Chapter 20
Two weeks later, on Memorial Day weekend, Chris took Corra, Jamie and Katie to Beech Bend Amusement Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky, to celebrate the end of a successful school year. The kids and Chris loved the excitement of the rides, and Corra loved to watch them.
She especially enjoyed the look on Chris’s face as he stepped off the Dizzy Dragon, a contraption she refused to get on. He gripped Jamie and Katie’s hands, but she wasn’t sure who was holding who up.
“Mom, Mom, did you see that?” Jamie urged as he hurried toward Corra, pulling Chris along. “We went real fast.”
“Having a good time?” she asked Chris, who looked a little green around the gills.
He took a deep breath. “I’m having a ball, but I think I left my stomach back there on that ride.”
The kids laughed and begged Chris for another round.
Katie tugged on Chris’s arm and looked up at him, which shocked Corra. “Mr. Williams. Will you do one more with us?”
Chris shared a smile with Corra. “You with us this time?”
How could she say no? Her kids had taken to Chris even with Eric being back in their lives. Chris was good to her, and the kids. She loved him. “Okay, one ride.”
“Oh, I know!” Jamie let go of Chris’s hand and held his arms up to get everyone’s attention. “Let’s do the haunted house. Please Mom, please.”
Corra had never, and would never go into the haunted house. She shook her head.
“Please Mom, please,” Jamie and Katie sang out in unison.
“You know I don’t do stuff like that,” she said.
“Why not?” Chris asked.
“She’s scared,” Jamie volunteered.
Corra wanted to pop him in the mouth for revealing her secret. But, he was right, she was scared.
“It’s not that. I just don’t do dark, unfamiliar places.”
Chris laughed. “Come on. The ride seats four. You can sit next to me, and the kids will be right in front of us.”
“Come on, Mom. Please.” Jamie and Katie started in again.
“Okay, okay, I’ll go.”
Chris grinned and reached out for Corra’s hand. “Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Corra and Chris walked hand in hand with the kids in front of them skipping along and talking excitedly about the haunted house.
“Thank you,” Corra leaned over and said to Chris.
“For what?” he asked.
“For indulging the kids and showing them a good time.”
“It’s my pleasure. Besides, I love amusement parks. Some rides more than others. And the haunted house is my favorite.”
“How on earth can that be your favorite?”
“You’ll see.”
The anxious knot in Corra’s stomach grew as they stood in line waiting for their turn to be tortured. By the time they reached the front of the line her palms were sweaty, and she had difficulty catching her breath. Chris squeezed her hand tighter before pulling her in for a hug.
“Relax, you’re with me. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
His words sounded reassuring, but she didn’t like spooky. Especially the kind that lurked, waiting in the dark.
For what seemed like eternity but was more like ten minutes, the kids alternated between jumping and laughing, while Corra practically sat in Chris’s lap. She was petrified every time something popped out. Chris wrapped an arm around her and laughed every time she screamed. The minute their cart broke through the black doors into sunlight again Corra let out a deep breath. Her body was still pressed against Chris’s and now she knew why this was his favorite ride.
The minute they walked away from the ride Jamie grabbed Chris by the arm. “Can we go again?”
Before Corra could protest Katie grabbed her hand. “Mom, I need to use the bathroom.”
“I’ll tell you what. While the ladies go to the restroom, how would you like to try the Kentucky Rumbler?” Chris asked Jamie, but immediately looked at Corra for approval.
She tilted her head. Jamie had ridden the roller coaster before with Rollin, whom she trusted her kids’ safety to. And it wasn’t that she didn’t trust Chris with her son, it was more like she was afraid to have him out of her sight.
Jamie recognized the apprehension on her face, and started pleading. “Can I, Mom? Please, please, please.”
“Why don’t you wait until we come back?”
“Corra, I’ll guard the little man with my life. I promise you we’ll be okay. By the time you guys leave the restroom we’ll probably still be standing in line. Go ahead, we’ll be okay.” Chris leaned over and kissed Corra on the cheek, then whispered in her ear, “Trust me. I won’t let any harm come to him.”
So she did. While they ran off to get in line for the roller coaster, she escorted Katie to the restroom. Like herself, Katie wasn’t very fond of roller coasters.
After the Kentucky Rumbler the four of them sat down to eat lunch, and then rode a few more family-friendly rides before calling it a day. Corra hadn’t seen her kids this happily exhausted in a long time. Katie was so tired Chris carried her back to the car. They slept all the way home.
“Did you have a good time today?” Chris asked, as he drove down the highway.
Corra stretched as best she could from the passenger seat. “Yes. I haven’t had this much fun in quite a while. Thanks.”
“You don’t have to thank me. I think I needed today just as much as they did. I haven’t rode that many rides, or ate that much junk, in years. It was fun.”
“Yeah, I could tell you were enjoying yourself. And I think my kids are in love with you.”
Chris laughed. “The feeling is mutual. They’re great kids. I just hope their mother is in love with me as well.” He reached out for Corra’s hand, brought it to his mouth and kissed her knuckles.
