Page 33 of Boston
“Thank you,” she said.
“Now tell me about this car you ordered.” He always seemed to know exactly what to ask her that made her feel good and happy.
She dug into her layered salad, mixing it around so that the thicker dressing would get on every piece. “You’ll love it when you see it.”
“Is it a sedan?” he asked, the last word painted with tar he said it so darkly.
Cora peeled out another round of laughter. “No,” she said. “But a sedan would be a perfectly acceptable vehicle for me.” She pointed her fork at him and then put the lettuce, tomato, and peas in her mouth.
Boston grinned at her. “I know what it is. It’s one of those small crossover SUVs, right?”
Cora chewed and swallowed. “They’re called CUVs. And yes. It’s so cute. It’s bright red, and I can’t wait to take you to my favorite place in it.”
The interest in Boston’s eyes grew. “I can’t wait for that either. Where is it?”
“It’s a surprise,” she said.
“When are we going to go?” he asked.
“I have to check the road conditions,” she said.
“Theroad conditions?” Boston scooped up another bite of pork and potatoes and ate it. After swallowing, he asked, “And you think your cute little cherry red CUV is going to make it?”
“Oh, it’s going to make it,” she said. “Don’t you dare speak a bad word against her.”
Boston chuckled. “Your car?”
“Yes,” she said, really enjoying this back and forth flirting with him. “My car is very important to me. I would never dare make fun of a cowboy’s truck.”
“Well, you’ve got a point there,” Boston said.
“So will you share your calendar with me?” Cora asked, feeling bold and courageous now that she had this man in her house and they’d been talking and laughing for several minutes.
“My calendar?” Boston asked.
“Yeah. Your work calendar and your personal calendar. Then I’ll know when you’re free.”
Boston blinked at her and then rose up on one hip so that he could pull his phone out of his back pocket. “I’ve never shared my calendar with a woman before.”
“Well, I’m not like everyone else,” she said.
“No, you’re not,” he murmured, swiping and tapping on his phone. “I’m not even sure I know how to do this.”
She held out her hand, and Boston, with all the trust in the world, put his device in her palm.
“We are going to do so many things this summer that you’ve never done before,” she said, all of her joy and happiness seeping into her voice as she tapped to share his calendar and put in her email address. One more tap, and she handed the phone back. “Done.”
Boston looked at it and then at her. “All right.”
He flipped over the phone and laid it next to his plate before he picked up his fork again. “Will you give me some hints about your favorite place?”
Cora laughed at how incorrigible he was. “All right. The first one is this: you’re going to need bug spray.”
Cora wokethe next morning without an alarm. She’d now completed her first full week at the lodge and resort in Coral Canyon. She wasn’t sure why that felt like such a feat, only that it did. She adjusted her position in bed, sliding the pillow further up under her knees to alleviate the pressure in her back.
She snuggled deeper into her covers, warm and content to stay in bed for a moment. Gratitude filled her for this slower Sabbath day, though last week, she and her family had gone horseback riding with Boston.
She couldn’t believe so much had changed in her life in such a short period of time. She drew in a deep breath and held it for a moment as she let the goodness of God trickle through her for the first time in a long time.
