“If you want me to. You need me for moral support?”
“Yeah, something like that.”
“I’m not sure how much help I’ll be. I think Matt hates me.” She frowned at Rex.
“No, he doesn’t. But he does think I’m a pansy for choosing the B&B over the dude ranch. Once he finds out we want to use it as a ministry, he’ll think I’ve lost my mind.”
“Poor Matt. He’s searching for peace and doesn’t even know it. He sees you turning your life around and getting a second chance. I think he’s jealous of you.”
“Maybe.”
“He is. And I think it puts pressure on him too. If you straighten up, he knows your parents will expect him to do the same.”
“You may be right there.”
“We can keep praying for him and hoping he looks up to his big brother one day.” She patted his forearm.
“I’ve made lots of mistakes, Cora, so I don’t know how good of an example I’d be to him. But I have learned from my mistakes, and hopefully I won’t make them again. I can’t imagine him saying I helped him figure his life out.” He rubbed his weary eyes.
“I’m sure one day he will. I think he’s got a long road ahead before he’s ready to surrender, though. He seems to be having too much fun to change his ways right now. And he’s got so much going on in his heart, it makes him angry when it comes to business. That’s why he needs you.”
“What do you mean?” Rex crinkled his brow.
“He needs you to think responsibly, like you’re doing by insisting on the B&B instead of the dude ranch.”
“Maybe you’re right.”
“I am right. He’s out of control by trying to be in control of his life. Any decision he makes right now without you to be objective could be detrimental to the ranch.”
“I’m really more worried about his private life than his business life. The partying and the girls…”
“Did you go through that?” Cora searched Rex’s dark eyes until her own stung.
“You mean, did I sleep around?”
“Well…”
“No. I met Patty pretty early on, and we behaved for the most part. What about you?”
“No. Only Clark. I’ve been thinking about being tested, though, because I don’t know how faithful he was to me. I’d like to think he was, but with the circles he traveled in, who knows.”
“I know what you mean. I was tested after Patty died. I know she was unfaithful to me.”
“I’m so sorry, Rex. She was a foolish woman. I’d never cheat on you.” Cora smiled and kissed him on the cheek.
“I’ll remember that.” Rex smiled back.
* * *
“Matt, we’d like to talk to you about some ideas we’ve got for the B&B.” Rex caught Matt in the foyer before he climbed the stairs. Cora stood quietly behind him.
“Can it wait? I’m going out tonight, and I need to get a shower.” Matt looked at Rex, then Cora, and turned to head up the stairs.
“It won’t take long.” Rex motioned toward the living room.
Matt sighed and checked his watch. “All right, but let’s go in Dad’s office.” They went into R.L.’s office and shut the door. “Where’s Dad?”
“They went to the hospital to visit someone from church who had surgery.” Rex flipped on the office light.
Matt laughed, mockingly. “They kill me. They’re like Mr. and Mrs. Preacher these days.” He flipped through the papers on R.L.’s desk.
“They’re trying to get involved with people their age and get away from the ranch more often.” Rex watched Matt closely.
“Yeah, I can see that, but I can think of more exciting things to do. Like cruises or something.” Matt sat in R.L.’s leather desk chair and lifted an eyebrow at Cora. Rex stood by the window and looked out at the north pasture. “So what’s your idea?”
Cora remained silent and sat on the leather couch under the window. She stared at the Persian rug in the center of the room. “Well…”
“Hang on a minute. Do you guys want something to drink? I’m thirsty.”
“No.”
“No, I’m fine. Thanks, though,” Cora answered.
Matt pressed the intercom button on R.L.’s desk. “Cook, can you bring me a glass of tea in here in the office—Dad’s office?” He took his finger off the intercom button and waited.
Cora flinched at how Matt degraded Jimmy that way.
“Yes, sir. Hot or cold?” Jimmy answered over the speaker.
“Hot.”
“I’ll be right in.”
“So, you were saying?”
“Cora has offered to stay here at the ranch and help us see the place into the next century. She’s had great input toward what we could do. She had the idea of making the B&B more than just a place for people to come on vacation.”
Jimmy knocked at the office door, entered, and placed the mug of tea on the coaster on the walnut desk. He turned and smiled at Cora as he left the office. She winked.
“Back to the B&B idea.” Matt groaned. “Okay, I’m listening.”
“Cora’s been through a lot of trauma this year, much of it since arriving at the ranch—the kidnapping, her husband’s death. The ranch has been a big part in her healing. Right, Cora?”
Cora looked up at Rex, then Matt. “Definitely. This place is wonderful.”
“Okay…”
“We thought—Cora thought and I agreed—this place, the new B&B, would be a great place for people to come on retreats. The possibilities are limitless. Couples could come who need renewal. Women or men suffering from post-trauma or grief could come. We could even arrange for counselors to be available.” Rex stood, his hands shoved in his front pockets, waiting for Matt’s opinion.
“That’s a pretty good idea, Cora.” Matt winked at her, the first sign of civility out of him in weeks.
Her eyes widened. This was the Matt she knew from the night out at Wild Bill’s. “Thanks. People could even be sponsored by their church or organizations if they couldn’t afford to come.”
