Page 3 of Pinch of Love

Spotting an older man slowly pushing a walker on the road in front of Becky’s house reminded me of my Grandpa Renny, who’d recently passed. My chest tightened, and I looked away.

“You must be Maya,” the man said, walking quickly to the porch.

I smiled and took a step forward. Forgetting that my suitcases were piled in front of me, I fell flat on my face with a thud and a porch full of gasps. The smallest bag tumbled down the steps and landed with a thud as Melanie giggled.

Within an instant, Cash’s large hands looped under each armpit, lifted me up, and plopped me on the ground next to him like I was nothing more than a tulip he’d plucked from the garden.

“You, okay?” he asked, taking a step back to assess me while still firmly holding onto my arms.

My entire face was on fire with humiliation, and heat started thrumming through every fiber of my body.

“Looks like you got a keeper there, Cash,” the elderly man hollered, stopping his walk and watching us as I smoothed down my floral mini skirt and brought my gaze to Cash.

He looked half horrified and half amused. “Never mind Carter. He’s the town gossip.”

“One of the many town gossips,” Becky corrected.

The sexylandlord watched me and tried again. “You okay?”

“Yeah. I’m great. Totally fine. I used to be a gymnast when I was twelve so I’m good.”

“I’m Cash, by the way.”

I nodded, knowing his name from the reservations but mesmerized by the man standing in front of me nonetheless.

He was all man.

All male.

One hundred percent testosterone. The dark hair tucked under his hat looked slightly wavy.

He didn’t have to smile to be sexy. He just was, which didn’t matter because I’d been burned by the male species. Fool me once and all that.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Maya, and I’m so sorry for bothering you and Becky.” I tore my gaze away from Cash’s so I could take a breath without him reading my mind.

Which was currently filled with all kinds of things I shouldn’t be thinking about with a mother and child toddling around us.

And then I gasped when I saw it. “The ice cream. What happened to your ice cream?”

Cash chuckled without smiling and glanced on the sidewalk where his cone was turned upside down, and the pink ice cream pooled onto the concrete.

“No worries.” He shrugged. “I shouldn’t have stopped by there for the second time this week, anyway.”

“I owe you one,” I said, shaking my head as Melanie wandered over to the cone and attempted to pick it up.

Becky dashed over to her just in time before her daughter was about to take a bite of the dirty treat. Instantly, a sob of tears came flooding down the toddler’s cheeks. Becky scooped her into her arms and smiled, glancing at us both.

“Way to go,” the elderly gent hollered as he started his route up again. “Let her eat it.”

“And that is my cue to exit. It was nice to meet you, Maya.” Becky smiled kindly.

“You, too.” I grimaced and nodded, feeling extremely guilty for not only disrupting these kind people’s day but also for making a child cry and an old man angry.

I turned to stack my suitcases back up and let out a slow and steady breath. This wasn’t the dream I’d had when I thought about coming back to Buttercup Lake for the summer.

I was a hot mess, and my toe throbbed for some reason.

Cash knelt next to me and reached for a bag when our knuckles brushed, and I felt my body heat up again.

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