Best of Me

Chapter 7

Garrett closed the ledger and leaned back in the chair with a thoughtful expression. There was little doubt as to exactly how little support Cora had been receiving over the last few years. It was evident that Aunt Mable had gone slowly, testing her abilities, before she had gone full force, leaving Cora, Margie and Leon with very little on which to run the house.

Cora's earnings had been carefully recorded, and what she had said was true, without her money Aunt Mable wouldn't even have food to eat. He couldn't help but wonder if Aunt Mable had any real idea of just how much money she had pulled from the household budget in the last year alone.

He threw his glasses on the desk and stood up with a stretch, it was almost midnight and he had an early conference call in the morning. His thoughts were so immersed in trying to think of a solution for Cora's problem that he didn't pause to knock on the bathroom door before he opened it. He didn't know what shocked him more the fact that Cora was standing in the middle of the cold room naked or that she was covered from head to toe in bruises. It looked as if someone had beaten her.

He looked at her face, expecting outrage or embarrassment, but she only stood there with her eyes closed and tears running down her pale cheeks. He felt his heart lurch and his stomach drop at her evident pain. Then anger rapidly filled the vacant place where his stomach had been. What or who had done this to her?

******

Cora closed her eyes at Garrett's continued study of her. She couldn't tell if he was shocked by the fact that she was there or by the pathetic sight her broken body made. She could no longer fight the tears as they started streaming down her cheeks.

The silence seemed to stretch on forever before he finally broke it. "What happened to you?" His voice sounded unusually deep and clipped.

She took a steadying breath. "I was hit by a car." She was trying her best to keep her voice level.

"When?" he asked in and astounded voice.

"This afternoon." She cleared her throat.

"You have to go to the hospital-,"

"I did, they sent me home." She cut him off not wanting a lecture, she had had enough of those from the doctors and nurses at the hospital that had been against her leaving.

"Good Lord, is that where you've been all day?" he sounded extremely angry. "Why didn't you call anyone."

She suddenly couldn't take anymore. She reached for a towel with a grimace and did her best to cover herself. "Do we have to have this conversation now?" she hissed.

"Yes, I think we do."

"Fine!" She spun to face him. "I didn't call anyone because there was no one to call."

He was completely silent at this, she could see the thoughts going through his head of what her options were, he knew she couldn't have called him or Aunt Mable.

As he opened his mouth to speak she cut him off, "Margie and Leon are not to know about this. They worry too much as it is and they have enough to do." The truth was that if they took over her duties there would be hell to pay with Aunt Mable but she couldn't tell him that.

He was staring hard at her and she could feel his anger as it came off of him in waves.

"All I wanted was a shower!" she wailed pitifully. "I have mud in my hair and I can't reach my toes.

He was silent as he watched her cry. "Fine!"

The sudden harsh word made her jump and she was startled out of her crying fit.