I can feel my whole face smiling. I can’t help it. I love this town and who knew there was a lazy dog group for Wally to join? Cash sighs heavily as we enter the store which smells like axle grease and old newspapers. This is a man’s man kind of hardware store. No organizational tubs in designer colors anywhere to be seen. Cash tugs me by the hand past the counter and over to an upright barrel on the other side.

  “You ready for this?” He’s frowning but his eyes are twinkling so he must see some humor in it.

  “Sure?” He hasn’t told me what we’re doing here yet.

  He lifts me by my waist and sets me down on top of the barrel.

  A man of indeterminate late middle age wearing striped and stained overalls peers at us over the top of his reading glasses. Then he fishes two things out from behind the counter. One is a dog treat that he offers to Wally who accepts it politely. The other is a plastic bowl like what you might take leftovers in to work with, filled with various metal hardware bits. The man holds this out to Cash with a grunt.

  “Thanks, Clem,” Cash says politely enough but I detect a slight eye roll. Cash sets the container down on the barrel next to my hip. Then he takes my left hand in his, eyes my ring finger, and pokes around in the dish with his index finger. He pulls out a metal nut and slides it over my finger. It goes to the first knuckle, but that’s it. Cash slides it off and sets it aside and fishes around in the contents some more. After two more tries, he gets one that goes all the way on. The metal is so thick it spreads my other fingers wide but apparently I’m not expected to wear it out of the store. Cash holds my hand up vertically to make sure it won’t slide off on its own and then gently removes it. He hands it to Clem. “That should do it.”

  Clem eyes the nut over his glasses with a thoughtful twist to his lips. “What’s that, you reckon’? An M16?”

  “I have no idea.” Cash is getting impatient but Clem isn’t going to go easy on him. I’m starting to suspect it might be on purpose.

  “Sure hope you know your way around women better than you do hardware.”

  I snicker because there’s no good answer here and I can see Cash relax slightly when he realizes it too. “Can we just get on with this?”

  “You in a hurry, son?”

  “Something like that.”

  Clem just eyes him long and hard before pulling out a dusty ring binder from behind the counter. “Your young lady’s name?” I snicker at being called a young lady. I suppose to Clem I might qualify… barely. “Sasha,” I offer up. Cash has gone back to glowering so I continue, “and he’s Cash.”

  “Knew that part.” I see a tiny smirk like he’s trying not to laugh.

  “And where are you going on your first date?” I blink because Cash hasn’t told me yet.

  “The beach,” Cash says on a long-suffering sigh. “Tonight.”

  Clem nods and writes it all down. “Great. We’ll get that up in a jiffy.”

  “Up?” I ask curiously. “Where?” I don’t see the infamous board behind the counter Cash had been telling me about and truthfully I’m a little disappointed.

  “The innernet,” Clem responds with a scowl. “Even the parents these days don’t believe anything that’s not on their damn phones.”

  “Do you put the other list there too?” Now I’m a little concerned. Airing rumors and speculation online instead of just inside a local hardware store is taking things a little too far.

  “What list?” Clem is looking at me perplexed.

  “The people that don’t officially register their first date,” I answer slowly wondering if I’d misheard something.

  Clem lets out a belly laugh that rings throughout the store. “That old horse chestnut? Didn’t know anyone still told that story. Never was any such thing —” he looks down at his notebook, “Sasha. Some of the troublemaker kids used to come in and put their own names on that pillar behind you. Mostly kids trying to get their parents’ attention. Not that it ever seemed to work. Every few months we’d paint over the column but they kept doing it. Until the damn innernet came along. Now they get into real trouble instead of just pretending to do it.”

  I look over at Cash. Sitting on the barrel I’m slightly taller than he is for the moment and it’s rather fun except he’s gone a little pale. “You mean it was never a real thing?” he asks hoarsely.

  “Nope. Those kids had enough problems in their life, didn’t need anyone here ganging up on them.”

