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 migratedto 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 theworst,” 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.
