Song of the Meadowlark (Intertwined Book 1)

by Johnson, Sherri Wilson

  “So are you guys staying together?”

  “No way. Are you crazy?” She bristled at the thought.

  “Well, you never know.”

  “No. In fact, I can hardly get him to come to the pool house. If he does, he usually has Susie with him. I did get him to get in the hot tub once or twice, and that was funny. Quite a switch from when he practically mauled me this summer in the pool when he was acting like a horse’s—you get my drift.” She turned off the television and put the remote on the cushion beside her.

  “Sure do. Men!”

  “Gotta love ’em.”

  “So you’re getting serious or what?”

  “I mean, we’re not seeing anyone else. We’re going to church together every Sunday now. We go out. We spend time with Susie. He hasn’t specifically asked me to go steady with him.”

  “Ha, ha. You’re funny. But I’m glad it’s all working out for you. What about the sister?”

  “She’s a real prize.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I haven’t had much interaction with her. But when I came back, she confronted me and wanted to know why I was back.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah. She basically wanted to know what my motives were. At first, she acted like she was concerned for me, like she didn’t want me to get hurt if Rex rejected me. But then it really boiled down to her marking her territory.”

  “Do you think that’s because you didn’t stick up for her?”

  “I’m sure. But I can’t worry about it.”

  “You’re right. What about the kidnapper?”

  “No news there. It’s your turn to talk. Tell me about Houston and how your love life is.”

  * * *

  “Rex, I’ve had it with your pitiful plans and your avoidance of the inevitable,” Matt said, crashing through the back door and into the kitchen. Cora sat at the kitchen table as Susie colored and watched out the window as the birds pecked at the seeds on the birdfeeder. When Matt came through the door, the birds scattered. Cora crossed her eyebrows at him. Rex followed close behind.

  “What are you talking about, Matt? Just because I’m not acting as quickly as you’d like doesn’t mean I’m avoiding something. The inevitable? What’s that supposed to mean anyway?”

  “Never mind.” Matt waved his hand to dismiss Rex.

  “And besides, I’m working on some great plans. Cora’s been helping me.” Rex grabbed a coffee mug off a hook under the kitchen cabinet and poured a cup of coffee. The steam coming from the cup matched the steam coming from his ears. Beads of sweat glistened on his upper lip, and damp curls surrounded his ears.

  “Rex, you’re driving me insane. You don’t realize how vital it is we get something up and running soon. When winter sets in, we’re gonna be in deep. The drought this summer killed us, and we’ve got to find a way to recover. The war in Iraq has cost us because so many of the guys stationed in Columbus are gone and so we’re losing sales. The economy’s going downhill fast.”

  “Matt—”

  “No!” He pointed his finger in Rex’s face. “Listen, Rex. We either need to open the dude ranch or the B&B. If we open the dude ranch, we can renovate the old bunkhouse. That would be the easiest approach. If we go with the B&B idea, we need to start building.”

  “I know, Matt. That’s what I was gonna tell you. We talked about adding a two-story, four-suite wing right out here on the other side of the kitchen. The kitchen and dining hall will be right out here and the gathering hall can be in the front.” Rex pointed out the kitchen window. “Right out here on the other end, past the dining hall, will be a separate mini-wing where we hope to have Ms. Lottie’s quarters, if she’ll agree to come on board. The upstairs will have a common area and the four suites.”

  Matt rubbed his face with his hands in exasperation. “Rex, you’re such a simple man.”

  “What does that mean?” Rex walked closer to Matt.

  “You’re scared to branch out and try something new like the dude ranch.” He crossed his arms.

  “First of all, that has nothing to do with it. A B&B would be quite new for me. But I’ve got a little girl to raise, Matt. I can’t be playing host to a bunch of fake cowboys—businessmen who come to the country for a weekend to strut around like peacocks in their high-dollar snakeskin boots with no idea how to ride a horse or shovel manure.” Rex cut his eyes over to Matt. “We’ve got to go with what’s most advantageous for us. It’s not exactly what I want, but I know we have to do something. People are into B&Bs these days. Ms. Lottie’s business has seen a slump, and she can’t keep up with the repairs on that old home. It’d be in her best interest to do this.”

