Page 37 of A Cowboy's Convenient Marriage

It was easy to get the license and didn’t take very long at all. The pastor was waiting for them, and their marriage ceremony was quick and painless.

Cash kissed her on the cheek when the pastor said that he could kiss his bride, and Ada was slightly disappointed. She had thought about her wedding kiss for years, had thought there would be something a little bit more passionate.

But, she supposed she really hadn’t thought it through. It made sense that their wedding kiss would not be turning into a make out session.

Cash gave the pastor some greenbacks, and Ada was pretty sure that he had been very generous with his payment. After all, he was a pastor himself.

“So, wife,” Cash said as they walked out of the big, ornate, courtroom doors. “Would you like to sit down at a restaurant and eat some lunch?”

“I seem to have worked up an appetite, husband.” She liked being called “wife.” “I think getting married must make me hungry.”

She smiled into his eyes, and he smiled back as he took her hand, and held it out. “Is this okay?”

“Of course,” she said, actually very happy about it. She had always wanted to hold someone’s hand and have him be all hers. And now, she had her very own husband. Cash was definitely all hers.

They were walking down the street to the restaurant that was just a block away from the courthouse, when Cash’s phone rang.

He pulled it out of his pocket and glanced at it.

He made it as though he was going to put it back in his pocket.

“Who is it?” she asked, curious as to whose phone call he would ignore.

“I think it’s someone from Virginia, but I got a new phone, and I don’t have whoever it is in my contacts.”

“Answer it. It might be your parents or siblings or something.”

He looked as though he were thinking about it for a moment, and then he nodded. “I can’t even remember what their numbers are.”

He let go of her hand, and swiped his phone to answer, putting it on speaker, and smiling at her and winking. The sidewalk was deserted, and it didn’t really matter how loud his phone was, as they moved to the side, with him holding it up between them.

“Cash Johnson.”

“Cash. So formal. Surely you recognize my number. It hasn’t been that long,”

It was a woman’s voice. And, she sounded kinda flirty.

“Abby,” Cash said.

He glanced at her, and then turned a little away from her, as though he didn’t want her to hear. His phone was still on speaker.

Abby? Who was Abby?

He had mentioned a fiancé that he had broken up with. But...could this be her?

Ada tried not to bite her lip, or be worried. Whatever it was would work itself out.

“I had to get a new phone, remember? I don’t have your name in my contacts. Did you need something?” Cash sounded very uncomfortable. And she wasn’t sure whether it was because he was talking to Abby, or because he knew Ada was listening.

“Cash. All right. I forgive you this time. But, when I call, you need to say, hello, darling.”

“Is that all you wanted?” Cash asked again.

“Sweetheart. I called to apologize. I overreacted. I shouldn’t have been so unkind to you. I still have my ring, and it’s on my finger. I sent you a picture. Let’s work this out. Okay?” She paused and Cash didn’t say anything. “Remember all the good times. After all, there were a lot of those. And, I miss you. I miss your kiss.”

Ada about swallowed her tongue. She hadn’t even kissed her husband. And yet this woman had. Well, unless she counted the peck on the cheek he gave her in the courthouse, but she wasn’t counting that.

“Abby. I got married today. Please don’t call me again.”

---