Chapter 19

19

“I hope that’s you,Harlow. Otherwise, Shaun’s about to get an eyeful,” Cash said as he heard footsteps on the other side of the bathroom door.

“You do know that robes exist, right?” Shaun said, sounding impatient.

“What fun would that be when I can horrify my brother with my naked ass?” he asked just to get a rise out of him as he wrapped a towel around his torso and tied it low on his hips. After the spirit incident at Hollow Hardware, they’d come back to the house and spent several hours working on the flooring. Then when he got a text that Harlow was on her way, he’d hopped in the shower.

Shaun groaned. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”

“Nope.” Cash used a towel to dry his hair as he asked, “What do you want?”

“I need to talk to you. Can you cover your junk and come out here for a minute?”

Cash frowned and pulled the door open. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I…” Shaun blew out a breath and ran a hand through his hair, looking a little bewildered.

“Spit it out, whatever it is.”

Shaun nodded. “Yeah, okay. I had another vision, but it doesn’t make much sense to me. Not unless you’re getting ready to cook an elaborate meal and then set up a picnic in the dining room.”

Cash’s eyebrows rose nearly to his hairline. “No. I’m not even sure if Harlow has eaten yet. I was going to ask her if she’s hungry and then order something to be delivered. Like pizza.”

Shaun shook his head. “I don’t think that’s what’s in store for you tonight, brother. But if the romantic candlelight picnic doesn’t happen, will you let me know?”

“Sure.” Cash finally took a good look at his brother. He was already cleaned up and dressed in jeans and a Henley shirt. He wasn’t wearing anything special, but he’d shaved, and Cash caught a hint of his subtle aftershave. “Are you headed to spend the evening with Imogen?”

“I can’t stay here. Not with Harlow coming over.” He winked and then waved as he took off down the stairs. “Have fun. Try to remember that I live here before you start cooking breakfast nude tomorrow morning. I’ll be back early. I have to get some work done.”

“Breakfast in the nude?” Cash yelled back at him. “Since when is that a thing?”

“Since you’re determined to make sure I get a look at your ass,” he called up from the bottom of the stairs. A moment later, the front door slammed shut.

Cash shook his head and retreated back to the bathroom for his own shave.

* * *

Cash heardthe crunch of tires on gravel and smiled to himself. Finally. It had only been a handful of hours since he’d seen Harlow, but after their year-long drought, he was desperate just to be near her. With two glasses of wine in hand, he walked out onto the front porch to greet her.

Harlow glanced up at him and gave him that slow, contented smile he’s missed so much. The one that said she was exactly where she wanted to be with the person who made her the most comfortable.

“How was girls’ night?” Cash asked as Harlow walked up the short flight of stairs.

“Really good.” She reached for one of the glasses as she leaned in and gave him a warm kiss.

Cash snaked one arm around her back, pulling her in close. “Can’t tell you how much I missed this.”

“Kisses?” she asked, smiling up at him.

“Yes, that and you coming home to me after a long day.”

Sadness and regret flashed in her dark gaze but were quickly replaced with contentment as she took a sip of her favorite wine. “I missed that, too.”

Cash slipped his hand into hers and led her into the house. “Have you eaten dinner?”

“Nope. I was hoping my boyfriend would have something whipped up for me.” She gave him a cheeky grin.

He laughed. “Have you forgotten who you’re dating?”

“Nope.” She took another sip of wine and then kissed his cheek. “That may have just been wishful thinking.” Harlow wrinkled her nose. “Got anything in that kitchen of yours we can cook that’s edible?”

“Possibly, but how do you feel about pizza?”

“Love it,” Harlow said. “But unless you already have one here, we’re not getting it tonight.”

“What? Why not?” Cash looked at his watch. It was just before nine. “Surely someone is still open.”

Harlow laughed and shook her head. “What have you been doing since you showed up in town? They roll the sidewalks up at six, and Mystyk Pizza closes in about five minutes.” She shrugged, and this time she was the one to grab his hand and start leading him toward his kitchen. “Come on. Let’s see what hasn’t started rotting in your fridge. It was looking a little sad last night.”

“This could be embarrassing,” Cash admitted.

But before they made it even a few feet, soft piano music started playing from the back of the house.

Harlow paused. “Is Shaun here?”

“No,” Cash said, his heart sinking as he wondered what Aunt Jane was up to now. “He left about ten minutes before you arrived. Let me just go see what’s up.”

