Song of the Meadowlark (Intertwined Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

and that you seemed pretty nice. You plan on staying long?” Rex swigged his coffee.
    “I’m not exactly sure yet. I originally planned to return to Florida to be with my parents. My car broke down, and I needed money. That’s why I worked for Ms. Lottie. Then your parents asked me to come here.”
    Rex examined her face for a minute, gulping the coffee in his cup. Then he set his cup down with a bang on the table. “Well, if you don’t think you’ll be here long, don’t bother staying at all.” Rex shoved his chair back and stood. He swiped his napkin across his mouth and tossed it onto the table.
    “Rex! You apologize to her.” Pearl glared at him.
    Rex ignored his mother and continued, “I don’t want Susie to get attached to you if you’re going to turn around and leave her. She’s already lost her mother. She doesn’t need to lose anyone else.” Rex swiveled and stalked from the room, grabbed his Stetson hat from the hall tree, and bolted out the front door.
    Her face burning, a motionless Cora stared at the doorway where Rex had only moments before stood. “What did I do?” Tears sprung from her eyes.
    R.L. shook his head. “You did nothing. Rex is a tough one. He’s had a hard time getting over Patricia’s death. He doesn’t mean any harm.”
    "Yeah right." Matt laughed. "Dad, you should take him out behind the woodshed."
    "Matt, contain yourself."
    Pearl interrupted R. L. and shot Matt a warning look. “Cora, I’m so sorry. Rex hasn’t been himself since he lost Patty last year. That’s why we wanted you to come out here and work with Susie. She needs someone so badly.” Pearl frowned.
    “I’ll try to do all I can, but I’m not sure I can work with him. I can’t promise I’ll be here forever.” Should she leave now before Susie grew attached to her? Or should she stay awhile and give her the love she needed? Cora needed love too. They could be good for each other.

* * *
    Susie hardly let Cora out of her sight the whole day. She smiled with her dark eyes in a way that made Cora grin. Her ideas for fun never ran out, and she insisted on holding Cora’s hand everywhere they went. She showed Cora every toy in her princess room and invited her to a tea party.
    Cora finally belonged to someone, like she did when she was little and would climb into her grandmother’s lap. Except this time she was the adult and not the child. Unconditional love flowed as freely as a river.
    At dinner, Matt and Clarice filled Cora’s ears with details of their lives, but Rex didn't dine with them. Matt, obviously a girl-chaser judging by his description of his day, tried a few moves on Cora during dinner. Twenty-five, her same age, he worked with R.L. at their offices in the city. Matt dressed in Calvin Klein suits, with vests and ties, and bold colored shirts, contrasting Rex’s rugged style. He wore arrogance like a medal and boasted a smirk on his face and a glimmer of trouble in his blue eyes.
    Clarice, twenty-one years old, overly tanned, and finely manicured, had plenty of friends and wrapped herself up in their lives. She concerned herself more with the latest fashions and gossip than with anything else. Her glossy dark hair, like that of her siblings, fell right above the collar. Her dark eyes, covered in frosty blue eyeshadow and lined with thick lashes and dark liner, could knock a man off his feet. They held the same sparkle as Matt’s, although of a different color.
    Cora laughed silently as Clarice tried to prove she knew more about life than her mother did and tried to worm her way into her daddy’s heart. Matt and Clarice were pleasant but spoiled like the young adults at the Country Club back in South Carolina and were in great need of a reality check.
    After dinner, she bathed Susie, read her a story, and put her to bed. Susie wrapped her arms around Cora’s neck and squeezed. She told her she loved her, and Cora’s heart filled with joy.
    Cora's back ached after the long day of