“I talked to my momma and sister about it,” Cora said. “And we’d be fine if you paid three thousand dollars a month for it.”
That waswayless than what it was listed for online. Cash was getting a seventy-five percent off sale, and he frowned, because he’d seen the listing too. But he said, “All right, let’s do it.”
He stepped forward, and instead of shaking hands in the traditional sense of making a business deal, he wrapped Cora in a hug and whispered something to her.
“Oh, you’re just lucky I’m in love with your cousin,” she said, laughing as she stepped back. Boston put his arm around her, and they did make a handsome couple.
“All right,” Cash said. “I’ll alert the uncles. Moving day is Saturday.”
He’d been slowly going through the house, gathering up everything he’d spread out. He told Lark that he’d be gone on Saturday, no matter what, that he had a family party that night for his cousin, OJ. He’d invited her to go with him, and of course, she had said yes.
He put his arm around her and drew her closer as well, gazing down at her. “What do you think, Songbird? Can I survive here for a couple of months?”
“You can survive anywhere,” Lark said, snuggling into his side, and she prayed that what she’d just said would be true.
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.”
