“Who am I to pass judgment? My husband was a drug dealer. A bounty hunter shot and killed him. Who am I to judge someone else’s spouse?”
Then Rex laughed. He came back inside to where she stood.
“I didn’t mean to spoil the mood. I wasn’t trying to be funny, Rex.”
“You’re amazing. Did you know that?”
“No.”
“I’m glad you said what you said. You made me forget about her.”
“Patricia?”
“Veronica....and...Patty too. I feel much better.”
“They ought to close Wild Bill’s.”
Rex chuckled. “Do you feel like joinin’ the family for lunch? They’ll be home soon.”
“I’d like that. It’ll take me awhile to get dressed, though, so you’d better find something to do with yourself until I come down.”
“You yell at me when you’re ready to come down, and I’ll help you down the stairs. I’ll be workin’ in my office. Okay?” Rex insisted.
“You got a deal. I’ll be ready in a few.” Cora pushed Rex out the door and shut it behind him. She definitely had to leave as soon as she was healed. That man was not over his wife yet, and if she stayed, she’d only get hurt. And so would Susie.
Cora dressed for lunch, wincing as she did. Then she called to Rex, and he came to help her down the stairs.
Cora cooed at Susie’s stories from church and her interpretation of the Bible story of David and Goliath. She hated to leave this place, but maybe her mission was complete. She had successfully brought a father and his child closer together.
* * *
“Cora, I’m glad you feel like playing again.”
“Me too, Susie.”
“I missed you while you were sick.”
“I missed you too.”
“Cora? How long have you been here?”
“Let’s see, it’s August 24th. I think that would be seven weeks now.”
“Seven weeks?”
“Yes, almost two whole months.”
Cora had secretly planned her trip home to Florida. She’d leave in another week or two. She almost had enough money saved to fly home instead of driving. She wasn’t up for another road trip, even one that only lasted a few hours. It would be good to see Mom and Dad. After the events of the last week at the ranch, Cora appreciated them more than ever before. She needed to attempt to restore her relationship with them.
While the family ate breakfast, and discussed the events of the past week, the doorbell rang. Juanita, the housekeeper, answered the door and then called to Cora. A courier waited on the porch for Cora to sign for a registered letter.
Cora puckered her mouth. Who would send her a letter of this type? She excused herself and went into the study. The sender was the law firm she’d worked for outside of Columbia. When she opened the envelope, a letter from an attorney in the firm slipped out.
* * *
When Cora came to, everyone was crowded around her, calling her name. Rex sat beside her on the floor and held her hand. “What happened?”
“You passed out.”
“I did?” She rubbed her head.
“What is it? Bad news from home?” Rex squeezed her hand.
Still clasping the letter in her other hand, she sat up with Rex’s help. He moved her to the wingback chair near the window and made sure she was comfortable. “No, it isn’t bad news.” She looked at the letter again. “Oh boy.” She grasped her forehead with the palm of her hand. “It’s shocking news, I guess. I don’t know what to think.”
“Tell us, if you don’t mind,” R.L. said.
“This is a letter from Clark’s attorney in Columbia, South Carolina. He had a will I didn’t know about. He left everything he owned to me and to his parents and had a life insurance policy for $500,000.00. It’s kind of bittersweet, but I’m rich!” The pain from the past, the struggles to make ends meet, suddenly disappeared.
“Oh, my, you’re rich!” Pearl exclaimed.
“What are you gonna do with all of the money?” Clarice spoke to Cora for the first time since the fiasco after Wild Bill’s. Laughter filled the room at this expected question from Clarice.
“First of all, I guess I’ll make that trip back home to Florida. I need to spend some time with my parents.” Cora looked from one face to another, trying to read their expressions.
The sun hid behind the clouds, and the room darkened, as did the mood. Susie burst into tears. She ran to Cora and threw herself into Cora’s lap. “No. Don’t go. I love you.”
Cora hugged Susie. “I have to go, Susie. Only for a short time, though. I need to be with my friends in South Carolina and then my mommy and daddy for a bit. I’ll be back, because I’ll have to get my car.”
