15 Cora
After three hours of standing on pavement and drilling holes into boards, Cora’s feet were tired, and she was covered in sawdust
and sweat. But she had a good feeling. A satisfied feeling.
When the shift ended the director of the program called the volunteers together. He thanked them for their help and pointed
out the air hoses they could use to spray off the sawdust before they left.
Cora made her way over to where Jax was returning his safety glasses and gloves.
“Sorry to abandon you. I just really wanted to get some time on the drill press.” It was not entirely untrue.
He shot her a dazzling smile. “I get it. Playing with new toys is always fun. If they had let me play with the forklift, I
would’ve been all over it.” He picked up the air hose and held it up almost like an offering. “May I?”
“Sure.”
She stepped in front of him and held out her arms so he could blow off the layer of sawdust. He handled the task gently, making
sure to angle the flow of air to avoid dust getting in her eyes or stinging her skin.
“You hungry?” he asked as she turned so he could get her back.
“Starving,” Bianca answered, walking up.
Cora glared at her over her shoulder. “Are you always in other people’s conversations?”
“Only when they involve something I’m interested in. Like lunch.” She pointed at the air hose. “Are you done?” Without waiting
for an answer, she stepped in front of it.
Cora surrendered her position and took the air hose from Jax. Abandoning his gentle method, she sprayed Bianca right in her face. “Oops. Sorry about that. Bad aim.”
The only positive side to her sister crashing the date was that Cora didn’t have to overdramatize the family drama. Bianca
was kind enough to give an in-person demonstration.
“Should we all grab lunch?” Jax asked, seemingly good-natured about the whole situation. “Kind of like a double date?”
“Oh, I’d love to, but we can’t. We have to get back for a setup,” Bianca said.
“ She’s got to get back to set up. I have the night off.” Luke gave Bianca a pointed look as they traded places in front of the air
hose.
“Too bad,” Jax said. Although Cora could’ve sworn his tone said the opposite.
“Another time. But we really should head out. We have a lot to do to get ready for tonight’s setup.” Bianca jerked her thumb
toward the parking lot. “It was fun bumping into you, Jax. Y’all have fun on the rest of your date.” She held her hand up
in a wave, then she and Luke headed toward Luke’s truck.
Cora watched them leave. “Sorry about that. That was weird.”
“What? You don’t think your sister showing up here was a coincidence?” He gave a look of fake shock.
Cora just shook her head. “There might be some boundary issues there.”
“I think having a family who looks out for you is a gift.”
“That’s one way to look at it.” There was more than a little sarcasm in her voice.
“But revisiting lunch, I happen to know that the best hot dog stand on the entire Emerald Coast is about five minutes from
here.”
Cora cocked her head to the side. “I thought everyone knew the best hot dogs are from The Original.”
“The best hot dogs in Sunnyside? Yes.” He raised his eyebrows, indicating that there was more to that statement.
Cora gasped in mock shock. “Are you, a Sunnyside resident, admitting there are better options outside of your beloved town?”
“It’s not something we’re proud of, but we’re not too big to admit when someone does it better. Which happens. Occasionally.”
“With a claim this bold from a hot dog aficionado, how can I say no?”
They finished de-sawdusting themselves before making their way to her car. He put the location in her GPS, and she headed
in that direction.
The Hot Dog was a camping trailer that had been converted into a food truck. The side had a mural of a black lab sitting on
the beach with a Frisbee in his mouth, and over the top was the truck’s name in big bold letters.
It was parked in a large gravel area that looked like a pull-off for a scenic overlook. There was just enough room for the
trailer, maybe a couple cars, and a picnic table. It was a pretty spot with an amazing view.
But the cute truck and the amazing view weren’t even the biggest surprise. That honor went to the menu.
It was full of delicious-sounding gourmet dogs. There was the Blue Moon, which had a gourmet-style onion ring on top, and
the Florida Footlong, topped with shrimp and mango salsa.
“This is not the hot dog stand for those who struggle making decisions.” Her head was tipped back as she continued to read
through all the ingredients in the different specialties. A BLT dog? Where had that been her whole life?
“Right? And just to make it more challenging, there’s a ‘make your own dog’ option.”
“I can feel my anxiety rising already.” She gave up on the list and looked at him. “What do you like?”
He shrugged. “Depends on my mood. If I’m celebrating, there’s nothing finer than a lobster dog. But if I’m commiserating it’s
gotta be a chili cheese dog.”
