8
CASH
I WAKE UP WITH EVERLY DRAPED across my chest. Her head is nestled in the crook of my shoulder, her leg hitched over my thigh, and her arm wrapped securely around my waist. In sleep, her features appear softer, the creases around her eyes ease, giving way to a peaceful expression. The weight of the world has been lifted from her shoulders as she relaxes into the security of my arms.
As I shift beneath her, my rigid cock presses against her stomach, straining against my boxers.
Fuck.
I carefully maneuver out from under her, avoiding waking her up. The last thing I want is for her to panic and blame me for invading her space. Although, technically, she was on my side of the bed.
The last two mornings, I’ve woken up way earlier than usual. I’m a night owl, and I sleep in every chance I get. When Harrison first took over Stafford Holdings, he held early morning meetings with Dylan and me. However, after I missed half a dozen in the first month, he stopped scheduling any with me before 10:00 a.m. He’d be shocked if he could see me now.
While I’m close to my siblings, I often feel like an outsider.
From an early age, Harrison was primed to take over Stafford Holdings. He graduated college with a business degree and went on to complete his MBA. Aside from a rebellious stint playing professional hockey for a year, he’s the perfect son.
Dylan is a financial whiz and graduated at the top of his class. After his long-time girlfriend stepped out on him and Lola when she was just six weeks old, he was a single dad until Marlow came into his life.
And then there’s Presley. She’s the long-awaited daughter who can do no wrong in my parents’ eyes. After high school, she ventured out on her own, determined to be recognized for her own accomplishments, not the Stafford legacy. Now she’s thriving as a marketing associate at Sinclair Group.
Unlike my siblings, I’ve never had ambitious goals or the drive to achieve tangible success. I have more straightforward aspirations. Making people laugh, caring for my family and friends, and living life to the fullest makes me happy. Most people mistake those qualities for laziness, lack of motivation, and unproductivity. My accident taught me to embrace each day as it comes and not to worry about what tomorrow might bring.
My mind is wide awake, so I decide to go for a run.
I check my phone and find that I have multiple texts all from Theo.
Theo: How was your Friday night in Vegas?
Theo: Say hi to your family for me.
Guilt gnaws at me when I glance over at a sleeping Everly.
I can only imagine what Theo will do when he finds out I married his sister. He explicitly said she was off-limits and won’t care that it was fourteen years ago. I decide to hold off on texting him back until Everly and I decide how we want to move forward.
I send my pilot a text, requesting that one of the crew members deliver the suitcases we left on the plane to my parents’ house. They stayed at the Coastal Haven Inn last night, a local bed-and-breakfast, so they should be well rested.
As quietly as possible, I dress in a pair of running shorts and shoes I left here during my last visit. I’m in the habit of keeping clothes here since my mom prefers her kids to stay at her house when we come to Aspen Grove.
Since it’s the middle of the summer—and will be scorching once the sun rises—I don’t bother with a shirt and walk softly toward the door. I steal one more glance at Everly, loving how she looks in my bed before I slip out of the bedroom and sneak down the stairs.
As I step onto the porch, I’m greeted by a chorus of birds chirping and the golden light of the sun coming over the horizon. I close my eyes and breathe in deeply, savoring the fresh air.
After my accident, I spent a month confined to the hospital and another two stuck at home, so when I finally got the green light from the doctor to exercise, I started running. It gave me the chance to get outside and release all the pent-up energy I had bottled up. It’s become my lifeline—a way to clear my head and stay fit. Even with the gym in my London apartment I prefer to exercise outdoors as much as possible.
Today, of all days, I’m glad to have the chance to get out and calm my mind.
After a grueling eight-mile run, I return to my parents’ house to find our suitcases on the porch. Someone from the crew must have dropped them off while I was gone. Now Everly will have all her things so she can get ready before we leave.
I was gone longer than I planned, taking a spontaneous detour from my usual route.
Curiosity led me to the old Miller House. After all this time, the place remains abandoned, yet I couldn’t help but notice the ‘for sale’ sign in the neglected front yard.
When I go inside my parents’ house, it’s still quiet, so I head straight to my bedroom to take a shower. After setting the suitcases near the doorway, I notice that the bed is empty. The bathroom door is ajar and I can hear the sink running.
I cross the room and steal a glance inside to find Everly standing at the vanity, washing her face. She’s still dressed in my T-shirt, her golden, toned legs on full display. When she leans forward to splash water over her face, the T-shirt rises, giving me a glimpse of her lacy white panties that hug her ass just right.
Fuck me, she’s a goddamn vision.
Her phone rings on the countertop, and she flinches when she checks the screen before answering on speakerphone.
“Hi, Dad.” She grabs a hand towel, patting her face dry.
