“Jules,” Duke warned. “You just met him Friday.”
“And you saw Kaitlyn getting a lap dance from a stripper and knew she was yours.” I pointed at Tucker who was—smartly—remaining quiet by filling his mouth with a cherry danish. “He saw Ava and stalked her like a lunatic for a month. Why is it wrong for me to be sure like both of you?”
He sighed. “Because you’re my baby sister and no one will be good enough for you.” He gave Bennett a look over my shoulder, one that said hurt her and die.
“I love Cash,” I repeated and I heard a sniffle, realized someone was crying, perhaps my mother. I wasn’t sure if it was because I’d shacked up with a guy she considered a rapist or because I’d finally said I loved someone. “He didn’t do it. I don’t know why I’m even standing here talking to you when he’s all alone out there.”
I turned, saw Bennett. Paused. “You knew about this. It’s the reason he moved here, why you followed. Isn’t it?”
He nodded. While I could tell he was beyond pissed at Duke, he looked at me with warm affection, a gentleness that made me see how much he cared about me. I loved him, too. God, did I.
“I couldn’t stay in Miami after what happened, Angel,” he murmured, his voice soft. “Too jaded.”
He’d told me Cash had been caught up in something in Miami, but it was Cash’s story to share. He wouldn’t stay best friends with a rapist.
“He didn’t do it,” Liam said, then took a sip of his coffee.
Everyone turned to face him.
“What?” he added, then shrugged. “They were giving you a ride home from the party on Friday. You think I wouldn’t look into them, Julia?”
He might be my future cousin-in-law, but I rolled my eyes at the sheriff’s blatant problem with boundaries.
“He was arrested for rape,” he continued. “By a former girlfriend who turned out to be bipolar, off her meds and ridiculously pissed for being dumped. Seems her daddy was a fancy lawyer and got the book thrown at Cash. Considered him a threat, and he spent a week in jail.”
I thought of Cash, innocent and in jail for a crime that went against his principles, his honor. He must have wanted to climb the walls. No wonder he moved here to start over.
“A friend put investigators on it, got Cash before a judge and the case was dropped,” Liam continued, looking to Bennett.
Bennett. I grabbed his hand, knew he was the one who’d helped Cash.
“The woman recanted, Cash was cleared, but the mess stuck.” Liam gazed pointedly at Duke.
“Of course, he didn’t do it,” Mom said, wiping her nose with a napkin. She tilted her head, smiled at me. “His uncle’s on the city council. I knew about the whole thing before Cash even moved here.”
“Why didn’t you say something?” Duke asked, his shoulders relaxing. A little.
She narrowed her eyes, clearly not happy with him. “Because he did nothing wrong. Young man, have you told Kaitlyn about the time you stole the numbers off of Mr. Schumacker’s mailbox? That Sheriff Gruber caught you red-handed? I have to wonder if she will want to marry a hardened criminal like you.”
Liam laughed, then covered it with another sip of coffee.
“Ma, I was eight,” Duke grumbled.
“But it was a crime you actually committed, unlike this mess with Cash,” she countered.
Oh my god. Duke was a moron, my mother knew everything, like usual, and Liam had done a background check on the men I loved. They were family and weren’t going anywhere. But Cash…
“I have to go after him,” I said, handing off the lemon danish to my mother before hurrying to the front door. I didn’t care that everyone was in my house, that I was supposed to play hostess. I didn’t care about anything but finding Cash. I had to get to him, to tell him I believed him. Trusted him. I reached my hand out to Bennett, not wanting to leave him behind. The three of us were a unit. We were together. Hopefully, with more time than just a weekend, we’d be a family of our own. Who knew I’d go from longing for a relationship of my own on Friday to having one of my dreams on Sunday?
“Come on.”
He smiled, took my hand and let me pull him down the walkway to his truck. To find Cash.
13
CASH
* * *