Song of the Meadowlark (Intertwined Book 1) (8 page)

Chapter 7

That night, after Cora bathed Susie and got her to bed, she went downstairs to the family room where R.L. and Pearl usually sat before bedtime. The lights were dim, and the television’s glow flickered across the room. R.L. flipped through a crossword puzzle book while Pearl cross-stitched. Pearl’s popcorn and R.L.’s coffee made it feel like home.

Cora hesitated before she interrupted, but then plunged right in. “Excuse me. Have you guys got a minute?”

“Sure. Come on in and have a seat. What is it?” Pearl said.

Studying their attentive faces, Cora fidgeted. “I don’t know how to tell you this….”

“Oh, please don’t tell us you’re leaving,” R.L. said.

“No. I don’t want to, but…it’s Rex. I don’t think I can work for him. Earlier today, we had a confrontation. I may have overstepped my boundaries. I let him know how I feel about his personal life. I told him of my concerns about the type of father he is. He told me I shouldn’t worry about how he lives his life, because I am now solely responsible for raising Susie. He said I should be the one to worry about being a good influence. I agree to a certain extent, but his influence matters most. It really bothers me that he stays out all night and never spends any time with Susie.”

Pearl shook her head, and R.L.’s neck stiffened. “We understand. Honey, we told you he’d be difficult. The reason we asked you to come here was that we knew Rex wasn’t doing his job as a parent, and we couldn’t raise Susie properly because of our age.”

Cora squeezed her hands together. “But I think this is doing both Rex and Susie an injustice. It’s enabling him to stay uninvolved in her life. Susie already won’t know her mother. Now she isn’t getting to spend time with the only parent she has. Rex is being relieved of his fatherly duties. It isn’t fair to Susie.” She pounded her fists on her knees. “One day she’ll be grown, and she won’t have any respect or feelings for her father.” Tears puddled in Cora’s eyes.

“You really care for her, don’t you?” R.L. asked.

Cora walked to the mantel, taking in the family pictures. “Yes, I do. I care about Rex also. I want him to love his daughter. I want him to get over Patricia. I want him to find love for himself again one day.”

“We wish he’d find love. He has to find someone better than Veronica,” Pearl said.

Cora nodded. “Before he can find love though, he’s got to get his life straightened out. He’s got to stop running. Believe me, I’ve been there. I know.”

“He hasn’t been to church since Patricia died. It really pains us to see him living as he does. His life is so empty right now,” R.L. added.

“Church isn’t always the answer though, R.L. Before Rex can hear the Word, he’s got to start listening. And he’s nowhere near ready to do that.”

“You’re right, Cora. His life is in shambles. He hasn’t even been home in over ten months. Right after Patricia died, he moved himself and Susie back to the ranch,” Pearl continued.

“Home? He has a house?” That’s right. Veronica had asked Rex to take her to his cabin.

“Yes, of course. He built a house when he started dating Patricia. When they got married, he moved her in there. When she died, he came home. He’s only been back to get things he needed. Most of the time, he sends one of us to get necessities,” Pearl answered.

“I had no idea he’d lived away. Where is his house?” Cora sat on the loveseat.

“You have to go behind the stables and over the hill. He put the cabin back in the woods. He loved that place so much,” R.L. said, sadness brewing in his eyes.

So he hadn’t lived off the ranch. “I’m so sorry. At least I had a year without Clark before finding out he was dead. I can’t even begin to imagine the pain Rex has suffered.” Cora buried her face in her hands. “I have wounded him so badly.”

“Please, consider staying with us. It would do you some good to be with Susie. We love you so much already. We would hate it if you left,” Pearl pleaded.

“I’ll stay a little longer. I just don’t know what to do about Rex, but I’ll try to think of something. I’m going to bed. Susie will be up before I know it.” Cora walked out of the room, straightening her shoulders. Tomorrow would have to be a better day.

The foyer was dark, but she found her way to the stairs by the small lamp on the round table at the foot of the stairs. As she went up the steps, Rex came down the upstairs hall. Maybe he’d pass her by.

