Thanks to her lucky stars, all the major damage had been done only to the vehicles. Steve Griffith, the teenaged boy she had accidentally rear ended, hadn’t been hurt at all, but his truck was another story. The bed of his little Toyota truck had crumpled like an aluminum can under the pressure of someone’s foot. The front of Charleigh’s extended cap hadn’t been damaged too badly, barely anything more than the radiator. What had caused most of the damage to the other truck was the heavy metal cattle-guard on the front of her own. But the vehicles had been the last thing on Charleigh’s mind as the immediate shock wore off and her eyes and hands examined her body, beginning with her belly. Her first thought was of the babies, even as Steve got out and started to scream obscenities at her.
Charleigh was sure he appreciated the new Toyota 4 x 4 she’d bought him to replace the one she’d destroyed. The ‘thank you’ card was all the proof she needed to know that her new friend was doing ok. And when she offered Steve a summer job at the feed store, he hopped at the chance to work around animals. As it turned out, he was going to Grayson County College in the fall to do his basics before heading over to Murray State College to participate in the veterinary program.
Turning her mind back to the task at hand, the mural, Charleigh nodded with satisfaction of what she had accomplished. It never quite felt like work when she was painting or working with horses. A thousand thoughts could race through her brain, but after just a few hours, it always seemed that everything had a clear-cut answer. Somehow, she’d gotten completely outlined one whole wall.
Charleigh was just about to begin outlining the adjacent wall when the sound on a door slamming shut came from outside. At first the sound startled her but recovery came quickly when she stepped down from the stepladder and went over to look out the window. From there, she saw Cordell Allan coming up the walkway.
“Oh, gosh,” Charleigh said to herself, looking down at her watch.
It was after four o’clock in the afternoon. She’d been working since eleven o’clock on her project, taking only a short break to have a snack. It was only now Charleigh remembered that Madie had cajoled Cord into coming over to put together some of the baby furniture for her.
There was the sound of him knocking on the front door.
“I’ll be there in a sec,” she called, coming slowly down the stairs.
Opening the door as he raised his arm to knock again, Charleigh saw his clear, blue eyes grow wide at the sight of her. She wondered why he always reacted like that to her. It lasted only a moment as his eyes brightened and his face softened and relaxed into a gentle smile.
Charleigh gave the man a quick once-over. As always, Cord was dressed in a pair of jeans that were comfortably worn, a black faded to dark gray, long-sleeved corduroy shirt, and a pristinely white t-shirt, which barely masked his muscles underneath. There wasn’t much difference between the way Charleigh saw him at that moment, as he stood there staring back at her, and the way she normally saw him, except for the way he smelled. Instead of the pungent odor of human and horse sweat that usually permeated the air around Cordell, there was the fresh, clean scents of laundry detergent, Irish Springs bar soap, and some kind of a generic aftershave. His dishwater blonde hair was combed back neatly.
There wasn’t a doubt in the world that Cordell Allan was anything but attracted. If he wasn’t so shy, Charleigh imagined, he could probably have just about any woman in the world that he wanted. Once upon a time, she might’ve even taken a chance on him. Perhaps in another lifetime, she might have been attracted to him. But there was no other man in the world, neither celebrity nor your common everyday run-of-the-mill average Joe, who could or ever would make Charleigh forget about Jamie. There would never be another man who would possess her mind, body, and soul the way he had.
Besides, in truth, Charleigh had never saw the man any other way than that of Madie’s ranch foreman.
“Hi,” the man finally spoke. He looked past her into the house with an expectant look. If he was going to get any work done at all, Cord thought, he needed to be on the other side of that front door.
“Thanks for coming,” she told Cord, stepping aside to let him in. He nodded silently as he came inside.
Charleigh stood back. With arms folded and resting across the top of her belly, she watched as the man took in his surroundings. It occurred to her that that was only the second time he had ever been inside her home, even though he’d been taking care of her horses for the last few months. The first was when he’d rushed in through the backdoor after hearing her scream like a banshee.
