Song of the Meadowlark (Intertwined Book 1) Read online

  Ms. Lottie set down a serving tray and threw her towel over her shoulder. She faced Cora and gazed straight up into her eyes. “Do ya know anything about serving food? Cookin’? Or runnin’ a cash register?”

  “Not really. Well, I can cook. And I used to be a receptionist in Columbia so I’m pretty good with people. Why?”

  “Well, next Wednesday is July the Fourth, and I always have lots of lunch and dinner guests. We get lots of people on their way to the beach. I could use some help servin’ customers.” Ms. Lottie wiped the counter with a dishcloth.

  “Really? You’re not creating a job, are you?” Cora bit her bottom lip.

  Ms. Lottie shook her head. “No, child, I couldn’t afford to do that.”

  “I’d love to stay and help. I feel so content here.” Cora surveyed the kitchen.

  “Great. Then your room and meals will be of no charge to ya. In return, you’ll help me at all three meal times. During the week, we don’t have many customers, but Friday through Sunday, we can hardly fit everyone in. Wednesday will be an exception, though, because of the holiday.”

  “That sounds great, but I still wouldn’t earn any money for the repairs on my car.”

  “You keep all tips customers leave for ya. Since you have the weekend comin’ up and the holiday, you’ll do fine. How much does Bobby think your bill will be?” Ms. Lottie washed gravy off one of the dishes.

  “Three hundred dollars.”

  “No problem. Do ya want to start workin’ the lunch hour today?”

  “That would be great.”

  “Okay, go get an apron out of the closet and start slicin’ the cold-cuts and raw veggies. We have club sandwiches and munchies for lunch around here on the weekdays. Dinner is our big meal.” Ms. Lottie grinned at her new helper.

  “Thanks, Ms. Lottie. I could never repay your kindness.”

  “Wait until the end of the week, and then we’ll see who’s thankin’ who.” Ms. Lottie laughed.

  This would definitely be a new experience and challenge for Cora. She couldn’t stop grinning at the thought of this big step toward becoming self-reliant.

  * * *

  Cora worked during the afternoon meal, getting to know the people and the facilities. Ms. Lottie proved to be a phenomenal boss, patient and always praising. She had a break between lunch and dinner, so she grabbed her jewelry pouch out of her luggage and headed down the street to the place she’d seen coming in that advertised they bought gold and silver. Maybe she had enough in the broken necklaces and bracelets and silver coins that she’d collected since middle school to help pay for the repairs.

  She opened the smudged glass door and stepped up into the shop. The inside smelled like old electronics and pipe tobacco, like a pawn shop but not as junkie.

  A man wearing wire-framed glasses with thick lenses and disheveled blond hair in the shape of a horseshoe stepped out of a back room and walked toward her. “Can I help you?”

  Cora smiled. “I hope so. I’m Cora. I’m interested in selling some of my jewelry and silver coins.”

  He pulled his khakis up high on his waist and tucked in the back of his blue plaid shirt. “You new here?”

  “Yes. Just visiting for a few days. My car broke down, and I’m waiting for repairs. Hence why I’m here. I need a little extra cash.”

  The man scratched his stubbly chin beneath a flickering fluorescent light. “Someone send you here?”

  “No, I saw your sign when I came into town.” Was he going to help her or just interrogate her?

  “Hmmm, well, let me take a look at what you’ve got. You’ll have to come back here with me in the office. I don’t keep my money or my gold and silver out where someone can rob me.”

  “Of course.” Cora peered over her shoulder at the exit then followed the man into the office.

  “My name’s Randy.” He locked the door behind Cora with a key that hung on a carabineer attached to his belt loop. “Hope you don’t mind being locked in here with me. I’ve got surveillance all around, but you can never be too careful.”

  “Sure, I understand.” This had better be worth it. If she didn’t come out of here with a decent amount of cash, she’d regret putting herself in potential danger.

  “Lay it on me. Let me see what you’ve got. I’m talking about your gold, of course.” He chuckled.

  Cora tried to ignore the obvious sexual remark and dug through her jewelry case then placed three broken gold necklaces and two bracelets on the desk. She fished through her silver coins and picked out three of them. She couldn’t part with all of them. She’d collected them for too long.

