Chapter 32
Chapter Thirty-Two
CORD
Ifinished scribbling my signature on the last page of the stack of documents and slapped the file closed.
Pushing to my feet, I headed down the hall to Linc’s office to find the door open.
Lincoln was kicked back in his chair with his feet resting on the desk, ankles crossed.
Bryce and Xander were sitting across from him.
“The Carlito file,” I grumbled, holding up the folder in my hand before dropping it on top of his desk.
“Jesus,” Linc said, putting his booted feet on the ground and sitting tall to flip the file open. “This thing’s three months overdue, Cord.”
“Yeah, well, that shit happens when your men spend most of their time working cases in the field. I haven’t had the goddamn time to complete the file ’til now. Is it too much to ask that you hire a file clerk or something? I fuckin’ hate paperwork.”
“Amen to that, brother,” Bryce shot back. “I’m currently behind on the last three cases I closed. You need to bring in someone to handle the administrative shit none of us want to do.”
“We don’t need a new hire,” Xander grunted. “No need payin’ someone for somethin’ we’re capable of doin’ our own damn selves.”
Bryce looked over at the bearded giant with huge eyes. “Did you not just hear what we were sayin’? We aren’t capable. That’s why we’re all so goddamn behind.”
I looked at him and smiled, knowing exactly why he was quick to shoot the idea down. “You just don’t want us to bring in someone ’cause you have a phobia of new people.”
“I don’t have a phobia of new people, dickhead,” he said, his face pulling into a harsh scowl. “I just don’t like most of ’em.”
Lincoln looked off in contemplation, and I let out a sigh of relief that the torture of clerical work might soon be at an end. “The idea does hold merit,” he said conversationally. “Lord knows I hate that shit just as much as the next guy. And Rox straight up refuses to do it.”
“Looks like you’ve just been outvoted, big guy,” Bryce said, reaching over to clap Xander on the shoulder. “You’re just gonna have to learn to play nice with the new guy.”
“Or girl,” I added, making Xander’s expression go even darker.
He wasn’t a fan of people in general, but there was something about women that threw him off in a big way.
That’s why we all found it so damn surprising when he got on as well as he did with Marco’s girl, Gypsy.
Then again, because of the hard life she’d led, that girl was tough as nails and not fazed by much, so maybe there was something kindred between them.
None of us knew Xander’s full story, so that was the only explanation that made the most sense.
Xander opened his mouth to issue a biting retort when my cell began to ring, cutting off his chance.
Engaging the call, I put it to my ear and answered, “You got Cord.”
“Um… yes, is this… is this Mr. Cord Paulson?” the timid female voice asked through the line.
“Yeah, it is. Who’s this?”
“Mr. Paulson, this is Gretchen Bolton from Rolling Hills Middle School. I’m calling in regard to Zachary Caruthers.
I’ve been calling Miss Hightower but haven’t been able to reach her, and you were listed as an emergency contact.
” The continued conversation between the three other guys dulled to a distant murmur as the woman continued to speak into my ear.
“I was hoping you could get a message to Miss Hightower letting her know that we’ll be needing a doctor’s note once Zachary returns to school; otherwise today’s absence will be marked as unexcused. ”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“I said we’ll require a doctor’s note—”
“No, I heard what you said, I just don’t understand. Zach didn’t miss school today. We saw him leave on the bus earlier this morning.”
“I… well… I’m sorry, sir, but he didn’t arrive. He’s been marked absent in all of his morning classes.”
A cold, clammy sweat broke out across my skin, and I felt my vision start closing in. “I’ll have to call you back,” I muttered into the phone. Then, without another word, I hung up and called Rory.
Her phone rang and rang until her voicemail picked up. I hung up and tried again.
“Everything okay?” I heard Lincoln ask from behind me.
“No,” I replied, turning to face him while shoving the phone back into my pocket. “Zach didn’t show up at school this mornin’ and Rory’s not answering her phone. I need to get to the bar.”
“Go,” he ordered immediately. “And call us if you need help with anything.”
With a tip of my chin in his direction, I turned and jogged out of the office, that sick twisting in my gut telling me that something was very, very wrong.
Rory
The lunch rush at The Tap Room was in full swing.
Mona had called in sick, so it was just Tammy and me on the floor with my mom behind the bar, and we were all running our tails off.
It was so busy I hadn’t had a second to think, so when the door swung open, I didn’t feel the air around me go wired, and I didn’t take the time to brace for what was about to come.
“Uh, Ror, babe. I think trouble just walked through the door.”
I gave Tammy a curious look at that weird proclamation before turning to face whoever it was who’d just walked in, locking eyes with Laurie Dutton.
Well hell.
“Laurie,” I greeted, trying to sound as polite as possible.
