I’m dressed and ready, wearing a purple three-quarter length top, with dark skinny jeans and my favorite black ballerina slippers. I was going for comfort and a little fashion. My hair is down and in loose curls and I’m wearing a minimal amount of make-up, since Cash isn’t back yet and I still have until tomorrow sometime until I see him, I figure I will go to the store and get the groceries needed for tomorrow’s night meal. I want it to be special for him.

I’m just heading outside to hop in the vehicle he loaned me, when a dark blue Ford truck pulls up. My heart beats double time when I see Cash step out of the pickup. He’s wearing well-worn, tight jeans, and a black cotton tee that’s molded to his body. Just seeing him after all this time, and with everything we’ve shared, makes my knees weak. I don’t question myself, I just run to him. The need to be with him is that strong and I can’t bother with second guessing myself.

“Cash,” I murmur, as he bends down and his lips come right to mine. It’s like we’ve been lovers all these years and he was out at sea, and we haven’t seen each other in months.

“Mia,” he groans.

“You’re early,” I whisper when we finally break apart. “I was dying to see you.”

“I couldn’t wait. All this time without you has been hell, Mia. I’ve missed waking up with you in my arms.”

I blush as he tells me this. I’ve longed to have his arms wrapped around me too.

“I missed you too, Cash,” I confess.

“Then let’s get you home where you belong,” he says simply. His words give me this funny feeling in the pit of my stomach. Does he realize what it sounds like when he says things like that? “Ready to go?” he asks, getting my attention again.

“Yep,” I answer, as he holds the door open for me. I can feel his heated gaze and I turn around quickly to see him staring at my ass. “Cash!” I swat at him playfully and giggle. He takes my hand and holds it to his lips and kisses it gently. I turn into a puddle of goo. I don’t know how I survived without him.

“Mia, with an ass like yours, I can’t help but look, feel, touch, and spank it. Fuck, I may even bite it,” he growls.

He gets my door shut and walks around, leaving me to digest what he just told me. It makes me smile. Cash climbs in with ease, he was meant for this truck. We head to the local grocery store and I meet him around the front of the truck once we’re parked.

He grabs my hand as we walk in. The entire time we shop, he’s holding my hand and pushing the shopping cart with his free hand. It’s like this is our everyday normal. I see some stares, but I’m trying my best to ignore it.

“Cash, I need to get the ingredients for cookies. Do you like chocolate chip?” I ask, looking up into his eyes.

I see the mirth in his eyes before he responds “Darlin’, if baking involves you naked in my kitchen, chocolate chip cookies are my new favorite.”

I can’t help but laugh along with him. I’m now making a mental note of how I can one day surprise him when he gets home from working a long day out on the farm.

“I may accommodate that one day.” I respond, and I can see the heat in his eyes. I grin the entire time I get the supplies for the cookies.

“You got everything you need?” he asks once I finish.

“Yea, just need to check out. Then, we’re all set.”

I worry my bottom lip as I try to think of a way to pay for the groceries before he can. Once we are in line, I get in front of him, so he can’t see me sneak my card into the machine. All of a sudden, my card is pulled out and he’s handing the cashier money to pay for the groceries. I turn around and stomp my foot, acting like the mature twenty-one-year-old that I am.

“Cash, damn it. This was my treat.”

“Next time, Darlin’,” he responds, and I know it’s utter bullshit. He’ll never let me pay for anything. I sigh, not knowing what to do. I’m used to taking care of myself; I’m not used to anyone worrying about me.

He puts our groceries in the truck and we head to his farm. He’s once again holding my hand the entire time, it’s one of the sweetest things I’ve ever experienced. I love that he likes to have some part of him touching me. I yearned for it when he wasn’t around.

When we make it to the farm, a big, wrought, iron gate says, “Haynes Farms.” You can see the house from the gate and I gasp in shock at how beautiful it is. It’s a ranch style two-story house with a front porch wrapped around, complete with two rocking chairs. I can imagine where I’d drink my coffee every morning and then watch the sunset in the evenings.

“Cash, I have no words. Your home is beautiful,” I murmur.

“Thanks, Mia. It’s been in my family for many years. I hope to hand it down to my children one day.”

He’s looking directly at me when he says those words, and I get a funny feeling in my stomach from the look in his eyes.

“I hope you do,” I tell him. “It’s a beautiful legacy.”

We walk into the house and my amazement doesn’t stop there. It’s a beautiful home, with a gorgeous open floor plan from the living room into the kitchen. My love of cooking has me heading straight to the kitchen and I can’t wait to fix him a home cooked meal.

“Cash?”

“Yeah, Darlin’?”

“Do you mind if I get started? I mean, I’m kind of in love with your kitchen and can’t wait to cook in it.” I ramble on, noticing how satisfied he looks with me standing here looking up at him.

“Yeah, Mia, I’ll let you cook on one condition,” he says.

“What’s that?” I ask.

“You gotta kiss me. It’s been too long since I’ve had your taste in my mouth and my hands in that gorgeous hair of yours.”

I reach up to him and he bends down until our lips meet. Cash is the best kisser I’ve ever met. Not that it means a lot since my high school experience was nil. Then, Dad getting sick made it impossible to date.

My kiss with Cash gets frantic, like we both can’t get enough of each other. When we pull apart his hands are still wrapped in my hair and I’m gazing up at him, my eyes large and completely star struck.

“Now you can cook, sweet Mia.”

I sigh as I watch him sit in a chair. My heart beats erratically in my chest, as he gives me free reign of his kitchen.

“You sit there and let me work my magic, Cash.”