  Randy picked up his magnifying glass and inspected each piece of jewelry, first by touching a magnet to it then by taking a sample of it and pouring some kind of solution on it. “You gotta treat gold like you’d treat a woman. You gotta touch it nice and gentle like, stroke it, to see what it’s worth.”

  Cora shifted in her seat. She was ready to forget about selling her gold to this man. Was there a back exit she could flee from?

  “Don’t mind me. I’m on medication that makes me flirt with pretty ladies. Plus my wife just had surgery and…”

  Sweat popped out on Cora’s upper lip, and her heart pounded like a fawn’s hidden in a thicket.

  Randy weighed each piece and calculated the price on his calculator. “Okay, you’ve got fifty dollars’ worth of gold here. You could sell it to a jeweler who could repair the pieces and resell them, but I think you’d make more selling them to me for the gold.” He swiveled in his desk chair and twirled his magnifying glass in his right hand.

  “Just fifty?”

  “Yes, ma’am. The gold rush is kinda over now. If you’d sold them to me a while back, I could’ve given you about a hundred for the pieces.”

  “Well, I suppose that would’ve been nice had I needed to sell them a while back and had I found myself with a broken down car in this town, huh?” She forced a smile.

  “Let me take a look at your coins.” Randy slid them across the desk and studied each one. He pulled up a site on his computer and compared the coins to what he found online. “I can give you twenty-five a piece for these.”

  Cora needed the hundred and twenty-five dollars. That would pay for half the car repairs. “Okay, sounds good.” At this point, she needed to collect her money and get out of this place.

  “Do you want cash or a check?”

  “Cash if you have it. Like I said, I’m only passing through town…”

  “Right, right. Where ya staying?”

  “Um, I’m staying with Ms. Lottie.”

  “You like it there?”

  “Sure. She’s been real nice to me.”

  Randy removed his glasses and tossed them onto his desk. He studied her with beady dark eyes. He unlocked a drawer to his right and counted out Cora’s cash. “I’ve got room at my place if you can’t afford to stay with Lottie.”

  Cora crinkled her brow. What was he saying? Did he own a B&B too? “Excuse me? You own a hotel or something?”

  “No, just have some room at my house. I could offer you a place to stay at no charge.” He smiled and winked as he counted out the money into Cora’s outstretched hand, dragging his fingers along her palm as he paid her.

  Cora flinched and pulled back her hand, dropping the bills on the floor. Here she was locked inside this creepy man’s office with no way to escape, and he was propositioning her. “Excuse me? I think you might have misinterpreted my situation. Can you please unlock that door and let me out of here?” Cora grabbed the money off the floor.

  Randy stepped out from behind his desk, hands held out in front of him. “You must have misunderstood me, ma’am. I meant nothing by it. You gotta know, I’m a married man. I’d never make a pass at a stranger.”

  Would he make a pass at someone he knew then? Cora shoved the money and her jewelry pouch into her purse and bolted for the door.

  “It’s just that my wife has been real sick lately, and we’ve not been able to�
��well, I get kind of lonely.”

  “Let me out of here now!”

  Randy surrendered and unlocked the door. Cora grabbed the doorknob and dashed out into the showroom, if it could be called that.

  “You didn’t let me give you a receipt.”

  “Keep it!”

  * * *

  Cora stood in the tiled kitchen of the inn, preparing a dinner plate for a customer, disgust from Randy’s behavior still climbing up her spine. If he came in here to see her, she’d call the police. She shook her head. She had to forget about that disgusting man and focus on her work. She couldn’t afford to let her experience with Randy ruin her productivity here.

  The dinner crowd seemed different from the lunch crowd and required more concentration to each task. At lunch, the customers had been taking a break from work, and they’d talked to Cora. However, the dinner guests consisted mainly of families or couples who talked amongst themselves instead of being neighborly to a stranger. It didn’t matter though. She’d only be here a week and didn’t long for new friendships.

