“Cora is a friend of mine. She took care of my father at the end of his life and was by his side when he died. I also don’t think she would appreciate your saying ‘my Cora.’ You don’t own her, you know.”
Alfred took another step closer to him, his gangly frame nearly matching Roy’s height, but not quite. “Maybe you haven’t heard, Roy, but Cora is to be my wife. I already have the blessing from her father. Arrangements are underway, and it won’t be long now until the deal is sealed. You will keep your distance from her if you know what is good for you.”
Roy swallowed hard but didn’t break his gaze from Alfred. He wasn’t afraid of him in a physical sense, but he knew the power and prestige that Alfred held in this town. He also didn’t want to make things more difficult for Cora.
“Cora and I are just friends,” Roy said firmly.
Alfred smirked, patting him condescendingly on the shoulder. “Of course you are. Cora needs a man to provide for her, after all, so needless to say, I’m not worried about her running off with you.”
Roy’s fist clenched tighter, and it took all the self-control he could muster to not repeat that mistake he made when he was thirteen.
“You take care now,” Alfred sneered, sauntering off toward his own wagon.
Roy watched him go, not taking his eyes off him until he was far down the main street and out of sight.
His drive to protect Cora from marriage to such an abominable fellow was stronger than ever, but he was at a loss of what kind of power he had to keep her safe. One thing was for certain: Cora Williams deserved better than the likes of Alfred Mills.
Chapter Nineteen
All that week after that fateful Sunday when her father had caught her holding Roy’s hands and forbidden her from seeing him, Cora itched with the urge to pack Roy his usual lunch and head to the church. But she knew that she needed to give them some space. Perhaps putting some distance between her and Roy would make her father forget his anger, and soon she would be able to see him again.
Still, it was hard. Every day she missed him deeply, and the ache in her heart grew stronger midday, when she was pummeled with the memories of the days they would spend together talking and laughing and sharing lunch. Roy had become her best friend, and she wanted nothing more than to spend just one more day with him.
That Friday, as she sat with her legs curled up under her on the couch in the sitting room, reading some of her favorite Psalms to distract her from the pain of missing Roy, there was an unexpected knock at the door. Assuming it was a traveling salesman and annoyed at the interruption, Cora flung the door open intending to send them away. Instead, she opened the door to find Roy standing there.
“Roy!” Cora squeaked, hardly able to control her excitement. He looked just as handsome as ever in his work shirt, his blue eyes filled with a kindness that reminded her of his father. “Please, come in! I’ll make tea.”
She held open the door, and Roy accepted her invitation, taking a tentative seat at the dining room table while Cora bustled around the kitchen putting on a kettle of tea.
“I’ve missed our lunches together,” Roy admitted as Cora placed a cup of tea and a plate of sugar cubes in front of him. He looked up at her with a vulnerability that made her knees weak.
“I’ve missed them, too,” Cora sighed. “But my father was so angry that day after church, I just couldn’t risk it. I needed to give him time to calm down.”
Roy nodded with understanding, taking a sip of his tea. “I won’t stay long. I know that your father will be home from work later this afternoon. But I couldn’t wait to share some really exciting news with you.”
Cora’s eyes grew wide with anticipation, and Roy told her about idea to buy a ranch, and his discovery at the bank that his father had left enough savings that would allow him to afford a modest ranch with the combination of savings and the sale of the property.
“That’s great, Roy!” Cora said with genuine enthusiasm. “I can see how much you love working outside and fixing things. It’s truly your God-given gift, and I know this is a wonderful opportunity for you.”
Roy nodded, but his eyes became distant. “I know it’s not what my father would have wanted. I know he wanted me to follow in his footsteps and be a pastor, but that’s not who I am. This, owning and managing a ranch, that’s my dream.”
Cora resisted the urge to reach across the table and squeeze his hand, the fear that her father would walk through the door early and catch her again too great. Instead, she settled for locking eyes with Roy so he could see her sincerity.
“Your father was human just like the rest of us. That means he had some shortcomings,” Cora paused, reflecting on what she was about to say. As a child, she believed that Pastor Burns had all the answers, and this might be the first time she had ever admitted that he was wrong about something. But spending time listening to Roy and hearing his perspective had shown her the dangers of making an idol out of any man. She had been so quick to judge Roy that day she showed up in Wheats Ridge, and her time with Roy had taught her that there was always another story hidden beneath the surface.
With that in mind, taking a deep breath, she continued, “And one of those flaws was that he expected his son to be just like him. I think it came from a place of love, but it was misguided. But now that your father is in the perfect splendor of God’s Heavenly kingdom, he’s free of those earthly shortcomings. And I believe that he is watching down on you now with absolute pride at the man his son has become.”
Roy didn’t say anything at first, but he took another sip of his tea with shaking hands. Finally, he said, his voice choked, “Thank you, Cora. I don’t know how you do it, how you always know the right thing to say.”
Cora’s face flushed. Instead of responding, she reached for her father’s newspaper, which he had left folded on the table before rushing off to work.
“Now, let’s look at some of the ranch listings, shall we?” Cora said excitedly, turning to the classifieds section and passing the paper to Roy.
Cora watched with interest as Roy scanned the paper, squinting in some places to read the tiny print. He turned the page, and suddenly his eyes lit up in excitement and a grin spread across his face.
“You found something?” Cora asked eagerly.
Roy nodded and slid the paper across the table.
