Chapter 41 #2
But he’d told me enough about Ashleigh to let me know he hated her with every fiber of his being.
And as fun-loving and easy going as he was, this was the same guy who’d gotten in a fight as a kid for some idiot making fun of Maverick.
A darker side to Cash lurked just beneath the surface.
I wondered just how dark it was. Wondered if even he knew how dark it was.
Ashleigh’s hooded gaze scanned each and every one of us, disdain written plainly in the sneer on her lips as she settled on Charlie and I. “Looks like you’ve been busy, Cash. Not one, but two buckle bunnies, and both pregnant. Your parents must be so proud of you.”
Her sickly-sweet voice caught me by surprise.
I’d expect it to be sensual and raspy from the look of her.
But even the surprise didn’t do much to dim the blast of anger that bristled to life in my chest. Who the fuck did she think she was calling a buckle bunny?
I earned my buckles, and not on my knees—the dumb bitch.
Though Charlie didn’t say anything, I knew she felt the same. The stiffness in her shoulders, the silent fury blazing in her storm cloud gaze said it all.
I sucked in a breath to reply, but Cash beat me to it. “Actually, neither one of them are mine. In fact—” His lips pulled up into a sadistic smirk as he nodded at me. “Maverick’s the buckle bunny in this case. He’s hers.”
I fought back a smile. Cash might be a dumbass about ninety-nine percent of the time, but right now, I was so proud of him I could kiss him. Okay, maybe not that far. But still.
Ashleigh’s gaze was sharper than a knife as it snapped between me and Maverick, but some of her bravado faltered, her voice wobbling as she asked, “Is that true?”
I settled my gaze on Maverick, my breath hitching in my throat as I waited for him to reply.
What if he said no? What if her coming back here changed things and he decided he wanted her instead?
I wasn’t typically so self-conscious, but damn, between these stupid hormones and the fact that despite how absolutely awful I could tell Ashleigh was…
Well, he’d been in love with her for a very, very long time.
What if her coming back was enough to change everything?
I knew the answer before he even replied. It shone brightly in his eyes—complete and utter certainty. And most of all…love. He didn’t even look at her as he held my gaze and nodded.
My heart danced against my ribcage. Tears—of relief or happiness, I didn’t really know at this point—brewed in my eyes like a fluke summer storm. Good God, he just couldn’t get any more perfect, could he?
I wish I would’ve had my phone out to catch her reaction, her gasp of sheer disbelief and barely restrained fury. Well, if she’d looked at me with disdain before, her fierce gaze held nothing but white-hot hatred now.
I bit back a smug smile as Ashleigh’s mouth opened and closed repeatedly, trying and failing to come up with a response. She finally settled on growling, her fists curling at her sides as she turned to Maverick. “Can we talk?”
Bad and Goodie took that as a chance to excuse themselves, both of them heading to Goodie’s truck.
Cash made no attempt to leave, his attention fixed on Ashleigh, watching her with the same level of intensity as he did when he was in the box readying for a ride.
He was watching, waiting for her to make a move.
I strode to his side and nudged him gently, glancing over at Charlie and Cason as I said, “Come on, let’s go untack the horses.”
Cash resisted only a moment longer before a malicious sneer pulled on his lips. “I’d say it was nice talkin’ to ya, but it wasn’t so…bye.”
“Oh, fuck you, Cash,” she hissed.
His sneer turned wolfish. “I’m sorry, I don’t speak bitch.
” With that, he led Playboy into the barn, followed by Charlie and Cason, along with Peckerhead in tow.
I moved to Maverick, who still held Black Betty.
She eyed me as I approached—the mare was possessive as hell of him.
But I was too, so I guess we both had that in common.
So many emotions swirled and danced across Maverick’s features.
Anger, worry, frustration, fear—each passing and shifting so quickly it was impossible to pinpoint just one.
I could only imagine how shitty of a situation this was for him. I didn’t envy him at all right now.
“I’ll untack her for you,” I said, pressing a hand to his bare arm, my fingers caressing the canyons of mottled flesh before coming to rest on his reins. He shivered beneath my touch, something in his light gaze flaring.
