Page 55 of Corey
“Yes, but I’d love to surprise him. Something simple, of course, because I’m not exactly the best chef. But I think he deserves it after hunting down the bad guys.”
“I’m sure he’d appreciate it,” Julia said. “Maybe he’ll reward you with some more of those orgasms you raved about.”
Sera laughed. “That would be nice.”
They chatted for a while longer and Julia helped her decide on a yummy meal that wasn’t too complicated. Mitch returned, drinking some healthy-looking green concoction he’d grabbed from a cafe on Main Street, and Julia informed him they wanted to go to Corey’s cabin.
“We’ll be perfectly fine,” she insisted, and Sera nodded.
“And by the time we go to the grocery store and get up there, the guys will almost be home,” Sera added.
“I’ll go with you,” he stated gruffly.
“Dad—”
“Tell me when you’re ready to go.” His voice held that no-arguing-with-me-about-this tone.
Julia sighed then pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Stubborn man.”
“Just a dad concerned about his daughter and her friend.”
A wistful smile lifted Sera’s lips. At times like these, she especially missed her father. “Thank you, Mr. Evans.”
“Call me Mitch.”
Sera’s heart expanded. They’d all made her feel so welcome since she’d arrived in Cielo Springs.It would be such a nice place to live.The thought teased her, but she didn’t want to get her hopes up too high. One step at a time.
After getting dressed, Sera loaded Loki into his carrier and, after a quick stop at the grocery store, they headed up the mountain in Julia’s cute Jeep Wrangler.
Joel was in hiding, the CIA hot on his trail, so she’d convinced herself he wasn’t a threat any longer. She also felt safer because the sun was shining brightly, and she’d have Julia, Mitch and Storm by her side.
All sorts of plans came together in Sera’s mind. She wanted to get a roaring fire going and fill the cabin with the smells of cooking, so when Corey walked through the door, it would be a welcoming atmosphere. Plus, she truly hated that Storm was up there all alone. Yes, he could take care of himself, but she missedthe wolf. He was Corey’s best friend and she wanted to check in on him. Maybe even try to bond a bit with him. He didn’t scare her anymore, she realized. It wasn’t a completely unexpected feeling because she loved animals so much, and she saw how amazing he was with Corey.
The snow flurries hadn’t resulted in any additional measurable accumulation, and the drive wasn’t bad at all. Julia had obviously mastered the technique of driving in Montana winters, and maybe one day Sera would, too.
When they reached the cabin, they all got out and trudged up to the porch. Sera opened the front door with the spare set of keys Brand kept at the bar, in case of an emergency.
“Oh, shit!” Julia jumped, bumping into Sera, and she turned to see Storm standing at the edge of the porch, silently watching them with glowing amber eyes.
“I can see why Brandon didn’t want him at the bar,” Mitch said. “He’d scare all the customers away.” For the first time since meeting him, Mitch looked uneasy.
“Hi, Storm,” Sera greeted him, voice calm and friendly. “C’mon in, boy. What’re you doing out here? Hunting?”
Julia scurried inside, followed by Mitch, and Storm loped in beside Sera, staying at her side. She couldn’t help but smile as she let her hand slide over his thick coat. He was truly stunning, and she felt herself growing more and more comfortable with him. He fascinated her, reminding her of Corey—fierce, loyal, caring, powerful and a little wild.
They went right to the fridge and she pulled out one of Storm’s premade meals. After setting his large bowl down, she turned back to Julia and her father. “Thank you so much forbringing me back. You’re more than welcome to hang out, but I’ll be okay.”
“We’ll hang out for a little bit,” Julia said. “You put Loki away and then we can make more coffee and get a fire going. It’s cold in here.”
“Okay, sounds good.” She grabbed Loki’s carrier. “Corey said he’s been having trouble with the heater and I guess the generator doesn’t always kick on.”
“I’ll go out and grab more wood,” Julia said.
“I’ll help you, honey,” Mitch said. “I can take a look at that generator, too.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate it.” While Mitch and Julia headed outside, Sera went upstairs and released Loki from his bubble carrier. She’d just stashed it in the corner when she heard the front door slam shut, followed by a commotion downstairs. A deep, masculine voice yelled out and Sera froze.
That isn’t Mitch’s voice,she realized, her blood chilling.
