31. Cash
CHAPTER 31
Cash
GOLD RUSH
“I can’t thank you enough, Wyatt.” Keeping my voice low, I glance over my shoulder. “Those surveys were the missing piece of the puzzle.”
“Tallulah came through too. Gonna be a big-ass project.”
The door behind me is closed, but I can’t be too careful. I’m in Bellamy Brooks’s “closet,” as far away from Mollie’s bedroom as possible. It’s early, a little past four, and she’s dead asleep. I want her to get some rest before we meet her mom later today.
I move the mouse on my laptop over the PDF files Wyatt just sent over. “Yep.”
“We’ll need lots of money.”
“Lucky for us, the ranch generates a lot of that.”
“You ask her to marry you yet?”
“That’s none of your goddamn business.”
“Ah. So you’re going to.”
I look around the room. I’m at the small desk, which is squeezed underneath Mollie and Wheeler’s design boards. These aren’t ideal working conditions, but then again, neither are the conditions at the office back at the ranch.
If I had to, I could make this work for however often Mollie and I would be back in Dallas. Especially if we’re able to move some of this stuff to the studio I want to build her on the ranch. I also have an idea for a Bellamy Brooks storefront in downtown Hartsville, but I figure we’ll take this one step at a time.
“It has to be special.” I fall back in my chair. “I also wanna her mama to like me before I propose.”
Wyatt lets out a low whistle. “Godspeed. How are you gonna convince a woman who hates cowboys to let her daughter date one?”
“I’m that good.”
“Lord save us. You got your work cut out for you. Sure you don’t want reinforcements?”
“I can’t bum-rush Aubrey and Mollie like that. It’d be unfair. I know Mollie loves y’all, but I’m the one she’s marrying. The one I hope she’ll marry, anyway.”
Wyatt pauses. “Permission to be honest?”
“Like you need it.”
“I get the feeling there’s something you need to tell me.”
“And what would that be?”
“I heard through the grapevine that y’all were spotted together at the pharmacy recently.”
“Jesus Christ. Can’t get away with anything in a small town, can I?”
“Nope.”
Running a hand through my hair, I take a deep breath. Our pregnancy scare made me realize a lot of things. That I’m ready to start a family of my own, for starters. And that getting married and having babies—it doesn’t mean I’m abandoning the family I already have. Just means I’m growing it.
Really, it showed me I’m ready to put my happiness first. Mollie’s too.
“We thought Mollie might be pregnant. She’s not.”
“But you want her to be. ”
I swallow. “I do, yeah. I’d like to marry her first, though. Do things in the right order.”
“Y’all come back to the ranch engaged, then. If these sketches you and Tallulah are working on don’t convince Mollie y’all can do this thing…” I can practically see my brother shaking his head. “I’m proud of you, brother. You’re trying to make a change. A big one. I like this new you.”
Aw shit, the sun’s not even up yet and I’m already getting all choked up. This is gonna be a long day. But hopefully a good one.
“Appreciate that,” I reply gruffly. “I should get back to these sketches. Have a lot of work to get through before Mollie wakes up.”
“Let me know how it goes, all right? Y’all best share the news as soon as it happens.”
“Boundaries. I have them now. You should get some too.”
Wyatt just laughs. “Good luck.”
Reaching for the condo’s front door, Mollie glances at me and frowns.
“You’re not wearing your hat?”
I flip her car keys around my finger. “You said the restaurant was nice. Figured baseball hats were a no-go.”
“Not your baseball hat.” Mollie darts into the bedroom, emerging a second later with my hat in her hand. “This hat.”
Heart skipping a beat, I look at the Stetson. Look up at her. “Aren’t I trying to win your mama over, not scare her away?”
“You’ll win her over. And you’ll be wearing this hat while you do it.”
I take the hat from her. “I’m confused. She hates cowboys, right?”
“She hates people who don’t keep their promises. ”
“But the hat—it’s gonna rub it in her face, the fact that I’m not at all what she wants for you.”
