Chapter 34
CHAPTER
THIRTY-FOUR
On the fifth trip up to the ninth floor and down the hall with a load of his belongings, Cash became very grateful that he had chosen the living accommodations with an elevator. He couldn’t even imagine making his father and uncles help him move to the fourth floor, up all those stairs.
“This is the last of it,” he said, as he entered the apartment.
His daddy had come to help him move that day, as had Uncle Tex, Uncle Mav, and Uncle Gabe.
“I gotta be real honest,” Uncle Tex said, poking his head out from the galley kitchen. “I don’t think all this stuff’s gonna fit.”
“Oh, it’s gonna fit,” Cash said. “Look, the desk is empty.”
His uncles had been unpacking as he and his father continued to bring things in, and he pushed the cart with his suitcases full of clothes into the bedroom. The pantry did look a little bit full, but Cash could go through it all and put it where he wanted it once everyone left.
This room also cost twice as much as a two-bedroom apartment in Coral Canyon would have, but he hadn’t been able to find anything ready for him in less than one week. Lark was right, and he hated looking for somewhere to live.
He didn’t need anything long term, and this room was really nice.
He could have housekeeping come anytime he wanted, and the lodge had room service and on-site restaurants.
There was enough counter space for him to make doughnuts if he wanted to, and set a crockpot out to make a roast on Sundays.
Or he could just go get a steak every night.
Cousins Creek sat twenty minutes down the road, and Uncle Tex only forty. Yes, it was quite the drive across town to the McClellan’s house. That took almost fifty minutes, but Cash was still glad and grateful that he’d been able to find this.
Lark had originally planned to help him move in that day, but she’d woken up with a sore throat and a stuffy nose, and he’d given her medicine and gone to the small store in Dog Valley to get her some Gatorade. Then, he’d ordered her to stay in bed all day.
He’d be attending OJ’s birthday party by himself after this, and honestly, Cash was looking forward to the alone-time.
It felt different than when Lark was hundreds of miles away.
It felt like the beginning of their normal relationship, where he would be able to make dates with her, and go pick her up, take her flowers and comment on her hair and dress in the doorway, kiss her on the porch, and then make that drive home where he went over every detail of the date.
Then he could text her from the privacy of his own bed and get that fluttery feeling in his stomach when he fell in love with a woman. Yes, this was a very good move, and while Cash had initially been sour about the whole thing, he could now see the genius inside of it.
“Hey, are we eating here?” Daddy asked, and Cash looked up from the suitcase he’d been unpacking.
“Yeah, I’ve got a reservation at the steakhouse downstairs. I thought we were having lunch.”
Daddy nodded, and then turned back to go into the living room. “He’s got a reservation at the steakhouse.”
Uncle Gabe’s agreeable tone met Cash’s ears, and he went back to unpacking his clothes.
The bedroom had an enormous dresser with more drawers than he needed, and he hung his suit coat and his button-down shirts and jackets in the closet with room to spare.
He stowed his suitcases in there as well, and then went to see what the situation in the kitchen really was.
He knew he had a lot of food and cooking equipment, but he found that Uncle Tex had been able to put it all away just fine.
“We look done,” he said, standing in the doorway that separated the living and sleeping area of the apartment.
His father sat on the couch, his legs spread in front of him on the chaise.
Uncle Tex sat at the dining table, his fingers flying over his phone, while Uncle Gabe and Uncle Mav arranged a few extra things on the desk.
The gym was on the third floor of this building, but the private hot tub he wanted to use was clear across the complex, behind the spa area. He told himself he’d never been hurt by walking, and he grinned around at his uncles.
“Let’s go get something to eat,” he said.
Tex stood first and hooked his arm around Cash’s shoulders. “I’m so glad you’re here, Cash, and so close to me.”
Cash grinned at his uncle. “Yeah, me too, Uncle Tex.”
“Boston’s pretty happy about you being up here too,” Mav said. “I know he gets lonely sometimes.”
Cash scoffed as he led the way out of the luxury hotel room. “Are you kidding me?” he asked. “That boy doesn’t have time for anything but work, and anyone but Cora.”
A sting moved through Cash’s chest, because, yes, he was the closest to Boston out of all the cousins in the family, and no, they didn’t spend that much time together, especially since Boston and Cora had gotten engaged.
He couldn’t fault the man, because all Cash wanted to do was spend time with Lark, and he’d never felt like that about anyone before.
“How big is that place?” Uncle Gabe asked.
