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“Ha.” He stretched one of the sheets along the line, pinning it in place as he went. “Because starvation and navigating mountain passes are so much easier than being a sheriff.”
“Okay, not that either.” I waved my hand as I made a mangled mess of hanging a shirt. I pulled it down and tried again. “Maybe a rancher. I could see you on a horse.”
“I love your imagination.” Cash kissed my head before bending to retrieve another sheet.
“I like any story that has us staying here forever.” I was done playing it cool. Cash had apparently told complete strangers he was my boyfriend, and to me, that meant free license to spin my little fantasies. And zero reason to pretend I was dying to return to LA. “Being homesteaders sounds even more fun than seeing you on a horse. Heck, I’d learn to feed chickens and plant a garden if it meant never having to play the LA game again.”
“You and chickens would be cute.” He shook out one of his endless supply of black T-shirts. “Bet you’d name them all and doubt you’d let me eat any of them.”
Cash indulging me even this much had my insides all warm and gushy, as did the image of one of the outbuildings full of assorted animals. “Well, not if they had names.”
“And you’d miss town.” His tone was more pragmatic now. Overhead, the afternoon sun beat down on us, but there was enough of a spring breeze to ruffle the line of sheets. “You’re not the type to be happy with quarterly wagon rides to fetch supplies.”
“You’re not wrong.” All my happy fantasies went poof in a cloud of reality. I wasn’t pioneer material. “Needing people is my worst trait.”
How much trouble had I gotten in over the years with my unending need for attention? Poor impulse control coupled with a hatred of being alone had landed me in mess after mess, and even now, my desire for stability warred with the buzz I could only get around other people.
“It is not.” Cash gave me a stern look. “If the navy taught me anything, it’s that we all need a team and there’s strength in numbers. Even more introverted people like me need a team.”
Ha. That was easy for him to say because he’d been ready to ride off into the sunset alone prior to this detour with me. And pretty as his words were, I couldn’t help but feel we weren’t anywhere close to being on the same team. I wasn’t who someone like Cash picked to have his back.
“Yeah, but at least you can function alone. I just turn into a shivering lump under my blankets in the loft.” I hadn’t intended to reveal that, but my brain wasn’t done stewing.
“You still mad about having to hide?” Cash asked, seeming to know I wasn’t talking in hypotheticals.
“Not at you.” I shook out a pair of jeans, letting the slap of wet fabric against my skin ground me. “At me. I hate how helpless I felt with nothing to do but wait. I’d rather be a team like you said.”
“We can be a team with a mission of keeping you safe,” he countered. And while I supposed that was better than no team at all, I still made a frustrated noise. I hated being a burden on people, but I hated being patronized most of all. I didn’t need a pat on the head.
“See, that’s exactly what I mean. If we were a real team, we’d keep each other safe. Instead, I’m tucked away like some fairy tale prince while everyone else fights the dragon.”
Now Cash was the one to groan. “Maybe the prince hiding means others can do their jobs, keep him alive.”
I couldn’t help but notice that Cash had sidestepped my point about keeping each other safe. He might trust me with his body in bed, but clearly, there were limits to that trust. And still, he was only too ready to risk his neck for mine.
“Why is keeping me safe such a big deal anyway? It’s not like my safety is worth that much more than yours. You’re a legit hero. I’m just a guy who used to play a nerd on TV.”
“You safe is everything.” Cash snapped the last towel into place before striding back to me. He gripped my shoulders, forcing me to meet his intense gaze. “I’ve had missions I didn’t fully believe in before. You’re worth so much more than you think.”
“But why?” I needed him to say it, tell me this was more than some job Duncan had handed him.
“Because it would end me if something happened to you.” His voice was rough, scraping against all my raw spots, making me believe this wasn’t simply a favor. “So, yeah, maybe it’s selfish and not fair, keeping you hidden away, but I’ll kill a dozen damn dragons for you if that’s what it takes.”
