* * *
Thankfully, Corra hadn’t mentioned her phone call from Eric to Jamie or Katie. Monday evening came and went—no Eric. On Tuesday when he called to apologize and rescheduled for the next day, she blew a gasket.
“How come I knew you were going to do this? You are still so predictable and unreliable.”
“Corra, hold on. It’s not my fault.”
“It never is, Eric.” Livid with herself for thinking for one moment that he might do the right thing, she began to have regrets.
“I promise I’ll be there tomorrow evening, I’m sorry.”
She lowered her forehead into her palm and kept telling herself, it’s for the kids. “Okay, but don’t stand them up again.” She hung the phone up questioning herself as to whether she’d done the right thing or not.
Less than a minute later, the phone rang again.
“Hello,” she answered in a cheerful voice when she saw Chris’s name on caller ID.
“Hey, what are you doing this evening?”
A flash of excitement crept into her. “Well, I was about to see if the kids have any homework. Why? Did you have something in mind?”
“Yeah, I’ve been working on something that I really want you to see. And this evening would be perfect.”
“Hum, this is kind of short notice,” she said, with a little hesitation in her voice.
“I know. I’m sorry. I just got a little excited.”
“Well, let me call Mrs. Baker to see if she can babysit for a while. I’ll call you right back.”
“Great.”
She hadn’t seen or spoken to Chris since Saturday, so she wondered what he was so excited about. After they hung up she quickly called Mrs. Baker who happily agreed to watch the kids for her. The only caveat was she had to bring them to her house.
Corra called Chris back and arranged to meet him after she dropped off the kids. Curiosity plagued her as she rode through town headed for their rendezvous spot. The minute she pulled into the parking lot she spotted Chris’s Cadillac. She parked next to him, got out of her car and into his.
“Thanks for coming on such short notice. You look nice.” He started the car.
Corra tried not to blush. She’d put on one of her favorite sundresses since it was almost eighty degrees out.
“Thank you. I feel like a woman cheating on her husband, meeting in a parking lot like we’re having an affair.”
Chris laughed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel like a scandalous woman. I had some business to take care of in the area and didn’t want to lose too much sunlight.”
“Hum, now I’m really wondering where you’re taking me.”
“Trust me, you’ll be surprised. It’s someplace important to me so I wanted you to see it.”
“Okay.” Corra noted the serious tone to Chris’s voice. She couldn’t wait to see whatever he had to show her.
He pulled out of the parking lot. “I promise I won’t keep you out too late. How was your day today?”
“Busy. I swear I work more at the bed-and-breakfast than I ever did at Save-A-Lot. Some days I feel like a jack-in-the-box. Jumping from one role to another.”
“Is the software helping out any?”
“Oh yes! I’ve loaded inventory and created helpful reports. So far, I like it. Tayler loves it. And Rollin’s even a fan, but he said he would talk to you about it. So, he might have a few questions.”
“Well, I’m glad to hear it’s working out for you guys. I knew it would. Once you get everything implemented it should cut your workload in half.”
“So, did you create the program? I know you’re a computer whiz and all.”
Chris laughed. “Me a whiz. Now that’s funny. 3C has a team of developers working on new programs all the time. We have a suite of applications just for the hospitality industry. I have some input, but the design isn’t all mine by any means.”
“I’ve been meaning to ask you, what does 3C stand for?”
“The three owners of the business, Chris, Cameron and Carl. And Evolution because we plan to continue growing, evolving. We’ve found our niche, but there’s plenty of room for growth in the industry.”
Corra stared at Chris admiringly. He’d always been a smart guy in high school, but she never knew he had such an entrepreneurial spirit. “And this is your second company?”
“Yep. The first one was built to sell. I knew if I made it attractive enough I could make a profit once it sold.”
Corra was more focused on Chris’s businesses than where they were going. So, when he turned off the highway down a road that led to the old Whitfield home, she didn’t know what to think. No one had lived in that house for years.