Chapter 19

 

Miranda’s drive to Canton had been a long and exhausting one down from the city. When she had finally reached city limits relief had settled in. Cash was now close and she was fully confident that he’d take her back, forgive her of her affair as well as forgive her for the ugly and messy divorce that she had put him threw. While Cash was indeed a very strong man, he was also very soft inside to the point of being just as, if not more sensitive than a woman. Miranda knew just how to play that to her advantage. He had begged her for marriage counseling. He had pleaded to end the divorce process and that he’d do anything to fix what was broken. She let him take the heat of his guilt thinking it was because he was an extremely busy detective. She had this here in the bag. As her GPS had taken her threw town, she wasn’t all too crazy about the idea of small town life. There were no designer shops of any sort that she could see but she doubted it anyway by the vehicles on the road or the attire she saw on folks walking the sidewalks. She supposed that she could manage. There was always on line shopping and thank God for that. She was sure that her GPS would lead her into one of the surprisingly beautiful subdivisions that she had passed but it hadn’t. She was sure with what Cash had been left with from after the divorce that it would take him a long way in a town like this. What would leave him poor in the city had him rich out on the sticks. But alas, none of those homes belonged to Cash. She had even eye balled Negan’s mansion thinking that was the house she’d want. It was by far the grandest that she had seen unaware of its history but that wouldn’t have mattered anyway. It sat high on the hill and looked down on everyone. If she were to live in a town like this, she would request a eagles nest such as the old governor’s mansion. It wasn’t too long after she had passed Negan’s that she figured her navigation was off seeing as how it was leading her back out threw city limits in the opposite direction in which she had entered. She was heading into farm land as far as the eye could see on one side and a densely wooded forest on the other. She had 1/2 a mind to pull over and check the address that she had been given as his new forwarding address but her GPS had given her just a few more miles till she reached her destination. She could turn around then or maybe, possibly Cash HAD indeed bought the grandest home in Canton and it just wasn’t amongst neighbors. She was sorely mistaken on both when she drove slowly back in  on his two track drive. “You’re kidding me, Cash.” She groaned pulling in the long drive and spotted the now neat and tidy little old hunting cabin in front of her. She decided right then and there that this was going to change immediately. There was no way in hell that she was making THIS her home. Even though she didn’t recognize either of the full sized trucks parked side by side to be Cash’s vehicle, she knew that this was his place. It was just a feeling she had. Cash just had a presence that lingered and she felt his energy in the wind. Well, she’d comply a day or two, a week tops at this shack but then they most certainly were moving to one of those quaint subdivisions if not that majestic mansion on the hill that she had passed by. 

Well, here she was for the time being and she did have a certain flare of excitement bubbled up inside her knowing that she’d be sleeping with Cash that night. Trent, the man she had been screwing around with behind Cash’s back had been exciting for sure but he didn’t hold a candle to Cash in bed no matter if they were getting along or not. Cash was a very eager lover with an aim to leave her utterly satisfied and numb. Trent was good but Cash was unreal so yes, she was greatly looking forward to reuniting with him even if only it were to be his oral. With that thought in mind, she pulled up behind the two trucks and made her way to the porch. It was quickly made obvious to her that he wasn’t home. It was not only that the door was locked when she had tried the handle or that there were no lights on inside but his presence wasn’t immediately felt. Just an aura of him. The cabin sat very still. Curiosity still had her wanting to peer inside the windows to look in on the life that he had made for himself after their divorce. Choosing a window that she could reach, she cupped her hands against the chilled window pane. Yes, this was definitely Cash’s home. Not only was the yard immaculate but so was the inside. Cash was very basic but very neat. He liked warm tones. If she had ever had made it her business to truly get to know her husband, she would have known that where he was at was everything that he was. What did take her by surprise was that she had spotted Miss Mittens curled in a ball sleeping on the back of the sofa. Cash had always wanted a dog when they were married but never a cat. In fact, Cash  didn’t like cats. The fact that he didn’t was just fine to her because she didn’t like dogs or cats but especially cats. Well, she’d just have to find the local animal shelter to take the cat to tomorrow. She was sure that the cat had been hanging around or something and Cash being the big hearted dope that he was hadn’t had the gull to get rid of it himself so she’d take care of it for him. Sometimes it was a wonder to her how Cash had made such a fine detective with how sappy and weak his heart was. She shook her head and decided to just sit and wait for his return. After all, she really didn’t have a choice. She had no idea about anything in Canton. All she had was this address. 

Miranda’s wait indeed hadn’t been a long one. It had maybe been 20 minutes since she had sat down on the porch steps before she heard voices off in the distance and one of them was unmistakably her husband’s. She wasn’t sure of course who the 2nd belonged to but she figured it to be his new partner and she really didn’t have a clue in how correct on that she actually was. 

