Home To You. Cheryl Wolverton

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СКАЧАТЬ what she’s wearing would make anyone blush,” Mary said outrageously.

      Alarmed, Carolyne tried to tell herself not to overreact. “I’m sure there’s some explanation…”

      “There sure is,” Margaret said bluntly. “Your son needs you. He’s not eating supper at home and not getting home until late at night. He’s gotten to where it’s as late as midnight or more before he makes it home and now this woman is on his doorstep. He’s ruining his reputation!”

      “Well now, sister,” Mary interrupted, “I wouldn’t say he’s ruining his reputation, but it is obvious that he needs Carolyne back home.”

      “It’s scandalous,” Margaret sounded knowing.

      “Maybe I should call him,” Carolyne’s mind whirled in a tizzy over the conversation these two women were attempting to have with her.

      “He’s not home yet. Believe me, if he was, I’m sure that woman wouldn’t be lolling out on the front porch like she is.”

      Mary added, “If you were here, everything would be fine. It seems like as soon as you left, Dakota went wild.”

      “He always was the wilder of the two,” Margaret butted in to say.

      “I have to agree with sister on that. But I think this is all some mistake. Dakota is a fine man. Still, he has no one here and I think he’s lonely.”

      “Lonely?” Margaret scoffed. “He’s so busy he doesn’t know what lonely is. Carolyne, we tried calling Pastor Cody at the church and he wasn’t there. He’s making an early day of it, which means he’ll be home soon. If you want my advice, I’d suggest you get home as soon as possible. I think your son needs you.”

      Carolyne’s mind raced.

      Dakota didn’t need her at all. He was a grown man. Just as her daughter, Susan, was a grown woman.

      But hadn’t she just been thinking about returning home?

      She missed Texas and it was getting too cold here.

      She missed her church and the familiar sounds and ease of her own house.

      Of course, Dakota didn’t really need her, but would it hurt to go ahead and return home early?

      “Carolyne, did you hear me?”

      “Yes, Margaret, I did. Let me call the airlines, talk to my daughter and see what I can get done, all right?”

      “Oh good,” Mary said breathlessly. “I’m so glad you’re coming back. We’ve missed sitting out on the porch with you in the evenings.”

      “Never you mind that, sister,” Margaret admonished. “Her son is under attack and she needs to be here to restore his reputation. Now, get off the phone so I can hang up. Carolyne needs to make plans.”

      Carolyne heard a click and then Margaret added, “We’ll be watching for you.”

      “I need to make plans first,” Carolyne argued.

      “No, Carolyne. You need to be here for your son,” Margaret’s uncharacteristically soft voice touched Carolyne. “Please, hurry home.”

      Carolyne heard a click and shook her head.

      She hung up the phone and then sat staring at it, unsure what was going on at her house. Dakota had been so busy that he rarely had time to call; and when he did, his reports were always filled with what he had to do the next day.

      She hadn’t pushed talking about how he was doing because he was just so busy.

      Maybe she should have.

      Could he know the woman who was lounging on their front steps?

      Surely not.

      If the sisters had described the woman right…unless she was one of Dakota’s charity cases, he wouldn’t have anything to do with that type of female. Would he?

      “Is everything all right, ma’am?”

      For the first time, Carolyne noticed Cokie standing there next to her.

      “I’m not sure, Cokie. But it looks like I need to go home and find out.”

      “Ma’am?” Cokie asked.

      “I need help packing. It sounds like my son needs me.”

      Carolyne stood.

      Cokie hurried off down the hall and Carolyne picked up the phone to call Susan at work, deciding to call Susan first.

      If she planned it right, she could be back home in Texas by dinner.

      Dakota Ryder sat in the seat next to his friend, Chase Sandoval. “I appreciate the ride home, Chase. Seems my car won’t be ready until tomorrow.”

      “No problem, bud,” Chase replied, his familiar brown eyes glancing toward Dakota as he turned down the tree-lined street. “I can’t believe you still live out in this area, man. I remember the years we spent picking leaves up every fall, swearing when we grew up we were going to move where there were no trees.” He shook his head. “So, are you gonna hire someone to rake up all the leaves in your yard this fall?”

      “You think it’s that bad?” Dakota chuckled.

      “We spent too many years out there doing it to be forced into doing it anymore.”

      Dakota laughed outright remembering their childhood adventures together.

      “Maybe I’ll hire some kids from church. They’re getting ready for a winter trip they’re planning to take Christmas break, and Jeff has them offering to do jobs for everyone so they can earn money for their expenses.”

      “Sounds like that new youth pastor of yours is working out.”

      “He’s doing great. A year ago I couldn’t have imagined having this many young people attending church.”

      “Ah, but when you step out on faith and do what God tells you to do…”

      Dakota grinned and knew his own brown eyes reflected the humor of Chase quoting back what he’d told him so many times. “It’s my job to say that.” It sure was good to have his old friend back in town. “Yeah, we don’t know what God has planned for our future. The church has doubled in size, and we’re even looking into doing something special for families around town this Christmas.”

      Chase turned onto Chippewa where Dakota lived. Dakota tried to look at his neighborhood from his friend’s point of view. It was an older area of Shenandoah, a town that wasn’t much younger than Fort Worth itself. The streets were laid out in straight lines from north to south and from east to west. Sidewalks graced each side of the street and huge old maple and elm trees filled the front yards. Leaves covered everything, including the streets. The breeze caught a few and they swirled up, dancing across the road in a flurry of movement and color, looking like one of the small twisters that so often СКАЧАТЬ