Song of the Meadowlark (Intertwined Book 1) (3 page)

After the overnight guests went to their rooms and the dinner guests left, Cora cleared away and washed the dishes before retiring. She skipped Ms. Lottie’s offer of cold lemonade on the screened porch. She only had enough energy to climb the stairs, pull on her loose-fitting cotton gown, and crawl into bed. She closed her eyes and thanked God for her job and the safe place to stay, but she never finished those prayers. She melted into her pillow and slumbered like a baby.

By July the Fourth, Cora talked to the townsfolk like she’d known them her entire life. Most of Ms. Lottie’s customers had gotten used to seeing her around and treated her like a friend. She’d even learned to be a moderately good waitress, and she didn’t mind the tips either.

Everyone had been planning for months for the big Fourth of July parade and BBQ. Cora had never been part of a celebration like this one, and she could hardly wait for the festivities to begin. Folks from miles around came into town, and a good portion of them stopped in to see Ms. Lottie.

A middle-aged couple sat at a table near the front of the sun-drenched dining room. Cora clicked her pen to an open position.

“Good morning. May I take your order?”

“Yes, thank you,” the lovely dark-haired woman said in a Southern drawl. “Wait, you must be the new girl.”

“Pearl, don’t make this pretty young lady feel like she sticks out like a sore thumb,” the handsome gray-haired gentleman spoke. “You’ll have to excuse my wife. She never meets a stranger.”

“That’s okay. I don’t mind. My name’s Cora. I’m only here for a little while—just passing through.”

“I didn’t mean to embarrass you.” Pearl touched Cora’s hand lightly. “We had heard about the lovely young lady here at Ms. Lottie’s. But I didn’t expect her to look so beautiful.”

“Oh, please, you’re too kind. What can I get for you two?” How would these people have heard of her? And who would have paid her such a high compliment?

The two ordered their breakfast and introduced themselves as R.L. and Pearl O’Reilly. Cora instantly took to them and not only because they had complimented her. Their sweet, calm nature made her miss Ben and Judy.

After the breakfast crowd left Ms. Lottie’s place and the dishes were cleared, Cora went out onto the front porch to wait for the parade to begin. The O’Reillys sat on the porch swing, enjoying the morning breeze.

“Come over here and sit by us, Cora,” Pearl called out.

Cora rested her weary bones in a rocking chair next to the swing. Her feet throbbed from standing in her flat tennis shoes all morning. She could have used some shoes with arch support.

“Have you ever been to a parade like this one?” R.L. asked.

“No, I sure haven’t. I grew up in Panama City and then moved to South Carolina a few years ago. Neither place had ‘hometown’ celebrations like this.”

“How did you get to Lewistown, if you don’t mind my asking?” Pearl questioned as Ms. Lottie joined them.

“I don’t mind. I was going to my parents’ in Florida and somehow got lost on I-85. I ended up on I-185.”

“That happens so easily,” R.L. chimed in.

“My car broke down as I was getting off the exit to ask for directions. Perfect timing, I suppose. Bobby is repairing it. It won’t be ready until Friday. I needed a place to stay and some money for the repairs. So Ms. Lottie graciously let me stay here with her and work.”

“It was a blessin’ in disguise, believe me. I would’ve died tryin’ to serve all these customers this mornin’. Lunch’ll be busy too. I’m not quite up to these celebrations like I used to be.”

“I haven’t helped that much,” Cora said. “I probably get more orders wrong than right.”

“Now who’s tellin’ the story? You’re marvelous. And the people love you.” She patted Cora’s leg.

“She’s right. You’re great with people. I wish you’d come work for us at the ranch.” Pearl looked to her husband for support.

“You’re absolutely right, dear. She’d be wonderful!”

Ms. Lottie frowned. “You can’t take her away from me.”

“I’m flattered, but I’m only staying here until Friday.” Cora laughed. “As soon as Bobby gets my car ready, I’ll be heading on to Florida. But thank you for thinking of me.” What if she stayed? This place was welcoming and forgiving. “What exactly did you have in mind, anyway?” Why did she care? She had commitments she had to fulfill. The main one, repairing her relationship with Mom and Dad.

