Song of the Meadowlark (Intertwined Book 1) (26 page)

Chapter 20

The smell of hay, mixed with funnel cake, cotton candy, and corn dogs, overtook Cora as she walked through the fairgrounds with Rex and Susie. Susie held hands with both of them. Cora couldn’t stop looking at Rex in his cowboy hat with his full beard, which had come in practically overnight. The way he walked in his tight jeans and boots reminded her of Clint Eastwood in one of his westerns. He knew his way around the fairgrounds like she knew her way around the beach.

“What do you think about the fair?”

The evening sky and the bright lights lit Rex’s face in a way Cora had never seen, like he was a little boy at the fair for the first time. “I love it. I want to eat everything, though. It all smells so good.”

“Yep! That’s the thrill of the fair.”

“But I’m not hungry.”

“So what?” He winked at her. “The fair comes only one time a year. You gotta eat a corndog then a turkey leg and a fried onion. After that, you get a caramel apple and a funnel cake.”

“Don’t forget the cotton candy.” Susie added.

“You know it.” Rex patted Susie on the head. “Then wash it all down with a lemon ice.”

Cora stuck her tongue out in disgust. “Oh, Rex, I’d be so sick tomorrow if I ate all that.”

“Yep! You sure would.” He tripped over someone’s soda cup and reached down and picked it up, tossing it into a nearby can.

As they walked toward the north end of the fairgrounds, screams bellowed out from the pink and red spinning ride, swinging like a pendulum over their heads. They passed the guy who made sculptures out of logs with a chainsaw and the 4H displays in the barn. The potbelly pig race made Cora laugh the most, probably because it sent Susie into a fit.

“Yay, Daddy! Look, the giant cow!” Susie pointed to the statue of the dairy cow at the entrance to the barn. She dropped Rex’s hand and ran over to it.

When they entered the barn, Cora covered her nose with her hand.

“Shew-wee, it stinks in here.”

“What?” Rex nudged her arm. “Ain’t you ever smelled this many animals mixed together before?”

“I don’t believe so. I can handle the animal smells. It’s the mixture of cow, horse, sheep, goat, llama, chicken, and pig all together with their waste that’s so bad.”

“This ain’t nothin’, love. Wait till you get to the elephants.”

“Elephants?”

“Yep.”

“Elephants at the county fair?”

“For some reason they have them. I know—it doesn’t make sense.” Rex let out a rowdy laugh.

“No, it doesn’t.” Cora looked at every animal as they stomped through the hay on the barn floor. If only she could touch the baby chicks under the heat lamps, but the sign on the cage said not to. Their fuzzy feathers and little peeps made her giggle. When she got to the Jersey cow with the blue ribbon by its sign, she asked, “Rex, what’s the deal with the blue ribbon?”

“This is Mr. Peterson’s prize Jersey. It wins every year.”

“Do you mean they have competitions?”

“Sure do. Every year. People enter their cows and pigs and chickens and sheep. They have sheep shearing contests and everything.”

“I want a cow.”

“We have cows.” Rex looked at her quizzically as he put a quarter into the feed machine. He handed the food to Susie, and she fed the pygmy goats.

“I mean, I want to have my own cow for the competition.”

“You do?” He quirked a brow.

“Yeah, she’s pretty. I love her eyes.”

“Well, if you want one, you can pick a calf out and have her.”

“I can?”

“Anything for my lady.”

“Thank you, Rex. Next year, I’ll enter her in the competition and win!”

Anne arrived a few days before Thanksgiving. She called when she was turning into the long drive at the ranch, and Cora grabbed Susie up, threw their coats on, and ran out to the front porch. The SUV rambled down the drive, and her heart threatened to leap from her chest.

“Who is it, Cora?” Susie looked up at her in question.

“My best friend, Anne. She’s coming to stay for a week or so and help me and your daddy get the new business started.”

“Oh.” Susie leaped off the steps and started kicking her ball.

“Stay over here in the grass. Anne will be pulling up in a few seconds, and I don’t want you to dart out in front of her and get squished.”

“Okay.”

Anne pulled up beside the house in the parking spot for guests. Cora ran over to her. She opened the truck door and practically yanked her out. “Hey!”

