Chapter Eleven

Cash

THURSDAY, JUST BEFORE noon, my mother walked into the shop, and I couldn't stop a giant smile from forming. There was just something about seeing my mom that made everything better. "Hey, Mama."

"Hey, baby. You ready for lunch?" she asked. She was dressed in dark jeans, tall boots, and a Dogs of Fire hoodie.

"Hell, yeah. Where am I taking you?"

"How about our favorite diner around the corner?"

"Perfect. I'll let the girls know I'm leaving."

While Razor finished up with a customer, I headed into the back office and peeked my head in. "I'm out for lunch."

Teagan was sitting at the desk, entering parts into the computer with Maisie helping guide her. They both looked up and Teagan said, "Okay, I'll mark you out."

"You wanna say hi to Mom?"

"Oh, sure," she said, rising to her feet.

"I'll come too," Gloria said. "I love Dani."

Gloria sashayed out of the room and Teagan rolled her eyes, but otherwise didn't comment as we walked out to the front desk.

Gloria was already talking Mom's ear off, and my mother was being just as sweet as she always was but the second she saw Teagan, she reached an arm out, still focused on Gloria, but wrapping Teagan into a tight hug as Gloria prattled on.

"Hi, Dani."

"Hey, sweet girl." Mom cupped her face and studied her for a few seconds. "How are you? I haven't seen you in what feels like a decade."

"It's been two days."

"Too long," Mom lamented.

Teagan chuckled. "You can blame Ducky for that. She has no time for me anymore."

"Oh, right. Let's blame her. I like it."

They both bust out into girlish laughter, and I grinned. Jesus, these two. My two favorite people were so similar it was scary.

"I hear you're shifting focus," Mom said.

Teagan nodded. "I loved tinkering on the bikes and Cash said there's a project bike we can work on. He and Booker said they can show me some things. Dad's excited too, although, he's trying not to show it as much. I think he likes the idea of us working on stuff together."

"Ooh, is it the one in auto bay three?" Gloria asked.

"Yeah," I confirmed.

"Oh, that's such a cool bike," she said.

I nodded. "It will be."

"Maybe I can help too," Gloria said.

"Did you want to be a mechanic, Gloria?" Mom asked.

"Well, um, I don't know. Maybe."

"I think this will be a good project for Teagan to start with," I said. "Ease her into something easy."

"This really is so brave, Teagan," Mom said, focusing on her. "I'm so freaking proud of you."

Teagan blushed and I could tell Mom had just gotten to her ooey gooey center. "Thanks, Dani."

"We should head out," I said, and Mom gave Teagan one last hug, then we headed out to her car.

I insisted on driving, which she didn't fight me on because my dad had trained her well, and we pulled up to the busy diner and luckily didn't have to wait long for a table.

"Okay," Mom started, once she opened her menu. "So, Teagan."

"Teagan, what?"

She reached over and put her hand on my menu, tugging it down, and I met her eyes. "You're in love with each other."

"Dad told you."

"Dad didn't tell me shit." She raised an eyebrow. "I've watched that girl fall for you for at least two years, maybe more. You took a little more convincing because I raised you right. But you're here now and you're fighting something. Is it Chelsea or Eric?"

"Jesus," I hissed quietly. "You know about Eric?"

"Baby, I know about everything regarding you kids."

"It was mostly Chelsea, but it was also Eric."

"Does Teagan know?"

"She does now. She knew about Eric too. Had some hero worship thing going on." I frowned. "Still does I think. She shouldn't."

"Sweetheart, you stopped a predator," Mom said, setting her menu aside. "I absolutely think she should have a little hero worship."

I reached over and squeezed her hand. "Thanks."

She smiled gently. "If you told her about Chelsea, then you must love her a hell of a lot, huh?"

"More than I thought I could love another human."

"Oh, my beautiful boy. I'm so glad. She is so, so worth it."

"Yeah, I'm aware."

"So, we've just gotta make sure you don't fuck it up."

"Also highly aware of that."

She chuckled. "Got your back on that, Cash."

"Thanks, Mama."

We spent the rest of lunch catching up and then we headed back to the club. While I made my way into the shop, Mom went to find my dad.

* * *

Teagan

"Teagan!" Cash bellowed from the supply room.

"What now?" I grumbled.

"He's in a mood," Gloria observed.

"Isn't he always?" I lamented. "What do you need, Cash?"

"Where the hell are the plugs?"

"Where they always are," I called back.

"You go show him," Gloria said. "I'll watch the desk."

"Thanks." I headed to the back room, where I was promptly pushed up against the wall and kissed like I was the air Cash had needed all his life.

"Hey, Turtle."

"Hi, honey." I smiled. "How was lunch?"

"It was great. Mom always seems to make everything better."

"She's kind of amazing."

"Agreed."

I slid my hands down to cup him over his jeans. "Two more hours and I can wrap my mouth around this."

We were still keeping things a little on the downlow until I had the chance to talk to Daisy. I wanted to do it face-to-face and we had plans for a girls night soon. I don't know why, but I was more nervous about telling her than I had been about telling my dad.

He leaned back with a hiss. "Jesus, woman, it's hard enough stayin' soft watchin' you work all day. You wanna give me a break here."

I grinned. "Nope."

"You're gonna pay for that."

"Oh, I'm counting on it."

He chuckled. "Get back to work."

"You found the spark plugs?"

He held them up. "Sure did. Thanks for the help."

I gave him a two fingered salute. "No problem."

I walked back out to the front and Gloria smiled. "Did he find them?"

