Grey may not have shared all the details leading to their divorce, but he’d always taken responsibility for his part in it. No matter how many times he’d told Flynn that it was a mutual decision to separate, Flynn never seemed to accept that.
He cleared his throat. “Regardless of what happened between Cora and I, she and Grandpa were close. Since this weekend is all about honoring him, it’s absolutely appropriate that she be here. I think it took a lot of courage for her to come and face the unknown when it would’ve been much easier for her to stay home.”
Flynn looked like he objected, but Abby slid an arm through his, snagging his attention. “Can you keep an eye on Zac? I’m going to go change Emma’s diaper before we eat.”
“Of course,” Flynn said, and kissed her on the cheek.
Abby seemed to be the only one who could bring out the calmer side of Flynn anymore. She was good for him.
Dare nudged Grey hard in the ribs. “Hey, big brother. As the two eligible bachelors, we get to share a room. Come on, let’s take your stuff up there and you can change before you start stinking up the place.” He wrinkled his nose.
Flynn fixed him with a serious look. “I don’t think you’re one to talk, considering what you smell like after working with horses and cattle all day.”
Grey laughed. “He has a point.”
Sharing a room with Dare would certainly be entertaining. Grey followed him, luggage in hand. Once he was inside alone, he set the suitcase down and resisted the urge to flop onto the bed until he’d changed.
Thankfully, while the outside of the suitcase had gotten wet, everything within had managed to stay dry. He changed into a fresh pair of jeans and a black long-sleeved pullover shirt. His poor feet had still gotten wet despite his best efforts to avoid it. He pulled thick socks on his cold, wrinkled feet and had a feeling it would be hours before they’d return to feeling normal again.
What he really wished he could do was take a hot shower. Instead, he settled for washing his face, applying fresh deodorant, and running a comb through his hair.
He hoped Cora’s clothing had stayed dry as well. He still couldn’t believe that she’d been talking to Mom all these years. Cora seemed shocked to find out he’d moved to Fort Worth. If the women didn’t talk about him, what did they visit about? Then he reprimanded himself for letting his mind dwell on Cora at all.
Alright, God. We’re all here now. If we can get through the next two or three days without anyone getting into a fight or offending each other, that would be great.
He included himself and Cora in his silent prayer. Just because they’d survived being stranded in a cabin for one night didn’t mean things had changed between them. The fact was, once everyone made it home, Grey probably wouldn’t see her again for at least another five years.
The thought bothered him a lot more than it should have.
Chapter Six
A big part of Cora wanted to hide out in her room until dinner. The moment she walked in and saw the fireplace, big king-sized bed, and luxurious bathroom, she was pretty sure she could just stay there forever. When Maria had told her it was a luxurious cabin, she wasn’t kidding. It was certainly a lot nicer than her apartment back home. It was a shame the electricity was out. Cora would’ve loved to take a hot bath and soak in the large garden tub.
Instead, she stared at her reflection in the dim bathroom mirror, lit only by the daylight coming through the small window. Her hair was a mess. Good grief. Thank goodness she’d still had her winter hat on downstairs or everyone might have thrown her back out in the snow for scaring the kids. She found her brush and some hair spray and did her best to make it presentable again. Not for the first time, she was thankful her hair was easier to manage than Jen’s. She pictured her friend’s frizzy hair and could only imagine how bad it would be after an adventure like the one Cora had.
The thought had her chuckling. It felt good to laugh.
She’d changed into a loose, pastel blue sweater to go with some dry jeans. Her wet clothes hung over the shower rod in the bathroom and her shoes sat in the bathtub. It would probably take a day or two for them to dry out completely.
The need for warmth from the fireplace downstairs and some food finally drove her out of her room. She stepped into the hall with socks on her feet. Once she closed her door, Cora turned and ran right into Grey. A hand against his chest was the only thing that kept her from stumbling.
His hand immediately covered her own. “Hey.”
“Hey.” She cleared her throat and stepped away from him. Even as her hand fell to her side, she could still feel the warmth of his chest on her palm.
He pointed toward her room. “Looks like we’re neighbors.”
“Who was in charge of room assignments?”
“I think Dare may have chosen ours.”
“It’s probably a coincidence then. I never pictured your mom as the type to set people up. Especially when the combination had already proven unsuccessful.”
Something flashed in Grey’s eyes, but he covered it before she could fully understand what it meant. “Yeah, well, I haven’t shared a room with Dare since we were in middle school.”
Cora laughed. “That should make for an interesting couple of days for you.”
“No doubt.” He hesitated. “I didn’t realize you still talked to Mom. I’m surprised she didn’t say anything.”