“Where are you?” Richard barks. “You were supposed to call me after your last meeting on Friday.”
Everly shuts her eyes as she exhales slowly. “Why didn’t you tell me Stafford Holdings was buying out Townstead International?” she asks, ignoring his question. “Have you told August and Liam?”
I don’t miss her voice wavering. She puts on a strong front to conceal her emotions, but in the past twenty-four hours, I’ve witnessed several instances where her facade of indifference has cracked before she refortifies her walls. I wish she didn’t feel like she had to conceal herself from me. Everyone deserves to have a person they can confide in.
Guilt washes over me for not putting in more effort to stay in direct contact with her over the years. She became withdrawn after her dad walked out on her family, and after she left for college, I figured she wanted a clean slate. I shouldn’t have made that assumption.
“Who told you about that?” Richard demands.
Everly folds the hand towel and hangs it on the rack. “I ran into Cash Stafford on Friday. He was in Vegas for a board meeting and assumed I knew about the deal.”
“That’s unacceptable,” Richard seethes, his voice raised. “Harrison said he was meeting with the board. They’re not taking this deal seriously if they sent Cash to present the proposal. My company deserves more respect than that.”
I don’t give a damn what Richard thinks, but I hate that he’s right. The board wasn’t pleased that I went in Harrison’s place, and they insisted Dylan call in for the meeting. It was humiliating that they didn’t trust me to handle it alone.
Where Harrison is considered a powerhouse in the industry and Dylan the level-headed genius, I’m the irresponsible brother who likes to party. I can’t change how people view me, so I stopped caring a long time ago. But moments like this serve as a reminder of how I’m perceived by most, and I can’t stop the negative thoughts that creep in.
“Don’t insult my husband that way,” Everly snaps, slapping her hand across her mouth as soon as the words come out.
A smile tugs at my lips. For someone who doesn’t want to be married, she’s sure quick to jump to my defense. It doesn’t matter that her calling me her husband was a slip of the tongue—she still said it.
“Your husband ?” Richard barks. “The last time I checked, you weren’t dating anyone. What did you do, Everly?” His tone is condescending.
“I was hoping Cash and I would have everything figured out before I talked to you,” Everly says softly as she bites her lower lip.
“Spit it out already,” Richard shouts into the phone, causing Everly to shrink back.
“Cash and I sort of got married Friday night.” She winces, bracing for his reaction.
“What the hell do you mean, you sort of got married?” Richard hisses.
“It… it was an accident,” she stammers. “I had too much tequila, and it clouded my judgment. One thing led to another, and we ended up at a wedding chapel on the Strip.” If she chews on her lip any harder, she’s going to draw blood. “I’ll fix this, Dad, I promise. We’ll get the marriage annulled as soon as—”
“You stupid girl,” Richard says, not giving her a chance to finish explaining. Everly flinches at his harsh insult. “Do you realize what you’ve done? You could sabotage the chances of Stafford Holdings buying my company because of your incompetence.”
A growl escapes my lips. If Richard were here in person, I would give him a piece of my mind. He has no right to disrespect Everly like this. She wasn’t aware of the deal until yesterday, so she’s not to blame.
I knew about the deal, and my brothers were far more understanding. Harrison might disapprove of my actions, but he would never prioritize business over family. If I called him right now and told him that Everly and I don’t want to go through with this charade, he wouldn’t be ecstatic, but he’d accept it. Even when I’ve been an irresponsible dumbass, he’s always there for me.
“I’m sorry,” Everly murmurs despondently.
“Under no circumstance will you get this marriage annulled. Do you understand?” Richard states, leaving no room to argue. “You’ve made your bed—now it’s time to face the consequences of your actions.”
I clench my hands at my side, forcing myself not to intervene. Despite Richard’s disrespect toward her, I don’t think Everly would welcome my interference. Richard’s primary concern should be his daughter. Yet, all he cares about is himself and a tentative business deal. He’s a selfish bastard, and I wish I could knock some sense into him.
“Okay,” Everly says in a meek voice.
This isn’t the sexy, confident woman I’ve spent the past day with. Right now, she’s a daughter desperately craving her father’s love, but it’s nowhere to be found.
“I don’t care what you have to do to make it work, but you’re going to be a good little wife and stay married until the deal is finalized,” he orders. “If you mess this up for me you can kiss your career goodbye. I’ll make sure no one else in the industry will hire you.” Richard’s harsh tone sounds more like he’s threatening a business rival than having a conversation with his daughter.
Everly stands with slumped shoulders, her entire body seeming to shrink inward as tears stream down her face.
I fucking hate Richard.
I swear to god, the bastard will pay for how he has treated Everly. It might not be today, but he’ll get what’s coming to him, and I’ll find satisfaction in watching him suffer when he does.