“You are just too funny. Not.” She grumbled. “She won’t even remember the new version.”
“I hope she does because you will have to move in with me.”
“I’m going to go talk to your mother.”
“I doubt it, I just heard her close the door to her room downstairs.”
“But I didn’t say goodnight” Cori said scrambling from the room. She raced down the stairs and over to the bedroom on the first floor. She knocked quietly on the door and went in after hearing Millie’s answer to enter.
“I’m sorry. Seth was talking to me after I read to Mindy. I wanted to say goodnight to you.”
“I’m glad you did but it would have been okay if you hadn’t too. Tell my son goodnight and good dreams for me. You sleep too.”
“I hope so.” Cori answered. She and Millie exchanged a hug and Cori left the room. Seth was picking up the scattered toys in the living room when Cori returned. She assisted him but didn’t talk right away.
“You will be a good dad.” She said placing the last toy in the toy’s box. “You are so good with her.”
“I love her and there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her or Micah or Tish. I love having her here and I’ll miss her when she goes back to her parents.”
“All of that will make you a good dad.”
“Well, that and the fact that I never grew up. I’m CEO of a toy company, how big a kid is that?”
“Just accept the compliment.”
“I will when you will.”
“What does that mean?”
“I think you are very beautiful.” Cori rolled her eyes and snorted in disbelief. Seth smiled “I rest my case.”
“What I said was true, what you said was not true.”
“Are you always this argumentative?” he asked taking her by the hand and leading her upstairs to his room.
“No, I’m not. I hate to argue, that’s why I’m the boss of my own company.” She said. Seth crawled onto the bed and propped the pillows up and patted the space next to him for Cori. “Uh….” She paused “what are you doing?”
“Talking to you. What are you doing?”
“This is your bed.”
Seth gave her an indulgent smile “Very good, now come over here so we can talk.”
“Talk?”
“Just talk. Well maybe a hug and or kiss or two but that’s all.”
“Seth….”
“Cori….” He repeated. “Come here, please.” Cori reluctantly went to sit beside him on the bed. He took hold of her hand and kissed it. “Do you get scared when someone gets angry with you?”
“You can get mad at me and even shout but until I relearn how to react to you, a physical distance might be the best solution for you if you are mad at me. I don’t want you to be mad at me but I’m sure it will happen. Just don’t walk away from me. I can’t take it.”
“That clears up one thing. Now, I apologize for turning from you at the lake. I thought that would be better than seeing how supremely mad I was at that man and what he did to you. I was not mad or disgusted or anything at you. I was so sad for you though. I could never imagine that someone would treat….”
Cori gently placed her finger over his lips to interrupt him “Seth, you are not the only person who cannot imagine it. The police wouldn’t believe me the times I told them. It isn’t something that a decent human being can wrap their mind around - but it happens. And it happens often. It could be happening on this block but you wouldn’t know it. I have a full house consistently. As I told you on the phone, my story doesn’t get better. I told you one incident, can you handle the rest? Even doled out in small increments? That is a question that you need to think about. I won’t tell you every incident but there are some triggers that you need to be aware of and the reasons for reactions I might have.”
“What kind of triggers?”
“The doorbell is a trigger. I don’t scream or panic but I do react. I don’t know why, I just become very timid and try to move away.”
“I want to be with you. However you want to say it….dating, boyfriend/girlfriend, goin’ steady….whatever, I want you to be the other half. I’ll be sad to hear your stories but I want to hear them. I want a chance to show you that I won’t be like the slimeball sleeze.”
“I told you already, I believe, that you are nothing like the slimeball sleeze.” Cori paused and shook her head chuckling “I can’t keep calling him that.”
“Yes, you can. It is really easy.” Seth teased
“I was trying to be serious.” She said with a huge smile on her face. Seth wasn’t helping her concentrate because he was mouthing the words “slimeball sleeze” to her over and over again. “You aren’t helping.” She said laughing. “The memory problem kicked in and now I haven’t any idea what I was going to say.”
“Then don’t say anything just come here…” he said pulling her around to where she leaned across his chest and on his opposite arm. When she stopped moving he asked if she was comfortable and when she nodded he continued. “I like how this feels.” Cori leaned her head against his shoulder and nodded. “Will you go steady with me?” he said seriously but using slang from fifty years ago.
“Seth, I asked you to not walk away from me but I take that back. You have that right. My life stories may repulse you and I won’t be what you think I am. So I give you permission to walk away. I’ll even understand. But I won’t ever be back. I wouldn’t ever voluntarily see you again and I’d make sure Millie knew that too when she returns to Catesville. I am not even sure my being here now is a good idea. I have so much baggage, I have fears and scars and defects and it equals bad days, bad dreams, handicaps. You are taking on a lot, even if friendship was all you wanted. So, yes, I’m beating this subject to death but I’m going to ask one more time, are you really sure?”
Seth gently caressed her face. “I won’t walk away. I’m here for the long haul. So, will you go steady with me?”
Cori looked at the wall and not at Seth “Will you always be honest with me and tell me that we aren’t working out if we do go down a wrong path?”
