“All right!” Cash clapped his big hands together and turned toward his friend. When he’d lived and breathed rodeo dust and leather chaps and spurs, Cash had loved it. But now that he’d had a taste of small town life and fresh snow, the scent of hot tub chemicals and Lark’s shampoo, he didn’t want this life.
He’d thought for his first couple of days in Las Vegas that he would, and that he’d return to Coral Canyon dissatisfied, and everything he’d been building there would be blown up. But it had only solidified his choices were the right ones for him.
He grabbed onto River’s shoulder and pounded him on the back. “Dude, you’re in first, andno oneis beating that ride.”
River finally put a smile on his face, and Cash nodded. “There it is. There’s your PR smile. You do that. You’re on the Jumbotron right now. Just keep it going.”
Cash knew, because he’d played this role many times, and he wanted River to be the golden boy turning pro this year. In fact, if the man was smart, after he won tonight, he’d announce his intentions to turn pro before Sunday evening.
That was when all the coaches and managers had openings, and they’d all be clamoring for River: the national champion in bull riding and roping in the amateur division.
The tension went down as the next rider entered the arena. That meant River wouldn’t be on camera anymore, and neither would Cash.
“Let’s go get something to eat,” he said. They couldn’t really leave the arena, as they’d need to be here for awards, and those would only be another thirty minutes. But the National Rodeo Association set up a green room of sorts for riders, and Cash had already scoped it out and knew they had tri-tip steak sandwiches and plenty of potato salad. The pros would ride the weekend, Thursday through Sunday, but Cash was flying out tomorrow.
He had an appointment with his general contractor and a cabinet maker on Saturday at the ranch, and he expected Lark at the house by mid-afternoon. All of Cash’s thoughts flowed back to Lark, and he expected to see her texts when he finally sat down with a paper plate full of food. He slapped high fives and shook hands as he went with River into the rider’s room,and thankfully, he’d been in town long enough and spoken to the right people, so they all knew he wasn’t coming back.
Cash had had a hard time accepting it himself, but being here and contrasting it with the life he’d started to imagine in Wyoming, he knew he’d made the right choice. He just had to make it through the next twelve hours, and he’d be on his way back to that reality.
The following day,Cash touched down at the Jackson Hole airport just after noon, local time. He felt better just being on the same time zone as Lark, though she hadn’t returned his text from that morning.
He’d prayed for an easy last day of work this year for her, and she usually reported to him what she’d prayed about for him. But today, she hadn’t texted at all. A whisper of disquiet ran through his soul as he switched from airplane mode and still didn’t have a message from her.
Bryce had confirmed that he would have Cash’s horse, Magistrate, out and ready for him to ride when he got there that afternoon, and his father had texted to have a good flight, and both Wade and Jet had messaged to congratulate him on River’s win.
An abundance of love from those around him filled Cash, and yet he felt empty without Lark’s name on his screen.
“What does that mean?” he wondered to himself, as he stepped out of the airport. The mid-December weather wasn’t kidding around, and Cash’s thoughts froze on his way to his truck. He tossed his duffel bag in the back unceremoniously and hurried to get the heater blowing.
He checked his phone again, still didn’t have anything from Lark, and warred with himself over sending another message. She’d told him that he did not irritate her, and they’d agreed that they would answer when they could.
Still, she’d always messaged by now, and Cash knew she was only working today. She’d reported to him last night that she’d finished her laundry, and that she would be working almost all day today, and then she’d be packing tonight, finishing up in the morning.
He looked up in his rearview mirror, telling himself that he didnotneed to make the two-hour drive from Jackson Hole to Pocatello. She would be in Coral Canyon tomorrow, and he needed to get back to the house, stock it with groceries, and give it a lived-in feel for when she returned. He’d been gone for just over a week, but houses felt different without people living in them.
He looked back down at his phone, deciding that one little text wouldn’t hurt.I landed in Jackson. I’m on my way home, and I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.
Everyone wanted to be told that they were welcome and wanted, right? He knew he did, and while Lark did that on some level, he could admit in quiet moments like this, where he sat in the cab of his truck with only the sound of the heater blowing air, that he wished she would tell him more explicitly what he meant to her.
She never had, but when they were together for that week over Thanksgiving, she’dshownhim. Cash had been able to feel it in the way she curled her fingers through his, and the way she kissed him, and in the gentle touch of her fingernails sliding through his hair.
Cash craved being put first, and yes, a tickle of disappointment moved through him that Lark hadn’t done that today.
She’s coming home for a whole month, he told himself.She’s busy. Give her some grace.
Though his feelings got hurt sometimes, Cash truly believed that most people were doing the best they could, Lark included. His daddy included, though Cash still felt somewhat forgotten by both of his parents.
He sent the text to Lark and backed out of his parking space at the airport. “Call Daddy,” he told his truck once he got on the road leading east to Coral Canyon.
The phone rang, and his daddy picked up with a, “Howdy, son. You back in the state?”
“Yeah,” Cash said. “I’m just leaving the airport now.”
“That’s awesome,” Daddy said. “River did really amazing.”
“Yeah, he did, didn’t he?” Cash said.
“He was up against a bunch of incredible riders,” Daddy said. “I still can’t believe Samson Paul hasn’t gone pro yet.”
