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One second, I’m balls deep in Cora, talking about marriage. The next, she literally runs for the hills.
Yanking up my sweats, I follow the sound of retching. I only stub my toe once on a barstool on the way to what I discover is a bathroom. The whoosh of a flushing toilet welcomes me.
“Cora? You okay, sweetheart?”
She makes a gagging sound that helps me locate her down on the floor. “Yeah,” she says. “I think so.”
Hand extended, I touch her hair. Since I can’t rely on my eyes anymore, I use my hands to read the situation. She’s kneeling on the tile, and her shoulders are hunched. She’s got her hands on her thighs, and the skin of her face is clammy.
“C’mere.” I get down on the floor with her and drag her into my arms. Sleek hair clings to her brow, but I pet it away. “You’re all right now.” My lips find her temple.
She holds on to me weakly.
“So, was that a yes?” I ask.
She laughs and nods. “Yes,” she says. “Definitely, yes.”
“Thank God,” I say. “One of us had to make an honest woman out of you.” Reaching down, I rub my knuckles over her flat lower abdomen. “I hope it’s a girl you’re carrying, but I’ll be happy either way.”
She sucks in a breath. “You think I’m pregnant?” There’s wonder and fear in her voice.
I huff a laugh. “Hugging the porcelain throne before breakfast? Unless you ate some bad steak last night—and I highly doubt that, since the steer was alive yesterday morning—you’re expecting.”
“I thought, maybe,” she says. “But I haven’t, you know, worked right since I had the Virus. You can’t get pregnant if you’re not having periods, can you?”
“Sounds like more of a question for Doc than me.” I scratch my chin. “Maybe we should keep this just between us and him until we know for sure.”
“Too late.” The gravelly voice comes from the doorway. It’s a voice I’d know anywhere.
“Rev,” Cora breathes.
I help her up, and she hugs him, one hand still in mine.
“Congratulations, babygirl.” When Rev talks to Cora, he’s gentle as can be. I can relate. Something about this woman calms a man’s soul. Rev needs more calming than anyone lately. Forget near-death. The man had an actual death experience.
“Let’s not count our chickens,” she says. “We don’t know for sure.”
“Yes, we do,” he says, and I hear the smile in voice. “Had me a Knowing last night. We’re all going to be daddies for real.”
“Seven fathers,” Cora says, and I hear pure, undiluted happiness in her voice. “This is going to be the best protected kid in the world.”
“You got that right, kitten,” I say, and for the first time since getting out of New Orleans, I truly want my sight back. So I can see my son or daughter when they arrive.
Chapter 29
Cora
Leaving Soldier Ranchis bittersweet. It’s a beautiful place, and the men who live here have become fast friends. But I miss my mountain. It’s time to go home.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?” I ask Hope. We’re on the front porch grasping each other’s hands.
“And be a ninth wheel?” she says with a laugh. “No thanks. I’ll stay here while I figure out where I want to go next.”
Behind her, Recon stands with his arms folded, keeping a watchful eye over her. There’s always at least one soldier protecting her. Something tells me when she’s ready to leave, it’ll be with a bodyguard or two in tow.
I wish Hope good luck, and I give my brother the bear-iest of bear hugs. When he concentrates, he can hang onto his physical form. Making the most of his progress, we rock back and forth, and I cry a little.
“You’ll definitely come next summer?” I ask him. That’s when Doc thinks we’ll have a little bundle of joy to welcome to our family.
