Always & Forever: A Sweet Romantic Comedy (ABCs of Love Collection, Books 1 - 4)

by Brenna Jacobs

  But could she see herself with him?

  Cash’s stomach dipped, even though he hadn’t hit any bumps.

  Could he see himself with her?

  It was a lot easier picture to paint than he would have thought. Even with her pink hat in that portrait.

  Chapter Twelve

  Madi had a lot of time to think about what Lyla had told her as they followed the well-worn trail from the ranch house to the hills behind it. Once Brownie had her spot at the head of the line right behind Cowboy Owen, she had no interest in running off. Madi could sit back and relax, taking in the scenery while mulling over what she’d learned about Cash.

  He was a virgin? Not that there was anything wrong with that. In fact, it shouldn’t have been as much of a surprise as it was. Lots of people were, she supposed. Just not very many that she knew. At least not anyone over the age of twenty-five.

  Madi would have asked Lyla all the questions swirling around in her head, but Lyla had to bring up the rear of the pack. So Madi had to come to some conclusions on her own.

  The news was both good and bad. Good, because Cash hadn’t really rejected her. He didn’t want to go to bed with her or anyone else. At least not yet.

  The bad news was she felt even worse for coming on so strong. She’d given him the worst impression possible about herself. Madi had never slept with anyone on the first date, let alone on the first stuck-in-the-middle-of-nowhere-hang-out. In fact, when she was young, she’d also planned on waiting until she got married. Her granddad had always told her to wait for the person who loved her enough to wait for her too.

  Then college had happened, along with her granddad’s Parkinson’s. She’d met her first really serious boyfriend who turned out to be the first of many regrets during those years when Granddad slowly slipped away from her.

  Madi didn’t buy into that whole “damaged goods” idea she’d heard some of her more religious friends talk about, but she did wonder how things would be different if she’d stuck to what her granddad had taught her. Maybe if he hadn’t gotten sick, she could have gone to him for advice like she’d always done. Or maybe if her dad had ever been around, she could have talked to him too. Her mom had had a steady stream of boyfriends for as long as Madi could remember, so she wasn’t the best person to turn to when it came to long-term relationship advice.

  Years of therapy had helped Madi realize her capacity to love people was her greatest strength, but also her greatest weakness. She had a bad habit of giving too much of herself in her effort to feel loved. At least, that’s what her therapist said. And Madi might finally be ready to agree with her. The way she’d acted with Cash was pretty damning evidence.

  The problem was now she liked Cash even more. A lot of her friends would have seen him as some kind of conquest to go after, but Madi admired him for sticking to something he believed in. That’s the kind of man her granddad had been, and she’d loved her granddad more than anyone.

  Then the similarities between Cash and her granddad hit her right between the eyes, even though she’d been staring at them since the moment she’d met Cash.

  “Whoa,” Madi said aloud, and Brownie stopped.

  “Not you, girl.” Madi patted Brownie’s neck then tapped her with her heels to get her moving again.

  Of course she’d felt a connection with Cash the first time she’d met him. He and Granddad were made of the same stuff. Cash was the kind of guy she’d always been looking for, even if she hadn’t realized it. Maybe they’d only known each other for, what?... Thirty-six hours? But a lot of those hours had been spent together, and they’d been really good hours.

  Up until the last few. But now that she knew why Cash had acted the way he had, she wasn’t mad. In fact, she couldn’t quit thinking about him.

  He occupied all of her thoughts until they got to the top of the hill where Owen had them stop in a clearing that overlooked the whole valley. Madi had never seen so much open space. The only thing for miles and miles was the ranch house and the outbuildings that surrounded it. But the open space didn’t make her anxious like it had before. The beauty of the winding river, green pastures and distant mountains took her breath away.

  Possibility is what she saw. Possibility for happiness with a man she never would have expected to be the one to provide it. She couldn’t be sure about that, but she knew she’d never Be Present in another relationship as long as Cash was only a “what if.” Madi had to see where this connection took them.

