“Umm.” James scratched the back of his neck. “You just gonna let her get awayagain?”
Cash blinked. “I—”
“You’d better start running.” James pointed to the doorway. “She has a head start.”
Cash cursed even as his feet tore up the distance between him and Maggie’s retreat.
Her rental car was making a large circle across the future lawn in an effort to turn around. He ran to intercept her and smacked her window. She screamed, jumping in her seat and slamming on the brakes.
He wrenched the door open.
She started again, and her hand flew to her chest. “What are you doing?”
“I don’t know!” he blurted.
“Cash Diamante, you scared the death out of me!” She leaned into the steering wheel.
Cash drew in a breath, took off his hat, and threw it on the ground. “Darn it all, Maggie. You can’t just show up here and then run off.”
“Uh—yeah, I can.” She reached for the door handle, but he stepped in her way, blocking her from being able to shut the door. She struggled for a moment before deciding she wasn’t going to be able to move him. “Stubborn …” She wrenched off her seat belt and climbed out, putting herself much too close to his body. Since when did she have that hint of red in her hair? She tipped her head back to square off with him, her eyes tracing his three-day stubble. “What are you doing advertising for a wife?”
He put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her back into the driver’s seat. She landed, unladylike, and grunted. He removed his hands as quickly as he’d put them there, needing physical distance from her at the same time he wanted to hold on to her so she wouldn’t run. This whole thing was very confusing.
“Keep your voice down,” he commanded.
She bristled and yelled even louder than before, “I will not!”
He looked over his shoulder at the guys working away. The sander was buzzing and the generator roaring. There was no way they heard her. “My life is complicated right now. I can’t believe you picked right now to show up.” All the wrong words came out, but he’d lost control of his mouth.
“I didn’t pick anything. I read your stupid ad.” She smacked his chest.
He paused and looked at her. “Wait—you answered my ad.” He was accusatory, and he heard it in his voice.
She gritted her teeth, barely dipping her chin in acknowledgement. “So help me, Cash—if you so much as chuckle, I’m gonna tell Jennifer Buckner at I-5 News who placed that ad in the first place.”
He waved his hands frantically. “I wasn’t going to laugh. I swear.”
“Sure.” She kept her back straight, ready for whatever he was going to throw at her.
“Maggie.” This time, when he said her name, it was soft and tender. Like maybe they’d had something once upon a time.
Her stance changed from fighting to listening. Once upon a teenage dream, with a few soft words he’d convinced her to kiss him. She’d proceeded to knock his socks off. He’d never had a first kiss like that. Never.
“What?” she said, quietly and almost without an edge to her voice at all.
“Marry me.”
She snorted. The sound was completely involuntary and surprised even her. “Marry you?” she asked dubiously. “You’re joking.”
“I’m not.” He leaned down so they were eye level. “This was my grandfather’s house.”
She looked past him to the dilapidated building.
“It’s been in the family for 200 years. I don’t get to inherit unless I’m married.”
She yanked her gaze back to him. “That’s dumb.”
He twisted his lips. “It’s in the will. Grandpa thought I should be settled before I moved here.”
