Cash

by Vanessa Devereaux

  Chapter Ten

  New Year’s Eve. She thought she’d be with Cash and they’d be kissing and proposing. Instead she hadn’t been able to find him. He had literally vanished. Her parents had invited her over to their place to see in the New Year but she’d declined. She wasn’t much fun to be around, plus she felt more comfortable being close to a bathroom where she could throw up when she wanted to. She’d kept the pregnancy test stick as a souvenir to give to Cash if she ever found him. If she didn’t, well she was looking at the prospect of being a single mom. They’d been careful but every girl knew no birth control was one hundred percent foolproof.

  She was getting that feeling again and knew she was about to have another round of severe vomiting. She ran toward the bathroom and just got the lid of the toilet open quick enough for her to empty her stomach. She sat on the floor, heaved again. Why did they call it morning sickness when hers lasted twenty-four hours a day? She hadn’t been able to keep any food down for the last thirty six hours. She slumped back against the wall and this time the room spun and she felt like she was going to pass out.

  Maybe there was something wrong with her besides being pregnant. She’d call her mom and ask if she could take her to the ER just in case something was wrong and would hurt the baby if she didn’t get help. Yeah that would be fun on New Year’s Eve with all the drunks rolling in there.

  Her parents, no one knew about the baby yet. Would they be happy or disappointed? Would her dad think that bunny honey had foolishly gotten herself knocked up by a guy who’d left town and wasn’t ever coming back? Would she have to move in with them and have them help raise the child?

  The room spun faster. She had to get help before she passed out. Katy managed to crawl along the hallway into the bedroom and grabbed her cell phone. She pressed the numbers for her parents but barely seeing them as the room spun. She was on the verge of throwing up again.

  “Hello Nolan-Delaney residence.” It was her dad.

  “Daddy, could you come and take me to the ER I’m feeling…”

  ****

  Cash shivered. The place was a fucking freezer. He climbed into bed and pulled the covers up around his shoulders. He knew he was crazy running away from Grantsville, his uncle and the job he’d given him, but most of all the best thing that ever happened to him, Katy.

  However, his big mouthed son of a bitch father was right. He was a loser and a coward. He fucked up things, fucked up people’s lives and he didn’t want Katy being his next victim.

  Cash blew into his hands before rubbing them together. He’d stopped at the first motel he’d found after it had begun snowing. He’d intended to make it to Billings but hadn’t got that far. He was slowly running out of money and would probably need to find himself some work before he made his next move, whatever that would be.

  He closed his eyes and hoped he wouldn’t have another of his bad dreams. They’d been nightly visitors since the night he’d walked out of the Old Mill Tavern.

  He dozed off, falling quickly asleep and then the dream began. This time it wasn’t the bad one but one featuring his great, great, great, grandparents Gracie and Ryan.

  “What do you think you’re doing, Cash? You’re a disgrace to the family name,” said Ryan. He looked handsome in his hat and the sheriff’s badge sparkled on his chest.

  “You can talk…you killed a man,” said Cash.

  “And I’m not proud of it but I didn’t wallow around feeling sorry for myself.”

  “Cash, you’ve found a wonderful woman in Katy. Do you want to be like your grandpa here and play hard to get?”

  Gracie was more beautiful than he ever imagined her to be.

  “This family’s known its share of scandal and tragedy but things can be different. You can be a better father to your child than your pa was to you.”

  “I don’t have a child,” said Cash.

  “That’s where you’re wrong,” said Gracie. “You’re going to be a father.”

  Cash woke up, not screaming this time but wondering if it was an omen of things that were to come.

  ****

  “You have Hyperemesis Gravidarum,” said the doctor.

  Did that mean she was going to die?

  “Doc what’s that in English?” asked her father.

  “In layman’s terms it’s severe morning sickness. It’s the same condition that the Duchess of Cambridge has experienced with both her pregnancies,” said the doctor.

  “Well, wouldn’t you know, I always said my girl was a princess,” said her father.

  A pretty fancy name for feeling very shitty.

  “And what can you do for her?” asked her mother.

  “We’ll keep her in for a few days and give her some fluids and medication.”

  “Medication; is it okay for the baby?” asked Katy.

  “Both you and the baby will be just fine. Now I’ll be back tomorrow morning to check on you again, but in the meantime just rest and relax.”

  The doctor walked out of the room.

  “How long have you known about the baby?” asked her mom.

  “Two weeks,” said Katy, realizing she should have at least told her parents.

  “So Cash doesn’t know?” asked her mother.

