“What are you doing?” I cried, hating the high, wavering tone of my voice, just in time for him to turn around on the porch.
“Want to grab lunch?” he asked my beloved. “Or dinner? Go on a drive and get a big city coffee?”
To my horror, Cash casually reached inside for the perch by the door and scratched Athena’s feathers. I had never seen that damn finicky parrot look so pleased before!
Was he planning to take over my whole life?
“Jillian, what’s happening? Please don’t do this, please don’t do this,” I begged, falling on my knees before her.
Hot tears burned at the corners of my eyes.
“What does it look like?” Cash snorted. “Don’t you know about the birds and the bees, Frankie? You’re a big boy.”
“I’m not talking to you,” I said indignantly. “You sucker punched me.”
Cash looked remorseful, but his next words were hardly complimentary.
“Yeah, sorry. Me against you isn’t really a fair fight. Maybe with one hand tied behind my back.”
“Cash, I have lunch with Frankie’s parents,” Jillian put in. “But you could always come by for a cup of coffee later.”
“Jillian, please—sorry—so sorry—never again?—“
She put a hand up to stop me, and her soft face was firm.
“Frankie, enough. I’m all sticky, so I’m going to go take a shower. But don’t bother Cash. Do you understand?”
I could feel a bruise rising on my jaw, but I nodded my head eagerly. “Fine—fine. Just—can we talk later? Please? I just want a little time with you. Just a crumb of your time.”
But she totally ignored me, the door slamming behind her.
Fuck. What hope did I have to go on? Cash walked down the steps and headed back to town, whistling an offensively buoyant and happy little tune.
“I’m not giving up,” I warned Cash, trying to swallow my anger. “I’m going to convince her to give me another chance.”
He had been in my house.
He had beenwith my wife.
He shrugged big shoulders. “Whatever. Do your thing, man.”
Then he turned a little sideways, hands resting on the hips of his jeans. I wished he didn’t look so much like a cinematic cowboy.
“Good luck. We were a little—naughty last night. A little risky. You really think Jillian will give you another chance if she has to take a pregnancy test in a few weeks?”
I wasn’t a violent person, but at this words, a red fury seemed to bubble up behind my eyes and I charged at him.
CHAPTER 17
Jillian
Ihad barely gotten a foot inside my house when I heard a colossal collision behind me.
"What now?" I huffed to Athena.
She squawked disapprovingly. “RUM AND BOTHERATION!”
This was a fair assessment of the situation.