“Not without me,” Harlow said, following him down the hallway. She’d put her wine down and was clutching his hand with both of hers.

Cash could feel a heavy layer of nervous energy radiating from her touch, and it shocked him. In all the years they’d known each other, he’d never known her to be this nervous over anything. He squeezed her hand and said, “I’m sure it’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing, Cash. And we both know it,” she said, slowing her pace as the music grew louder.

“It’s probably just Aunt Jane,” he said, trying to reassure her.

“Like that makes it any better. The last time she showed up, she gave you a concussion.”

Cash didn’t have a response for that. It was true. He just hoped that since he and Harlow were back together that there wouldn’t be any more attacks.

When he poked his head into the formal dining room, Cash blinked, trying to take in the scene. He’d cleared out the furniture not long after he’d moved in, intending to refurbish it. But since he hadn’t gotten around to that yet, he’d left the room empty and just ate his meals at the kitchen table. Now someone had placed a blanket in the middle of the room, filled it with candles, and set out two covered plates along with what looked like some sort of gourmet salads.

“Oh my gosh, Cash!” Harlow asked in a hushed tone, “Did you do this?”

“No, but I wish I had,” he said with awe in his voice. When Shaun told him he’d had this vision, he hadn’t truly believed it would come true. If he hadn’t checked the house before Shaun left, Cash would have bet money that his brother had set this all up. But he hadn’t, and the only answer was that a spirit had done it. “Aunt Jane?” he called. “Is this your handiwork?”

A shimmer on the other side of the room caught his attention. Aunt Jane appeared, smiling mischievously and waving her fingers at them before she started to fade as she slipped through one of the walls, leaving them alone for their romantic dinner date.

“What in the world?” Harlow asked, turning to him with disbelief written all over her face. “How did a ghost put this together?”

“That’s a very good question and one I don’t have any answers for.” Cash tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and led her over to the blanket picnic. “But as long as she went through all of this trouble, we might as well enjoy it.”

Harlow let out a bark of laughter as she shook her head. “I just can’t believe that this is happening right now.”

“You have to give her credit for stepping up her matchmaking game,” Cash said as they both lowered themselves to the blanket. “It’s a major improvement, don’t you think?”

“No doubt about that.” Harlow looked down at her covered plate. “I’m a little scared to see what it is.”

“I always heard that Aunt Jane was a fabulous cook, so if she made it, it’s probably delicious.”

“I’ve never seen a spirit cook before.” Harlow placed both hands on the metal cover and then pulled it away as if she were ripping a bandage off. “Oh my gosh. It smells wonderful.”

Cash removed his own cover and was treated to a wonderful aroma of garlic and some kind of spices he couldn’t identify.

“Risotto. With salmon.” Harlow picked up her fork and broke off a piece of salmon before she said, “Oh man, if this is as good as it looks and smells, I think we’re gonna have to figure out how to get your aunt to be our personal chef.”

Our chef.The implication of what Harlow had just said wasn’t lost on Cash. In her mind, she already saw them living together again. “Pretty sure Aunt Jane isn’t ever leaving this house, so if you want to employ her for that job, then we’re going to have to live here.”

Harlow put her fork down without taking a bite and frowned. “Cash, I just signed a two-year lease.”

“So?” He held her gaze, trying to decide whether she was really worried about breaking a lease or if she just wasn’t ready to think about them living together again. But she was the one who’d implied it first. “You could break it or let Imogen take it over. I’m not seeing that as an insurmountable problem. Do you?”

“No, not really,” she chuckled nervously and waved an unconcerned hand. “I guess I hadn’t thought this all the way through, and suddenly I realized I’d locked myself into a long-term contract. And, I don’t know, I panicked a little. But you’re right. There are solutions. Just need to figure out the right one when the time is right.”

He reached across his plate and took her hand gently in his. While caressing the back of her hand with his thumb, he said, “I’m not rushing this. All I care about is spending time with you. But I’ll be honest, if you wanted to move in here, I’d help you pack your bags tonight.”

Her facial expression was so soft, so full of emotion, that he thought his heart might explode right out of his chest. “I’m not quite there yet, but…” She gave him a shy smile that made his heart skip a beat. “This last year was miserable, and now that you’re back in my life, I don’t ever want that to change.”