  “But… I…”

  “Might not have been checking your sources?” Clem asks kindly after the silence stretches a little too long.

  “Yeah, maybe not.” Cash still looks a little dazed, but he turns to help me off the barrel and keeps one hand possessively around my waist as if he’s afraid I’ll disappear just like his long-held belief in the naughty list. “Aren’t you taking me to the beach?” I prod him gently hoping to bring him back to the present. He nods absently and I shrug in Clem’s direction. “Thanks, Clem.”

  Clem nods and slides the dish of nuts back under the counter. “Anytime, darling. His mom would much appreciate it if you would hold on to him.”

  My happy smile stretches even wider. I love small towns. And maybe Cash can be persuaded to take another look with adult eyes. I lead him and Wally out of the store.

  5

  Sasha

  Cash comes out of his confused funk long enough to open the trunk of the car and take out a blanket and a picnic basket. This looks promising.

  We amble down a side street then another. Wally amiably pads along next to Cash, his new best friend. We’re headed in the general direction of the bay but towards one end I think. Sure enough. When we round the next corner, there’s a small public park with a gently sloping beach that looks back towards town and the open ocean.

  “Sorry, Sunshine. Apparently I’ve got some re-assessing to do and a long talk to have with my dad. But nothing’s changed about my feelings for you. That part I’m sure about.” His tone is firm as he spreads the blanket on the sand and extends his hand to help me down. I sink as gracefully as I can manage onto the blanket and watch him expectantly. Wally heads down to the water and starts sniffing rocks in earnest.

  Cash obviously has a lot to mull over, but he’s going to have to keep me in the loop if he expects any kind of relationship. Not that he’s asking. Quickly and efficiently he unloads the basket. I suspect his mom had a hand in this. There’s a gorgeous pasta salad with crispy fresh vegetables and a tangy dressing. Along with miniature quiches and a fruit salad with all the good stuff, heavy on the blueberries and strawberries and no melon to be seen. He hands me a glass of white wine and I smile with delight. It’s a lovely picnic.

  “Left to your own devices, what would you have packed for a picnic?” I ask him with genuine curiosity.

  He blinks at me then grins. “Caught out, already? Uh. Probably big ham sandwiches and potato chips. Beer.”

  I nod. I can see that. That wouldn’t be bad but not nearly as romantic. I take out my phone and snap a picture of the ensemble in front of us. Something tells me I might need to remind him of what was included if he feels the need to recreate it in twenty years. My brain is telling me not to be silly — that there are too many obstacles for the two of us to ever have anything that long-lasting. But my gut says he’s the one. And to be patient. Very patient.

  Which is hard when Cash leans forward to brush the neckline of my dress back. My breath catches as his eyes zero in on their target. He gets that look, the one that says he’s not going to surrender. “I like seeing that on you, Sasha.” His finger traces the edge of my bra lingering over the mark he put on me yesterday. “I can’t wait to see all of you.”

  I take a quick visual survey of the area. There aren’t even any trees. “What? Here?” I squeak incredulously.

  He laughs. “No, every single citizen of this town owns binoculars. Nobody sees you bare but me, baby. That will be my reward for figuring out a plan. Thank fuck I still have a few days.”

  “Did you hear about the binoculars from the same person who told you about the hardware store?” I ask skeptically.

  “Naw. Based purely on the sales from the sporting goods shop I worked in during high school. Couldn’t keep the damn things on the shelf.”

  “Oh. There’s a sports shop in town? I missed that one.”

  He shakes his head. “Not anymore. Vince couldn’t find anyone to take it on when he retired, so it closed. He moved off the island to a place where he could fish from his back deck. Pretty much his idea of heaven. Place was razed and an off-islander built a coffee shop there.”

  “Oh! Embraceable Brew? I love that place.”

  “Isn’t coffee just coffee? I don’t see why it has to come with all that foamy shit and cost ten times as much. Coffee from the gas station works for me.”

  I stare at him in complete horror. “You… You, heathen!”