She ascended; Rex descended. They met in the middle. She looked at him and him at her.

“Hi.” Rex stopped.

“Hi.” Cora nervously halted in front of the O’Reilly family portrait.

“Cora, I wanted to say...”

“Please, don’t.” Cora held her hand up in protest.

Gently taking her hand in his, Rex continued, “Thanks for what you said today.”

“Thanks?”

“Yes. Thanks.”

“Don’t thank me. I want to apologize to you.”

“No. Don’t. You struck a nerve. I didn’t realize I’d been avoiding Susie.”

“Oh,” Cora meekly replied.

Then he shuffled his boots on the hardwood stair and continued. “I’ve been thinking. How ’bout you and me take Susie to Calloway Gardens tomorrow? It’s so nice this time of year.” Rex still held her hand.

“Us? Just the three of us?” Cora looked at their hands.

“Sorry.” Rex released her hand.

“No, it’s okay.” Feeling awkward about their contact, she leaned against the wall. “I think it’d be fun. I’ve heard about it and passed the road signs before on the highway, but haven’t ever been.”

“Great, let’s go after breakfast. I can get some men to cover for me tomorrow.”

“Fine. We’ll be ready after breakfast.”

Rex tipped his hat and headed down the stairs.

“Rex?”

He turned around. “Yeah?”

“Thanks.” She smiled, then headed to her room.

“Susie, today we’re going to Calloway Gardens.” Cora buttered Susie’s toast.

“Yay!” The girl threw her arms up in the air in a cheer, lost her balance, and almost slipped out of the kitchen chair.

“Be careful. So I take it you’ve gone there before?” Cora tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

“Yeah. There’s lots of butterflies there.” Susie took a big bite of her eggs.

“Butterflies, huh?” Cora pulled the waist of her jeans up. Over the past year, with all of the stress over Clark, her clothes had started to sag.

Rex came into the kitchen. “There’s a butterfly house there. Butterflies hatch and fly all around freely.”

“Wow! I can’t wait to see them.” Cora tried to ignore Rex’s tanned skin and obvious change in his mood.

“As soon as you ladies are finished with breakfast, we can go. I’ve loaded the truck.” Rex shoved his hands into his front pockets.

Pearl and R.L. smiled at each other as Rex lifted Susie up into the big cab of his Ford pickup and buckled her in. He helped Cora in and shut her door. She shifted her feet on the dirt-covered floorboard around a few energy drink cans and an empty box that once contained donuts. She pushed aside a t-shirt on the seat and buckled her seatbelt. He must live in his truck.

As Rex walked around to his side, he yelled, “See you this afternoon, Mom and Dad.” His smile was a genuinely happy one…the first Cora had ever seen.

As they drove down the long drive, however, a sports car zoomed toward them. Rex’s joy turned to obvious exasperation. His neck stiffened, and he held his breath. The car pulled up to the truck. Veronica sat behind the wheel. Cora let out a heavy sigh at the imminent change about to occur in Rex and the change to their plans for the day.

“What are you doing?” Veronica looked from Rex to Cora and back again with the eyes of a snake.

“We’re going on an outing.” Rex averted her stare.

“Excuse me?” Veronica blurted, slamming her hand on the steering wheel.

“Veronica! Relax, Susie is right here beside me. I thought it’d be a good idea for Cora and me to spend some time with Susie.” Rex winked at Cora.

Cora giggled, delighted that Rex had not altered his personality or their plans this time, and that Veronica was so steamed. Susie followed with a squeal.

“I just bet you did. Well, don’t bother calling me tonight. I won’t be home.” Veronica sped away, scattering gravel and dust everywhere.

“Hmm, I guess she’s mad.” Rex put the truck in gear and continued down the drive.

As they pulled through the admission gate of Calloway Gardens, Cora gasped at the flowering trees, plants, and green grass spread out as far as she could see. She couldn’t take her eyes off the azaleas and other flowers. “Rex, it’s beautiful. I don’t know why my family never came here.”

“You probably didn’t come here because you had the beach.”

“You’re right. Well, thank you for bringing us here.”

