Cora rolled over in her bed. Snuggled up and sleeping next to her was little Susie. She brushed the child’s hair out of her face with a whisper of softness. Such innocence. What about the women in the news stories? Had their innocence been robbed? Lord, please protect them and protect this precious child from this kind of tragedy. She has already been through so much.
Susie’s eyes opened, and she reached for Cora.
“Good morning, little one. Did you sleep well last night?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Susie wrapped her arms around Cora’s neck. Her Snow White nightgown felt soft against Cora’s skin. Her hair smelled like lavender.
“Well, good. How did you end up in my room?”
“I missed you. I came to see if you came home.”
“Susie, I told you I’d return. I came in last night and kissed you good night.” Cora tapped Susie’s nose. “I guess we had better get up. Breakfast will be ready soon. You stay here in my bed while I go shower. Okay?” Cora slid out of bed with a groan.
“Can I go to my room and play?”
“Of course you can, Sweetie. I’ll be in to dress you when I get myself ready.” Cora went into the bathroom and shut the door.
“Can I come in with you?” Susie asked from outside the door.
“No, darling, you run along and play. I’ll be in soon.”
Susie left Cora’s room, and Cora proceeded to get ready for breakfast. She lavished her shower, washing away the smell of cigarettes from the night before at Wild Bill’s. She dried her hair, put on a little foundation and mascara, and then dressed in her jeans and black T-shirt. She slipped her sandals on and went down the hall to Susie’s room.
Half an hour later, Cora and Susie entered the dining room where R.L., Pearl, and Matt waited for breakfast.
“Good morning, girls,” R.L. greeted.
“Morning.” Cora sat in her usual seat, Susie by her side. Rex was nowhere in sight.
“Good morning, Cora.” Matt winked at her.
Her face burning, Cora greeted him. Was he flirting with her? Or could he be laughing because she left Wild Bill’s with Rex last night? Surely, he didn’t think something happened between them.
Soon after, Rex entered the room. Instead of taking his seat across the table from Cora, as he usually did, he sat next to her. Matt cleared his throat and chuckled, making it clear to everyone what he thought. Rex shot Matt a disapproving glare through narrow slits and then turned to Cora and gave her a huge grin. R.L. and Pearl eyed each other and smiled.
“So, Rex, have you decided which direction you’d like us to take with the ranch?”
“No, Matt. And I hardly think this is the time to talk about it.” Rex grimaced.
“Well, we haven’t exactly been on the same side of the planet lately. When do you think we’re gonna talk about it?” Matt took a loud sip from his coffee.
Cora’s gaze flitted back and forth between brothers. The tension between the two was undeniable. How could Matt switch from playful flirt to hard-headed businessman so easily?
“We can talk privately in Dad’s office later, or I can come into town and we can meet. Breakfast after a late night out isn’t the time.”
“Matt, Rex is right,” R.L. cautioned.
“As always.” Matt looked away.
“Excuse me, ma’am.” Jimmy entered the dining room from the kitchen. “Should I serve breakfast without Miss Clarice, or do we wait for her?”
“It’s 8:20 a.m. already. She knows breakfast is at 8:00 a.m. We’ll go ahead and eat,” Pearl answered.
“Why hasn’t she come down yet? You think she’s feeling okay?”
“Oh, R.L., you pamper that girl too much. Rex, didn’t y’all go out last night together?” Pearl asked.
“Yes, ma’am. Well, I joined up with them later.” Rex drank a sip of his coffee and added sugar and cream, then buttered his toast, cut it in half, and gave Susie one piece.
“Maybe she’s tired. She may have had too much to drink, although I hope that isn’t the case. What time did you get in?” R.L. questioned Rex.
“I brought Cora home early. I don’t know what time Matt and Clarice got in last night. Matt?” Rex turned to his brother.
“Uh, I got in at 2:00 a.m.” Matt’s face turned red. He picked at his eggs with his fork.
“What do you mean you got in? Where was your sister? You went there together.” R.L. glared at Matt.
“I took someone home, and Clarice said she’d be fine.” He shifted nervously in his chair.
