Page 21 of Cold Foot Cash (Wreck’s Mountains #4)

“What does she do for work?” Garret asked.

Cash had been staring out the window, watching Darby blur by. “She works at an orthodontist office. I mean, I get it. She doesn’t want to leave a good thing. She’s worked there for seven years. And you know, she’s taking a big risk with me.”

“Don’t say that.”

“Felon,” Cash muttered, casting him a mic-drop glance.

“For fighting. You didn’t kill anyone. You didn’t like…steal money from old ladies’ retirement funds or anything evil. You just punched a bunch of people.”

Cash huffed a laugh. Garret was actually nice to be around. He had a softer way of looking at the world, and sometimes that was good for Cash.

“When will you get to see her again?”

“This weekend. Just waiting for Friday. I can’t take off any more work right now or I’ll lose my job. And I can’t just move to Bozeman, because…well you know.”

“Why not?” Garret asked, turning off the main road.

Cash frowned out the window at the sandwich shop they were supposed to be grabbing dinner from. Garret had wanted guy time, and Cash understood. Having a new baby was probably a lot.

“Um, because of the Crew. I’m just getting settled here. Wreck gave me a chance. He broke me out of Cold Foot Prison. I can’t just leave all of you. Hey, you know you missed the turn-off back there, right?”

“Oh, I know. I need to check if the realtor put up the for rent sign in my yard yet.”

“Oh yeah, no problem,” Cash murmured. He was starving, but Garret’s rental was just a couple streets away.

He pulled out his phone and messaged Harley. About to get a sandwich with Garret. I fuckin’ miss you, Garden Ho. Three more days and I get to see you. Miss you. Send.

Her response came quick. I miss you too. I don’t know how much longer I can do this.

He leaned forward in his seat and read the text again. What? Are you okay? Send. She’d seemed fine when he’d talked to her this morning.

Garret cleared his throat, and Cash looked up to find a moving truck in the driveway. Katrina and Timber were carrying in boxes from the back of it.

Wait, what? “I thought you were putting it up for rent,” Cash said, confused. “Do you already have a tenant?”

“Yep. She signed a three-month lease this morning.”

“Okay,” he drawled as a seed of hope began to grow inside of him.

He looked around the street, and down past Timber’s truck, he saw it—Harley’s car.

Oh fuck. “Man!” he belted out. “Are you serious?”

Garret didn’t say anything, but his smile was so big, it was answer enough.

Cash shoved the door open and bolted through the front yard for the door. “Where is she?” he asked Timber as he rushed past her.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Timber said cheekily.

Cash growled and bolted into the entryway. The home was full of moving boxes and Harley’s living room furniture. He should be moving all this stuff for her.

This was happening. This was happening!

Cash followed her scent to the back door and yanked it open.

Harley was out there rearranging the patio furniture with Sasha. She saw him and stood slowly.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked. He’d never been more excited than right now, in this moment.

“I was supposed to be out front! I wanted to surprise you! I thought you weren’t going to be here for another fifteen minutes!”

Cash strode right around the chair that stood between them and picked her up, crushed her to his chest and buried his face against her neck.

She was laughing. God, he loved her laugh.

“Are you really doing this?” he asked.

“Yes.”

Cash eased back and kissed her hard, holding the back of her head as he swayed them from side to side. He pecked her three times and then searched her face. She looked so pretty today, with the afternoon light creating a halo behind her head. “What about work?”

“I gave notice two weeks ago. I messaged Garret at the same time and it has been so freaking hard to keep it a secret!”

“Woman, I was with you all last weekend, and you didn’t even give me a hint you were moving. You weren’t packed or anything.”

“I wanted to see this smile right here,” she said, eyes on the curve of his lips.

“I got a picture,” Sasha announced, and she headed back in. “Y’all are adorable, we’re celebrating tonight.”

“We’re really doing this, aren’t we?” he asked.

With a nod, she squeezed her arms tighter around his shoulders. “I know you keep talking about taking everything slow until I’m ready, but I’m ready, Cash. I want to figure out this life-thing with you.”

“Three months,” he murmured, setting her on her feet on the porch.

“I figure three months in this house, and then we’ll see.”

“I’ll ask you to move in with me before the three months are up,” he assured her.

“I figured.”

“I want you to spend the night with me tonight.”

Her tinkling laugh filled the yard, and man she looked beautiful as she tossed her head back with it. “Impatient man.”

“Realistic man.” Cash cupped her cheek. “I know what I want. I’m just waiting for you to catch up.”

Harley leaned into his touch. Softly, she said, “I’m all caught up.”

And he made a promise to himself right here and now—for the rest of his life, as long as there was breath in his body, he was going to make sure she was happy. After everything, she deserved the effort. She deserved to feel safe to be herself.

Harley was choosing him back, and he would never—not even for a second—take this life with her for granted.