Page 67 of Destined for Dreams
The Tahoe bumped along the road, forcing her attention back to driving. It was more treacherous than the highway with snow still packed on it. Cori had to go slowly for what felt like forever before finally reaching her place at the end of the lane.
She stopped just before reaching the cabin and gawked at it. They’d said they would rebuild her home, but they’d never mentioned adding a second floor or a wide, covered porch to the front. The place had gone from a quaint two-bedroom to a rather large cabin a whole family could live in. The logs gleamed, freshly cut, and the windows shimmered. They’d promised her they wouldn’t spend more than the insurance provided after the fire, but she didn’t see how they could have stretched the money this far.
Cori shut her vehicle off and climbed out, slogging toward a smiling Melena who waited on the front lawn, snow up to her calves. Her auburn hair blew around her face, and her cheeks were tinged pink from the cold wind, but her blue eyes sparkled.
“This is too much,” Cori said.
“Nope.” Melena shook her head. “We did it within budget with a bit of bartering and deal shopping—barely—but the furniture inside is going to be your birthday and Christmas presents for the next three years.”
Cori’s jaw dropped. “You’re joking.”
Melena lifted a brow. “Would I joke about something like that?”
“No,” Cori grumbled, “but you shouldn’t have done it.”
“Well, it wasn’t just me.” The sensor took her arm and guided her up the slick steps to the front door. “Someone else pitched in, too.”
They stepped inside, entering a living room that must have gained at least twenty-square feet compared to the old one. The stairs were now set as a divider between the front and back of the house, partially blocking the view into the kitchen where her appliances and counters appeared similar to her old ones. She was glad to see the familiar design since she’d remodeled that part of her previous cabin to her personal preferences. When the place had burned, she’d cried the most over its destruction.
The living room, though, had changed quite a bit and had a lot more furniture than before. There was a small side table with two chairs, a larger entertainment center, and a huge burgundy rug that covered half the wooden floor. At the center of it all was a set of brown leather couches and a love seat set in a horseshoe pattern with coordinating throws and small pillows that Cori knew could have only been knitted by one particular person.
“Surprise!” Joy said, hurrying down the stairs in a pair of khaki slacks and a blue button-up blouse. Cori’s mother was in her mid-fifties and still quite energetic. She had curly, gray hair and a slightly plump figure. Their body frames were nothing alike, but she shared Cori’s hazel eyes and pert nose.
Her eyes rounded. “Mom, what are you doing here?”
“Making certain my daughter has everything she needs in her new home.” Joy hurried across the living room and pulled Cori into a tight hug. “After all you’ve been through, I wanted to do something special, and Melena was more than happy to let me help.”
“Traitor,” Cori mouthed to the sensor.
Melena shrugged and gave her an unapologetic look.
“We’ve also added a security system,” Lucas said, coming from a side room that appeared to be an office from what she could see through the doorway. It had a desk and a set of shelves in there. “With motion sensors and cameras.”
Cori pulled away from her mother. “Seriously, guys. This is too much. I really don’t need a lot to be happy, and I can’t imagine what you spent on all this.”
Melena gave her a soft smile. “If I recall, you went through a lot of trouble for our wedding even though you had almost no notice. This was the least we could do.”
“But…”
“And I spend plenty on your sister,” Joy added, waving Cori’s protests off. “This is the first time in years I’ve been able to do anything for you since you won’t visit and never tell me what you need.”
Her mother and other family lived in Anchorage. It was just a short flight away, but Cori rarely went there. The guilt she’d felt for years after thinking she’d killed her ex-husband had kept her from wanting to be near anyone who knew her from before. Now that Griff was dead by his own hands, most of that weight had lifted. She still had some regrets to work through, but she was slowly coming to terms with everything that had happened.
Cori took a deep breath, not wanting to upset her mother. “How long are you staying?”
“Well, that is something else I need to talk to you about.” Her mother cast a pointed look at Lucas and Melena before returning her gaze to Cori. “But we can discuss that later.”
The sensor cleared her throat. “We should get going. Emily should be home from school soon, and I need to make sure she does her homework.”
That was a big lie. Emily was in her final year of high school and dead set on getting into college so she could get away from home. The teenager didn’t need prodding to do her homework, but Cori wouldn’t debate the topic. They’d done so much for her with the cabin that she could hardly argue with them now.
“Thanks so much, guys.” She gave Melena and Lucas hugs. “I appreciate everything.”
Melena followed her husband to the door but stopped to wink at Cori. “I think you’ll like the rest of the place after you have time to check it out.”
She watched out the front window, waiting until her friends were halfway down the drive, before turning to confront her mother. “So why aren’t you saying how long you plan to stay?”
Joy edged her way to the kitchen. “I need to check on the casserole.”
