Page 42 of Deserving Lara
Lara’s smile grew. “I can. It’s about time someone realized what I’ve known for years and years. That you’re an amazing woman and you’d make someone an equally amazing partner.”
“Thanks,” Cora whispered.
“Come on. Let’s go. I’m sure Pipe is anxious to get his ring on your finger.”
“Lara?” Cora said, not moving.
“Yeah?”
“I would’ve waited as long as it took for you to be able to stand up with me.”
It was Lara’s turn to get teary-eyed.
“You’ll always be my best friend. Just because I’m getting married doesn’t mean that our relationship will change. At least I hope it won’t. And even if you go back to DC and I’m here…don’t think you’re gonna get rid of me that easily.”
Lara chuckled through her tears. But the immediate visceral reaction she had eventhinkingabout leaving The Refuge was almost scary. She hadn’t thought about going back to the East Coast. Not once. In one of the few phone calls she’d had with her parents, they’d mentioned it, but Lara had never entertained the idea. She couldn’t imagine going back there. And not only because this was where Owl lived. DC held too many bad memories. And if she saw Eleanor Vanlandingham, after hearing how she’d treated Cora at the auction…she wasn’t sure what she’d do to the woman.
Taking a deep breath, she decided to lighten the mood. Cora would hate it if she actually cried right now. Because then she’d go out into the other room, Pipe would ask what had happened and if she was all right, and it would delay their ceremony. So she said, “If you tried to blow me off, you wouldn’t like what happened.”
To her relief, Cora chuckled. “Right. I’m shaking in my boots,” she said, then walked toward the door, snagging Lara’s arm as she passed. “Come on. I want to marry my man, go eat some grub, then come back here and have my wicked way with him all night.”
“Like that’s any different from any other night?” Lara teased.
Cora stopped in her tracks and stared at Lara for a moment before grinning and shaking her head. “I think I like this new Lara. Teasing me about sex? I can’twaituntil you and Owl get it on and we can talk sexual positions and how good our men are in the sack.”
Lara didn’t comment, just went along docilly as Cora headed for the door once more.
The pang of longing deep down almost hurt. She wanted exactly what her friend described. More than she could put into words. Wanted to be able to sit down and talk sex and relationships with her best friend. But honestly, she wasn’t sure what would happen in the future. Owl might see her as nothing more than the broken woman who was the best friend to one ofhisfriends’ wives. She didn’tthinkthat was the case, but she’d been completely wrong when it came to her love life before.
Luckily, she didn’t have too much time to think about that because as soon as they entered the main room, Pipe walked over and pulled Cora in his arms. He kissed her long and hard, then headed for the front door without a word.
“Guess it’s time,” Lara joked, feeling a little like a third wheel.
“You think they’d even notice if we didn’t join them on the rooftop deck at all?” Owl said with a chuckle.
Lara should’ve been surprised that Owl was on the same wavelength when it came to being a third wheel around their friends, but she wasn’t. Not after how much time they’d spent together.
Owl reached for her hand once more and led her out of the house behind their friends. Before she knew it, they were on the deck. Looking around, Lara was impressed. It was just what Cora said she wanted, an intimate ceremony at sunset. Pipe had switched out his colorful fairy lights for white ones, adding more strings along the deck railings, and the sun was low enough in the sky to give the lights an ethereal glow. Cora was beautiful, and Pipe looked so strong and imposing. His gaze never strayed from the woman in front of him.
Owl stood next to his friends and pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket, clearing his throat before speaking.
Unfortunately, Lara didn’t hear a word. She couldn’t stop staring at Cora and Pipe. Their emotional connection was easy to see. All her life, Cora had been the one who was skeptical of love. She’d made fun of Lara for her romantic side, suffered through countless viewings ofCinderella, and couldn’t stand Hallmark movies around the holidays. She thought they were cheesy and unrealistic.
And yet, here she was. Her hands in Pipe’s, looking up at him just as those heroines in those Hallmark movies looked at their heroes.
Lara closed her eyes. If she hadn’t made that stupid decision to go to Arizona with Ridge, if she hadn’t been the object of a serial killer’s obsession, if Cora hadn’t decided to go to that auction to try to bid on Pipe…her best friend wouldn’t be where she was right this moment.
She wouldn’t have found the one person in the world meant to be hers. She wouldn’t be marrying the love of her life.
Contentment spread through Lara. She’d been through hell. Had thought she was going to die. Had endured things no one should have to experience. And yet…suddenly, she knew she wouldn’t change a moment. One of the things she’d wanted for years had happened…because ofher. Her best friend was happy. Truly and deeply happy.
It made everything worth it.
“Cora…you may say your vows.”
Lara turned her attention back to what was happening in front of her. Cora and Pipe had decided to write their own vows, and she didn’t want to miss them.
“All my life, I’ve been an outcast. Looking through windows, wanting what I saw happening inside. But the harder I tried, the more elusive those dreams got. As time passed, I realized that I was different. Something was wrong with me. There had to be, because no one ever seemed to want me. My love was rejected time and time again. Until Lara.”
