by Jennie Marts
Her chest tightened as she studied him. He was so dang good-looking. It almost hurt to look at him. A shock of black hair fell across his forehead, which would have given him a boyish look, if not for the shadow of dark whiskers across his chin.
His long lean legs splayed out in front of the chair, and she smiled at the small hole in the corner of his sock.
He must have felt her staring at him, because he stirred and his eyes fluttered open. A grin curved his lips. “Hey, darlin’.”
Chapter Four
Darlin’.
How did one simple word send shivers of heat racing down her back? Emma didn’t think anyone had ever called her darlin’ with such simple ease before.
The sound of that one word rolling off Cash’s tongue in his deep sleepy voice was enough to have her melting into the pillows beneath her. “Hey, yourself. You didn’t have to sleep there all night.”
“I think you need to quit telling me what I have and don’t have to do.” He gave her a wink. “I’m a big boy. I can make up my own mind, and I’ll do what I please.”
Lord have mercy. Thinking about him doing what he pleased to her had her skin heating, and she worried her blush would give away her thoughts.
His grin widened, but he didn’t say anything more. Instead, he stood, the afghan falling to the floor as he stretched his arms to the ceiling.
Cash was tall, well over six feet, and his forearms rippled with tight muscles as he stretched. His T-shirt lifted slightly with the movement, and a thin band of bare skin and firm abs showed at his waist.
Holy hotness. This man made her pulse race and her palms sweat. It had been so long since she’d felt attracted to anyone. Certainly not to Leroy.
Although she had loved him once. When they were in high school, and he was so kind to her. He’d been cute back then, funny and sweet, and treated her like she was special. As the years passed and life didn’t hand him the cards he felt he deserved, he’d turned hard and bitter, and all the traces of that sweet, funny guy disappeared.
As the abuse escalated, her tender feelings for him were replaced with fear and loathing. She dreaded the hour that he would walk in the door from work, never sure what mood to expect or how bad things would get that night. She did everything she could to appease him, to keep his temper even until he drank enough to pass out on the sofa, praying that he wouldn’t make it to their bedroom.
The thought of his hot, sweaty body pressing against her, the stench of body odor and stale beer coming off his skin, had bile rising in her throat. No, she hadn’t felt attraction to a man in a long time.
Cash sniffed the air. “Smells like Charlie’s got the coffee on. You want to come out, or should I bring you a cup?”
She couldn’t think of a time that Leroy had ever offered to bring her a cup of anything in bed. It felt nice. Nice to be a little pampered.
Although she had to quit comparing Cash to Leroy. The two men were nothing alike. And there was no reason to think Cash was interested in her in that way anyway.
Which was for the best. She didn’t need to be getting involved with someone new right now. She needed to find herself first. Before she found herself in the arms of another man.
Cash had introduced her yesterday as his friend. And that felt like a pretty good place to be. She needed to stop thinking about his muscled chest and the way his dark hair curled against the nape of his neck. Take his offer of friendship and be thankful for it.
“I’ll come out.”
He shrugged. “Suit yourself.” He turned toward the door and, despite her inner declarations only moments before of thinking of Cash as a friend, she couldn’t help but admire his butt as he ambled from the room, the denim covering it stretching with each move of his long legs.
A small bathroom was attached to the guest room, and she took a few minutes to freshen up. Thankful Charlie had helped her pack a few toiletries, she washed her face, brushed her teeth, and combed out her hair. She’d packed a few clothes and pulled on a fresh pair of jeans and a light blue cotton T-shirt. It was a small thing, but getting dressed felt as if she were donning her armor to face Charlie and Cash, the people who had invited her into their lives, instead of appearing for breakfast in only her nightgown.
Stepping out of the guest room, she was surprised to see the kitchen full of people.
Zack stood at the kitchen table, bent over the shoulders of a blond teenage girl, an array of schoolbooks spread out in front of her.