Since Cash had been adamant about not being taken to the hospital, he had agreed to go back to Negan’s and to let Negan and his butler tend to his wound. He was thankful that Negan did have that barn full of horses and other farm animals because that meant that he had a fully stocked first aid and antibiotics supply cupboard at his disposal. Maybe Cash wouldn’t have to earn the trust of a Dr. here in Canton after all. Maybe Negan would be his surgeon? He did handle removing the arrow real well and with out any hesitation other than his bitching but Cash liked the bitching. It was part of Negan’s charm that he attracted to. He just hadn’t intended on ever telling Negan of his true blood line was all. He had been able to snow Miranda all of their marital years that he was human. Negan would be no different but if Negan was to become his personal surgeon, he’d have to learn of the truth. Cash had a strong feeling that as eccentric as Negan was that he’d handle this news just fine. In fact, he could almost make certain that Negan would find him to be empowering to himself. The way that Negan took pride in his champions Cash figured he’d be no different and that was fine with Cash too. To finally have someone be proud of him felt real good. It was on their way back to the cabin that they decided that Cash would direct Negan now into packing him an over night bag for a day or two. Over night would be plenty but Negan insisted he stay longer. They both knew who had fired that shot and they both knew that Mackey knew that he hadn’t fatally wounded Cash. Mackey would most definitely be back to finish the job. Like hell was Negan leaving Cash there now. Having to leave the cabin royally pissed Negan off as well because that cabin just felt real secure and cozy to him. Cash made that place very sexy and it ticked Negan off that their little spot was about to be infiltrated. While earlier Negan had wanted to get right down to business and figure out dinner and all that afterwards, Cash had imagined sharing boxes of Chinese take out and a bottle of wine in front of his fireplace before hitting the sack. Now neither of their plans were going to come true. “I’m bringing my cat.” Cash added as Negan rambled off what they’d do first once they got back to the cabin to get them both out of there as quickly as possible. “Of course.” Negan  agreed. “She doesn’t sleep in the barn anymore.” Cash added. “I know. I know. The cat sleeps with us. That’s fine. I don’t care.” He waved on. He was about to mention that he wanted to strip Cash’s bed bc if he couldn’t sleep in that bed, he was at least going to sleep in those thread bare sheets regardless but had spotted the odd car parked behind his truck first. “Whose car is that?” Negan edged switching mindsets back to the obvious problem at hand. Cash leaned on Negan’s brace that was helping him walk and looked around him. “Not a fucking clue. The Chief drives a Chevy and Walker a Jeep Wrangler.” Cash winced. “Fuck.” Negan hissed. Was it someone that Mackey had called in already or was it someone from a welcome wagon stopping in. Cash looked towards the house and even from that distance he knew full well who it was. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Cash groaned in shock. Miranda was the very last person he figured it to be if ever again in his life. Negan turned to look in Cash’s direction and now he too saw Miranda sitting on the porch. “Well, who the fuck is it?” Negan shrugged unable to make out who it was from that distance even though he wouldn’t have known anyway. He figured it to be the possible real estate agent who had sold him the place. He didn’t fucking know and he didn’t care either. They didn’t have time for this or needed to be explaining anything at all to anyone either as to why he and Cash’s clothes and hands were drying in blood and especially not to a woman. “That’s my ex-wife.” Cash answered. Negan’s eyes widened as far as they possibly could and snapped his neck to face Cash. “Tell me right fucking now that you’re fucking joking me.” He demanded. “I wish that I fuckin’ was but no. That’s Miranda.” He confirmed. At this point Cash would rather having found one of The Mackey’s on his porch steps then his ex wife. Negan immediately flipped a switch to a whole new level of pissed off. Cash knew it too and stopped walking for a minute to make Negan pause too and reached for his hand. Negan felt the advance and fanned his fingers out firm that he wasn’t cool with this in the slightest as he stared at the blonde sitting on the steps waiting for her husband’s return. Cash wasn’t about to give in and snatched his grip in between Negan’s palm regardless if Negan was refusing to reciprocate in that advance. “You don’t have a goddamn thing to worry about, Negan.” Cash strongly promised. Negan cracked his neck and ran his tongue over his fangs beneath his lips. He’d drain that bitch of every last drop of her life before he would surrender Cash over to the likes of her. She had had her chance and she had abused his heart. “Negan.” Cash interrupted. “Yeah, we’ll fucking see about that won’t we?” He replied sharply even though inside he was very much panicked. Cash saw threw the front that Negan was trying to portray. “Negan, I want to make a go of this with you so goddamn bad.” He crossed forcing Negan to look him in the eye and squeezed his palm once more even though that pressure scorched pain clear to his shoulder and straight down to his toes. Negan found his breath that he’d been holding in and sighed raising his chin to study Cash’s eyes that were busy studying his own. “I’m not giving you up, Beasty.” He answered. Cash softly smiled. “Good. Glad to hear it.” He winked and with that Negan now closed his fingers against the back of Cash’s knuckles. “I love the way your mustache feels on my lip.” Cash added and leaned in to quickly kiss Negan. Negan caught the surprise kiss a second off beat but smiled.