Chapter Five

 

 

It took a while for Cora to fall asleep the night before. Their heated conversation about what happened after they lost the baby had her replaying conversations and fights in her head. Most of them brought back the anger and hurt that resulted. But Grey was right about one thing: She’d tried to close herself off from the tidal wave of emotions. By doing so, she’d closed herself to him as well.

Cora covered a yawn and checked to make sure all her things were back in her bags for the third time. She didn’t want to leave anything behind. Sunlight streamed through the windows, a welcome contrast to the weather yesterday. When she’d awakened and looked through the pane, it was a relief to see that it was no longer snowing.

They drank some more water and had another protein bar for breakfast. Grey found a piece of paper and left a note with his phone number in case someone came in and found the broken window. He had every intention of calling the resort once he was home again to let them know what happened.

He checked on the fire to make sure there were no sparks. They’d left it to burn out all morning. “I think we’re probably good to go whenever you’re ready.”

Cora already missed the warmth. “Are you sure we couldn’t take some with us in the form of a torch? Maybe melt our way to the main cabin?” She was not looking forward to the hike.

He chuckled. “I wish we could. Having one more thing to carry will only slow us down.” He flashed her a little smile before turning back to his own suitcase.

They hadn’t said a word about their conversation last night, but things felt a little different between them now. She had no idea where that left them, though.

When they closed the cabin door behind them and stepped into the snow, Cora was amazed at just how much of it had fallen overnight. “What is this, two feet?”

“At least.” He reached for her suitcase. “Here, let me carry that for a while.”

She was going to argue with him, but then she tried to take several strides through the snow and thought better about it. His long legs definitely gave him an advantage in this situation. She eyed her canvas-sided suitcase. “When I get home, I’m going to buy one of those hard-sided suitcases. Preferably one that’s waterproof.”

Even though Grey was holding the suitcases off the ground, there was no way they were going to get to the main cabin without them getting soaked. There was nothing they could do about that, though.

In fact, thirty minutes into their hike, Cora had tossed away all concerns about her suitcase. It was her cold jeans and the snow that had fallen into her boots that stole away her focus. When the snow was that deep, boots really didn’t make that much of a difference unless she’d been wearing waders.

“Remind me to stay in Texas after this weekend.” She tried not to ask how far they’d gone. “Did you know it’s supposed to be seventy degrees in Denton right now?”

Grey stalled and turned to look at her. “You live in Denton? When did you leave San Antonio?”

“About six months after we signed the papers. I guess I needed to get away, you know? From reminders. From my parents. The whole shebang.”

“Yeah, I get it.” He paused. “I moved to Fort Worth three years ago.”

Cora’s jaw dropped. “Are you serious?” Here she’d assumed he still lived in San Antonio. Depending on where he lived in Fort Worth, they could potentially be just minutes away from each other. What were the odds? “Do you not work for your mom anymore?”

“I opened my own store, Defending Yesterday. I focus on firearms, knives, survival and camping equipment.”

“What a great name. It sounds like it totally fits you.”

“It does.” He looked happy as he spoke. “I worked at the store with my family, but just needed to get out there and do something on my own. Grandpa supported my decision, and Mom understood. But Flynn accused me of running away.”

He didn’t say anything specifically about their divorce, but Cora got the impression that was one of the deciding factors when it came to opening his own place. “I had no idea we were living so close to each other.”

“Neither did I.”

They continued walking. Cora had been nervous about getting lost on their way to the main cabin. Now that the snow had stopped falling, however, the visibility was good. And apparently being able to see some landmarks was all Grey really needed to navigate successfully.

He said he’d carry her suitcase for a while, but he never did relinquish it. He handed over his carry-on bag for her to take at one point, though.

Cora’s feet were starting to feel numb from the cold. “How long until frostbite sets in?”

Before they left, they’d both put on extra socks. They’d also found some plastic wrap in the kitchen and had put that around the socks as well to hopefully keep the dampness off their feet. An hour in, though, and it wasn’t doing a lot for the cold.

Grey glanced at her boots in concern. “We should only have a half hour to go at the most. Do you need to rest?”

“I’m pretty sure if I stop moving, I’ll turn into an icicle.”

He nodded his agreement. “We’ve got a good pace going here. We just need to take our minds off the cold.”

“Your feet are bothering you, too?” He hadn’t said a word, so Cora had assumed he was doing okay.

“Oh, yeah. Someone’s going to have to stop me from just sticking them directly into the fire when we get there.” He smiled at her. “So, you know about me opening my own store. What do you do now?”

“I’m a registered nurse. I work in the emergency room at Denton Regional.” She didn’t think Grey would look more surprised if she’d told him she’d become an astronaut. She laughed. “What?”

