LITMIR.BIZ

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in their depths, and she hoped he got the message.

      Cord received the message loud and clear. Thirty minutes ago he would’ve taken Nicki back upstairs. When he heard her scream, it was a certainty. Then he’d gone into the den and heard Nicki talking to Becca in a normal tone of voice. He couldn’t make out what she was saying, but she was interacting with Becca—something she hadn’t done with anyone in a long time. Now he had to look at himself. Was he an enabler, as Becca had said? Was he enabling Nicki to be the way she was because he didn’t have the strength or the courage to do anything else? Yes, he was. He could see that. Now he had to try some of that tough love Becca had talked about. Nicki’s future depended on it.

      “No, baby,” Cord said with every bit of strength he possessed. “We’re eating dinner in the dining room. Della has the table all set.” Without another word, he moved toward the door.

      “’Kay, Daddy,” Nicki said meekly, and laid her head on his shoulder.

      Cord let out a long breath. If she’d started crying, he still would have made her, but this was so much easier. Becca was right; he had to be firm.

      Becca followed them into the large dining room. As Cord settled Nicki in her chair, Becca glanced around. The furniture was exquisite and definitely antique. She guessed the late 1800s. The table could easily seat twenty people. There was also a hutch and a china cabinet. The entire set was made of dark wood and decorated with an ornate design that was unlike anything she’d ever seen. The carving had to have been done by hand. She also noticed the china in the cabinet, which was old and very beautiful. She’d bet it wasn’t used anymore because of its fragility, but it was a pleasure just to look at.

      Becca took her seat next to Nicki, and Cord sat at the head of the table. Della brought the food to the table without a word. Afterward she said, “If you need anything, I’ll be in the kitchen.”

      “Thanks, Della,” Cord said, and began to fill his plate and Nicki’s.

      “I’m not hungry,” Nicki said with her arms tight around Dolly.

      The silence became strained, and Becca could see that Cord was struggling with himself again. She had to do something, and fast. She did what came naturally—she talked.

      “My, this looks wonderful,” she said as she dished roast and potatoes onto her plate. “In the hospital, I eat in the cafeteria and it’s not the most appetizing food. The vending machine and I are best friends. Of course, it’s not very healthy so I try not to indulge too often. But sometimes the mind and the stomach aren’t in agreement.” As she talked, she mashed Nicki’s potatoes with her fork and dipped gravy onto them. Then she lavishly buttered a roll and placed it beside the potatoes.

      As Cord watched her, he thought, Anette used to do that. She’d make the food appealing so Nicki would eat. Maybe he should’ve been doing that.

      “These potatoes are delicious, don’t you think so, Cord?”

      He blinked and realized Becca was talking to him. She stared pointedly at his fork, and he realized she wanted him to start eating. He recovered himself and began to do just that.

      “Yes, yes, the potatoes are great,” he said, following Becca’s lead.

      “Della said they were new potatoes. Does that mean she grows them?”

      “Gus does,” Nicki chimed in. Until that moment, she hadn’t said a word or even attempted to pick up her fork, but she was avidly watching Becca.

      “Gus?”

      “That’s my ranch foreman,” Cord answered, as Nicki didn’t say anything else. “He and Della have been here since I was a kid. They live in a small house not far from this one.”

      “Well, Della can certainly cook. I’ve never tasted food so good. And this roll—” she took a bite and purposefully swallowed “—is about the best thing I’ve put in my mouth. I remember one time, my friend Ginger and I decided to make cinnamon rolls. The concept of yeast rising clearly escaped us and our rolls were like pancakes with cinnamon. So I admire anyone who can make rolls like this. It definitely takes talent and patience.”

      Becca’s voice drummed on inside Cord’s head. The woman had one button—On—and she rattled incessantly about anything and everything. He was almost ready to scream stop, when he saw Nicki reach for her fork. Slowly she began to eat the potatoes, then she picked up the roll and took several bites. Cord kept eating, watching this miracle out of the corner of his eye. Becca’s voice hummed on, and it was the most beautiful voice he’d ever heard. He now knew what she was doing—distracting Nicki so she wouldn’t feel forced to eat…and it was working. His baby started eating, and before he knew it almost all the food on her plate was gone.

      Becca was also watching Nicki closely. She leaned back in her chair. “My, that was the best meal I’ve ever eaten.”

      Nicki also leaned back. “Me, too,” she said.

      Della brought the pie out and set it on the table with a knife and plates. Then she began to collect the dinner plates.

      “I’ll help you, Della,” Becca offered.

      “No, you won’t,” Della was quick to say. “That’s my job. You can cut the pie and serve it.”

      Becca didn’t argue. She picked up the knife and cut three pieces. She handed one plate to Cord, placed one in front of Nicki and took the third for herself. She stuck her fore-finger in the chocolate and tasted it. “Mmm. That’s delicious.”

      Nicki scrambled to her knees and Dolly fell to the floor. Nicki stuck her finger in the chocolate as Becca had done. “Mmm, it’s good,” she said.

      “Oh, I love chocolate,” Becca said as she reached for her fork. “I could eat this whole pie myself.”

      “It’s gonna make your butt bigger,” Nicki said as she put a spoonful in her mouth.

      Becca almost spit the chocolate onto the table.

      “Nicki!” Cord admonished.

      “What?” Nicki looked at Cord with big, innocent eyes.

      Becca swallowed quickly. “It’s okay, Cord. Nicki and I were talking about this earlier. It’s really okay.” It was an effort to keep her face from turning red, but she managed.

      Cord couldn’t figure out why Becca was talking to Nicki about big butts. That made no sense. Besides, Becca didn’t have a big butt. She was very slim with curves in all the right places and—he put skids on that thought. She was Colton’s girlfriend and he’d do well to remember it.

      After they finished their pie, Becca smiled at Nicki. “You have chocolate all over your face.”

      A look as if she’d done something wrong came over Nicki, and Becca wanted to quickly dispel it. “But that’s okay because I’ll just lick it off.” Becca tasted chocolate from Nicki’s cheeks with her tongue, and Nicki giggled. “You’re like one big chocolate bar and I could eat you up.”

      “No, don’t eat me.” Nicki giggled more loudly and it was a delight to Becca’s ears. A hospital wasn’t going to be necessary; Nicki just needed some tough love. Now she had to make Cord understand that. Finally she reached for a napkin, dipped it in water and wiped Nicki’s face.

      Anette used to do that, Cord thought again. She always wiped Nicki’s chin and cheeks with a napkin—but she’d never lick food from Nicki’s face. That was too undignified. And she would never permit Nicki to laugh at the dinner table. Anette had all kinds of ridiculous rules. They had argued about them all the time. He believed children should be allowed to be children, and Anette—

      Cord got to his feet. “Let’s go into the den so Della can clean up.”

      “’Kay, Daddy,” Nicki said, crawling out of her chair and scooping up her doll. Becca followed them, trying to think of something to occupy Nicki. She didn’t want her going to her room just yet. Cord sat in

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