CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Sandra found herself caught between conflicting desires. She longed for the week to be over so that she and Cory could head for Rockport. At the same time, every minute slipping by was one less in which she might be able to get even a glimpse of Cory.
Since the night of the dinner, Cory seemed to be deliberately avoiding her.
As Sandra’s early shift was ending on Friday, Wilma the heavy-set cook came in shaking her head.
“What’s wrong with you?” Maria asked as she stirred a large pot of soup.
“Anna told me Cory got a call from her realtor. Seems some land investors are looking at her dream house. They want the property to build a subdivision.”
“That means they’ll tear the old house down,” Sandra moaned. She felt a deep sense of loss for the stately old home.
“Cory must be devastated.”
“Yeah,” Wilma said with a sigh. “Either way the boss has lost it. She’s sick with disappointment.” She shook her head wistfully.
“Sure wish I had the money. I’d buy it for her myself. I ain’t never seen anybody want something so bad.”
Sandra hung up her apron. “I’ll see you two later.” She left the diner through the back door and went to her bike. The loss of the house would devastate Cory. Sandra sat on her bike, gently revving the motor. It was wrong for Cory to lose her dream home. One of the things that Sandra admired most about Cory was her tenacity. Being a business owner herself, she knew how hard Cory worked. She knew the stress and heartache that went hand-in-hand with owning your own business. That house was meant for Cory.
Sandra considered her options. She could offer to loan the money to Cory, but she’d never take it. Or she could buy the property and sell it to her at a price Cory could afford, but somehow she didn’t think Cory would see the act as anything but charity. Or she could buy the house herself. Sandra smiled and went back into the diner for a phone book.
Twenty minutes later, she was in her room calling Allison.
She gave her the realtor’s name and number.
“I don’t care what you have to pay,” she instructed. “Pull every string necessary. If things aren’t moving fast enough, call in a few favors, but close the deal today before those investors get wind of it. Buy it through Lone Star Construction. I don’t want it to be common knowledge that I’m the buyer.”
“This must be some place,” Allison said. “You aren’t planning on moving to San Antonio, are you?”
“No. Its an investment.”
Sandra could barely contain her excitement. The evening shift seemed to drag out forever. Cory’s loss affected everyone at the diner. The tension exploded when Ginny dropped a steak dinner.
The sound of shattering porcelain startled Sandra.
“Damn,” Ginny shrieked. “Maria, the plate was too hot.
Don’t sit them so close to the stove.”
“Stop being so clumsy,” Maria snapped back. “I’ve got enough to do without having to re-do the order because you can’t hold onto the plate.”
“It was too hot,” Ginny complained.
“Should I buy you some gloves to protect those soft little hands of yours?”
Before Ginny could counter, Cory stormed through the kitchen door.
“What’s going on in here?” she said in a harsh whisper. “I can hear you two all the way to the front door.” Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed two orders from the warming tray.
“Ginny, get these orders out there now.”
“Those are Anna’s,” Ginny protested.
“I don’t give a rat’s ass if they belong to the King of Siam, get them out there now!”
Shocked by Cory’s outburst, Ginny, Maria, and Sandra all stared. Their shocked silence seemed to penetrate Cory’s anger.
She took a deep breath and sat the plates down. “I’m sorry.
I’m tired. I’ll take the plates out myself, Ginny. You have enough to do with your own stations.”
Ginny ran forward and gave Cory a quick hug before Cory could pick the plates up again.
“Go to your office and lie down for a while,” Ginny prompted.
“You know Maria and I are all bluff. We can handle things. Right guys?” She turned to Maria and Sandra for confirmation.
“Sure we can. Ginny and I were only blowing off steam. You know she thinks I’m the world’s greatest cook,” Maria teased, winking at Ginny.
“Just like Maria knows I’m the world’s greatest waitress,”
Ginny teased back.
“Yeah,” Sandra called, joining in the banter. “And everyone knows I’m the world’s greatest dishwasher.”
At that, the other three women turned to her as one and burst out laughing.
“I think we all need to get back to work,” Cory said, shaking her head. Without waiting for a response she took Anna’s orders
0
and headed back into the dining room.
Ginny gave Maria a quick wink. “I need another T-bone, rare with a dry potato.”
Maria tossed the steak on the grill. “I need a pitcher of margaritas and a foot massage.”
Anna swung through the door calling out, “I need a number seven and three specials.”
The crisis blew over. Sandra went back to her piles of dirty dishes, but not before she sent up a small prayer that Allison would not run into any major roadblocks. In all her years in business, she had never wanted a deal to close so badly as she did this one.
By the time Sandra arrived at work for the dinner shift the following evening, the deal had closed. The deed had been air expressed down to her and was now in her motel room. The house and property had cost more than market value, but to Sandra, it was well worth every penny.
The staff was moving about, quietly preparing for the dinner rush. “Did someone die?” Sandra asked Anna, meaning it as a joke. She had tried to avoid Anna after that first night, but tonight she felt too good.
Anna did not bother looking up from the napkins she was folding. “May as well have. Someone bought Cory’s house today.”
