Song of the Meadowlark (Intertwined Book 1)

by Johnson, Sherri Wilson

  Once they were all downstairs, Cora flipped on the floodlights outside and the entire pool area lit up.

  “Wow! That pool is gorgeous.” Peggy stepped out onto the patio first.

  “Is it heated? I can’t remember.” Janet followed.

  “Yep. I think they keep it heated all the time.”

  “Yay!” Anne blew her a kiss.

  One after the other, they all jumped into the pool—cannonballs, belly flops, dives. The laughter and splashing felt as good to Cora as the water and ocean air did. “So, tell me what’s going on with Jane and her husband.”

  “I told you, you’ll have to ask her,” Mary said.

  “I’m not going to do that. Tell me.”

  “He’s gotten real possessive these days.” Peggy dove in the deep end.

  “And you really think it’s all of a sudden? That’s rarely the case.” Cora dogpaddled to the shallow end of the pool.

  “What do you mean?” Jo asked.

  “I mean, he’s probably always been possessive of her, but she loved feeling important to him. Now they have the kids, and she’s busy running them all over the place. He’s probably checking in on her and where she is at different points in the day, and it’s getting on her nerves.”

  “How did you guess?” Janet sat on the steps in the shallow end inspecting her body in her bathing suit.

  “I’ve seen it before. I had a friend in South Carolina who experienced the same thing. She was basically doing everything for the kids with no help from her husband. She never heard from him during the day because he was at work. But at night, while she was at the ball field or the basketball games and he was home getting drunk, he called her constantly and made her feel like he didn’t trust her.”

  “What happened with them?” Alicia swam to the ladder.

  “He left her for a younger woman with a mousy personality—someone he could control.”

  “So he was controlling the whole time?” Denise asked.

  “Yep, she thought he liked checking in on her because he cared.”

  “My husband checks in on me, but he’s not suspicious of me or controlling.” Alicia climbed out of the pool.

  “That’s because you’re married to the best husband there is,” Karen said.

  “Yeah, well, my ex never checked in on me. He never called when he traveled out of town on business. Turns out, he had another family in Oregon,” Janet said.

  “What?” Cora exclaimed.

  “Yep. He never checked on me because he didn’t want me to check on him,” Janet replied.

  “I never knew what Clark was doing. I never would’ve guessed it.”

  “What’s the secret then?” Peggy asked.

  Cora thought about it for a minute. “God has got to be first in your life before you can even have a relationship with anyone else. And he’s got to be first in his life too. Your faith can’t carry him or a relationship. And you’ve got to have your security and your identity in God, not a man. When you find a man who is chasing after God the same as you are, go for it. When God is at the center, then the relationship can survive anything.” Cora sighed, thinking of Rex for the first time in hours.

  “And know what you’re getting into too. Make sure there’s nothing weird in his past that you can’t deal with.” Anne added.

  That night Cora could barely sleep. She savored everything she’d heard over dinner and scrutinized every word that rolled off her tongue. Her mind turned somersaults—Mom and Dad, Clark, her second chance at life, Susie, and most of all, Rex. It seemed that even in Florida this man held her thoughts captive. If he was so wrong for her, why did he continuously pop into her head?

  Cora’s weary eyes burned from the chlorine. She tried to sleep, but all she could see was Rex’s face every time she closed them. Her right hip hurt, like Jacob in the Bible who wrestled with the angel. After hours of tossing and turning, fighting with her satin sheets, she finally fell into a sound sleep….

  * * *

  The next morning, Cora put her key in the lock and turned it, opening the front door. She stood on the doormat that said Welcome. Was she really welcome here? Entering the house, the heavy cloak of dread covered her. She sighed. Mom and Dad were out on the patio, so she crept into her room undetected. Maybe she could catch her breath before any confrontation.

