Page 19 of Cold Foot Cash (Wreck’s Mountains #4)

This wasn’t the way to her apartment.

“Where are we going?” Harley asked as she frowned at the street sign they passed.

Cash slowed and turned onto Heath Street. “Pizza place.”

“What pizza place is this way—ooh,” she drawled out as he turned into the parking lot for Hatley’s Bar. The bar where Lance had proposed. The bar where they’d spent their anniversaries. The bar Cash had found her drowning her sorrows in the other night.

“What are we doing here?” she asked softly, unsure if she was okay with this yet.

“You’ll see.” His striking gold eyes sparked with anticipation.

Okay, now she wanted to know. “Do they serve pizza in here?” She didn’t remember ever seeing it on the menu.

“They do tonight. Wait there, Garden Ho. I’ll get your door.”

Baffled, she watched him jog around the truck, and open her door like a gentleman. It touched her that he treated her so sweetly. He was this big, dominant, gruff fighter, but with her, he thought of things to make her life easier, and she appreciated that about him so much.

He gripped her waist and eased her out of the truck, and held there, just inches from her. He’d worn cologne today, and goodness that man smelled amazing.

“Are you happy?” he asked, attention intent on her like her answer mattered.

“Very,” she whispered.

His gaze dipped to her lips, and she could tell he wanted to kiss her. She wanted it to. He told her, “I want to push you too far too fast.”

“You do?”

He nodded. “Not touching you has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life but I understood the why. I still understand it. When you’re ready, I’ll be ready too.” He backed off of her and walked away a few paces, then waited for her.

“You like me,” she teased as she meandered behind him.

“Harley.”

“You like me as more than a friend.”

“Harley.”

“You li-hi-hi-hi-iiike me,” she sang, vibrato included on the last note.

When Cash got to the door, she asked him, “Why did you bring me to this place, of all places. I don’t mean to be a party-pooper, but Lance proposed to me here.”

“I know. Tammy told me.”

“Tammy. Tammy the bartender? When did you talk to her about that?”

“When I was planning to bring you here.”

Harley just stared at him dumbfounded.

He arched up an eyebrow and pushed the door open for her. “Tonight, we’re going to take this bar back, and make new memories.”

Inside, there was a crowd of people standing right near the entrance, and as she scanned their faces, she realized she knew every single one of them.

Raynah was holding Breah, and Garret was standing next to her. Katrina, Sasha, and Timber were in a cluster, all wearing matching smiles. Kade was here, and Reed, and so was Garret’s brother, Dylan. Wreck was here, and King, and to her utter bafflement, so was Abigail and her husband. Abigail had tears in her eyes.

“What are you all doing here?” she asked as she made her way slowly inside.

“Umm, we’re here to throw you a divorce party,” Katrina said. “Raynah got you a cake and everything.”

The entire bar was decorated with black and hot pink balloons, and a banner had been hung behind the bar that said, “Happy Day One.”

Tammy waved from behind the bar, and lifted up a six-pack of canned margaritas. “Look what I got for you!”

But…wait…was she allowed to do this? Was she allowed the celebrate the next step of her life? Was she allowed to celebrate shutting the door on her old life? On her old hopes, her old dreams? Was she allowed to be happy that it was all over?

Abigail was nodding to her, tears in her eyes.

Next to her, Cash hugged her close to his side, and said, “It’s okay to enjoy the moment. Who is going to stop you now?”

No one. Her family would hold onto their disappointment for a little while, but that was okay. They had a right to their feelings, but she also had a right to hers.

And right now? She was so damn relieved and happy.

An anchor had been cut from her life. Lance could move on with the person he’d chosen, and she could finally, finally move on as well.

She’d put her hands over her mouth in shock, but now she took them away and let her friends see her grateful smile.

Raynah reached her first, and gave her a hug, baby Breah snuggled tightly in the crook of her arm. Katrina, Sasha, and Timber collapsed in on her and she was laughing now. God, this feeling of belonging…

These people weren’t disappointed in her failure in a relationship. They were just happy for her. They cared. They didn’t judge.

Abigail hugged her up, and Tammy brought her a canned margarita. “Girl, I don’t even know you but you are awesome,” she told her over the noise of the crowd. “You should hear the way these people talk about you. It’s been so fun setting up with them.”

And the crazy part was, Harley had only just met them last week, and they had taken her in like this? Like she was one of them, and in a moment when she needed the support the most.

Everything happened for a reason, and this crazy journey had started with a good intention. Harley had wanted to save her sister from someone taking advantage of her, and tracked down Cash just so she would know…just so she would understand…

And now look.

Now look.

Tammy stepped aside, and Carolina stood there, looking uncertain.

“Hey,” Harley said, stunned all over again.

“Hey, sis,” Carolina said thickly as she approached. She hesitated, and then pulled Harley into a hug.

Harley stayed stiff for a few moments before she softened, and wrapped her arms around her sister.

“I’m sorry,” Carolina whispered. “I was wrong.”

“It’s okay. You were going through a lot. I tried to be understanding.”

Carolina eased back. “You always are.”

“Are you upset with this?” she asked, gesturing around the decorated bar.

“Umm, no. I just found out Alissa tried to rent this place out too.”

Dylan interrupted them briefly and placed a cold canned margarita against Carolina’s palm, then jogged back toward the bar. Carolina laughed a baffled sound and held up the can. “Thank you,” she called after him. Looking impressed, she opened the tab and continued. “Alissa was, I guess, planning to throw a last-minute party at the place Lance proposed to you with all of their dumb friends—a total Harley-bashing-party. I guess it didn’t really hit me until now what a douche ball couple they make. This celebration is way better. The bartender told Alissa to kick rocks, and closed the entire bar down for your party. Look,” she said, pointing to Tammy, who was walking by with a Bar Closed for Private Event sign to put in front of the entrance. “I’m glad your new friends did this. I should’ve…” Carolina’s eyes were so full, and she looked like she wanted to say so much. “I should’ve been the one planning this for you, Harley. I saw the whole process, and saw you get hurt, and I bowed out this week because of my own selfish reasons, and that’s on me.”