  She reached into her back pocket for her phone, hoping she could get enough reception to post a picture of her new favorite place. It wasn’t until she had the phone in front of her face that she remembered what had happened. Madi groaned just in time for Lyla to hear as she reined in her horse next to Madi’s.

  “You want me to take a picture?” she asked and pulled out her own phone. “I can send it to you later.”

  “Yeah, would you?” For a second Madi considered logging into her Insta on Lyla’s phone, but as much as she liked Lyla, she didn’t trust anyone or their phone with her passwords. Madi couldn’t take a chance that she’d mess up and leave her account open on Lyla’s phone, giving Lyla full access to her livelihood.

  She would let her take some photos for her though. Together they found the perfect spot, and Madi posed while Lyla took a million shots without even being asked. Lyla might live a hundred miles from anything, but she knew what she was doing with the camera. When she was done, she handed Madi the phone to scroll through the shots.

  “These are really good! I should hire you.”

  “Ah, thanks. If I ever get tired of Montana, I might give you a call,” Lyla said as she took the phone back from Madi. “And don’t worry, I won’t post any of them. Pick the ones you want, and I’ll delete the rest.”

  “Thanks. You’re more professional than some of the pros I’ve hired.” Madi knew she liked Lyla the first time she’d met her, but now she knew why. She and Cash were both good people—the kind you can rely on. Madi needed more people like them in her life.

  “You wouldn’t ever get tired of Montana, would you?” she asked Lyla while scanning the horizon. “I can’t imagine you or Cash ever living anywhere else.”

  “Yeah, I don’t think so.” She stood in her stirrups and pulled a leaf the size of Madi’s head off the branch above her. “Cash left for a while, but he hated it.”

  “Really? Where’d he go?” Madi decided to try what Lyla had done and stood in her stirrups for half a second. It felt good to stretch, so she tried it again, reaching for her own leaf until Brownie shifted her weight. Madi sat down quick without the leaf, afraid Brownie might take off like she had before.

  “LA. He met a girl from there and went chasing after her. Got his heart broken, and Dad sold the ranch out from under him while he was gone.” Lyla handed Madi her leaf then plucked another one from the branch. “If he seems a little gun shy, that’s why.”

  “That makes sense.” Madi turned her gaze to the mountains in the distance. Of course it made sense that Cash would want to avoid getting involved with another LA girl, especially one who’d practically thrown herself at him before he’d even had the chance to chase her. She could totally understand it. She also understood she didn’t have much of a chance with him. There were too many strikes against her.

  But Madi also wasn’t one to back away from something she wanted. She’d built a brand into a successful business through hard work, determination, and a thick skin. She’d faced a lot of obstacles in her life, and she’d overcome them all.

  Or most of them, anyway.

  If something was important enough to her, she’d fight hard to get it. Making sure she never had to live with regrets when it came to exploring her connection with Cash was reason enough for her to fight the fight she knew she had ahead of her. She was going to trust her instincts on that one.

  “You ready to go?” Lyla asked, turning her horse back toward the trail.

  “Yeah, I think so.” Madi nudged Browni
e forward using the gentle heel kick and tap of the reins Cash had taught her. Brownie responded, and as they moved toward the head of the line of riders, Madi felt the rhythm between herself and the horse. They moved in harmony, as though Brownie knew Madi had trouble using her own legs without tripping and the horse had decided to take over for her.

  Sitting atop the horse, Madi couldn’t help but think about Cash. She didn’t know everything that had happened between him and his LA girl, but when Brownie responded to her gentle commands, Madi understood why Cash had come back. Life looked better from the back of a horse.

  Despite being exhausted when she got back from the ride and having an afternoon full of other activities, Madi couldn’t sleep that night. She knew she had to reignite the sparks between her and Cash, but she didn’t know how.

  Fortunately, when she saw him the next morning, he seemed to have the same idea. She’d just cinched the harness under Brownie’s belly to get her ready for the cattle drive when she heard Cash behind her.

  “You need help with that?” he asked.

  She hadn’t expected to see him. The softness in his voice fell over her, blanketing her with warmth.