  Cora tossed her things down on her bed and pulled up her contacts on her phone. Clearing her throat from the phlegm in it—her sinuses definitely still needed to adjust to the sea oats—she dialed the number. As the phone rang, Cora rapped her fingers on the nightstand by her bed and frowned at her reflection in the mirror on her dresser. The chlorine from the pool made her hair feel like straw.

  Finally, a voice answered. “Hello.”

  “Hi! It’s Cora. Who’s this?” She smiled, although no one could see her face.

  “Rex.” His voice was flat, lifeless.

  “Hi. How are you?” Electricity shot through her, followed by melancholy longing to be back there.

  “Fine. And you?”

  “Oh, getting acclimated.” Cora shifted in her bed and peered out the window at the bright morning clouds.

  “Acclimated? Don’t you mean settled?” The ice in Rex’s voice chilled Cora.

  “No. I told you I wasn’t staying here permanently, Rex. I’ll be back in a few weeks.” She rubbed the scar on her forehead from her attack.

  “Why? You’ve got all the money you’ll ever need. You don’t need the job.”

  “Money isn’t everything, Rex. Besides, I didn’t say I’d be back at the ranch, I said I’d be back in Southern Hope or maybe Lewistown. I need to get my car. If you don’t want me back at the ranch, I might stay with Ms. Lottie again. Would you prefer I stay here?”

  “I want what’s best for Susie.”

  “And I thought I was great for her.”

  “I said what’s best. I want someone who’ll stay.”

  “I think you’re looking for a mother for Susie…or at least someone who can fulfill your role so you don’t have to think about being a parent to her. I didn’t think that was my job.” Her blood boiled.

  There was a pause, then Rex asked, “How do I know you won’t pack up and leave again if you come back?”

  “I guess you don’t. If you could allow yourself to trust me long enough, you’d know I love your family, and I want to be there. I feel so at home there. More at home than I’ve felt anywhere in years.” She swiped away the tears.

  “Then why did you leave?”

  “I told you. I had to settle Clark’s will, and I thought I should see my parents. And seeing my parents is something I’ll need to do for the rest of my life, no matter where I live. Imagine if you lived away. You’d have to check on them every once in a while too. It’s selfish to expect me not to do the same.” Cora ran her fingers through her hair, pulling at the ends. She frowned at herself in the mirror. Why did he have to be so impossible?

  “It seemed quite final to me.”

  She rubbed her fingers on the base of the lamp on the nightstand. No dust. Not a speck. Of course. “That’s the impression you gave me, all right. It was like you wrote me off before I was even gone. I thought you’d take me to the airport so we could talk and spend some time together. We had gotten so close…or so I thought. But when I got this money, you shut me out. It really confused me and it hurt.”

  Silence rang on the line for a minute, then finally Rex said, “You were so happy when you found out about the money. You said you needed to go home. I thought you wouldn’t be back.”

  “Well…”

  “So...I cut my ties.”

  “You sure did. You never gave me the chance to explain my plans and to ask where I fit into yours, if at all. You hurt me terribly.”

  “Sorry.” The silence filled the space between them like the sand in the sidewalk cracks in town.

  “Well, I’m here now. I’m trying to mend my broken relationship with my parents. It seems I leave a trail of broken ties every
where I go. You know, I can only handle one troubled relationship at a time.”

  Rex remained quiet, so Cora rattled on. “I’ll be back in Georgia, and I’ll be back at the ranch to get my car but not to stay unless you want me to.” Hot tears stung her eyes, and a tremble distorted her voice. She leaned back onto the headboard and crossed her legs at the ankles.

  “Why would you want to come back? Is Susie the only reason?” Rex’s voice was soft, hesitant.

  “Should there be another reason, Rex?” Cora was tired of the games. She buried her head in her hands—something she seemed to do a lot of these days.

  “I guess not. We both know you think I’m a bad person.”

  “I never said that, Rex.”

  “It came across that way. And I thought I’d explained my behavior when we first met, but you still pulled away from me.” He groaned.

