by Dylann Crush
By the time Cash returned, her eyes had closed. The mattress dipped as he sat down on the bed next to her. His fingers slid through her hair, gentle, caressing, careful. She tried to reach up and push his hand away, but her muscles wouldn’t muster the energy to obey her brain.
She drifted off to sleep with the feel of Cash’s hands in her hair, the solid weight of him beside her.
* * *
“Hey, take it easy. You don’t want another concussion, do you?” Cash peered up at Jinx, who straddled a ladder above him, reaching for the top of the plywood Christmas tree.
“I can take care of myself,” she shouted down at him, waving a paintbrush dripping with bright-green paint.
He never doubted that for a second, especially since she’d hightailed it back to the bunkhouse after only spending one night at his place. But it hadn’t even been a week since she’d been in the hospital, for crying out loud. She ought to be taking it easy. A splash of paint landed at his feet, splattering onto his boots.
She smiled down at him. “Sorry.”
He grabbed the drill and moved to the other side of the stage. The scenery for the play was really coming together. Thanks to Jinx. Darby hadn’t realized what a hidden talent Jinx possessed. None of them had. The entire PTA raved about how she’d come in, made a plan, and began putting the whole thing together. In an effort to keep up with the doctor’s orders and make sure she didn’t overdo it, he’d decided to sneak over on his lunch hour several times a week to help out. With the play only a couple of weeks away, they ought to have it done in plenty of time.
Jinx scrambled down the ladder faster than he would have liked. The woman was nothing short of frustrating. It made him want to tear his hair out just trying to put the brakes on her. Charlie had her coordinating a ton of stuff at the Rose for the upcoming Jingle Bell Jamboree. His mom had pressed her into service helping to decorate some of the storefront windows downtown for the holidays. Hell, even his dad had commented on what a great job she was doing helping Kenzie with her reading.
He hated to admit it, but his life had become a whole lot easier once she fell into it, making him even more aware of how hard it was to manage fatherhood, his family, and a career as a single dad.
“When do you think you’ll have the scaffolding for the kids built?” She looked like a kid herself in a pair of Charlie’s old overalls. A smudge of green paint covered her cheek.
He leaned close, swiping his thumb over the paint. Not such a great idea. He’d gotten it off her cheek, but now it covered his thumb. Jinx held out the edge of her shirt.
“Just wipe it on this. My shirt is pretty much shot anyway.”
“If you insist.” He wiped his thumb on the edge of her shirt, adding green to the color palette she’d collected. “How late are you planning on staying?”
“I was going to walk home in time to meet Kenzie’s bus so we can work on her reading. Charlie needs me at the Rose by five. Will you be home by then?”
He nodded. To anyone else, this might have seemed like quite the domestic conversation. Trading work schedules and coordinating child care were the types of things parents did. He doubted Jinx realized how wedged into their daily lives she’d become. And in such a short time.
“I can give you a ride if you want. I’ve got to head that way anyway to serve some papers to someone.”
“Uh-oh. Something bad?” She raised a brow.
“Nah. I can tell you all about it on the way. What do you say?”
She tilted her head to the side like she was trying to get a read on him. “You sure you have to go that way? I don’t want to put you out.”
“How many times do I have to tell you you’re not putting me out? I do need to run into the mini-mart on the way though. You up for a stop?”
“Sure.”
“All right, let’s go.” He led the way out of the school to where his truck sat in the parking lot. He waited until Jinx buckled up, then pulled out onto the main road. “So, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”
“Oh?” She raised an eyebrow, always skeptical.
“Nothing bad. I have to spend most of next week up in Dallas for some training. I was going to ask Mom and Dad if they’d look after Kenzie, but Mom mentioned wanting to squeeze in a quick visit with her sister before the holidays. Aunt Doris lives up by Tulsa, and I don’t want Kenzie to miss that much school—”
“I’d be happy to.” She let out a breath, nodding in apparent relief. “She’s got an assessment next week anyway. You don’t want her to miss that.”