“And today?”
“Today’s one of those practically perfect days that calls for the practically perfect classic.” He turned to the server. “I’ll
have the Wagyu Chicago Style. And a Coke.”
That sounded delicious. “I’ll have the same, thanks.”
After paying, they stepped to the side to wait for the food.
“So now that you’ve gotten an up close and personal look at my family, tell me about yours.” It was time to put him in the
hot seat for a while, dredging up his own family drama.
Surely he had some, right? Someone with a background like his didn’t grow up in a perfect sitcom family, did he?
“Well...” He took a sip of his soda before he got started. “My dad died when I was a kid, so we have that in common. The
loss of a parent.”
“I’m so sorry.” The confession hit her in a different place than she was expecting, and suddenly she felt bad for trying to
bring up tender topics just to throw him off his game. “It still stings, doesn’t it?”
“It does.” He shifted his gaze out to the water for a second as a vulnerable look she’d never seen crossed over his face.
She got it. It was the same one she felt when she thought about her mom.
“My mom remarried when I was in high school to a good man who we all like, so I can’t complain. They live just north of Fort
Lauderdale now, and she runs the hotel there.” He paused. “I mentioned my family owns a chain of hotels, right?”
She nodded. “The Padua Resorts. I’m not sure you mentioned it, but it’s pretty synonymous with you in any conversation I hear
about the famous Jax Verona.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Just how much did you ask around about me?”
“Enough to fill in the gaps of the subpar background check.”
“Which gained you enough information to know...” He stared at her, waiting for her response.
“That nothing should surprise me.”
He considered that. “Fair.”
“But I’m guessing you have more than just a mom and a stepdad, since Padua Resorts is a family business.”
“True. There are quite a few of us. Half are scattered around Florida and South Carolina running resorts while the rest are here in Sunny side, working at the headquarters. Since everyone ends up in town for one reason or another, if you hang around long enough, you’ll eventually bump into all of them. ”
She made a face. “And yet they haven’t crashed one of our dates.”
“Not overtly, anyway.” He gave her a cryptic look.
“What? Do you have a brother who’s been keeping tabs on us from some hidden lookout?”
He chuckled. “No brothers. But I do have a sister.” He seemed to consider it for a second. “Although her husband is kind of
a jerk. Maybe I should’ve spent more time stalking their dates.”
“What is it about in-laws?” She shook her head.
“I know. They’re the worst, right?”
“Although the way I hear it, you’re the black sheep of the family.” She shot him a side-eyed glance.
“Only because some of my life choices are...” He paused as if searching for the right word. “Misunderstood.”
“They don’t approve of your art-thief lifestyle?”
He twisted his mouth to the side in a perplexed look. “Oddly, no.”
Being the black sheep because of making life choices the rest of the family didn’t get? Yeah, she knew a thing or two about
that.
But luckily, before they ventured down that rabbit hole, their order was ready.
They grabbed their hot dogs, then headed over to the picnic table next to the sandy shore. They sat side by side on top of
the table, using the bench as a footrest, so they both could enjoy the unobstructed ocean view in front of them.
As soon as they were seated, he held up his hot dog in a cheers gesture. “Prepare for your world to be rocked.”
“That’s a lot of hype for a little hot dog.”
“And it doesn’t even do it justice.” He kept his gaze locked with hers as they both took their first bite.
She’d had hot dogs before. She’d even had good hot dogs. But she’d never had a hot dog as good as this one.
Clearly her face showed her thoughts, because Jax’s expressions flickered from amused to agreeing. His eyebrows went up in a What-did-I-tell-you? look, and a proud smile spread across his handsome face.
Wait, she didn’t mean the handsome part. Just his plain ole face.
She covered her mouth while she finished chewing the too-big bite. “It’s so good.”
“Right?”
“How do you not come here every day?”
“It takes all my willpower.” He took another bite.
“I have a new appreciation for your ‘death by hot dogs’ wish.”
“If only Miss Mary’s was in the same parking lot, we’d be in heaven.”
“Now you’re talking.” She took another bite.
For several minutes, they sat on the table, enjoying their hot dogs and watching the crystal waves roll in with a rhythmic
crash as the sun glittered off the surface. The breathtaking sight combined with the culinary treat and the company relaxed
her, and slowly some of her defenses began to drop. Which is how she found herself answering questions she never meant to
get into.
“Is it just you and your two sisters?”