Magnolia Lake

by Emily Paige Skeen

  “Sorry about that movie,” she commented after starting the car.

  “What do you mean?”

  “That was…well, you looked green durin’ the whole thing. At one point I thought you were gonna double over in pain, your face was so tense.”

  “Oh. Sorry about that. I’m fine now. Sorry.”

  “You don’t have to apologize, Cora. I’m not mad. I mean, nobody would expect you to sit through that movie and be ‘fine’ after what you just found out.”

  “Thanks, Val.” I sighed. “I don’t mean to sound rude, but can we drop it now? I don’t think I can stand to talk about it anymore tonight.”

  “Sure, of course.” She paused and then looked at me with a grin. “So, tell me about this gorgeous new man of yours.”

  I smiled a little, in spite of myself. “Well, he’s not my man. But he is gorgeous.” I continued the story, telling Valerie exactly what had happened that afternoon, not leaving out a single detail. To my surprise, talking about Rex made me feel better. While my mind was focused on him, I didn’t even care that Jeff was getting married. Amazing.

  “Whoa,” Valerie said when I finished the story. “Sounds like you’ve got it bad.”

  “Yeah.” I heaved a sigh. “I’m afraid so.”

  Chapter Seven

  The following morning, I woke up with tear streaks down my face and mascara stains on my pillow. I’d spent the whole night in and out of dreams. Nightmares, actually. At one point, my subconscious placed me in an empty church, dressed in a wedding gown and waiting for Jeff to arrive. He never did.

  In another dream, I went to Jeff’s house and found him laughing and playing with some kids. I walked into the house to greet my children and husband, and then Lacy was there. All of a sudden it was her house—those were her children and that was her husband. I woke up to someone sobbing. Then I realized that someone was me.

  Attempting to stretch the nightmares out of my body, I decided to skip tanning by the pool and opted for a nice, hot shower instead. Maybe the steam would clear my head.

  I stumbled out of bed and headed for the bathroom. It was just after ten o’clock, but I didn’t hear Mama moving around downstairs. In the bathroom, I found a note from my mother on the mirror that read:

  Cora, I’m in the garden. Come join me when you wake up. I’ll teach you what to plant this time of year. Love you!

  I rolled my eyes. Mama loved to garden and was always trying to teach me things. She just couldn’t understand why my thumb wasn’t green like hers.

  As I stepped into the shower and let the warm water run over me, I began to feel better. I took my time, breathing in the steam, trying to breathe out my pain.

  Back in my bedroom, I remembered that Rex would be at my house at two o’clock. My heart pounded. What should I wear? I didn’t want to look like I’d spent hours primping, but I did want to look good. Deciding a white casual sundress would do, I dressed before turning on the blow dryer and styling my hair. With that done, I tried in vain to cover the pain that was so obvious on my face, only to realize it would take much more than blush and mascara.

  I dreaded going outside to see my mother. She would know right away that something was wrong, and I couldn’t bear to give her the details. I couldn’t bear to think about the details. Taking a ragged breath, I straightened my shoulders, raised my chin, and smiled into the mirror. That would just have to do.

  I left my bedroom and headed down the stairs, through the kitchen, and into the back yard. Once outside, I made my way to the garden where Mama was working. She appraised my outfit and shook her head.

  “Guess you don’t wanna help me out here, do ya, hun?” she asked.

  I worded my reply carefully so she wouldn’t suspect anything. “Actually, I thought I’d go shoppin’ for a couple of hours. I’ve been wantin’ to redecorate my room, and I need some new curtains and stuff.”

  “Oh, sounds like fun. Valerie goin’ with you?” Mama asked, studying my reaction.

  “No, I thought I’d go by myself.” I paused, conjuring up a good reason for that. “I mean, ya know, sometimes it’s easier to go alone if you know what you’re lookin’ for. Val and I would probably get distracted and it would take forever.” I attempted a chuckle, but it came out all wrong.

  That reasoning seemed to please Mama, though, and she just kept on planting her flowers. “Okay, hun. Well, be careful…and stay in town, all right? Don’t go too far.”