“Our grandchild lives with us at the ranch right outside of Lewistown. We need a nanny for her. Her mother passed away last year, and we can’t seem to do for her what her mother would do. She’s only three years old and such an angel, but we grandparents don’t have near the spunk it takes to raise a little one. Our oldest son, her father, is busy with the ranch. We have a daughter, but she’s more interested in her friends right now than helping with a niece. Our other son is too busy chasing girls.”

“She sounds precious. I can tell you love her deeply. It’s a shame your kids don’t want to help you with her. If I weren’t going home, it’d be an ideal job for me. I don’t know that much about little ones, but I’m sure I could learn.” She almost considered the position.

“You let us know if you change your mind. We’d love to have you at the Southern Hope.” R.L. winked at her.

Soon the parade started, and the people-lined streets roared with activity. Everyone screamed and whistled, throwing confetti and streamers. The bands played, and cars honked their horns. Cora smiled until it felt like her face would crack.

In the back of her mind, she couldn’t forget the O’Reillys’ offer.

Chapter 3

For two days, Cora’s thoughts returned to the O’Reillys on more than one occasion. “Lord, am I not supposed to go home yet? Why have you brought me this far off course?”

Cora prepared to leave Lewistown, the temporary home she fit into like a hand in a tight leather glove. Ms. Lottie told her she didn’t have to work the breakfast hour, so she packed her bags instead. She’d already washed her dirty clothes that morning. While folding and packing them into her suitcase, someone knocked on her door.

She opened her door, and there stood Bobby in his blue coveralls. “Hey, Bobby.”

“Miss Buchanan.” He removed his grease-covered cap. “Could we talk for a minute?”

She walked out to the sitting area in the hallway with him. One look at his solemn face, and she knew something had gone wrong with her car. She sat down on the flowery, Victorian-style couch in the hall.

“It’s goin’ to be Sunday before I’ll have your car ready. And it’s goin’ to cost a little more than I thought. I had to get some parts shipped here overnight. I hope you’re not mad.”

Her shoulders slumped. “Oh, I’m mad but not at you, Bobby. I’m angry with myself for driving so far with an old car.” Why hadn’t she listened to the Buchanans—and to Mom and Dad? They seemed to know the car wouldn’t make the trip. Why did she have to be so bullheaded all the time?

Back in her room, she plopped on her bed and flipped on the television. Nothing to watch but the news, and it all seemed bad—another missing girl report and a drug bust. She turned off the TV and tossed the remote aside with a groan. She’d have to call Mom and Dad and ask for some money to get her home. She burst into tears. She couldn’t call them. But she couldn’t call Ben and Judy either, because they didn’t have the money.

She rolled over onto her stomach and dialed the number, anticipating the reaction she’d receive.

When Mom answered the phone, Cora kept her response simple. “Hi, Mom.” She held back the tears to keep her voice steady.

“Cora? Where are you? I thought you’d be home by now.”

“I’m still in Lewistown. My car broke down, and they couldn’t get it finished today. I’ll have to wait and leave Sunday.”

“Well, if you had let your father fly you home, you wouldn’t be stuck in some little roadside town alone!”

“Mom, it isn’t a roadside town. It’s Lewistown, Georgia. It’s right outside Columbus.” She stretched the truth a bit. This place was the smallest place she’d ever been.

“Don’t be smart with me, young lady. Your father is going to come get you.”

“I don’t need him to come get me, Mother. I just need him...to send me...some...money.” She gritted her teeth. Being needy was killing her.

“He will do no such thing. He’ll come get you. Now tell me where you are, and I’ll have him call you back. If you’d only listen to your parents, you wouldn’t get into trouble!” Mother was on her usual high-horse.

“I’m not in trouble. I had a problem with my car, and I don’t have enough to pay for the repairs. That is an unfortunate incident. Not trouble.”

“Your dad will call you in a few minutes.” The line went dead.

She was a married woman, twenty-five years old. Why did they still treat her like a child?

Within a few minutes, her cell phone rang.

“Hello, Dad.”

“Cora, your mother said you called and you need some money.”

“Yes, sir.” She squeezed her eyes shut, expecting an eruption.

“How much?” He calmly asked.

“A hundred dollars. Enough to pay for my room and food until Sunday.”

