Page 27 of Cash
The last cowboy to enter the kitchen is the tallest. He’s wearing a T-shirt of indeterminate color that’s dotted with sweat. It’s not soaked through, so I get the impression he must’ve changed before coming to lunch. But the shirt still clings to his chest and his stomach, revealing a thickly muscled torso.
His jeans—those cling to him too. Add in the cowboy boots and the wide leather belt and the way he holds his hat to his chest?—
“Cash!” Ella shouts with delight, holding up her arms. “Ella hold you!”
I watch, head spinning, as Cash aims a wide white smile at the little girl before dropping his hat on the table, crown up, and scooping her into his arms. “Ellie belly boo, I missed you! How was school?”
Whatin theworld? I wonder if Cash has a twin brother. One who has the same name. Because this guy? The one cooing to his niece while he smiles at her like an idiot?
This cannot possibly be the same asshole cowboy I met in Goody’s office last week.
“Ella loves school,” the little girl replies.
Sawyer grabs a cup from across the table and takes a sip of water. “Probably because she’s the teacher’s pet.”
Cash puts her on his hip, arm slung easily underneath her bottom like he’s done this hundreds, thousands of times. “How could she not be? You’re the smartestandthe cutest kid in the class, aren’t you?” He tickles her tummy. “Aren’t you, Ella?”
She giggles, a high, happy sound that’s so sweet, I can’t help but smile, even as I continue to stare.
That’s when Cash looks up, and our gazes lock.
My stomach bottoms out. His smile fades, his eyes takingon a hard glint. They flick down my body. Back up. His jaw tics, as if he doesn’t like what he sees.
I blush so furiously, I can feel it all the way in the soles of my feet. Still, I look him square in the eye. Screw him for making me feel off-kilter. Embarrassed, even. He’s the one who should be embarrassed with his sweaty shirt and stupid beard-mustache thing.
Goody smiles at him. “You remember Mollie, Cash?”
“How could I forget?” He says it like a joke. LikeI’ma joke. “Hello, City Girl.”
CHAPTER 7
Cash
GIDDYUP
Not gonna lie,my heart skips a beat at the fire that ignites in Mollie’s brown eyes at the insult.
“I’d prefer you not call me names,” she clips, crossing her arms.
Didn’t think it was possible, but she’s wearing an even more ridiculous outfit than the one she wore to Goody’s office last week. Today, it’s a very short, very tight dress, huge earrings, and a pair of tall purple boots.
I still can’t believe thatthisis the owner of Lucky Ranch. Hundreds of thousands of acres, worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Her.
Mollie’s outfit shows too much leg and not nearly enough judgment.Waytoo much leg.
Or maybe not enough.
Ignoring that thought, I hand Ella back to Sawyer. “I’d prefer you get back in your big, fancy car and go back to your big, fancy city.”
“Cash.” Patsy gives me a warning glare. “You best mind your manners, cowboy, or you won’t be welcome in my kitchen.”
It’s actually Mollie’s kitchen now. But that’s the problem, isn’t it? Because now that she’s here to stake her claim, she’s one step closer to selling the place. Which means I’m likely one step closer to being out on my ass, along with my brothers.
Who knows if Lucky Ranch’s new owners will want to keep the cattle operation? In all likelihood, they’ll split the ranch into parcels, selling them off piece by piece until there’s nothing left but the house and the pool.
What will we do then? Far as I know, no one in the area is hiring—at least not five cowboys at once. I refuse to break up our family. But cowboying is all we know. If we can’t do that and we can’t pay the bills at Rivers Ranch…