Without a word, Cord took his time to look at the furnishings. Elegant but comfortable, that just about summed up the way he thought of Charleigh Randall. He looked long and hard at the boxes that dotted the room and shook his head before turning back to her. He’d just keep his thoughts on that to himself.
“Where should I start?” Cord asked as he nervously shifted his old rusty toolbox from one hand to the other.
Biting down on her bottom lip, Charleigh took a good look at the boxes. There were so many of them that she wasn’t really sure what they held, but most of the ones with the baby furniture were already upstairs in the nursery. They should begin there, with the cribs, she supposed.
“I guess up in the nursery,” she answered, tossing her thumb over her shoulder.
Without another word, Charleigh turned toward the stairs, and Cord followed obediently. She held onto the rail, taking one step at a time. They were halfway up when she stopped. A brief moment of hesitation passed through her mind as she turned around. A sudden craving for tacos filled her. Yum! Corn tortilla shells piled with spicy ground beef, freshly chopped lettuce and tomatoes, shredded cheddar cheese, salsa, and sour cream. Charleigh’s mouth watered just thinking about it.
Meanwhile, Cordell stood a few steps below. He looked up at her in uncertainty. Lines formed across his forehead and around his eyes.
“I hardly had anything for lunch today, and now I’m starving,” Charleigh told him, her voice trembling. She shrugged, not quite sure what to do or say next. She never did when it came to this man who stood in front of her.
Cordell continued to look up at her with the same look on his face that he always wore when he looked at Charleigh. He never spoke a word. Most likely, she thought, he was trying to get his point across that he wanted to get up there, get done, and get back to his quiet life on the ranch. After all, he was only there to do what Madie had asked him to do. It was because he was he was being paid to do a job and not because he and Charleigh were friends.
Finally, Cord backed down the stairs, nodded his head along to whatever thought was going through his mind. In his quiet, gruff voice, he said, “I’ll go on up and start, if you don’t mind.”
“Sure,” Charleigh replied, coming back down into the living room. “I’m going to fix up some tacos. Would you like some?”
“No, but thank you, Charleigh.” He cleared his throat, squinted down at her from under long, sooty-black lashes. “I don’t wanna intrude.”
“You wouldn’t be intruding. I spend so much time alone here… I’d actually appreciate the company.” She shrugged again.
“Well, you shouldn’t spend too much time cooped up by yourself. It’s not good for you.”
“No, I guess not,” Charleigh agreed. “I’m just not ready to go back to work at the feed store. And look at me,” she added with a sarcastic laugh and motioned to her ever-growing belly, “It’s not like I can work at the ranch with the horses.”
It seemed like the only thing Charleigh did anymore was sit around, watch television, and stuff her face. At twenty-one weeks, she weighed about one hundred forty-seven pounds. Doctor Emerson said that her weight was fine, considering she was pregnant with twins. And she spent a lot of that time thinking about how she was going to do as a mother. With the help of her family, Charleigh knew she’d get along pretty well.
“Everything at the ranch is fine, and your granddaddy’s holding every
thing together up there with the clinic and the feed store. Right now, you just need to focus on yourself and those little boys. Let us take care of everything else.” Cordell nodded and started up the stairs. “I’m gonna go ahead and start on that baby furniture. You get yourself something fixed to eat.”
Charleigh nodded. A kind smile spread across her lips. “Yeah, ok. Are you sure you wouldn’t like some tacos? I always fix more than I can eat by myself.”
“I suppose I could.”
***
The kitchen was filled with the wonderful smell of food cooking. It wasn’t unusual because, like paint and horses, food had become another way for Charleigh to work out what was going on in her mind. She thought about her daddy and what he would think about becoming a papa. And she thought about Jamie. How it should be him who should be up there putting baby furniture together. Not Cord. She would have to settle for whatever help she could get.
