“Lark,” he said as she peered up the steps.
“We haven’t even been up there,” she said.
He shook his head and waited for her to look at him. When she did, he opened his arms and whispered, “Songbird.”
Her face fell. “You can’t live here.” She wasn’t asking, and her voice took on the color black.
He shook his head again and wiggled his fingers at her. “Come hug me. I can’t live here, and I need cheering up.”
Lark scoffed, turned in another circle, and then practically dove into his arms. “I’m sorry, Cash.”
“Sh,” he said. “It’s fine. There will be other places for me.”
She pulled away. “Where?”
“I don’t know, sweetheart, but I have a phone, and I can do some searching.” He glanced around the house. “Just not in here. Let’s go.”
“Cash.” Lark tensed, and Cash returned his attention to her.
“What, hon?”
“Would a kiss cheer you up?” A slow smile curved her mouth. “Or is that honor reserved to hugs?”
“Kissing you is a joy, Lark-my-love.” He pulled her closer and dipped his head, giving her easier access to him. He closed his eyes and waited forherto kisshim.
And when she did…Cash was fairly certain he fell in love with Lark right there in his construction zone of a farmhouse. Shewashis home, and Cash kissed her back like it, hoping the message got through to her loud—and—clear.
CHAPTER
THIRTY-THREE
“Yes, Momma,” Lark said. “Cash is going to be moving out this weekend.” She lifted the flap on one of her boxes and peered at the items inside.
She didn’t want to unpack any of this stuff, and she sighed and sank onto the end of her bed instead. “It’s kind of a hard time to find an apartment, but his cousin works at Silver Sage Lodge, and we’re going out there later tonight to have dinner with him and his fiancée. Cora owns the place, and she’s going to show Cash a couple of options.”
“Silver Sage is quite the drive from our house,” her mother said.
Lark squeezed her eyes closed. “Yeah, I know,” she said. “But I can take care of the house until you and Daddy come home.”
“I just can’t believe you quit school, bug.” Daddy’s voice came through the speakerphone, obviously further away than her mother, but Lark didn’t detect any disappointment in it.
“It’s just not the right thing for me,” she said.
“Yes, dear, but it’s only four more months,” Momma said.
Lark did not want to have this conversation again. She’d already called her parents after church on Sunday, after the Spirit had chastised her greatly that she’d put it off.
“Maureen,” Daddy said, and Lark could just imagine them having a silent conversation on their end of the line.
Momma sighed. “Well, Jet says that Cash is a great guy, and that you two are really cute together.”
“I’m so glad he approves,” Lark said dryly, though she really was.
“And how’s Grammy?” Momma asked, employing her super-power of changing the topic naturally.
Lark sighed, because she’d been so convinced that her grandmother needed her here, and yet, most days went by without any mishaps or emergencies whatsoever. For some reason, Lark needed some sort of validation that her decision to quit and move home was the right one, and having her grandmother forget things would do it.
“She’s great,” she said. “I go see her all the time to make sure she’s feeding the cats and is getting by in the winter.”
