Chapter 20
CASH
Before she knew what was happening, they were headed down the highway. He couldn't stop looking over at her. She really was one of the most beautiful people he had ever met. He reached out and put his hand on her thigh and smiled as she flipped his hand and laced her fingers with his. This didn't feel like fake dating, and he was glad, because she needed to lose that idea and fast.
"So where exactly are we going?" she asked as they left Glendale.
"You'll see," he said with a cocked eyebrow.
"You're really not going to tell me?"
He just shook his head.
"How do I know you aren't abducting me? Taking me somewhere to ravish me."
"Who said I'm not?"
"You don't fool me, Cash Hawthorn. You may have at first, but you're a n?—"
He dropped her hand and slid it up her inner thigh and gripped her hard, "I swear to god, if you say I'm nice I'm going to pull over right here and take you on the side of the road."
Her gasp excited him. Damn... he really did have it as bad as Wes had accused him of and he was finding he liked it.
"Well... It's a good thing my interest in finding out where you are taking me is only slightly bigger than the thought of what you just said."
They sat in a couple moments of silence, but she didn't take his hand back. It stayed right there between her legs for the rest of the ride. He was so close to her center he could feel the heat. Just another centimeter more and he would be touching her, but there would be time for that.
He slowed and turned the blinker on. She sat a little straighter next to him looking around. He turned into the Starview Drive-in.
"You brought me to a drive-in?"
"A double feature," he said in his sexiest voice.
"'I'm not sure what that is all about," she said laughing at him, "but I've never been to a drive-in movie before."
"Really?"
"Never."
"I would think you would have been here before."
"Nope, you're my first." He looked over to her and wagged his eyebrows. "Well not like that. That ship sailed in high school, but I do kind of feel like we are on a high school date. Skeeball, pretzels, and a drive-in."
Cas pulled into a spot and opened the app on his phone. After scanning the QR code on the post next to his he turned to ask. "What kind of snack? Popcorn? Red vines?"
"Popcorn, of course! and a Cherry Coke."
"Done." he said looking over at her, putting his phone down on the dash. Cash turned behind him and pulled out a blanket. "Shall we move this to the back?"
"You came prepared."
"I'm always prepared, baby girl."
“Always prepared huh? Like a sexy boy scout?”
The deep laugh that exploded from Cash seemed to surprise her. He got the feeling Evie hadn’t found many people in her life who appreciated this side of her.
“That’s right baby girl, just like that,” he said shaking his head with a small chuckle.
They both got out and he helped her up into the bed of his truck. As they were settling in a worker came by and dropped off two drinks and a big bucket of popcorn.
"I can't believe you took me to a drive-in," she said looking around. "I didn't even know places like this still existed."
"I've been here a couple times. I'm kind of a horror movie connoisseur and the end of the double feature is usually a monster movie."
"What's playing tonight?" she asked as she settled back into him.
He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into him. He pulled his phone back out to check, "It looks like we are watching Father of the Bride and then Bride of Frankenstein. Seems appropriate," he said with a small chuckle.
"Great, more weddings..."
Oh crap. He should have checked the movies before he brought her here. He knew she was stressed out with her sister's wedding, maybe she didn’t want the reminder. He pulled her a little closer to him, the softness of her pressing into him filling him with desire, but if she didn't want to watch those movies...
"We can go if you're not into it," he said, trying not to sound as insecure as he suddenly felt.
She shifted and looked up at him, "No, this is wonderful. Thank you for bringing me here. I love it," she cuddled back into him, and his heart soared.
He really wasn't used to feeling like this about anyone. He was usually so confident in what he wanted, and what he wanted was usually just a good time, but he found neither of those things applied to Evie. There was a part of him that didn't think he had what it took to keep someone like her happy. They were from completely different worlds, but the more he got to know her, the more he found himself hoping that this would turn into something real.
"So, what's the deal with your sister's wedding?"