“That’s too bad,” Sandra said, struggling to keep the excitement out of her voice. “How’s Cory?”
“How do you think she feels?” Anna growled. She slammed a silverware setting inside a napkin and wrapped it furiously.
“Damn, it’s not fair. I hate those bastards!”
Sandra flinched at her bitterness and started toward the office. “She doesn’t want to see anyone,” Anna snapped.
“I need to talk to her.”
“I said, she doesn’t want to see anyone, and that includes you.”Sandra knew Anna’s inability to help Cory was causing her aggression, but she wanted to talk to Cory. “I’ll only be a
minute.”
“Get in the kitchen and do the dishes you were hired to do,” Anna ordered. “You aren’t going in there. She’s been hurt enough already.” Anna rose from the table. Ginny and Louise joined them.
“I wasn’t asking you for your permission,” Sandra shot back.
Anna’s attitude was taking the fun out of her accomplishment.
Anna started toward Sandra, but Louise stepped between them. “Stop it. Both of you. We’ll have customers any minute, and Cory doesn’t need this.” She pointed to the napkins Anna had been folding. “Please, take those to your station and cool off.”Anna reluctantly stepped away and grabbed up the tray she had been working on. Ginny went to help her.
Louise turned to Sandra. “Don’t let Anna bother you. She’s just so frustrated about not being able to help Cory. Hell, we all are. Cory has done so much for all of us.” She took a deep breath and shook her head. “If you really need to talk to her go ahead, but if you make matters worse by going in there and talking about the house, I’ll personally kick your butt.”
Sandra stared at her, shocked. She had considered Louise to be a rather mousy, spineless thing. Was I ever wrong, she admitted to herself.
The door opened and a family
of five walked in. “Everyone to work,” Louise said with her normal cheery smile in place. Sandra abandoned her trip to see Cory and headed for the kitchen. Her thoughts of seeing Cory were soon lost in the dinner hour rush.
Cory came by an hour or so later and spoke with Wilma and Maria. Sandra saw her hesitate before coming over to her.
“Louise said you needed to talk to me. I’m going home now. Is there something you need before I go?”
I need to tell you I love you and want to hold you and make all of your pain disappear, Sandra wanted to say, but could only shake her head. “It can wait.”
Cory stepped closer. “Sandra, about this weekend.”
“Go with me on my bike.”
Cory stared at her, horrified. “Not on your life,” she said.
“It’ll be fun.”
“I’m not going,” Cory confessed, turning her head to avoid meeting Sandra’s gaze.
“Why?”
Cory shrugged. “I wouldn’t be very good company.”
“Is it because of the house?”
A look a pain crossed Cory’s face. “Partly.”
“Am I the other reason?” Sandra managed to ask around the knot building up in her throat.
Cory stared at the floor.
“Would it make any difference if I weren’t leaving after next week?”
Cory looked up.
Was that a look of hope that flashed in her eyes? Sandra wondered.
“Is that an option?” Cory asked.
Sandra gave the thought a moment of consideration. What would need to be done to move her office to San Antonio? Maybe she should expand, leave the main office in Dallas and let Allison run it. Allison had more than proven herself capable.
“I thought not,” Cory said and sighed, taking Sandra’s hesitation wrong. She started to turn away.
“Come with me this weekend,” Sandra pleaded.
“It’ll only make it harder,” Cory hissed, looking up to find Wilma and Maria watching them. “Look, let’s talk about this tomorrow. The whole place has enough to gossip about already,”
Cory said.
“They’re concerned about you because they care. They would do anything for you. Can I come by tonight after work?”
“No. That’s not a good idea.”
“If the lights are on, I’m stopping, and I’d like to stay,” Sandra persisted. She swallowed, trying to keep her voice from shaking.
She could not believe she was pushing so hard.
Cory’s eyes blazed, but not before Sandra saw the glint of desire in them. “You can drive by all you want, but the lights
won’t be on.” Without waiting for a reply, she turned and stalked out.Sandra concentrated on the piles of dirty dishes. Tonight she intended to be out of here on time. In her haste, she dropped and shattered four plates before her shift was over.
Wilma shook her head as she was getting out her purse to leave. “You two better work it out soon,” she said. “We’re running out of dishes.”
“There’s nothing to work out,” Sandra admitted. “I don’t think she’s interested in even trying to see if something might be there. Besides, I’m beginning to get the impression everyone would be happier if I left.”
“Ah, you’ve been listening to Anna. She’s crazy with jealousy.
She has been head-over-heels in love with Cory for years. Can’t you see that?” Wilma found her car keys and slung her purse over her shoulder. “You know when I first saw you I told myself that you were way too smart to be working here. But the more I know you, the more goose-shit green you get. You can’t see what’s right before your nose.”
“Like what?”
Wilma rolled her eyes and stalked off mumbling.
Sandra was so nervous she was nauseous. She rode slowly to Cory’s and sat in the driveway staring at the darkened house.
She considered ringing the doorbell, but Cory had made it clear she was not welcome. After several minutes, she pulled away and headed for her empty motel room.
