Page 22 of Deserving Cora
When Cora shut the bathroom door behind her, she leaned against it and sighed. “Get a hold of yourself,” she scolded softly. “He’s helping you find Lara. That’s it.”
She quickly did her business, changed into a pair of boy shorts and an oversized T-shirt, and brushed her teeth before heading out of the bathroom. She left her duffle inside because it wasn’t as if she’d need anything for the—she looked at her wristwatch—next four hours or so that she’d be sleeping.
The room was dark, except for a sliver of light coming through the curtains that hadn’t been shut all the way. Cora pulled the covers back and crawled under the sheet. She fluffed up the pillows behind her and sighed in contentment as she finally relaxed.
The blow-up mattress had been fine, better than the hard floor, but it felt heavenly to be on an actual bed at the moment.
“Pipe? Are you asleep?” she whispered.
“No. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just…thank you.”
“Don’t thank me until we find your friend,” he countered.
“No, seriously. No one else would listen to me. Or they’d listen to me, then quote me an exorbitant price to do nothing more than some searches on the Internet. Even if you guys can’t find her. If she’s…if Ridge has…you know. I’m grateful for your help. I know this isn’t normal for you guys, and I don’t want to get anyone in any trouble. But I’m so relieved you gave me a chance to tell you my story.”
She heard the covers in the bed next to her rustle, and she looked over at where she knew Pipe was lying. She could barely see his shape in the darkness of the room, but she could feel him looking at her. “I promise that I’m gonna see this through. I don’t know what the outcome will be, but I give you my word that we’ll find out what happened to your friend.”
Tears sprang to Cora’s eyes. She wasn’t a crier. Ever since a kid in one of her foster homes called her a crybaby and made fun of her, she’d done her best to keep any tears to herself. But she couldn’t help but hear the sincerity in Pipe’s voice, and it felt like the gentlest and warmest of hugs. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“Go to sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day,” he said.
Cora nodded. It was hard to believe she was actually going to The Refuge. She’d read so much about it, she was actually excited about getting to meet Melba and Scarlet Pimpernickel, and the squirrel with the missing legs, and the other guys, and even the women. Cora had a hard time making friends, but she’d gotten the feeling Alaska and the others were pretty down to earth.
She expected to lie awake thinking about her evening, and Lara, and worrying about what was to come, but because she felt down to her bones that she was safe with Pipe in the other bed, within moments of her closing her eyes, she fell into a dreamless sleep.
CHAPTERSEVEN
Pipe stared blankly at the back of the seat in front of him on the plane and scowled. He didn’t get much sleep the night before. He’d been too keyed up. Now his mind was going in a thousand different directions. He was as amped as he used to get before a mission. He had so many questions rolling around in his head.
He’d been shocked at the condition of Cora’s apartment. Of all the reasons why she didn’t want him to see inside, he never would’ve guessed it was because she was embarrassed that she’d sold every single one of her belongings that she could get any kind of money for, in order to raise enough money to “buy” him. And even winning a date with him wouldn’t have guaranteed that he’d listen to her, or agree to help. Yet, she’d done it anyway.
If anything could convince him that Lara Osler really was in danger, it was that. Most people wouldn’t go to such extremes to convince someone else that they thought their friend was in danger if they honestly, down to their soul, didn’t believe it themselves.
But that brought up the question of what exactly they were going to do. Yeah, they could go to Arizona, knock on this Ridge guy’s door…but what then? Special forces or not, it wasn’t as if they could kidnap Lara a second time if she didn’t want to leave. Would Cora accept that she wanted to stay and simply walk away? He doubted it.
Cora shifted in the seat next to him, and he turned to look at her. Her brown hair was mussed around her shoulders. He couldn’t shake the memory of it spread out on the pillow this morning. He felt like a creeper as he lay in his own bed and watched her sleep, but he couldn’tnotlook at her. He was both pleased and disconcerted that she’d trusted him so quickly last night. He could’ve done anything to her while she was sleeping. Could’ve seriously hurt her. And yet, she fell asleep seemingly without a second thought.
As if she could feel him looking at her, Cora turned her head and met his gaze.
“What?” she asked a little self-consciously.
“Nothing. I’m just having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that this is really happening.”
She chuckled. “I think that’s my line,” she told him with a small smile. “And for the record…last night wasn’t smart on your part.”
Pipe blinked in confusion. “Why?”
“You don’t know me, and yet you let me stay with you. I could’ve taken your wallet and all your other stuff while you were sleeping. I could’ve hurt you.”
Pipe burst out laughing. He couldn’t help it. “I was just thinking the exact same thing about you,” he told her honestly.
They shared a smile. Then Cora’s faded.
“What was that thought?” Pipe asked.
“Lara is probably scared and maybe being abused, and I’m sitting here enjoying myself, and it feels so wrong.”
