Page 77 of Boston
They had picked up her car first yesterday, and then they’d gone to the steakhouse, because the Branding Iron wasn’tknown for quick in-and-out dinners. They’d been there long past eight, and Cora had taken the winding mountain road up the Apple Highway to Dog Valley and then back to the northern highway that ran straight across the top of Coral Canyon to the western side, where she jogged back up to Silver Sage. Her new cherry red CUV drove like a dream, and Cora had seriously considered naming her as such.
The only thing she’d been able to come up with for Boston’s truck was Beast and Brownie, and both of those were totally lame. His truck wasn’t that big, and they had too many horses already named after foods here at the lodge.
Cora arrived at the coffee bar several minutes later, and she noticed how the conversations quieted as she approached and lifted a cup from the stack. Tension filled her shoulders, though she wished it wouldn’t.
“How is everyone this morning?” she asked as she poured the dark roast brew into her cup.
“Really good, Miss Silver.” A woman who worked in their compliance department smiled at her. “I heard you got a new car.”
“Yes.” Cora grinned back at Connie and then moved down to the sugar and creamers. “Now I don’t have to get a ride to town.”
She glanced over to Enoch. “How are things at the amphitheater?”
“Our summer programs are going really well, ma’am,” he said.
“Oh, you don’t have to call mema’am,” Cora said. Enoch was probably fifteen years older than her and had been an excellent outdoor summer coordinator for years, at least according to Momma and Kat.
He smiled kindly. “I liked your idea about pool parties.”
Cora brightened again. “Yeah. Do you think it’s something that people would reserve, or should we just put them on as a lodge?”
Cora stirred in the sugar and vanilla creamer that she liked, put a lid on her cup, and faced the group. “Maybe I should get numbers on how many people use the pool after eight PM.”
“That’s probably a good idea,” Enoch said. “I’m not sure on those statistics.”
“Who would I ask?” Cora asked. “Morgan seemed to be over weddings, and of course, we have facilities directors over the pools and hot tubs.” She cocked her head, thinking. “Would they have that kind of data?”
“I don’t know, ma’am,” Enoch said.
“I’d probably try Brenda in the spa,” Connie said. “She’ll know when the more popular times are, as they have part of the spa that connects to the pool that you wanted to use for a party.”
“They do?” Cora asked. “I didn’t know that.”
“You have to book a specific treatment,” Bonnie said with a nod. “And then you get access to a semi-private hot tub. It’s that one down on the end. When they have bookings, they close it to regular guests.”
“Oh, interesting.” Cora did not know that, and this conversation reminded her of how much went on at Silver Sage that she knew nothing about.
This was the exact reason why she wanted to visit the coffee cart every day, but she didn’t feel like she could stay here and linger, especially when no one else left and they clearly wanted to finish their conversation without her.
“Okay, well, I have a meeting with my mom and sister,” she said. “If anyone needs anything, send me a text or come knock on my door.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the three of them said, and Cora had to pin her smile in place so she wouldn’t bark at them to not call her that.She understood why they did, but that didn’t make it any less irritating.
She retreated to her office, where she had asked Kat, Jeremy, and Momma to join her that morning.
She found her mother already sitting in the chair against the wall. “Morning,” she chirped, going around her desk and setting down her coffee before she took a seat. She’d already brought in the extra chairs she needed, and she had some email to check before Kat and Jeremy would be late.
“Morning, dear,” Momma said.
Cora shook her mouse to wake her computer, taking the moment to skirt her eyes over to Momma instead of the screen. She definitely looked tired today, and Cora’s concern for her doubled.
“Did you sleep okay last night, Momma?” she asked.
“It was a rough night,” Momma said. “You’d think I’d know by now that I can’t eat chips and salsa past six PM.” She offered Cora a rueful smile. “My heartburn was terrible, and I swear I swallowed half a bottle of Tums before I finally got up and took one of the prescription pills the doctor gave me a few months ago.”
Cora’s first thought was to ask her if the pills were expired, but she held her tongue. Her mother was a grown woman, and she could take whatever she wanted.
“That worked, and I was able to settle back to sleep for a few hours.”
