He nodded, swallowing. The depth of emotion in his eyes told her he knew exactly how she felt having finally gotten to fulfill one of their silly dreams together. Somehow, it meant more to her now than it would have back then.
She flopped back onto her back, not able to stay in the intensity of the moment with him for the rawness of it.
“Look, the summer triangle is there.” Cash pointed up, tracing the shape.
Maggie groaned. “I hate astronomy. I only took it because you made me.”
Cash chuckled. “I thought it would be a good excuse to make out on the football field. I didn’t know Mr. Adair was going to make us study charts for hours.”
“He was the worst!” She lowered her voice into a mocking tone. “Know your place in the universe, young Padawans, or be destined to lose a fight with an alien and fail my class.”
Cash chuckled again, his fingers wrapping her hair in tangles and then smoothing them out. It was practically melodic.
“How close are we to making the deadline?” she asked softly. He had lists in his head. How he kept everything straight was a mystery.
“It’s going to be close. And a lot will depend on if the inspector is in Murdock’s back pocket. I’m scared to even consider it.”
“But you’ve worked with the inspectors for years, right?”
Cash nodded. “I believe he’s a good person. I just have to pray that he does a fair job.”
She pressed her lips together. “What happens if you don’t pass?” Their deal was that they had their marriage annulled when he got the title to the property. If he didn’t get it …
“I can’t even think about that.” He sat up suddenly and then pushed to his feet. He held out his hand to help her up. “Come on. Tomorrow will come bright and early, and we have a lot to do.”
Her heart fell. She’d broken the spell of the magical motorcycle ride, the stars overhead, and the warm air on their skin by asking about a future with him. Maybe he didn’t see one. Maybe this whole thing was about letting go of her forever—checking off theshould haveson his bucket list.
She took his hand and let him pull her up, using the momentum to fall into his arms. He held her tight, and she had to wonder if it was because he wanted her to stay or because he was getting ready to let her go.
Chapter 22
Cash measured the wall for the third time. “Seventeen and three-sixteenths,” he muttered to himself. He couldn’t seem to wrap his brain around numbers today. A sure sign that he was tired and pushing himself hard … or that he’d been up way too late last night thinking of Maggie.
“Boss?” James hurried into the room. “There’s something you should see.”
Cash tapped the tape measure and let it roll back into the holder. “Coming.” He had a pit in his stomach, and he wasn’t sure why—something in the way James continually darted glances over his shoulder as he led him outside and around to the back of the house.
“Who are you?” Cash asked point blank of the guy in dress pants, a button-up shirt, and a tie, measuring the back wall.
He turned and grinned wide. “Hal Mecham.” He walked over, his hand out.
Cash shook it out of habit, confused. “What’s going on?” He motioned to the tape measure and then over to the house. Strangers on his property were quickly becoming his biggest pet peeve.
“Oh. Sorry. I should have been more clear. I’m Greg’s assistant.”
“Uh-huh.” Cash nodded. He looked to James to see if the name rang a bell. James lifted a shoulder. “And who’s Greg?”
“The engineer you hired to create a plan of the building.”
Cash’s jaw went hard. James shifted to a fighting stance, his arms tense and his fists ready to strike. Hal took a couple steps back, clearly taken by surprise at James’s reaction.
Cash grabbed James’s arm. “Easy.” He stepped between the two of them. “Hal, you seem like a nice guy.”
Hal nodded, his eyes on James.
“You’re just doing your job, and I can’t fault a guy for that.” Cash gave James a look that told him to cool it.
James cocked his head to the side, popping his neck and settling his arms in a less threatening pose.
