Page 29 of Cord

Sadie is hosting book club here at her donut shop, Sprinkles. It’s not officially open again yet, but she did manage to finish cleaning up the place which she seemed excited about.

The dining area of her shop reminds me of a cute little dollhouse complete with red, round tables and chairs. I imagine that when the place is fully operational, it’s filled to capacity every morning.

“I’d be okay with it,” Evie who is sitting across from me says. Evie, Lizzy, Sadie, and Dotty are friends who all married men from the Maple Farm. Now, they host a weekly book club night, and since Lizzy invited me, I figured I’d check it out. I’m pretty sure this is exactly the type of thing that Ronnie would enjoy if only she had the time.

She called me earlier today to let me know she’s gotten hired at a farm. I tried to find out where it was and why she was so excited about the location, but then Branson and Brock had some type of accident in the ball pit. She said something about stitches before she told me she’d call me back later and disconnected the call.

“It depends for me. I’d have to be in the mood.” Dotty shrugs and takes another sip of her wine. She’s married to the youngest Maple brother, and she also works for the local newspaper. Apparently, her husband is a big country music singer, but no one here seems to make a big deal over him. Maybe because this is the town he was raised in.

I wonder what they’re talking about and glance over at Lizzy. She’s not paying attention. She keeps glancing down over at her lap and sending suggestive texts to her husband. It’s pretty obvious what they’ll be doing after this book club meeting is over.

“We need more wine,” Evie says when she reaches for the bottle and finds it empty.

“I’ll get it.” Lizzy stands. “Come help me, Mira.”

I follow her to the shop’s industrial kitchen painted a cheerful yellow where she selects a bottle of wine. “Look, we haven’t known each other long,” she says. “But it seems like something is on your mind, and if you need to talk, I’m here, and you don’t have to worry. I can keep my mouth shut.”

I hesitate for a minute then decide just to be delicate about the situation. After all, Lizzy has been married longer than I have. Maybe she has some insight. “Has your husband ever made a decision that baffled you?”

She chuckles. “Only every day. I will never be able to understand that man.”

“He didn’t talk to me about something, and I just thought he would,” I admit, thinking of the legal paperwork. Why not mention it to me before getting it drawn up? And what is he involved in that he hasn’t mentioned?

“Listen, honey, the men of Courage County, they tend to put the man in caveman. If he didn’t mention it, it was probably because he wanted to protect you.” She rummages around for a corkscrew.

“The problem is I thought I could trust another man once, and when I did, he was lying to me about a lot of things. I don’t want to be fooled again.”

She holds up the corkscrew triumphantly. “Yeah, and now you’re wiser. You probably see things you overlooked about the first guy’s character, don’t you?”

I nod.

“Do you see those same traits in Cord? Be honest with yourself. If you see red flags, then walk. But if you don’t, then it’s time to have a really deep conversation with him.” She pauses. “You’re always welcome to call me. I can’t promise I can fix anything, but I’ll be there to listen.”

“Thanks,” I say, wishing again that Ronnie could meet these women. She’d adore the book club girls. Maybe one day, I can arrange a meetup for all of us.

I stay through the rest of book club then Lizzy drives me home. Funny how I’ve already started thinking of Cord’s cabin as home. Truth is, wherever he happens to be is home in my eyes. Just like Henry and his wife.

To my surprise, Cord is already at the cabin. He’s in the bedroom, and he’s just stepped out of the shower if the towel slung low on his hips is anything to go by.

“I was just about to call you,” he says, looking so delighted to see me again.

He’s never once looked at me with anything other than delight and affection. He’s been good and honest and kind in every interaction we’ve ever had. There is nothing that makes me think he’s like Stuart. “We need to talk.”

“What’s this about?” He drops the towel and pads barefoot to the closet. I take the opportunity to appreciate his body. This is a serious conversation, and it deserves attention. But there’s nothing wrong with appreciating the work of art that my husband is.

I wait for him to get dressed in his blue jeans and faded flannel before I say, “I was helping Henry at his office today.”

He pauses then nods. “And now you’re wondering about the post nuptial agreement. It’s just to protect you. I have shit in my past that I don’t ever want to touch you.”

“This is the moment I need to know what that shit is,” I tell him. I’m surprised by how I don’t feel the need to brace myself. With anyone else, I’d feel like I had to be defensive, but not when I’m with Cord. He never makes me feel like I have to protect myself, and I see now what a wonderful and rare thing that is in a relationship.

He shrugs. “It was before you. It doesn’t matter.”

“Well, it involved moving a lot of cash.”

He doesn’t look shocked or angry. “Yes.”

“And maybe it was less than...legal?” I’m testing the waters here. The thing is that it doesn’t quite align with Cord’s character. But it’s the only reason I could think of for large amounts of cash to be passed around. Most people don’t care if they leave a trail or even if they do, it can still eventually be found. It’s odd to have so much money just disappear.