Page 49 of Honeycombs & Homecomings

“You never knew this, but your father and I had a string of miscarriages after we had you, and I never rightly got over it. Turns out I had severe depression,” she said. She reached across the table for her husband’s hand. He took it and squeezed. “Your dad stuck with me, even when I was making his life and yours miserable. He knew what was wrong and wouldn’t give up on me. He never would.”

Cash’s dad smiled and kissed her hand. “You’re my girl.”

His mom sniffled, her eyes gleaming through unshed tears, the look of love on her face one Cash had never seen on her before. She turned her gaze back to Cash. “When you got in your truck and drove off, I thought I’d never see you again, and I suddenly realized that you’d been my little miracle all along. If it weren’t for you and your father, I never would’ve turned that corner, and we wouldn’t be so happy as we are now.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Cash asked. All this time, he’d wondered at her transformation, but he’d had no idea.

“I was worried that if I told you what was wrong with me, you might come home, and I knew you needed to get away so you could reach your dreams.” She patted his cheek. “And look at you now—at all you’ve accomplished. I’m so proud of you.”

“I am too,” his dad said.

“You’re not a quitter, Cash Evans.” His mom lifted her chin. “You never have been.”

What was she talking about? “I left you.”

She shook her head. “You did what was right for you. And I really believe you would’ve taken that girl of yours to your prom if I hadn’t thrown a tantrum that night over nothing.”

There were other things he’d given up on. “I broke up with Shelly.”

“Fine by us,” his dad said. “She was crazy. We were both just holding our breath that you’d figure it out before you got married to her.”

Cash dropped his head and chuckled.

“That’s true,” his mom said, and she and his dad both laughed. “Listen, Cash, honey. You never gave up on Jo, and you never explained yourself because you didn’t want to make me look bad. How a kid as young as seven and up to eighteen could manage to live in a house growing up like you did, and never once bad mouthed your mama, is beyond me. I’m grateful, and now I’m ready to accept my lumps. You can’t give up on her now when you’ve only just got her back in your life. You have to tell her what happened.”

Cash leaned back in his chair. “She doesn’t want—”

“Your mother’s right,” Dad said. “You’ve been in love with that girl since you were twelve years old. Stop coming up with excuses and go get her.”

“She kicked me out,” Cash said. “We had an ugly fight. I don’t think this is something we can fix.”

“After all the fights your father and I have had over the years, you can’t really expect me to accept that from you? I mean seriously, what do you two really have to fight about other than what happened all those years ago because of me?”

“How about distance, careers, lives already deeply entrenched? She told me to go home, and I can respect that,” Cash said, the mere memory of her face, shadowed in regret and her tone full of anger setting his skin in a wash of goosebumps. “I can’t make her love me back.” He swallowed thickly.

Love me back?

The truth of the statement hit him harder than her banishing him earlier had. He loved her. And he’d known it. He’d known it before he’d driven into town. He’d known it when he’d gone looking for her in the festival. And he’d known it when he’d decided to pretend to be Tony.

He’d come back for her. He’d come back the week he would’ve been married to Shelly, because he really had been looking for something. He’d told himself he wanted to find inspiration again. Discover his next move for his business. But really, he’d come back to find her. To see if there was still something there—to see if she still loved him, too.

“You don’t have to make her love you back,” his mom said. “She already loves you—maybe not since she was 12, but sixteen—

His dad shrugged. “Maybe seventeen.”

His mom nodded in agreement. “You’re probably right.”

He frowned. “Not helping.”

She looked at Cash. “If she didn’t love you, I’d be willing to bet she’d have been married by now with 2.5 kids under her belt. Instead, she’s barely had any serious relationships. She loves you. I saw it. Clear as day, Thursday morning when she came into her shop to find us all there. She only had eyes for you.”

He didn’t know how he could turn this around. Or how to fix it. This was all uncharted territory for him. Or was it?

Jo had only agreed to go to prom with him after he’d opened up and been vulnerable with her. He stood and headed for the door.

“Cash!” His mom called out.

He turned back.

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