  “You didn’t exactly make an attempt to have a relationship with me either. I thought we were moving in that direction. I’d forgotten all about how things were when we first met. I was ready to start over.” Should she jump in Dad’s car and head there now, or hang up on him and never speak to him again? “When I found out about Clark, it gave me the closure I needed. It let me know it was okay to move on. But when I found out about the money, you shut the door. It’s almost like you wouldn’t want me unless I was dependent on you.”

  After another silence, Rex spoke again. “Cora, that’s not how I feel. But I don’t know what you want from me. I don’t know if I could give you what you want. I don’t even know what I want. I’ve made such a mess of everyone’s lives.”

  “First of all, here’s what I need. I need a little bit of space. I needed to come home and now I’m here. That was in my original plan before I ever met you. I need to enjoy the beach and my friends and try to reconnect with my parents. Secondly, I need you to be completely honest about your feelings. Be honest with me and with yourself. I’m tired of games. Do you want me to come back, Rex? Do you want to see if there’s something between us?” She sat up on the edge of the bed and switched the phone to the other ear.

  “Do you want to?”

  “Rex! Please.” She slammed her fist on the nightstand. Mom walked past her bedroom door outside in the hall. The loose floorboard betrayed her position. “Rex?”

  “I don’t know, Cora. I need to talk to Mom and see what she thinks about you comin’ back to care for Susie.”

  “So, you would only want me to come back if I’m needed for Susie? You don’t want to see if there’s anything between us? Well, let me know.” Cora’s heart constricted. Like the storm clouds that rolled in on a late summer day, a storm of another kind brewed ahead.

  “Yeah, I will. Bye.” Rex ended the call.

  “Bye,” Cora said to the buzzing line. The click sounded so permanent. What did she expect him to say? Even if he’d said he wanted her back to be with him, that wouldn’t be enough. She had to know he shared her beliefs. She couldn’t tell him that’s what she wanted, because he might pretend to have her same beliefs just to get her. What was she supposed to do?

  “Cora? Are you all right?” Mom tapped on her bedroom door.

  “Yeah. I’m fine.” Cora sat on her bed hugging her pillow.

  “May I come in?”

  “Sure.” Cora swiped away the remnants of tears. This scene seemed like a rerun of her teen years.

  “Are you really okay?”

  “Yeah. No. I don’t know.” She shrugged and threw the pillow to the end of the bed.

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “No, not really.”

  Mom sat next to Cora. “I know I’m not your choice in person to talk to, but I’m here.”

  “I know, Mom. I really can’t explain what I’m feeling right now. I need to process my thoughts before I can talk about them.”

  “I see. I understand. How about we go shopping today? That will make you feel better.”

  Cora jerked upright and slapped her legs with her hands. “No, Mom, shopping will not make me feel better. Buying things and spending money doesn’t make things go away.”

  Mom’s mouth gaped. “I’m trying to help in the only way I can.”

  “Well, don’t. Please!” Cora buried her head in her hands, and Mom left her room, quietly shutting the door behind her. It wouldn’t take long for Dad to step in.

  “Cora?”

  “Hey, Dad.” Cora looked up at the man who was virtually a stranger. The years of trying to please him had carved a path of resentment between them.

  “How’s it going?”

  “Okay, I suppose.” She’d disappoint him if she said otherwise.

  “Your mom said you were having a bit of a rough time this morning.” He winked.

  Oh, she did, did she? “Yeah, I guess so.” Cora was like a mouse caught in a cookie jar.

  “Did it have to do with your night out with your friends last night? I worried about you getting with them.”

  She shook her head. “Actually, no. We had a great time last night, Dad. We went swimming, took a stroll on the beach. It was great.”

  “Did you lock everything up?”

  “Yes.” She bowed her head, and her insides threatened to explode.

  “So, are you having money problems? Have you spent everything you got from Clark?”

  “No, Dad. I’d have to be quite frivolous to have spent everything.”

  “So I suppose you simply don’t want to talk to us, huh?”

  “Not right now, Dad. I just got home, and I need to decompress a little. The last few months have been a whirlwind, you know?”