Cora glanced at Rex for help. He abandoned her side and avoided making eye contact. He shuffled his boots on the floor and appeared more devastated than Susie. The bridge they’d begun to build that crossed the chasm crumbled before Cora’s eyes.
“No. I need my mommy too. You’re my mommy now.” The child clung to Cora.
Cora looked at Rex once more, surprised by his child’s statement, but he stalked from the room without so much as one word. The front door slammed then Rex’s truck sped away. She glanced at Pearl and R.L. for understanding, and they smiled sympathetically.
Cora’s head throbbed the entire day. She tried to read her Bible and pray, but she couldn’t concentrate. She sent Anne another email before taking a hot shower to relieve the tension in her neck.
Hey, Anne. You’ll never believe what happened today. I got news that Clark left me half a million dollars. Yep, I’m rich. For some reason, I’m not super happy, though, and I’m more confused than ever. Now what I’ve been planning for weeks can happen, but I’m not sure I’m doing the right thing. I know in my heart if I leave, I probably won’t return. I should be fine with that. I was only passing through anyway. But now I’m attached to Susie. She’s so precious. And, yes, I also know that all little girls are precious. I should cut my ties now and go home for good. But I want to stay. Yet if I stay, I’ll fall for Rex completely. I know I will. Since I’m so unsure about his beliefs, and know he’s not completely over his wife, staying has to be out of the question. I can’t stay just because Susie needs me. Please pray for me. I don’t know what to do. Cora
Cora called Ms. Lottie to tell her how much she appreciated all she’d done for her and that she’d miss her. She prodded Ms. Lottie for a hint about Rex’s feelings, but the older woman never betrayed his confidence, if he’d confided in her at all.
Cora stepped out onto the back porch for a cup of coffee that evening. Would Rex join her there? She sipped from her cup and waited. As she relaxed, the familiar sound of the meadowlark’s song filled her ears, and her heart sank. She’d really miss the tranquility of this place and the soothing song of the bird. Anytime she ever heard a bird sing for the rest of her life, she’d think of Rex...and how they had surprisingly grown close to one another.
Although she sat for a long while that evening, Rex never came.
* * *
The next day, the last Friday in August, Cora packed her jeans and shirts into her bag, getting ready to fly to Columbia again, this time for the reading of the will and to receive her insurance check. From there, she’d go straight to Florida. As she put her shoes in her suitcase and stuffed her socks in the pocket on the top flap, she sighed. Susie had continued to ask why Cora had to leave. Cora repeatedly explained to her the reasons. She told her she’d try as hard as she could to come back and reminded Susie how important it was to take care of her daddy. If Susie felt responsible for him, she’d draw closer to him and not concentrate as much on Cora’s departure.
“Is everything coming together for the trip?” Pearl stood in her bedroom doorway. Her perfume floated in and warmed Cora’s soul.
“I guess I’m almost packed. If it’s okay with you, I’m going to leave my car here.” She met Pearl’s eyes. “I’ll probably come back before he
ading to Florida. I’ll drive home, I guess.”
“That’s fine. Do whatever you need to do. If you decide to fly straight to Florida and stay, just call. We’ll get Rex to drive the car back.” She winked.
“Okay. But I don’t think that will be necessary, and I don’t think he’ll want to do it anyway.” Cora searched the dresser drawers for the last time. “How is Rex, by the way?”
“Oh, he’s just being Rex.”
“Since the day I heard the news, he’s stayed away from me. I know he’s avoiding me because he even eats his meals at the cabin.” Her mind flashed back to the days, one after another, that she’d seen Rex in the pasture working. If she waved, he turned his head. If she came down the stairs, he went out the front door. If she waited outside his office, he never came out. Cora shook her head, and her thoughts came back to the present.
“I wish I knew what to say, Cora. I don’t know what’s going on with Rex.”
