Page 74 of Long Hard Fall

“At least I waited to put in my notice at work until after we talked.”

“You were yelling as you ran out of the building.”

Frankie seemed to enjoy the banter. “I know Cash said he couldn’t meet last week and I wondered how it’d worked out.”

Cash nodded. “I wanted to surprise you, but we were moving her down.” He couldn’t get Abbi out of the shit-hole she’d lived in fast enough. Her meager belongings were piled in his garage to air out the stale smoke smell.

Frankie’s warm expression jumped back and forth between them. “I’m really happy you two are together.”

“I won’t crash every Monday,” Abbi said, “but I wanted to invite you over for dinner this weekend. Whenever works for you.”

Surprise crossed Frankie’s expression, replaced by delight. A flash of regret popped through his mind. He’d meant to be more than a melancholy grandson every Monday morning, but he’d never gotten around to having Frankie over for anything. He hadn’t been good enough company for anyone.

Frankie folded and unfolded a napkin. “Will it be just…us?”

Abbi nodded. “We’ll start slow and work others in as you’re more comfortable.”

“We all want you around,” he reassured her.

Abbi plowed forward, asking about the cats until Frankie visibly relaxed.

Before he met Abbi, it had been him. He had his cousins, his parents, Sissy, and Frankie, but ultimately, it’d been just him. But Abbi stepped into the circle with him and strengthened each and every bond to his family.

“I’m learning to ranch!” Abbi’s excitement was the best belated Christmas present.

Frankie chuckled and smiled at him. “You have a good teacher.”

Cash nodded. “We’d been talking about expanding the operation, and now that we have an extra body, we might as well put her to work.”

Abbi’s bright eyes sparkled. She ran through their unofficial plans. Cash kept her tucked in close until Frankie glanced at her watch. Her break had come to an end.

They gave her a time to show for dinner. Then Cash grasped Abbi’s hand and led her out.

“What now, boss?” Abbi teased.

“I think a girl needs a horse.”

Abbi stopped so suddenly, he almost ricocheted back to her. “You don’t just go buy a horse.”

“I know people.”

“But…aren’t they expensive?”

Cash ushered her to the pickup to get her out of the cold. He jogged around and climbed in. “You’re working for the ranch. You need your own horse. Besides, how else are you going to ride off into the sunset with me?”

She stared at him. “I feel like you trusting me with a horse means more than anything.”

It was why he was buying her the horse before the ring. He wanted her to know he had complete faith in her abilities before he proposed.

And to keep her parents from having a small heart attack at how fast they were moving.

She reached over to caress his face. “I love you, Cash.”

He gripped her hand in his. “I love you, too, honey.” And she’d find out how much when he gave her back the sketchbook he’d found when he was moving her out. She’d been in her bedroom packing and he’d opened it to see the drawing of him.

Right then, he’d flipped to the next page and scrawled the words he wanted her to read in exactly one month on Valentine’s Day.

Marry Me.

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