Chopping the lettuce and tomatoes, Charleigh thought about the land she had bought and the summer camp she had planned to build there. She’d almost forgotten about it, but there was still the desire to bring her father’s dream to life. To give my children a part of their father’s and grandfather’s legacies. Coming to that conclusion, Charleigh scooped the vegetables over into bowls.
She thought about Davison and Associates and how she didn’t want a thing to do with that company. She hadn’t wanted it when Greg first told her she had majority ownership, and she especially didn’t want it now. There were the overseas partners and Fredrick MacMillan’s office in Dallas. Once the camp was built, she’d approach them with the idea of buying out her interest in the company.
Once supper was ready, Charleigh took down two plates, two glasses, and two set of utensils, and she set placemats out on the island for her and Cordell. Looking at her watch, she realized the man had been working for almost two hours, and she hadn’t heard a single sound come from upstairs. Charleigh knew how hard he worked, and she knew he was the kind of worker who didn’t stop until the job was done. She just wondered how much of the furniture he’d put together.
Putting the dish rag down on the countertop, she headed toward the stairs and up to the nursery. In the hallway, Charleigh saw two of the long, flat boxes were empty and resting up against the wall. These were the ones that had held the pieces for the cribs. She shook her head, with a smile, and took the last few steps to the doorway.
From there, she saw a pretty amazing sight. Both of the carved mahogany cribs were assembled. They were positioned at an angle with Cordell seated on the floor between. His attention was focused on the matching changing table currently under construction. A rocking chair completed the group, and it sat a few feet in front of the man. A couple of the teddy bears sat side by side in the seat.
“Wow,” Charleigh said, going over to it. She picked up the bears and sat down in the chair, holding the stuffed animals in her lap. “You got all of this put together in only a couple hours?”
Cordell looked up at her. “I work fast.” A smile brightened his face. “My mama always used to have to tell me to slow down and take my time. I just like to get the job done and done right.”
“You sound like my dad,” Charleigh told him, smiling as she imagined Mike saying those words.
“Your daddy was a good man,” Cordell say, and continued to tighten one of the bolts on the changing table. “He always did right by you. Which is a whole lot more than I can say for some men.” The smile faded from his face. A pain flickered in the man’s eyes as he turned back to the project.
A part of Charleigh knew he was speaking of his own father. She hadn’t known Cord before he went to work on Madie’s ranch. Still, because he lived such a quiet life, she didn’t know much about him after then, either. His mother had died a short time before that, Charleigh recalled, but couldn’t remember a thing about his dad. That was the reason for the pained look, she supposed.
“My mama was a good-natured lady, though, like you,” Cord spoke softly, not looking up. “Strong-willed and stubborn, too. That’s how I know you’ll be just fine.”
“I appreciate your confidence in me,” Charleigh told him. “What was she like, your mother?”
“Kind, smart, beautiful. Her only fault was her taste in slackers. Like my father.” He shrugged but kept working. “He left when I was six. Walked out the backdoor one morning to go to work, and never came back. My mama never quite got over it.
“It wasn’t an accident, no matter they say, the night Clarabelle Allan died. I watched her stare at that backdoor every day for twelve years after that loser walked out on us, and that’s all the proof I need. She just couldn’t stand the loneliness anymore, I suppose. She was so unhappy, and there was nothing I could do to change that.”
“It wasn’t that she didn’t love you, though, Cordell,” Charleigh told him, hoping her voice sounded convincing. “Take it from someone who knows. I miss Jamie with everything in me, but nothing could ever make me feel anything but love for the children we created together. Maybe our two situations are just that, but nothing will ever make me love them any less. Your mother felt the same way about you.”
“I guess you’re right.” It was his way of casting the issue aside.
When the last of the changing table was assembled, Cord stood up. With his head cocked to one side, he backed away from it for a moment before coming back to test its sturdiness. He gave a satisfied nod.