“What about the rest of the trip home? Have you thought about that? What if something else happens to your car?”

“I don’t know. I hope nothing else will happen. Bobby is checking to make sure everything works right.”

“
Bobby
? Like you can trust a stranger from a small town? A mechanic, at that. They’re rarely trustworthy.”

“Dad!”

“Cora, you’ve got to learn to be more responsible. You should have thought ahead. Why didn’t you let me fly you home? It would have saved everyone a lot of inconvenience.”

“Daddy.” Anger rose in her throat like a volcano. “I wanted to get home on my own. I had to prove to myself that I could make it without anyone’s help.”

“I guess you see now that you can’t,” Dad shot back. “You’ve never been able to do anything on your own. If you had never married Clark, and stayed in college instead, you could have met a nice young doctor or lawyer. You could be happily married with several children by now. But you had to do things your way. What has that gotten you? Deserted! Now, I’m coming to get you, and I don’t want to hear another word about it!”

Her hair stood up at the roots, and she made her decision. “You are
not
coming to get me,” her voice quivered. “What’s the difference between sending me a hundred dollars and you spending the money to come get me? It’s cheaper to send me the money.” Silence rang on the line.

“You know what, Daddy? A nice family offered me a job here. They think I’m a good person. I feel good about myself when I’m around them. That’s more than I can say for you and Mother. You want me to be more responsible? Then I’m going to stay here for a while. I think coming home right now would be the wrong thing to do.”

“If that’s how you want it, then so be it,” he said, his tone an icy steel. “But do not ask for my help again. I will not come looking for you. If you’re ready to come home, you can find your way. The door is always open.” The line went dead.

Cora stared at the phone with her mouth agape. Had Dad really hung up on her? Had he really released her? Good! No, not good. She wanted her daddy. She wanted him to be proud of her. What had she done? Maybe she should’ve gone home the way he’d demanded.

No! If she had, she’d have lost herself again. She couldn’t bear the thought of Mom and Dad being angry with her, but she had to find herself. The distance between them might only be a few hours, but it might as well have been a thousand miles.

Evening came, and Cora finally stopped crying. She’d stayed in her room all day. Ms. Lottie came up to check on her and asked if she wanted to work, but she declined. She felt like the bits of roadway those bulldozers were scraping up back in Atlanta.

When she gathered her strength to clean herself up a bit, she went down for dinner. She hadn’t eaten since breakfast, and her stomach rumbled its disapproval.

She entered the aromatic dining room, and there sat R.L. and Pearl, with two of the biggest smiles she’d ever seen. She tried to reciprocate, but their smiles faded when they saw her. She must look a mess.

“Cora? Are you feeling okay?” Pearl asked. “I thought you’d be headed for home by now.”

“I should be headed that way.” She plopped into a chair at the table with the O’Reillys.

“Why aren’t you?” Pearl asked.

“My car isn’t going to be ready until Sunday. It’s going to cost a bit more than I’d hoped. So I’ll be staying a little longer than planned.” The words crawled out of her mouth. Here she was, confiding in people she hardly knew. Strangely, this was easier than talking to Mom and Dad.

“What are you going to do for money? Do you need to borrow some? Or are you planning on staying here and working with Ms. Lottie?” R.L. inquired.

“That all depends on you two.” Cora smiled.

“Us? Why us?”

“Well, Mrs. O’Reilly, were you serious when you said you’d like to have me out at the ranch?”

“Oh yes!” Pearl exclaimed.

“Then I’ll come. I don’t know how long I can stay, but I’d love to help you out with your granddaughter, and I could use the money.”

“It’s settled then. You eat dinner with us, and we’ll get your things and take you home tonight.” R.L. clapped his hands.

“Don’t you need to clear it with your son first?”

R.L. shook his head. “No. He’s so busy with the ranch, he’ll hardly notice you’re there.”

Pearl clarified, “He’s swamped with trying to keep the ranch going. It’s hard to make a living these days like we did in the old days. And it’s a passion of his. He doesn’t like change. Please know R.L. didn’t mean to imply you wouldn’t catch our son’s eye.”

“Of course, I understood what you meant.” Catch his eye? What exactly do they have in mind?

As Cora ate with her new friends, her heart felt lighter.