Country Strong--A Novel

by Linda Lael Miller

  He went to bed earlier than usual, thinking about the coming news regarding Julie. He was looking forward to it in one way, not at all in another. He had no idea what to expect. Compared to Shallie, he knew a lot about his past. But there were still unanswered questions. Like...had his mother ever loved him?

  Up in his room, one dog underfoot, since Bandit had apparently taken to sleeping in Shallie’s room, he felt oddly powerless. His past was in Eddie’s hands, his future in Shallie’s.

  Cord fell into bed, determined not to think about her—or Julie.

  He dreamed that night, and although he rarely remembered his dreams, this one remained with him, still vivid when he woke up. In it, he was surrounded by animals—dogs, cats, horses, even a coyote and a deer—and they were all talking to him. Bandit, Smoky and Holly the beagle were telling him he had to say yes to Shallie, to whatever she asked. The cats said he should adopt one of them. According to the horses, the local criminal would be caught, and soon. They also told him he needed to become friends with the Lewises.

  In the light of day, it actually all made sense. Except maybe the idea of taking on a cat; the dogs might not go for that. He got up to perform his first chore of the morning—making coffee, the good kind.

  * * *

  SHALLIE HAD BEEN dreaming about him. Dreaming that they’d made love, powerful love. The first time in her bed, the second under a tree at the edge of a meadow.

  Her images of these encounters were vivid and sensual. So was her memory of how she’d felt. That this was unsurpassed—and that she wanted to make it real.

  What would Cord think if she suggested starting their day by reliving her dream?

  * * *

  CORD WAS POURING his second coffee when Shallie came down, Bandit yawning beside her. She seemed a bit shy, certainly not typical of her. He fed and put the dogs out, but at their loud insistence, let them back in.

  He noticed that she hadn’t bothered to get herself a coffee, although she knew she could help herself at any time. Not typical, either.

  All of a sudden, she said, “Let’s do it now.” It? Do it? Despite the high school vernacular, he wondered if she’d meant what he thought she meant. If she was referring to what they’d promised each other last night.

  Clearly she did. She got up, grabbed his hand, hardly giving him a chance to put his mug down, and led him, unprotesting, up the stairs, Bandit in pursuit. “Do you have time for this?” she asked.

  “Time? Of course! For you... For this.”

  Inside her room, he closed the door to shut Bandit out. Then he took hold of her arms and they tumbled onto the bed together. He stroked her, she stroked him, between deep, passionate kisses. Their clothes came off with little effort. He whispered a question about birth control. Should he get a condom?

  “Yes. I’m on the pill, but it’s never a bad idea.”

  He left the room and quickly returned with a packet of condoms. And then it started... He brought her to a long drawn-out climax, kneeling between her legs, thrilled at her gasps and moans. Followed by more kisses, more excitement. He worshipped her breasts with his hands, his mouth. She poised herself above him—and, as he later put it, the rest was history. Their history.

  Yes, they had a history and, he now believed, a future. He was prepared to dismiss past expectations, past hopes, in favor of a growing sense of future hopes. And love...

  * * *

  CORD LAY IN bed beside her, arm resting lightly across her waist. She glanced at him, feeling an unfamiliar contentment. She’d certainly made love before, but she’d never felt so...invigorated.

  Was this it? Was Cord the real, the enduring, love of her life? Not merely an adolescent fantasy anymore. And yet, was that fair to him? She didn’t know how serious he was, what he wanted from her, what he was willing to give her. Other than great sex.

  Or what she was willing to give him.

  A lot to consider here. Was she prepared to take a life-altering chance—if this was a chance? Relinquish not only her job, which she was prepared to do, but her dream of working with Emma? Her long-established life in Seattle?

  Shallie realized that Cord had no intention of leaving this ranch, this town. Painted Pony Creek held his history, his work, his friends and his community.

  But even if Cord seemed ready to make a commitment, there was always risk. The risk of being hurt, of disappointment and betrayal, she reminded herself, remembering why she’d left Rob. He’d betrayed her in the most basic way—by being unfaithful.