“That’s great. I like it.” Matt laced his fingers together and twiddled his thumbs.
Rex smiled, looking from Matt to Cora. “You do?”
“Yeah, I really do.” He smiled.
Rex clapped his hands. “Man, that’s great. And listen, I’m sorry about the blowouts lately. I’ve been selfish, like you said.”
“No, man, I’m the one that’s been out of line. I’ve been focused on the money and that’s all. Honestly, I’m kind of sick of it all. I hate working in the city. I miss being on the ranch every day.” He ruffled his fingers through his perfect hair.
“You do?”
“Yeah. You know, I’m a cowboy first and a businessman second.” He smiled like a little boy.
“Why don’t you talk to Dad about it? There might be a way to bring the office home.”
“Maybe. To be perfectly honest, it’s more than that. I’m envious of you getting to work the ranch. I want to be more hands-on. The cattle byproduct isn’t where my heart is.” He swiveled back and forth in R.L.’s chair.
“What do you want to do, Matt?” Cora shifted her position on the couch and relaxed her shoulders.
“I want to run the dude ranch.”
“Run it?” They all burst out laughing. Rex walked over to Matt and slapped him on the back. “Brother, you should go for it. You start the dude ranch. We’ll do the B&B. Dad can run the office in the city or move it home.”
“But what about the liability?”
“We’ll work that out. Don’t worry.” Rex acted as the big brother for the first time in years.
* * *
Cora sat down at her new laptop and pulled up her email account. “Thirty-five messages? Who from?” She scanned the screen, filtering through the junk, looking for mail from friends. Most messages were from the library notifying her of books ready for pick up, the Department of Drivers Services about her Georgia Drivers License, and the bank about her new checking and savin
gs accounts. She clicked on the one from the bank. She smiled after reading it. “It’s amazing how they act when you deposit a chunk of money.” If only Clark’s death wasn’t the source of her wealth. A dark cloud floated through her head, but she pushed it away. She cleared her throat and clicked on the email from Anne.
Hey, Cora. How’s it going? Haven’t heard from you this week. I figure you’re busy getting the B&B off the ground. I had a date last night with Tim Jacobs from school. I ran into him at the mall, and we ended up eating in the food court, going to a movie, and getting coffee. Call me when you get the chance, and I’ll fill you in.
“Well, good for her. Tim, huh?” Cora opened the next email.
Cora, Dad and I miss you. I hope everything is going well with you and Rex. Keep us posted. We’re thinking about coming your way for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Not sure which yet. I’ve attached some pictures I took when you were home. I just now uploaded them from my camera. Okay, I had better get off this computer and get dinner ready. Love you, Mom
Cora clicked on the attached pictures and burst out laughing at the pictures of her and Rex. “I’ll have to have some prints made of those.”
An email from the Buchanans waited in her inbox, as well, but she’d have to read it later because Susie called her name from the living room.
“What are you doing, little one?”
“Getting ready for dinner.” She twisted her hair with her finger.
“Is it that time already?” Cora closed her laptop.
“Yes, ma’am. And I’m hungry.”
“Me too.” Cora took Susie in her arms. “Let’s go see if we can help Jimmy in the kitchen with setting the table.”
“Okay.”
Cora and Susie finished setting the table as R.L. and Pearl came into the dining room. Rex came in from the back porch. “There’s my favorite girls.” He kissed Susie on the top of the head and Cora on the cheek. He winked at Pearl. “Dad, did Matt talk to you before he headed out?”
“He actually called me from the road. He told me the ideas y’all have come up with. I like everything I’ve heard so far.”
“What exactly did he tell you?”
“He told me he wants to make a go of the dude ranch in addition to the B&B. When you told him you didn’t want to deal with a bunch of cowboy wannabes, he realized he was the perfect person to deal with them. He’s a cowboy stuck in a suit wanting to be a cowboy.”
“He said that? Wow.” Rex chuckled, and Cora echoed his laughter.
“Yes, he did. You had some impact on him there, Son. You know, the service industry is where it’s at these days. I think it’s all sounding great. I say let’s get moving immediately on all of it.”
“Really, Dad?”
“Sure thing. The sooner, the better. We can start to get the word out while we begin construction on the wing you want to add and get the old bunkhouse renovated. Maybe people will be here by the first of the year.”
“Great.”
“R.L., I’ve been looking at website development on my new computer. There are a lot of easy ways to get a website up and going without even having to have a webmaster. Domain names are cheap and web hosting is a few hundred a year. There are so many social networks out there too. It won’t take long to spread the word.”
“Let’s get going on that too, then. Cora, I’m glad we have you here.”
* * *
“Cora?”
“Yes, ma’am?” Cora put down the book she was reading while Susie napped.
“Have you seen or talked to Clarice since before lunch?” Pearl wrung her hands.
“No, I sure haven’t.” Of course she hadn’t talked to her. The girl refused to forgive her. “She said she was having lunch with friends in town. Have you called her?” Cora pushed her hair behind her ears. When was Clarice going to stop causing her mother so much worry?