"Right where they were yesterday," I said.

"And the day before?"

I chuckled. "Exactly."

"Men."

"Right?"

"He's cute though." She sighed. "I'd be happy to show him where to put his spark plug any old day."

I tried not to vomit in my mouth as I rolled my eyes and moved on with my day.

* * *

"You ready?" Cash asked as I grabbed my purse from the locked drawer behind the desk.

"Um, yes," I said. "I think so."

"We'll lock up, Glo," Cash said.

"You got plans tonight, Cash?" Gloria cooed.

"Yeah."

"You wanna change them and have a little fun?"

"No."

Her face fell and she looked like she might cry, so I stepped away, hiding in the back room, out of sight, but still within earshot.

"Look, Gloria, you've been comin' on a little strong lately, and I wanna get something straight. You and I will never happen. I don't wanna sound harsh, but you need to focus your efforts on someone else. You're pretty enough and you seem cool, but I'm not the one, you got it?"

She sputtered a little and I bit my lip to keep from making any noise.

"I don't want to hurt your feelings, but I really need to hear you acknowledge what I'm saying," Cash continued.

"Yeah, Cash, I hear you. And fuck you by the way."

I heard the bell over the door jingle, then Cash muttering, "Good talk."

I peeked out of the supply room door finding him alone before making my way to him. "Ooph, that was rough."

He threw his hands in the air. "I tried to be nice."

"On you, honey."

"Right. Shit, sorry."

"Let's get home and you can vent it out, then I'll take care of your other stresses."

"Let's go," he breathed out, and we locked up and headed out.

Pulling up to his home, I noticed his truck parked on the street and when he opened his garage door, he rode up beside me. "Park inside."

"You made a spot for me in the garage?" I said in a sing-song voice.

He grinned. "Of course I did."

We pulled in side-by-side, and he closed the garage before grabbing my bag from my trunk. The second we were inside the house, his lips were on mine and our clothes were leaving a trail back to his bedroom.

By the time his boots hit the floor, I was on my knees and wrapping my lips around his dick. Cash gave me all of ten seconds to enjoy my time before he hauled my ass off the floor and bent me over the edge of his bed.

"Cash," I admonished.

He smacked my ass. "Spread, Teagan."

I spread, and he slid his thumb in deep.

"Remember how I said there were consequences to the games you play?"

I licked my lips and leaned into his touch. "Oh, yes, yes, you did."

He quickly replaced his thumb with the tip of his cock, and I couldn't stop a needful whimper as he lingered at my entrance, gripping my hips to stop me from rearing back.

"Cash," I hissed.

"Patience, Turtle."

"I've waited all week." I glared at him over my shoulder. "Fuck patience."

He grinned, slamming deep and I moaned as he hit the spot, feeling my pussy flood.

"There's my girl," Cash said, sliding his hand between my legs and fingering my clit.

Now that he wasn't anchoring my hips, I had the freedom to move, so I took that opportunity and rocked back against him. I was rewarded with another smack to my bottom, and I grinned as my pussy contracted at the sting. "Harder," I begged.

He buried himself deep and I dropped my head back, gripping the edge of the mattress as he slammed into me again. Harder and harder, until I wasn't sure my legs would hold me.

"I'm gonna fall," I warned.

"I got you." His arm snaked around my waist, and he held me tight with one hand, while his other moved from my clit to my breast, rolling my nipple into an ever harder peak.

"I can't wait, Cash."

"Let it go, baby."

I fell against him as I allowed an orgasm to crest, and he continued to rock against me until his dick pulsed inside of me. He guided me onto the bed, sliding gently out and pulling me close as he wrapped a blanket around me. "Well, hi."

I chuckled. "Hi, yourself."

"I fuckin' missed this."

"Oh my god, me too." I rolled over to face him and stroked his cheek. "I really do prefer it without a condom."

"You've mentioned that a few times," he teased.

I wrinkled my nose. "Well, excuse me for being addicted to your dick."

He grinned, sliding his hand down to cup my butt. "Addicted, huh?"

"Totally and completely." I kissed him quickly. "Like, being away from it for over a week has quite literally nearly killed me."

"Quite literally nearly killed you?" Cash raised an eyebrow. "That sounds quite literally nearly serious."

"It was," I confirmed, nodding. "I had blue lips."

Cash bust out laughing.

"Jesus fucking Christ, woman," he bit out as he continued to laugh.

My stomach rumbled, loud enough to muffle Cash's laughter. "Wow," I said, laying my hand on it.

"Maybe I should feed you," he said.

I grinned. "Might be a good idea."

Cash's fridge was somewhat lacking, so we decided a trip to the store would be a good idea. Well, I decided.

"Babe, we can make something out of this, don't you think?" he asked.

"Cash, you have beer, ketchup and two T-bones. Not one vegetable in sight, and although, I appreciate you stocked up on wine, that doesn't count as ‘fruit.' Of course, your vinyl collection is robust as ever. I noticed you've added to it since I was last here."

Cash collected records. Old school vinyl, to be exact. His turntable cost more than his TV, and he had a broad taste in music from Jimmy Hendrix to Chris Stapleton. He even had some old big band albums mixed in. His only rule, ‘no fucking auto tune.' If he could hear it, he didn't buy it. And we could all thank Melody Morgan for teaching us all how to ‘hear' it. We were all ruined now that she'd made a point to never use it again.

He sighed. "Maybe you have a point. We'll hit the store."

I grinned. "Grab all the bags you have, honey. We're going to stock you up."

"Oh, goody."

He grabbed a handful of bags and led me outside.