“I know he’s mad at me because I’m doing exactly what he asked me not to do on the first day I was here. I never said I wouldn’t come back. But he shut me out, and now I feel like I can’t come back.” A tear slid down her cheek.
Pearl entered her room and embraced her. “It will be all right, Cora. You’re always welcome here regardless of how Rex feels.”
With mixed feelings, Cora now finished packing her suitcases, set them by her bedroom door, and descended the stairs for breakfast. Susie had spent the morning with Pearl, so Cora could finish getting ready. When she was halfway down the curving staircase, she caught a glimpse of Rex heading out the front door, his Levis and Stetson hat burned into her memory. She called to him, but the door shut anyway. She had to talk to him. They hadn’t spoken in a week.
She rushed down the stairs and headed out the front door, passing the aromas of bacon and pastries and the family in the dining room without saying a word. “Rex!”
He didn’t acknowledge her. The summer sun hit Cora square in the face. She held her hand up to shade her eyes. “Rex O’Reilly, you stop right where you are!”
He turned to look at her. “What?”
“What? Is that all you can say? I’m leaving in an hour, and that is all you can say?”
“What do you want me to say, Cora?” Rex’s eyes blazed.
“What’s wrong? Why are you shunning me like this? I had hoped we were closer.” Cora tried to make eye contact.
“Me shunning you? You don’t get it, do you? You’re leavin’, goin’ home, never returnin’. You’re no longer a part of our lives.” Rex glared at her.
“So, it’s over and done with, huh? Like I never existed?” She put her right hand on her hip.
“Why should I try to make you stay? You’re gonna go anyway. Nothin’ I could do would make you stay.” Rex turned and walked away.
“Really? I guess you don’t know me like I thought you did.” She followed him down the steps.
Rex stopped and turned toward her. “I don’t know you at all. In the grand scheme of things, this was just—it—you’re—” He grunted. “Look, we both helped each other out when we needed someone. We’re friends, that’s all. Nothing ever happened between us. You made sure of that.” Rex turned to head for his truck.
“Wait, Rex! Why are you mad at me? If you say we’re just friends, then you should be happy for me that I got the money so I could move on with my life. I’m closing one chapter and starting another. Like you said, you can’t go to the grave with them. Besides, I never said I wouldn’t be back. You didn’t even give me the chance to tell you my plans and help me decide if I had a reason to return.”
Rex fell silent and stared at the ground. Then he stiffened his neck. “I’m mad because you’re hurtin’ Susie. I told you two months ago I didn’t want you here if you were only gonna turn around and leave. You stayed anyway, and now you’re leavin’. It doesn’t matter if it’s only for a little while. You’re doin’ exactly what I didn’t want you to do. You hurt Susie, you hurt my family, and...”
“And what, Rex? Say it.”
“There’s nothin’ more to say—except have a nice life.” Rex walked to his truck and jumped in.
“Have a nice life? What? I thought you’d take me to the airport. I thought we could spend a little time together before I had to leave.”
“Why? I don’t want to be around you anymore. Go find someone else to chauffeur you around.” Rex slammed the door to his truck and cranked the engine. He sped off so fast that Cora fell backwards in the drive trying to avoid his truck and the flying gravel.
Cora sat on the drive for a few minutes, the sting in her heart worse than the sting in her hands. Why was Rex so angry? It had to be more than Susie. He had to be bluffing, like he did when she first came. Why couldn’t he show his true emotions? She held her head high and refused to let the tears flow, blinking them away. She got up off the ground, dusted her clothes and her hands off, and walked back into the house.
During breakfast, Cora tried to hide her hurt from her argument with Rex by talking with everyone and sharing how she’d miss them all. Susie would be the hardest to leave.
Cora could drive her car to the airport since Rex had left, but she called a cab to come pick her up instead. She didn’t want anyone else to take her. It would be easier to say her good-byes at the ranch.
Chapter 12
As the plane touched down on the runway, Cora wrung her hands. She was about to see Mom and Dad for the first time in three years. She tried to forget about the last few conversations with them, since they’d been such a slap in the face. She had to forgive them for their attitudes toward her. Maybe they’d forgive her for the trouble she’d caused them.
