wrapped her legs around him.
“Shit,” Cash muttered. “You’re the worst chaperone ever!” he shouted again. He took Adam’s hand and pulled him to his feet. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
They walked down a dirt path that followed the river. Cash kept hold of Adam’s hand. Adam was oddly silent. At last, he stopped, and Cash turned to face him. “Cash, your brother’s a pig.”
Cash sighed. “Is this going to be a problem for you? Because tell me now, and we won’t go any further with this.”
Adam pressed his lips together and looked away. “That’s the stepdaughter of a friend of mine. Her name’s Tracy. And granted, she is a slut, no doubt about it. I think she even wears pants with the word ‘slut’ written across the ass. But still….”
“Why’s it bother you?”
“Because it bothers Cora.”
Cash frowned and shook his head. “You’ve known us two days. If you don’t like us, then let’s not hang out.”
“I like you, Cash. But Cora’s like family. I’m afraid he’ll hurt her.”
“Didn’t seem to me like she much cared about him.”
“Well, that’s because you don’t know her. He’s done something to her. She’s been different since yesterday.”
Cash shrugged again. “It’s not my problem. Not my business. You want me to take you back home?”
Adam let out a long, dramatic sigh. “I wish our fishing spot hadn’t gotten ruined.”
“You weren’t going to catch anything anyway.”
“Hey! You don’t know that.”
“I got a little, four-year-old niece I take fishing sometimes, and she sits more still than you do.”
Adam shoved him playfully, and he laughed. He caught Adam’s wrist and brought him in close. Adam’s smile slowly faded. He slipped an arm around Cash’s waist. Cash reached up to touch his face, but Adam said, “Don’t touch me with those worm encrusted fingers of yours.”
Cash grinned and shoved his hands in Adam’s hair.
“Gross,” Adam whined.
Cash laughed, grateful for the comic relief. He kissed Adam on the forehead and led him back the way they’d come. “Where are we going?” Adam asked.
“I’m taking you home,” Cash said. “Before I do something I’ll regret in the morning.”
“Oh, you wouldn’t regret it, baby.”
Cash didn’t answer. He and Adam held hands as they strolled back to the beach. Rye and Tracy weren’t in the water, but they weren’t anywhere else, either. Cash gathered up the fishing gear, and they headed up the bank to the pickup. Tracy was sitting in the cab, looking pissed. When Cash went around to stow the fishing poles in the back, he found Rye sleeping in the bed…fully clothed, thank God. Cash shoved his feet until he rolled to his side and drew up his knees enough that Cash could close the tailgate.
Adam had the passenger door open and was comforting Tracy. “Bastard called me Tonya,” she said. “Who the hell is Tonya?”
“Shh,” Adam said. “There’s no Tonya. He just got your name wrong. Can we take you home?”
She nodded. “I just really liked him.”
“I’m sure he liked you, too. People do stupid things when they’re drunk. You’re gonna be okay.”
She hugged him, and he patted her back.
“How much have you had to drink, love?” Adam asked.
“Just a few beers.”
“Do you have someone at home? I hate for you to be alone tonight.”
“I got my cousin staying with me.”
“Good. Cash, are you okay to drive?”
Cash had only had two beers and that was over an hour ago. “Yeah. Let’s go.”
He drove Tracy home. He and Adam practically had to carry her up the stairs to her apartment. He drove Adam home where he refused to walk Adam to the door. Or give him a kiss goodnight.
So Adam made him commit to another date, which Cash did more than willingly. Then he drove home and left his brother in the back of the pickup for the night. He showered the day off of him and slept soundly until morning.
Rye woke up to the morning sun
“Shit,” Cash muttered. “You’re the worst chaperone ever!” he shouted again. He took Adam’s hand and pulled him to his feet. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
They walked down a dirt path that followed the river. Cash kept hold of Adam’s hand. Adam was oddly silent. At last, he stopped, and Cash turned to face him. “Cash, your brother’s a pig.”
Cash sighed. “Is this going to be a problem for you? Because tell me now, and we won’t go any further with this.”
Adam pressed his lips together and looked away. “That’s the stepdaughter of a friend of mine. Her name’s Tracy. And granted, she is a slut, no doubt about it. I think she even wears pants with the word ‘slut’ written across the ass. But still….”
“Why’s it bother you?”
“Because it bothers Cora.”
Cash frowned and shook his head. “You’ve known us two days. If you don’t like us, then let’s not hang out.”
“I like you, Cash. But Cora’s like family. I’m afraid he’ll hurt her.”
“Didn’t seem to me like she much cared about him.”
“Well, that’s because you don’t know her. He’s done something to her. She’s been different since yesterday.”
Cash shrugged again. “It’s not my problem. Not my business. You want me to take you back home?”
Adam let out a long, dramatic sigh. “I wish our fishing spot hadn’t gotten ruined.”
“You weren’t going to catch anything anyway.”
“Hey! You don’t know that.”
“I got a little, four-year-old niece I take fishing sometimes, and she sits more still than you do.”
Adam shoved him playfully, and he laughed. He caught Adam’s wrist and brought him in close. Adam’s smile slowly faded. He slipped an arm around Cash’s waist. Cash reached up to touch his face, but Adam said, “Don’t touch me with those worm encrusted fingers of yours.”
Cash grinned and shoved his hands in Adam’s hair.
“Gross,” Adam whined.
Cash laughed, grateful for the comic relief. He kissed Adam on the forehead and led him back the way they’d come. “Where are we going?” Adam asked.
“I’m taking you home,” Cash said. “Before I do something I’ll regret in the morning.”
“Oh, you wouldn’t regret it, baby.”
Cash didn’t answer. He and Adam held hands as they strolled back to the beach. Rye and Tracy weren’t in the water, but they weren’t anywhere else, either. Cash gathered up the fishing gear, and they headed up the bank to the pickup. Tracy was sitting in the cab, looking pissed. When Cash went around to stow the fishing poles in the back, he found Rye sleeping in the bed…fully clothed, thank God. Cash shoved his feet until he rolled to his side and drew up his knees enough that Cash could close the tailgate.
Adam had the passenger door open and was comforting Tracy. “Bastard called me Tonya,” she said. “Who the hell is Tonya?”
“Shh,” Adam said. “There’s no Tonya. He just got your name wrong. Can we take you home?”
She nodded. “I just really liked him.”
“I’m sure he liked you, too. People do stupid things when they’re drunk. You’re gonna be okay.”
She hugged him, and he patted her back.
“How much have you had to drink, love?” Adam asked.
“Just a few beers.”
“Do you have someone at home? I hate for you to be alone tonight.”
“I got my cousin staying with me.”
“Good. Cash, are you okay to drive?”
Cash had only had two beers and that was over an hour ago. “Yeah. Let’s go.”
He drove Tracy home. He and Adam practically had to carry her up the stairs to her apartment. He drove Adam home where he refused to walk Adam to the door. Or give him a kiss goodnight.
So Adam made him commit to another date, which Cash did more than willingly. Then he drove home and left his brother in the back of the pickup for the night. He showered the day off of him and slept soundly until morning.
Rye woke up to the morning sun
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