Page 93 of Deserving Cora
Lowering herself against him, Cora curled her arms under her, against his chest, and sighed. They sat like that for ten minutes or so, before Cora shivered.
Pipe immediately moved. “You’re cold,” he said. “Time to go in.”
“But I like it out here,” Cora complained.
“And I want my fiancée not to be a popsicle.”
Fiancée. She loved that. More than she thought she ever would.
She let him set her on her feet, then smiled as he immediately took her hand and led her to the stairs. He hadn’t wanted her to come up here for a while after they arrived back, worried that it would hurt her tailbone more than necessary. And while itwasa little painful to use the stairs, she wanted to be in her favorite spot more than she wanted to avoid discomfort.
They slowly made their way down the stairs, with Pipe in front of her, making sure she didn’t fall.
Cora had no idea what was to come in the future. She hoped and prayed that her and Pipe’s relationship would work out. She was well aware that things had been a whirlwind, that when everything got back to normal, and they weren’t risking their lives, their feelings for each other might change. But she didn’t think so.
She’d clicked with Pipe from the first moment they’d met, something she’d only had with one other person in her life. Lara. And look how well their friendship had stood the test of time.
Thinking about her best friend had Cora melancholy once more. She wanted to help her, but she knew the best thing she could do was give her time and space to heal. She’d be there for her when she felt more comfortable with her surroundings.
In the meantime, she’d continue to get to know the men and women from The Refuge, and if she was lucky, find a way to contribute to the place of healing.
EPILOGUE
Pipe looked around the barn with a smile on his face. It was amazing how having Cora in his life, his cabin, his bed, made him so much more content than he’d ever been. He spied her standing in a corner with Alaska, Henley, Reese, and the other women employed at The Refuge. Everyone had worked hard to decorate the barn for the occasion.
Tonka and Henley had secretly gone to Los Alamos and gotten married in a civil ceremony, and to placate everyone afterward, had agreed to let them host a wedding party.
One thing Pipe had learned over the last year was that celebrating the good times in life was just as important as working. And more important than dwelling on the crap that had happened in their pasts.
Alaska had organized everything, and the barn looked like a completely different place than it usually did. The stalls had been decorated with ribbons and bows, the animals all had colorful bows around their necks, which were already looking a little ragged. The goats had promptly eaten theirs, and when any of the other animals got close enough, they tried to eat their bows too.
Melba was loving all the people and the attention. The horses were ignoring everyone, the cats were mainly hiding from all the hubbub, the dogs were looking for any scrap of food that had been dropped on the floor, and Scarlet Pimpernickel, the calf Jasna had named—which wasn’t a calf anymore—was mooing loudly, looking for someone to pay attention to her. It was chaotic, just like things occasionally were at The Refuge. But Pipe wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
The women separated then. Alaska went to a table and got ready to start the music. Reese, who was just beginning to show from her pregnancy, headed for the doors at the end of the barn. Ryan and Carly handed out champagne glasses filled with Sprite, and Robert and Luna stood by a table heaping with appetizers and finger foods, guarding it from the roving animals and ready to help serve when the time was right. Robert had even used some of his precious stash of Christmas Tree Cakes to make a sweet dip. It was the best endorsement he could’ve given Henley and Tonka.
“If I can have your attention,” Brick said loudly, making everyone immediately stop talking and turn toward him. There were a handful of guests in attendance, but mostly the group that had gathered was Refuge family.
“I have the extreme honor of presenting Finn, Henley, and Jasna Matlick!” Brick said, not drawing out the moment. Reese pulled open the barn doors, and Tonka, Henley, and Jasna walked through hand-in-hand.
They were all smiling, although Pipe noticed that Tonka looked a tiny bit uncomfortable being the center of attention. Everyone was aware that this wasn’t the kind of situation he preferred, but for his girls, he’d do just about everything.
Trotting behind the new family were their two rescue dogs. Wally, a beautiful, sleek pit bull mix, and Beauty, a tiny terrier mix.
The family walked over to where a small riser had been created. They stepped up and Tonka immediately wrapped his arm around his wife’s waist, pulling her into his side. Jasna was too excited to stand still. She had a huge smile on her face and seemed to be reveling in the attention.
Everyone in the barn was dressed casually, something Tonka insisted on. Jeans and T-shirts were the norm. It was March, and while there was snow on the ground outside the barn, inside it was toasty warm.
Pipe wandered over to where Cora was standing. She had her phone up and was streaming the ceremony. He wrapped an arm around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder as he cuddled behind her. She turned her head and grinned at him, then turned her attention back to her phone.
Looking around, Pipe saw Brick standing by Alaska at the table with the music. She was ready to hit play as soon as the speeches were done. Spike was standing next to Reese, holding her hand. Stone and Tiny were trying to corral the goats for the couple of minutes it would take for the “official” part of this party to be completed.
The only person missing was Owl.
Everyone knew where he was. He was where he’d been for the last couple of months, since Cora and Lara had joined their Refuge family. In his cabin with Lara.
She was struggling, hard, and it was painful for everyone. It had taken a while for her to fight her addiction to the painkillers she’d been forced to take in Arizona. She suffered from depression, anxiety, and still found it difficult to be around anyone other than Owl.
He knew Cora was devastated that she couldn’t help her friend, that Lara still felt uneasy even around her, but she’d vowed to do whatever it took to help her heal. Which was why she was FaceTiming with Owl, making sure both he and Lara were there for Tonka and Henley’s celebration, even if it was virtually and not in person.