  “Sure, Mama.” I turned and practically ran toward the house. I couldn’t believe I’d escaped so easily! Throwing open the back door, I made my way to the living room, grabbed my purse, and was back outside in no time. I scanned the neighborhood looking for Rex but didn’t see him. Having no idea where I would even go, I hopped in my car, buckled up, and started the engine.

  I’d completely made up the story about redecorating my room. In all honestly, I loved the way my bedroom looked. There was no way out now, though. I’d have to change it. Maybe get new curtains and rearrange things.

  Rock music blasted from my car stereo as I pulled out of the driveway and onto the road. This was my therapy. Usually, I listened to country or the top hits, but there was something ironically calming about the angry chords and thudding bass of a good, old-school rock song. At this particular moment in my life, anything else would have brought on another melt down, and I was not up for that.

  I was so lost in thought that I nearly drove past the entry to Suzie’s Creations, a local home and garden store. Slamming on the brakes, I peeled into the parking lot, turned off the car, and checked my reflection in the mirror on the sun visor before walking into Suzie’s. It was eleven thirty and I didn’t need to be back at home until about one thirty, so I took my time browsing through the store.

  I studied the drapery section for a long time, debating between the different curtains. Dropping a couple of options in my shopping cart, I headed for the wall décor. It wouldn’t hurt to add a few things that would accent the Paris theme of my bedroom. I was examining an antique-looking clock when someone called my name.

  “Cora.”

  I froze, my pulse thudding in my ears. I prayed I wouldn’t turn around and see Jeff. It was a male’s voice, but I’d been in such a trance that I hadn’t recognized it. I turned slowly, my heart racing.

  “Landon.” I let out the breath I’d been holding. “Hey! What are you doin’ in here?”

  He grinned. “Just pickin’ somethin’ up for my mom. Man, feels like it’s been forever since we hung out.” He reached over and gave me a quick one-armed hug.

  “I know. Things have been so busy for me the last couple of weeks.”

  “Yeah, baseball’s got me pretty crazy, too. So, how are you?” he asked, looking into my eyes with an intensity that would have forced me to lie if it’d been anyone else.

  “Honestly? Not so great. I was fine, but then I found out about Jeff and Lacy’s engagement…” I stopped there, knowing I’d said enough. He would understand.

  “I heard about that,” he replied, taking my hand. “I’m sorry, Cora. I know what you must be goin’ through. What can I do to help?”

  “Oh, I’m fine, really. It’s just…hard to swallow. But I’m fine.” I had to look away. I’d never been able to lie to him.

  Landon didn’t argue with me, even though I suspected he knew I was covering up my feelings. “Come here.” He embraced me in a tight bear hug. “He never deserved you.” Landon squeezed me once, then leaned back to look at me. “You know that, right?”

  “Sure, that’s what I keep hearin’.” I sighed, looking into his sweet eyes. “But thanks, Landon. Really.”

  “Hey, what are friends for?” He grinned and elbowed my arm. “It’s really good to see you, Cora. I’ve missed hangin’ with you the past couple weeks.”

  “I’ve missed you, too. We should definitely get together soon,” I answered. “Hey, my parents are havin’ a party next Saturday. You should come!”

  Landon’s eyes lit up, a smile s
tretching all the way across his face. “Sounds great! What time?”

  “I think it starts at one, but you know you’re welcome whenever.” I grinned in return. I couldn’t help it. He had a way of making me feel better. Whole.

  “Awesome. Count me in,” he replied. “Well, I better get this stuff home. I’ll see ya at school.” He leaned over and kissed my forehead, which was something he’d always done.

  “Bye, Landon.”

  I drove home with a new attitude. I was actually happy, or at least headed in that direction. Seeing Landon—even for that brief moment—had lifted my spirits. He always seemed to know just what to say and what not to say. He knew when to ask questions and when to just listen. Next to Valerie, he was my best friend.

  Landon was sort of like my own personal lighthouse—always there to help me find my way home.

