Chapter Thirty-Three
Cash stood on the porch and looked out over the ranch. The day had been a long one, and it certainly wasn’t what he’d expected it would be when he woke up. But the night was finally still, and he had a lot on his mind.
The sun was already starting its dismount to the horizon. Everything had gone quiet since Sheriff Carter and his men had gone. The occasional rustle of the wind through the trees and the distant call of an owl sounded, but even that was quiet enough to finally try to rummage through his thoughts.
Josie had no reason to stay now. Did she?
With Remington arrested, the Montgomery ranch could go on about itself—and with Pierce dead, Josie could do the same. She was no longer in danger. Samuel was no longer in danger. The threat that had loomed over them for so long was gone.
Fear suddenly crept into Cash’s chest, gripping at him tighter than Remington’s threats ever had.
What if she leaves now?
He had no claim on her. No real right to ask her to stay.
She had her own life, her own dreams. She had to.
And now she would be free to live them. What reason would she have to stay on a ranch?
She could settle down in some town somewhere, meet some man with money and live lavish.
She wouldn’t be stuck doing chores all the time.
She was a woman who could have any man she wanted.
And why would she still choose me?
Cash stood up and walked slowly down the front porch steps, out into the front yard. He stood for a moment, just staring up at the stars.
What do I do now?
The better question might have been, what did he want to do now? He scowled slightly, trying to believe he didn’t care.
But that was malarkey. He knew he cared. Way more than he should have.
The door creaked open from behind him, and he turned to see Luke, who was wearing a faint smile. “They’re both out cold,” he said softly.
Cash nodded.
Josie and Samuel. They’d had a day. He was surprised they hadn’t gone to sleep sooner. He walked back toward the porch to join Luke, boots heavy on the wooden steps.
Darn bullet wound. His leg was burning. It felt about to give out under his weight.
It had been a day for him, too. Josie had stitched him back up after Remington had been towed away by the sheriff. And she’d instructed him to get rest, but he couldn’t. Not now.
“You headin’ back to the bunkhouse?” he asked, trying to distract himself from the pain.
Luke nodded once. “In a bit, yeah,” he replied, his voice still quiet. “You want me to sit with you a while?”
Cash shook his head. “I think I’d like to be alone for a while…” He trailed off. There was more in his heart than he had words to explain. Even to his brother.
“Try to get some rest tonight,” Luke said over his shoulder before walking down the porch steps.
Cash nodded. Not sure when sleep would come. Doubtless it would behoove him to at least try and get some rest, since he had almost fainted out on the front yard earlier.
He remained on the porch for a moment as Luke’s silhouette faded into the bunkhouse. The night was quiet again, except for the occasional chirp of crickets and the distant lowing of cattle. His leg throbbed with every breath.
It rankled him, but he couldn’t rush the healing. He couldn’t stand for too long, couldn’t walk for long at all. Certainly couldn’t get back to work in a day or two.
Not yet. It would take longer than that.
Soon. You’ll have your strength back soon.
Slowly he eased himself into the rocking chair on the porch, wincing as he stretched his injured leg out in front of him. The stars seemed unusually bright tonight, as if telling him that they were all in the clear. That the night was this beautiful because they had nothing else to worry about.
He smiled a little. Thank God. Josie and Samuel were finally rid of Pierce. And the ranch, his family’s ranch, was finally free of Remington.
His eyelids grew heavy as he rocked gently in his chair, the motion soothing his aching body so much… he found himself… drifting…
***
She was there in his dreams. Twirling in fields.
Open, golden fields. Her laughter was carried in the fresh breeze.
Her hands, the same ones that had carefully stitched his wound, soft and delicate but so, so strong, reached out for him.
Her beautiful smile was pulling at her lips.
She gazed at him with those big, bright green eyes, as if she was looking right through him—
“Cash? Cash, wake up.”
He startled awake. Immediately, he squinted against the harsh morning light that burned his eyes as soon as they opened. He let out a pained grumble. His neck hurt. His leg was worse. Everything was stiff. He’d fallen asleep in the rocking chair.
Luke was standing over him, looking half-amused, half-worried. “You slept out here all night? Josie's gonna have your hide for not resting proper.”
Cash grunted, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He could feel a trail of drool down his chin.
“Josie’s probably about finished with breakfast,” Luke added. “Better hurry if you want anything to eat.”
