Page 28 of Corey
Chapter Eleven
After the meeting at Old Glory, Corey and Sera went to the grocery store and stocked up. More snow was inevitable, especially in the mountains, and he didn’t want to be unprepared. As they walked down an aisle, she reached for a bag of popcorn kernels but then pulled her hand away.
“Popcorn sounds good,” he said after seeing her hesitate. “Get whatever you want.”
“It’s okay. I was just remembering when my mom used to make it the old school way. We had an air popper.”
“Well, I don’t have an air popper, but I do have a microwave.” He grabbed a box of movie butter microwave popcorn and tossed it into the cart. She glanced down at the popcorn, brow furrowing.
“What is it?” he asked, watching her chew her full lower lip. She had a gorgeous set of lips, the lower one plump, slightly pouty and made to be nibbled.
“It’s just, well, I don’t have a job anymore, so I shouldn’t spend too much.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s on me,” he offered.
“No, I’m paying half.”
“Not necessary,” he said gruffly.
“But—”
Corey turned to face her, and she was right on his heels. She abruptly stopped walking right before colliding with him, and he grabbed her elbows. Her mouth opened as she sucked in a sharp breath, and her lovely rose scent filled his nose. Breathing it deeply into his lungs, he took a moment to savor it. What was it? Her shampoo? Soap? God, it was delicious.
“How about you pay me back later?” he suggested. “Once we get things settled.”
“Okay,” she finally murmured, studying his beard before looking up at him. “That’s very kind of you.”
When he realized he was still holding her arms, he reluctantly let go. But not before giving them a small squeeze. Swiping a self-conscious hand over his beard, he wondered again if it might be time for a trim. The idea of her thinking he looked like a yeti didn’t appeal to him. Not that he expected she was thinking about him at all. Why would she be?
“Let’s shop,” he said, and she sent him a small smile that made his insides tumble. That feeling hadn’t happened in a very long time and he’d forgotten how pleasant it could be. Exciting. Dangerous for a guy like him who had massive issues.
Clearing his throat, he pushed the cart forward. She still seemed hesitant to put too many things in the cart, so anything she looked at, Corey tossed inside. The urge to give her everything she wanted filled him.
Living by yourself in a remote cabin in the woods for as long as he had must be taking its toll. For years, he’d kept to himself, avoiding people—except for his Motley Crew—and now he was enjoying the unexpected company. Sure, he was a reclusive bachelor set in his ways, but that didn’t eliminate hisbasic human need for companionship. And spending time with Sera fulfilled something inside him he’d been ignoring for a very long time.
His own happiness.
Corey couldn’t remember the last time he’d been truly happy. Haunted, sure. But happy? Not with his own company, anyway.
As Sera wandered ahead, scanning the shelves, he focused on the back of her dark blonde head. Her similarity to Cassidy, the hostage who’d died in his arms, sent a chill down his spine. He paused and squeezed his eyes shut.It’s not her. You failed her and she’s dead. But Sera is alive.
Opening his eyes again, he forced his boots to move. Maybe by helping Sera, he could somehow make amends for failing Cassidy. Not that it would bring her back, because he couldn’t, and he hated himself for it. But he could try his damnedest to take care of Sera, make sure she had everything she needed and neutralize the threat coming after her.
She paused to study a box of crackers then started walking again. As Corey passed, he swiped them up and dropped them in the cart without her noticing. He also made sure to go down the baking aisle and load up on ingredients so he could do some more baking. By the time they reached the checkout, the basket overflowed.
“Oh, my gosh. How did we wind up with so much stuff?” she asked as he started unloading and placing items on the conveyor belt.
“My cupboards are practically empty,” he said with a shrug. “Besides, if it snows again, we need to make sure we’re stocked up.”
She helped him empty the cart, and he reached for his wallet, pulled his card out and paid. He had no intention of allowing her to pay him back, so when she mentioned it again, he merely nodded. They loaded the truck’s back seat with seven brown bags overflowing with food, three cases of bottled water and a bag of rock salt.
On the drive back to the cabin, Corey noticed her shiver and turned the vents in her direction.
“You can take the girl out of Cali, but you can’t take Cali out of the girl,” she joked. “I’m not sure how you can deal with this cold. Your jacket isn’t even zipped up.”
His lips twitched. “I’m used to it. Although I do remember how nice San Diego weather is.”
“You’ve been there?”