Charlie looked up from the stove where she was dishing up a plate of scrambled eggs to Cash. “Hey there, Emma. How’d you sleep?”
“Fine. I mean good. Thank you.” Heat burned her cheeks. She had no idea all of these people would be here. And they all had to know why she was there—because she was too afraid to stay by herself. “I’ll be out of your hair in a few minutes.”
“Nonsense. You haven’t even had breakfast.” Charlie pointed to the table. “Have a seat. I’ll bring you some eggs. This is Sophie, Zack’s daughter.”
She pulled out a chair and sat across from the teenager who looked up and smiled openly at her. “Hi, Emma. Sorry about all the books. I have a test this morning, and my dad’s been quizzing me.”
The girl’s smile was contagious, and Emma liked her immediately. She let out a breath and tried to relax the tension in her shoulders. “I hate tests. What subject?”
Sophie rolled her blue eyes. She wore purple rectangular-shaped glasses, and wispy bangs covered her forehead. “Me, too. Especially history tests. I love learning about all the stuff that happened in the past, but I hate memorizing all the random dates.”
Cash set a cup of coffee in front of Emma and handed her a plate full of eggs and crispy strips of bacon. Her mouth watered at the scent of the food, and she found herself hungry, really hungry, for the first time in a long time. “Thanks. This looks delicious.”
She picked up the fork and dug in, content to listen to the conversations and laughter of the other people in the room. It was obvious from the way they ribbed each other that Zack and Cash had been good friends for a long time, and Charlie and Sophie had an apparent affection for each other.
Charlie filled the cups around the table, leaning over Sophie’s shoulder and pressing a hand against Zack’s arm as she passed by.
Cash sprawled in a chair next to Sophie, nibbling on a piece of bacon. He pulled over one of the schoolbooks and quizzed her on the pages. The teenager fluctuated between serious studying and teasing laughter, cheering as she got the answers right and stealing a piece off the end of Cash’s bacon.
They were a family.
An odd assortment of people who were connected by the apparent love and affection they had for one another. Tears prickled at the back of Emma’s eyes. She wasn’t jealous exactly, but this was the kind of easy family atmosphere she’d always wished for.
And this was a new role that Emma hadn’t seen Cash in. He was comfortable with this girl, almost like a second father to her.
He caught her looking at them, and a proud grin crossed his face. “Sophie’s my goddaughter, and she’s been pestering me since she was old enough to talk.”
The teenager laughed and nudged his chair. “Oh stop it. You know you love me.”
He dipped his chin in agreement. “I do love you, kid. But I’ve got to get to work.” He passed the schoolbook to Emma. “Can you finish quizzing her? Just that last section—she’s got the rest.”
Emma took the book, still amazed at the fondness Cash had for this girl and the easy way he’d just told her he loved her.
It seemed there was more to Cash Walker than just a flirty bad boy. He was proving to be kind of sweet. Who knew?
He pushed back his chair, leaned over to kiss the top of Sophie’s head, then took his cup to the sink and thanked Charlie for breakfast. Before heading out the door, he lifted a black cowboy hat from the coatrack and set it on his head, then turned back to Emma. “I’ll be out in the barn most of the morning, if you want to come out an
d check on the new lambs. You know you’re in charge of naming them.”
“Me? Why?”
“It’s a Tucked Away tradition. If you take part in bringing them into this world, you get the honor of naming them.” He jerked a thumb at Charlie. “This one is the reason we have a half-grown cow in the barn named Rodney. Who names a cow Rodney?”
“You have to do it,” Sophie told her. “It’s a tradition.”
Emma laughed. “Okay. I guess I’ll do it then—since it’s a tradition. I’ll come out in a little bit and try to come up with some suitable lamb names.”
“Good.”
Zack pushed back from his chair as the door slammed behind Cash. “I’ve got to get going, too. Sophie, finish up that last set of questions, then I gotta get you to school.”