Mollie takes the hat back and goes on her tiptoes to set it on my head. “Once she gets to know you, she’ll realize you’re exactly what she wants for me. I’m dating a cowboy. One who’s a very good man. The sooner she accepts that, the sooner we can all move on from all these dumb assumptions we have about each other.”
My heart’s doing backflips now. Leave it to Mollie Luck to continually leave me speechless.
She’s not trying to change me. To dress me up or smooth over the fact that I got rough hands and a rougher past.
In fact, she’s putting all that front and center.
Mollie doesn’t have anything to hide. I’m not gonna hide either.
I smile, hard. Cup her chin in my hand and lean down for another kiss. A pulse of lust hits me square between the legs. You’d think we hadn’t fucked in the shower just now and made love in her cushy king-size bed before that. Never mind the head she gave me last night and the orgasm I gave her afterward as she held on to the headboard for dear life.
“How long you think lunch’ll take?” I growl.
She laughs, her breath a warm gust against my cheek. “A couple of hours.”
I glance down at her dress. “Glad you’re not wearing pants. Will make the whole car thing a lot easier.”
“What car thing?”
Smirking, I open the door. “You’ll see. Let’s go.”
I swat her ass, and she laughs again.
I wanna hear that sound for the rest of my life. But her mama could very well cut that life short if I don’t win her over today.
Pressing my hat onto my head, I follow Mollie to the elevator.
This ain’t the first time I gotta cowboy up .
Sure as hell won’t be the last.
The restaurant is nice .
It’s the kind of place with white tablecloths and waiters wearing jackets. Well-heeled diners sip wine from enormous glasses and pick at elegant salads and perfectly blackened slabs of salmon.
We’re still in Texas, though. I’d feel out of place in my nicest pair of jeans and white button-up if there wasn’t a hat rack, crowded with all kinds of cowboy hats, beside the hostess stand.
I feel eyes on me as I take off my own hat and run a hand through my hair. Mollie’s lips twitch.
“What?” I ask.
She glances across the restaurant. “I think Dallas likes you.”
Looking around, I smile. I’m tall, so I’m used to getting some attention when I walk into places. But this is the kind of attention you have to laugh at. Otherwise, it’ll make you blush.
Several people, men and women, openly stare as I hang my hat on the rack and follow Mollie and the hostess into the dining room.
“Long live cowboys,” one woman says to her friend after I pass.
I chuckle.
“I think he heard you,” the friend says.
“I hope he did. And I hope he hears that those Wranglers fit him real, real well.”
I spot Aubrey well before we get to the table. She’s blonder than Mollie, but they have the same nose and proud shoulders. Her gaze catches on her daughter first, then darts to me .
Aubrey purses her lips before pasting on a tight smile. “Hey, y’all.”
She rises and pulls Mollie in for a hug.
“Mom! Hey! I hope you haven’t been waiting long?”
“Not at all. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t late and ended up here a bit early. Traffic wasn’t bad today.” Aubrey’s gaze is on me again. Her eyes go a little wide as she takes me in, boots to beard. “You must be Cash.”
“Yes, ma’am. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
I extend my hand, and she takes it. In Hartsville, we kiss our kin on the cheek. While Aubrey isn’t technically family yet, I figure I have nothing—and everything—to lose.
So I lean in and peck Aubrey’s cheek. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Mollie grin while her mom covers her cheek with her hand after I lean back.
“I’m Aubrey.” Is that a pink flush I see working its way up her neck? “When Mollie told me you’d be joining us, it was a…surprise.”
I pull out Mollie’s chair. “I think we’re all surprised I ended up here. Mollie and I didn’t exactly get along when we first met.”
“So I heard.” Aubrey watches Mollie sit in the chair. I push her in, then reach for Aubrey’s chair too. “I’m all right, thanks.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The back of my neck burns as I sit opposite Aubrey. Unfolding her napkin, she’s quiet as she settles it on her lap.
Yep. This is gonna be awkward. But I can’t give up. I may not win Mollie’s mom over today, but that doesn’t mean she won’t accept me eventually. I just have to show her I’ll work my ass off to make her daughter happy.