  “I understand. We’re here if you need us.” Dad stiffened his neck and walked away.

  This was a vicious cycle. Until they gave her the room she needed, she wouldn’t confide in them. But the longer she waited, the more they crowded her.

  * * *

  “Cora, I’ve invited the ladies from the Country Club over tonight. They’re so anxious to see you and to maybe find an eligible bachelor suitable for you.” Mom chopped vegetables and put them into the sizzling oil in the sauté pan.

  “Mom! What are you talking about?” Cora jammed her coffee cup down onto the table and stared at Mom in disbelief.

  “Cora, you’re not getting any younger. Clark’s gone, and it’s now time to redeem yourself.” She smiled at Cora.

  “Redeem myself?”

  “I mean, it’s time to move on, and there are some good gentlemen still left here in the city who are back from grad school and ready to settle down.”

  “Mom, I don’t need anyone to find me a boyfriend—or a future husband, for that matter. Seriously! You’re unbelievable.”

  Mom laid down the knife and swiveled to face Cora. “Well, what do you want me to do?”

  “Give me a little space, Mom. I just got home, and you’re trying to plan every minute of my life out for me. I never said I was back here to stay. I’m not saying that I’m not, but it’s my decision. Maybe I want to travel for a while. I don’t know. But it’s my decision to make. I have to do what’s right for me. I have to do what God wants me to do. I’m not going to make another mistake.”

  “Okay. Okay. I’ll leave you alone.” Mom threw her hands up in surrender.

  Cora leaned on the bar overlooking the kitchen. “Mom, you and Dad have been great. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. But I need to acclimate myself. I haven’t been under your roof for years. I’ve been married and then single and independent. I need some time.”

  Mom stiffened. “I don’t know why you even came home if you weren’t ready to be with us.”

  “Truthfully, I wanted to stay at the beach house for a few nights before coming home and had planned to do so, but you guys surprised me and picked me up at the airport.” She apologized for her truthfulness with her eyes.

  “Then why don’t you go there? We certainly don’t want you here if you don’t want to be here.” Dad appeared in the kitchen doorway.

  “Dad!” />
  * * *

  At the beach house, Cora flipped through the channels on the television, stopping on each one no more than a few seconds. “Five hundred channels and there’s still nothing to watch.” She clicked the power button, turning off the big-screen television and tossed the remote onto the sofa. Closing her eyes, she rested her head back on the arm of the sofa. Her foot mimicked an earthquake that never stopped. She rolled her head around, hearing the popping and crackling in her neck.

  Then she jumped up and grabbed her Bible off the coffee table. She walked to the patio door, pulled it open, and stepped into the healing, ocean air. She drew a deep breath. “Now, that’s more like it.”

  Cora plopped into the chaise and opened her Bible. The glare of the pages made her eyes burn, so she pulled her new sunglasses off the top of her head and put them on. She smiled and started reading Proverbs.

  * * *

  “Mom? Dad? I’m back,” Cora announced two days later as she opened the front door and closed it behind her. But no one responded. She followed the smell of freshly brewed coffee to the kitchen. “Mmm.” She picked up a mug and poured herself a cup.

  She peered out the back window. Mom stood in the garden pruning her roses again. She opened the sliding door and stepped out. “Hey, Mom.”

  “Hello.” Ice formed on her lips as the words slid from them, despite the warm temperature.

  “I’m back.”

  “I see that you are.”

  “I really enjoyed my couple of days at the beach.” She tried to catch Mom’s gaze, refusing to let her manipulate her with her silence.

  “Good.” Mom never looked up from her roses.

  Chapter 13

  Cora took long walks on the virtually tourist-free beach and visited St. Andrews State Park and the county pier with Anne. At the jetty, huge ships dredged up sand and pumped it onto the beach to rebuild the shoreline after the spring storms. Cora’s heart felt like that sand…being dug up from the depths, certain feelings having been undisturbed for years.