Page 73 of Wild For You

Chapter Twenty

Erin

“How’s your head?” Cash asks, holding out his hand to help me settle beside him. I join him for his mid-morning snack, keeping a few, safe inches between us, mostly because I can’t trust my own judgment around him.

After last night, I need to make sure there’s still a professional line between us.

“Good, but it doesn’t seem to get any rest.” I smirk as I peer at my cell phone. “Your family won’t stop asking me to join this and that activity.”

Cash catches my expression and laughs. “My family’s a lot of things. Very strange is one of them. They can be overly welcoming, at times bordering on sickeningly friendly. Sorry, it had to be you.”

“Maybe.” I might not be one to let people get close to me easily, but I’m not one to badmouth them either. Cash seems to sense my unwillingness to gossip because he clears his throat, signaling a change in subject is near.

“Anyone give you the grand tour yet?”

I blink, confused. “Of the house?”

“Of everything. The house. The farm. Madison Creek.”

“If you count driving through on my way from the airport to here, and then from here to the shops, then yes.”

“That would be the High Street tour. I was thinking more along the lines of places to hang out on your days off, where the locals do their shopping, which contractors to visit if you decide you might be interested in staying here.” Cash winks, and for a moment I’m unsure whether he’s joking, being friendly, or flirting.

“I don’t take any days off, as you’ve probably gathered,” I say a little frostier than intended. His smile vanishes, which makes me instantly feel bad. But Cash can’t ever get the wrong idea. I can’t settle. Won’t. Ever. Simply because it’s bound to end in tragedy. “But I wouldn’t mind having a look around, do a bit of sightseeing,” I add to soften the blow.

His eyes light up again. “Well, in that case, I’ll take you out tonight.”

Oh, crap.

He had meant it when he first uttered the intention to date me. My pulse speeds up at the prospect of putting a name to what we have.

Dating.

It sounds so strange, so unbearably forbidden, given the circumstances, that I almost laugh with excitement.

And there is also the undeniable fact that we’ll end up in bed again, which I can’t wait to happen. Except….

“I’m not sure I—”

“Relax, Erin. We’ll just grab a steak and beer, nothing too fancy,” Cash says, misinterpreting my hesitation, and nudges me slightly. “Just two friends enjoying a good meal. I’ll get a change from seeing the same walls over and over again while you get to ask me as many questions about Montana as you want. It’s a win-win situation, and long overdue.” He cocks his head. “You have to agree I was a poor host. This is my way of making it up to you.”

“Sounds good.” I smile at him, relieved. Beer and steak—I can handle that.

“I have a few things to take care of at work. Meet you at six?” His gaze seems rueful, almost as if he feels sorry for having to postpone our date to later tonight.

Our attention is drawn to a sound outside as Margaret pulls into the driveway.

“Sure. In the meantime, I’ll be outside if you need me.”

I get up and hurry to meet Margaret at the door. Throwing a last glance over my shoulder, I catch Cash pulling out his phone. For a moment, our eyes connect, and I catch the odd glance he gives me.

He’s anxious, I realize, and I can’t help but wonder what’s going on. Because there’s definitely something he’s not telling me.

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