“Okay.” Cordy swallowed down the knot in her throat. “I’ll keep out of the way then.”
Ruby didn’t seem to have heard. “Someone’s gotta call Lane.” She was talking to herself. “I have no idea what his number is now. And Bowie is two hours ahead in Missouri.”
“I can call them.” Cordy was desperate to do something. “If you give me their numbers?—”
“No, I’ll have to do it. But you know what? Pard is still at the house.”
Cordy put her hand to her chest. Oh, that poor, poor puppy. “I’ll go get him. He can stay here. He and Iggy get along.”
It felt terrible to be relieved to do something, but sitting at home alone would have been worse.
“Thanks.” Ruby sighed. “Okay, I’ll call you when I know more.”
“Ruby, wait! Um, can you tell Chance… tell him….” Cordy searched for something to say. She wanted him to know she loved him, was waiting for him, and was so sorry, but he wouldn’t want to hear that.
She wet her lips, dropped her voice. “Can you make sure he’s okay? For me?”
“Oh, honey.” The sympathy in Ruby’s tone told Cordy she understood completely. “Of course I will. You know… maybe after this, he’ll be different. Maybe they’ll all be different.”
Oh boy. Now, it was Cordy’s turn to feel sympathy for Ruby. If Ruby was hoping this might magically turn Quint into the perfect husband, childhood baggage all tossed away… well, that was about as likely to happen as Chance changing, too.
“Maybe,” Cordy said. “I’ll go get Pard now. If you can, tell Holden I’m pulling for him.”
“Of course. And I’ll let him know Pard is in good hands.”
Getting Pard was easy. As soon as Cordy pulled up to the main house in the UTV, the dog hopped right on, his ears flopping. He seemed sad but mostly confused, like he didn’t understand where everyone had gone.
She gave Pard and Iggy lots of treats and love when she got home. They both curled up on the hearth to munch their treats.
After that, Cordy had no idea what to do with herself. Madeleine started to fuss, which made Iggy nervous and onedge. And that made Pard howl with anxiety. Everyone in the house was miserable and keyed up.
So Cordy started packing. Getting her life together and taking off used to make her feel better, but it now only made things worse. Still, she kept going, tending to Madeleine in between filling boxes.
Chance would be relieved when she left. He could focus on his father and his family and not have that awkward conversation with her about when exactly she was getting out of his hair. Cordy would save him some trouble. He’d appreciate it.
He’ll be in the bars again, picking up women. You know it.Cordy bit her lip as that dark thought settled in her brain. Chance would be devastated by his father’s emergency, and he’d need that outlet.
Cordy wiped her eyes. Chance would be back in the Swing Inn or the Red Dog as soon as he could. She hated that, but she wouldn’t stand in his way. He was a grown man, and he could do what he pleased.
“It will be for the best,” she told Madeleine and the dogs. “He wants to get back to his life. We’ve been taking advantage of him for too long. If he wanted me with him, he’d have said so today. He doesn’t.”
Madeleine chewed on her fist. The dogs didn’t look convinced.
Cordy was halfway through Madeleine's clothes when there was a rap at the sliding glass door. Both dogs went wild.
Cordy’s heart stopped. Was Chance already home?
She wasn’t ready, but there was no more time.
She rehearsed what she wanted to say as she went for the door. This would be awkward for a few minutes, but then he’d be relieved.
And then it would be over.
But it was Jaycee, Gareth, and Brayden at the door.
Jaycee had delivered Brayden two weeks ago in a labor so fast she’d almost had him in the car. She and Cordy had laughed about it when Jaycee had told her.
“You shouldn’t have come,” Cordy said. “You just had the baby!”