  “Who cares about her? I’m looking at keeping my pocketbook from getting empty. You’re just selfish.”

  “Me? Selfish? Can you believe this guy?” Rex cocked his head toward Cora. “Who wants to do things his own way? If you want a dude ranch so bad, why don’t you run it?”

  Cora held her breath and squeezed her eyes shut as the two stood chest-to-chest, blowing verbal smoke in each other’s faces. Rex balled his fists up, and Matt’s swung his arms, ready for a fight. Jimmy stayed in the pantry, pretending to inventory the contents.

  “Stop fighting!” Susie screamed.

  “Boys! What are you fighting about?” Pearl entered the kitchen.

  “Stupid Rex and his failure to move into this century.” Matt backed away from the brother who stood a head taller.

  “I don’t know how much more of this I can take.” Pearl grabbed her forehead.

  “Pearl, here, sit down. Let me get you some coffee.” Cora headed to the counter, regarding both brothers in disdain.

  “Decaf, please.”

  “Rex? Matt? I want to know what all this yelling is about. I’ve had about enough of it. I was on the phone with a client, and I could barely hear him.” R.L. stood in the doorway glaring from one son to the next. “Dad, Rex is a pain in the rear.”

  Rex let out a groan and tramped over to the window. Susie ran into the living room singing a song she learned in Sunday school. Rex scratched his head.

  “Rex? You’re not saying anything.”

  “Dad, I want to do what’s best for the ranch, whatever that is. I’m not leaning toward the dude ranch because I don’t have time to manage guests out there. There’s enough work to do with the ranch hands to manage. I don’t think we can afford the liability insurance we’d have to have either. Do you know how much it’d cost to protect us against lawsuits?”

  Matt scuffed his shoes on the floor. “Lawsuits?”

  “Yes, Matt. Lawsuits.” Dead silence except for the sound of the ice dropping into the bucket from the icemaker hung in the air.

  “Good research, Rex. We do have to prepare for such things. What about the B&B? Sit down here and tell me what you’ve come up with.”

  Matt stomped out the back door, slamming it behind him. Cora jumped.

  Jimmy poked his head out of the pantry and then went back in.

  “Dad, here’s what we’ve put together…”

  * * *

  Cora pulled into Millburn’s Station on fumes. The double bell sounded as she drove up to the pump. She turned off the ignition, zipped her jacket, and got out of the car.

  “Hey, Cora.”

  Cora jumped at the voice that sounded like a character from Mayberry, turning to find Bobby standing right behind her. “Hey, Bobby. You startled me.” She opened the gas cover and swiped her debit card at the pump.

  “Sorry.” He grinned a crooked grin. “So, what finds you this far from the ranch?”

  She fixed the handle so it would pump until her tank was full then glanced down at the dented side panel. “I had errands to run, and I wanted to stop in and check on Ms. Lottie.” She put her hands in her back pockets.

  “How’s she doin’?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t made it over there yet. I’m on my way now.”

  “Oh. Well…”

  The gas conti
nued to pump into the tank. How many gallons did this car take? “So.” She watched the numbers slowly tick on the old gas pump. She picked up the squeegee and washed her windshield.

  “So.”

  “Are you getting ready for the holidays, Bobby?”

  “I suppose. There’s not much to the holidays for me. Not much family.” He looked down at the ground.

  “I hate to hear that.” She put the squeegee back in the holder and tapped on the roof of the car with her left hand.

  “Yeah.” Bobby bent down and picked up a disposable coffee cup lid. “I hate when people litter. People are so ungrateful these days for the things we do for them.”

  “I guess you’re right.” The tank finally reached full. Cora returned the handle to the pump, tightened the cap on the tank, and pushed the button for a receipt, all while Bobby watched her.

  “You want me to check your oil?”

  “No, I think it’s okay today. You changed it when you worked on the car. Thanks, though.” Cora grabbed her receipt and reached for the car door handle.

