“Did you know she broke up with her boyfriend?” Jet said.
Cash praised the heavens above that the microwave beeped at that moment, and he moved down the island to the silverware drawer to get out a fork. He turned his back on Jet and Wade even as he asked, “Oh, yeah?” and then pulled open the microwave. He cut the meatballs in half, stirred the mashed potatoes, and put the container back in. “This is almost done.”
Wade’s boots thunked against the floor as he rounded the island and sat next to Jet. “Yeah, she broke up with Danny…when?” He looked over to Jet, the microwave clearly not a distraction for either of them.
“Two or three months ago, something like that,” Jet said.
Pieces fell together in Cash’s mind. “Oh, that’s probably why she came back in October and spent the weekend in her room.” He raised his eyebrows and looked from Jet to Wade, hoping one of them would confirm. When they didn’t, he added, “It was the first weekend of October.”
“Funny how the man has that date memorized,” Wade said.
Cash’s heartbeat knocked against his breastbone. Without thinking, he looked to the back door. Lark still hadn’t come in, and the faint pulsing of light moved from green to teal. The microwave beeped again, continuing to run as it sounded five chimes to let him know that the time had ended. He once again turned his back on his buddies and picked up the fork.
“Yeah, I knew she’d broken up with her boyfriend,” he said. “I asked her about it when she got here yesterday.”
The potatoes and meatballs steamed now, so he turned to face Jet and Wade. “Who’s getting this?”
“I am,” Jet said. “Wait. You better give it to Wade, because I think he’s going to be more upset about what you’re about to say than I am.” He grinned and pulled the salt and pepper shakers closer.
Wade looked like a statue, his face set in a perpetual frown. “Why’d you ask her about her boyfriend?”
“BecauseIwant to be her boyfriend,” Cash said, the words suddenly there and oh-so-true.
Jet started to laugh, and Cash slid the plastic container of food toward Wade. His frown deepened, but Cash got him a fresh fork, and he picked it up and looked at the food. By then, Jet had stopped laughing, though he sure seemed entertained by the idea of Cash and Lark dating. Cash had had a lot of experience with saying something and then letting the other person react to it, and he knew how to not dig himself any deeper than he’d already done.
Wade took a bite of a meatball swiped through a pile of mashed potatoes, a groan coming out of his mouth. “This is great,” he said. “You made this?”
Cash nodded and busied himself with putting the second container in the microwave for Jet.
“I think it’s great,” Jet said. “Lark needs someone to loosen her up.”
“And you think Black Stallion over there is the one to do it?” Wade scoffed, and Cash grinned, though he would never, ever tell Lark that she needed “loosening up.”
“Hey, she doesn’t know about the Black Stallion,” Cash said.
“You haven’t told her that story?” Jet asked.
“She got here yesterday.” Cash cocked his head at Jet. “How fast do you think I move?”
“Fast enough to be half-naked in the hot tub with her,” Wade said dryly.
“I get in the hot tub every night, and I’m wearing appropriate attire for the activity.” Cash turned his back on his buddies. “I’ve texted you about that at least a thousand times.”
“Yeah, but Lark doesn’t,” Wade said.
“She’d never tried it,” he said. “And I told her how awesome it was, and she liked it last night.”
“Yeah, I bet she did,” Jet said.
“It’s not like that, all right?” Cash said, his frustration getting the better of him. “I like her, and I respect her, and I love you guys like brothers. So if it’s gonna be a problem, just say so.”
Jet looked at Wade, and Wade looked at Jet. He took another bite of meatballs and mashed potatoes and then focused on Cash. “I guess it’s all right with me.”
“I’m all for it,” Jet said. “Cash is a great guy, and he’d be lucky to have someone like Lark.”
The back door slid open then, and Cash’s gaze flew to the woman who’d starred in his thoughts for several months now. Lark entered, her towel already wrapped around her and tucked up under her arms.
“I don’t feel so good,” she said.