  Chapter Eight

  It was almost two o’clock and I was getting nervous. What if Rex had changed his mind about coming over? What if he’d realized how ordinarily plain I was, especially compared to him? I began to worry he wouldn’t show—then what would I do? I desperately needed the distraction of a new fling to keep my mind off Jeff and Lacy. Otherwise, I might actually go crazy.

  A few minutes later, I heard the doorbell ring. I was itching to run downstairs but didn’t want to seem too anxious, like I had nothing better to do with my day than sit around and wait for him.

  Mama called my name after what felt like forever, so I rushed out of my room to the stairs. I paused at the top, straightening my dress and running a hand through my hair. My hands shook.

  Mustering all the confidence I could manage, I slowly made my way to the living room. As soon as he came into view, I nearly gasped aloud. His beauty—there was no better way to describe it—was astonishing, completely off the charts. I’d almost forgotten, and seeing him again took my breath away just as it had the first time.

  “Hi, Cora,” he greeted me with that mesmerizing voice.

  “Hello, Rex. How are you today?” Whoa, way too formal. Relax. I reminded myself to breathe.

  “Well, I’ll leave you two kids alone. Gotta get back to my gardening,” Mama announced. I was relieved she wouldn’t be hanging around.

  “It was nice to meet you, Ma’am,” Rex said. “I’ll be sure to give this recipe to my mother.”

  “Thanks, Rex. Tell her she can come by anytime if she wants to chat about some more recipes.”

  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Rex had already made a good impression on my mother! That was definitely not an easy task for the guys I dated. It had taken her a month to warm up to the idea of Jeff and me.

  “Sure thing, Ma’am.”

  She left then and I looked at Rex with raised eyebrows. “Well, my mama seems to like you.”

  “She’s a sweet lady,” Rex noted.

  “It’s a good thing you feel that way. She’s usually not so willing to let guys hang out with me.”

  “You mean she doesn’t let you date? Because I don’t want to break any rules or anything…”

  “Oh, no, that’s not what I meant. She lets me date. She just usually gives the guy a harder time.” I paused as what he’d said about breaking rules registered. “So…you won’t need to worry about breaking any rules…if you wanted to…you know, date me.” I smiled timidly, looking up at him through my eyelashes.

  “Well, as long as she’s okay with it…are you? Okay with it, I mean, because I’d love to ask you out sometime.”

  His question made me blush. “Oh, I’m definitely okay with it. You have my permission to ask me out…sometime…if you want,” I stammered.

  “Cool.” He laughed. “In the meantime, I brought a couple of movies over, but I also brought my guitar. I could play some tunes if you’d like.” Rex gestured to his left, and I tore my eyes away from his long enough to follow his gaze. Sure enough, a guitar case leaned against the front door.

  His guitar! I grinned internally. I was a sucker for guys with guitars. “I’d love to hear you play,” I said.

  “Awesome,” he replied, taking a step to the side and picking up his guitar. After carefully removing it from the case, he sat down on the couch and began strumming out a rhythm that wasn’t familiar to me.

  “That’s beautiful, Rex. I don’t think I’ve heard it, though,” I commented, joining him on the couch.

  “That’s because I wrote it last night.” He hesitated, gazing intently into my eyes. “For you.”

  Wow! Blinking, I attempted to regain my composure. “Rex, that’s…amazing.” I scooted closer to him, inhaling the scent of his cologne, and listened to his beautiful voice singing words meant only for me. I was instantly blown away. “Swept off my feet” would’ve been the understatement of the century. It was like a movie. This sort of stuff never happened in real life.

  After Rex finished playing, he asked if there was anything I wanted to hear. I mentioned a popular song, and we spent the next two hours discussing our favorite musicians, discovering we had some of the same tastes. We also learned that we had a few very different opinions when it came to the subject of country music. Laughing, I tried to convince him to give the genre a try, while he jokingly argued that all country songs were the same.

  Just as Rex was putting his guitar back into its case a little while later, his phone buzzed. “I hate to do this,” he said, “but I have to go. I thought I’d be able to stay longer, but my dad just sent me a text and said he needs my help unloading some new furniture.”

  “Oh,” I answered, disappointed. “Well, that’s okay. Thanks for comin’ over…I had a lot of fun.”