  Katy shook her head.

  “Well, I’m thrilled as a grandpa to be can be. Two grandbabies next year,” said her dad.

  Her mother sat on the bed and took her hand. “Do you love Cash?”

  She did. She could tell herself that this was just another mistake in her long list of relationships that hadn’t worked out but she loved Cash. She’d never get over his leaving and this time around she’d have a baby to remind her of what they’d shared.

  “Yes, I love him.”

  “And do you think he loves you?”

  He’d never told her. But then she hadn’t told him either. Maybe if she had done, he wouldn’t have taken off like he had. Anything could have happened to him by now.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Oh honey, I think we need to find him and not just because of the baby,” said her mom. “I think he’s a sweet young man who needs the love of a good woman and her family.”

  “Your mother’s right,” said her dad.

  Someone tapped on the door and Katy saw Connor standing there.

  “Hey, Jennifer told me to come here because Katy was real sick and that Dad had to call the paramedics. You okay sis?” Connor walked over to her and kissed her on the head.

  “Your sister has Hyperemesis Gravidarum,” said her dad.

  Katy was glad someone had been paying attention because she wouldn’t have remembered or known how to pronounce it even if she’d been asked.

  Connor sat down. “Holy shit, how did you get that and is there a cure for it?”

  “Fluids and medication,” said Katy. “And you might as well know I’m pregnant.”

  “It’s the same morning sickness that the Princess Kate had,” added her dad.

  “Katy, that’s wonderful…I mean about the baby not about the hyper whatever. Our kids can grow up together. I know Jennifer’s going to be excited too,” said Connor.

  “But we have to find Cash,” said her dad. “First job as the sheriff will be to get a posse together and drag his ass back to town.”

  Katy burst out laughing seeing Connor’s face and clearly not knowing if their father was being serious or not.

  “This might be 2015 but the concept of shotgun weddings hasn’t gone out of style,” said her dad.

  “You do know he’s joking right?” asked Katy.

  “I wasn’t sure. Dad’s a bit old school when it comes to ways of the West,” said Connor.

  “Connor and I will find him,” said her dad.

  “But then what?” asked Katy. “If he doesn’t want to stick around, doesn’t want to be here I don’t want him doing it just because I’m having a baby.”

  ****

  Cash emptied the garbage into the main dumpster. He looked up at the sky and
sensed another round of snow was on its way.

  “Cash.” He looked around to see the janitorial supervisor standing in the doorway.

  Cash was getting used to the job but he knew he wasn’t as fast as the other guys. Hopefully he wasn’t going to fire him because right now Cash needed the money.

  “There’s a sheriff here who’d like to talk to you.”

  Shit, a sheriff. He hadn’t done anything wrong. His heartbeat picked up. What the hell would a lawman want with him and how had he found him?

  “I’ll be right there.”

  Cash carried the bin back inside, set it on the ground and walked through to the main area of the school where he almost sighed with relief when he saw Connor standing in his sheriff’s uniform with his hat in his hands.

  “Connor, what are you doing here?” asked Cash.

  “I’ve come to escort you back to Grantsville.”

  “This is my home. Well at least it is for now.”

  “I don’t think so. It took me a day and a half to drive here and I’m not going back empty handed so you either come on your own accord or I snap on the cuffs and you can ride in the back of the sheriff’s truck.”

  “What’s in Grantsville for me, Connor? You tell me that?”

  “My sister, for one thing. I guess you’ve figured out we’re pretty close and I promised her I wouldn’t go back without you. I’ve never broken my word to her and I don’t intend to start now. So, you want the handcuffs or not?” Connor pulled them off his belt and held them up.

  “I don’t think you have jurisdiction in this county.”

  “Where my sister’s concerned I have fucking jurisdiction wherever I like.”

  “Katy is better off without me.”

  Connor dangled the cuffs letting the metal clang together.

  “You’re going to have to taser me or whatever it is you do these days. This is for her own good because I ruin everyone’s life. I love her too much to do that to her.”

  “Geez, Cash you’re pushing me into a corner here. I was hoping she’d be able to tell you this but I guess in order for me to get your crazy ass in that truck I’m going to have to do it.”

  “Tell me what?”

  “You knocked up my sister, buddy. My dad’s thinking about getting a posse together but I said I’d handle it before he has to get rough with you.”

  Had Cash heard right? Was the dream with his grandma Gracie coming true? Was he going to be a dad?

