“I sure can, Cash,” Jacob said. “Donna, you canassistby driving the ladies back to town in the van.”
“What about Tracy?” Donna’s voice had a jealous ring to it.
Cash looked across the table, not at Donna, but at Gerald and said with finality, “I’ll drive Tracy home when she’s ready.”
Tracy wasn’t sure if the explosion came from the fireworks, Cash, or Gerald. Since the early evening sky lit up, she guessed it was Cash’s fireworks as Jacob snapped photos. In order to face the fireworks, Cash got up and strategically changed positions on the bench seat of the picnic table, placing his back to Gerald. She and Coopfollowed Cash’s lead. Cash placed his arm on the table and flattened his hand against her long hair.
With the bursting of the fireworks, Cash’s hand moved up her back to her shoulder, and he tugged her closer to ask, “Are you gonna lose your job because of me?”
Next to his ear, Tracy said just loudly enough for him to hear, “If I do, I have a couple of side hustles I can pursue.”
Cash leaned back, grinned at her, and asked, “Like what?”
“Besides chasing chickens and baking brownies?”
“Yeah, besides that.”
“I love massages and I’ve learned how to give a delightful one.” Without skipping a beat, she followed up with, “And I have a children’s book series I’d like to finish and see published.”
“Is that right?”
“It is.”
With a grin as hot as a firecracker, Cash said, “Will you give me adelightfulmassage?” Before Tracy could answer, a big boom sounded, and the little girl named Abilene stumbled into Cash. “Hi, sweetheart,” Cash said, immediately scooping her up and settling her on his lap.
“Uncle Cash,” Abilene said and smiled at him.
“Abilene,” her twin brother, Austin, called. “You let go of my hand.”
Cash saw Derek striding toward them and waved at him. “We got ’em, Derek.”
Derek waved back and headed in the opposite direction to Chloe and Cooper, a few picnic tables away. Coop tugged grandson, Austin, onto his lap and they looked to the sky. Tracy smiled, thinking how blessed this family was to live in such proximity, enabling them to physically share the love they had for each other. Yet, with their ranches a few miles apart, they also had privacy and led their separate lives. Tracy sighed with deep longing and felt a tug on her hair. When she glanced back at Cash, Abilene held a lock of Tracy’s hair in her little hand.
“Hi, Abilene,” Tracy said with a smile. When Abilene smiled at her, Tracy instinctively held out her hands. With a brief glance up at her Uncle Cash, who nodded, Abilene wiggled into Tracy’s arms. Tracy hugged the little girl to her heart and reminded her, “My name is Tracy.”
“Tracy,” Abilene echoed and picked up a lock of her hair again.
“You have beautiful hair, Abilene,” Tracy said.
Abilene touched her dark-blond hair. She nodded at Tracy and a smile lit up her darling face. Abilene leaned against Tracy’s chest and Cash’s hand flattened to Tracy’s back, this time underneath her hair. The fireworks display soon ended in a fantastic finale of red, white, and blue bursting across the night sky. Even amid these sensational sights and sounds, Tracy could not remember ever experiencing such serenity in her soul.
“You have beautiful hair too,” Cash whispered to Tracy before standing up. Abilene reached for him, and Cash tucked her into his left arm. He held out his right hand to Tracy and tugged her off the bench. “Coop, you and Austin coming with us?”
“Yup,” Coop replied, standing Austin to the ground and taking his hand. “I’m riding home with Chase and family.”
At the mention of a ride, Tracy remembered Gerald. She looked over her shoulder for the first time since the fireworks began. He was gone. Cash shrugged. When they turned the children over to the Brevards, Tracy felt a pang as Abilene and Austin waved goodbye to her. Next they bid farewell to Chase, Jade, and their kids. Coop hugged Tracy before leaving with them.
“We can go get Dude in the morning, but you’re staying with me tonight, right?” Cash asked her and with a crooked grin, added, “Or as long as you want.”
Tracy’s heart pounded and she told the irresistible rancher, “If you have room.”
Cash chuckled. “I think I do. I’m heading out front to help Beau and Ed,” he told her. “If your bag is in theMustang, I can get it for you while I’m there and give the car keys to Jacob.”
“The keys are in my purse in the café,” Tracy said. They met up with Kellie, Cristen, and Teresa hard at work and Tracy gave Cash the keys. As there was much to do after such a big party, Tracy offered to stay and help the ladies. Before leaving, Cash pulled her into his arms. Flirting with him, she said, “Full disclosure, I’ll miss you while you’re out front.”
“Full disclosure, you can stay in the bedroom of your choice. Okay?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
