“Yep. I don’t want to go through that again. So …”
He nodded. “Totally understandable. Let’s make a deal.”
She cocked her head. “What kind of deal?”
“This time, you get to be the one to break up with me. No matter what.”
She bit her lip. “What if you don’t want me?”
He shook his head. “Not going to happen.”
“But what if it does?”
“It won’t. Everything I’ve seen so far just makes me want to be with you more.”
“Everything? Including my obsessive control over the shopping cart and bossing you around about how your kitchen should look?” She was testing his limits, and she knew it—though she couldn’t bring herself to stop.
“All of it. I like a woman who knows what she wants and goes after it.”
She rolled her eyes. “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”
He laughed. “Bring it on.”
His easygoing attitude made her feel slightly more at ease. “I’m going to push you, Cash. I’m probably going to push so hard you’re going to want to leave.”
“I can handle it. The prize is worth the effort.” He kissed the back of her hand.
“Dang—you weren’t this much of a sweet-talker in high school.”
He laughed again. “I told you, I’ve grown up—some.”
“Uh-huh.” She grudgingly admitted that he had changed—in good ways. His maturity was refreshing and attractive.
“Oh no,” he mumbled as they pulled into the clearing where the homestead was tucked away.
Maggie turned. There was a white truck with an official-looking logo on the side parked out front. James was on the front porch, arguing with a man in a hard hat. The rest of the crew was scattered around the yard on an impromptu break.
Cash shut off the truck. “Wait there; I’ll get your door.”
“Aren’t you curious about this?” She motioned to the house.
“Yep. But you come first.” He got out without further comment, and Maggie heaved a sigh. He was magnificent and frustrating at the same time. She was hugely curious about what was going on, and now she had to wait for him to open her door. And he was walking so slowly, as if they had all the time in the day to get up those steps.
Wait … he was doing this on purpose. Not only to show her that she was important to him, but to show the inspector that he came second. Hmm. She kind of like that alpha male attitude.
He opened her door and offered her a hand as she stepped down. He didn’t let go as they approached an irate James and a purple-faced inspector wearing a tool belt and safety glasses.
“I told you, this is a private residence, not a job site. You have to have the owner’s permission to go inside.” James drew a breath as deep as a dragon ready to blow fire and roast this little man to a crisp.
“What’s going on?” Cash asked in a calm, in-charge tone.
The inspector whipped around, his arms flying out to the side and his glasses going askew. “Are you Cash Diamante?”
“Sure am.” Cash held out a hand. “And this is my wife, Maggie.”
James’s eyes dropped to their clasped hands and then up to Maggie’s face. Her cheeks burned, certain that her lips were swollen and her hair looked like Cash had ran his hands through it several times—because he had. She pressed her lips together and then turned her head to the side to avoid his scrutiny. He snickered like a younger brother who’d caught his sister kissing her date good night. If he’d been close enough, Maggie would have elbowed him in the stomach.
“Is there something I can help you with?” Cash prodded.