He reached for her hand, then thought better of it. “Thanks. I really appreciate it.”
“My pleasure. With everything you and your family have done for me lately, I don’t think hanging with Kenzie will even come close to evening the score.”
He wasn’t worried about keeping things even. There was still something about her that nagged at the back of his brain. But she’d done nothing in the past couple of weeks to earn his doubt.
She’d done exactly the opposite.
She showed up on time for her shifts at the Rose, went above and beyond helping out with the Christmas play scenery. Charlie had commissioned her to paint a mural on a wall of the Rose. And he and Jinx had even settled into some sort of warped, slightly flirtatious vibe. It would be fine with him if she decided to stick around for a while.
He already knew the answer to the question he wanted to ask but needed to hear her confirm it. “You talk to Dwight lately?”
“Yeah.” Her eyes sparked with excitement. “He ought to have everything fixed before Christmas.”
He’d been after Dwight for an update. That was pretty much what he’d been told too. Dwight said she came by a couple of times a week and paid him in cash. Probably her tip money from working the bar at the Rose. She still talked about trying to get to New Orleans in time for the holidays. Kenzie would be crushed. He hated to admit it to anyone, especially himself, but he was going to miss her too. More than he should.
He pulled into a spot in front of the convenience store. Jinx climbed out of the truck before he even had the keys out of the ignition. He took large strides toward the door so he could hold it open for her.
“Thanks, Deputy.” She brushed past him into the store and headed for the candy aisle. “I promised Kenzie a treat if she made it through her library book today. Does she like gummy bears or jelly beans better?”
“Either one. As long as it’s sugar.” He grabbed a couple of light bulbs from the shelf and placed them on the checkout counter.
Jinx stepped next to him. “Lightbulbs? That’s your emergency?”
“Yeah.” Cash paid for his purchase. “I noticed the light on the bunkhouse front porch was out. I don’t want you tripping and falling in the dark.”
“Oooh, lookie there.” Dwight came up behind them.
“What are you oohing over?” Cash turned to face him.
“Mistletoe.” Dwight pointed over their heads. A sad sprig of mistletoe dangled over the checkout.
Jinx glanced up. “Oh crap.”
“It’s bad luck not to kiss under the mistletoe. I’m game if you are.” Dwight puckered his lips.
“No. Absolutely not.” Jinx tossed a couple of dollars down on the counter. “Keep the change. I’m out of here.”
“Oh, come on. If you won’t kiss me, I dare you to lay one on Cash here,” Dwight teased.
“She’s not going to do it.” Cash tucked his change into his pocket. “Just drop it.”
“I bet she will,” Dwight said. “Hey, Jinx, give Cash a kiss, and I’ll take ten bucks off your repair job.”
She stopped at the door and slowly whirled around.
“I said drop it, Dwight.” Cash tucked the brown bag under his arm. “Let’s go, Jinx.”
“A hundred,” she countered.
“Wait, what
are you doing?” Cash glanced back and forth between Jinx and Dwight. Both of them were crazy.
“Now if I was getting the kiss…” Dwight pointed to his lips.
“No way.” She clamped her hand to her hip.
Dwight let out an exaggerated sigh. “Can’t blame me for trying. Fifty bucks, final offer.”
“Fine.” Jinx held out a hand.
Dwight reached out and shook it. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”
“What’s going on here?” Cash couldn’t tell for sure, but it seemed like he was about to lock lips with the woman he’d been trying to avoid thinking about locking lips with.
“You’re about to get a fifty-dollar kiss. Are you game?” Jinx asked.
“With a proposition like that, how could I refuse?” Cash tried to make his voice light. He wasn’t sure exactly how this had gone down, but he didn’t want to look like a complete jackass in front of Dwight.
“It will only hurt for a sec, cowboy.” Jinx reached up and pulled his head close to hers.
