“I don’t know if you understand the risk I’m about to take in buying this ranch,” Roy said, trying to explain his perspective as clearly and logically as he could without coming across as emotionally detached. “I’m putting absolutely everything that I have to my name—my father’s land and every bit of savings that he left me—into this investment. I’m doing this without knowing if I’ll even be successful. Do you know how many people do what I’m doing and fail? I’m okay taking that risk for myself, because I know it’s what I need to do, but I can’t drag you down with me if everything goes wrong.”
“I’m willing to stand by your side no matter what happens!” Cora insisted. Her voice was choked, and tears were free falling down her face, but she didn’t bother to wipe them away. “I’m not stupid, Roy! But just like you’re willing to take the risk, I’m willing to take the risk with you. Why won’t you let me?”
“Go home, Cora,” Roy said quietly, closing his eyes to avoid looking at her tearstained face. “Forget about me and trust your father. He loves you, and he’s trying to make sure you’re providing for you. He’s doing what he knows is best.”
“No! Roy!” Cora called after him, her voice desperate and pleading, but Roy was already shutting the door.
He didn’t know how long she stood there, lingering on the other side of the door. He could sense her presence for several minutes, and he knew she was hoping he would open the door and change his mind. If only she knew how much he wished he could do just that, and Roy had to resist that urge as he stood with his back against the door. Eventually, he heard footsteps going down the porch and across the front lawn, and she was gone.
As soon as the sound of her footsteps faded away, Roy slid down against the door, crouched on the floor with his knees pressed against his chest, and sobbed.
Chapter Twenty-One
Cora lay in her bed, her legs curled up close to her chest in a fetal position and her blanket up to her shoulders as she quietly sobbed. In one hand, she gripped the small lion figurine that Roy had won for her less than an hour before everything went so terribly wrong.
She opened her palm and stared at the intricate design of the brass figurine, the lion frozen in a standing position, as if he were taking a leisurely walk through the jungle. His thick mane surrounded his face, and his tongue hung out of his mouth in a pant.
Cora had never seen a lion outside of books before yesterday when they watched the performance at the fair. She remembered how it felt to have Roy stand close to her, their arms nearly brushing together as they watched the show, and the look of determination in his eyes when he realized that she was admiring the lion figurine after the show.
And then she remembered his distant reaction to her earlier this morning that was such a stark contrast to last night. She had allowed herself to become smitten with Roy, and after one wonderful day together, everything had fallen apart when they had been caught by her father. She was finally getting a taste of how Roy must have felt his entire childhood—that he was destined to follow his father’s path for his life rather than his own, as if he had no control over his life.
Cora didn’t get out of bed for the rest of the day. When her father knocked on the door, she told him that she was feeling ill with womanly pains, and that was all it took for him to leave her alone for the rest of the day and night, presumably going into the diner in town for his supper.
Despite the amount of time Cora spent in bed, her sleep was restless. She tried to open her Bible and find comfort in the Scriptures, but she found that her mind couldn’t concentrate on the words. Instead, she placed her mother’s Bible beneath her pillow, hoping that perhaps the mere proximity to God’s word would give her wisdom and comfort.
She woke several times throughout the night in a cold sweat after dreaming about Roy. She dreamt of the days he first came to Wheats Ridge, his cold, standoffish demeanor that she later learned was just a defensive mechanism for the hurt that he had endured after so many years of being misunderstood. She dreamt of the tender way he cared for her ankle, and their afternoons sitting on the log having lunch together. Finally, she dreamt of the fair, and how it felt when he brushed cotton candy off her nose.
All of these dreams ended the same: Roy’s sudden distance, and the door closing in her face. She wondered if she would ever feel okay again, and part of her wished she had never made Roy Burns’ acquaintance in the first place just so that she could avoid the hurt she was feeling now.
Through her grief she eventually succumbed to a deep, dreamless sleep with the lion figurine still gripped tightly in her palm. The next time she opened her eyes, sunlight was pouring through her window. It was a brighter light than she was used to waking up to, meaning that she must have slept later in the morning than her usual routine. Her brain felt fuzzy as she struggled to gather her thoughts and recollections of the previous days. She imagined this might be what the men of Wheats Ridge felt like after their nights of debauchery, and she couldn’t help but wonder what the appeal was if this was how they woke up every day.
Hearing strange voices coming from the kitchen, Cora dragged herself out of bed and did her best to make herself look presentable, despite the dark circles that had taken residence under her eyes.
When she emerged from her room, the first person she saw was not her father but a stranger—an older woman with silver hair and extravagant clothing. Her bright blue dress reached the floor, with rows of ruffles traveling up the front of her dress and a bustle on the backside, giving her rear an artificial fullness. The front of the dress was buttoned to a white collar around her neck, and a white feather stuck out of a hat that seemed too big for her head. There was no doubting that this woman came from a life of luxury, which could only mean one thing—
“Cora!” her father said excitedly, as if nothing unusual had transpired between them the past two days. “I’m so glad that you are feeling better. Allow me to introduce you to Violet Mills, the mother of Alfred.”
Her suspicions confirmed, Cora’s heart sank. However, she gave the woman a polite curtsey, nevertheless. “I’m pleased to meet you, Mrs. Mills.”
“Oh my dear, please, call me Violet!” The woman’s voice was upbeat and friendly—almosttoofriendly, as if she were overcompensating.
“I’m so happy to finally meet my future daughter-in-law and assist in the wedding arrangements. I do believe that we can make this the most exquisite affair this side of the Rockies!” Violet clasped her hands together in excitement, but all Cora felt was overwhelmed.
“So,” Violet continued, taking Cora by her hands, looking up and down as if surveying her body. “You have a great figure. A little tall and quite lanky, we’ll definitely need a dress that can add some meat to your figure, but no matter, I know just where to take you.”
“Cora and I really appreciate you doing this, Violet,” Sheriff Williams said, speaking on behalf of both of them, much to Cora’s annoyance. “Ideally her own mother would be here to do this with her but…”
“Yes, I heard about her mother’s passing in childbirth. It’s all very sad, indeed. You can consider me your surrogate mother during all of this wedding planning, how’s that?”
Cora was thinking with all her heart that she would rathernotthink of this woman that way, but instead she smiled politely.
“Now come, I have my driver waiting in the wagon.” Violet ushered her out the door, and Cora couldn’t help but thinkwell, of course she has a personal driver.
Once they were settled in the wagon and the driver had taken off, Violet rattled off the day’s itinerary.
“We’re headed to Magnolia Grove because that is where all thebestshops are. Lakewood doesn’t have much to offer—no surprise there. First, we’re going to visit the seamstress and get your measurements. As I said, you’ll need extra help in the dress department to fill out all the places where your womanhood is lacking, namely those narrow hips. But no matter, once you birth a few babies, that matter will resolve itself naturally.”
Cora turned her head so Violet couldn’t see her stifling a gag at the thought of having children with Alfred Mills.