"What do you mean?" she said, turning her head looking up at him, and he fought the urge to kiss her, but he knew if he did that, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from going further.
"I know family basics and I know I'm going golfing with your family, but I'm gonna need more information. Especially where golfing is concerned."
She bit her lip and looked away. "I know I'm still sorry about that. You don't?—"
Without a warning he kissed her, taking control of her mouth. Her little gasp of surprise spurred him on, but then she opened up to him and started kissing him back. He needed to stop this before it got out of hand. He pulled back and cupped her face, "Every time you tell me I don't have to do something. I'm going to do that. Got it?"
Her brows rose. "Is that supposed to be a deterrent?"
"Fuck," he groaned adjusting his pants.
"But yeah. Next weekend golf and combined bachelor/bachelorette party. The following week the rehearsal dinner and the wedding, then you can be done with me," she said smiling at him, like he would ever want to be done with her.
"Oh, baby girl, I won’t be done with you." The movie started as he pressed a sweet kiss to her lips.
"We'll see if you still feel that way after I tricked you into being my date for this ridiculous wedding."
"Hey, if I had it my way we would have been dating since the gala. I would’ve been your date, no trick necessary."
She sighed and settled into him as she watched the movie. He wasn't interested in the movie at all right now, right now the woman with her head on his shoulder and her hand on his knee had his full attention. When he thought about it too much he got in his head. When he let himself realize how deeply he already felt, it scared him. But whenever he let those thoughts start to take hold, he remembered the words of the Scottish woman from the gala, about how things would be simple when they were alone, but above all to not overthink it. Even if he didn’t believe in all that stuff, that was good advice. So once again, he pushed those thoughts away and turned his attention the beautiful woman in his arms.
She adjusted and dug her phone out of her pocket and held it out for a selfie.
“I feel like we should commemorate my first drive in,” she said.
He bit back the dirty joke on his tongue and bent his head and kissed her on the cheek while she took the selfie. Then he kissed the top of her head and breathed in the scent of roses that always seemed to cling to her. She truly was a queen, not an ice queen apparently, but a queen, nonetheless.
"Hey, can I ask you a question?” he asked. “You can tell me to fuck off if you want to."
She looked up at him and nodded.
"Why do you hate being called Ice Queen?"
She just raised her eyebrows and looked at him. "I would think that would be pretty self-explanatory to someone like you."
"What is that supposed to mean?" he said trying not to let the defensiveness he felt creep into his voice.
" Let's just say I wouldn't help Tony LaMonte properly celebrate his game winning goal and the name stuck. Being a figure skater from a wealthy family who wouldn't give celebratory blow jobs quickly becomes the ice queen. But really, if I did give celebratory blow jobs, I'm sure I would have gotten a different nickname."
"Tony LaMonte...I'll kick his ass,” he said in a playful snarl.
"Come on...you know you would have been calling me ice queen right along with the rest of them," she said, batting at his chest.
He grabbed her hand and held it to him. "Do you really think I would do that?"
"Not grown-up Cash, but come on, high school hockey star Cash wouldn't have gone with the team?"
His brow furrowed and he found himself getting a little more than defensive. "Really?"
"Cash, it's fine."
"No, it's not fine. I wouldn't do that now and I wouldn't do that then."
She turned slightly to look at him.
"I didn't mean anything by it...I just figured your player reputation came from somewhere,” she said trying to soothe him, but tension still radiated off him.
"It came because I like to have sex. Consensual casual sex. Emphasis on consensual. I would never EVER make fun of someone for not wanting to participate or shame the women who do...then or now."
"Hey," she said and turned to face him fully. "I'm sorry if I insinuated anything like that. I guess I was just making the point that high school boys are the worst, but you're right, not all of them. And knowing the man you are now I shouldn’t have assumed that."
He nodded, but he didn't feel very soothed. Being misunderstood wasn’t something he was used to. He was very clear and upfront with people about what he wanted. He had been with Evie too, but she kept assuming the worst in him, and it was getting to him.
