Page 18 of Cold Foot Cash (Wreck’s Mountains #4)

Abigail was watching the front doors, but Harley already knew what was happening.

The court room for their session was already open, and time was ticking away.

He hadn’t shown up again. Lance really hadn’t come.

She wasn’t crying, or asking God, “Why?” She’d expected this.

Beside her, Cash looked handsome in slacks and a button up shirt. His brown leather shoes had been polished. He sat there with his eyes on the door, his forearms resting on his knees, his hands clasped. He’d promised that either way, he would take her to a nice dinner tonight, and she’d known what he was doing. He was giving her something to look forward too whether Lance showed up or not.

He’d been tense all morning, but now, his hands suddenly relaxed. He sat up straighter with a smile on his face for Abigail.

“You freaking did it,” she murmured.

Confused by the exchange, Harley followed Abigail’s gaze to the front.

Bronson was holding the door open for his client. Lance glanced at her, and then focused on removing his belt for the metal detector.

“Oh my gosh,” she uttered in disbelief.

Abigail rushed to talk to someone standing in the doorway of the courtroom, and beside her Cash bumped her shoulder.

“He’s really here,” she whispered in disbelief.

No man had ever worn a more handsome smile than Cash did in this moment. “Zero more days,” he said.

She leaned heavily on him and tried to keep her emotions under control.

Lance was walking this way, and Bronson was headed toward Abigail.

She stood, and beside her, Cash stood too. To her shock, Lance nodded to Cash. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Cash murmured, like they had met before.

She looked from Cash, to Lance, and back to Cash. “What’s happening?”

It was Lance who answered. “He came and talked to me. Hey before we go inside, can we talk? Alone?”

“Okay.” Here it came. Here came the trick. Here came Lance to pull the rug out from under her.

Lance led her toward the wall and then turned, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. “My lawyer has drawn up new paperwork. He’s going over it with your lawyer now.”

“Great,” she muttered. “What do you want now? My hair? I think I have thirteen dollars in my purse for gas. You want that?”

Lance hung his head, and shook it. “No. The changes benefit you.” He lifted his gaze to hers. “Your guy said some stuff that stuck with me the other day. Don’t get me wrong, I hate him, but he made sense. He explained what I’ve been doing to you, and I…” Lance’s eyes held emotion for the first time in a long time. “I’ve been doing this all wrong. I know it’s done, and I know I can’t go back, but I don’t want you to hate me forever. Can I ask you for one more favor?”

She was shocked to her very bones at all of this. Cash had talked to him? When? They’d been together for the last three days. He’d been keeping her busy. When had he even had time to talk to Lance?

“It depends on the favor,” she said stiffly.

“Can we just end this like we started it? Just us in there? And the lawyers, of course.”

And she thought about it. She loved that Cash had been here for these three days, and had acted as vital support when she’d needed it. But she was okay with finishing this with Lance. She cast her attention back to Cash, and he stood there, tall, and stoic, and strong. He nodded once, as if he’d heard from all the way over there. He probably had. Handsome shifter.

She exhaled tension, and told Lance, “I’m okay with that.”

Lance gestured for her to enter the courtroom first.

“We’ve got to have a quick talk,” Abigail said, barely containing the excitement in her voice as she held up a stack of crisp paperwork. There was a private room just inside the courtroom, to the left of the doors.

Two men in suits were closing the swinging doors behind her, and in a few seconds, Cash would be blocked from Harley’s view.

He smiled at her, and she returned the smile, and gave him a little wave.

He truly was her best friend.

She inhaled deeply as the swinging doors closed, and then followed Abigail into the side room.

This was happening.

The time had finally come.

Zero days.

****

Cash cracked his knuckles, and then stood and paced to the end of the hallway, and back. He made his way to a trio of paintings of past judges, and then ran his hand through his hair and sat on the bench again, directly across from the doors to the courtroom. This had been the longest hour of his life. What if Lance pulled some shit on Harley last minute? What if he was badgering Harley into something she didn’t want to do?

No. Abigail had her back. He’d talked to her a few times this week when Harley had meetings with her. That woman truly cared for Harley.

Cash tapped the toe of his new shoe against the tile floor. He would have to go back to his life in Darby tomorrow morning. Back to the Cold Foot Crew. Back to his job.

Harley’s life and job and home were here in Bozeman, and he’d been trying not to think about it, but he was dreading the long drive home without her.

Everything happened for a reason though, right? She probably needed space from everyone while she figured out which way was up. Maybe he was supposed to be far away so she could figure out who she was on her own, without him hovering. He didn’t know. Mostly he was just trying to find a reason for all of this. To find meaning. To figure out what the universe’s plans were for him and Harley.

There were no phones allowed in this part of the courthouse, and his sat in a locked bin up front along with Harley’s purse. He wished he could message the Crew group text right now. He could use the distraction. No, it was more than that. He could use the support. Never had he felt like he’d needed that from anyone, but lately he liked it from the Crew. They’d probably been texting this whole time, wondering what was going on. The girls were worried about Harley.

He gave a private smile, and studied the pattern in the tile under his shiny shoes. They liked her. Wreck had been right. She did fit in well with the Cold Foot Crew.

The doors opened, and Cash stood in a rush.

Lance and Bronson exited first. Lance looked up at him, and nodded, then went directly to the exit.

Cash could see into the courtroom, and Harley was there behind a desk on the right-hand side, hugging Abigail so tight. Abigail was saying something to her, and Harley’s full eyes were looking up toward the ceiling. She looked so relieved. So beautiful.

Her eyes were full of happy tears as she turned to face him and began walking his way. It’s done , she mouthed.

And fuck, what that did to his heart. She was free. She was free.

He didn’t give a shit about his own selfish reasons for wanting her to be free. He was just so damn happy for her.

She wore a fitted black pantsuit, and her fancy forty-dollar heels that clacked against the tile as she made a beeline right for him.

She ran the last few steps and he caught her in a hug and lifted her feet off the ground. “Congratulations,” he murmured against her ear.

“He didn’t take my money,” she said thickly. “He’s selling the house and giving me half of the proceeds. He’s taking his name off my car, and we just parted fifty-fifty on everything. I get to keep my savings.”

He hugged her tighter, swaying her gently. “As you deserve to.”

“What did you do to him, Cashew?”

He chuckled at the nickname and settled her back on her feet, looked down at her. Harley’s eyes were so clear and her expression was so vulnerable. God, she was beautiful.

“I didn’t even punch him,” he assured her. “I talked to him man-to-man.”

“When? When did you see him?”

“That day after you poured your heart out to me. I went to his house before I picked up food.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I didn’t want to get your hopes up.”

She just stared at him with this baffled smile. “You’re amazing, do you know that? You fixed everything.”

“Nah,” he said, gripping her waist. He could touch her now.

“Yes you did. Whatever you said to him made him treat me fairly in there. That wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t make him understand. I don’t need to know everything you said to him. I just need you to know how much I appreciate what you’ve done for me.”

“It ain’t over,” he murmured through a grin. He knew something she didn’t know.

“What do you mean?”

“I have a surprise for you.”

“What surprise? What are you up to?”

“Maybe I am taking you out for pizza,” he told her, knowing damn well that was not how the night was going to go.

“I do enjoy a good pizza pie,” she said.

“Pepperoni, sausage and mushroom,” he recited.

“Of course you remember my favorite pizza.”

She didn’t know this yet, but she would figure it out eventually—he remembered everything. He clung to every word she said, because he couldn’t help it.

She had owned him from the moment he’d seen her in that Darby parking lot.