Cash fingered the velvet box that was in his pocket. His subconscious screamed for him to pull it out, to put that ring back on her finger, but they hadn’t even been a couple for twenty-four hours. Even if his heart was ready to jump back in with both feet, his head told him they still had things to work out. Besides, he wasn’t going to ask her to marry him again until he was absolutely certain it was going to mean forever, no matter what. “Can I ask you something?”

She sucked in a breath as if bracing herself for whatever he was going to say. Then she cleared her throat. “Always.”

He scooted to sit next to her and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into him so that her head was resting on his chest. “Don’t be nervous, gorgeous. It’s not a pop quiz or anything like that,” he teased.

“Stop,” she said playfully. “It’s been an emotional few days.”

“It has,” he agreed and kissed her temple. “I just want to know what you see for your future.” He wanted to ask about their future but didn’t want to put that pressure on her.

“Mine? Not ours?” she asked, looking up at him.

He couldn’t help the snort of laughter. “I was going to say that but figured I should start with what you wanted first.”

“Smart man.” She snuggled into his chest again and said, “Well, as far as the immediate future goes, I want to work at Equinox and continue to rebuild my relationships with you and Imogen.” She covered his hand with hers. “You and my sister are the most important people in my life. I like having you both here in Keating Hollow where I can see you every day.”

“I definitely like being included in your immediate plans,” Cash said.

“I bet you do.” She chuckled softly.

Cash’s insides warmed, and he wondered if she’d mind if he took her to bed before they even finished their dinner.

But then Harlow started talking again and he put the thought out of his mind. He really wanted to know what she was thinking since it was obviously vastly different from when they were television stars.

She turned her head and held his gaze as she said, “I really just want a quiet life here in Keating Hollow, hopefully one with you where we aren’t fighting ghosts all the time, or any of the time for that matter. I like working at Equinox because it keeps me busy and makes me feel like part of the community. Other than that, I’m thinking of taking up pottery. Or I would if there was a pottery studio.”

He chuckled. “You know if you start pottery you’ll never hear the end of that scene in Ghost, right? People will be asking you about that all the time.”

She cringed. “They would, wouldn’t they? Well, it’s a risk I’ll just have to take. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. Maybe there’s a class over at the coast.” She eyed him. “What about you, Cash? What do you want for the future?”

“You.” He winked at her.

Harlow thumped him lightly on the chest. “Come on, Cash. Give me more than that.”

“It’s true though.” Running his hand up and down her arm, he added, “Okay, long-term? The one thing I’m sure about is you. As for what I’ll do now that we’re retired television personalities, I really like what I’m doing here with the house. Maybe I’ll get into renovations. Or maybe even build houses here in Keating Hollow. I know the real estate market is tight here. There are plenty of people looking for builders. If I could find subcontractors, it could be really interesting work.”

Harlow stared at him for a long moment. Then she raised an eyebrow. “Reality home improvement?”

“Huh?” he asked, taken off guard. Then he frowned at her. “You’re asking if I chose that because it could get me back on television?”

“The possibility did cross my mind,” she said, sounding slightly guilty for asking.

“Nope. That has nothing to do with it, Harlow. Did you think I missed television that much?” He couldn’t believe that her mind had gone there immediately. Since when had he ever been a celebrity chaser?

“Well, yes. No. I don’t know.” She sat up. “You were so upset when we lost our show. I just thought…” She shook her head. “I know it was important to you.”

“Harlow,” he said, tilting her head up so that he could hold her gaze. “It wasn’t the television that was important to me. It was working together and being with you every day. You must’ve known that.”

She didn’t say anything as she let that sink in. Of course she’d known she was important to him, but he’d always been so proud of that show. And he had been upset when they’d lost it. But it seemed she’d misread exactly why. Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Hard.

His mind jumbled as sensation took over. He was desperate for her touch, to show her just how much he loved and missed her. Talking was good. He knew that, but right then, he just needed to feel.

Minutes ticked by as they made out, ignoring the food. Cash was only hungry for the woman who had come willingly to his arms. She was his home. He’d always known that. It didn’t really matter what career he chose next or if he even chose one at all. If he had her, it was enough.

Finally, when Harlow broke free, her chest was heaving and her cheeks were flushed with desire.

Cash glanced down at the food. “Are you sure you want to eat now, or can I take you to bed?”

She didn’t even bother looking at the full plates. She just said, “To bed.”

Cash got to his feet, swept Harlow up in his arms, and carried her to what would someday soon be their room.