  His lips twist slightly. A strawberry appears in front of my lips and I dutifully open them but he holds on to the stem firmly. “I’m not a fancy man, Sunshine. But I want you to be happy. If foamy coffee and fancy picnics do that for you, I’m all in.”

  I eye him over the strawberry he’s still in possession of while I try to nibble it. Damn, he’s sweet in a gruff alpha way. “You know what would really make me happy right now?”

  “What?”

  “If when we’re done here we can go back to my place and you let me take charge for a bit.”

  Now Cash is the one looking on edge which delights me to my core. “What do you mean, in charge?”

  “I mean I want my own version of pinning you against the wall. Obviously I can’t lift you off the ground but I can do other things. Just no taking over from you.”

  “You really want that?”

  I nod enthusiastically.

  “Ten minutes,” he offers reluctantly.

  I pout. “Twenty.”

  “Twelve. My final offer or I’ll be balls deep in you before the night is out.”

  Oh. He’s trying to tell me he’s not sure he can hold out against my inexperienced seduction? That’s rather flattering. “Okay.” I lick my lips in anticipation and Cash pales.

  Cash

  I owe this to Sasha, I really do. But the thought of her touching me, exploring, or worse experimenting, and having to withstand the temptation to surge into her sweet body is making me break out in hives. What’s really making me sweat is she might tell me I don’t have to hold back. But I do, I already don’t deserve her. I’m not going to make it worse by claiming her before I can offer a clear vision of what a future with me looks like. I owe her that too.

  All those thoughts flee right out of my brain when we pull into her driveway and see the front door hanging wide open, just one of the hinges still intact.

  Sasha gasps and weirdly Wally whines from the back seat at the exact same moment. When Sasha moves her hand to the door I bark, “Stay here. Do not leave this car or I promise you, you won’t sit down for a week.”

  Now her gasp is one of outrage but it’s not enough to stop her from grabbing my arm when I start to get out. “That applies to you too, big guy. We should call the cops.”

  Does she have any idea what passes for a police force on this island? Last I heard the kid who ran the chess club in high school was the one and only on-island county deputy.

  “I’ve got a better idea. Why don’t you call into work, see if they’ve got someone they can send out while I take a look around.”

  “Work? And no, what if they’re still in there?”

  “Baby, there’s no vehicle. They’re long gone. And better yet, take the car and go over to the neighbors. I’ll come find you.”

  “I’m not leaving you here alone.” Her eyes are blazing and I swear her curls are actually lifting off her shoulders without any wind.

  “I won’t be a minute.” I make a fast dive for the door. No way am I going to sit around while someone else wanders in to protect my girl. I lean the broken door against the interior wall and then swiftly make my way room to room. It brings back some bad memories from overseas but I’m reasonably sure there’s nobody lurking around the corner, ready to take me out.

  The place has been tossed but not expertly. More like someone trying to make a mess rather than searching for anything in particular. Cushions are upended far away from their original location. Dishes have been thrown on the floor to break. Upstairs more of the same but nothing in the bathroom was touched. Odd.

  I hear voices just as I’m coming down the stairs. Sasha’s and a man’s, then Wally’s cheerful bark. He must know the man, then. I frown as I rush down the steps and out the door.

  “Sasha, what did I tell you?” I shout, ready to rush her back to the relative safety of the car. She waves a dismissive hand in my direction. “I’m fine. Alexei’s here.”

  She smiles up at the man I recognize from the pub. I can’t hold back the growl until I notice his lips twitch.

  “Anything worth talking about in there?” the older man asks me calmly.

  “Tossed the place, aiming for maximum mess as far as I can tell,” I respond grudgingly still not sure how he fits in the picture.

  Alexei nods. “A team will be over here in about an hour. There have been a few… incidents in the last week or so. This stands a good chance of being related. Sasha, why don’t you stay with us until this is sorted. The girls will be over the moon.”