Their lips touched. Shock, warmth, and desire flooded his system. He dipped her low, deepening the kiss. Her body responded, pulling him closer. The fluorescent lights and the beep of the cash register faded into the background. He wasn’t aware of anything else but this woman, this kiss.
Too soon, the moment ended. Jinx pressed against him, trying to break away. He set her upright as Dwight let out a low whistle.
“Whoo-ey! That was some kiss. Hopefully, they caught it on the Kissmas Cam.”
“What are you talking about?” Jinx asked.
Dwight pointed above them. “The town does a Kissmas Cam every year. Captures shots of mistletoe kisses, then plays them on the big screen during the Jingle Bell Jamboree.”
Jinx turned on Dwight. “So everyone’s going to stand around and watch Cash and me kiss on some huge TV?”
“Yeah. Social media too. What’s the big deal?” Dwight shrugged. “It’s all in good fun. Best kiss gets free tickets to the annual chili cook-off in the spring.”
With a shake of her head, Jinx stomped away. So much for the spirit of the season.
Cash swatted Dwight on the shoulder. “Thanks, dumbass.”
“Hey, you got a hell of a kiss out of it,” Dwight called after him.
It had been a hell of a kiss. There was something between them. Even if neither of them wanted to acknowledge it, he couldn’t pretend anymore.
She was a wonder with his daughter, but it was more than that. Hers was the smile he wanted to see when he got home from work in the afternoons. Not that they engaged in deep conversations beyond the typical check-in, but having a woman in the house had its perks. He didn’t have to do everything with Kenzie on his own anymore. And there was still that crackle of tension and attraction that rubbed along his nerve endings when they brushed hands or ended up sitting next to each other on the couch. He wasn’t ready to shut all that down yet, no matter how irritating it was to not be one hundred percent in control.
Chapter Thirteen
Jinx tossed and turned all night long. She couldn’t help but replay that kiss in her head. Over and over and over again. She needed to establish some ground rules with Cash, and fast. Like no more touching. No more being nice. And definitely no more kissing.
The man did something to her insides. Made it impossible to think when he was around. She’d had the hots for guys before. But things always went down on her terms. This was different. Usually, the more time she spent around a guy, the less time she wanted to be with him.
Like Wade.
Hooking up with him had seemed like a good idea at the time. He’d needed a bartender, and she had needed a place to live. At first, he was generous, letting her move in and giving her an advance. But the more she’d gotten to know him, the more she’d realized she was in over her head, and not in a good way. The man had a mean streak and a violent side, and she’d gotten out before she’d had to deal too much with either.
With Cash, the more she got to know him, the more she wanted to stay. The more she wanted to stay, the more she thought she ought to put as much distance as she could between herself and Holiday, Texas. Guys like Cash didn’t pick girls like her for more than a one-night stand or a few weeks of fun. He walked the line while she ran in circles. He kept the peace while she created chaos wherever she went.
The sooner she could get out of Holiday, the sooner she’d be able to rid herself of the uncomfortable feelings he stirred up inside.
As the dark of night gave way to the misty gray morning light, she finally stopped trying to force herself back to sleep. It was no use. She flung the covers off and decided to walk to Dwight’s. It had been a few days since she’d checked her numbers against his. Knowing how much longer she had to spend in Holiday would definitely improve her mood. She left the bunkhouse and began the long trek into town.
Dwight wasn’t in the office when she peeked in. A loud banging noise came from the garage. She rounded the corner and entered the bay as he wheeled himself out from underneath a gigantic old four-door sedan.
“You okay? I heard that noise.”
“Just a muffler falling off.” He got to his feet. “Damn tailpipe rusted out. I barely touched it.”
She pulled her jacket tighter around her. “So…um…about my bike.”
Dwight snagged a rag out of his coveralls pocket, wiping his permanently stained hands on the dirty piece of flannel. “Told you last week—I’m still waiting on that final part to come in from San Bernardino. Once I get it, I’ll need a few days.”
