Chapter Three

CORD

Wow. I gazed out the window of my limo at the Texas landscape on the way from the airport to the house I’d had custom-built for my mother on the outskirts of Love. God love Mami, but the woman was stubborn as a mule. I couldn’t understand why she insisted on staying in the same po-dunk town she’d lived in ever since she and Papi immigrated from El Salvador in their twenties. I’d tried to talk her countless times into moving to Manhattan with me. After all, she could simply move into one of the wings of my 11,000 square foot penthouse suite, or I could buy her another floor in the same building she could have all to herself. Christ, I’d even offered to go house-hunting with her for a place in the Hamptons, where I kept a second home. But she refused, telling me that she preferred her little garden in Love to being anywhere else. Whatever made her feel that way, I had no idea.

My driver pulled the lever on his steering wheel to squirt windshield wiper fluid over the windshield, and I watched the blades swish back and forth, wiping away the dust and grime being kicked up by the rusty old pickup in front of us. The vehicle probably wasn’t fit to be on the road in the first place. There was no way it would have passed an emissions test given the amount of exhaust it was spewing.

I’d been gone six years, but as far as I could tell, nothing had changed about my old stomping grounds. The same truck stops and diners that had been standing since the ‘70s dotted the exits off the freeway on the way to Love from Dallas, and the north Texas plains were filled with the same things they always had been – oil wells and cows. Indian paintbrushes and bluebells added little splashes of color here and there along fence lines, but other than the wildflowers, everywhere I looked was the same boring view of nothing but land and sky. Nothing ever happened in Love. Except for the one thing that made me leave and vow never to come back.

Sighing, I turned my gaze back to the bright screen of our newest laptop model balanced on my knees and finished typing out a message to one of my project managers regarding his upcoming trip to Hong Kong to meet with our business liaison there.

I’d no sooner hit “Send” when my phone pinged, alerting me to an incoming text.

Remember, you have one week. One week to work your magic and get the girl. However, I’d be happy to accept your wire transfer of $500K early if you wish to save yourself some time.

I felt my jaw clench. Hale was so full of himself. I hated that he found our little gentleman’s bet so amusing. Why had I even accepted it? I could kick myself. I shouldn’t be here, shouldn’t have come back to Love. There was no reason I couldn’t keep flying Mami out for the holidays as I’d been doing every year since I left. Papi had been gone a long time, and technically there wasn’t anything keeping Mami in Texas. Perhaps it was the memories of my father and their life together that rooted my mother in place. I rubbed the stubble on my chin thoughtfully. Maybe having a family could do that to a person. Not that I would know.

I picked up my phone again.

You wish, old man.

Don’t worry, Sami Hartley is as good as mine already.

And once she is, you will owe me.

Immediately a laughing emoji appeared. I gritted my teeth and tucked the phone back into the pocket of my shirt even though what I really wanted was to throw it out the window.

***

The party at Town Hall was in full swing. I was overdressed, but that was to be expected since I’d exchanged my Wranglers and cowboy boots for business suits as soon as I set foot on the east coast. Around me were my old teachers, friends, and classmates. Even Rex, the grocer who’d given me an orange every time I earned straight A’s on my report card was present. I hadn’t been included in the preparations for tonight’s affair and don’t know what I’d been expecting, but I should have guessed what the theme would be. This was Texas after all, and what else said Texas but good Southern barbeque?

I lifted my sandwich to my mouth and took another bite. The smoky sauce contained just the right amount of spice, and the pork was so tender it almost dissolved on its own on my tongue. I closed my eyes, savoring the incredible flavors.

“Bet you don’t have food like this in New York City!” chuckled Mayor Orson, clapping me on the back. My eyes flew open.

“There’s nothing like this, that’s for sure,” I admitted.

Grinning, the ruddy-faced mayor tucked a paper napkin into the neck of his shirt and picked up his rack of ribs. He tore off a chunk of the steaming meat with his teeth, letting the juice dribble down his chin and onto his bib.

“Here, son,” said Mami, who came up behind me and placed a piece of cornbread on my plate with a frown. “You need to eat more. You look like skin and bones. This is why you need a wife. A good wife would make sure you stay well-fed.”