“Oh, she is. Even more so.”
Chapter 21
Tuesday morning on Chris’s drive into work his father called and informed him he needed to get out to his house. Something had gone wrong with the renovations.
Chris turned his car around and gunned it out to the house. He came to a grinding stop just behind the police cruiser that sat parked right in front of the property. His father’s car was in front of the police vehicle.
From the outside everything looked fine. But the minute he opened the front door his jaw set. At first glance, he could tell someone had taken a hammer to the banister because of the way it practically lay on its side. He closed the door behind him and followed the voices coming from inside the kitchen. He jumped when he stepped on what sounded like broken glass. He looked down and the floor was covered with small shards of glass. The original Schonbek chandelier was hanging in pieces. He closed his eyes and cursed under his breath. The rest of the damage couldn’t be worse than that.
Inside the kitchen, his father, Brian the contractor, and local officer Greg Mason stood discussing the atrocities surrounding them. Greg, an old classmate, turned around and shook his head as Chris walked in.
“Chris, your father was filling me in on what happened out here.” Greg offered his hand.
They shook hands as Chris noticed the broken kitchen window. “Great, maybe somebody can tell me what happened.”
Brian walked them through the house explaining that everything was intact when he left last night, and he hadn’t seen anybody suspicious this morning. Vandals had punched holes in the walls, spilled paint onto his hardwood floors and destroyed just about anything else they could get their hands on inside the house.
Nathaniel stood at the foot of the living room steps looking from the broken banister to the trashed chandelier. “Kids and those damned drugs. Don’t they have anything better to do than to destroy
other people’s property? Just look at that banister! It’s an original work of art. Destroyed. And the Schonbek, it’s irreplaceable.”
As mad as Chris was, he now realized that most of the damage was superficial and could easily be fixed. He walked over and patted his father on the back. “At least no one was here when they came in. That means more to me than all this stuff.”
“Chris, there’s probably some teenagers behind this, but I have to ask, do you have any idea who would want to do this?” Greg asked.
Chris shrugged. “No. But, with kids being out for the summer, maybe they get a kick out of trashing vacant houses.”
“I don’t know, we haven’t had any cases like this in quite a while,” Greg said.
A lightbulb went off in Chris’s head and he snapped his fingers. All attention turned to him. “Eric Hayden and I had words a few weeks ago. He’s moved back here.”
Greg nodded. “I ran into him a couple of weeks ago myself. We’ve been keeping an eye on him. What were your words about?”
“I’m dating his ex-wife.”
“Corra Coleman?”
“Yeah.”
Greg took a deep breath. “Yeah, I can see that getting him riled up. And from what I remember you two never did get along very well, did you?”
“You have a good memory,” was all Chris said.
“Well, I’ll check him out. You don’t mind if we take a few pictures for the report, do you?”
“No, not at all. Do whatever you have to. Just find the bastard responsible for this.”
* * *
A couple of evenings later, Corra and Chris were strolling through Fayette Mall in Lexington, and Corra couldn’t believe her eyes. Walking toward them was Kyla with her arm looped around a young man. Kyla had always been so into her studies and dedicated to her projects that Corra had never seen her with a man before. So Kyla wasn’t all work and no play after all.
Chris stopped at a kiosk in the middle of the mall to examine some glasswork as they approached.
“Hey, Kyla,” Corra called out to get her cousin’s attention.
Kyla gave Corra a double take, before releasing the young man’s arm and bringing a hand to her chest. “Corra!”
A tentative smile covered Kyla’s face as she looked startled and at a loss for words.
Corra made the first move and walked over to say hello to Kyla’s friend. The look on Kyla’s face was priceless.
While the three of them chatted, Chris joined them. Kyla introduced her friend as a former classmate who lived in Lexington. In the middle of their conversation, Corra was distracted by Chris peering across the crowd. She followed his gaze. A few stores down Eric glared back at him with a cocky grin on his face.
To her dismay, Eric and some anorexic-looking woman started toward them.
Kyla was saying something, but alarm bells were going off in Corra’s head. She touched Chris’s arm to get his attention, and felt how tense he’d become. When he turned to her, she noticed his flared nostrils and the hardened look of his face. Was it that serious?
“Chris, are you okay?”
He nodded. “I’m fine.” Then he turned back and glared at Eric as if he were daring him to enter their space.
Kyla followed Chris’s gaze. “Who’s that?” she asked, as Eric approached.
“My ex-husband, Eric.”
“Oh, yeah. I remember him.”
In a faded LeBron James T-shirt, cutoff long shorts and sneakers, Eric strolled up to them.
“Hey, how’s everybody doing?” Eric asked, smiling in Corra and Kyla’s direction.
“Hello, Eric.” Corra greeted him without an ounce of enthusiasm.
Eric gave Chris a quick head nod. Chris didn’t nod back.
Eric introduced his lady friend, then Corra introduced Kyla and her friend. Of course, Eric didn’t remember Kyla. He probably didn’t remember most of her family members since he hadn’t participated in any of her family functions. Chris didn’t say a word. His intense stare at Eric said it all.
