Page 7 of Cold Foot Cash

Where are you? I need to see you.

I’m wherever the fuck I want to be. It’s none of your business anymore. I’m not doing this.Send.

Where are you? Please, Harley. Please.

She wanted to cry. Why? Why did he still get to her like this? Why did she allow him to affect her at all anymore? It had been too long. She didn’t even have his last name anymore. She didn’t wear his ring. She hadn’t lived with him in a year, so why did he still have the power to make her tear-up?

A picture came through, and it was a selfie of him sitting on her front porch. His eyes were raw and full of emotion.I’ve been waiting here for two hours.

Angry, she shook her head. Would she ever not feel angry again? She didn’t think so.

Harley leaned back in her chair and looked out the window with a sigh, but something important happened. Now, she was a believer that everything happened for a reason, and at this exact moment, the glowing neon sign of the Elk Creek Motel across the street flipped from red ‘no vacancy’ to green ‘vacancy.’

She frowned, and sat up straighter, staring at it. Huh.

Today was Wednesday. From now until Tuesday, Lance was clearly going to be a problem, but only if she was in Bozeman, where he could reach her.

She didn’t have any of her things here, because she had planned on finding out what she could about Cash, and then driving straight back to Bozeman tonight after doing a littleshopping around the cute downtown strip of Darby. This wouldn’t work. Right? She had no toothbrush, no change of clothes.

Her eyes flickered toward the general store directly next door to the motel. She could probably track down some leggings and T-shirts somewhere. The general store would have toiletries.

She could stay a night or two. Right?

Her job would let her call in. She worked at an orthodontist’s office, but hadn’t taken a vacation in forever. Hell, her boss had already offered to give her the week off just because of what she was going through. The reasons not to stay were disappearing fast.

Hello?

Lance’s text dragged her back to the present.

Feeling reckless, Harley picked up the phone and typed out,Wait on my porch as long as you want. I’ll be out of town until Tuesday. I had my closure a long time ago.Her finger hovered over the send button for a few seconds before she pushed it. Send.

This felt bold. She didn’t talk to him like this in general. Why? Because she’d been so deep in love with him, and then so deep in the hurt he’d caused. For a long time, he’d been her hopes and dreams, but then he’d wrecked that, and she hadn’t found steady footing quite yet.

Another picture came through. It was a black and white photo of her and Lance on their wedding day. They were both all smiles, and she was holding up her left hand, with the new wedding band on it. She’d been so proud to be his, once upon a time.

Harley winced at the memories, and then rubbed her eyes, trying to ward away the oncoming headache that was building just at her temples. Dangit, she had probably smeared her eye make-up everywhere. Whatever, who cared?

“Here you go,” the waitress said, startling Harley. She set a beer in front of her.

“Oh, I didn’t order this.”

“That guy over there did,” she said, pointing across the restaurant to Cash. He lifted the same beer up in a silent cheers.

“Thank you,” she told the server, flustered. She lifted the beer up and mouthed the same to him.Thank you.

He took a long drink of his drink, glowing gold eyes trained on her, and a slight frown knitting his dark eyebrows.

She took a sip too. This was what she was supposed to do, right? When a man bought a lady a drink? She didn’t know. It had been a long damn time.

And then Cash did something that shocked her.

You okay?he mouthed.

There was something about him asking from way over there. He wasn’t trying to crowd her space, or push for information. It was just a check-up.

She forced a smile.Always, she mouthed back.

He nodded, eyes thoughtful, and then he perked up at a couple of women who approached. He matched their grins and began chatting easily with them.

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