“I don’t care how much times change, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. I know you’re a good cook. You learned from watching me and your mama.”
“Oh, I can cook, we just haven’t gotten that far.”
“What do the kids think of him?” Rita turned around and went back into the kitchen for platters of cookies. She gave one to Corra. They carried them into the library.
“They like him. But I’m careful about who I bring around them. I don’t want them to get attached to him and then he walks out of our lives.”
“Chris won’t do that.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“He’s a decent man, from a good family. I know his people. Besides, you two look good together,” Rita said with a smile.
Corra blushed and a big dumb grin took over her face. She covered her mouth with her hand.
Rita laughed. “Well now, I’ve never seen that before. You blushing over a guy.”
Corra removed her hand and laughed. “Oh, my God, I can’t believe I’m blushing like this. I feel so high school right now.” This was the type of conversation Corra missed having with her mother. She walked over and gave Rita a big hug.
* * *
By 8:00 p.m. Corra had enough of counting trinkets and boxes. She could be having fun with Chris right now, instead of going cross-eyed in a back storage room. She shut inventory down, turned out the lights, and made her way back over to the house.
Once inside, her cell phone vibrated. She had a text message and stepped into the empty library to see who it was.
Where are you? Chris asked.
At work, she replied. She hadn’t seen Chris in a few days, but it felt like months. She missed him.
This late? He asked.
Doing inventory. Plus the kids wanted to see Rollin, Corra responded. Chris didn’t respond to her right away, so she kept texting.
Having a good time?
No. He answered quickly.
Corra smiled. She didn’t want him not to enjoy himself, but knowing that he wasn’t having fun without her was comforting.
I’m sorry, she replied, sincere about that.
Me too.
When are you returning? She waited for an answer, but got nothing. After a moment, she put her phone back in her pocket and sought out her family.
Rita had gone home, and Rollin and the kids were in the family room watching a movie when she walked in.
“Okay you two, wrap it up. Time to go home.”
“Mom, can we finish the movie? Please?” Jamie asked from his spot stretched out on the floor.
Rollin appealed to her, “It’s almost over. A few more minutes.”
Corra concluded a few more minutes wasn’t unreasonable. “Okay,” she said, and sat down on the couch next to Katie.
At the climax of the movie, her phone vibrated again. She pulled it out to see another message from Chris.
Come out on the front porch.
Where are you? she asked.
On the front porch.
Corra frowned to keep from smiling as she got up and walked from the family room to the foyer. Her heart started pounding in her chest. She opened the front door and Chris stood on the other side. She couldn’t believe her eyes.
“Hey, lady.”
“What are you doing here?” she asked, as she stepped out onto the porch. “I thought you were going to spend the weekend in Louisville?”
He leaned in for a quick kiss on the lips. His soft lips sent a shiver through her body.
“I couldn’t stand being there without you. Since you didn’t want to come with me, I decided I’d rather be with you.”
She crossed and then uncrossed her arms, suddenly not knowing what to do with them. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I know.” He pulled her into his arms for a long, wet and hungry kiss. Then he whispered in her ear, “Can you sneak away with me tonight?”
His kisses were starting to give her brain fog. For a few seconds she couldn’t think of what she was about to say. A flashback of them kissing in his pool house came to mind.
Corra whispered, “I don’t know, I’ve got the kids with me.”
He reached out and caressed her cheek. “I bet Rollin and Tayler would keep them for you.”
She took a step back. “Oh, I know what you’re up to.” She looked into those grayish-brown eyes of his, peering at her in the dim front porch light. He’d come all the way back just to be with her.
“Let me go check, I’ll be right back.” Corra knew Rollin and Tayler would have no problem watching the kids. She sought Tayler out and asked her first.
Chapter 14
Corra sat back in Chris’s car, nervous for the first time since they’d been seeing one another.
“Did you watch the race?” he asked.