  She appreciated many things about Cord, including the concern and responsibility he’d shown when he’d checked with her about birth control.

  He dressed and went downstairs with a final kiss and she put her clothes back on, too, then phoned Emma. Couldn’t reach her but left a vague message saying, “It finally happened,” leaving her friend to intuit the rest.

  Time to get some coffee and breakfast, then go out to meet the Lewises and Carly. A morning session today, since Mary Jean had a dental appointment in their hometown that afternoon. As things turned out, Cord wasn’t able to join them. Just before they arrived, he got an urgent call from a woman named Kelly who worked with a rescue group and had saved Annie, the shaggy little horse now in his barn. She had another horse, also neglected, that she’d found wandering down a nearby road a week ago. Could he come and get her as soon as possible? Kelly had limited space and resources. He and Mitch were setting out to pick up the horse immediately; Mitch was busy attaching the trailer to Cord’s SUV.

  Carly told him he’d better not come home without the horse, an opinion seconded by Shallie and the Lewises.

  They spent the next two hours working with Chief, the formerly abused racehorse. He’d lost much of his fear, and Mary Jean said she could see him as a therapy horse, partly because he’d have needs in common with his “clients.”

  Afterward, they took Carly to visit Holly, inviting Shallie, too. At the vet’s they learned that “the little girl” could be released in another two days, which coincided with the Lewises’ planned trip home on Thursday. Carly gave Holly a kiss on the nose and rubbed those long silky ears. “You’ll always be welcome to see her,” Mary Jean said. “In fact, we’d love it if you both came to our place. It’s only about two hours away.”

  “Absolutely,” Len agreed. “And if you need a ride, we can work something out.”

  * * *

  THAT AFTERNOON, SHALLIE kept obsessing over her fear that her father had killed her mother. She was descended from a corrupt and murderous man and... And when she wasn’t focused on that, she continued to think about her feelings for Cord.

  She found some release from the intensity of her thoughts in emails and texts—to her disappointment, nothing from Emma yet—and by spending half an hour reading. She sank, once again, into the comfort of The Black Stallion, which she understood in a whole different way now. Eventually, she dozed off with her cell phone playing blues on low volume.

  The commotion downstairs woke her about an hour later. She rushed into the kitchen to greet Cord and Mitch, then went outside with them to meet the new horse, named Patience by her rescuer. Carly and Tina were already oohing and aahing over her, another small, shaggy mare, dappled gray with a darker mane and tail. As Shallie joined them, she could already see that this one seemed more ready for affection than Annie had originally been.

  Tina wondered aloud whether she’d been “released” by their local criminal, but Kelly had placed ads and sent out announcements, with no response from an owner.

  They received word from the Lewises that they were picking up Holly tomorrow morning, a day earlier than expected, and would stop by the ranch on their way home to Missoula.

  And according to a message on Shallie’s phone, tomorrow night she and Cord were heading over to Eli’s place to meet with Eddie again. Eddie preferred face-to-face contact when possible. It sounded as if he�
�d made some progress.

  * * *

  WEDNESDAY MORNING, CARLY didn’t get out of bed although she was wide-awake. She felt guilty as hell, no other way to describe it. She’d postponed the Big Meet with Cord and Tina; Shallie must be disgusted with her. She hadn’t gone back on her YouTube channel, either, leaving her audience in limbo.

  It was her task to set up the meeting. Should she take all of them to Bailey’s? Or stay in the privacy of Cord’s home? Perhaps she should leave it up to them. She’d ask Shallie for her opinion.

  She reflected that so far, she’d learned some major things during her time here. She reached for her notebook, which she fancifully called a “journal,” and started to write them down.

  1. There are good people in this world. Good people and good places.

  2. I have to be stronger, more courageous, get this meeting set up. OK, Friday. For sure.

  3. Back when she lived here, my mom had some good friends, like Shallie. I’m happy about that. Talking to them makes me appreciate her—and miss her—even more.