  “Maybe.” She moved aside to let him stand by her. She hoped if he noticed the goosebumps that his nearness raised, he would blame it on the chilly morning. “Owen showed me how to do it yesterday, but I don’t know if I’ve got it right.”

  Cash pulled on the strap and leaned into Brownie’s belly. “Come on, girl,” he said to the horse. “Let your breath out.”

  Brownie shifted her weight and her belly deflated a few inches. Cash pulled the strap tighter and buckled it. “There we go,” he said to Madi. “You did good, but sometimes Brownie likes to hold her breath while she’s getting saddled. She thinks it’s funny when her rider starts slipping to the side because the saddle’s not tight.”

  “Really? She’s that smart?” Madi nuzzled Brownie’s mane the way she’d seen Cash do. “No wonder I like her. A good sense of humor is important.”

  “Yeah, I like that about her too.” Cash rubbed Brownie’s neck affectionately. “You want me to help you up?”

  Madi hadn’t needed any help yesterday. She’d mastered mounting and dismounting pretty quickly, but she didn’t hesitate to say, “Sure.”

  Cash helped her place her foot in the left stirrup then put his hands around her waist—they went almost all the way around—and boosted her into the saddle.

  “Thanks.” She settled into the saddle as he adjusted her right foot in the stirrup.

  “These feel alright?”

  She shouldn’t have been able to feel his hand around her ankle all the way through her boot, but she could. And she liked it.

  “Are they long enough?” he asked, and she stood up to show that her butt was barely above the saddle like Lyla had shown her. It wouldn’t hurt to remind him that it was one of her nicer attributes, either. “I think you’re ready.”

  She felt a tickle of satisfaction that his words suddenly sounded a tiny bit strangled. “Thanks, again.” She breathed in, hoping to carry his scent of leather and soap with her for the rest of the day. He wasn’t scheduled to go on the drive with them, as far as she knew. “Maybe I’ll see you tonight at dinner. Or supper, I mean. Once we get back.” She swallowed hard, bracing herself for rejection.

  “I’m going on the drive today.” He lifted his hat—a John Deere baseball cap today—and smoothed his hair back before putting the hat on again. “I traded with Owen. I was hoping you wouldn’t mind me showing you what to do.” A hint of pink spread across his cheeks, making his eyes look even bluer before he bent down to scratch Scout behind the ears.

  “I’d love that.” Madi could feel her own cheeks flushing, and she couldn’t hold back her smile. She had the answer to her question the minute Cash grinned back, his mouth stretching to one side: she’d fight hard to see that smile and those eyes every day for the rest of her life.

  Or at least for the next two weeks.

  She’d see how things went after that. She wasn’t going to be throwing herself at anyone ever again, but she’d definitely return any love she got.

  “I’m gonna saddle up. Then I’ll be back.” He tipped his chin.

  “Good.” She watched him leave with Scout bounding at his heels and laughed when he glanced over his shoulder and caught her staring.

  She looked around to see if the other riders had noticed the interaction between her and Cash, feeling suddenly self-conscious about it. Luckily, everyone else was too busy prepping their own rides to have seen the two of them. Everyone but Lyla. She caught Madi’s eye and lifted her eyebrows, grinning wider than her brother had a few minutes before.

  Madi was liking Montana more and more every day.

  She liked it even better about an hour later when Brownie suddenly started walking off balance just as they reached the pasture where the cattle were grazing.

  “I think something’s wrong with Brownie,” she called to Cash a few feet away.

  He turned his horse and came back to investigate with Lyla in tow. After sliding off his horse, Cash handed his reins to Lyla before walking around Brownie, lifting her feet until he found the problem. “That’s what I was afraid of. She’s thrown a shoe.” He came around Brownie’s left side and put a hand on Madi’s back. “Let me help you down. She can’t be ridden now.”

  Madi swung her leg around and slid off, enjoying the feel of Cash’s hands around her waist again. “Will she be okay?”