  Cora carefully carried the steaming plate of country-fried steak, corn, green beans, biscuits, and gravy to a customer. A new customer with a downtrodden appearance sat at the counter. “I’ll be right with you, sir.”

  A minute later, she was back. “What can I get for you, sir?” She clicked her pen and turned to a new page in her order booklet.

  “Where’s Ms. Lottie?” he growled like a bear, scowling with distrusting dark eyes.

  “She’s…in the…kitchen.” She pointed with her pen. “I’m helping her out until next weekend.” Cora lifted her eyebrow. Had she answered to his satisfaction?

  “Hmm, she’s not sick or anything?” He looked into Cora’s eyes, revealing no emotion.

  Cora bristled at the rude man’s intimidation. “No, she’s fine. I needed some extra cash. She offered me a temporary job.” She forced a smile at the man who seemed to have a chip on his shoulder and who apparently received special treatment quite often from Ms. Lottie. Why did she feel like she had to defend herself? Who was this guy?

  “Nice lady, that Ms. Lottie. You’ll find no other like her.”

  “I’m sure.” Cora returned his stare until he studied the menu and stopped interrogating her with his eyes.

  He sat quietly for a minute, then said, “Tell her Rex sends his best. I’ll take today’s special.” The corners of his mouth turned up ever so slightly and revealed the laugh lines around his haunting eyes.

  “I sure will. And I’ll get that order placed for you. Let me know if you need anything else, okay?”

  Rex tipped his hat and nodded.

  Cora pushed the swinging doors open with her back. Ms. Lottie was in front of the stove cooking an order. “Ms. Lottie, a gentleman named Rex says hello.”

  “Rex is here? Well, I’ll be. I need to go see him.” She wiped her hands on her apron. “Watch this for me, would ya?”

  “Sure, Ms. Lottie. By the way, who is he?”

  “One of my babies. He’s like a son to me, dear. Lives on a ranch outside the city. Biggest, prettiest ranch you’ll ever see in your life. He comes in once a week to eat.” Ms. Lottie rushed out of the kitchen.

  What did Ms. Lottie see in this peculiar man? Cora inched her way over to the swinging doors and peeked out over them at Ms. Lottie and Rex. The two hugged like best friends. When he smiled a broad smile, Cora’s breath caught in her throat, and her heart did a somersault.

  * * *

  After the overnight guests went to their rooms and the dinner guests left, Cora cleared away and washed the dishes before retiring. She skipped Ms. Lottie’s offer of cold lemonade on the screened porch. She only had enough energy to climb the stairs, pull on her loose-fitting cotton gown, and crawl into bed. She closed her eyes and thanked God for her job and the safe place to stay, but she never finished those prayers. She melted into her pillow and slumbered like a baby.

  * * *

  By July the Fourth, Cora talked to the townsfolk like she’d known them her entire life. Most of Ms. Lottie’s customers had gotten used to seeing her around and treated her like a friend. She’d even learned to be a moderately good waitress, and she didn’t mind the tips either.

  Everyone had been planning for months for the big Fourth of July parade and BBQ. Cora had never been part of a celebration like this one, and she could hardly wait for the festivities to begin. Folks from miles around came into town, and a good portion of them stopped in to see Ms. Lottie.

  A middle-aged couple sat at a table near the front of the sun-drenched dining room. Cora clicked her pen to an open position.

  “Good morning. May I take your order?”

  “Yes, thank you,” the lovely dark-haired woman said in a Southern drawl. “Wait, you must be the new girl.”

  “Pearl, don’t make this pretty young lady feel like she sticks out like a sore thumb,” the handsome gray-haired gentleman spoke. “You’ll have to excuse my wife. She never meets a stranger.”

  “That’s okay. I don’t mind. My name’s Cora. I’m only here for a little while—just passing through.”

  “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.” Pearl touched Cora’s hand lightly. “We had heard about the lovely young lady here at Ms. Lottie’s. But I didn’t expect her to look so beautiful.”

  “Oh, please, you’re too kind. What can I get for you two?” How would these people have heard of her? And who would have paid her such a high compliment?

  The two ordered their breakfast and introduced themselves as R.L. and Pearl O’Reilly. Cora instantly took to them and not only because they had complimented her. Their sweet, calm nature made her miss Ben and Judy.

