“That would be great. I get off at five. I’d better go. I’m having dinner with the Langfords’ aunt tonight.”
“Cory.” Brenda paused. “You sound good.”
“Thanks. I’m glad you pushed me into this. It’s great to be working again. I gotta go. I’ll see you on Thursday.”
“I’m looking forward to it. See you then.”
They ended the call, and after taking one more look at her new digs, Cory headed to the main house. She knocked, and Lucinda slid the patio door open for her. The garlicky scent of Italian food filled her senses. “Smells good in here. Can I do anything to help?”
“Keep an eye on Micah, so I can put everything on the table.” Jenny put the toddler down. “He’s at that age where he gets into everything.”
“I’m setting the table,” Lucinda announced. Her chestnut hair had been pulled into a wavy ponytail. “Toby’s upstairs washing his hands. I already washed mine.”
“Thank you so much for inviting me to eat with you.” Cory followed the towheaded little boy around the kitchen, ready to intervene if he got into something he shouldn’t.
“You’re welcome.” Jenny’s warm gaze settled on her. “What do you think of the carriage house?”
The older woman bore an uncanny resemblance to Ted. They had the same kind eyes and curly hair, though Jenny’s had turned mostly silver. “It’s really nice.” The toddler swatted her hand away as she tried to keep him out of the dog’s water dish. “I love it. Somebody cleaned in there recently. Do you know who I should thank?” She glanced toward Lucinda.
“Me and Mommy.” The little girl beamed, and her large brown eyes sparkled. “Mommy did most of the work, but I helped. I dusted and swept.”
“I sure do appreciate all your hard work.” Cory lifted a squirming Micah and brought him over to his high chair. “Does he have a bib handy?”
“I’ll get one for him.” Lucinda headed for the kitchen drawers next to the sink.
Jenny placed a large ceramic bowl of spaghetti and meatballs on the table and walked back to the fridge. “Noah tells me you were a communications specialist in the army.”
“That’s right. I was stationed in the Kandahar Province in Afghanistan near the airfield. It was my job to make sure headquarters maintained contact with the FOBs in the region.”
“What’s an FOB?” Lucinda fastened the bib around Micah’s neck just as Toby walked into the kitchen.
“FOB stands for forward operating base. It’s where soldiers are sent on their missions.” Toby’s shirt was soaked, and his hands were still dripping. “Looks like you managed to wash your shirt along with your hands.”
He broke out in an adorable little-boy grin, revealing a dimple on his right cheek. His coloring was more like Noah’s, with the green-brown eyes and straight tawny-blond hair. Taking his place in the chair next to Lucinda’s, he continued to study her with curious eyes.
“Toby is messy,” Lucinda declared without a hint of judgment in her voice. “Daddy says he’ll grow out of it, but I don’t think he will. He’s always been messy.”
“Messes are fun.” Toby threw his hands in the air, sending water droplets flying.
“I hope you wiped up after yourself, young man.” Jenny set a bowl of salad and a basket of garlic bread on the table and sat down next to Micah’s high chair.
“Yup. I did, but then I played with the water some more.”
“I’ll bet you left the towel on the floor.” Lucinda flashed Toby an exasperated big-sister look.
Toby nodded, his face serious. “I did.”
Cory chuckled. “Can I help you fill your plate, Toby?” He nodded again and peered up at her while she dished out a pile of the spaghetti and added a piece of the garlic bread to his plate.
“You’re pretty,” he blurted.
“And you’re a charmer.” She ruffled his hair and took her seat.
“You are pretty,” Lucinda confirmed.
Her breath hitched. She didn’t feel pretty, nor did she want to. She shoved the unwelcome thoughts away. “Everybody has been so kind since I arrived.”
“Perfect is a special place.” Jenny set a small dish of food on Micah’s high chair tray. “All you have to do is be open to what comes your way, and things will change for the better.”
“I don’t know about the place. I only know about the people. I have a great job and an amazing apartment, not to mention wonderful neighbors.” She grinned at Lucinda and Toby.