  4. I need to talk to Russ again, see what he can tell me about her, the town, Shallie. He’s weird but not a bad guy.

  5. I love Shallie and Tina and Mitch, and I want them always to be part of my life. And Cord has been so good to me. Eli and J.P., too.

  6. I love and adore animals. I’m so glad I learned this about myself. Dooley was special—but so are Holly, Bandit, Smoky the horses...

  7. Music is my other passion. My loves, my future, my life will be about animals and music.

  8. I’m grateful to so many people here. This search has turned out to be such a good thing.

  9. I’ll be OK with any of those 3 guys as my dad... I could love any and all of them. And, whichever one it is, I’ll have another bonus—2 new uncles.

  She hated ending on an odd number, thought for another minute.

  10. My life is going to be good, happy, worthwhile.

  That pretty much covered it, that last one. With an unaccustomed sigh of satisfaction, she closed the notebook and slid out of bed.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  EARLY THAT AFTERNOON, Carly was ready and waiting to say goodbye to Mary Jean, Len—and Holly. They’d promised to drop by once they’d picked up the dog, and Carly was waiting on the porch after lunch, planning her announcement for Cord and Tina. Yes, she’d moved the Big Meet again. Friday, no further excuses or delays.

  Shallie had just joined her, dogs crowding around, when they heard the Lewis SUV coming down the drive. They parked and got out, as did Ted. He removed Holly from a brand-new dog carrier.

  The beagle trotted unsteadily to the porch. Carly could hardly keep herself from breaking into tears—a mixture of sadness and joy for the “little girl” who’d been granted such a wonderful home. She was heartened, too, by the way Cord’s dogs approached Holly, how sweet they were with her. She suspected Holly needed more socialization, of both the canine and human kind. Hugging her carefully, she whispered goodbye as she stroked those adorable long, silky ears.

  Cord and Tina had emerged from the house a few minutes earlier; they and Shallie took their turns with the dog. While the three of them were engaged in that, Ted began a conversation with Carly, telling her he’d spoken with Aaron and the others, and they’d arrange a rehearsal soon. She was thrilled and told him so. Then as Ted returned Holly to her carrier, Carly kissed Len and Mary Jean goodbye. She felt that, with them, she’d gained more parents, more family.

  Today she’d promise Shallie that she’d set up the discussions with Cord and Tina, followed by the ones with Eli and J.P. Unhappily, it had somewhat belatedly occurred to her that if Eli turned out to be her dad, she’d be related to the Worthless jerk—a prospect that horrified her.

  As they waved goodbye to the departing vehicle, Carly murmured, not for the first time, as she was well aware, “I just love that little girl.”

  After a moment, Tina pulled her aside, saying she had a suggestion. “I have a friend named Meg,” she began. “She’s in her sixties and recovering from cancer surgery and now she’s undergoing chemo, which means regular trips out of town. She needs help looking after her two cats. Her kids do what they can but they’re not local and they’re usually the ones who take her to the cancer center for treatments. I sometimes go over to her place, but I think it would be perfect for you. Giving Meg that kind of support, helping animals and people, would be perfect for you,” she repeated.

  Carly enthusiastically agreed; so did Shallie. They’d have to arrange rides, but they’d sort that out.

  Between Tina’s suggestion and Ted’s offer, Carly felt she had more proof than ever that her life was meant to be about animals and music and helping people in the community. Maybe she could even find ways to combine them!

  * * *

  THE NEXT EVENING, when Shallie and Cord drove to Eli’s for their second meeting with Eddie, she wondered what his place would be like. The house turned out to be small and spotless, the furniture basic, carpets a plain gray. It certainly wasn’t the stereotypical cluttered mess she’d half expected.

  They sat down in surprisingly comfortable chairs around a polished dining room table that actually had a cloth on it and a plant.

  Eli served them each a beer, no snacks.

  Eddie then handed around folders, one labeled “Julie,” the other “Christine.” “All right,” he said, “we’ll start with the easy one. Julie.”