“Hey!” She received Cora’s embrace, grunting to emphasize her merriment. “You look great! Life on the ranch has done wonders for you.”

“Ya think so? You look pretty fabulous yourself. I think you get prettier and prettier each time I see you.”

“I wish you could convince some great guy of that.”

“You’re so funny. You won’t find one here. After all, you don’t like country boys or cowboys.” She elbowed Anne. Anne stuck out her tongue at Cora. “Besides, what about Tim?”

“Don’t even go there. That turned out to be nothing.”

“Well, did you have an okay drive?”

“Yes, it was fine. The road up from the coast isn’t too bad. Eufaula is so pretty. I love the old houses.” She stretched her back, cracking her vertebrae.

“I know. They’re gorgeous.”

Anne shut her truck door and opened the back door to retrieve her duffle bag. She shut the door and looked over at Susie. “So, is that her?”

“Yep. Isn’t she a doll?”

“A doll!”

After leaving Susie with Pearl, Cora and Anne went out back to the pool house. The two almost-sisters contrasted in every way. Cora’s dark shoulder-length hair and olive green eyes contrasted Anne’s glowing, golden mid-back-length locks and brilliant blue eyes. Cora’s skin no longer boasted a tan, while Anne looked fresh from the beach. Anne dressed like a soap opera star while Cora sported her jeans and sweater from the outlet mall. “Great pool. Too bad it’s not summer. I’d like to soak in that hot tub, for sure.”

“We’ll get in the hot tub, and if I’m still here this summer, I give you an open invitation to come back and stay awhile and swim all you’d like.”

“Great. But what do you mean when you say, if you’re still here?”

“I mean, I hope I am, but that’s five or six months away.” Cora opened the door to the pool house and led the way inside.

“Oh, please. You think Rex is going to let you leave?” They both laughed. “Wow! This is a great place. Thanks for letting me come for a visit. I really needed the break away from work.”

“Thanks for coming. I knew you’d be the person to help decorate, seeing as you’re like a design expert and everything.”

“Sure I am.”

“Well, you are. Plus, I missed you, and I wanted you to meet Rex. I still can’t believe there was no time for introducing y’all when we were home.”

“I know. So where do you want me to put my things?”

“Right in here in the bedroom.” She walked across the living room to the bedroom. “You don’t mind sharing a bed with me, do you?”

“No way. We’ve done it for years. No need to change now.” Anne nudged Cora.

Cora’s cell phone rang. She looked at the caller I.D. and smiled. “It’s Rex. Hello?”

“Hey. Is your friend there yet?”

“Yep, she’s here.” She smiled in Anne’s direction.

“Can I come meet her?”

“Sure, come on over.” Cora closed the phone. “He’s coming over.”

“Goodie. I can’t wait to meet him.” Anne clapped her hands.

“He’s probably dirty from working on the ranch, so you’ll have to look past that.”

“Okay, I’m going to go to the bathroom real quick before he gets here.”

Cora put a few dishes into the dishwasher and then went into her laundry area. Humming while she worked, she pulled the towels out of the washer with a grunt and tossed them into the dryer, turning it on.

“Knock, knock.”

“Come on in. I’m in the laundry room.”

“Hey.” Rex came in and greeted Cora with a tender tone.

When she turned to see him standing there in his jeans and flannel shirt with his Stetson on top of his head, she held on to the door facing. “Hey.” She barely exhaled.

“Can I have a hug?”

“Of course.” Cora stretched out her arms.

Rex enveloped her in his arms. He pulled away just long enough to bring his face close to hers. “You’re so warm.”

“I am?”

“Yes, ma’am, you are. I could stand here all day huggin’ you.”

“Me too.” Cora pulled away when Anne let out a quiet giggle. She turned and eyed her friend. They exchanged a knowing glance.

“You must be Rex.” Anne came toward them with her hand held out.

“And you must be Anne.” Rex shook her hand gently and tipped his hat. “Excuse my appearance. Cora tells me you’re a decorating master, and you’re gonna help us get Apple Springs off to a great start.”

“I don’t know where she gets the idea that I’m a master, but I’ll sure try. I think it’s really an excuse to get me up here to meet you.”