That’s all there was to it. If Jenny’s words were in reference to the supposed magic this place held, Cory didn’t want to hear it, not the falling-in-love part anyway. Healing would be good, but she had nothing to offer to anyone in the love department. She was already a shipwreck with an empty cargo hold. She didn’t need more holes in her hull.
“How was your first day at work?” Jenny asked.
“Good.” She helped herself to salad. “We had lunch at your diner today. It’s really cool. I love the retro look.”
“Retro?” Jenny laughed. “That diner has always looked the way it does now. I’ve just never updated.”
“Ryan said it’s a tradition to take new hires there for lunch.”
“That’s true. The L&L crew eats lunch there on a regular basis, and Wesley comes in for breakfast most mornings. I think he has a little thing for my assistant manager.” The laugh lines around her eyes creased. “At any rate, Noah and Ted’s business has certainly stimulated Perfect’s economy. When they have one of their sample sales, the whole town benefits.”
“L&L is definitely one of a kind. I’m glad to be there.” So true. Even though she’d told Ted she could get a job anywhere, the thought of working for a large corporation with a bunch of civilians sent a shudder down her spine. Where else would she be able to keep a retired military working dog by her side, just so she could feel safe? And despite her discomfort with the other male veterans who worked there, at least they knew exactly what it was like to be deployed to a place like Iraq or Afghanistan. It wasn’t their fault she associated anything having to do with the armed forces with what had happened to her.
Cory ate her dinner and listened to the Langford children chatter away with their great-aunt. A twinge of longing shot through her. Noah and Ceejay’s children were so adorable and sweet. What would it be like to have a family of her own, to have a life filled with happy voices, soccer practices and recitals? She’d never know.
Once they were done eating, Cory cleared the table and cleaned Micah’s face and hands. She and Jenny were in the middle of loading the dishwasher when Noah and his wife walked into the kitchen.
“Mommy. Daddy,” Toby shouted and wrapped himself around his father’s knees. Noah swung his son up into his arms.
Micah fussed and made a beeline straight for his mother. As soon as she lifted him, he laid his head on her shoulder and yawned. Lucinda, a little more dignified, greeted her parents with a wide smile.
“You must be Cory,” Ceejay said, glancing warmly over her son’s downy head. “Welcome to Perfect.”
“Thank you.”
“This is Ceejay.” Noah tilted his head in his wife’s direction. “I see you’ve met everyone else.”
Cory nodded. “Jenny invited me to dinner, so I got to spend time with Toby, Micah and Lucinda. You have a lovely family.” Ceejay shared Ted’s country good looks and had similar coloring. Although her hair had way more red in it than Ted’s sandy blond, they both had the Lovejoy curls.
“Are you all settled into the carriage house?” Ceejay asked.
Considering all her possessions fit into one cardboard box and one large duffel…there wasn’t really anything to settle. “Pretty much. The apartment is…” Overwhelmed with gratitude, she cleared her throat, trying to dislodge the lump that had formed. “It’s great, and thank you so much for having it all ready for me to move in.”
“Mommy, did you find out if we’re having a brother or a sister?” Lucinda interrupted, placing her hands on Ceejay’s b
aby bump.
“It’s a girl,” Ceejay announced, threading her fingers through her daughter’s chestnut locks.
Lucinda pumped her fist in the air. “Yes!”
“That’s wonderful news,” Jenny added. “Another little girl for me to spoil and dress up.”
Cory backed toward the sliding doors, ready to make her exit. She had no place in their family celebration. “Thanks for supper, Jenny.”
Ceejay’s brow rose. “You don’t have to rush off.”
“I don’t mean to eat and leave, but it’s been a long day, and I’m tired.” She slid the patio door open.
“Harlen is waiting for me.” Jenny gathered her things. “I’m ready to go home too.” She turned toward Cory. “I’m glad we had the chance to visit. Don’t be a stranger. Come on down to the diner any time, even if it’s just to say hello.”
“I will.” Cory started to slip out the back.