“No, I didn’t want to make her think I’m checking up on her. But…” Pearl let out the kind of sigh that could blow out the candles on a birthday cake.
“You’re checking up on her.”
Pearl smiled guiltily. “Yes, I suppose I am. I don’t mean to pry.”
“I know, Pearl. You’re just concerned for her.” Pearl’s concern was different from Mom’s concern. Mom only wanted to control Cora. Pearl wanted to keep Clarice from ruining her life.
“She’s not very careful.” Pearl massaged her right shoulder where it stayed tight from worrying about Clarice. “You know—her choice in friends and where she goes.”
“I know. Maybe you should call her. Ask her if she’ll be home for dinner.” Cora patted Pearl’s hand.
“Maybe I will.”
* * *
Cora busied herself with helping Jimmy and getting Susie ready for dinner. Pictures of the missing women she’d seen on the news flashed in her mind. Lord, please protect Clarice from herself.
“Hey, what’s got you looking so puzzled?” Rex came up behind Cora and rubbed her shoulders.
“Your mom hasn’t heard from Clarice and is worried about her.”
“Mom’s always worried about her. You know that.” Rex sat next to Cora at the table.
“No, I think it’s more than that this time. I think she’s worried because all of the women who’ve been kidnapped except for me have been found dead. She knows Clarice meets up with people and shows very little discernment.”
“She’s not going to get kidnapped. Anyone who tried to take Clarice by force would be sorry. That girl may seem like a city girl, but underneath that façade is a homegrown country girl who can fend for herself.”
“But what about the morning after Wild Bill’s? She was obviously beaten up.”
“Those places on Clarice weren’t from an attacker, Cora.” Rex pressed his meaning into Cora’s eyes. “She likes to be rough when…”
Cora held up her hands. “Enough. I don’t need to hear anymore. Yuck. She needs to stop this carelessness. She’s going to be the death of your mom.”
“I know. Don’t worry about her. She’ll be fine. If we don’t see her or hear from her in a couple of hours, I’ll call around and see if anyone knows where she is.”
“Okay, that makes me feel better.”
* * *
“Rex, this has been the best day ever,” Cora said as they soaked in the hot tub.
“Why?” He wiped sweat from his upper lip.
“We’ve gotten a lot of details worked out for the B&B. Your parents approve. Matt approves. Matt showed his heart today, which is a first. To see him let his guard down was awesome.”
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right.” He nodded.
“You suppose? I am right. Then, on top of that, it’s cold out, and I’m sitting in a hot tub with a very handsome man.” She grinned.
“Your boyfriend.”
“My boyfriend?”
“Aren’t I your boyfriend?”
“I suppose you are.” She winked at him and leaned across the hot tub to give him a peck on the cheek, lingering a few seconds.
“Hey, now, watch it.”
“What?” She fluttered her eyelashes in false naïveté.
“We’re alone out here. You keep your distance.”
“Why?” Cora grinned.
“You know why, Cora.”
She stuck out her bottom lip and splashed him in the face.
Rex chortled while he wiped the water away from his face then tapped her lip with his index finger. “I’ve been wondering about something lately.”
“What?”
“When did you decide to leave South Carolina? How did you know it was time?”
“Why? Are you planning to leave?”
“No. Just curious.”
“I’d been waiting for Clark to come home for a year. I felt like I was spinning my wheels there living with his parents. My relationship with my own parents was practically dead. I knew I couldn’t live the rest of my life with that hanging over my head. It was time. Why do you ask?”
“I�
�ve always been resistant to change, and when I think about the steps you took to get your life going again, I really admire you.”
“I just did what I felt God was leading me to do.”
“Maybe, but it sure took lots of guts to do it.”
“I don’t know about guts. I was trying to be obedient. Don’t make me out to be a heroine. You’ve made some pretty big steps and changes lately. You’re heading your life and Susie’s in a new direction.”
“Yeah, I suppose. I’m still scared, though.”
“Scared?”
He nodded. “I don’t want to mess things up.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t want to be a bad dad. I want to be a good man.”
“You are. You will be. Rex, have faith.”
The back porch light from the house turned on. “Rex? Are you out there?”
“Yeah, Dad. I’m in the hot tub.”
Cora sat back, resting her head on the headrest. She closed her eyes and let the jets beat the cares of the day away. R.L. walked across the patio toward them.
“He’ll probably only be a minute.” Rex smiled apologetically at Cora.
“That’s fine, Rex. I don’t mind.” If there was one thing she’d gotten used to around there, it was family…and interruptions.
“Son, have you talked to Clarice?”
“No, Dad, I haven’t. I talked to her before lunch.”
“Have you seen her or talked to her, Cora?”
Cora leaned up and looked up at R.L. “No, sir, I sure haven’t. I saw her when Rex did.”
“Are you worried about her?”
“Yes. Your mom has called her cell phone several times, but there is no answer. I don’t know who she was going out with, but we’ve called everyone we can think of, and no one has seen her all day.”
Rex lifted himself out of the hot tub and wrapped his towel around him. “She didn’t say who she was going to be with. Did she, Cora?”
Song of the Meadowlark (Intertwined Book 1) Page 21