Chapter 19 #2
“I liked it.” He shrugged one of those powerful shoulders. “And like I said last night, I’m not sorry about it. Maybe I wouldn’t have wanted my whole family there to witness it, but it wasn’t that many people.”
Lark shook her head, her eyes pricking with tears, though she didn’t truly care who’d seen her and Cash kissing. “That’s what’s untrue,” she said. “They were all looking at me.”
“Uncle Mav saw,” he said. “And he has fast thumbs. No one else saw anything.”
“But they all know.”
Cash finally pushed away from the door and took cautious steps toward her. “They would’ve anyway,” he said. “We’re dating, Lark.” He sat down beside her and enfolded her hands in both of his. “And I don’t care what they think.”
“That’s because you’re already one of them,” she said. “And you can mess up, and act badly, leave town, whatever you want, and they’d welcome you back like the Prodigal Son. I’m standing on the outside, looking in and trying to impress them all enough so they’ll hopefully let me stay.”
Cash made an angry, short sound. “If you’re with me, you get to stay.
” He stroked his thumb up the side of her hand and pressed it against her wrist. “I understand you’re embarrassed,” he whispered.
“I hate it, but I understand it. I will apologize for that. I shouldn’t have kissed you at the party. ”
Lark ducked her head at the quiet power in his voice. He spoke with earnestness too, and Lark had never had someone apologize to her this way before.
“I’ve already put it on the family text that it was a mistake, and I apologized to all of them too. That’s how I know only Mav actually saw us.”
Lark nodded, some of the disquiet in her soul easing away.
“You were just so beautiful,” he whispered. “And you fit in my arms like God made you to be there, and I lost my head.”
Lark looked up at him then, needing to see with her eyes if he looked as sincere as he sounded. She’d never see midnight the same way again, as every night when she looked up into the sky, she’d be reminded of Cash’s eyes.
Smoky, and deep, and able to conceal some things she really wanted to see, to know, to understand.
“So I guess I just need to know if you’re a little distant as you try to figure out how to stand confidently at my side, or if you hated the kissing and want to call it now.”
Her eyes went wide then. “Call it now? Like, stop…seeing each other?”
He nodded, his jaw jumping in clear irritation.
“Of course not.” Lark shook her head, bringing out some of the fire she’d fed him before. “Cash, no. The kissing was…acceptable.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Acceptable?”
“Incredible,” she said quickly.
“It doesn’t feel like it when you make me suffer through twelve hours without seeing you or talking to you.”
“We’ve texted,” she said.
“It’s not the same,” he whispered.
Lark smiled at him and cradled half of his face in her palm. “How do you do this?”
“Do what?”
“Show up and say all the right things?” She shook her head. “It’s not fair.”
“What’s not fair is how early I had to get up in order to make this breakfast buffet.” He stood, taking her with him. “If you’re really not avoiding me, come on. Breakfast is ready.” He let one hand drop and tugged on her other as he started for the door.
But Lark resisted. Cash turned back to her, surprise in those dark depths now. “What did you think of King for your nickname?”
He opened his mouth, then closed it again. After another moment, he smiled at her and drew her fully into his embrace. “I’m not sure I understand it, but I’d love to hear your explanation.”
“You know, how they say cash is king.”
His grin widened. “Cash is king.” He seemed to be trying the words out in his mouth.
Lark simply couldn’t look away from it. “Yeah,” she whispered. “And you may not have a crown, but you’ve got some pretty shiny belt buckles, and it felt decent coming out of my mouth.”
Cash swayed with her. “If I’m a king, does that make you my queen?”
Lark certainly felt like it. “Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
Feeling like a caterpillar who’d gone through a complete transformation and was now emerging from the chrysalis, Lark tipped her head back and looked at him. “I might need another kiss to determine that.”
Cash laughed, and he had barely sobered before he dipped his head as if he’d do what she wanted him to. Then his phone shrieked out an alarm, startling both of them back a step.
“That’s the hash brown casserole,” he said, and Cash fumbled for his phone in his back pocket. He silenced it and looked at Lark, but the moment had been broken.
“Dude, something’s going off down here!” Jet called, and his footsteps started toward them.
Cash scampered toward the door and opened it. “Yeah, I’m coming.” He tossed one look over his shoulder before stepping into the hallway. “I can hold them back for maybe five minutes.”
“It’ll only take three to change and brush my teeth,” Lark said.
He looked out into the hallway. “Yeah, she’s awake.” He turned his back on Jet and met Lark’s eyes. “And we’ll come back to this later.”
Lark smiled, heat pouring through her, and nodded. Cash stepped out into the hall, chuckled and jostled with Jet, and headed back into the kitchen. Jet now filled the doorway, and Lark’s smile straightened.
“Are you okay, Larky?” Jet asked, taking Cash’s place in Lark’s bedroom.
Her throat tightened for some strange reason, so she simply nodded and moved forward to hug her brother. Jet grunted as he received her into his arms, but he wrapped her up and held on tight.
“I’m so glad you’re home,” she whispered.
“Is that where we are?” Jet whispered back. “Because, Lark, none of us have truly lived here for years.” He pulled away and peered at her. Lark wasn’t sure what he saw or what her face looked like, but Lark realized that was the problem.
How could she feel anchored when she had no home?
“Come on,” Jet said. “I’m glad we’re here together.” He took her hand and led her out of the bedroom. “And your boyfriend has been cooking for a couple of hours, and hoo-boy, is he good in the kitchen.”
Lark wanted to protest, because she still wore her pjs, but when she entered the kitchen, she found Wade there in his black and gray flannel pajama pants, and Cash wearing a matching pair with his dark gray tee.
How she hadn’t noticed his clothing before, Lark wasn’t sure, but she decided to attribute it to those mysterious midnight eyes.