“Well, you’re here now. Everything is okay. I’m just really glad you’re here.”

Carolina hung her head and then looked back up at her. “Cash is hot, but he isn’t my ex. He never was. He invited me, and then he talked to me.” She pursed her lips into a soft smile. “He told me how much I mean to you, and then he told me how much you mean to him.” She sighed. “That man is all yours.”

Harley looked around and found Cash sitting up with Kade and Dylan by the bar, leaning back onto it, one leg stretched out in front of him, glowing gold eyes on her. He wore that little crooked smile she loved so much. “I hope he will be someday,” she admitted softly.

“Do you want to introduce me to your friends officially?” she asked. “I’ll try to fit in.”

Harley giggled and threw her arm over her sister’s shoulders. “You won’t have to try hard. Just be yourself. They’re good people to good people.”

And she meant that with every fiber of her being.

This week was supposed to wreck her. It was supposed to be the end her life as she knew it, but it felt like just the beginning.

This week was built to devastate her, but it hadn’t.

She was still standing, and Harley owed part of it to Cash, and to his Cold Foot Crew.

She never would’ve called this happening in a million years. She’d grown up thinking that when she got married, it would be forever, and it would never end, and she would never stop fighting for it, but life happened. Things went sideways, and she had to accept that it didn’t matter how much she’d tried, if the partner quit, she couldn’t drag him through life.

She’d learned so many lessons over the last couple of years, and discovered so much about herself.

She was destined to be falling apart right now, a bottle of wine deep, just trying to numb out, and feeling all alone, but Cash had stepped directly in front of that fate and turned things around. Maybe he really was an angel. She wouldn’t tell him that though. Instead, she would keep calling him Cashew, and appreciate every thoughtful thing he did for her.

He'd entered her life when she was at her worst, at her messiest, and he hadn’t backed away. He hadn’t run. He couldn’t save her from the storm, but he’d chosen to stand in the rain with her, just so she wouldn’t be alone, and she would always remember that. Her heart would always remember.

He’d read her text— I’m alone —and he’d come to be with her. He’d brought his Cold Foot Crew to Bozeman just to celebrate Day One with her. He’d messaged her sister and fixed things.

Cash was a fixer.

And whatever he discovered about himself as he fulfilled his promise to figure out what had created the hole inside of him, she would be here for it. She would love him through it.

She would be honored to stand in the rain with him, as he had done for her.

Today was the end of something hard, and the beginning of something that felt so important.

Day One of the rest of her life, and she could make it look however she wanted to.

She was free.

Harley could feel Cash’s attention on her as she introduced Carolina to the others, and after she was finished, she excused herself and made her way over to him. She settled between his legs as he sat relaxed on the barstool. His hands went to her waist so naturally, and there were butterflies in her stomach. She’d truly thought she would never get those again after everything that had happened.

“I was supposed to hate men for a while,” she teased, clutching onto his shirt at his hips.

“Oh yeah? You had big plans on becoming bitter?”

“Yep. I had my cat sanctuary planned, and designs in my head for my no boys allowed sign on my front door, and I was mentally prepared to never care about another man again.”

He chuckled and pulled her in closer. “Plans denied. I’m a man, and I need you to like me.”

“Oh you need it, do you?”

He lowered his voice. “I need it.”

Harley leaned forward and rested her cheek on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her up tight. “I think I’m going to like my new life,” she said.

“You will. I’ll make sure you will,” he promised, and she believed him. Cash was solid. He was a good man. Whatever his past looked like, now, he was genuine, and had good intentions. Oh, he could be a monster and fight a crowd if they messed with him or his people, but with her, he was protection. He was a safety net she hadn’t realized she needed.

She scanned the room and goodness, this place was full of good mojo. King and Katrina were playing a game of pool. Wreck and Kade were playing darts, and Timber was near them laughing at something Wreck had just said. Reed and Sasha were hanging with Garret and Raynah, and Baby Breah at a table in the restaurant-area, closer to the door. Abigail and her husband were chatting with Carolina about what all happened today near the bar. Tammy was working away, making drinks. A pizza delivery guy was unloading about a dozen pizzas up front, and Cash’s heart was beating strong right against her cheek.

Everything was okay.

“I can feel how happy you are,” Cash murmured.

She looked up at him. “Can you really?”

His gold eyes swirled with emotion as he nodded. He inhaled deep. “Best feeling in the world.”

“Better than flying?” she asked.

She’d never had a man look at her like this—like she was the moon and the sky. Like she was everything. She never wanted the moment to end.

A flyaway curl had escaped her clip, and he brushed it slowly to her ear, then dragged his gaze back to her lips, and leaned down, and then it happened—he kissed her.

Everything before this moment dulled in an instant. The way he tasted, the pressure of his lips, how he moved against her…this was where her new life began. This was the true first moment of Day One.

There would be no missing her old life, or wondering ‘what if.’ Here, in his arms, she knew that no matter what came next, she was going to be just fine.

He had started out as her friend, but in a way, he had always been more.

He had always felt important.

Cash had been her person from the moment she laid eyes on him.

It was Day One of her new life, and she didn’t know what it would look like in a year, or two years, but she did know she wanted to take the time to build it right with Cash.

For the first time in a long time, she was excited to see what came next.