“Son, I can’t believe you left her there. Why didn’t you go back and check on her?” Pearl slammed her hand down on the table, and Cora jumped.
“Mom, she can take care of herself.”
“I’m going up to check on her. I can’t believe you were so irresponsible!” Pearl got up from the table. “Excuse me, Cora.” She stormed out of the room.
They ate breakfast in silence. Cora could hardly eat though, sick that something might have happened to Clarice. She turned to Rex, giving him a worried look. He touched her arm gently. What if Clarice had become one of those missing women? She said nothing for fear of spreading panic to the family.
Within a few minutes, Pearl came bounding down the stairs and into the dining room frantically. “R.L.! Clarice isn’t in her room. It looks like she didn’t come home last night. Where could she be? I shouldn’t have gone to bed last night without checking on her.”
“Now, honey, I’m sure she’s fine. She probably stayed in town with a friend.” R.L. turned toward Rex. “Rex, can you go look for Clarice?”
“Yes, sir, I’m on my way. Cora, go with me.” Rex looked in Matt’s direction and groaned.
“What about Susie?”
“Go, Cora. I’ll take care of Susie,” Pearl reassured.
Rex and Cora made their way out the front door as Clarice stepped on to the front porch. Her untucked blouse was unbuttoned past her cleavage. She carried her heels in her hand. Her makeup was almost entirely gone except for her smeared mascara. A blue pickup disappeared down the driveway.
“Where have you been?” Rex demanded of his sister, who was giggling.
“None of your business,” Clarice stammered, trying to push past her brother.
Rex grabbed her arm and twirled her around toward him. What were all those bruises on the girl’s face? “It most certainly is my business. Mom and Dad are worried sick about you. For all they know, you’re dead. Look at your face. What happened to you? Now tell me where you’ve been!” Rex kept his eyes on hers.
“I met somebody. Okay? I went home with him.” Clarice stared at the ground, tightening her jaw.
“Clarice! How could you?” Cora gasped. “Did you know someone else was kidnapped last night? It could’ve been you.” Rex and Clarice both turned toward her, obviously surprised by her outburst. “I’m sorry, but I can’t believe it.” An earthquake of disappointment rumbled through Cora.
“Oh, please, Cora, get a life. Like you’ve never done anything like this before. What do you think I went to Wild Bill’s for, anyway? This isn’t the first time I’ve done this. It’s the first time I’ve gotten caught though.” Clarice crossed her arms across her chest, causing her top button to unbutton, revealing more cleavage.
“What? Young lady, do you realize if Mom and Dad knew you’d stayed out like this before they’d lock you in your room? Not to mention what else could’ve happened to you.” Rex pointed his finger in her face.
“So what? I’d find a way to get out if they locked me up. I’m an adult, anyway. And nothing would happen to me.” Clarice tapped her foot defiantly on the porch.
Cora went over to the porch swing and dropped into it. What was she hearing? She never imagined Clarice would be promiscuous. She’d hoped she was only a flirt.
“Clarice, you’re not an adult if you can’t support yourself. You can’t pay your way. You live off Daddy.”
“I hate you, Rex!” She stomped her foot.
“Go inside! I’m
not helping you out of this mess.”
“Rex! Come on. I didn’t mean it. That’s not fair.” Clarice grabbed his arm.
“Fair? How fair is it that Mom and Dad are in there frantic? This is the fairest thing I could do for you. Maybe this will straighten you out. Now get in there!” Rex pointed toward the door.
When Clarice pushed open the door and walked in, the sound of R.L.’s voice yelling at Matt filtered out.
Susie was crying, so Cora ran past Rex and Clarice to get to the child. When Susie saw Cora, she ran from her gramma’s arms and into Cora’s. Cora whisked the tot outside onto the porch to swing. Susie didn’t need to hear the explosion that was soon to occur.
A half an hour later, Rex came out onto the porch. He wiped the sweat from the back of his neck. He walked over to the swing and sat next to Cora, taking Susie into his arms. “Hi.”
“Hi.” Cora looked straight ahead. A hot morning breeze blew across her face, and a cow mooed in a far-off pasture.
