Page 8 of Cold Foot Cash (Wreck’s Mountains #4)

Special delivery.

Harley stretched in the motel bed and then squinted at her phone screen and read the text from Cash again. Special delivery?

Half asleep still, she kicked off the covers and rolled out of bed, made her way to the door, then pulled it open to find something utterly glorious sitting there waiting for her.

There were three iced coffees, and a folded piece of paper under the one on the far right.

Smiling sleepily, she knelt down and plucked the note from underneath. Already, it had a ring of condensation on it, so some of the words on the other side were smudged, but readable.

The note was scribbled neatly onto a page from the complimentary motel notepad in each room. It had the motel’s logo at the very top.

Dear Friend,

I don’t know what kind of coffee you like, so I Googled “what kind of coffees do hot chicks like to drink” and these three were the top suggestions. I’m up early dealing with insurance, but I doubt they will pay anything. I have to get going to work, but maybe afterward we can go do a friendship adventure. There’s a bonfire up in my Crew’s territory tonight if you want to go. If the answer is yes, be dressed warm by seven tonight, and text me a code word. The code word is the name of your favorite bonfire drink, so I can pick it up before tonight. Crazy day ahead, but we only have a few days for friendship, so this is my proposal. Swamp party bonfire, dress warm, I have someone coming out to my work to replace windows so I should be able to pick you up. You won’t even get glass in your ass. Ask me to rap for you sometime. Fuck, I think this is the most words I’ve ever written at once in my life. It’s a damn novel. Also, I wrote you a poem.

Hottie Harley likes to party.

She’s wise and she’s sexy and she is definitely not farty.

If I hold her hand, she might slap me.

But it’s worth it, because her ex is crappy.

See you tonight maybe. If you give me the code word. And also can you tell me which one of these coffees you like best? I’m so freaking tired today.

Thanks for last night.

- Cash, Cash, he wants to Smash

She giggled and read the poem again. Okay this was funny. He had drawn a little smirking devil emoji after Thanks for last night .

Hmm.

She pulled the drinks into the room and tried them all, then texted him the name on the label of the best one. Good morning . Send. Canned margaritas . Send. I am very human and don’t heal like you, so we can take my car if you want, so I don’t have to sit on glass. Send. That’s a hell yes to hanging out, friend. Also, thank you so so much for the coffee. It’s so thoughtful. I’m putting the other two in the fridge so they won’t be wasted. I’ll drink them eventually. That was really sweet. Send.

A picture came through as a response, and it was the passenger’s seat of his truck, completely glass-free. The window was still busted out. Cash’s name flashed onto the screen signaling he was calling her.

She ran in a tight circle and fluffed up her hair in the mirror, then looked around panicked. She huffed a breath and connected the call. “Hello?”

“I took the truck past the car wash to vacuum it out. I’m late to work. Boss is pissed.”

“Are you there now?”

“I’m two blocks away.”

“Did you sleep at all last night?”

“Not much. A couple hours maybe.” His voice was all gravelly and sleepy. The coffees meant even more to her now. He’d gotten up early and bought her those, then delivered them before he dealt with insurance calls. Then vacuumed his truck out, and all before work. Now, that was a damn man, and she appreciated his effort so much.

“Did you get yourself coffee?” she asked, wishing she could help in some way.

“Yep. Just pour it in my eyeballs at this point.”

She giggled. Even sleep-deprived, he was funny.

“All right, I’m pulling up to work. Kade is waiting outside. His face is so stupid when he’s nosy.”

“Kade is your friend from last night,” she said, trying to clear the fog from her brain. She was trying to remember all his Crew’s names. Kade was the quiet one.

“Yep. I’ll text on a break. I have to go take this verbal whoopin’.”

“Okay, hey Cash?” she asked before he hung up.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you for last night too.”

He went quiet for a few moments. In a careful tone, he asked, “What do you mean, Harley?”

“You know what I mean. I appreciated the visuals. I really…really…appreciated them.”

“Oh fuuuck,” he drawled out. “Dammit, Harley, now I’ve got a boner.”

She could hear a male voice across the line.

“Dude, go away. I need a minute,” Cash said. To Harley, he said, “I’ll talk to you soon, Trouble Maker.”

“Bye, Cashew.”

He snorted, and then disconnected the call.

And she sat there beaming on the edge of the bed, just grinning like an idiot at her phone as the screen faded to black.

Cash was fun, but more than that, he was consuming. For the first time in a year, she’d woken up to laughs and smiles instead of thinking about Lance and what he was doing with Alissa.

It finally felt like she had a little bit of her own new life going on. Not just missing her old one.

And now she had plans for tonight? A bonfire? She hadn’t been to one of those since she was in high school. Canned margaritas? She didn’t know why she’d said that. She used to drink those before Lance, but he thought they were trashy, so she’d stopped. He was a fine wine drinker and had taken her to all these wine tastings to improve her pallet.

Canned margaritas sounded perfect for right here in Darby, where no one knew her. She could be her exact self here, and who was to stop her, or judge her?

No one.

She had this feeling deep in her gut that Cash just liked getting to know her, whoever, and however she was.

He didn’t give a shit if she drank fancy wine.

It was refreshing.

****

Special delivery.

Cash read the text and then looked around really quick before he replied to Harley. Woman what are you on about? Send.

There’s a surprise in your truck. See you tonight. I got a new outfit.

He glanced around again and pushed his protective glasses up onto his head, then connected a call to her.

“Yes?” she answered, sounding all innocent.

“Does your new outfit still show off your tits?”

“I don’t think friends are supposed to ask that.”

He sighed. “Fine. What did you get me?”

“Go to your truck and see.”

“I can’t. I don’t have a break for another half an hour.”

“Well, then I supposed you’ll have to enjoy the anticipation.”

“Is it your panties?”

“Cash!”

“Fiiiine. Talk later, friend,” he said low.

“Later, friend.”

“That’s the dumbest smile I’ve ever seen on your face,” Kade called from his station.

Cash forced the smile off his lips and gave Kade the middle finger before he tucked his phone back into his pocket and went back to work.

The next half an hour dragged on eternally, but when he finally got out to his truck, and saw the three sandwiches from three different shops lined up on the driver’s seat, he couldn’t stop grinning. There was a note tucked under the farthest one, written on the motel notebook paper.

Dear Cash, Cash, Wants to Smash,

It’s me, your new best friend, Harley. As a thank you for the coffee this morning, here is lunch. I’m guessing a man as big as you needs to eat a lot. Message me which one is your favorite so I know. Here’s my poem for you to keep forever.

Cashew, Cashew, I’m learning all about you.

You have a big wiener, I could tell,

I suck at poetry, roast beef is my favorite.

- Hottie Harley (your nickname for me, not mine)

Fuck he liked this girl.

Cash read the letter a few times, then pulled down the tailgate of his truck and spent the rest of his break eating two of the sandwiches. She said he had a big wiener. He smiled bigger. New favorite compliment. She liked him. He could tell she liked him. Today was supposed to be a bad day, with the fight last night, and his truck being damaged, and being late to work, but it wasn’t bad at all.

In fact, it was shaping up to be one of his favorite days.

Now he needed to figure out what to get for her next special delivery.

Harley was fun to play games with.