“I’m Clare,” I say, turning to face her. I go to step towards the porch to shake her hand, but Cash’s hands go to my waist to keep me in place. I roll my eyes.
“Don’t mind him. I’m still teaching him manners.” I try to joke to lighten the situation. Then June’s eyes turn a little colder, making me wonder if I had been wrong in thinking she’d been crying. Am I standing in the middle of a lovers’ spat?
That makes my blood run cold. She’s stunning, and it’s hard not to compare myself to her. I wonder if she’s his type. If they’ve dated before. Both of us are blonde, but that’s where the physical similarities end.
Even with her curves, she still looks like she’s built for farm life. I might blow over with a good wind.
“I’m June Johnson, but everyone calls me JJ, don’t they, Cash?” she finally says, a sweet smile melting away the cold I’d seen moments ago. She steps off the porch, reaching out and shaking my hand.
I can feel Cash just shrug. His indifference couldn’t be clearer.
“What do you need, June?” His tone is flat.
“Your mama would roll over in her grave if she heard you talk to a lady like that.” That’s when it clicks. Johnson. The farm next to Cash’s. The one he’d just told me about. These two probably grew up together. A montage of young, sweet, first love flickers through my mind—first kisses, dances, and other things I don’t want to think about. Cash will be my first everything, and I hate to think this woman in front of me is his first everything. I instantly dislike her for something that isn’t even her fault, but I just can’t help myself. I’m getting a taste of the same jealously Cash was feeling minutes ago. Wow, karma sure works fast.
“Yeah, she probably would roll over in her grave if I didn’t get my woman into the house, out of this heat, and fed. I bet you didn’t even have lunch, did you?” He says the last part softly and next to my ear, his concern for me clear.
“I…” I can’t even think what to say here. I’m too busy trying to figure out what’s going on with Cash and June. “Why don’t I go in and make us a few sandwiches while you talk to June?” I offer.
“I’m not sure there’s much to talk about. June, if your father needs something he can call me. I’d planned to call him tonight anyways about Sammy getting out.”
“Why are you being like this?” she huffs, a little pout forming on her glossy lips. I really don’t want to be here for this. I would love to tell her to step back and keep away from my husband, but the truth is, I don’t want Cash to have feelings for another woman. It would be best to figure this out now before I sink deeper into him.
I don’t want something like that sitting in the back of my head, even less so if she’s going to be living right next door. It’d always be on my mind. It would already linger some if what I’m thinking about them is true.
“I’m not being like anything. I just don’t have time for your little games today. I’m not playing it. I’ve never played it.”
Her hands go to her hips, that pout dropping from her lips. “I can’t believe you’re going to marry her. If you wanted a wife, you knew I would do it. End this little war that has been going between our families. Bring the land together. We’d be good together. Why can’t you just accept that?”
I try to jerk out of Cash’s hold, desperate not to be standing in between them, but Cash just grips me tighter.
“This fucking town. I bet the ink on the marriage license wasn’t even dry before everyone knew,” Cash says.
“Yeah, because no one can believe you’re doing this. We’ve just been waiting for you to jerk your head out of your ass and ask me.”
“I’m marring Clare come Friday, so I reckon you and this town should get used to it.” His tone is still bored, like he doesn’t actually care if the town gets used to it or not. I doubt Cash cares what anyone thinks of him. He doesn’t seem the type to care about those things.
“Is that your mama’s ring?” she gasps in shock, taking a step towards me like she’s going to grab my hand, but before she can I’m once again over Cash’s shoulder.
“Go home, June, and don’t come back without an invitation,” Cash says, making his way towards the front door.
“Don’t do this, Cash. She’s not built for this life,” I hear her yell as the front door slams.
“Please put me down.” I hate how small my voice sounds. I don’t know what to make of what just happened. It hurt me a little, but in a way, I’d liked it. It hurt to think he’d been with her, that they’d shared something special at one time. She even knew his family. But I liked how Cash made it clear I was his and that was final.
He was so cold with her it made me think maybe she hurt him. It was clear he didn’t want to be with her. She offered herself up on a silver platter, but he turned her down like it was nothing. The emotions from the past twenty-four hours feel like they’re pressing down on me. The weight of them just makes me want to collapse into bed.
She might be right. I don’t know if I’m built for this life. I know Cash doesn’t think I am, considering how he treats me like I’m made of spun glass.
“Sweetheart, don’t do that.” I hear the lock click on the front door, then he lays me down on the couch and comes over me. “Get mad, but don’t do that with your voice.”
“My voice?”
His head nestles in my neck like he’s trying to nuzzle me, his short facial hair brushing my skin. “With no emotion. Go back to mad.”