“No, I don’t,” Cash said over the top of his father. He didn’t dare look at Lark, but he hated having this conversation in front of her, as if she didn’t exist and wasn’t there.
“You want another doughnut?” he asked her, pure humiliation running through him.
“You can’t give herourdoughnuts,” Daddy said.
“I don’t want one anyway,” Lark said. “Thanks, though.” She shot a look at his father and then turned with baby Harmony to go into the living room, a quarter of a Bismarck on a plate.
“She’ll need a bib,” Faith said, and she handed one to Lark just before she abandoned him in the kitchen with his parents.
Honestly, Cash wasn’t sure if he should be happy about that or not.
“How was your lunch today?” Daddy asked.
“It was awesome.” Cash sat down on a barstool. “I’m tired, though. Making doughnuts and lunch, having a billion people over, and driving to Coral Canyon all in one day? It’s tiring.”
“A billion people.” Faith scoffed and grinned at him. “I need another hug.” She took Cash into her arms, and he loved how purely she loved him.
“What time did you have to get up?” Daddy asked as his step-mom stepped back and took the other three-quarters of the Bismarck Lark had left for her.
Cash looked over to him. “Eight-thirty,” he said. “And I don’t want you teasing me about it.”
Daddy grinned at him. “What are your plans this week?”
“Tomorrow, I’m sleeping until noon,” Cash said. “Then I’ll probably do something with Jet and Wade. I don’t know. We don’t really have plans. On Tuesday, I’m going to go grocery shopping for Thanksgiving and do some of the initial prep. Wednesday, I’m headed out to the ranch to see how things are going out there. I’m going to pick up all the pies from Joey. And we’re doing dinner out at Uncle Tex’s, right?”
“Yep,” Daddy said. “Us, Trace, Tex, and all the kids.”
Cash nodded. “You guys are going to Grandma and Grandpa’s on Thanksgiving, right?”
“They’re coming here,” Daddy said. “With Uncle Jem and his family.”
“What’s everyone else doing?” Cash asked, though it had definitely been put on the family text.
“Trace and Otis are going out to Bryce’s with Kassie and Reggie,” Daddy said. “The twins are getting together with Adam and Joey and Luke up in your neck of the woods. Tex is going down to Mav’s.”
Sometimes Cash had to count on his fingers to make sure that everyone had been accounted for, and he quickly ranthrough everyone, from oldest to youngest. Uncle Tex would go to Uncle Mav’s.
Uncle Trace and Uncle Otis would be with Bryce and Kassie. That was four uncles. Daddy would be with Uncle Jem, and that meant two more brothers checked off the list. The twins, Morris and Gabe, would spend the holiday with Luke and Adam, and that got the uncle count to nine, with everyone spending the holiday with at least one other member of the family.
“Where’s Harry going?” Faith asked.
“Harry said he’s going to Bryce’s too,” Cash said.
“I think they’re actually eating at Kassie and Reggie’s,” Daddy said.
“Yeah, that’s right,” Faith said. “And Cole’s going to be up with the Walkers, not with us.”
Cash nodded, and though Cole was seven years younger than Cash, he took courage from his actions of breaking away from the family and going where he wanted to go, with who he wanted to be with.
“Cash, these are the best doughnuts you’ve ever made,” Faith said, and then she nodded toward the living room. “And Lark’s certainly good with kids, isn’t she?”
Cash looked over and found Lark holding Harmony on her lap, her arms around her as she held a book in front of them, with both Celeste and Grace pressed in on either side as they listened to the story too. Tyrone stood on the couch behind Celeste, leaning into Lark’s shoulder, so that he could see the pictures as well.
“Wow,” he whispered, and he wanted to take a picture of her that he could look at anytime, day or night. He pulled out his phone and did exactly that.
“Oh, so we like this girl,” Daddy said, keeping his voice low as he leaned closer.
Cash gazed at the picture of Lark with all four of his younger half-siblings, a smile stealing its way across his face. Then he turned his phone off and flipped it face down. He looked his father in the eye and grinned. “Yeah, Daddy, we like this girl.”