  I can’t help pulling Sasha tight against my side. She half-laughs even though I can feel her body taut with tension. “Relax, Cash. Alexei and Mia are my neighbors.” I stand down two paces at that but only just. “I’ll be fine, Alexei. If they’re gone they’re unlikely to come back, right?”

  Now both Alexei and I are frowning at her so at least we’ve got that in common. And much as I don’t want her out of my sight the neighbors’ place will be safer than here.

  “Sound like you’ve got a choice to make, Sasha. Either you stay at your neighbors’ or I stay here with you. You aren’t sleeping in this house alone.”

  She doesn’t even hesitate before replying, “Okay.”

  “Okay to what?”

  “You can stay here.”

  Now Alexei’s the one looking concerned. “Sasha, you barely know this guy.”

  “That means you didn’t find any dirt when you ran your checks, doesn’t it?” Wait, she had me checked out? I’m rather proud of her for that.

  “Well no, but that doesn’t mean…” Alexei’s gaze flicks between the two of us.

  “I’ll be fine. Tell Mia to give me a call, okay?”

  He nods but doesn’t move to leave. Just then a Jeep full of hard-nosed ex-military pulls up. Without a word, they swarm past us and into the house. Sasha blinks hard and then starts to go in after them. I hold her back. “Let them check it out, then we can start cleaning up. You sure you don’t want to go back with Alexei?” It’s hard getting the words out, to send her out of my orbit, but I want her safe.

  “I’m sure. Besides, Wally is a trained police dog.”

  “He is?” I’m skeptical of that because all he’s done is eat, sniff, and smile from what I can see.

  “Okay, he washed out of the program for being too friendly. But that’s because they didn’t see him confronted by a mouse. Took that sucker right out.”

  Right. Wally killed a mouse, and that means he can protect her from bad guys. I try not to roll my eyes as I watch the dog in question sit and grin up at his person.

  6

  Sasha

  This is a lot more real-danger excitement than I ever anticipated with the war games. And I don’t have any reason to link the two events together except close proximity and the coincidence of timing. Cash has gone all ruggedly stern and once all the other military types have done their thing and departed, he frowns at me one more time. “I wish you’d see sense and go stay with a friend tonight.”

  “No. This is my home. And Wally’s.” I can practically hear his teeth grind at that but he doesn’t say anything just sighs and heads back inside. He won’t let me go into the kitchen.

  “Too much broken shit on the floor. Come on, let’s get you upstairs so we can make sure you have a safe place to sleep.”

  “But what about the door?” I eye the slab of wood hanging precariously at an angle.

  “Hardware store is long closed, baby. Once I’m done dragging the broken stuff out for tonight, I’ll barricade us inside. The kitchen door is fine so Wally can go out and do his thing once the floor is clear.”

  He herds me upstairs and my heart sinks when I see the mess. This could take days. But Cash is remarkably good in an emergency and simply sweeps up all the clothing and bedding on the floor into the guest room. “You can sort it out later. At the very least I’m guessing you’ll want to wash everything. Now, where are the sheets and blankets?” I point him to the linen cupboard in the hall which is strangely untouched. Then he leaves me to make the bed on my own. “I’m going to start sweeping out the kitchen. How about I order a pizza for a late snack?”

  “Um, that would be lovely but there’s no place on the island that delivers.” I’m surprised he didn’t know that already.

  “Sunshine, when it’s your parents making the pizza you can get delivery in an emergency.” His grin is boyish and full of cheek. I’ll bet his mom has a hard time resisting him, even when it’s not an emergency. “I… but they’ll see this place looking like a dump.” I wave my hands around generally.

  “Naw, they wouldn’t care about that, except to worry about you. But they’ll send one of my younger brothers, anyway. There’s two of them home from school.”

  “They’re that much younger than you?”

  He nods. “I don’t want to know why.”

  That makes me giggle. I guess nobody wants to think hard about the details of their parents’ sex life. Cash pulls me close and drops a kiss on the top of my head. “What do you like on your pizza?”

 

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