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.