Emma quizzed Sophie on the last set of questions, trying not to watch as Zack cornered Charlie in the kitchen, wrapping his arms around her middle and bending his head to lay a kiss on her neck.
“You got them all right. You’re gonna ace this test,” Emma said as she closed the book and passed it to Sophie.
The teenager shoved it and the other books into her backpack. “Thanks Emma. I appreciate the help.”
She started as something furry brushed by her ankle. Looking down, her heart burst at the precious ball of gray fur that lay cuddled against her foot. “There’s a kitten on the floor.”
Sophie laughed, stepping around the table and picking up the little gray cat. “This is Percy. Isn’t he adorable? Doyle and Jane Austen are around here somewhere, too. Charlie named them. You can tell she’s a writer.” She cuddled the kitten then set it in Emma’s arms.
The little kitten climbed up her chest, sniffing at her chin, its tiny tongue scratchy as it licked her cheek. It was adorable—so cute it almost made her heart hurt. “It’s so sweet.”
Sophie laughed. “Yeah, kittens are the best. They make everything better.” She waved and headed for the front door, her last comment leaving Emma wondering if even Sophie knew about the trouble with her ex and his brothers.
Zack followed his daughter from the house, and Charlie set the coffeepot on the table as she sunk into the chair across from Emma. The other two kittens tumbled across the floor, and Charlie picked them up and snuggled them in her lap. “Kittens do make everything better.”
“They certainly help.” She laughed as the kitten playfully pawed at her neck.
“Listen, Emma. We don’t really know each other that well, and I wouldn’t presume to know what you’re going through, but I do know what it’s like to start over. When I came to Tucked Away earlier this summer, I was flat broke and felt like my life was hopeless. I’d been lied to, cheated on, and stolen from. I barely had a penny to my name and didn’t really feel like I had a friend in the world.”
She didn’t know what to say—or how to respond. Charlie Ryan seemed like she had it all together. She was a successful writer, had a great guy, lived on this beautiful farm, and was gorgeous, too. How could she possibly know what Emma was going through?
But something in Charlie’s voice, in her expression, told her that maybe she did know a little.
“I know what it’s like to feel alone and out of place. I was fortunate to have found Sophie and Cherry—well, they kind of found me. And finding Zack has changed my life, and my heart, forever.”
“They do seem pretty great.”
“They are. They all are. Even Cash.” She grinned. “They all reached out to me in friendship, and having them around has completely changed my life. Having even one friend can make a huge difference. I guess my point is that I would like to be your friend.”
Tears filled Emma’s eyes. It had been so long since anyone had wanted to be her friend. At first, she’d tried to hold on to the few friends she’d made in high school, but once they moved to Great Falls, it was harder, and Leroy discouraged her from spending time with anyone but him.
Then, after the abuse started, she was embarrassed to go out, ashamed and worried that someone would find out. It was easier to stay in, take care of their home, and read books about other women having adventures and romance.
She swallowed back the emotion filling her throat. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”
“I mean it. And I’d like you to stay here until your dad gets back.”
“Oh no, I couldn’t.”
“Yes, you can. I have an empty guest room just sitting there, and I cook enough to feed an army every night anyway. It would be fun to have you here. I mean it.”
“But I don’t even know how long my dad is going to be gone. It could be a week or more.”
“Then we’d better go get you some more clothes.” Charlie reached across the table and put her hand on top of Emma’s. “I’m still new here, too. And still figuring out this whole Montana life. I’m not as outgoing as Cherry or as affectionate as Sophie, but I could use another friend, too.”
Emotion swelled in her chest, and she squeezed Charlie’s hand. “I guess you’ve got yourself a houseguest then, and a new friend.” She smiled, and her next words came out as a whisper. “Thank you.”
