Page 28 of Fit for Love
Clearly, Cora thought I was just using her for her money. That was so far from the truth. If I was honest, when I first picked her up from the station, I thought she was still the same person who had certain views about how people should live their lives. Hearing about her own fall from grace made her more real. And that was the person I was attracted to.
Then it clicked.
Cora thought I only wanted her for her money.
Abruptly, I sat up. I had an idea that might just work.
The next morning, I went to Cora’s room and knocked tentatively on the door.
“Cora? Are you awake?”
I waited for a beat, then popped my head around the door.
She rubbed her eyes and yawned. “Hi.”
“How are you feeling this morning?”
“I don’t think I know yet. I’ve only just woken up. Those pills certainly helped me sleep.” She moved and winced. “I don’t think I’ll be running up any hills in the near future though.”
“Will you have dinner with me later?”
“What? Why?” Her tired-looking face clouded over. “I thought we said everything last night, Ethan.”
“Not quite everything. Please, Cora? One more chance?”
Seemingly defeated, she nodded. “I guess. One more chance.”
Satisfied with her response, I grinned. “Great, I’ll see you later.”
I bounded down the stairs with renewed vigour. There were a few things I needed to do, not least finding the best vegan, gluten-free feast I could. I was still learning what Cora’s preferred diet was all about.
Mal sat at the table, shovelling croissants into his mouth. “I thought you might be Cora,” he said. “I still feel guilty eating stuff around her she wouldn’t like.”
“She’s just waking up. You know what happened to her yesterday?”
He shook his head. “Nope. I know she was in bed when Piper and I got home.”
Briefly, I filled Mal in on Cora’s misadventures, embellishing the facts of me as her hero.
“Given what you did to her the other night, it’s only right you should have rescued her when you did.” He shot me a wry look, his face lopsided. “What were you thinking?”
I sank into the chair beside him. “Clearly I wasn’t. I know it’s a bit weird, me even thinking about Cora in a romantic way, particularly after the two of you were together.”
“You’re right, it is a bit odd. But if you like her?” Mal washed his croissant down with a swig of coffee. “Although I thought you were heading away again soon? That’s why you’re doing all the work around here, isn’t it? The taxi driving, the odd jobs and the personal training?”
His words gave me a reality check. He was right. I had been considering my next trip, with vague plans of dates and where I wanted to go. If I wanted to do that, should I really be making things right with Cora now? I guessed that I had nothing to lose. It was possible she would still hate me, even after I told her my plan. I could still go away, and forget all about her. That wasn’t what I wanted to do though. I wanted to make it work with her.
“You know what she’s been through with Orlando though, so take it easy, mate. Don’t go rushing into something that’s going to scare her off.” Mal paused. “I can’t say I’m completely happy about it, but I guess you have to follow your heart.”
He was right. I needed to do just that.
That evening, I’d asked Mal and Piper if they would be able to make themselves scarce for a while. If I was about to be shot down, then the fewer witnesses I had for that the better.
I spent time preparing the table and the meal. The sun was coming down and the sky was full of oranges and pinks, the perfect view from the table.
Once I’d chosen the menu, I needed a lot of help from the woman at the farm shop, who was amazing at finding all the ingredients I needed for the feast I wanted to prepare: a peanut tofu buddha bowl followed by French toast with spiced plums. I’d found the recipes online from Cora’s own website and thought it was a nice gesture. They were apparently some of her favourite things to eat. And I hoped that once I’d finished explaining—again—I’d be one of her favourite things too.
She appeared just as I was putting the tofu into the frying pan.