“So, what do you think?” He asked, looking over at Charleigh with his big, blue eyes, and smile.
“I think it’s amazing,” she replied, looking around the room at all of the beautiful furniture. “Thank you so much.”
“It was nothing. Madie asked me, and so I did.” After taking another long look at Charleigh, Cordell began to gather up his tools and put them away.
“Still, I appreciate,” she replied, getting up from the rocker. “Are you hungry?”
“Nah.” Cordell shook his head as he left the room a few steps ahead of Charleigh. “I can fix myself something later when I get back home.”
She took a deep breath, nodding as she followed Cord down the hall. A feeling of disappointment settled in Charleigh’s heart at the thought of spending the rest of the night in her big house all alone. Maybe she’d been alone in the kitchen, fixing supper while he’d been up in the nursery, but the point was that the house hadn’t felt quite so lonely in those short couple of hours. It had felt like before, when her life hadn’t so empty and quiet.
“Yeah. Okay, but would you at least let me put a plate together that you can take home with you?” Charleigh asked as they stood face to face at the front door. “There’s so much food, and it’ll just go to waste if you don’t take some of it home. And it’s just… I don’t know. I wish I had somebody to talk to. Somebody to just listen, I guess.”
Cordell watched Charleigh intently. He knew what she meant because sometimes he felt the exact same way. It got lonely in his little cottage that was tucked away on the Matthews ranch. All the rest of the ranch hands had families. Wives, girlfriends, children. All Cord had was himself.
He got the occasional supper invitation from some of the guys who worked on the ranch. Madie and Lenore were always preparing food for him. Sometimes he went up at The Rusty Wheel to toss back a few, play pool, and just fool around. Not to mention the ladies he occasionally spent the night with. But when it was all over and done, he was still alone.
The sadness in Charleigh’s eyes pulled at Cordell’s heartstrings. It was so much different from the light her emerald green eyes used to hold. Then again, as he knew from personal experience, heartbreak could pale the shine of any soul, break any spirit. Looking at her now, Charleigh Randall didn’t appear to be the same rugged tomboy from even a few months before but as a bird with a wounded wing.
What would an hour spent eating good food in the company of a pretty lady take away from Cordell’s night? What would he rather be doing? Losing a few bucks over a game of pool at The Rusty Wheel? Si
tting at home alone in front of the television? Eating an old bologna sandwich on stale bread and a beer? Was there anything waiting on him back at Missus Matthews’s ranch besides a dark, empty cottage? Of course not. So what was it going to hurt?
“Do you season the meat with crushed pepper the way your daddy used to?” Cord asked with a smile, setting his toolbox on the floor at the end of the couch.
Charleigh returned the smile. “Who do you think taught me how to cook?”
Chapter Thirty-eight
“I hate you, Gavin. I hate you,” Charleigh seethed as he led her down a long hallway.
She knew that much only because he told her so. Where exactly that hallway was located, and why they were there, were the important parts he and his accomplice had left out. There was a black handkerchief tied around her head, blocking out all daylight. Gavin held Charleigh’s hands gently in his own as he guided her along.
“That’s nothing new,” Brad laughed from behind. He kept Charleigh steady with one hand on each of her shoulders. “I wonder if she can still take you, even though she’s got a couple of buns in the oven. I got twenty bucks that says she can.”
“Why don’t ya’ll let me go, and we can find out?” Charleigh offered, hopeful. She agreed with her ex’s best friend. It wouldn’t take much to have him on his knees.
“Um, no.” Was Gavin’s only answer.
Brad laughed again. “Why not, dude? Are you scared?”
“Oh, shut up, man. You know they’ll kill me if we don’t get her there in time.”
“Who’s ‘they’?” She gulped. “This is kidnapping; I hope you guys know that you could go to jail for a very long time.”
You're Gone (Finding Solid Ground) Page 29