They settled back into the movie, but he couldn't shake the feeling. He questioned whether she was too good for him, and when she said things like that it made him fear she might agree with him.
He picked up his phone, he needed to check in with River.
Cash - Are you back at the house?
River - Yes, dad, we’re just messing around in the music room. Can I play the Fender?
Cash - Don't touch the Fender
River - the Gibson?
Cash - fine, but not the Fender
River - k
When he put his phone down, he noticed Evie was looking at him.
"Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, I was just checking in with River."
"Everything's good?"
"As long as he doesn't touch my Fender."
Her face scrunched in confusion. "Your Fender?"
"I have a couple guitars. The Fender is my favorite."
"I want to hear you play," she said, smiling up at him.
"No, you don't. I’m not good. River on the other hand, that kid is incredible."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I feel like at the end of the summer he might end up back in the city whether his mom likes it or not. He's a good kid though."
"She just doesn't want him to be a musician?"
"Nope, the musicians in her life have kind of screwed that up for him, but he's good and it's in his genes. I think she's fighting a losing battle."
"I get it," she said with a sigh.
He turned to look at her, not following, "You get it?"
"I just mean I can understand your family wanting something different for you than you want for yourself."
She relaxed back into him.
"Yeah, I can see that."
Then they laid there in the back of his truck watching the movie. It felt good to have her there in his arms. This whole thing had taken him by surprise, and had been a bit of a bumpy ride, but as unsure as he was about certain aspects, he was sure they belonged together.
"I'm really glad River made me take him to the mall today," Cash said with a gentle squeeze.
"Me too."
They lay there in comfortable silence watching the movie for a long moment until she tilted her head to look up at him. Giving a small smirk, she reached up and kissed him. His hand came up and cradled the back of her head and he deepened the kiss. His body awoke with the need to do more than just kiss, but in this moment, he was just happy to be here with the most beautiful and interesting woman he had ever known. They finished the day together, enjoying the nearness of each other. He didn't know it could be like this, he just hoped it would last.
Later that night, Cash dropped Evie back off at her car that was still at the mall. After more making out in the car like teenagers she hopped out of his truck took off. Cash pulled out his phone.
Cash - When are you back in town?
Conner - Our flight gets in Tuesday morning. Why?
Cash - Wanna play golf?
Conner - Have you been kidnapped? Is this your attempt at telling me you are unsafe?
Cash - fuck off
Conner - Why the sudden interest in golf?
Cash - Because I have to play golf with Evie's dad and brother and who knows who else on Saturday.
Conner - Are you serious?
Cash - Can you help me or not?
Conner - Yeah, we can play a round. Do you even have clubs?
Cash - Can't I just rent them?
Conner - This isn't mini golf. No, you can't. You can borrow my old clubs.
Cash - thanks, man
Conner - see you then
As Cash pulled up to his house, he could hear music from all the way outside. He smiled. It sounded good. They were playing the Kinks; he gave an approving nod as he walked in, Mateo had some killer vocals.
He headed down into the basement to see what was going on and to his surprise it was River on vocals. Cash just watched him for a little bit before they realized he was there.
"Oh, hey. I didn't see you there. I didn't touch the Fender," River said as the music stopped.
"You sounded really good."
"Yeah?” asked Mateo from behind the drum set with a grin spread across his face.
"Yeah," Cash said genuinely. "It was good. How long have you been playing?"
"Not long. Just about a year."
"Nice, well you come by and jam with River whenever you want. I'll let you guys get back to it."
This summer was not going as planned. He found he was enjoying River's company more than he thought he would. Things were progressing with Evie. It all seemed to be going well, but he couldn't shake the thought that the rug would soon be pulled out from underneath him. It was probably the golf game with Evie's family at a country club. That was pretty damn close to his own personal version of hell. The fact that he was even considering it spoke to just how into her he was. Hopefully Conner could show him some tips because he had never played before. How hard could it be?