  “What are ya doin’ later tonight?” He shoved his hands in his back pockets.

  “I’m not really sure. It depends on what time I get back to the ranch.”

  “Do ya want to go to a movie with me?”

  Cora gulped. So that’s what that was all about. He wasn’t being creepy. He wanted to ask her out. “Thanks for asking, Bobby. I’m going out with Rex right now.”

  “Oh, figures.”

  “Sorry.”

  “Sure thing. Let me know if that doesn’t work out.” He tipped his ball cap.

  “Okay.” Cora climbed in the car and pulled out of the gas station as quickly as she could. “That was weird.” She shuddered.

  * * *

  “Ms. Lottie, the strangest thing just happened.” Cora gave Ms. Lottie a hug and a kiss on her cheek in the lobby of the B&B.

  “What?” Ms. Lottie sat down with her hot tea in the living room.

  Cora sat and then stirred sugar into her tea, testing it for sweetness. “I stopped to get gas at Bobby’s station, and he really creeped me out.”

  “Why?” Ms. Lottie looked her directly in the eye, concern pouring out.

  “I felt like he was stalking me or hovering or something.”

  “What did he do?” Ms. Lottie’s kind eyes never left Cora’s.

  “He popped up behind me while I was pumping my gas like some kind of clown at the circus. It scared me half to death.” Cora shivered.

  “Then what?”

  “Then he asked me out.”

  “Doesn’t he know you and Rex are together?”

  “He acted like he didn’t know.” Cora shrugged.

  “Well, everyone knows. I don’t know how he couldn’t. You might want to steer clear of him for a while.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t mean to talk bad about him, but that boy has always been a little odd.”

  * * *

  On the way home, Cora almost took the back roads that Bobby recommended, but after the last fiasco, she kept her car on the main road. A pain shot through her chest at the thought of seeing where she’d broken down and the shack where she was held captive. A chill ran up her spine. She rubbed her right wrist as she drove. That one hurt worse than the left one.

  “Lord, I guess these scars aren’t going to go away for a long time. The nerves around them are so sensitive.” Cora drove on for about five minutes in silence, with no radio playing. “Lord, did your wrists hurt like this when you hung on the cross? I’m sure they hurt more than mine do.” A logging truck whizzed by, snapping Cora out of her prayer. “Lord, would you have me use my experience to help others? What can I do?”

  * * *

  After a few days of pondering how she could use her kidnapping to help others, something opened inside Cora’s brain and revealed an idea that curled her toes. She threw on her jeans and a sweater, her boots and coat, and ran from the pool house to the main house. “Hey, Pearl. Do you know where Rex is?”

  Pearl sat on the living room floor with Susie playing with puzzles. “The last time I saw him, he was headed out to the stables to take Rusty his paycheck.”

  “Do you think he’ll be back soon?” Cora rested her hand on her hip.

  “He should be. He said he was coming back to eat lunch.”

  “Okay. Goodie.”

  “You want to call him?”

  “No, I’ll wait.” Cora sat on the floor and began helping Susie with her puzzles.

  “What’s up?” Pearl peered into Cora’s olive green eyes.

  “I had the greatest idea for the B&B.” Cora squeezed Pearl’s hand.

  “I can’t wait to hear what it is.”

  The front door opened. “Hello. Where is everybody?”

  “We’re in here, Rex.”

  Rex appeared in the living room doorway with Clarice by his side. Her skin looked a shade darker than earlier in the summer, her teeth whiter, and her cup size larger. “Hey, Cora.”

  “Rex.” Cora stood just in time to receive his hug. “Hi, Clarice.”

  “Hey.” Clarice looked her up and down, chewing her gum like a cow chewing its cud.

  “Rex, I had a great idea for the B&B, and I can’t wait to tell you about it.”

  “Okay, tell me.”

  “Why don’t we go ahead into the dining room for lunch? Cora, you can share your idea with all of us, if you don’t mind.”

  “Okay, Pearl.”

  “Are you sure you don’t mind telling everyone?” Rex placed his arm around her back.

