Finding Our Forever. Brenda Novak

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       Chapter Three

      Cora was using her Bluetooth to talk to Jill when she passed through the wrought iron arch at the opening of the school, her car packed full of her belongings. “I’m here,” she announced as she wound slowly around to where she’d be living.

      “That didn’t take long. What time did you leave again?”

      She’d gone in to hug her friend goodbye, but Jill, dead asleep, had mumbled something about missing Cora, promised to call and dropped back onto the pillows. “Six.”

      “That’s not even two hours ago.”

      “See? I’m not that far away.” Although...it almost seemed as if she’d moved to another planet; Silver Springs was nothing like LA.

      “I should’ve come with you,” Jill said.

      “How?” Cora asked. “You have to be to work in an hour.”

      “I could’ve called in sick. You need someone to be there to help you unpack.”

      “No, I don’t. My mother would’ve been hurt if she found out I let you come, since I told her I preferred to organize everything on my own.” Cora had definitely not wanted Lilly on the ranch. She knew Lilly had never met Aiyana, that the whole adoption had been handled through an agency. According to the documents her private investigator had uncovered, Aiyana had demanded absolute secrecy. But that didn’t change Cora’s need to keep the two women apart. “I can handle this. The cottage is furnished. And everything I’m bringing fits into my car. It’s not as if I’m towing a trailer.”

      “Still, I’m curious.”

      “About...”

      “The ranch, for one thing. What does it look like?”

      “Your basic high school, but with horses and cattle—and some dorms and a machine shop. You’ll see it when you come visit me.”

      “I’ve been to Ojai but never Silver Springs. How does it compare?”

      “The towns are similar, which makes sense. Silver Springs is located in the same valley, has some of the same mission-style architecture. Only they’ve added a few murals in Silver Springs, like they’ve done in Exeter.”

      “Where’s Exeter?”

      “Central part of the state.” Cora pulled into the drive that would be her drive for the next year and cut the engine. “My mom took me there once to show me the murals, thought I’d be interested because of my art degree.”

      “I’m not that big on murals,” Jill said. “I’ve seen some pretty bad ones.”

      “I’ve seen a lot that are worse than the ones they have here. The man who painted the one downtown interviewed for my job. I’m still surprised they didn’t hire him instead.”

      “They told you who you were up against?”

      “Aiyana and Elijah didn’t. When Aiyana showed me the house, she got a call on her cell, leaving me to speak with a neighbor. He said Gary Seton was a friend of his and was really disappointed.”

      “Why didn’t they hire him?” Jill asked.

      Cora gazed at her bungalow, trying to imagine calling this place home for the next twelve months. “I’m not sure. I would’ve guessed they’d prefer a local.”

      “Could it be that Elijah wanted you to come to town?”

      “No. I didn’t get those vibes at all.”

      “So you think he’s married?”

      “Not married.” There was too much sexual energy surrounding him for him to be in a committed relationship. She could tell he found her attractive—couldn’t help finding him attractive, too. A woman would have to be dead not to feel a little sizzle when a man like Elijah Turner came around. “Just completely closed off.”

      “I’ve seen you approach guys before. You’ve never been afraid of a challenge.”

      In this situation, she was. She had a lot to cope with already, didn’t need to add a romantic relationship into the mix. Even if she could manage to gain Elijah’s attention, she doubted she’d be able to keep it for long. He was too remote. “I’m only here for a year.”

      “That could prove to be a very long year if you plan to remain celibate the whole time,” she joked.

      “I’ll survive.” Although...she was already missing certain aspects of her relationship with Matt and, if she was being honest, sex was one of them. “It’d be kind of odd to hit up the man my mother adopted.”

      “Why? СКАЧАТЬ