“I would be honest but I don’t think we will go down that wrong path.”
“Then I’ll go steady with you.” Cori answered. Her eyes were moist as he looked into her face. “Sorry” she said wiping her eyes.
“No apologies necessary.” Seth said gently. “Have I mentioned that you are beautiful?”
“Yes, you did but you should be careful asking that question, I may not always remember.”
“I have some things to learn about you and you have some things to learn about me. Now, can I kiss you?” Cori nodded. Seth pulled her closer and touched his lips to hers. Cori wrapped her hand around the back of Seth’s head and held him to her which indicated to him that she might accept a deeper kiss so he tried it and was overjoyed at the results.
“Oh, wow” she said softly “you are very good at that.”
“I have no complaints about you either, sweetheart.” He said kissing her quickly. The pair sat in the comfortable silence for a while. She traced the patterns on his shirt without realizing she was doing it. Seth didn’t mind, she was touching him willingly and he wasn’t about to stop her.
“You need to go to sleep.” She finally said to him.
“Are you going to sleep?”
“I hope so” she answered honestly “I may draw for a while to relax. I’ve had a stressful day.”
“Then stay in here and draw.”
“I’m not staying in your room while you sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“That’s too far away.” He complained. Cori smiled at him as she eased away.
“Go to sleep and good dreams.”
“Kiss first” he said catching her hand. Cori gratefully accepted his kiss them moved away from the bed. She waved again at the door and he blew her one more kiss as she left.
&nb
sp; “Well, Miss Lewis, what brings you to our humble toy company?” Isaac teased her the next morning when he saw her and Seth in Seth’s office.
“I’m saving you some work, Mr. Chief Counsel, I believe I was threatened with legal action if I didn’t show myself today; so here I am as ordered.” She said pretending to be fierce.
“And since the big guy here looks so miserable” he teased “I’m assuming that you and he are not playing nice.”
“Him and me, play nice? Not gonna happen, Mr. Walters.” She teased right back. Isaac reached across Seth’s desk and they did a high five and knuckle knock. Cori laughed at them hamming it up so Isaac turned to her and they did a high five too.
“What are you doing here?” Isaac asked again to both Seth and Cori
“She wanted a tour so here we are. She’s already commiserated with Abigail on putting up with me so it should be all uphill from here. We are heading to the factory floor.”
“Business first, quickly.”
“I’ll wait in the hall.” Cori offered.
“Nope, concerns you too. Faith confirmed, Beaches Bear is in the truck to be overnighted to New York. The hotel confirmed both Beaches and Hannah’s displays arrived and the toy show has given you a little more space than expected so both enterprises should showcase very well. And Abigail has confirmed your flights but change in plans for the room. She booked you in a suite with two rooms etc.”
“Thanks, Isaac” Seth said rising from the chair “Mindy is excited that her buddy is spending some nights. Beware, Cori’s new gift to her was three stuffed snakes and they are with her constantly. I even saw them at breakfast. Also, if Micah calls the house with any news please call me in New York. Abigail will check my email but if she finds something, read it and let me know what he says. Any news on a bone marrow donor or surgery and I’ll be on the next flight home. Anything else? Deal with it or call me.”
“Got it. You guys have fun. Lovely to see you again, Miss Cori. I have to go call Faith and report that I’ve seen you and you are well. Oh, one more thing, no new arrivals last night.”
“Thank you, Isaac. Tell Faith Hi for me.”
“Gladly. Bye!”
“He’s a good guy.” Cori said to Seth after Isaac had left. “What is his story?”
“He is a good guy.” Seth said coming around his desk to take Cori’s hand and lead her from the room. In the elevator he continued his story. “We met my freshman year at the University of Texas. He lived in the dorm and his room was right next to mine. One day we started a conversation when both of us were dressed for a run. We ran together and became good friends. He is my age but super smart. He had started college at sixteen and when he graduated three years later and went to Harvard, we kept in touch. I went to Harvard for one year then decided that I wasn’t interested anymore so I came back here and started as an accountant at Beaches. The owner liked me and groomed me to take over since he had no family. After I took over as CEO I lured Isaac away from the law firm where he worked and the rest is history.”
“He is so good with Mindy too.”
“I know. Tish is actually his cousin and he introduced her and Micah. We all stayed in contact and Mindy kept hold of his heart. Now the three of us take care of each other. Isaac is her best buddy.”
“I don’t know about that, from what I’ve seen, Uncle Seth, is pretty high on her list too.”
Seth blushed “Yeah, she’s my cutie and I used to call her my girl but someone else gets that honor now.” Seth said pulling her into his arms when they were in private.
“Who would that be?” she asked smiling at him.
“You get three guesses. She’s smart, beautiful, gorgeous, kind, loving, and talented”
“Hmmm” Cori pretended to think
“And ornery” Seth continued “She’s full of surprises and makes the cutest stuffed animals and writes the best books.”
“I’ll agree with the animals but not the books. I don’t write all of them and someone revises my stories.”
Seth began to walk her to the factory floor but came to a conference room first so he pulled her inside. “Sweetheart, I listened to you quote a book last night.”