  “No, I don’t mind.”

  “I’m not gonna be home for lunch. I’m meeting some friends in town. I’ll have to miss all the excitement.” Clarice threw her Liz Claiborne bag over her shoulder.

  “I hope you have a good day, Clarice.” There was nothing Cora could do about Clarice’s feelings toward her. She couldn’t help that she carried a grudge against her for not taking her side the morning after Wild Bill’s. Hopefully she’d come around.

  “I will. A lot better than if I stayed here.” She smirked and left the house.

  “So, Cora, I hear you have some ideas for the B&B.” R.L. cut his meatloaf in half and spooned sauce on top of it.

  “I sure do. You know, I’ve been through a lot this past year or so. Losing Clark, hearing of his death, moving, coming here, getting kidnapped, reconciling with my parents.”

  Everyone affirmed her comments between bites of food and sips of drink.

  “I’ve tried to piece everything together to figure out why all of these things happened to me. I know both good and bad things happen for a reason. The reason for these bad events has escaped me. Until the other day, that is.”

  “What do you mean?” Rex asked.

  “What happened?” Pearl asked.

  “I was coming home from Ms. Lottie’s and almost took the back roads. I changed my mind, but not before I remembered my scars and the pain they’ve caused me—emotionally and physically. I started asking God to reveal the purpose and how I could use it to help people.”

  “Okay, Cora. The mystery is getting to me. What’s your idea?” Rex shoveled mashed potatoes into his mouth.

  “What would you think about using the B&B as a retreat for women and men who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or who are grieving? They could come on scholarships from churches. We could let counselors come. How about Apple Springs at the Southern Hope?”

  Everyone remained silent and stared at Cora. Rex put his fork down with a clink on his plate. R.L. wiped his mouth with his napkin and then placed the napkin on the table. Pearl looked back and forth from Rex to R.L. and then to Cora. They hated the idea. Cora’s heart sunk to her stomach.

  “Cora! You’re a genius. I love it. That’s the best idea.”

  “I agree with Pearl, Cora.”

  Cora turned to Rex and waited for his response. He turned in his seat, scooted closer to Cora, took her face in his hands, and planted a firm ki
ss on her lips. “You’re wonderful. You’re the most terrific woman in this world, except for Mom.” He turned and gave Pearl a wink, then looked at Cora again. “You’re the breath of life this old place needed. God has been good to us to send you here.”

  Matt came into the dining room and took a seat next to Pearl.

  “Matt, Cora has come up with a great plan for the B&B.” Pearl sprinkled salt on her mashed potatoes.

  “Please, Mom. I don’t need anything else to turn my stomach today.”

  “Matt! That’s uncalled for,” Pearl defended.

  “Matt, apologize to Cora,” Rex commanded.

  “Shut up, Rex!”

  Cora pushed her chair back and left the dining room crying, Susie following closely behind.

  Chapter 17

  Cora sat on the sofa in the pool house and flipped through her Bible. These days, reading Scripture meant more to her than it had in years. But today, reading didn’t come easy. Matt’s attack on her idea—the idea he wouldn’t even listen to—left a wound that wouldn’t heal easily.

  She was supposed to turn the other cheek and forgive and all that, but Matt’s anger toward Rex kept getting directed at her and it hurt. Why was he so angry? Whatever his reasons, it didn’t give him an excuse to lash out at her. Just when she had things worked out with Mom and Dad, and with Rex, she had another person to settle matters with.

  * * *

  “I’m gonna talk to Matt when he comes in from the office this evening about your idea.”

  “You are?” Cora squeezed her face together in a pucker.

  “Yes. I’m gonna make him hear me out. I’ve tried and tried to get him to listen.” Rex crossed his legs at the ankles, stacking one boot on top of the other.

  “I know. I’ve been hearing you guys go round and round all week. It’s been a little unnerving.” Cora played with her dark hair.

  “Sorry about that. That’s just the way two bull-headed country boys hash things out. I’m gonna make him listen to me if it’s the last thing I do. Will you be there with me?”