Raking a hand through his hair, Cash started toward the bathroom. Hopefully, all he’d encounter in there would be lotions and hair products.
“. . . and the electrical is all a mess,” Tanner went on.
Damn it. He’d been sidetracked by a damn bra and the visual of Jade and missed the first part of Tanner explaining the issue. But from the little bit Cash caught, the plane would be an expensive fix. As much as that would sting, Cash was still thankful he and Jade had made it out with barely a scratch. The thought of her getting hurt, especially by his hands, made his gut tighten with a fear he’d never felt before.
“Jax is working on getting it back to Haven,” Tanner added. “But the local paper got wind of the issue and already called, wanting to know if this was an extension of the expansion and what new clients should expect. The guy was a total ass, but Livie handled him with that sweet charm of hers, and now he’s waiting on an exclusive statement.”
Well, hell. An idiotic thought like that never crossed
his mind. Why did everyone glom onto the negative aspect of aviation? It was one of the safest sports and means of transportation there was. Yet one malfunction and the media was all over things.
“How the hell did they know?” Cash asked.
He caught sight of himself in the mirror over the vanity that stretched along the far wall. Damn, he needed to shave or get a haircut. He hadn’t thought to pick up an extra set of beard trimmers. Oh, well, the black eye would distract from the unruly facial hair.
Part of him wanted to laugh, knowing he’d be showing up at a country club looking like a savage. The other part of him felt sorry for Jade because she’d have to deal with her mother.
“I have no clue how they found out,” Tanner replied. “Livie is already working on the press release, but if you could ask Jade to jump on that as well? We’re going to have to do some major damage control before we lose business we don’t have yet.”
Cash sighed as he glanced toward the ceiling. “Yeah. I’ll talk to Jade today. She’s at the wedding, but we’ll start brainstorming. Listen, man, I know we share this plane, but I’ll pay for anything that needs fixing.”
“Like hell,” his cousin all but shouted. “We have insurance that will cover most of the cost, and it could’ve happened with me behind the controls. I know it wasn’t pilot error.”
“Still . . .”
“Forget it. Just worry about dealing with Jade when she gets back from the wedding,” Tanner warned. “From what Melanie told me, Jade’s family can suck the life right out of you. Good thing you’re not attending.”
Apparently, Jade hadn’t told Melanie or Livie he was joining her at the wedding. Nothing to tell really. It wasn’t like they were dating or even pretending. As far as Cash knew, he was just here as a friend, to keep somewhat of the peace.
“I’ll keep an eye on her,” Cash promised.
“What? Wait a minute, Cash.” Tanner muffled something in the background. “Melanie said to be nice to Jade and not irritate her too much.”
“What about her irritating me?”
Like with her booty shorts and lingerie?
Tanner chuckled. “Just passing along the message, buddy. We’ll see you back here tomorrow.”
Cash disconnected the call and rubbed his eyes. Tomorrow Jax was coming back up to give Jade and him a ride home so they didn’t have to take the rental car back to Georgia. Likely Jax thought Jade and Cash would kill each other before they made it back if they were left alone too long.
Focusing on things he could control today, Cash took a quick shower and attempted to smooth his hair back so he didn’t look completely unruly. Of course, now with the sleek hair and the black eye he was giving off the image of a mob boss, but better than homeless . . . right?
He knotted the towel tighter around his waist and flattened his palms against the vanity as he leaned in to examine the beard. Might as well, he thought. It was only hair.
A laugh escaped him as he grabbed Jade’s razor from the shower and got to work. He hadn’t fully shaved his beard in several years, but something made him want to attempt to look his best for Jade. He didn’t want to be a complete embarrassment to her. He drew the line at trying to fix his facial injuries. He wouldn’t be borrowing any of her magical makeup potions to cover the eye or the cut on his forehead.
Once he was done, Cash ran a hand over his smooth jaw. His face felt colder, almost naked now. He made sure to rinse the razor extra before he put it back on the small ledge in the shower. She’d probably throw it away if she knew he’d used it.
All that was left to do was get dressed. He checked the time and figured they’d be starting pictures now. Likely she was bored out of her ever-loving mind. He still wondered if there was one family member she actually looked forward to seeing, or if she got along with any. Surely she had something in common with her own family.
Cash finished getting ready and headed out. It only took him eight minutes to get to the country club, where he was greeted by a valet when he pulled up. As soon as the valet took the car, a golf cart waited to take him on up to the outdoor venue.
Fall in Tennessee was rather amazing. Not that he’d ever get married again, but this was a perfect day for any outdoor activity. There was a slight breeze, the temps were hovering at a perfect seventy degrees, and the foliage had hit peak season. No money in the world could buy this type of setting.
Cash was dropped off right at the entrance to the ceremony. There were tall floral arrangements on gold stands on either side of the brick pathway that led toward the grove of trees. As he headed down, he heard laughter and chatting. All at once, nerves assaulted him.
What was he really doing here? He didn’t belong in a place like this. He’d obviously stand out, considering he wasn’t wearing a tie, and he looked like he’d been on the losing end of a boxing match. Hell, he’d never been on a golf course in his life, let alone a country club. His father was a pill-popping alcoholic and Cash was a bitter divorcé.