Page 11 of Cold Foot Cash

She was scared.

Scared of moving forward, scared of moving on, scared of being alone, and scared of realizing she deserved what had happened.

What if she had been the reason Lance had done what he’d done? What if she was to blame?

She swallowed hard, and gritted her teeth. “Stop it.” She jammed a finger at herself in the mirror and said it again. “Stop it.”

And before she could change her mind, she pulled the hair band from her ponytail, and fluffed her curls down her shoulders, combed out a couple of waves with her fingers, and then peeled the sweatshirt off. Underneath, she was wearing skinny jeans and a tight black tank top. Inhaling deep, she pulled the neck of the tank top down lower, and pushed up her cleavage in her bra. She rubbed her makeup in on her cheeks because she definitely had stupid tear-streaks there that she hadn’t noticed all day. Geez. She was a disaster.

She pinched her cheeks for some color there, and then pulled her purse strap across her body and turned to the side. Not bad. Better than she’d thought it would be. Kind of. She didn’t even remember the last time she’d just worn a tank top with nothing over it. The winter had been long, for sure, but she’d started covering up with extremely baggy clothes when her confidence had tanked a year ago.

She started to tie the sweatshirt around her waist, but frowned at it in the mirror.

Where had she gotten this old thing? Was it Lance’s? If so, she didn’t want it anymore. She’d hung onto her wedding ring three months into their separation too. He’d literally been with his mistress, moved in with her, and Harley had still been wearing her ring. Gross. She clung for too long. It’s what her loyal little heart had always done.

She shoved the sweatshirt in the trashcan, relieving herself of any covering, or way of hiding.

Tonight, with these strangers, she wouldn’t hide. She would sink or swim, but she wouldn’t hide.

She didn’t like Cash, but she could appreciate his effort to include her, even if it was for selfish reasons of using her as a shield.

That didn’t matter right now though. He’d said she wasn’t ready to have fun yet, and she wanted to prove him wrong, not only for him, but for her as well.

Why was she nervous?

Harley took a deep breath, left the bathroom, and headed for the pool tables.

The girls were back around Cash, and it was his turn to shoot pool again. He was leaned over the table, lining up a shot, with his friends loosely hanging around him.

He glanced over at Harley, and back to the ball, then back, and he froze. Time slowed. Cash straightened up and a smile took his lips as his eyes dragged down her body, and then back up.

“You have tattoos,” he said as she approached. With a glance at the girls, who were staring at her, Cash said, “I mean, I’ve missed your tattoos. That’s what I meant to say. Of course you have tattoos…babe.”

“It was a long winter,” she said, saving him. “I’ve been in long sleeves for months.” She gestured to his arms. “I’ve missed your tattoo too. Also. I’ve missed your tattoos also.” She cleared her throat and wished she was smoother.

“We keep wearing those damn muumuus to bed,” Cash deadpanned.

A laugh escaped her at the thought. “Hey those things are comfortable as hell.”

“Hell isn’t comfortable at all,” he said. “It’s full of fire and flames. Speaking of fire, let me introduce you to Wreck.”

He gestured to the dark-haired tall guy beside him with the flames in his eyes. No really. There were literal flames consuming the colored parts of his eyes.

“Well, you’re terrifying,” Harley said nervously.

The guy huffed a laugh and offered his hand for a shake. “Good to meet you. Cash has told us so much about you.”

“Really?” she asked, shaking his hand.

“No,” another guy said from across the pool table. “Nothing other than you’re probably a stalker.”

“And stalking me with…love,” Cash said, dirty-looking the guy. “That’s King, or as I call him, Asshole King.”

“I nicknamed him Cashew,” Harley teased, pointing to Cash.

“Shhhuuuut the fu—”

“Cashew! Hahaha,” one of the girls along the wall crowed.

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