Buch lesen: «The Only One For Me»

Chapter 1

Corra Coleman danced around her cozy kitchen preparing breakfast and lunch for her children, Jamie and Katie, while she kept a keen eye on the clock. A typical Wednesday morning at the Coleman household.

“Mom, I can’t find my charm bracelet,” Katie whined.

Corra finished stuffing their lunch boxes, and then pushed them to the end of the counter. “Honey, it’s not in your backpack?”

“No, that’s where I’m looking.” Katie stood up and turned her backpack upside down, spilling the contents onto the middle of the kitchen floor.

“Katie!” Corra barked.

“Mom, can I go back upstairs and get my baseball glove?” Jamie asked from his seat at the kitchen table.

“Have you finished your cereal?” Corra asked, as she hurried over to help Katie sort through her belongings on the floor.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Okay, but hurry. The school bus will be outside any minute now, and we’re already in trouble for holding up the bus.”

Jamie pushed his chair back and ran for the stairs.

“It’s not here.” Katie started to cry.

“Well, honey, maybe it’s in your room. Go on up and look for it real quick.” The bracelet was a birthday present from her uncle Rollin last year. The first day she wore it to school she aced her exam and was selected as the lead in her school play. Since then, she wore her lucky charm to school every day.

Katie took off running while Corra buckled her backpack. The way she calculated it she had about twenty seconds to sip some coffee before they came stampeding back down the stairs. She never had time to eat breakfast at home. She walked over to the back door and looked out. Between the houses in back of her she could see the school bus on the next block.

She grabbed the lunch boxes and Katie’s backpack and hurried to the front door. She glanced up the stairs on her way. “What are you two doing up there, the school bus is on the way.”

Ten-year-old Jamie took the stairs two at a time and practically crashed into Corra on his way out.

She hollered out the door. “If you don’t come home with that glove don’t come at all. I’m not buying another one.”

With his backpack on one shoulder, and his glove on one hand, Jamie threw up the other hand signifying he’d heard her.

The bus pulled to a screeching halt a few houses down. Corra turned around looking for Katie. “Katie, come on, the bus is here.”

“But Mom, I still can’t find my bracelet.”

From the bottom of the stairs Corra looked up at her baby who looked like someone had broken her heart. Oh man, he’s going to honk his horn, I know he is. Although her leg was nearly healed after being broken in an accident seven months ago, Corra still wasn’t up to jogging up the stairs. She’d just have to deal with the bus driver because she had to help her baby.

Once upstairs in Katie’s room, she started tossing clothes and covers around. “Where did you last see it?” she asked.

“It was on the dresser when I went to bed last night.”

Corra walked over and peered behind the dresser, and there lay Katie’s bracelet, and a few other items. Corra pulled the dresser out a little. “Bingo.” She retrieved everything, and handed Katie the bracelet. Alongside of the bracelet was a small baby picture of Katie and her father, Eric Hayden, during happier times. Corra hadn’t seen this picture in a long time, or her ex in over two years.

The school bus horn sounded and Corra slapped the picture facedown on the dresser. If she didn’t see that again it would be too soon.

“Come on, young lady.” She grabbed Katie’s hand and hurried out of the room. Katie trotted down the stairs ahead of her.

Katie pulled on her jacket and her backpack, and then gave Corra a hug and a kiss before she ran out the door. Corra stood on the porch and waved as the bus passed. There went the two most important people in her life.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Corra was in her car listening to the radio as she hurried down the quiet picturesque two-lane road that led to her family’s business. The Coleman House bed-and-breakfast was not only her parents’ legacy to her and her brother Rollin, it was also now her place of employment. She pulled her car around the back of the new gift shop into her reserved spot and climbed out.

She walked across the driveway to the back of the house. From outside she could smell the coffee, and breakfast that Rita prepared for the guests that morning. She knocked before opening the back door, then walked in.

“Morning, Corra, grab yourself a plate before I put everything away.” Rita Coleman, Corra’s aunt by marriage and the bed-and-breakfast’s head cook, housekeeper and master gardener came over and planted her usual kiss on Corra’s cheek.

“Morning, Rita.” Corra put her purse in the back hall closet and returned to grab herself a plate.

“Everybody’s out this morning doing one thing or another, but the truck will be back soon and I want to get the kitchen cleaned up.”

Corra looked up at the clock on the kitchen wall. It was almost nine o’clock, which meant she had thirty minutes to eat before she prepared to open the gift shop. “I’m pressed for time this morning too.” Corra sat at the small kitchen table. “I’ve got a local artist bringing some things for consignment.”

“I didn’t know you did consignments?” Rita said, as she poured Corra a cup of coffee.

“We just started. One of Tayler’s ideas.” Her soon-to-be sister-in-law, Tayler Carter, left her job in Chicago to be with Rollin, and brought a wealth of business-building ideas with her.

After Corra finished her breakfast the back door swung open and her older brother, Rollin, walked in. She hadn’t expected to see him since most of his mornings were spent out on the farm.

Dressed in his usual jeans, cotton T-shirt and boots, he walked in wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. “Morning Rollin, I thought you were already out checking the crops by now,” Corra said.

“I was, but I’ve got some business to take care of in town. Some of us start work before 8:00 a.m., missy.” He grabbed a glass from the cabinet and walked over to the refrigerator for water.