  He smiled. “So did I.”

  We were quiet for a moment, both of us unsure of our next move. “So, the block party my parents are havin’ next Saturday…is your family comin’?” I asked.

  “I don’t know if they are. But I’d love to come…if the invitation’s open.”

  “Of course!”

  “Cool, so I’ll see you then,” he said. “What time?”

  “The fun starts at one.”

  He leaned in and hugged me, brushing hair away from my shoulder in the process. “I’ll see you at one, then. I can’t wait.”

  The next weekend couldn’t come soon enough. I went to the mall with Valerie and Kayla after school one day that week, the park with the whole crew another afternoon, and spent Friday evening helping Mama clean the house to get ready for the party.

  When Saturday morning finally arrived, I couldn’t contain my excitement. It felt like an eternity since I’d seen Rex, even though it had only been a matter of days.

  I was just finishing my makeup when there was a knock on my bedroom door. “Who’s there?”

  “Hey, Cor, it’s Landon. You decent?”

  Landon! I stiffened. In all my excitement about Rex, I’d completely forgotten that I had invited Landon to the party, too. Dread formed a pit in my stomach. I hadn’t even mentioned Rex to him. And I definitely wasn’t ready for the two of them to meet.

  It doesn’t matter, I told myself. Landon’s just a friend. He won’t mind that I’m potentially dating someone else. It’ll be fine.

  “Um, yeah. Come on in,” I answered.

  Landon pushed open the bedroom door. “Wow, you look…” He paused as he appraised my cut-off denim mini skirt and hot-pink sleeveless top.

  “I look…?” I grinned, teasing him.

  “There aren’t words, Cora. Even ‘beautiful’ seems weak compared to the way you look right now.”

  Whoa. The mascara wand in my hand clattered onto the vanity. Blushing, I grabbed the fallen makeup. “I’m such a klutz sometimes,” I mumbled.

  Landon laughed. “Sometimes?”

  “Very funny. Anyhow, I guess we can go join the party. Daddy should be warmin’ the grill up. I’m sure he’d appreciate your help.”

  “Awesome! It’s been forever since I grilled out with your dad!” Landon had always helped my father with the grill when we’d had these parties in the past.
They got along well, and Daddy enjoyed the company.

  “Come on, I’ll walk you down.”

  We headed downstairs and out the back door to the pool deck. No other guests had arrived since it was only twelve thirty.

  Daddy was excited to see Landon. “Hey,” he called. “My main man! Glad you could come.”

  “Me too. Get that grill fired up!”

  Once we reached my dad standing by the grill, he and Landon chatted about guy stuff for a few minutes before I finally interrupted. “Well, you boys have fun. I’m gonna go see if Mama needs any help inside.” I waited for a response but got nothing. Shaking my head and thinking about how easily distracted men are, I walked into the kitchen and found Mama mixing some pasta salad.

  “Cora, there you are. Could you chop up some carrots for me?”

  “Okay,” I replied, grabbing a knife and cutting board. “Mama, can I ask you a question?”

  “Sure, sweetie.”

  “Well.” I hesitated, wondering if I should bring up the subject of Rex again. “I invited Rex to this party.”

  “Mmm-hmm.”

  “And I invited Landon.”

  Mama stopped mixing and looked up from her bowl. “Is that a problem?”

  “Um, I don’t really know.”

  She eyed me curiously. “What do you mean? You and Landon are just friends, right?”

  “Of course. But I haven’t actually told him about Rex yet. I just...I don’t know how he’ll respond. I kind of forgot that Landon would be here when I invited Rex.”

  “I see,” she said.

  I waited. She wasn’t giving me much input. Her short answers frustrated me. “What should I do?” I asked impatiently.

  “I think you should get Landon alone before Rex gets here. If you truly have no feelings for him stronger than friendship, you need to clarify that. Don’t keep leadin’ him on, Cora.”

  Leading him on? Since when did Mama think I was doing that? “Do you really think that’s what I’m doin’? I mean, he doesn’t have romantic feelings for me, either…I don’t think.”