The aroma of coffee and bacon finally struck Cash, seeping out onto the front porch, and his stomach growled in response. He hadn’t eaten much of anything yesterday.
He hauled himself up, using the chair as support. “Here,” Luke grunted, grabbing his arm and helping him limp inside, all the way to the kitchen.
Hank and Beau sat around the table, their plates full of eggs, bacon and biscuits. “Well, look who decided to join us,” Hank laughed, pouring coffee into an empty mug.
“Where’s Josie?” Cash asked, indifferent to them. He’d expected to see her right there…
“She just went back to the bedroom with Samuel to change him,” Beau replied. Almost immediately, Cash heard footsteps cross over the floorboards down the hall, heading away from the kitchen.
“And now it sounds like she’s going outside with him,” Beau added with a chuckle.
Cash nodded, settling into his chair with a barely concealed grimace. He took a sip of the coffee that Hank handed him—strong and black, just how he liked it. Josie must have made it. She always made it the best.
“She’s out back?” he asked, catching a glimpse of her through the window.
Hank chuckled. “She’s showing Samuel how to feed the chickens.”
Cash craned his neck to see them. Josie was kneeling beside Samuel, her palm open. His little face lit up, and her smile widened in response.
The sight made something twist in his chest.
“You gonna eat or just stare out the window all day?” Luke asked, and Cash jolted around to see a knowing look in his brother’s eyes.
He turned his attention to his plate, flustered at being caught. The others kept on eating, but he didn’t have much of an appetite anymore. His mind was still fixed on the two people outside—on her.
On whatever this feeling was that he wasn’t ready to name but couldn’t seem to shake.
“Oh, for goodness’ sake, quit sulking and just go do something about it,” Beau said, not even looking up from his biscuit.
Cash scowled. “I ain’t sulking.”
Hank snorted. “Could’ve fooled me.”
Luke leaned back in his chair, a smirk playing at his lips. “Me too.”
“There ain’t nothin’ left to say about any of it,” Cash grumbled, crossing his arms. “It’s her choice. She can stay or she can go.”
“Oh, so now you’re fine with her leaving?” Beau remarked sarcastically. “Who are you fooling?”
“Just admit you love her,” Luke laughed.
Cash’s entire body went stiff with indignation. “That ain’t what I—”
“Son.” Hank fixed a shrewd eye on him. “Stop lying to yourself.”
“You love her,” Luke reiterated.
“Is that so?” Cash asked irritably, looking between his brothers and Hank.
“Yeah, it is,” Luke said firmly. “And if you don’t tell her, you’re a doggone fool.”
Cash opened his mouth to argue, but nothing came out.
They were right.
I do love her.
Only then did he realized that he had loved her for a while now, even if he’d been too thickheaded to admit it. And the idea of watching her walk away without telling her made his chest ache in a way that was almost unbearable.
Hank lifted his chin sternly. “You better tell her, boy, before you regret it. If she don’t think there’s a reason to stay, then she ain’t gonna.”
Cash hesitated for a minute. He didn’t say anything in response. He wasn’t sure he had any words to say. But when Luke kicked him from under the table, he grumbled and stood up.
He’d never backed down from anything before, and he sure wasn’t going to back down now in the face of a tiny woman like that.
A tiny woman who meant the whole world to him.
It was almost funny. This might very well be the biggest fight of his life. Grayson Remington couldn’t hold a candle to Josie Montgomery.
***
He stood on the front porch, watching Josie from a distance. She was in the corral brushing Ruby. She had Samuel out on a blanket, by the tree in the middle of the yard, away from the corral and the fence so he wouldn’t get hurt.
Cash had been watching her all morning. He couldn’t do much else. His leg kept him from almost every chore.
Looking at her now, his gut was doing cartwheels.
Why am I so tore up over talkin’ to her?
She sure was beautiful. So beautiful. Breathtaking. And she looked calm and rested, despite everything that happened yesterday. He could hear a faint sound as she hummed to herself. He could barely hear it from the porch, but what he could hear was pleasant. Pretty.
Was she humming because she felt free? She certainly looked free. Her movements were slow and thoughtful, relaxed, as she continued to brush.
Samuel let out a giggle, and it made Cash’s heart jump. A small gust of wind sent the boy’s little curls flying, carrying his sweet laugh right along with it. Josie smiled, and immediately Cash caught a glimpse of everything he had—everything he wanted to keep.
Would she really leave?