“My pleasure.” Rex found a parking spot near the Whippoorwill Lake. “Come on, Susie, let’s go find a spot to have our picnic.” Rex put the truck into park, grabbed the picnic blanket, and lifted Susie up and out of the truck.

“Let’s go!” Susie shouted.

Cora laughed and hopped down from the truck. She grabbed the cooler and followed Rex and Susie to the lake.

“This looks like a good spot. “Rex set Susie down and spread the blanket out on the ground.

Cora helped him prepare the picnic site right at the edge of the lake. A gentle breeze blew, making it cool enough not to worry about blistering in the sun. Susie began running with her arms held out to her sides imitating an airplane and chased butterflies. Her sundress sported butterflies of all types. Cora sat on the blanket, and Rex chased after Susie. Cora couldn’t stop smiling. Her speech seemed to have worked.

Rex and Susie settled down on the blanket. “Susie sure does love the butterflies.”

“Yep, she sure does. Wait ’til you see her in the butterfly house. We’ll stop by before we head home. It’s really cool. There are examples of every life cycle and then, when they hatch, the butterflies fly all over the place.” Rex opened the cooler and pulled out some bottled waters for them and juice for Susie. He took out sandwiches, fruit, chips, and dip.

After Susie ate, she lay down on the blanket in the warm sunshine, flopping her legs back and forth. When Rex and Cora became aware that Susie had drifted into a nap, the two adults made themselves more comfortable. Rex lay on his left side and Cora on her right.

She picked a blade of grass. “Susie is so precious, Rex.”

“Yeah. She really is a handful at times, though.”

“I don’t know of a small child who isn’t a handful.”

He groaned. “So, tell me about when you were kidnapped. What was it like?”

“It was pretty awful. I still can’t believe it happened to me.” Cora took a sip of her soda. “I had picked up my car from Bobby Millburn’s shop and was heading home through some backroads he told me about. Cook—Jimmy had also told me about the backroads. I started to get creeped out because the roads didn’t seem like how they’d described them. So I turned around. But when I did, I blew a tire.”

“You had to be scared. I wish Cook had followed you home.”

“I know, but
Jimmy
had errands and I did too. Our schedules didn’t mesh. Anyway, after my tire blew and that truck rammed into me, I got out to walk back to the main road and started to feel like I was being watched. Woods are so eerie when you’re alone. That’s the last thing I remember until I woke up in that disgusting cabin.”

“What was that like?”

“You really do like the details, huh?”

“Yeah.” He smiled.

Cora cleared her throat. “It was stinky and dark. I was tied to a cot and gagged. I don’t even like to think about it.”

“I’m sorry for bringing it up.”

“No, that’s okay. I wish the police knew who it was. It’s driving me crazy.” Then she stopped talking. “Listen, Rex, it’s the meadowlark. Isn’t it beautiful?”

“Of course. But not as beautiful as you are.” He ran his finger down her cheek.

Cora felt herself blush. She was beginning to like this man, but he still had so far to go. She couldn’t fall for him until he was more emotionally stable. “Thank you.” The words tumbled out of her mouth.

“I mean it.” Rex forced her to look at him by following her eyes with his own. He cleared his throat. “By the way, I really do appreciate you saying what you said to me yesterday. I was mad at the time, but after I thought about it, I knew you were right. It took me awhile to admit it, though.”

“I wasn’t trying to be right. I never should have pried into your personal life. I just thought Susie needed you.”

“It’s good feeling needed. I’m gonna try harder from now on to spend more time with her. I didn’t realize I’d pulled away from her. Guess I didn’t think it mattered at her age.” Rex studied Cora’s eyes.

“I’m glad to help.” Cora dusted imaginary dirt off her jeans. That tingly feeling crawled up her back again. She should get up off this blanket.

Rex leaned toward Cora cautiously. She stared into his eyes but didn’t move. Rex placed his fingers on her chin and moved toward her. “Your eyes are like a forest of evergreens. I want to stare into them nonstop.”

“You do?” Cora drifted away, like a raft down a mountain stream toward a waterfall.