I shook my head. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, Mami, but I am not getting married anytime soon. And besides, women have better things to do than just worry about what goes into their husbands’ stomachs.”

My mother laughed and ruffled my hair like I was all of eight. I reached up and smoothed it back into place.

“You just haven’t met the right woman yet. Trust me, you’ll see. What you need is a wife who will love nothing more but to take care of you. Not the wrong type who is just after your fortune. What do they call those women? There’s a name for them, but I forget what it is.”

I put my bun down and gave my lips a swipe with my napkin. “I think you’re referring to the term ‘gold-digger.’ But please, Mami, no more talk about this. I just want to enjoy myself tonight, okay?”

She shrugged, taking a seat beside me and turning to speak with Mrs. Santiago, my old Sunday School teacher.

Mayor Orson scooped a big pat of butter out of a nearby dish and ran it over his corn cob still steaming from the grill. I watched the thick substance begin to melt and sink between the golden kernels, thinking that the strangely soothing visual would make for a good ASMR video.

I reached for my beer mug that was nearly the size of my head and took a drink of the frothy substance. It was true what they said about everything being bigger in Texas, from the land to the bugs to the meals. Since Love didn’t have a gym, I’d have to take my daily morning runs outside. I wasn’t planning on veering from my schedule while I was in town. Work didn’t stop just because I’d agreed to this little pleasure trip. If that’s what it was. I just hoped it wouldn’t turn out to be a fool’s errand. The image of Nathan Hale’s laughing face was enough to make me more determined than ever to win this bet. I just had to find Sami first. My eyes scanned the room for at least the hundredth time since I’d arrived. Where was she? Was she the only person in town who didn’t come to the event tonight? Was she against seeing me that much? What had I ever done but love her? It was obvious that she didn’t feel the same way about me back then, but I would have thought that she’d at least have enjoyed reconnecting now as friends. Of course, I’d then try to tempt her into my bed, but hopefully she’d find me more appealing this time around since Mami’s words couldn’t have been further from the truth. I’d put on at least twenty-five pounds of muscle since graduating high school thanks to my personal trainer as well as cut my hair. My stylist was the best in the business and ensured that my wardrobe reflected the newest trends in men’s fashion. Not to mention the glaringly obvious fact that I was now one of the richest men in the world. But was I willing to wave money in her face to lure her into giving me her heart? And would I even want her back if that worked? How would I even know?

“Now Cord,” said the mayor through his mouthful of corn, diverting me from my thoughts. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to discuss with you.”

“Oh?” I cocked an eyebrow. I’d heard this before countless times.

“I was thinking, son, that I could partner with you on a little business venture. Something to improve the town that made you who you are today.”

I nearly choked on the piece of cornbread I’d just bitten off and reached for another swig of beer. Love had done nothing for me and after what happened with Sami, I couldn’t have gotten out of here fast enough.

“Hm,” I muttered, already wishing I was on my flight back to New York.

“How about establishing the very first Love Country Club? We could call it the Orson Romero Club. Has a nice ring to it, don’t ya think? It would be an exclusive membership, of course, only the most important people would be part of it. We could build it out off road 2080, there’s plenty of land out there for an 18-hole course. Maybe with your clout, we could tempt one of the fancy chefs from Dallas or Austin to open a restaurant on the property. Can you image? We’d probably get featured in a magazine! I could be on TV!”

It was all I could do not to vomit in my mouth.

The mayor mopped the beads of sweat that were forming on his forehead with the edge of his bib. I didn’t whether it was the spice from the barbecue making him perspire or his grandiose ideas. The man’s blood pressure couldn’t be good in any case, given that his huge belly hung as far over his belt as Santa Claus’s. All he needed was the red suit.

“No,” I said, keeping my voice calm.

“Come again?” he replied, cupping his hand to his ear, clearly thinking he’d misheard me.

I shook my head. “No, I would never financially back something like that. However, I did want to do something to help Love.”

“Oh?” The man’s expression wavered somewhere between dejection and hope. “You have a better idea?”