“Rory,” she shot back, her tone not polite but snide. “I need to have a word.” Yep, definitely snide.
“Sorry, Laurie. As you can see, we’re swamped, so I don’t have time for a word. But if you’d like to stick around for something to eat—”
“I have no intention of staying any longer than necessary to say what I need to say.”
If she wanted to do this, she was going to have to do it right here in front everyone, because I didn’t have the time or inclination to deal with her shit.
Holding my tray in front of me, I dropped the pleasant expression and prompted, “Then I suggest you say what it is you need to say and make it quick so you can leave and I can get back to work.”
Her flinty eyes suddenly flickered with uncertainty as she glanced around the full bar at all the faces staring her way. “Really, it’ll only take a minute. And if we could speak in private—”
The phone in my pocket started to ring with an incoming call.
Unfortunately I was only able to deal with one slice of drama at a time, so I let it go to voice mail as I remarked, “Laurie, no offense, but you came into my bar geared up for a showdown. I told you I was busy, and as you can see”—I whipped my arm out to indicate the bar at large—“I wasn’t lying.
Now, you made your play. It wasn’t a smart one, but you made it.
So you want your scene, you have it. But you’ll be having it here in front of everyone. ”
Tammy snickered from beside me, and I heard a husky laugh that sounded a lot like Dusty’s, but I didn’t pull my eyes from Laurie. She came here to make a play for my man, and I wasn’t about to let that happen.
It took a while for her to muster up the courage, but eventually those shoulders squared and that chin tilted up so she could look down her nose at me and declare, “You need to leave Cord alone.”
“And why on earth would I do a stupid thing like that?”
Her face went red as her anger began to grow. “Because he’s supposed to be with me,” she declared vehemently. “We belong together. We’re meant for each other. It’s been that way since we were kids, and it’ll always be that way. Nothing will ever change that.”
My phone began ringing again, but I ignored it, my tone calm and breezy as I stated, “Odd, because it was just this morning that we were discussing his moving into my house, us getting married, and eventually starting a family.”
At that, my mother’s squeal broke through the soft din of voices. “Oh, honey bunch! That’s so exciting!”
I turned and smiled at her over my shoulder, issuing a soft “Thanks, Mama.”
The phone rang for a third time while Laurie snapped, “That’s never gonna happen.
” Her face was now a shock of pale white, but I had to hand it to her, she never lost her bravado.
“The only reason he’s with you is out of some sick, misguided sense of nobility because you took in that homeless boy.
He feels drawn to you because of how he grew up, but that’ll eventually wear off.
He’ll come back to me. He always comes back. I was his first love.”
It was as if I were coated in Teflon. Whereas in the past, her words would have twisted my heart and made me question Cord’s real feelings for me, now they just rolled off without making any impact.
“And I’ll be his last,” I offered sympathetically.
“I’m sorry, Laurie. I know how it feels to lose him, believe me.
And I know the pain you’re going through right now.
But you two are over. You made the choice to let him go, and now you have to live with the consequences of that choice.
I’m with Cord now. We love each other. He’s the man of my dreams, and I won’t be making the same mistake you did.
I know what I have, and there’s no way in hell I’m letting it go. ”
“H-he’s… but he’s…” she stammered before finally finding her words. “We’ve been through everything together! I’ve always been there for him, through everything—”
“Except him being shot and nearly dying,” I cut in, making her wince.
“He loves me. I know he does.”
“He did. Once,” I replied. “But now he loves me. We’re starting a life together. He’s moved on. And I think it would be best for you if you left Hope Valley and tried to do the same.”
Her pretty face twisted up into something ugly as she hissed, “He’ll come back to me. He always does. He’ll get tired of playing with some redneck bartender, and he’ll come crawling back. Just you wait and see.”
My lips parted, ready to inform her that I wasn’t going to waste my time waiting on that, when the door flung open and Cord came storming in.
“Honey—”
He cut me off, getting close and taking my face in his hands. “Baby, is Zach with you?”
My eyes went wide. “What? No, he’s at school.”
He shook his head, and my stomach dropped. “They just called me when they couldn’t get through to you. He hasn’t been to any of his classes. He’s not there.”
I clamped my hands over my mouth as I gasped, “Oh my god.”
“I’ll call Bill right now,” my mother spoke up, “have him check your house to see if he cut class and snuck back.”
“Cord,” I whispered, my heart in my throat. “What if he’s hurt? What if something’s wrong?”
“I’m sure he’s fine, dollface. Like your mom said, he probably just ditched. But either way, we need to find him.”
“Yeah,” I replied, nodding. “Okay. Let’s go.”
He grabbed my hand and started for the door when Laurie spoke his name. And as he led me out of the bar, I turned to look up at him and found he had no reaction to his ex what so ever. She didn’t even register as he walked away from her… like she didn’t even exist.