Cal placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head as he did. “Never that I’ve noticed.”
“I’ll make a decision, Cal. I just want to see if we can get her through the holidays. At least through Thanksgiving.”
“Cord, if she has to go into assisted living you can still bring her home for holidays.”
“Thanks, Cal.”
“Anytime. You call if you need anything. And my gramps is in that place close to Ennis. It’s a good facility. We checked a lot of state websites, looked at different reports and inspections.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Cal headed back to his car and Cord walked down the sidewalk where the group of women had turned into a herd. Lulu had a community of people who would support her and she had him. The two of them had been thrown together, raising a little girl who had needed them both. But Marci really needed Lulu.
Katie met him a few feet from the others. She touched his arm and the look in her green eyes was soft with sympathy. He shrugged because at the moment he didn’t know what to say. Lulu stood a short distance away, her eyes darting from the group of people surrounding her to him. He swept off his hat and brushed a hand through his hair before replacing it. He was Lulu’s medical power of attorney. Whether he wanted it or not, this was his life. He’d been distracted over the past few weeks and he’d failed to really pay attention to her worsening condition. Man, he hated this moment. He didn’t want to have to face what he would have to do in the coming weeks and how it would change lives.
He shouldn’t have allowed himself to get distracted.
“Cord?” Katie’s voice edged into his troubled thoughts and he smiled at her, wishing he’d met her at another time in his life, a time that could have been easier.
He managed a smile, as if none of those thoughts had gone through his mind. “Sorry, lost it for a minute. I’m going to have to make a decision.”
She nodded and then her sister approached, cautious, smiling. “Cord, I’m really sorry. I’m not sure of the relationships here, but Katie told me about Marci. I know this isn’t going to be easy for you.”
“How did it get this bad this fast?” He shot a look in Lulu’s direction. She was talking to Rosemary from the grocery store. Rosemary must have followed Pamela Gibbs when they spotted Lulu and Cal’s police car.
“It probably didn’t happen this fast. She’s close to seventy, correct?” Gwen asked, and waited for him to nod. “It’s probably been happening but she hid it. Without a spouse to notice, it can happen this way. She was in her environment, doing her daily duties, sometimes forgetting or getting confused, and sometimes pretending she remembered.”
“I’ve noticed that lately, now that I know what I’m seeing.”
“Exactly, once we realize what we’re seeing we notice more.”
He looked at Katie, wondering what about that statement made him think of her. He couldn’t focus on her, not now. Not with Lulu needing his help. Not with the possibility that Marci would soon need his undivided attention.
With this happening, it was too easy to remember Susan and the note she’d left, that she wanted their marriage to be about them, without extra people. Meaning Marci and Lulu. But Marci and Lulu would always be a part of his life. No matter who else came and went, those two mattered to him. Had to matter.
He had to make decisions for the two people who relied on him. “We should eat lunch and talk.”
He walked up to Lulu, taking her by the hand and telling her they would work something out. He glanced in Katie’s direction, including her in the invitation. He knew it wasn’t exactly what she had bargained for when she stayed in Jasper Gulch to help with a wedding.
Chapter Eight
On any other day Katie would have enjoyed lunch at Great Gulch Grub. The hometown-diner atmosphere where people knew one another and stopped to talk appealed to her. Today, though, sitting with Gwen on one side, Pamela on the other and Cord and Lulu opposite, lunch was a difficult affair.
All through the meal, Lulu had tried to tell them that she would be fine. And then she cried and said she wouldn’t be fine and she knew that. She knew she needed more care than Pamela could give her. She knew it was time to discuss long-term care.
So they did discuss it. Cord reached for Lulu’s hand and told her they would work this out, together. He wouldn’t let her down. For now, she should go home and spend time with Marci.
They walked out of the diner, an unlikely group. Cord’s sister Faith came up the sidewalk as they were heading across the street to their cars. She stopped them with a wave of her hand.
“Hey, I’m heading home.” Faith smiled at the group and then at her brother. “Do you need anything?”
Katie pulled Gwen forward. “Could you give my sister a ride to the ranch? I have a few people I need to talk to, loose ends to tie up for the wedding. She won’t want to be dragged around for the next couple of hours.”
“I don’t mind spending time with you,” Gwen assured her.
“You don’t have to. I have no idea how long this will take. And if Jeffrey does get away from his practice and is able to get here, you’ll want to be where he can find you.”
Gwen’s face glowed with happiness and Katie stomped down the twinge of envy that surfaced. For her sister she would be happy. She wanted Gwen to have the perfect wedding. She wanted her to have every good thing.
“You’re right,” she said, and then Gwen cast a cautious look at Cord and left Katie wondering what that look meant. “You go and have a good time.”
Katie pressed a light kiss on her sister’s cheek. “Thank you for today. I mean that.”
“I’m glad we talked, Katie. It’s important for me to know how you feel. And important for you to know how much I love you. You’re my sister. I wouldn’t want anything to come between us. And you’re not in my shadow. If only you could see yourself through my eyes. Through the eyes of other people. You shine.”