“Where are the kids?” Eric finally asked.
“They’re at Rollin’s,” Corra said.
Eric’s date tugged on his arm, ready to go. He said something to her and then turned back to Corra. “I’ve got something for Jamie so I’ll see you later tonight.” He cut his eyes up at Chris once more before walking away.
“Well, uh, I’ll catch you guys later,” Kyla said, as she and her friend walked away.
Corra and Chris said their goodbyes, then Corra turned to Chris. “What was that all about?”
“What do you mean?”
“The staredown between you and Eric. You looked at him like you wanted to hurt him. I know you don’t like him, but you could at least be civil.”
Chris looked at Corra with furrowed brows. “Be civil to a man who leaves his family without paying any child support, returns to town without looking them up, and then expects to just walk back into your life.”
Corra narrowed her eyes. If they weren’t standing in the middle of the mall, Corra would have smacked Chris.
“We’ve had this discussion. He’s around for his kids, that’s all.”
Chris ran a hand across the top of his head in frustration, and took a deep breath. “I know. I’m sorry. Come on, let’s go.”
He walked away, but Corra didn’t move. His dislike for Eric ran deep, and if they were going to continue their relationship she needed to know what it was about.
Chris stopped when he realized she wasn’t following him. He turned around and came back. “What’s wrong?”
“You tell me? I’ve never seen you this upset before.”
He took a deep breath. “I don’t like that his presence does this to us.”
Corra’s head snapped back. “His presence infuriates you, and I need to know why.”
Chris looked around as several people had given them more than a moment’s notice. Corra didn’t care. If Chris had a violent streak, she wanted to know now.
He put his arm around her shoulder and said softly, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let him get to me. The last thing I want to do is fight with you.” He kissed her on the lips.
They stood there as the crowd walked around them.
“I don’t want to fight with you either, especially about Eric. So, let’s forget about him and go home.” She wrapped an arm around his waist and they continued through the mall. She still planned to find out what had happened between them two.
Chapter 22
After breakfast Friday morning, Corra and Tayler agreed to help Kyla test her research project for her Ph.D. She’d prepared a program to teach students about organic farming. Her nonprofit program started with a summer camp, then a school-year educational program she hoped to have in place next year. Rollin’s farm hands had helped build her an open-air-style classroom setting. All around her were organic plants and flowers from the gardens. Currently, the only staff she had were the farm’s two interns from the University of Kentucky.
Corra and Tayler chatted while Kyla prepared to start.
“The big day is less than a month away now, how do you feel?” Corra asked Tayler.
Tayler took a deep breath. “Excited, elated. Nicole’s flying down with her fiancé, who I can’t wait to meet. My family’s traveling from Chicago, and we’ll all be staying under one roof. I’m excited about them seeing the place.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty stoked myself. I’m so happy for you and Rollin.”
“What are you so happy about?” Rollin asked, as he walked up behind them.
“Oh, I’ve got that.” Kyla dropped what she was doing and ran over to help Rollin with two large pails full of flowers.
“I’m happy you guys are getting married in a few weeks and I’ll have a sister
-in-law.”
Rollin set the flowers down and walked over to Corra and Tayler. “That’s right, in a few more weeks you’ll be Mrs. Rollin Coleman,” he said, as he leaned over and planted a kiss on Tayler’s lips. “I’ve got you now. There’s no getting away.”
Corra smiled watching her brother and Tayler’s touching display of affection. Tayler held his face in the palms of her hands and kissed him. They were so perfect for one another. Their wedding was going to be beautiful and she would probably cry from the beginning until the end.
“If you need anything else just come find me,” Rollin told Kyla. “Oh, I almost forgot Reverend Daniels has us scheduled for a rehearsal this Sunday after church.”
“Sunday! But what about Jamie’s game?” Corra said.
Rollin shrugged. “Will it hurt to miss one?”
“Let Chris take him,” Tayler suggested.
“Chris?” Corra hadn’t thought about him.
“Yeah, why not. You said they’ve been bonding. What better way than to bond over a game of baseball. I hate to miss the game too, but this is the only time Reverend Daniels has.”
Corra had to admit it was a good idea. Her kids loved Chris. Every time he came around they did something fun. Be it a movie night, or an ice cream run, they enjoyed his attention.
“You know, that is a great idea. I’ll give him a call to see if he’s free. Or, brave enough.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Rollin said before he kissed Tayler again, and went back to work.
“You guys are beautiful together. I’m so glad you came to stay here when you did,” Corra shared with Tayler.
Tayler smiled. “You and Chris are beautiful together as well. I think you’re going to be next.”
Corra laughed. “Huh! I don’t know about that. Yesterday, we ran into Eric in Lexington at the mall. Chris looked at him like he wanted to kill him. I don’t know what transpired between them two but I can’t have that. What if Jamie or Katie were around?”
“Did you ask him about it?”
“Yes, but he didn’t really tell me anything. He’s never liked Eric.”
“Maybe Rollin knows. Have you asked him?”
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