  After the breakfast crowd left Ms. Lottie’s place and the dishes were cleared, Cora went out onto the front porch to wait for the parade to begin. The O’Reillys sat on the porch swing, enjoying the morning breeze.

  “Come over here and sit by us, Cora,” Pearl called out.

  Cora rested her weary bones in a rocking chair next to the swing. Her feet throbbed from standing in her flat tennis shoes all morning. She could have used some shoes with arch support.

  “Have you ever been to a parade like this one?” R.L. asked.

  “No, I sure haven’t. I grew up in Panama City and then moved to South Carolina a few years ago. Neither place had ‘hometown’ celebrations like this.”

  “How did you get to Lewistown, if you don’t mind my asking?” Pearl questioned as Ms. Lottie joined them.

  “I don’t mind. I was going to my parents’ in Florida and somehow got lost on I-85. I ended up on I-185.”

  “That happens so easily,” R.L. chimed in.

  “My car broke down as I was getting off the exit to ask for directions. Perfect timing, I suppose. Bobby is repairing it. It won’t be ready until Friday. I needed a place to stay and some money for the repairs. So Ms. Lottie graciously let me stay here with her and work.”

  “It was a blessin’ in disguise, believe me. I would’ve died tryin’ to serve all these customers this mornin’. Lunch’ll be busy too. I’m not quite up to these celebrations like I used to be.”

  “I haven’t helped that much,” Cora said. “I probably get more orders wrong than right.”

  “Now who’s tellin’ the story? You’re marvelous. And the people love you.” She patted Cora’s leg.

  “She’s right. You’re great with people. I wish you’d come work for us at the ranch.” Pearl looked to her husband for support.

  “You’re absolutely right, dear. She’d be wonderful!”

  Ms. Lottie frowned. “You can’t take her away from me.”

  “I’m flattered, but I’m only staying here until Friday.” Cora laughed. “As soon as Bobby gets my car ready, I’ll be heading on to Florida. But thank you for thinking of me.” What if she stayed? This place was welcoming and forgiving. “What exactly did you have in mind, anyway?” Why did she care? She had commitments she had to fulfill. The main one, repairing her relationship with Mom
and Dad.

  “Our grandchild lives with us at the ranch right outside of Lewistown. We need a nanny for her. Her mother passed away last year, and we can’t seem to do for her what her mother would do. She’s only three years old and such an angel, but we grandparents don’t have near the spunk it takes to raise a little one. Our oldest son, her father, is busy with the ranch. We have a daughter, but she’s more interested in her friends right now than helping with a niece. Our other son is too busy chasing girls.”

  “She sounds precious. I can tell you love her deeply. It’s a shame your kids don’t want to help you with her. If I weren’t going home, it’d be an ideal job for me. I don’t know that much about little ones, but I’m sure I could learn.” She almost considered the position.

  “You let us know if you change your mind. We’d love to have you at the Southern Hope.” R.L. winked at her.

  Soon the parade started, and the people-lined streets roared with activity. Everyone screamed and whistled, throwing confetti and streamers. The bands played, and cars honked their horns. Cora smiled until it felt like her face would crack.

  In the back of her mind, she couldn’t forget the O’Reillys’ offer.

  Chapter 3

  For two days, Cora’s thoughts returned to the O’Reillys on more than one occasion. “Lord, am I not supposed to go home yet? Why have you brought me this far off course?”

  Cora prepared to leave Lewistown, the temporary home she fit into like a hand in a tight leather glove. Ms. Lottie told her she didn’t have to work the breakfast hour, so she packed her bags instead. She’d already washed her dirty clothes that morning. While folding and packing them into her suitcase, someone knocked on her door.

  She opened her door, and there stood Bobby in his blue coveralls. “Hey, Bobby.”

  “Miss Buchanan.” He removed his grease-covered cap. “Could we talk for a minute?”

  She walked out to the sitting area in the hallway with him. One look at his solemn face, and she knew something had gone wrong with her car. She sat down on the flowery, Victorian-style couch in the hall.