In Columbia, South Carolina, she’d settled her business. She’d intended to stay only one night with Clark’s parents, but they’d insisted she visit with them longer. It had been the right thing to do. Ben and Judy wanted to know everything about her stay in Georgia. It had taken her two days, but she eventually told them about the man who had made such an impact on her life.
“I’m really confused about Rex. Do you think I’m looking for love too soon after Clark’s death?” She’d told them finally.
“Clark has been gone in your mind long before you actually heard the news of his death, Cora,” Ben answered. “In ours too,” he added sadly.
“You have to follow your heart. No one can tell you what’s right for you,” Judy affirmed.
Clark’s parents were so different from her own, so affirming and supportive. She dreaded Mom and Dad telling her what to do with her money and her life. She steadied herself for the criticism. If only they were more like Ben and Judy. She closed her eyes and said a silent prayer that all would go well. At least she’d gotten a lot of rest and was prepared for what might lie ahead.
Had it really been eight days since she’d left the Southern Hope?
Planes passed on the runway. When the flight attendant announced over the intercom that the passengers could exit the plane, people stood to retrieve their bags from the overhead storage. A child walked past Cora and sneezed right in her face. Cora held her breath. The person next to her in the aisle reached up to get her bag, hit Cora in the head, and walked down the aisle without apologizing.
Cora exited the corridor and adjusted the strap on her bag to keep it from cutting into her shoulder. She walked past families waiting for their loved ones and limo drivers holding signs. And there, standing in front of her, were Mom and Dad—Brenda in her black Jones New York suit with Vera Wang pumps and Walt in his Armani, cell phone in hand. Cora jumped. How did they know when her flight was coming in? She hadn’t told them what flight she was coming in on because she’d wanted a little extra time to get prepared for our reunion.
“Mom! Dad! What are you doing here?” she managed. “How did you know when I was arriving?” Cora forced herself to smile and hug Mom and Dad.
“Well, dear, are you not happy to see us?” Mom questioned, her elegant hands dripping in diamonds and tipped with man
icured nails.
“Don’t be silly.” She dismissed the thought with a wave of her hand. “Of course, I’m glad to see you. I’m shocked you two drove out here to meet me. You didn’t have to.”
“We knew you didn’t have your car. It made sense for your dad and me to pick you up.”
“Of course. Thanks. How long have you been waiting?” Cora averted her eyes from Mom since that nerve in the back of her neck was already twitching.
A man walked between them, oblivious to their conversation, and knocked Mom’s purse off her shoulder. She narrowed her eyes at him.
“About thirty minutes. These cheaper airlines are always late. You have money now. Why didn’t you fly First Class with a more respectable airline? Better yet, why didn’t you let me arrange your trip for you?” Dad, ever the businessman, inquired, his salt-and-pepper hair styled to perfection. He looked at the clock on his cell phone and sighed.
“Delta flight D732 boarding now for Mexico.”
Cora raised her chin to the ceiling. Mexico sounds nice about now. Not even one minute had passed, and they’d both succeeded in getting on her nerves. “Dad, why don’t we go get my bags? We can talk about my choice in airlines later. At least I’m home, right?” Cora tried to be pleasant but squinted at Dad at the same time. She walked a pace ahead of them, like a gazelle running from a pack of cheetahs.
On the way home, the mile markers slowly click by, sealing Cora’s doom. She sat in the back seat of Mom’s Lexus, taking in the familiar scenery. She leaned her head back on the headrest and closed her eyes.
At first the classical music on the radio soothed her nerves, but Dad’s erratic driving and fussing about the traffic retied them in knots. Mom fussed at him for fussing at drivers who couldn’t hear him. Their voices blurred in her ears. She dreamed of eating dinner and going to bed. It was only 7:00 p.m., but Cora’s body ached, and her mind could think no more.
Song of the Meadowlark (Intertwined Book 1) Page 12