“And then?”
“Then you’ll be free to ride off into the sunset.”
As if. She didn’t bother to remind him she’d be heading southeast. Catching a sunrise would be more likely.
“Did they give you a delivery estimate?”
“Yeah. Said it would be here about two weeks after they received payment in full.” He leveled his gaze at her.
“How much do I still owe?”
He pulled a tiny notebook out of his pocket. His fingers twitched like he was counting in his head. Murmuring to himself, he looked skyward. Finally, after enough time passed that he should have been able to do whatever complicated calculation he needed to in his head at least five times, he scribbled something in the notebook.
“Five hundred after you won that fifty-buck bet.”
She nodded. Unfortunately, that matched her estimate as well. If only she could pay the guy off in money-laundered gift cards. She drew the line there though. She wanted to tell Cash about them, and had started to on multiple occasions, but always stopped herself. Instead, she’d slipped a couple into the Salvation Army kettle in front of the mini-mart and dropped a few into a toy collection bin. But she refused to use them for herself.
She just needed to amp up her game at the bar and try to appeal to some big tippers.
“I’m working on it. Here’s another hundred.” She handed over what she had left of her last couple of nights’ worth of tips.
Dwight pocketed it, made a note in the notebook, and flipped the cover shut. “Heard some folks around town sayin’ you’re doing some sign making?”
Her eyes cut to the dust-covered office windows. Probably hadn’t seen the business side of a squeegee in years. “Yeah. I’ve done the windows down at the diner for the holidays and am making some decorations for the Jingle Bell Jamboree.”
“Huh.” He flipped the ever-present toothpick from side to side between his lips. “Think you might wanna paint me up some candy canes or something in the front window? I can knock some money off what you still owe on the bike.”
“Sure. I’d be up for that. How about I stop by on Sunday? I don’t have to work that day.”
He thrust his hand toward her. “You got yourself a deal. Come around three. When you’re done, I’ll treat you to some barbecue across the street.”
The scent of oil, gasoline, and desperation rose off him in waves. She’d decided a while ago that Dwight was relatively harmless. Rolling her eyes, she shook her head. “Nice try, Romeo. I’ll stop by on Sunday. But I’ll be doing dinner on my own.”
“You eatin’ Sunday dinner at the Walkers?”
“What do you know about that?”
He shrugged. “Folks talk.”
“And what do folks say when they talk, huh?” She took a menacing half step toward him. Her five-foot-four frame shouldn’t strike fear in the heart of a guy who probably outweighed her by at least double. But he stepped back.
“Just that they’ve been seein’ you and Cash together. A lot. And that kiss yesterday… Ain’t none of my business—”
“That’s right. It ain’t.” Sheesh, she needed to get out of here if she was going to start talking like Dwight. “I mean, it isn’t.”
He must have realized she wasn’t going to physically attack. His shoulders relaxed, and he looped his thumbs into his pockets. “I know you ain’t from around here, so you probably don’t know about Cash and Lori Lynne Evans. Damn shame about her. And Cash gettin’ left to raise that little girl all on his own.”
Jinx narrowed her eyes into slits. She didn’t usually get sucked into gossip. But she did want to learn more about Cash. Didn’t she? No, not like this. If Cash wanted to tell her something about his past, he would.
“I’ve got to go. See you on Sunday.” Before Dwight could suck her in with another tantalizing tidbit, she made a beeline for the door.
She’d wondered what had happened between Cash and Kenzie’s mom. Charlie had started talking about it once at the bar, but then Statler had shown up to go over some numbers. As someone who appreciated keeping her own skeletons in the closet, she didn’t need to go looking for Cash’s.
Glad that was settled. She tucked her chin against her chest and walked into the wind. Whoever this Lori Lynne was, something bad must have happened. Poor Kenzie. Jinx’s heart squeezed. She knew what it was like to grow up without a parent. To lose someone she loved.