“Mmm-hmm.” Rex closed his eyes and then kissed her cheek.

Cora’s eyes involuntarily shut. She didn’t resist as Rex pressed his lips to her cheek. She hadn’t felt a man’s touch in a year. She groaned.

After only a few moments, Rex pulled away and regarded her with tenderness. She smiled weakly at him.

“Cora?”

“Yes?” She could hardly breathe, like slipping over the top of the waterfall.

Rex moved toward her again, a little less cautiously. He kissed her again, but this time on the lips. Cora responded, heat rising up to the back of her neck and shooting through her legs. Susie was close by, but she placed her hand on his chest just in case. She couldn’t assume she was safe from her feelings. His touch felt so good. Finally, he released her.

Cora collapsed back onto the blanket. She grasped her head with her hands. Had she just crossed a line? Being this close to this impressive man, her vow to stay away from him seemed absurd. He was such a wonderful kisser, like she’d thought he’d be. His beard had been soft against her velvety skin. What would his kiss feel like without the beard? His full lips, outlined by the beard, had been soft too. She touched her lips with her finger and then looked up to see his eyes pinned on hers. She sighed. Rex grinned. Her heart pounded. “You said that about my eyes to get me to kiss you, didn’t you?” She laughed.

“No, never.” Rex laughed in unison.

Cora nudged him. Rex lay on the blanket beside her, his arm lightly touching hers. They both looked up at the Georgia sky, brilliantly blue with columns of white, fluffy clouds.

Rex yanked a dandelion out of the ground and handed it to Cora. “This is the most relaxed I’ve been in a long time.”

“I’m glad you’re relaxed. Have you had a lot of things on your mind?”

“Yes. Running the ranch has become so much like a business that it’s not much fun anymore. Times are tough. It’s getting harder and harder to survive as a cattle rancher.”

Cora listened, not wanting to stop his flow of openness. When he quieted, she spoke. “I’ve noticed more and more that farming and ranching is becoming…”

“A thing of the past? Exactly. I’m struggling with that. Dad and Matt run the office in Columbus. They deal with trade, contracts, and the whole business end of things. We sell meat, milk, purses, boots, and belts. About anything that can come from a cow, we sell. We also sell sperm from our prize bulls to breeders for bull riding. I just want to be a rancher. I don’t want to deal with the business world. I like being on the ranch, not having to deal with too many folks.”

“So, what’s the problem?”

“Dad and Matt wanna open a dude ranch and a bed-and-breakfast. They say that’s the only way we’re gonna be able to stay alive. I wanna be a rancher. The dude ranch would seem to be a better fit for me than a sissy bed-and-breakfast inn, but I don’t want a bunch of city folk comin’ here playin’ cowboy and cowgirl for a weekend, you know?”

“Sure. That’s got to be hard.”

“It is. And I guess that’s why I’ve been so grouchy lately. And why I haven’t had time for Susie. I’ve been wracking my brain to find a solution.”

“If there’s anything I can do to help, I’d be glad to.”

Susie tossed around on her blanket. Her nap was ending.

“Thanks. Hey, did I overstep my boundaries by kissing you?” Rex pulled another daffodil from the ground and twirled it with his fingers.

“I’m not sure what your boundaries are.” Cora glanced in his direction and winked.

Rex turned toward her and studied her face then laughed. “What are you trying to say? It was okay with you, as long as it was okay with me?”

“I guess so.” Cora sat up. “It was just a kiss after all, right? I’m only surprised that it...I didn’t expect this to happen.”

“I have enjoyed being with you here. I think you’re a great person. So, I wanted to kiss you.”

“I see.” So it meant nothing to him. He had no way of knowing that she wasn’t a casual kisser.

“Did I answer correctly? Do I get the prize?” Rex teasingly poked her waist.

“You idiot.” She giggled. “I wasn’t sure what you were trying to do or say or whatever.” The meadowlarks sang in the distance.

“I wanted to kiss you. You’re lovely. I’m really growing to like you.”

“Me too.” Cora accepted that Rex had only kissed her as a gesture of friendship. He must want to be good friends.