Page 117 of Cash

“Positive.”

“I’ll go ID him,” Jonas offered.

“I’ll head out with you,” Theo added.

Smith stood. “Me, too.”

“I won’t be too long, baby,” Easton told Nebraska. “But if you’re hungry, eat without me.”

I held Cash’s eyes and smiled. “Maybe your friends aren’t idiots.”

“Give them time, baby girl, and they’ll do something else idiotic.”

“Cashy!” Cara shouted, and before I knew what was happening, Cash gently shoved me back and was out of his chair, running out of the conference room.

I nearly knocked Zane over as I ran out of the door.

Cash was on his knees in front of Cara, hands on her shoulders, head bent in what I knew was a top-to-toes scan.

“Look!” she pointed to the box on the floor next to her.

I glanced at the box, but my attention went back to Ivy standing next to her with Rose hitched on her hip.

“Woman!” Zane boomed. “When I said no more pussy, I meant no more. I would wage a war in your honor but I swear on all things holy if that’s⁠—”

Cash growled.

Zane grunted. “If that’s a cat, I’m going downrange.”

“What’s a pussy?” Cara asked.

Cash growled and looked like he was going to commit murder.

“Pussycat. But mostly we just call them cats,” I told her.

Eric came around from behind his mom, tipped his head up to look at his dad, and announced, “I like pussy way better than cat. Cat is boring. Pussy sounds fun.”

Cash scooped up Cara and gave Zane a scathing look.

“The apple didn’t fall far from the tree,” Jonas snickered.

Cash was stomping off when Cara put her hands on his cheeks. “Wait, Cashy, you didn’t see what was in the box.”

Unsurprisingly, Cash turned and went back to the box and looked down. “A turtle?”

“Yeah. It’s Eric’s. I want a turtle. Please.”

“Sure, sweetheart. We’ll go this weekend.”

We’d go this weekend.

Of course we would.

“Hard on the outside and soft in the middle, just like Cash.” Jonas laughed.

“Cashy’s middle isn’t soft. He’s the strongest King around.”

Cash leaned forward, kissed her forehead, and graced her with one of his smiles. The one that was reserved only for her.