“Nothing. I mean, that’s amazing. I have no doubt you’re a fabulous nurse. I just never imagined you getting into that kind of a profession.” He paused for a moment to set the suitcases down and flex his hands several times before continuing. He lifted hers a little higher. “What have you got in here? Bricks?”

She hiked up one eyebrow. “What would a nurse be if she didn’t take her medical bag everywhere she goes?”

He nodded slowly, and it was clear he approved of her being prepared. “So, what made you decide to go back to school?”

Cora sobered. “After my surgery, everything was so overwhelming. The loss. The pain—physical and emotional. It was a lot. There was a nurse that night named Josie who took care of me. Instead of just checking my vitals and giving me medication, she talked to me. She’d had a miscarriage herself and said she knew what we were going through.” All of it came back as though it’d been yesterday. The bags she was carrying were getting heavy, and she shifted the straps on her shoulders. “I didn’t really talk much, but just knowing that she understood made a difference. And it made me feel like a person in there instead of just another number. I thought about that a lot, and when we got divorced, I decided I needed a purpose.”

“You wanted to be that person for someone else.”

Cora nodded silently. “It’s not an easy job, but it was worth every minute back in school.” She pretty much lived paycheck to paycheck now, having used all her savings on tuition, but she was making it on her own. After relying on her parents and later Grey, it was a big thing for her.

Grey turned his head to look at her. “I’m proud of you, Cora.”

There were a lot of things he could’ve said, but those words sent warmth from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. There was a time when they would’ve talked about everything, and to know he approved of what she’d been doing with her life meant a lot. She gave him a shy smile as they continued their trek.

Ten minutes later, Grey stopped walking and nudged her with his elbow. “Check it out!” He set a suitcase down and pointed to the sky.

Ahead, smoke slowly rose from a point in the trees.

“Is that the cabin?”

“It’s got to be.”

They grinned at each other. They couldn’t quite see the building itself, but it couldn’t be too much further. If it weren’t for the trees, they could probably spot it now. With renewed energy, they picked up the pace and speed walked through the snow that seemed to get thicker and heavier with each step.

Suddenly, it felt as though butterflies were bouncing around in Cora’s stomach and her nerves kicked into high gear. All her reasons for nearly not coming this weekend resurfaced. “So, give me an update on your siblings. You said Flynn is married now?”

“Yes, to a woman named Abby. They have a little boy named Zac, who is four, and a girl named Emma, who is two.” He reached out to steady Cora when her boot hit something in the snow, nearly tripping her. “Abby’s pretty nice. I never did quite understand what she saw in Flynn.” He gave a dry laugh. “The kids are great, though. It’s been fun being an uncle.”

Cora smiled. “That’s great. I’m glad Flynn found someone.”

Grey nodded and then burst out laughing. “Oh, and Dare. He’s pretty much the same thrill-seeker. You won’t believe what he’s into now.”

Cora smiled at the thought of Grey’s younger brother. He’d always been the guy who was pulling the perfect prank on someone, although he rarely officially got caught. It was a running joke that his mom couldn’t have expected any less with a name like Dare. “I have no idea.”

“He learned how to ride horses and rope cattle. He just got a job as a ranch hand of all things. As you can imagine, Flynn was less than happy. We’ve got an ongoing bet on how long he’ll last.”

“You’re joking.”

“Nope.”

Cora tried to picture Dare as a ranch hand and had no luck. “Wow, I guess you just never know what time will do to people, huh?”

His gaze tangled with hers for a moment as the truth of that statement sank in for both of them.

Once they got past a line of trees, a large two-story cabin stood in dark contrast to the white around it. Smoke rose from the chimney.

Cora sighed with relief. Just a few more minutes and they’d have warmth and food. Hopefully a change of clothes, too, if all their things in the suitcases hadn’t been completely soaked.

Grey cleared his throat. “Now that we’re almost there, I have a question I’ve got to ask. Am I going to have some devoted boyfriend or fiancé of yours coming after me because we just spent the night alone in a cabin in the woods?”

He sounded serious, but there was humor in his expression. A laugh erupted from Cora. “Nope, you’re probably safe.” After a few moments of silence, she spoke again. “How about you? Some adoring girlfriend or wife-to-be who is going to come after me for sleeping on the couch near her man?”

“Nah. You’re clear this weekend.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

For just a moment, their mutual teasing and her excitement for all the comforts she desperately needed made her temporarily forget about the people on the other side of the door up ahead. She took two hesitant steps toward the porch and stalled.

Grey leaned down a little. “You ready for this?” His breath felt warm against her frozen cheeks.

“Not even a little.”