Yeah, I don’t have a ton of money. Not yet. And my family’s kind of a mess. But I love them, and they love me. I take care of my own. I’ll protect this woman till my last dying breath, and while I’m still alive, it’ll be my mission to help her make her dreams come true.
I’m not here to take those dreams away. To dim Mollie’s light. Luckily, I have proof of that in my back pocket.
“You look…tan.” Aubrey’s eyes flick over Mollie, lingering a beat too long on her face.
Mollie’s grin is back. “Thank you. I’ve been spending a lot of time outside.”
“Doing…”
“Stuff.” Mollie turns that grin on me.
“Give yourself more credit. Aubrey, there’s not much Mollie isn’t doing on the ranch. She’s lookin’ mighty fine on horseback these days.”
Aubrey does that thing where her lips twitch before she pulls them into what could be a sneer or a smile. “Is that so?”
“I remember loving it when I was little,” Mollie replies, pushing at one of her forks with her first finger. “I still didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I do now.”
“Right.” Aubrey picks up her menu. “So what changed your tune about Mollie, Cash? Other than the fact that my daughter is about to inherit millions of dollars?”
“Jesus Christ, Mom.” Mollie stares at her. “At least let us order our drinks before you make a scene.”
Aubrey splays her fingers. “Why beat around the bush? I have a two thirty I need to make.”
My chest twists at the pain that flickers across Mollie’s face.
“Please don’t be like this,” she pleads. “If you’re not going to give him a chance, we’ll leave.”
“And go where?” Aubrey leans across the table. “I’ve raised you your entire life, Mollie. I know you better than anyone. You belong in Dallas. You deserve opportunity, and freedom, and…” Her voice wobbles. “To be around like-minded people. Small towns are where dreams go to die.”
“That’s not right,” Mollie replies thickly .
Aubrey shakes her head. “I’m not wrong.”
Grabbing Mollie’s hand, I give it a squeeze. “Mollie does belong in Dallas. Aubrey, you’re not wrong about that.”
That gives Aubrey pause. She blinks, looking at me. “Are you…are y’all moving in together? Into your condo?” She turns to look at Mollie, who looks at me, a confused look on her face.
I squeeze her hand again. Stay with me .
Mollie’s throat works as she swallows. She squeezes back. Okay .
“Life in Dallas suits Mollie. I’ve seen that firsthand. Bellamy Brooks was born and bred in a city. And now that y’all are about to launch your biggest and, in my humble opinion, best collection yet?—”
“You’ve seen it.” Aubrey’s words come out like an accusation, but I sense the question there.
I dip my head. “I have. It’s incredible.”
“It is. Which is exactly why Mollie needs to be here, in Dallas, to launch it. The publicity she and Wheeler will get from local boutiques alone—oh, hello.” Aubrey glances at the server over her shoulder before looking at us. “Are we ready to order?”
I motion to Mollie. “You ready, honey?”
I don’t miss the way she bites her lip. “I am. You?”
“Yes.”
The girls order wine. When I suggest we make it a bottle since I’ll be having some, too, Aubrey’s expression appears slightly less sour. But it’s when Mollie orders her food after her mom requests a salad that things get really interesting.
She asks the server for a “tavern burger,” which, apparently, is a fancy cheeseburger with two patties, topped with some kind of special sauce. Yes to a side of fries, yes to cheddar cheese, yes to the sauce and the pickles and ketchup.
“I’ll have the same,” I say, handing my menu to the server.
Aubrey, though, narrows her eyes at her daughter. “ Mollie, isn’t that going to hurt your stomach? The gluten and the cheese?—”
“They don’t bother me anymore.” Mollie adjusts the napkin on her lap. “As a matter of fact, I’m not sure they ever bothered me. I’ve been eating pretty much everything at the ranch, and I haven’t had a stomachache in weeks.”
Aubrey blinks. “Really?”
“Really. I think…” Mollie waves her hand. “Before I went to Hartsville, I think I knew on some level that I was unhappy, but I didn’t see a way to change anything. I felt like I was doing life right, except my body was screaming at me that I wasn’t.”