Cory failed to show at the diner on Sunday and the day passed agonizingly slow for Sandra. She considered calling Nelda and JJ
and canceling the trip to see them, but changed her mind as she stepped out into the warm April night air.
She would be going back to Dallas in a week, and work would again claim her life. She wanted one more free weekend. She went to her motel room long enough to shower and pack. It was almost midnight when she climbed onto her bike and roared
toward Rockport.
Not wanting to arrive at the crack of dawn, Sandra went to Port Aransas and crossed the ferry during the wee hours of the morning. Parking on the beach, she sat in sand beside her bike.
The sounds of the waves gradually eased the tension from her neck and shoulders. The wind blew away her pain and confusion.
She simply sat, not allowing herself to feel anything other than the warm night air settling around her like a soothing hand.
Along with the first hint of light in the east came the shrieking of the gulls. Plovers and killdeers scurried to the water’s edge in search of breakfast. Shrimp boats bobbed on the distant horizon.
Sandra stood and stretched, watching the sun tint the sky pink. As she watched the early rays glint across the water, she made a decision. She would have the deed to the house trans-ferred into Cory’s name and leave it in her office next Sunday night before she left to return to Dallas. By the time Cory found it, Sandra would be gone.
Sandra refused to think about how life would be without Cory. Her eyes burned from sleeplessness. Her body felt bruised and sore. Numb with heartache, she climbed onto her bike. She had loved Carol in the beginning, but never with the intensity she felt for Cory.
Sandra threw back her head and closed her eyes against the pain. “I’d give everything I own just to hear her say she loves me one time,” she whispered to the roaring tide.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
It was noon before Sandra rode up the lane to Nelda and JJ’s ranch. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of Cory’s car. She had come after all!
“There you are,” Nelda called as the three of them came around the house. “We were about to give up on you.”
“I got a late start,” Sandra lied, trying not to look at Cory.
Nelda and JJ gave her a quick hug, while Cory stood several feet away.JJ examined Sandra’s bike. “You sure have expensive tastes for a dishwasher,” she remarked, eyeing Sandra.
Too tired to continue the charade, Sandra decided they could either accept her or go to hell. “I’m not normally a dishwasher.”
Cory’s head shot up and gave a small shake. She seemed to be trying to warn Sandra, but Sandra was too tired to care. “No!” JJ
exclaimed sarcastically.
“I didn’t do anything wrong. I was going to be in San Antonio
for a few weeks and wanted something to do.” The reason sounded lame and stupid.
“So you got a job washing dishes?” JJ asked, rocking on her heels.
“She’s slumming,” Cory snapped.
Sandra stepped toward her, intending to verbally defend herself, but JJ grabbed her arm.
“Take me for a spin. I’ve always wanted to ride one of these things.”
Sandra hesitated.
“Come on,” JJ urged and hopped on. She patted the seat in front of her. “Hurry up or I may want to drive. We’ll meet you two at the barn in an hour,” JJ called to the others. “Nelda, bring the lunches we packed.”
Sandra slapped her leg and stormed back to the bike. “Here,”
she said, handing JJ the extra helmet before yanking on her own.
“Hold on,” she snapped as the machine sprang to life. They roared down the lane to the highway, leaving a trail of dust.
JJ tapped her on the shoulder and pointed to a road coming up. Sandra continued to follow JJ’s tapped-out directions until they turned onto a narrow road riddled with potholes. She eased the throttle back and cruised down the road that l
ed to a small sandy stretch of beach.
“Stop here!” JJ yelled over the engine.
Sandra killed the engine.
“Come on,” JJ said and led the way. They walked a short distance across the sand and through a small grove of trees.
As they emerged from the trees, Sandra’s breath caught at the beauty of the cove before them.
“I like to come here when I need to think,” JJ explained, sitting on the sand and folding her feet beneath her. “Things aren’t going very well between you and Cory, are they?”
Sandra stretched out beside her. “They aren’t going at all,”
she admitted.
“She’s scared. There’s too much about you she doesn’t know.”
“Why can’t she take me for what I am now?”
“Because, that’s not who you really are.”
“You don’t seem to be having a problem with it,” Sandra said, staring up at the older woman.
“I’m not in love with you,” JJ responded bluntly.
Sandra was left without a retort. JJ didn’t know Cory as well as she thought if she believed that.
JJ traced patterns in the sand with her finger. “Cory has a tendency to take in strays.”
Sandra started to rise, but JJ placed a hand on her shoulder and stopped her. “I’m not calling you a stray, so don’t get a burr up your butt. Cory’s got a mothering complex or something.
Haven’t you noticed how she’s always trying to help someone?”
Sandra thought about how Cory gave Anna rides to work.
Sandra handed out meals to any homeless person who knocked at the kitchen door. She donated the leftover food from the restaurant to a local shelter. Sandra relaxed and
“Four years ago she hired a woman to paint the diner,” JJ
explained. “They got involved and the woman moved in with her. Three months later, she skipped town with practically every penny Cory had. Cory almost lost the diner. That financial setback cost her the house she wanted. I guess you know the house sold to an out of town firm last week.”
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