“Eight hundred total square feet,” Cash said.
Compared to the McClellan’s six thousand-foot mansion, Cash would definitely have to get used to closer walls and tighter quarters.
He felt it the most in the kitchen and the loss of the hot tub, but he told himself that he and Lark needed this, and he had the money to spare.
“How’s Bailey doing?” he asked, as they all piled onto the elevator.
“Good,” Uncle Tex said, as he’d been the spokesman for the Young family when it came to Bailey.
Bryce talked to her the most, but Uncle Tex talked to Graham Whittaker, and he got most of his information from Bailey’s daddy and disseminated it to the rest of the family.
“She didn’t have a concussion, and as far as they know, no lasting problems. She’s been here a couple weeks, and I guess she’s interviewing at her vet clinic. ”
“Is she now?” Cash asked, his thoughts flying toward his lovely Lark, who had an almost-completed animal science degree. While she was not a vet tech, she also had secretarial experience and loved animals.
“Do you know what she’s hiring for?” he asked, an almost audible clicking moving through his head as God arranged the pieces of his life—and Lark’s—into just the position He wanted them.
“I don’t know,” Tex said.
“Why? Are you looking for a job?” Daddy asked.
“No, but Lark was studying animal science,” he said. “And she knows a lot about nutrition and the health…stuff, and pharmacy things, and, uh, animals,” he finished lamely.
His Daddy and all three of his uncles stared at him, and then they all started laughing at the same time, Cash included.
“I’m going to text her about it,” he said, still chuckling as the elevator came to a stop on the ground level where the steakhouse was. “Can I get Bailey’s number? Or is she advertising the job somewhere?”
“I’m pretty sure she’s got them on the job board,” Tex said. “Where we hire seasonal workers and all that.”
“I’ll tell Lark to look there,” Cash said. “But if you don’t think Bailey would mind me giving Lark her number, I think that’d be a more direct path.”
“Let me send some texts,” Uncle Tex said, and Cash started furiously texting Lark about Bailey McAllister’s new veterinary clinic while his Daddy checked them in for their moving-day steak luncheon.
Cash migrated to Uncle Jem’s side the moment he walked into the big red barn. “Wow. The whole crew’s here,” he said.
“Yep.” Uncle Jem lifted a red plastic cup to his lips. “And this is not what I need to drink.” He walked away, and Cash watched him go, feeling overwhelmed and very alone without Lark here.
Uncle Otis and Aunt Georgia had decided to take their family somewhere warm for Christmas. Since OJ’s birthday was on Christmas Eve—and a much-celebrated event in the Young family—they’d decided to host a party for everyone in his honor in a big red barn on the south side of town.
Uncle Tex and Aunt Abby had been married here, but Cash wasn’t in any of the pictures.
He’d still lived in Utah with his mother at that time, and he very much felt like the outsider he’d always been as he watched his much younger cousins—all of his aunts and uncles’ second families—move through the carnival games that had been set up.
Aunt Georgia sure knew how to throw a party, and she had a fishing booth, a ring toss, face painting, milk can knock-out, a balloon dart wall, and a couple more carnival games set up. His aunts ran them, while his uncles kept track of their kids.
Cash couldn’t loiter in the doorway forever, so he moved closer to the fray, which also was where he found the food. He loaded a plate with pizza and cheese bread and went to sit with Joey and Adam.
“Hey guys,” he said. “Can I sit by you?”
“Of course,” Adam said.
“Where’s Lark?” Joey asked. “I thought you invited her.”
“I did,” Cash said, as he sat down. “She’s not feeling well today.”
“Oh no, having a cold at Christmas is the worst,” Joey said.
“I’m surprised you’re here,” he said, and he lifted a piece of Hawaiian pizza to his lips. “Don’t you have to bake, like, five hundred pies?” Cash took a bite of his pizza, thrilled with the spiciness from the pepperoni and the ooey-ness of the melted cheese.
“Yeah,” Joey said with a sigh. “But I finished pick-ups a little bit early, and I always have Sundays off, so the madness begins again on Monday.”
“It’s the final countdown, at least,” Adam said.
“Yeah, and you’re still going nuts with the Country Quad news, right?” Cash looked at him, as Adam managed the band, and that included all their social media.
“It’s been crazy,” Adam said with a laugh. “I’m not going to deny it, but things are starting to slow down a little bit now.”
“When are y’all starting to record?” Cash asked, because he didn’t want the questions coming his way.
“The boss wants a final set list by February one,” Adam said.