“And now you think you are doing it right, because your stomach doesn’t hurt.” Aubrey’s expression is difficult to read.
Mollie looks at me. Looks down at her plate. “I love the ranch, Mom. I know that wasn’t your experience, but living in Hartsville…” She looks at me again. “It’s been healing? That sounds ridiculous, but it’s true. I just feel better after being there. I feel good here too—don’t get me wrong. I like both places. I think I need them both, which is the issue.”
Our wine arrives. Aubrey takes a long, quiet pull from her glass.
I drink mine, gaze bouncing between Mollie and her mom. I have no fucking idea what’s about to go down, but I have to keep the conversation from completely derailing.
“I’ve thought a lot about this,” I say carefully. “Why Garrett put that stipulation in his will. He talked about y’all often.”
Aubrey scoffs and rolls her eyes. “I’m sure he painted a lovely picture.”
“He had a lot of regrets.” I swallow. “I think he would’ve done things differently if he had another chance. I loved him, but he was stubborn as hell. I told him it wasn’t too late to change things. To reach out and try again. ”
“He never listened,” Aubrey replies.
“But Mollie does. I do. I’m listening. Getting to know your daughter—it’s been one of the great joys of my life, and it’s changed me for the better.” I reach into my back pocket and pull out a single four-by-six-inch picture. “Talk about ridiculous things, but I think Garrett knew somehow that bringing Mollie back to Lucky Ranch would be good for us. For everyone. Like he’s pulling strings from the grave, you know? What he couldn’t pull off in life, he was going to do after he was gone.”
I gently place the picture on the table. It’s grainy, and I can’t tell if it’s faded from age or if the image was captured during a golden hour that softened the outlines of the three figures in it. Mollie, maybe four years old, is on a pony in between Garrett and Aubrey. The Colorado River is in the background. From the angle, I can tell it’s close to the spot I showed Mollie on our first ride around the ranch.
Everyone is wearing cowboy hats and big smiles.
Aubrey looks at the picture and goes still. “Where did you get this?”
“Garrett left me a safety-deposit box in his will. Had no idea what was in it. When I opened the box, I found hundreds of photographs of y’all. He told Goody the pictures were one of his most prized possessions, so he wanted to keep them safe.”
Mollie’s hand goes to her mouth. “He left them to you?”
“At first, I thought it was a mistake. Now, though…now I think he might’ve given them to me for a reason.”
Aubrey blinks. “He knew you’d share them with Mollie.”
“He knew you’d show me I was always a cowgirl at heart.” Mollie’s voice is threadbare. “Because at heart, you’re a good guy who’s just a little rough around the edges.”
I chuckle. “Something like that.”
Aubrey’s eyelashes continue to flutter as she points at the picture. “Is that?— ”
“The three of y’all. Look how cute you are.” I tap my finger on little girl Mollie. “You look so happy up on that horse.”
Aubrey swallows more wine. “Garrett gave her riding lessons a few times a week. She loved it.”
Mollie turns to look at her mom. “I remember that. We’d do laps around the corral. Slow at first. When he let me trot, I couldn’t stop giggling.”
“You were so damn cute, Mollie.” Aubrey’s eyes crinkle, and she looks wistful—happy—for a full beat. “Still are.”
“You look happy there too, Mom.”
Aubrey blinks. “I was. In that moment, anyway.”
Mollie squeezes my hand. “Thank you. For sharing this with us.”
“I have the rest in a bag at your apartment. But the spot where y’all are standing in this photo—the views of the river are incredible. It was one of Garrett’s favorite places on the ranch. I took the liberty of doing a few mock-ups of a studio we could build there. Big windows, lots of light, and enough privacy so you and Wheeler feel comfortable doing your thing.”
I grab my phone and quickly scroll to images of the rough drawings I did this morning before continuing. “Bellamy Brooks has a studio here in Dallas. Figured it needs one in Hartsville too. If only because y’all are about to have a lot more inventory to show off and a lot more brainstorming to do for future collections. Y’all are inspired by the fashion here in Dallas, and now—maybe—the ranch could provide a complementary kind of inspiration. Give y’all a new angle for your next collection while keeping your city roots intact.”