  Shallie heard Cord’s sudden and no doubt unintended gasp. Easy?

  “It wasn’t hard for Melanie to get the information on Julie, primarily because of the military background. So, Julie Hollister married Christopher Daniels four years after Toby Hollister’s death. Chris is a marine and they’re living in San Diego. They have an eighteen-year-old daughter, Kathleen Daniels.”

  Shallie heard another gasp, one he tried to disguise with a cough. He had a half sister. About the same age as his possible daughter. “Do you think Julie would want to hear from me?” he asked a minute later. Shallie figured he’d had to wait until he could control his voice.

  “I’m guessing she would, but I can look into it if you like.”

  Cord nodded. “Please.”

  Eddie went on. “Now, Shallie, Melanie’s learned a few things about Christine, and we’re continuing the investigation.”

  “Thank you.” Shallie’s voice was as tense as her posture.

  “Okay, what we’ve found out is that when she left Painted Pony Creek, she got herself down to Florida. She left by car, we know that, and maybe she sold it along the way or maybe when she arrived—to avoid having the license plate identified and probably to get some cash. And here’s the big news. Thanks to my brilliant assistant, we’ve learned that she changed her name, which as I told you earlier is a lot easier to do than most people think, even back then. But there’s usually information left behind—if you know what I mean. And if you understand how to look for it. Which Melanie does. Christine became Sharon. Sharon Sutherland. She lived in Florida. Near Orlando.”

  Shallie just nodded. What else could she do?

  “What we learned next is that Christine Fletcher, living as Sharon Sutherland, connected with Reba Shannon in Florida about fifteen years later. Which is how Reba ended up here in Montana, and specifically at the motel.”

  “But how did they connect?”

  “They were both working at the same motel near Orlando.”

  “Motel? Oh, my God.” Shallie covered her mouth. “I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.”

  “So, Christine, aka Sharon, was a waitress at the motel restaurant. The place was—and still is—called Sunny Days. Reba, meanwhile, was handling the desk. They met during dinner one night, when they were both off, and became friends, saw each other regularly. Then Christine asked Reba to go to Montana, to this town and the motel, to check up on you. To see how you were doing and report back t
o her. Christine Fletcher paid her what she could.”

  “Oh, my God,” Shallie repeated. “I think I am going to cry.”

  Cord intervened with a question of his own. “How did you and Melanie get these details?”

  Eddie grinned. “A lot of it was simply good luck. Helped by the fact that I know an investigator in Florida, believe it or not.”

  “Oh, I believe it,” Eli murmured. “So, you hired him?”

  “Yeah. This guy, Tony, went to the Orlando area and researched various motels, interviewed people. And discovered there were still a few employees at a particular place—the Sunny Days that I mentioned earlier—who remembered them both. And I guess Christine wasn’t totally discreet at the time, since one of the staff overheard some of their conversation...”

  “So then what?” Eli asked.

  “Then Christine disappeared. Five or six months later. Probably a combination of feeling reassured that you were doing okay, Shallie, and fear that there were still criminal types out there searching for her. Melanie’s continuing to follow up. At this point we don’t even know if she’s still alive.”

  * * *

  ON THEIR WAY HOME, Cord and Shallie were silent. When they arrived, he invited her to sit on the porch with him, talk about what they’d learned. “I think we’re both still numb,” he added.

  The dogs were happy to be allowed out with them, and Cord got a second beer for himself and Shallie. After a sip or two, he said, “Eddie was right. Mine was the easy one, comparatively speaking.”

  “Not that easy. Anyway, I think you should get in touch with her. And you have a half sister! Let’s invite them here or—” She blushed. “I’m sorry. I mean, it’s not my call or any of my business.”

  “I feel it is.” Although he couldn’t clearly explain why. “Here’s an idea. Once I’ve established contact, maybe I’ll see if we can meet her—or them—someplace halfway between here and San Diego. And if you’ll join me...” He hoped with an almost painful intensity that she would.