The conversation ended with another quick hug. Pamela Gibbs had left with Lulu while Katie had been talking to Gwen. Now it was Katie and Cord again, just the two of them. She didn’t know how to process the strange mix of emotions that swept over her as he smiled and indicated they should cross the street.
“Let’s start with Annette Lakey at the Cutting Edge Salon. Have you met her?” Cord took her arm as they crossed the street. The one car coming down Main Street slowed to let them pass.
“I spoke to her the other day. She’s going to try to arrange stylists and manicurists for the morning before the wedding and day of, for women who want special hairstyles or want their makeup done.”
“Then let’s see what she’s found out.”
They walked through the door of the salon. Katie looked around the little shop, pleased with what she saw. And she really liked Annette with her dark hair streaked with color. She was pretty and confident. Annette was marrying the local veterinarian, Tony Valdez, whose office was just next door. Romance found through a stray dog. Perfect, in Katie’s opinion.
“Hey, you two!” Annette was busy rolling curlers into the hair of an older woman who was reading a housekeeping magazine that appeared to be a decade old.
“We thought we’d stop in to see if you’d found some help for the wedding,” Cord said.
Annette rolled another length of gray hair in a curler. “I have, actually. A few gals I know that work in Ennis are going to come in. I’ll have them here Friday for styles and Saturday to fix hair for the wedding. I’m hoping for five of us. And I have some girls from the beauty school over at Ennis who are coming with their instructor to do mani-pedis on Friday. If it’s okay, they’ll set up shop at the fairgrounds, maybe in the festival hall? If you have an email list for all the brides, could you let them know the arrangements and give them my number for appointments? The manicures will be done from ten Fr
iday morning until we’re done. I’ll also need to know who wants their hair fixed the day of the wedding so I can arrange times.”
“That sounds great,” Katie interjected. “And I’d like to make an appointment for next week. Just for a trim.”
Annette eyed her red hair and nodded. “You’re a natural girl, I like that. Do you highlight, or are the lighter streaks natural?”
“Natural. And no perm. I rarely even blow-dry.”
“I’ll put you down for next Thursday then.”
A sharp bark from the back cut into their conversation, and Cord laughed a little. “I thought you said you wouldn’t keep that stray?”
Annette turned a little pink. “Naming Stormy was my first mistake. And Tony loves that dog. Stop teasing me. I’ve seen you pick up a stray cat on the side of the road.”
Cord cleared his throat and Katie smiled, knowing he was wanting to get back on track. “We won’t mention that. Annette, I have to ask you something.”
“Uh-oh.” Annette shot him a look. “Is this bad news?”
“Not at all. I’m just wondering about you and Tony, your wedding...”
The woman getting her hair done chuckled and Annette frowned first at the reflection in the mirror and then at Cord.
“I already told you, I’m getting married in December. I thought you had fifty couples.”
“We do but there’s always the chance someone will back out.”
Katie immediately thought of the bridezilla, Andrea. She knew Cord must be thinking of her, too.
“I really don’t want to do a fifty-couple wedding, Cord. Not even for you, honey.”
“You’re sure?”
“As sure as any woman can be. And that’s pretty sure. Why don’t you find yourself a bride between now and then? Isn’t it about time you got yourself leg shackled, as you men like to call it?”
“I’ve never called it that, Annette, and I don’t think Tony thinks that way, either.”
At that, Annette smiled a huge smile and looked all fluttery. “No, he doesn’t. But since you’re so worried about having enough couples...”
“I think we’ll just go now,” Cord said as he reached for Katie’s arm to steer her toward the door. As they exited, they heard Annette’s bright laugh and her customer saying something that made her laugh even louder.
As they walked out the door, they met Hannah Douglas coming down the sidewalk, a twin on each side of her. The toddlers held tight to her hands and walked on unsteady little legs. Katie stepped back, smiling at Hannah Douglas. Katie had met Hannah and her twins, Corey and Chrissy, at church on Wednesday.
“Hey, Hannah, how are you doing?” Cord asked as the mom and two little ones stopped on the sidewalk. The little boy plunked down and his tiny fingers went for a blade of grass growing out of a crack in the sidewalk. Hannah swept him up, settling him on a hip while still holding her daughter’s hand.
“Hannah, do you think your babies could be in the wedding?” Katie asked.
Hannah laughed at the question. “I think not.”
“No?”
Hannah kissed her son’s pudgy cheek and he giggled. “No one wants to arm these two with flowers or anything else that might be used as a weapon.”
Cord laughed. “It could be fun.”
“No, not fun for some poor bride wanting a beautiful wedding. Count these two out. I don’t think I could take it.”
“Do you know of any little girls that would be suitable? I think about a half dozen. The company that is lending the vintage wedding dresses also has children’s attire. I was talking to the owner and she has pretty dresses of different sizes and colors.” Katie reached for one of the twins, lifting the little girl in her arms to give Hannah a break.