“Wait a sec.” Noah walked to the counter where their phone was situated. He grabbed a pen and wrote something down on a Post-It. “We have satellite Internet. Here’s the password.” He handed her the paper. “You also have cable TV. It’s included in your rent.”
“But…” She frowned. “I’m not paying any rent right now.”
“You will once you’re back on your feet.” One side of his mouth quirked up. “See you tomorrow.”
“Thanks.” She nodded and left. Noah and his family had no reason to reach out to her, yet they had. She wasn’t used to this kind of generosity from total strangers. Somehow she’d find a way to make it up to them. Letting herself into her new apartment, she thought of things she could do at L&L that were above and beyond her list of responsibilities. She’d throw herself into her work, make that her focus, and everything would be fine.
It took her all of twenty minutes to put the rest of her things away. How pathetic. It had taken her less than half an hour to be completely moved in. Her thoughts knocked around inside her head like rocks in a cement mixer. Noah wasn’t kidding about the quiet.
After constant background noise for most her life, both in the army and in the trailer park, the total absence of sound got to her. Cory made her way to the living room, picked up the remote control and turned on the TV. She didn’t want to watch anything, but the noise calmed her. She snatched her laptop from the table and settled herself in the recliner. After setting up her computer with the password Noah had provided, she checked her e-mail, searching for any news from the law clinic.
Unfit to serve. Her chest tightened, and her entire being rebelled. The words lodged in her soul like a festering splinter she couldn’t reach. Her inbox held nothing from the law clinic. She made short work of answering the few e-mails she had from friends still in the army and set the laptop aside. It wasn’t even nine o’clock yet, and she was ready to go to bed. After being so inactive for weeks, following a schedule, learning a new job and being around a group of strangers had exhausted her.
She got ready for bed, set her alarm clock and slipped between the brand-new sheets, her mind straying to thoughts of Ted—the satisfied smile lighting his face after he’d installed the deadbolt, his earnest expression as he gave her the stun gun and pepper spray. If she’d met him any time other than now, would they date?
Her insides clenched, and bitterness brought tears to her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she forced her mind to other things, like defragging all the computers at L&L and reorganizing some of their systems and processes to increase efficiency. Exhaustion tugged at her. She yawned, turned to her side and curled up, slipping into sleep.
Sergeant Barnett pinned her against the back wall, his hand pressed tightly across her mouth and nose. The pungent smell of his sweat filled her with revulsion. She couldn’t get enough air into her lungs, and terror clawed its way up her throat. Don’t panic. Think. You’re a trained soldier! Cory fought, gouging and poking at his eyes with her thumbs, until he was forced to back off. The second he did, she kneed him in the groin.
“Stop, bitch.” His fist connected with her mouth. “Don’t make this harder than it has to be. You know you have this coming.”
Her lip split, and stinging pain raced along her nerves. The salty, metallic taste of her blood filled her mouth, and rage turned her vision to hot red. No one had this kind of shit coming. Taking advantage of the momentary freedom, she tried to scream for help. His hand came back to cover her face. She twisted and turned, fought for all she was worth. His second blow caught her right eye, and her head snapped back against the wall hard enough to make her dizzy. Spots swam in front of her eyes, and the throbbing ache brought tears to her eyes.
The snap of his belt being pulled free from his pants sent panic streaking through her. NO! She went slack, sliding down the wall, feigning unconsciousness in an attempt to get him to follow. If he’d only follow, she could catch him with a head butt.
“I tried to go about this the right way, but no,” he said through gritted teeth. “You wouldn’t have anything to do with me. Bitch, you should’ve put out for me months ago. You don’t know your place, and I’m going to teach it to you today. I own you.”
He backhanded her, but he didn’t follow her down. Dammit. The minute she raised her arms to protect herself, he grabbed her wrists. Still dizzy, in pain and close to passing out, she made a desperate effort to gather her resources enough to fight. Despair and helplessness swamped her.