“Thanks for bringin’ Susie out here. I don’t like her to be around when there’s fightin’ goin’ on.”
“You’re welcome. I didn’t think I belonged in there, nor did I care to be.” Cora rubbed her hands back and forth on her legs. She surveyed the cracked paint on the porch flooring.
Grabbing one of her hands in his, Rex gazed straight into her eyes. “Don’t be nervous. Everything will be okay.”
“I’m not so sure, Rex. Did Clarice go home with a friend? A boyfriend, I mean?” Cora asked.
“Not exactly.” Rex looked down at the ground.
“Good.” She blew out a puff of breath.
“No, not really.” He raised his gaze to hers.
“What do you mean?” Susie jumped down from her father’s lap.
“She went home with a stranger.”
“A stranger? No! How could she? I can’t believe she’d do that, knowing there’s a kidnapper on the loose. Did she—”
“Yes, and evidently she’s done this before.”
“What did your parents say?” Poor R.L. and Pearl. Poor misguided Clarice.
He exhaled. “Well, at first they were thrilled to see her alive. But when they saw she was unharmed, except for those bruises, they demanded some answers. They were disappointed in her for not callin’, for goin’ home with someone she didn’t know, and for doin’ what she did while she was with him. They were also furious with Matt for leavin’ her there. Turns out he met a woman and took her home. He stayed at her house for quite a while, if you know what I mean.”
“So, both of them...?”
“Yes, evidently so.”
Cora buried her head in her hands. “I feel awful for leaving her there last night.”
“No, no, you’re not to blame. Clarice is a big girl, and she knew what she was doing. One night wouldn’t have made a difference. Besides, Matt was responsible for both of you last night until I brought you home. But he was still to look after Clarice. And he didn’t do his job because he was more concerned with his own needs.”
“I feel sick. Maybe if I’d stayed, Clarice wouldn’t have left with that guy. And maybe Matt wouldn’t have gone home with someone he didn’t know.”
“Don’t bet on it. They both think of themselves first. You heard Clarice. She said she went there looking for a man. She’d have left with him no matter what. And, if you’d stayed with Matt, you might have ended up like the woman he spent the night with—used and discarded.”
“Nothing would’ve happened between me and Matt, I assure you. I think he knew that too, because he quickly grew tired of being with me. I wish I’d never gone with them. I wanted to drive my own car, but they insisted I ride with them. Truthfully, I wish I’d never gone at all.” Cora’s stomach flip-flopped.
“I know what you mean. I never went to Wild Bill’s until after Patricia was gone. It was all new to me too. You’ll get used to it.”
“Oh no, I won’t.” She held up her hands. “I’m not going back there again. I told you last night I wasn’t cut out for places like that.” Cora got up from the swing to check on Susie, who had run to play on the walkway.
“Cora? Wasn’t there anything good about last night?” Rex came after her.
Cora turned. “Oh yes. I was able to get to know you a little better. But, you’re still a mystery to me.”
“Me? You’re the mysterious one.”
“I don’t think so.” Cora giggled.
The front door opened, and out came Matt with Clarice right on his heels, yelling at each other, saying things Susie shouldn’t hear.
“I’ll talk to you later, Rex.” Cora rushed down the steps and took Susie’s hand. She led her up the steps and into the house. Susie squeal her disapproval about having to go inside.
Once upstairs and in Susie’s room, Cora calmed Susie down, and they played until lunchtime. Cora tried to answer Susie’s questions about her family’s arguments as best she could. She and Susie had their lunch served out by the pool. After they ate, Susie went down for her nap.
Cora went into the kitchen and used Jimmy’s computer to email Anne and tell her about Clarice. She had to get the events of the past twenty-four hours off her chest.
Chapter 10
“Mrs. O’Reilly?”
“Pearl.”
“Pearl.” Cora smiled. “Would you mind if I take a few hours away to ride one of the horses around the ranch?” Cora, wound tighter than a ball of yarn, needed a break from the Clarice episode.
“Of course not. Susie will be fine here. You go ahead.”