“So?” she questioned not understanding his comment.
His smile was so sweet and genuine “I know you write the books you sell. Maybe someone does revise them and maybe writes some of them but it is your idea and I bet you have written lots of the books. They are great books for kids.”
“Thank you” she blushed ducking her head. Seth cupped his hand under her chin and lifted it to face him. He lowered his head and kissed her. After removing his hand from her chin he pulled her into his arms for a hug. Cori wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into him.
“Let’s go see the floor.” Seth led her from the conference room and into the factory. It wasn’t like hers but it was well run. Most of the workers greeted him by name and he spoke back to them. When the foremen were present, Cori was introduced to them. Seth showed her the design team for her bear and they showed her some of their ideas. The tour took about an hour and at the end Cori was introduced to the production supervisor. He complimented her on her bear.
“How does he know?” Cori asked Seth as they walked back to his office. Seth told her the story of the staff meeting after Mindy had received her first bear. Cori laughed at the story.
“How did Micah know to get a bear from you?” Seth suddenly asked. He had been packing up the last minute items he needed to take to New York then he and Cori were heading home to spend the day with Millie and Mindy.
“Well” she began grimacing “I write to Micah over email sometimes and Tish. I have my website at the bottom of my emails and he saw it and when he had time then he looked it up and found the stuff animals. He knows about Hannah’s House and what I’m doing there. When he was home last time, he wanted a tour of my grounds. Things were very far along yet but I explained the plan to him. He and Tish sent me flowers on the day we opened.”
“And no one mentioned you to me for years.” Seth said to the pieces of paper on his desk as he picked them up to file them.
“Why would they? You don’t like me.”
“I don’t?” he said smiling
Cori grimaced at herself as she blushed “I mean you didn’t like me.”
“That’s better.” He said smiling but as he spoke again he was serious “I’m sorry. I didn’t see the real you or maybe I did and I didn’t like how that made me look. I was immature and inhumane to you.”
Cori came up to him and gently cupped his face in her hands “Let’s forget it and not talk about high school anymore.”
“Thank you”
“You are welcome.” Cori relaxed against Seth as he hugged her close. “Tell me about this toy show.” She said stepping back from him. As he finished gathering what he needed he told her what happened. She was excited and hoped that she did well. After saying goodbye to Abigail, they headed back to his house and spent the day with Millie and Mindy. Seth held Mindy on his lap and read her a story before bed but she wanted Cori to also so Cori held her too and told her a different Snowflake story. Mindy fell asleep near the end but Cori finished the happy ending story and watched Seth who was watching her. Jointly they put the sleeping girl to bed and returned to Millie in the living room.
Chapter 11
“Sweetheart, just relax” Seth whispered in her ear. She had been white-knuckling the arms of the first class airplane seat for a half hour. Finally, Seth unclenched one hand and held it in his. “That’s better.”
“I am not a good flyer.”
Cori couldn’t see the indulgent smile on his face but she heard him when he questioned her “Why don’t you draw or talk to me?”
“I can’t. Only my prayers are keeping us in the air.”
“Cori, sweetheart, look at me.” He said gently. Slowly, Cori opened her eyes and looked at him. His fa
ce was so handsome. He had green eyes and brown hair. In their younger days she had thought he was cute until he started tormenting her then she stopped thinking about him other than when he said something about her that was unkind. Now, she was back to thinking he was very handsome. “What’s wrong?”
“You are very handsome.” She said leaning over to him. “In sixth grade when boys became not so yicky anymore, I thought you were cute. Then when you started picking on me you weren’t so cute anymore but now, you are very handsome again.”
“Are you flirting with me? And in public too?” he teased. Cori nodded and blushed. Seth kissed her hand that he held. “Well, I’ve told you before and you didn’t believe me but I am right. You are beautiful. You haven’t changed much since high school except you became skinnier.”
Cori rubbed the scar on her face self-consciously and whispered “I changed”
Seth frowned at her “do you think that scar makes you not beautiful?”
Cori looked at her hands as she answered “Of course it does”
Seth tipped her face up so that they could see each other’s eyes. “Wrong, wrong and wrong. Get that thought out of your head. It is incorrect.”
“Seth…” Cori growled dramatically “I have a mirror.”
“Not a very good one apparently. In the future ask me and I’ll tell you what you look like.”
“You are goofy.”
Seth smiled and wiggled his eyebrows at her. “We have a long trip so do you want to sleep or talk?”
“Probably both eventually but start with talk.”
“Alright then, what is your favorite color?”
“Yellow. You?”
“Green. Dark Green. Favorite movie?”
“While You Were Sleeping”
“Chick flick.” He groaned “You are such a girl.”
“Yeah and what’s yours hotshot?” she laughed
“I’m the CEO of a toy company, what do you think it is?”
“No way, Toy Story?” she questioned. He shrugged. Cori laughed gently. “That’s too cute.”
“Cute? Not cute. Manly”
“Oh yeah, right.” She teased.
“Favorite book or author?” he questioned trying to distract her.
“Snowflake Finds a Friend”