“As a matter of fact, I do. I understand from the research I did before arriving that the elementary school is in desperate need of renovations. And many students here come from families who don’t have a computer at home. What I would like to do is invest in the educational system here. If it wasn’t for my coding club, I wouldn’t have gotten my start. I’d like to create more opportunities for the children of Love to learn the skills they will not only need to be successful in tomorrow’s technologically advanced society, but to spark their passions and encourage them to think outside the box.”

“Hm.” Mayor Orson drummed his pudgy fingers on the surface of the table. “Well, I still think my idea was better, but I guess if you want to do that, you’re welcome to. People will probably love it anyway so I may as well give you my official support.”

Pushing back my chair, I paused to accept the man’s half-hearted handshake before throwing my paper plate with my uneaten food in one of the nearby trash bins and heading for the exit. I needed a breath of fresh air if I was going to last the rest of the evening, much less the whole week.

As I left the party, I couldn’t help but look through the crowd another time, searching for a beautiful head of honey-blonde curls. But there was none.

One of the attendants pushed the door open for me, and I stepped out onto the sidewalk into the warm summer night.

In contrast to the noise and bustle inside the hall, the streets along the square were almost entirely devoid of activity. I walked a little way down 1st St. to the park outside the courthouse and found a bench to sit on. The familiar buzz of the cicadas made me smile and the knots in my neck and shoulders began to relax. Fireflies flashed their tiny lights in the darkness and overhead the sky was full of a million stars. I took a deep breath and was surprised to find tears welling in my eyes. I’d forgotten what the night sky even looked like without the interference of skyscrapers and billboards. Memories rose in my mind of Sami and me at the lake, lying on our backs in the lush grass and trying to find the constellations as we talked about everything from our pasts to our hopes and dreams. Where was she now?

Suddenly, the noise of an approaching vehicle caught my attention. Caught in the headlights, I was startled when the driver accelerated rapidly and screeched to a stop at the curb only a couple of yards away. I stood up and wondered if I needed to dial 911. Being a public figure, I realized that I needed to be careful about personal safety, but I preferred not to think about it. I hated being fussed over, which I knew annoyed my publicist to no end, but I couldn’t help who I was. My independence and privacy were paramount, and I wasn’t going to compromise either.

Up close, I could see that the car was a little red Miata. The driver leaped out and I immediately recognized who it was. Leann Davis, Sami’s first cousin. If looks could kill, I’d already be a dead man. Slamming the car door behind her, she marched up to me and pointed at my chest with her index finger.

“Stay away from her.”

“Nice to see you again too, Leann,” I said. “May I ask to whom you are referring?”

Her blue eyes narrowed into slits. “Very funny. I don’t know why you’ve come back to Love now out of the blue, but Sami doesn’t want to see you. So, make sure you stay away from her.”

I shrugged. “That might be a little hard to do. This is a small town, you know. I can’t help it if I happen to run into her while I’m here.”

She shook her head, making her blond hair swing over one shoulder. “You’re smart. In fact, you’re brilliant. So, I’m sure you can find a way if you want to.”

“I can’t control life, Leann,” I replied. “Things happen.”

“Look, all I’m asking is that you respect her wishes. Stay. Away. Sami’s been through enough. She doesn’t need this right now.”

I frowned. “What do you mean? I saw that your grandmother passed last year, and I’m sure that must have been really hard for Sami since Nettie raised her. I should have sent flowers or something; I’m sorry. I didn’t know what the right thing to do was.”

“Hence you did nothing,” Leann smirked. “As usual.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I was confused. What else had I missed? Sami didn’t use social media, or if she did, she kept her presence on the platforms private since I hadn’t ever been able to find her in my searches. I relied on my mother and my subscription to the online town paper for information about happenings in Love. Since Sami was a sore subject with Mami, I couldn’t hope to glean anything from her anyway; I’d learned about Nettie’s passing after noticing the announcement in the obituaries.

“Are you and Sami running the Cuddle Cup now?” I continued.

Leann flipped her hair. “That’s none of your business. Look, I have to go. But I’m glad I found you. Just do yourself a favor and stay away from Sami, okay?”

Pivoting on her heel, she jogged back to her car and got in after giving me a final glare. As the vehicle roared away from the curb and screeched around the next corner onto Oak, I was left alone in the darkness knowing exactly what I had to do. And that was to pay a visit to the Cuddle Cup as soon as possible.