Cora changed into her old jeans and a worn T-shirt and walked toward the stables. On Saturdays, most of the ranch hands headed into town for the day, so Cora didn’t worry about disrupting their work. Only Rusty, one of her favorite hands and one she trusted, would be there. Cora stopped by the chicken coop to check out the day-old baby chickens. She reached down and patted a kitten on the head. “Don’t you bother these chicks. You hear me?”
Rusty helped Cora mount a gray horse with black spots. “Her name’s Millie, and she is the gentlest one we have on the ranch.”
“Thank you.” Cora’s body melded into the saddle, which freed her mind from worries of falling off Millie in her gallop, so she could enjoy the cloud-sprinkled sky and scrubby pines. The ranch seemed to go on forever, the rolling hills various shades of green. Wild flowers bloomed in every field Cora rode through. Cows dotted the landscape at every turn. Gravel paths popped up sporadically, edged by barns, bales of hay, and ponds.
By the time Cora looked at her watch, over an hour had passed. She should head back to the barn. It probably wasn’t safe to be so far away from the ranch by herself. The wildlife or the kidnapper might be watching her. Sighing, she turned Millie around and retraced her path. She was about halfway to the stables when Millie began to kick and twist like a bronco.
“Steady, Millie. Calm down!” But Millie didn’t heed Cora’s call. Instead, the horse bolted like lightning over the hill behind the stables.
“Slow down, girl! Please! Millie, Millie!” Cora tried to remain calm so as not to excite Millie any more than she already was, but it was no use. Now she could only hold on and hope not to fall off.
Millie ran until she topped what looked like a small mountain, then headed straight down it, ignoring the path already cut out. Cora closed her eyes and ducked down as far as she could against Millie’s mane. Lord, please let Millie stop running long enough for me to jump off.
Without warning, Millie raised up on her back legs, and Cora fell off. As she hit the ground, landing on her side with a thud, Millie ran over another peak. Cora winced with pain. Her brain rattled in her head. She lay there helpless on the ground and cried. She’d never felt pain like this before in her life. Fire shot through her body. Maybe someone would come for her soon.
* * *
“Cora, Cora? Wake up. Are you okay?”
Someone called her from a distance. She opened her eyes and tried to move. “Ouch! I can’t move.”
Rex gently touched her face. “What happened?” Rex checked to see if Cora was bleeding anywhere.
“Millie threw me.” Cora tried to move again.
“Millie? How?”
“I don’t know. Something scared her, I think. She—she just bolted. I held on as long as I could.”
“Where do you hurt?”
“My side. I landed on my ribs.” Cora coughed. “Ouch!”
Rex scooped Cora up off the ground and walked away from the direction of the ranch.
“Where are you taking me?” Cora breathlessly held her side.
“To my cabin.”
“But where...?” Cora began and then turned her head toward the direction Rex was walking. A dreamy log cabin tucked away amongst a cluster of oak trees towering above stood before her. “Oh, Rex! It’s beautiful.”
Rex smiled as he carried Cora into the cabin. He laid her down on the couch in the living room, in the back of the cabin, which boasted wall-to-wall windows from the floor to ceiling, both made of pine. Outside, through the windows, was a bubbling creek about five feet wide, and there was Millie munching on grass. Cora let out a low grumble. “That horse.”
Rex headed toward the kitchen. “I’ll be right back. Don’t try to move.”
“Don’t worry.” Cora obeyed.
A cobblestone fireplace graced the back wall, and the furnishings of pine and rattan added to the rustic feel. The chairs were sea green and white striped, and the couch printed with pastel roses. The overstuffed recliner in the corner must be Rex’s chair.
Although the cabin was quite masculine in design, an air of femininity floated about the place. Silk flower arrangements and custom frames with family pictures adorned the end tables. Bowls of potpourri, which still held a faint scent of peaches and cinnamon, fragranced the cabin like the Carolina mountains.
Rex came from the kitchen carrying a glass of water and some tablets. “Here take these. I’ve called the doctor, but he won’t be here for another forty-five minutes. Looks like you may have bruised your ribs. He said it didn’t sound as though you’d broken any, so that is good.”
Song of the Meadowlark (Intertwined Book 1) Page 10