He flipped her around and used his belt to bind her wrists. She struck out at him with a boot. He grunted, and a flare of triumph bloomed in her chest. A vicious kick to her ribs robbed her of breath, sending more spots dancing around her head. The small bit of triumph dissipated. She couldn’t stop what was happening, couldn’t fight him off bound as she was…
His hands were all over her, tugging at her clothing, rubbing against her bare skin. Disgust and bile rose in her throat at his brutal touch, his unwelcome probing and pinching. His hot, heavy breathing filled the silence as he unfastened his pants. Forcing her legs apart with his knees, he lowered himself…
“No!” she cried, flinging the blankets off. Disoriented, she gasped for air, struggling to remember where she was. A cold, clammy sweat covered her body, and a shudder pulsed through her. Dirty, violated, ugly—all that was good had been hollowed out of her, everything she had been, leaving nothing but rage and fear behind. Nausea roiled through her.
She sat up, swung her legs to the floor and began rocking herself back and forth with her arms wrapped around her middle. Not here. This horror had no place in her new home with its coziness, its magic and healing powers. She clenched her jaw so tight it ached.
Sergeant Dickhead could not have this place. He could not fill the carriage house with his ugliness and violence. He’d already taken so much. She couldn’t let him take this as well. Angry tears coursed down her cheeks as she rocked back and forth. Finally the trembling stopped, and she got up on shaky legs and headed for the bathroom. She turned on the shower to scalding hot, stripped and stepped under the spray.
Scrubbing her skin until she couldn’t take any more didn’t erase the disgust. Her attacker’s filth lived inside her, in a place so deep she couldn’t reach it with soap and a washcloth. Still, she stood under the nozzle, praying the water would wash her clean, trying to shut out the words echoing through her head.
“You tell anybody this was anything other than consensual, and I’ll make sure you never receive another promotion for the rest of your career.” Sergeant Barnett put himself back together. He loomed over her where she lay broken and battered on the concrete floor. “Next time I expect your full cooperation.” He took a step back and studied her swollen and bruised face. “If anyone asks, you tripped and fell into the metal shelving in here. You got that, Corporal?”
Damn him to hell.
Ted sat next to Cory at her desk, close enough to catch a whiff of the soap she used, along with her own unique feminine scent. He drew a deep breath into his lungs and guided her through the shipping process. She smelle
d so damn good, like fresh air, sunshine and sweet clover.
The week had flown by, and Cory had proven herself over and over. She’d already taken over the web maintenance and ordering, handling both like she’d done the job for months. “We have several trucking companies we work with, and who we use depends upon the region for delivery and their availability.” He brought up the file with the links to the companies they used on a regular basis. “Once an order is completed, you have to check with their dispatchers to see if they have a truck already going to a particular area. Once you choose a carrier, you fill out the paperwork, a packing slip, and let the guys know when the pickup is going to take place. They’ll crate everything up and have it ready to go.”
“That sounds easy enough.”
“It is, but it’s time-consuming.”
She glanced at him. “Have you given any more thought to my suggestions for updating the ordering process? I still think bringing a piece of paper down to a basket on the wall is archaic. We could do it all electronically with a computer or tablets.”
“Uh, no. Let’s keep it as it is for now.” Dollar signs flashed in front of his eyes. Tablets weren’t cheap. “It’s simple, and it’s worked for us up till now.”
“Welcome to L&L.” Paige smirked from her desk. “We like to keep things low-tech.”
“It’s time to update.” Cory’s eyes held a challenge. “There should be a computer in the production area.”
“There used to be,” he told her. “When it was just the four of us, Ryan liked to keep his desktop in the workspace. Now it’s in his office. We needed the extra room to accommodate the increase in production.”
“What if we mounted a screen on the wall? We could send the orders, and each guy in production could have a separate file. You back everything up, don’t you?”
He took in another breath, savoring the Cory-scented air filling his senses. “Um…you’d have to ask Paige. Technology isn’t really my thing. I know how to navigate the software, and that’s about it.”
A Change of Heart (Perfect Indiana#3) Page 5