“Rollin, you know I can’t get here any earlier. I have to get the kids off to school.” He teased her about her hours every week. Since she quit managing Save-A-Lot groceries and started working at the Coleman House she’d only averaged about thirty hours a week.

Rollin threw back his water and set the glass on the counter. “Sis, I need you to do something for me today.”

“What’s that?” Corra asked, as she finished her plate and pushed it aside.

“I’m expecting a guy to drop by this morning and demo a new computer program. I need you to handle it for me.”

“Me! Why me? You know more about that system than I do. Or Tayler, she knows it.”

“Tayler’s in town taking care of some business and there’s an issue with the last shipment for Whole Foods that I need to attend to. You can do it. Just see if what he has is better than what we’re currently using.”

“But, I have a client coming by this morning.” She placed her plate and his glass in the dishwasher.

“He’s not coming until around noon. And it won’t take long.” Rollin turned and looked out the back window. “Here comes the morning truck. You should have seen the crew this morning. They’re from the city and were so excited to tour the farm they practically ran out and jumped on the truck.”

Corra walked over to the window and stood beside her brother. The pickup truck slowly made its way up the road to the house. The bed-and-breakfast was a working farm where every morning at 8:00 a.m. Kevin, a full-time employee, and Kyla, their cousin and a new employee, loaded the guests on the back of the truck and carried them out to the fields to pick the day’s meal. Rita would prepare their vegetables and fruits for dinner. However, nothing was in season at the moment. So, the guests toured the farm.

“We’ve got a full house this week, don’t we?” Corra asked.

“Yep. For Greek Alumni week at the college, Tayler suggested we offer a discount. Booked us up for two weeks. After that we have a few vacancies.”

“Well, I’d better get ready to open the gift shop.”

“Hey, don’t forget about the computer guy. He’ll come to the house, not the gift shop.”

“Rollin, how can I be in two places at once?”

“Kyla will help you out. Let her cover the shop once he gets here.”

Corra nodded. In the time Corra spent recovering from a broken fibula, Tayler had convinced Rollin to do something she couldn’t—hire more staff. Tayler had taken over serving breakfast from Rollin while Rita remained the queen of the kitchen. To assist her they’d brought on two relatives. Tracee Coleman, who’d spent five years working for a bakery in Louisville, Kentucky, and her younger sister Kyla who was working on her Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Kentucky. She worked on the farm four days a week. She had even helped Rollin set up an internship with the local college. They currently had two young interns onboard.

Corra walked outside as the truck pulled up. She waved to Kevin as Kyla jumped off the back of the truck. She gave a few instructions to the guests before waving at Corra.

“Morning, Corra. You missed a fun ride this morning.”

“I’m sure I did.” Corra waved back. Kyla had the body of a dancer, with her long legs and trim figure. She was super smart, highly adaptable, and she had an insatiable curiosity about the bed-and-breakfast. She was just the type of employee they needed.

Seconds after Corra opened up shop the bell over the door jingled. In walked her first customer of the day.

* * *

When the decision was made to move 3C Evolution’s call center to Danville, Kentucky, two employees accepted the offer to move with Christopher Williams. Customer service manager Terry Davis and office manager Valerie Amares were now Danville residents.

The new office was small, but large enough to cover the Southeastern territory. Chris and Terry walked out of a meeting where they discussed how successfully the staffing of the center was going.

“Chris, are you sure you don’t want me to handle this demo for you?” Terry asked.

“I can handle this one. The bed-and-breakfast is owned by one of my former teammates.”

“The Coleman House?” Terry asked.

“Yeah, Rollin Coleman and I played football together in high school. We had some great times out at the farm. Some of which I can’t tell you about.”

Terry laughed. “Yeah, I bet. Getting girls in the cornfield.”

Chris shrugged. “Hey, don’t knock it.”

“Naw, man. I understand. I grew up in a small town myself outside of Indianapolis. I was on my high school basketball team. It was by far the best time of my life. But, those were the good old days,” Terry concluded.

Terry walked down the hall with Chris until they stood at Val’s desk.

“Headed out, Chris?” Val asked.

“I’m going to swing by my folks’ place first, then I’ll be at the Coleman House if anybody’s looking for me.”

“We’ll hold the fort down,” Terry said.

“Do you think you’ll be back in time for the four o’clock conference call?” Val asked.

Chris snapped his fingers. “I forgot all about that.” He turned to Terry. “What are you doing at four o’clock?”

Terry’s eyes widened. “Uh, nothing.”

“Great.” Chris turned to Val. “Terry will sit in for me. Let Craig know.”

“But it’s a director’s meeting!” Terry’s voice rose.

“Good preparation for the increased responsibilities you’ll have here. Just keep me abreast of what’s going on.”

Chris laughed at the startled looks on Terry and Val’s faces. He had a promotion in mind for the both of them, as long as the call center went off without a hitch.

Chris suddenly thought of Corra Coleman. He’d been in town two weeks and he hadn’t seen or spoken to her since his return. Although he’d been extremely busy getting everything functional and assisting Terry in hiring a supervisor and a few call center reps, he should have called Corra the day he arrived. The last time he spoke to her she was recovering nicely from the accident and had no hard feelings toward him. He hoped those emotions hadn’t changed.