Page 49 of Guarding Cora

Epilogue

Two Weeks Later

Cora and Hannah were visiting with June. It had become a regular occurrence since Cora had been rescued. After they had made it home from Panama Liam had called Rosa, who told them that June was recovering from her mild seizure and was up for a visit whenever Liam had time. They had visited her that night.

Hannah took an instant liking to her just like Corahad done. They slowly had worked on getting June out of her hospital bed and into a wheelchair, despite the many protests from Liam. Cora understood his concerns about his sister and how fragile her spine was, but Cora knew she was a fighter just like her brother. Today they were taking June out somewhere special. More like kidnapped her. They told Rosa they were taking her out for a drive justnot where. A few hours later they arrived in Las Vegas. They were going to the mall. Fort Irwin didn’t have a mall close by and Cora figured every woman needed to see Las Vegas at least once in their life. They weren’t going to take her to casinos or anything but to at least let her be part of a crowd again. It didn’t seem like much but to a young woman who hadn’t seen much of the world since heraccident this was pure heaven.

Cora pushed the wheelchair while Hannah walked beside them quietly with a grin on her face. Since Cora had been brought back from Panama Cora had noticed a change in her. It was as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Hannah would always fight her own demons but with Alejandro gone her biggest demon had been slain. She no longer had to fear Alejandrowaiting in the shadows to take her back.

“Anything special you want to do or see, June?” Cora asked her, hoping a casino wasn’t suggested. Cora had nothing against gambling but she knew Liam wouldn’t appreciate her corrupting his little sister.

Joy radiated from the young woman’s face and Cora couldn’t help but smile as well.

“I don’t care. I don’t have Rosa or my brother hovering overme. This is the best day ever.” She screamed, the sound echoed off the walls and earned a few cursory glances from people walking by. Not that June cared or noticed. She was just so happy to be out in the real world again. Cora wondered if she had ever looked at anything like since she was a kid. Probably not.

They walked around aimlessly for a few hours visiting every shop and stopped forlunch at the food court. As Cora predicted, June was hail and healthy and no one had given them any sideways glances. All of Liam’s fears had been unwarranted.

“Thank you so much for this, Cora.” Tears pooled in June’s eyes and she discreetly wiped them away with a napkin.

“It’s our pleasure.” Cora looked across the table at Hannah who winked at her.

“It’s nice to have another woman totalk to,” Hannah added.

June opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out. Her attention was fixated on something over Cora’s right shoulder. Cora turned and saw a man walking in their direction. He was tall and athletically built. He was good looking, but he didn’t rob her of speech like June. What caught her eye, however, was the prosthetic leg.

He walked with such confidenceit made her wonder about June and if she could do that for both of her legs. It could allow June to walk again. Liam might balk at the idea at first and his fear of June’s spine but it could be what June needed to feel independent again.

Cora turned back to June to ask her about her idea but the woman still hadn’t taken her eyes off the man. Could June be smitten? Or envious? A bit of both?Cora turned back to the mystery man who was looking at them or more pointedly at June. He smiled at her and nodded, “ladies,” he said and continued on his way.

“Hi,” June said back shyly. After the man was out of sight June turned back to look at Cora but was addressing both Cora and Hannah. “I need your help talking to my brother about something.”

“Okay,” Cora said slowly. This conversationcould go in a million different directions.

“I want to get prosthetics like that guy. I want to walk again.” She said seriously.

Hannah took June’s hand and Cora took her other hand. “It will be our pleasure.”

Stay tuned for the next installment in the Delta Force Defenders Series with Aaron “Hound” Carter.