  “Yeah.” Cash walked to his horse and pulled some tools out of his saddle bag. “You’ll probably have to ride with me though.” He didn’t look at her as he said it, but she thought she saw a smile. He kept his head down while he lifted Brownie’s back leg and rested her foot on his thigh. “Lyla, give Madi the reins and catch up with the others. You’re gonna have to take over. I’ll have to take Brownie back.”

  Lyla handed Madi the reins. “Have fun,” she said with a big smile before riding off. Madi had no idea what that was supposed to mean, and she would have been worried if anyone besides Lyla had said it.

  “Go, Scout.” Cash pointed Scout in the direction that Lyla had gone in. The dog cocked his head and questioned his owner. “Get outta here. Go help Lyla.”

  This time Scout listened, leaving Madi and Cash by themselves with the horses. Madi watched as Cash used the tool he’d retrieved to pull the nails out of Brownie’s hoof. It was a strange thing watching a man “work.” Every guy she’d ever dated had a job that didn’t require any physical labor. Musician, IT guy, band manager, actor—a lot of those—yoga instructor… the list was long. But Cash had to use brain and brawn. She liked that. She liked watching him work up a sweat.

  Cash dropped Brownie’s hoof and went around to her head. “You happy now?” He rubbed her nose and looked her in the eyes. “You got both of us out of work for the day.”

  “So, are we walking back?” Madi asked, clutching the reins tighter as Cash’s horse—Dusty, if she’d heard him right—threw back his head. She had no idea how far they’d ridden, but it’d taken them at least half an hour to get where they were.

  Cash laughed. “You’ve never heard the rule about a man on the range?”

  Madi shook her head.

  “A man on foot is no man at all.” He took the reins from her and slung them over Dusty’s neck with one hand as he held Brownie’s reins with the other. “Climb up,” he told her as he held the horses. “You’re riding with me.”

  Madi didn’t hesitate. She stuck her foot in the stirrup and swung her leg over, smiling the whole time before taking the reins from Cash. She held his horse steady while he unhooked his rope and fashioned a halter out of it to wrap around Brownie’s neck before tying the other end around his saddle. Then he boosted himself onto his horse, sitting just behind Madi.

  “Do you mind?” he asked as he wrapped one arm around her waist and took the reins from her with his empty hand. “Don’t want you falling off.”

  No, she didn�
�t mind his warm front pressed the full length of her back, the soft rhythm of his heart beating against her.

  Not one bit.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “I’m sorry I was rude the other night,” Cash said before they’d gone very far. Her hair smelled like strawberries and reminded him of summer days when he’d come in from the range to find his mom making jam. “It was uncalled for.”

  “I came on pretty strong,” she answered. “I’m not usually like that. I don’t want you to think I’m the kind of girl who… does stuff like that.” Her hand brushed his and he tightened his hold on her.

  “I didn’t think that. I’m the one at fault.” If he hadn’t been worried about Brownie hurting her hoof, he would have taken the long way home. He was tempted to do it anyway, but at least he had a good excuse for riding slow. The slower the better for Brownie, and the longer he got to hold Madi. “I was feeling a little… exposed, I guess.”

  Madi waited to answer and leaned into him as she did. “I like a man who’s willing to be vulnerable.”

  For the first time in his life, Cash could see the benefits in being vulnerable. He breathed in the smell of her hair again and felt more at home than he had in a long time.

  “I could get used to this,” Madi said as the flowers opened their petals to the mid-morning sun. Cash wasn’t sure if she meant being in Montana, riding horses, or having his arm around her or what, but he hoped it was the being in his arms part.

  “It’s so beautiful,” she added.

  So not the being in his arms part. “It is beautiful,” he agreed. Except he wasn’t talking about the scenery. His eyes were on the space at the back of her neck where her braid fell across her shoulder. It took all the willpower he had not to kiss that spot. As it was, the only other thing he could think about was the night he’d kissed her under the stars. He didn’t know how he’d turned down the opportunity to spend the rest of the night kissing her, and he didn’t regret it, but he doubted he’d be able to pass up the opportunity if given a second chance.