I set my phone on the table and slide it over to Mollie.
My heart thumps as she stares at the phone for one beat. Two. She’s holding her wine in her hand. She takes a sip. Blinks .
Then promptly bursts into tears, leaning her head on my shoulder.
My stomach bottoms out. I press a kiss to her temple. “Oh. Oh, Mollie, honey, I’m?—”
“So fucking thoughtful,” she manages as she picks up the phone and scrolls through the images. I like how she keeps her head on my shoulder. “And sweet. And, wow, really good at renderings. When did you draw all this?”
I nearly have a heart attack when I see Aubrey dabbing at her eyes with her napkin.
“Earlier today. I know it’s not the perfect solution to our problem, but it’s a start. This will also give me a little more room to work here in Dallas when—if—we take some of the stock you have in the closet back to the ranch. We could put a big desk in the closet where we can all work with our laptops.”
Aubrey scrunches her forehead. “You have a laptop?”
“Mom, he has a huge job overseeing a quarter of a million acres of land. Of course Cash has a laptop.”
I nod. “I spend more time on it than I’d like, but such is life.”
Aubrey sets down her wine. “If you have such a big job, how can you be away from the ranch?”
“I won’t lie to you, it’ll be an adjustment for everyone. But I’ve got four brothers who are doing a fine job holding down the fort while we’re gone.” I tip my chin at the phone. “Haven’t heard from them once since we’ve been here.”
Mollie gives me a watery smile. “Told you.”
“You were right.” I lean in to kiss her mouth. “Thanks for giving me the push I needed.”
She nods, looking back down at my phone. “Maybe this is the push I needed. I mean…Cash, this could work.” Her eyes light up as the pieces come together. “I’m pretty sure Wheeler would come out to the ranch if I told her you have four single brothers wh o live there. There’s plenty of space for her in the New House. Now that I have access to my trust, I can hire some people to help out at Bellamy Brooks, which would free me up to help out on the ranch a couple of days a week. What do you think, Mom?”
Aubrey is quiet as she continues to sip her wine. “I’m not sure what I think. It’s a lovely idea?—”
“But it could work.” Mollie blinks. “Holy shit, it could really work.”
I swallow the thickness in my throat. “Why do you look so surprised?” I ask softly. “Did you not think we would figure this out?”
She’s quiet for a beat. Mollie’s eyes fill all over again. “Maybe I didn’t think I deserved it. Being able to keep my life here and keep you. Feels like I’m getting away with something. Like I’m going to be punished for not doing things the way I’ve been taught they should be done.”
“Making your dreams happen?” I ask. “That feels like a crime?”
Mollie’s crying again. I don’t miss how Aubrey reaches over and grabs her daughter’s other hand.
“That’s all I ever wanted for you, you know. For you to make your dreams come true.” Aubrey sniffles. “I just don’t want you to give up on the dreams you have here. You’ve worked so hard. Your boots are beautiful. I guess I assumed that if you ran off with a cowboy”—Aubrey cocks a brow in my direction—“you’d abandon all that. But now I’m starting to see I was wrong.”
“I’m not abandoning my dreams, Mom. I’m just changing them. Making them bigger. My heart belongs to Bellamy Brooks and to Dallas, but it also belongs to Cash and the ranch and Hartsville. I hope you don’t view that as some kind of betrayal, because it’s not. It’s just me, following my truth as I figure it out.”
Aubrey closes her eyes. Her chin trembles .
A tear slips out of my own eye. Goddamn, being around all this emotion is really getting me in my own feels.
“I won’t lie to you, sweetheart. It hurts to hear you say that you might be leaving,” she says at last. “But if you feel like this is the right move, then you have to make it. I knew in my gut life on a cattle ranch wasn’t for me, but I tried to fight it because I loved your father so damn much. Don’t fight what you know to be true.”
Mollie stares at her mother. “You mean that? Seriously?”
“Seriously.” Aubrey’s eyes cut to me. “Don’t waste time like I did trying to be someone you’re not. What’s all this money for if not to make you happy? Go be happy.”