Page 53 of Wild For You

Josh is around my age.

“You must have taken on plenty of responsibility at a very young age.”

His face is focused on the path ahead, his expression unreadable. “Yes. But it wasn’t that hard. I’ve been living here my whole life. I had people who helped me just as I help the people around here as much as I can. It’s something we do.”

He turns to me briefly, and I notice the strange glint in his eyes. “Cash was one of those people. As soon as he heard that my dad abandoned us, he asked me to remodel his house even though I had no real work or management experience. The house didn’t even need a lick of paint. He said he wanted a change and claimed to have been planning to remodel it for a while, but I know better. He wanted to make sure people wouldn’t doubt my abilities, and the business wouldn’t tank. He helped with my finances and my business’s reputation, so I owe him a lot.”

I try to imagine the Cash I’ve known so far taking care of his family. It’s a strange image, but it’s not completely unfathomable. Maybe he’s not the jerk I’ve made him out to be.

“Anyway,” Josh continues. “Business is doing great, and I’m pretty sure Cash’s initial trust in me had a lot to do with it.”

I smirk. “Your cousin’s still one tough nut to crack.”

Josh catches my expression and laughs. “Cash is a lot of things, but agreeable isn’t one of them. He can be quite a pain.”

“Maybe.” I smile and look away. I might not be my new patient’s biggest fan, but I’m not one to badmouth him either. Josh seems to sense my unwillingness to gossip because he clears his throat, signaling a change in subject is imminent.

He looks at his watch and smirks. “Sorry. Work’s calling. Call me if you need anything else. Or drop by at work.”

I nod, and we say our goodbyes. Deciding to stay a little longer, I watch him as he returns the same way we came. Once Josh has disappeared from view, I resume walking, his thoughts staying with me.

It’s only after I’ve returned to the ranch that I pull out the blueprints to familiarize myself with the layout of Cash’s house.

When I called Shannon, I only wanted to know if she happened to know if Cash had a friend who sneaked him out of the house.

She claimed that he never left the house. And then she offered to send the blueprints.

I peer at the layout and laugh as I realize Cash is one sneaky SOB.

Well, two can play that game.

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