“You just survived a blizzard, Cora. And a night in a secluded cabin with me. On top of that, we managed to not kill each other.” One corner of his mouth pulled up in a crooked smile. “I’d say you’ve got this.”

She sent up a silent prayer that she hadn’t made a mistake by coming here. She appreciated Grey’s confidence, she just hoped he was right.

 

~*~

 

To say Grey was looking forward to warm air and a meal was a huge understatement. At the same time, he also knew his family was on the other side of that door. Even he had to admit he was a little nervous about what it would be like to have his siblings in the same room again.

He thought about Cora. She was stepping into a group of people she hadn’t seen in years with no real idea of how she was going to be received. When he’d first told his family that he and Cora were getting a divorce, the reactions of his family had run the gambit. Mom was incredibly sad, since she’d always considered Cora to be the daughter she never had. Dare genuinely felt bad for both of them. And Flynn? He didn’t hesitate to tell Grey “I told you so” and then quickly shifted all blame for the divorce firmly to Cora’s shoulders.

She said she was worried about Flynn being less than friendly to her. He’d tried to downplay it, but he was a little concerned about it as well. At this point, Grey really had no idea what to expect.

He reached for the door knob of the heavy, wooden front door when it twisted against his palm and swung open.

Within moments, voices ushered them into the cabin. He set the luggage on a rug near the door, so it wouldn’t get the floor or carpet wet. He’d barely turned around again before Mom was hugging him close.

“I’m so glad you made it here safely. I was worried until we got your text last night. Praise God you two found a cabin to stay in.” She moved to Cora and immediately engulfed her in a big hug. “Oh, sweetheart, it’s so good to see you.” She put her hands on Cora’s shoulders and held her at arm’s length so she could look at her. “You are just as beautiful as always. You’ll have to promise me we’ll do more than just chat on the phone after this weekend.”

Cora nodded with a smile before the women embraced again.

A pang of guilt struck Grey in the chest. Mom had always talked about how Cora was like a daughter to her. When Grey and Cora divorced, he’d seen Mom go through a grieving process. Oh, she’d tried to hide it for his sake, but it was still visible. The tears shining in Mom’s eyes as she studied Cora confirmed that.

Suddenly, the words his mom said sank in. She and Cora spoke on the phone? He had no idea. How often? He’d just assumed they didn’t speak to her any more than he did.

Grey shook Dare’s hand before pulling him in for a hug. “Good to see you, little brother. You staying out of trouble?”

Dare grinned. “You know me better than that. Since when did I stay out of trouble?”

“Since never.” Grey laughed. Moving away from San Antonio had been the right decision, but he missed seeing Dare more often.

He turned to find Flynn with a hand extended. “Glad you were able to hike in. We lost power in the middle of the night. But there are fireplaces in every bedroom and plenty of food. We’re getting by just fine.” Abby walked up to stand beside him, their daughter in her arms. Little Emma had the same wavy brown hair that her momma did.

Grey smiled at them both. “It’s good to see you Abby.” He reached out and patted Emma on the back. “My goodness, she’s gotten big.”

Abby nodded. “She wants to do everything her big brother does, so it’s been a challenge lately.” She hugged the little girl to her. “It’s worth it, though.” She nuzzled Emma’s cheek. “It’s good to see you, too.” She looked at Cora curiously.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Abby, this is Cora. Cora, this Flynn’s wife, Abby.” He introduced Emma and then looked around for his nephew. “Where is Zac?”

He’d barely gotten the words out before the little boy ran into the room and jumped right into Grey’s arms. It was only moments, though, until he wrinkled his nose and started squirming to get back down again. “You’re all wet.”

Grey laughed at his nephew. “We just walked through the snow for two hours, kiddo.” He held his hand to the boy’s chest. “Snow is up to here out there. If it’d snowed much more, you’d have to use a snorkel if you went outside.”

That had Zac laughing and probably coming up with something mischievous to do. He reminded Grey of Dare a lot at that age.

Cora offered a shy smile. “It’s really nice to meet you, Abby. Your children are beautiful.”

“Thank you.” Abby looked at her husband. The impassive expression on Flynn’s face caused her smile to falter.

Grey scanned the large main room. It was the same cabin they’d stayed in every time they came here for vacation when he was a kid. Furniture had changed, but the emotional ties had not. He looked at Dare who was standing nearby. “It doesn’t feel the same without Grandpa here, does it?”

Dare shook his head sadly. “You’re right, it sure doesn’t.” He lowered his voice. “Everything going okay?” He flicked his gaze to Cora making it clear what he was talking about.

“Better than I’d expected, I guess. Though I think I was about as nervous about this combination here as I was anything.”

There was no doubt Dare knew exactly what he was talking about.

