ENDING OF THE PREVIOUS POST:

"Who could that be?" Paige released a deep breath. Please not the police. Tears welled in her eyes.

With the door cracked open, Paige hesitated before she looked into the hallway. "Cash!" She threw her arms around his neck, hugged him, and then slapped his left cheek. "You'd better have a good excuse for being out all night!"


TODAY'S POST:

Cash grabbed Paige's right wrist. "I didn't deserve that."

"Yes, you did! You made me worry about you all night. I thought something had happened." Paige glared into Cash's eyes. "Let go of my arm."

"Will you promise not to hit me again?" After Paige nodded, Cash released his grip. "You can see I'm all right."

"I had visions of you lying all bloody on the sidewalk. Where'd you go? Why'd you leave? I paced all night." Paige moved her arm sideways to show the path of the carpet pressed down.

"You did some pacing, but I doubt it was all night." Cash sniffed the air. "I smell cherry blossoms."

"I took a bubble bath so I could think of what to do next. I almost called 911."

"I'm glad you didn't. That would've been overreacting."

"So worrying about your safety's wrong?"

"I'm a country boy. I know how to handle myself."

Paige yanked the ties of her white terrycloth bathrobe. "So in your world it's okay to disappear without telling anybody for," she glanced at her watch, "seven hours. I think I'll try it and see how you like it." Paige walked toward the door and put her hand on the handle.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Cash touched her arm.

"And why not?" Paige stared at his hand on hers.

"It's not safe out there."

"Exactly my point!" Paige elevated her voice.

"Lower your voice or you'll have those two over here." Cash nodded toward the other room. "I'm not a beautiful woman wearing nothing but a robe."

"Sometimes I really hate you."

Cash smiled. "That doesn't surprise me at all. Logic tends to do that to some people."

Paige wrinkled her nose and plopped on the bed. "You still need to tell me where you spent the night and why you left."

"Maybe I was hungry."

"We could've ordered room service. Why won't you tell me?"

"I guess because it's none of your business."

"How dare you!" Paige stood and put her hands on her hips. "I worried about you. I care about you." She hesitated. "I meant I cared about your safety."

Paige sat in a chair and stared at Cash. What is he hiding from me? Maybe he has a female friend that moved here from Savannah. Or he might have an addiction; gambling, drugs, alcohol, maybe even sex. He spent the night with a professional. Help! I need Mary Pat.

Cash took a drink of bottled water. "I can tell that imagination of yours is running wild. Whatever you think I did, I didn't."

"You don't know what I was thinking, so how could you know you didn't do it?"

"I know you. You see ghosts and treasure chests at every turn."

"It never occured to me that you spent the night with a ghost or a treasure chest." Paige sat up straighter. So there.

"I'm hungry. Want me to order some breakfast?" Cash picked up the phone.

"I guess whatever you did last night didn't include eating." Paige's lips pouted.

Cash set down the phone. "This is really bothering you, isn't it?" He dried an escaped tear and took her hands in his. "Come over here."

After they sat on the edge of the bed, Cash continued, "I slept in the SUV."

"Why?" Paige tilted her head.

"Because I didn't want anything to happen we might regret."

"But?"

Cash put his finger over her lips. "Because that's how I was raised and that's who I am." He removed his finger, put his arms around her, and his lips tenderly met hers.

After the kiss, Cash continued to hold Paige. "We good?"

Paige nodded. We're perfect.