“I can make up a list of girls in the preschool class at church,” Hannah offered. “I’ll have their parents contact Cord, or give you all the numbers. Are you helping with the wedding, Katie?”
“Yes, since the coordinator had to back out, I’ve been helping Cord.”
Hannah looked at Cord, her eyes widening just a hint. “That’s great. I know he isn’t fond of weddings.”
“You would think after a while a guy would lose that distinction.” Cord reached for the little girl trying to get away from Katie.
“I know and I’m sorry.” Hannah took the girl from him. “I’m going to see if these two will take a nap. Make the wedding beautiful, Katie. I’m not doing this again.”
“I’ll do my best.”
They left Hannah to her twin dynamos and headed back in the direction of city hall and Cord’s truck. First they stopped in at the bakery, heard about the final arrangements for the wedding cakes and the caterer that had been consigned for the event.
“It had to be good, growing up here.” Katie spoke as they crossed Shaw Boulevard. “How does it feel to have a street named after your family?”
Cord chuckled. “Like a weight. In the city, you have some anonymity. In Jasper Gulch, everyone knows whose kid you are. If you pull a caper, everyone knows your folks. If you get jilted at the altar, everyone knows the story.”
“I suppose that’s true. But it feels as if you always have a friend in Jasper Gulch.”
He brushed his shoulder into hers. “With sentiments like that, my dad will have you making the next town brochure for the chamber of commerce. Which I would welcome, because I’m tired of being the technological go-to guy. I can see it now—Jasper Gulch, where you always have a friend.”
“See, that makes me want to move here next week.”
“Will you?” He opened the truck door for her.
“I’m thinking about it.”
As Cord climbed behind the wheel, he glanced at his watch. “I have to pick Marci up at school. I think it’s time she and I had a hard talk about Lulu. Do you mind riding along or should I take you to the ranch first?”
“I don’t mind riding along. But I understand if you’d rather do this alone.”
He nodded and started the truck. For a minute, he sat there, staring out the window. Distracted, he brushed a hand against his cheek and then he turned, smiling, but it was a dim version of the real thing. “It’s been just the three of us for a long time, but I think Marci might like it if you’re there. I just don’t want her to get any ideas.”
Ideas about Cord and Katie. She got that. Little girls built fairy tales around romance and weddings. “I understand.”
A few minutes later, they were pulling up at the school. She waited and let Cord go in alone. There were reasons. She needed a minute alone. But Marci needed to see that it was Cord who would be the constant in her life.
* * *
Cord signed Marci out, getting permission for him to drive her rather than her riding the bus. He was already listed as one of her guardians with the school. He’d been this person in her life for a long time. But she’d always had Lulu. That was the change that would rock her eleven-year-old world.
“Why are you picking me up?” she asked as she swung her backpack over her shoulder. He took it from her and was surprised at how heavy the thing was.
“What do you have in here, rocks?”
She laughed a little, but he heard her nervousness in the sound. “Yeah, and bricks. So, don’t change the subject.”
“Your grammy had a rough day,” he explained as they walked across the parking lot.
“She’s been having a lot of rough days. It scares me.”
Honesty time. “It scares us all, Marci.”
“I don’t want her to die.”
“She isn’t dying.”
“But it’s the same as. She isn’t going to know me. She isn’t going to cook fried chicken or make peanut butter cookies.”
He wrapped an arm around her thin shoulders. “No, she isn’t.”
He felt kind of like a sissy when he thought about everything she’d gone through compared to his own problems. The kid was a rock. He had to work on being as strong as an eleven-year-old girl. Pretty eye-opening.
“We’ll get through this, Marci.”
“You have to go to church with me, Cord.” She shot him a look. Wise beyond her years and strong.
“I know.”
“And you have to learn to cook.”
“I cook.”
She spotted Katie in the truck. “And I’m going to need a mom.”
“You’re pushing it.” He bumped into her a little.
And then she sniffled. “I’m not going to cry.”
“Sometimes you will. We’ll probably both cry. But that’s okay.”
She nodded and headed for the truck, climbing in the front instead of the back. He watched her clamber over Katie, and Katie helped her get settled in the seat. Cord took a deep breath and headed for the driver’s side of the truck to face whatever was coming at him.
He tried not to think about Susan walking out on him because he was a package deal and part of the package was Marci and Lulu.
When he got in, the conversation wasn’t at all what he expected.
“Someone said they’re going to tear the Beaver Creek bridge down,” Marci said as she snapped her seat belt in place. “I told them they don’t know anything.”
“They aren’t tearing the bridge down,” Cord responded. “We want to repair it and open that road back up.”
“They said the town is better off without it.”
“I disagree.” Cord shot her a look as he pulled out on the road. “Why were sixth graders discussing the bridge?”
“Because we’re talking about politics and stuff and about how votes change things. Did you vote on the bridge?”
“No.” He laughed a little as he answered. She might be president someday. “We didn’t vote. But we have a committee and we’re making the decision that is best for the community.”
His Montana Bride Page 10
