my hand on his forearm. “So do I get your letterman jacket now?”

He glared at me. “No. No letterman jacket. And I suggest you not insist on one. Blasphemous.”

I burst out laughing at his indignant tone.

Realizing the time we’d taken had him in danger of running late for roll call, we jogged inside as best I could manage with my four-inch heels. Parting on a quick kiss, he broke off down a hallway.

I made my way down to the auditorium. When I pushed through one of the doors, I gasped at the enormity of the space. Walking down an aisle in an awestruck daze, I scanned through the crowd, wondering how I’d find any of his family in the cavernous space.

Miraculously, I heard my name being called above the roaring chatter. I turned toward the sound and spotted Cade’s sisters about halfway down. Impossible to miss, the threesome waved their arms above their heads like they were guiding a 747 onto a landing strip.

Laughing, I hurried down the aisle as Kiki put her fingers to her lips, readying to whistle out at me above the noise. The rows of seats in my path were all occupied, and I had to lean forward, sucking my belly in, to squeeze by. The girls all sat beside each other, with Kristen’s husband on the other end.

I waved to him. “Hi, Jason.”

Smiling, he lifted his hand. “Hi, Hannah. Great to see you.”

I looked beyond Jason at the seats taken by strangers, younger people I’d never met before. Confused, I turned back, verifying none of the people I’d passed were Cade’s mom.

Frowning, I turned back to the girls. “Where are your parents?”

Kendall rolled her eyes. “Dad wasn’t sure he’d make it back in time to pick up Mom, and she refused to come without him. It’s her way of guaranteeing they both come.”

I lowered my head, whispering as I took my seat. “Do they want to be here?”

Kendall nodded. “Mom wouldn’t miss it for the world. Dad can be gruff, demanding, and absentee at times, but he’s proud as hell of Cade too. Business comes first, however, and an important international client needed a last-minute conference call.”

I nodded, chewing on my lower lip. Cade and I hadn’t talked about the possibility of his parents not being there. Everything he’d said indicated he was looking forward to his whole family seeing him graduate.

When the ceremony began, I found myself antsy to see Cade again. I kept looking for him amid the crowd of graduates but hadn’t yet spotted him.

The students and faculty filed in during their processional. Once introductions were made, the keynote speaker gave his address and got a few laughs while offering pearls of wisdom. Afterward, the twenty-minute student graduation address was inspiring.

The ceremony dragged on with the recognition of academic honors. During a musical interlude, I glanced at the program. “Line-up for Roll Call” was next. Then the recognition of graduates by four deans.

I finally saw Cade as his row stood and filed in a line for their turn. When he made it up to the stage, he scanned the crowd until he spotted us. I knew the moment he did, because a huge grin lit up his face.

I grinned back, waving like a lunatic.

Minutes later, one of the deans called out his name. “Kincaid Joseph Michaelson.”

Head held high, Cade crossed the stage, shook hands with another dean, grasped his diploma while pausing for a photo, and then continued down the steps to take his seat with his graduate class.

Knee bouncing like crazy, I counted down the minutes until the ceremony ended. Soon hats flew up into the air and the graduates dispersed, finding their family and friends. Cade made his way over by the time we filed out of our row. I raised my arms over my head, grinning as he rushed toward me.