“You sure?”
I nodded, holding his unwavering stare.
He blew out a breath and released the reins.
I didn’t kiss him, even though every possessive part of me wanted to just rub it in this bitch’s face.
Somehow, I didn’t think Maverick would like that.
He wasn’t the type to gloat or boast. So, I wouldn’t either.
Ashleigh could have this last moment with him. It sure as hell would be the last.
Even though I didn’t kiss him, I did make sure to plaster on my fakest, brightest smile as I turned to her and said, “I’m Cheyenne, by the way. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
I couldn’t tell the exact color of her eyes in the dim evening light, but I recognized the anger and hatred burning in the depths. Oh well, after tonight, I’d never have to deal with her again—hopefully.
A sneer pulled on her lips. “Well, I’ve heard nothing about you.”
I shrugged, completely unfazed. Casting one long, final look at Maverick, I led a less than thrilled Black Betty to the barn.
For a split second, I feared she might trample me or run me down, but aside from snorting, tossing her head, and glancing back periodically at Maverick, she followed along.
The barn lights were glaringly bright compared to how dim it was outside.
My gaze flicked to Playboy, still tied up just outside of his stall, Cash was nowhere to be seen.
Cason stood just outside Peckerhead’s stall as Charlie hurriedly pulled off his saddle and saddle pad before all but tossing them onto one of the racks.
I frowned as she made her way to the barn doors.
That’s when I noticed Cash. I’d walked right by him. The sneaky bastard.
“Well, you gonna hurry your ass up and join us, or what?” Cash whispered as Charlie settled at his side.
I frowned at the two of them. “Are y’all really gonna snoop?”
Charlie gave me a sheepish grin. “Don’t tell me you don’t want to hear what happens.”
I did. Dear Lord, I really did. But that was horrible of me, right? I shouldn’t care. I’d won whatever little war Ashleigh was in with me. Maverick was mine. Shouldn’t that be enough?
I glanced between Black Betty and my two friends. Well, there was the chance that Black Betty might kill me for trying to untack her. I’d only handled her a few times, and it hadn’t ever been more than this. Maybe I should leave that for Maverick. He’d understand, right?
“Hold on. Let me tie her up,” I said, hurrying to put her in the cross ties in front of her stall.
I settled between Cash and Charlie, Cason completely ignoring us as he brushed down Peckerhead and told him about his football practice like he was an old friend and not a horse.
The three of us peeked out around the barn door. From where Maverick and Ashleigh stood, neither could see us—hopefully—but we could hear them clear as day.
“I don’t know what the hell he sees in her,” Cash grumbled, his gaze narrowed on the brunette.
“Okay, seriously though,” Charlie scoffed. “I was expecting her to be more…” I turned to meet her gaze. Her shoulders lifted into a guilty shrug. “I just expected her to be prettier. I know that sounds awful, but well…he’s been obsessed with her for almost two decades…I was expecting…more.”
“Right?” I was so glad I wasn’t the only one who’d thought that.
I could understand her having a shitty personality but him putting up with it because she was a complete knockout.
As shallow as that was, I’d be the first to admit I’d done that before.
Case and point…Nate. But Ashleigh was a bit, well, plain.
It’s not that she wasn’t pretty. She was…
in a plain way. There was nothing seemingly special about her.
Not that I was trying to toot my own horn, but if she was so god-awful to Maverick and not drop-dead gorgeous, then what about her had kept him under her spell for so long?
Cash seemed to understand without me saying anything. “Maverick is loyal. To a fault. It’s one of his greatest strengths, but with her…his greatest weakness.” He glanced at his cousin and back at me. “Also, she was his first.”
“Ah.” Charlie and I both nodded, understanding dawning on us at the same time.
“That explains so much,” Charlie replied.
Cash shushed us, nodding toward Maverick and Ashleigh. “They’re talkin’.”
So, settling in, the three of us let relative silence fall in the barn as we huddled together and listened like a bunch of eavesdropping teens and not grown-ass adults.