Page 89 of Lost Then Found
He folds his hands over them, giving me a knowing smile. “So,” hedrawls, tilting his head. “I take it you’ve been giving my offer some thought.”
I nod. “I have.”
His grin widens, like he thinks this is already over. “Good. It’s a lot of money, Lark. More than most people ever see in their lifetime. You could do a lot with it.” He leans forward, dropping his voice just slightly, like we’re sharing some kind of secret. “Hell, Hudson could do a lot with it. College. A trust fund. A future with options.”
My stomach churns, but I keep my posture straight, my chin level. He wants me to waver, wants me to second-guess myself—but I won’t give him the satisfaction.
I press my palms against the cool surface of the table. “I’ve been thinking it over,” I say, keeping my voice steady. “And I’ve decided not to sell.”
The smile doesn’t drop completely. Not yet.
But something shifts.
A slight stiffening in his shoulders. A flicker in his eyes before he blinks, slow and measured. The air between us changes—subtle, but there.
For the first time, Wendell Tate doesn’t look quite so amused.
I don’t look away.
Wendell exhales through his nose, slow and measured, like he’s disappointed but not surprised. He smooths a hand over his button-up, the fabric stretching across his stomach, before lacing his fingers together on the table between us. His nails are too clean, too neat, a man who doesn’t do his own dirty work.
“Help me understand, Lark,” he says, tilting his head slightly. “What’s making you hesitate?”
“I’m not hesitating,” I say. “I’ve made my decision.”
His mouth twitches like he’s suppressing a smirk. “Fair enough,” he allows. “But you’re a smart woman. You know this kind of offer doesn’t come around often.” His voice lowers, smooth and easy. “Most people would kill for a payday like this. Wouldn’t even think twice.”
“Well, lucky for you, I’m not most people.”
He huffs a small laugh, his fingers tapping the tabletop,even, patient, waiting me out.
Then he leans in slightly, voice dropping to something more intimate, like we’re just two reasonable adults discussing something over coffee. “You care about this place. I respect that. But you can’t tell me you’ve never thought about what else is out there.” His gaze flicks toward the counter, where Josie’s ringing someone up. “Day in and day out, you’re in here, working yourself to the bone. You ever ask yourself why?”
I don’t answer.
His eyes flick back to me. “You work all these hours. Bust your ass. And for what?” He tilts his head slightly. “To keep things exactly the same?”
I purse my lips into a thin line.
He hums like he’s thinking something over, then leans back against the booth, completely at ease, like he knows he has all the time in the world. “Hudson’s what—twelve? Getting older, right?” He taps the table again. “One day, you’re gonna blink and he’ll be eighteen. Off doing whatever it is he wants to do with his life. College. Baseball. Maybe something you haven’t even considered yet.” He lifts his brows. “You ever think about what you want your life to look like when that time comes?”
The question makes my stomach tighten.
“Because I’ll tell you what I see,” he continues before I can answer. “I see you still standing behind that counter. Still burning the candle at both ends. Still wondering why you’re so tired all the time.” He shakes his head slightly. “Is that really what Alice would’ve wanted for you?”
I swallow, the mention of Alice hitting its mark exactly the way he intended.
“She wanted me to take care of this place,” I say evenly. “And I’m doing that.”
“Are you?” Wendell challenges, raising a brow. “Or are you just surviving?”
His words settle between us, heavy and needle-sharp.
I feel the flicker of doubt before I can stop it.
The truth is, I don’t know if I want to be here forever. If I want to be sixty years old, still on my feet for twelve-hour shifts, still dealing withthe same cracked tiles in the kitchen, still stretching every dollar just to make payroll.
I think about the map Hudson and I laid out, the places we wanted to go. The things we wanted to do. The whole damn world waiting outside of Summit Springs.