“I hope you’re not disappointed.” Rex gave himself a look from the boots up, using his hands to demonstrate the extent of who he was.

“So far, so good. Are there any more of you around here?”

“As a matter-of-fact, I—”

“Let’s go sit on the couch and chat for a little while.” Cora interrupted, not so sure Matt was Anne’s type. As she sat with her best friend and her favorite man, her two worlds melded together like sugar in hot tea. The soothing feeling that overtook her at the sound of Anne’s lilting voice and Rex’s low rumble caused her to relax like she did when she sat by the seashore.

“So, what do ya think of the family?” Cora rubbed lotion into her dry hands.

“I love them. Susie is precious, just like you said. You’ve done a great job teaching her the alphabet and her numbers.” Anne finished brushing her blonde locks from the tangles of the day.

“She’s smart.”

“And you’re teaching her here instead of sending her to preschool?”

“Yep. I met some ladies at the park one day and they all homeschool. They told me that kids don’t have to be registered with the Board of Education at four. So I asked Rex if I could teach her here.”

“That’s so great. I love Pearl and R.L. And Jimmy is so nice and such a great cook.” Anne put the brush on the nightstand.

“I know. A funny story about Jimmy. When I first started working here, everyone called him Cook.” Cora snuggled into the bed and turned the lamp off on her side of the bed.

“What?” Anne snuggled in as well and turned off her lamp.

“Yep. It’s like he was a slave or something. I started calling him Jimmy and eventually they all did.”

“So when will I get to meet the infamous Matt?”

Cora shrugged. “Who knows? He comes and goes so much, I never know when he’ll be home. He’s been here more lately, though, because of the plans to open the dude ranch.”

“Are you avoiding me meeting him?”

“Not at all.” Cora averted her eyes in the dark, feeling the guilt of the lie creep up to her face.

“I hate that Clarice isn’t here.”

“Yep, me too.” Cora stepped around the topic of Matt the same as she would a cow-pie in the pasture. Anne started giggling. “What are you laughing at?”

“I just realized something really funny. I didn’t mean to break the mood from talking about Clarice, though.”

“What is it?”

“You keep saying y’all and ya and yep. It cracks me up.”

“I do?”

“Yep!” Anne teased.

“No, I don’t.” Cora buried her head in her hands and kicked Anne playfully under the covers.

“Yes, you do. Oh, boy, the Georgia people have already rubbed off on you.”

The black night outside the windows blanketed the earth as the friends fell asleep with words still drifting sporadically out of their mouths. Cora dreamed of laughter and romance until morning.

Cora and Anne helped Jimmy set the table, while Rex read a story out of the Children’s Bible to Susie. Susie sat on his lap and held on to his thumbs with her little hands. Her pigtails brushed against his chin.

“Read it again, Daddy.”

“Again?”

“Yep.” She looked up at him and smiled.

Rex groaned good-humoredly and began the story again. Pearl and R.L. came into the dining room and took their places at the table. “Did you ladies have a good night catchin’ up?”

“We sure did.” Cora yawned.

“Yes, we did. I slept so great. There’s something about this ranch,” Anne said.

Rex came into the dining room carrying Susie. He sat her down in the chair next to Cora where she always sat and then went to the other side of the table to take his seat.

“Sit by me, Daddy.”

Cora’s eyes dampened. Rex smiled a huge smile and took his place next to Susie. The previous months had fused the father and daughter together.

Matt came in; finishing a call on his cell phone. He poured a cup of coffee from the carafé and added cream. He said good-bye and closed his phone, while stirring his coffee. He looked up, saw Anne, and froze. “Hi.” No other words escaped his mouth. He cocked his head toward Cora and then Rex.

“Hi. I’m Anne, Cora’s friend from Florida.” She smiled.

“Hi.” He stared, star-struck, back at Anne. Despite his professional appearance, Matt resembled an adolescent boy viewing a pretty girl for the first time in his life.

“This is my brother, Matt, Anne. Forgive his dumbfounded demeanor. He probably hasn’t seen such a fine lady in—well, since Cora came.”

Matt smiled, but said nothing. Cora exchanged a wide-eyed look with Rex.