“It’s settled then.” Charlie let go of her hand and picked up the kittens in her lap. “As my new friend, I will tell you a secret. You know how Sophie told you the names of these furballs are Doyle, Jane, and Percy?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I am a writer, and I love word play and symbolism, and those are names of famous writers, but each of them also has a double meaning. These kittens were born soon after I arrived in Montana, and I was tasked with naming them. I really wanted to do them justice, so I thought a lot about it and wanted names that would be good, but would also have special meaning to me and what was happening in my life at the time. You know how I told you that my life was a mess and I was starting over here?”
Emma nodded again, intrigued by the story and by being let in on a secret.
Charlie held up the white kitten. “This one I named Jane—for Jane Austen, obviously—but mainly because I love the book, Emma, and felt like I was totally ‘clueless’ when I got here.” She paused, obviously waiting to see if Emma got the connection.
She grinned. “I love that book, too. And I know that the movie Clueless was loosely based on the book. Very smart.”
Charlie smiled and held up the black kitten. “This one is named Doyle for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle because I love Sherlock Holmes and I felt like my life was a total mystery, and I had no idea what was about to happen.”
“I can certainly relate to that.” Emma cuddled the gray kitten to her chin. “How about this one? What’s the significance of Percy?”
Charlie grinned. “That one is named for Percy Shelley, the famous poet who was also married to Mary Shelley. She’s the one who wrote Frankenstein, which I thought was totally fitting because I felt like my life was this crazy monster made up of all these miscellaneous parts that I was just waiting to bring to life. And it has another meaning that I think you will appreciate.”
“I already love these meanings and totally understand the feelings behind them.”
“I figured that you would. I know they’re kind of silly, and not everyone would get them. That’s why the meanings behind their names have been my secret. But I wanted you to know. Especially about Percy, because that cat already thinks you’re special. He doesn’t usually let anyone cuddle him for long, but he’s totally comfortable with you.”
She looked down at the kitten who was now asleep in her arms. His whiskers twitched, and his body let off a soft purr of contentment.
“That kitten’s name is short for the one thing that I knew I would need to get me through the hard times and that I want you to remember, too. Percy is short for perseverance. Perseverance is the steady and continued action over a long period of time, despite difficulties or setbacks.”
Emma’s throat tightened over the sentiment, over the feeling that she struggled with every day. All she could do was nod at Charlie, afraid that if she spoke, she woul
d burst out crying.
The other woman gave her a smile of encouragement. “I know you can do this. Even when it feels hard and you feel like giving up, you can do this. You’re stronger than you think you are. And you can persevere.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, holding back the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. She took a deep breath. “Thank you. You’re right. I am strong. And I can do this.”
“That’s the spirit.” Charlie gave the kittens one last cuddle then set them on the floor. “And now I have to get to work. Lots of words to write.”
Emma took a sip of coffee, composing herself, then smiled at her new friend. “I’ve read your books, you know.”
“Oh, so you’re the one.”
Emma laughed. “Stop it. They’re really good. Isn’t there a new one coming out soon?”
“Yes, in a few weeks. As a matter of fact, I have to call my editor today to finish up some details with the release. I should probably do that now.” She gestured to the kitchen. “Make yourself at home. I’ll put together some sandwiches for lunch. Until then, I’ll be chained to my desk pouring forth a new novel.”
Emma cuddled the little gray kitten to her chest, unsure of how to accept all of these blessings. Her heart was full and her chest was tight with the overflowing emotions.
Yesterday she’d woken up alone and scared, terrified of what her future held. Today she woke up with a new job, new friends, and what felt like a new start. She was still scared, but she wasn’t alone anymore.
Chapter Five
The fall sunlight filtered into the barn as Cash stood at the workbench trying to replace a hinge on the gate that Tommy Lee had broken through the day before. That dang bull was too strong for his own good.
The fence post lay across the tidy workbench, and Cash was thankful to have a place to work again. Earlier that summer, the barn had been burned to the ground through an act of arson. Charlie had felt disheartened over losing the old barn, but had her faith restored when half the town showed up for an old-fashioned barn raising and had the new barn constructed in a few weeks. One of the great things about a small town.