Mom cleared her throat loudly, garnering everyone’s attention. “I can’t begin to tell you how wonderful it is to have you all under one roof. I know this would’ve meant a lot to Grandpa.” She paused a moment. “When the lawyer first told me about his wish for all of us to meet here, I was as surprised as the rest of you. But I think it’s fitting that we celebrate what would have been his ninetieth birthday in one of his favorite places.”

They all nodded solemnly.

Mom continued. “Your grandpa was a good man who was here for this family no matter what. He’d be okay with us mourning the fact that he and Mamaw are both gone now, but he’d also want us to remember the many good times we’ve had together. He’d want us to remember how important family is, because no matter what’s going on in life, we always have each other.” She scanned her family with a satisfied look on her face. “I, for one, am thankful we all got here safely.”

Grey wasn’t sure what Mom expected from this weekend. He just hoped that the tension in the room would stay at a minimum so she wasn’t disappointed.

Mom held up her hand. “Now, before Grey and Cora catch their death from standing around in wet clothes, they should go change and warm up by the fire.” She put one arm around each of them. “Did you two get anything to eat?”

“We had a protein bar this morning, but we sure could use something else about now.” Grey’s stomach rumbled. Cora had to be starving, too. “I’ve heard rumors that you guys have food here.”

Mom smiled brightly. “There are enough sandwich fixings in the fridge to last for days. Although we’re going to need to move everything into coolers outside soon with the electricity out.”

“We can take care of that after we eat,” Flynn said.

Mom patted Cora kindly on the shoulder. “Follow me upstairs, and I’ll show you which room is yours.”

Cora nodded, obviously relieved. She retrieved her suitcase from its spot on the rug and, with one final glance in Grey’s direction, the two women disappeared.

They’d barely gone out of earshot before Flynn tilted his head in Cora’s direction. “I’m sorry you’re having to deal with this, Grey. It’s completely inappropriate for her to be here. She shouldn’t have been included in this. She’s not family.”

Grey knew his brother wouldn’t be happy about Cora, but his bluntness was still a shock. “Grandpa invited her, Flynn.”

“Just because he asked her to be here doesn’t mean she should’ve accepted.” He shook his head as though he couldn’t believe she’d have the audacity to do such a thing.

Grey may not have shared all the details leading to their divorce, but he’d always taken responsibility for his part in it. No matter how many times he’d told Flynn that it was a mutual decision to separate, Flynn never seemed to accept that.

He cleared his throat. “Regardless of what happened between Cora and I, she and Grandpa were close. Since this weekend is all about honoring him, it’s absolutely appropriate that she be here. I think it took a lot of courage for her to come and face the unknown when it would’ve been much easier for her to stay home.”

Flynn looked like he objected, but Abby slid an arm through his, snagging his attention. “Can you keep an eye on Zac? I’m going to go change Emma’s diaper before we eat.”

“Of course,” Flynn said, and kissed her on the cheek.

Abby seemed to be the only one who could bring out the calmer side of Flynn anymore. She was good for him.

 Dare nudged Grey hard in the ribs. “Hey, big brother. As the two eligible bachelors, we get to share a room. Come on, let’s take your stuff up there and you can change before you start stinking up the place.” He wrinkled his nose.

Flynn fixed him with a serious look. “I don’t think you’re one to talk, considering what you smell like after working with horses and cattle all day.”

Grey laughed. “He has a point.”

Sharing a room with Dare would certainly be entertaining. Grey followed him, luggage in hand. Once he was inside alone, he set the suitcase down and resisted the urge to flop onto the bed until he’d changed.

Thankfully, while the outside of the suitcase had gotten wet, everything within had managed to stay dry. He changed into a fresh pair of jeans and a black long-sleeved pullover shirt. His poor feet had still gotten wet despite his best efforts to avoid it. He pulled thick socks on his cold, wrinkled feet and had a feeling it would be hours before they’d return to feeling normal again.

What he really wished he could do was take a hot shower. Instead, he settled for washing his face, applying fresh deodorant, and running a comb through his hair.

He hoped Cora’s clothing had stayed dry as well. He still couldn’t believe that she’d been talking to Mom all these years. Cora seemed shocked to find out he’d moved to Fort Worth. If the women didn’t talk about him, what did they visit about? Then he reprimanded himself for letting his mind dwell on Cora at all.

Alright, God. We’re all here now. If we can get through the next two or three days without anyone getting into a fight or offending each other, that would be great.

He included himself and Cora in his silent prayer. Just because they’d survived being stranded in a cabin for one night didn’t mean things had changed between them. The fact was, once everyone made it home, Grey probably wouldn’t see her again for at least another five years.

The thought bothered him a lot more than it should have.