  “I’m…”

  “Going to be a father, yes, so get in that truck before I kick your ass all the way to Grantsville.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Katy heard the truck pulling into her parents’ driveway. She recognized it enough to know it was Connor’s. He hadn’t called since he’d left and she wondered if he didn’t want her to know that one, he hadn’t found Cash; or two, he had but that Cash refused to come back.

  She made a silent wish and glanced out of the window. Tears welled in her eyes as she saw her brother heading to the front door with Cash beside him. She rushed to it and opened it. Swirls of snow hit her in the face and some landed on the mat inside the house. Cash looked tired. He’d grown a beard since he’d been gone but she’d never been so happy to see someone in all her life.

  “I am going to leave you two to talk and I’d like to get home to my wife,” said Connor.

  “Connor, thank you,” said Katy hugging him.

  “Anytime sis and give me a call tomorrow.”

  “I will.”

  Connor patted Cash on the back.

  “Thanks for driving me back here.”

  “Anytime but don’t make a habit of running off like that.”

  Connor winked at Katy and then headed back down the driveway.

  “Come in you look frozen,” said Katy.

  “Yeah, it’s cold out tonight. Are your parents home?”

  “No, they went to play cards with Betty and Branndon who got engaged at Christmas.”

  “Wow, good for them,” said Cash.

  “Here I’ll hang your jacket up for you.”

  Cash took off his coat and Katy shook the snow off before hanging it on the peg in the mudroom.

  “You want something to eat or drink?”

  “No, Connor and I stopped to get something about an hour ago.”

  “You want to sit?” asked Katy.

  “No, I want to hold you.”

  Cash pulled her in tight and she felt happy again.

  “By the way I know,” he said before he kissed her.

  “You know what?”

  “That we’ve having a baby.”

  She liked that he hadn’t said you’re having a baby.

  “Is that the only reason you came back?”

  Cash shook his head. “Your brother has a way of making people see reason and the truth.”

  Yeah, that was Connor.

  “I know a lot of shit has happened to me and that I blame myself but Connor’s convinced me that if I start looking for the silver lining, good things will happen and I think this baby’s going to be the start.”

  They kissed again. Cash ran his hands over her belly and pretty soon he was taking off her sweater, pulling down her pants and kissing her navel. “So he’s safe in here?” asked Cash.

  “It could be a her, or as the doctor thinks, possibly twins.”

  “Two babies; that would be great.” Cash kissed her again.

  “Your beard tickles me,” she said

  “You want me to go shave before we have sex?”

  “We’re going to have sex?”

  “You want to have sex?”

  “Yes, I very much want to do that and no don’t shave. I’ve never made love to a man with a beard before.”

  “Well in that case, let’s go to your room and I’ll tickle you all over.”

  ****

  Cash was glad that Connor had been so forceful with him. He’d missed Katy but had done his best to deny it, thinking her life without him would be better. Better for her but not for him. He pushed her legs apart and lapped at her opening, hearing her groan when he flicked his tongue into her pussy.

  He rubbed her belly, so looking forward to the time when it grew and he’d be able to feel the baby or babies moving around inside her. He was going to be a dad and he had to get his act together. He moved in between her thighs and pushed his cock inside her.

  She seemed tight and hot and he thought back to the time when he’d been so scared to make love to her, scared to tell her about his leg. Katy gripped his biceps as her pussy tightened around his dick. Shit, how he loved this woman.

  She cried out and it felt like her pussy wasn’t going to let him go. He thrust harder, bringing about his own release.

  The front door slammed shut. Her parents were back.

  “Geez, I feel like we’ve been caught red handed,” said Cash. “I guess I should do the decent thing.”

  He slid out of her, managed to ease himself off the bed and got down on his knee.

  “Katy Nolan-Delaney would you be my wife?”

  “You’re sure you can put up with me?”

  “Oh, I’m sure of that.”

  “Yes I would like to be Katy Doyle.”

  “Mrs. Cash Doyle,” he corrected her. He loved the sound of that. “And if the baby’s a girl you have anything against calling her Gracie?”

  “No, I like that name, but the second girl has to be Sarah.”

  “Sure.”

  “And then our first boy has to be Shaun.”

  “How many kids are we going to have?” asked Cash.

  “Three, is that okay with you?”

  “Fine with me. Good thing I accepted Connor’s job offer on the way home.”

  “You did?”

  “Katy, Cash, you in there?” asked her mother, tapping on the door.

  “It is and we have some really exciting news to share with you,” shouted Cash.

  The End

  www.vanessadevereaux.com

 
Other Books by Vanessa Devereaux:

  www.evernightpublishing.com/vanessa-devereaux

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