Page 45 of Force At Third

Cora sighs. “I used to watch them to make my little world seem less scary. I’m not sure I’ll be able to now after this has happened.”

CeCe and I look at each other, but just for a second.

Cora catches on immediately. “What? Is he a serial killer? Is he?—”

“Let’s get inside, and we’ll discuss everything, okay?” CeCe forces a smile.

“You’re scaring me,” she whispers into the pup’s fur.

I unbuckle and open the door. “It’s okay to be scared, but the more you know, the more light that’s shone on this situation, the less scary it might be.”

Yes, I lied, but one step at a time. We’re about to navigate through an emotional landmine.

Inside, she looks around, smiling. “Wow, even bigger inside.”

“Let’s do a quick tour.” CeCe bends down and takes Elle’s harness off. “You, too. You haven’t been past the kitchen and dining room.”

We move through the downstairs, and Cora is as enamored with the house as I am.

“Marks moved his things down here. All girls upstairs.” I nod toward the stairs.

At the top of the stairs, CeCe nods left. “My bedroom is on the left, the bathroom is right next to it, and the other four bedrooms are this way. Gwen’s room, then the next one is open, and the next one after that is, too. Then there is my one-day library; it has a daybed.”

“It’s beautiful.”

“You should have seen it when she found it.” I shake my head. “I saw pictures and didn’t see it becoming this.”

“Needed all the love, from a new roof to the floor.”

“I know you make good money, being a vet, but you just graduated, and you own Wags and a house like this, all on your own?” Cora asks, looking into each room.

“The house was a foreclosure and needed so much work that no one would touch it. My sister’s husband and his family own a construction company. Without him doing all the work, I couldn’t have afforded it. I lucked out on Wags. The Underwoods were friends with one of my professors, and it was either sell or close down. Again, Chloe and Danny helped me come up with the money and figure it out. I owe them so much.”

I interject, “She’s full of shit. She’s paid them back every dime. Which they didn’t want, but this one?—”

“It’s a pride thing; I get it.” Cora smiles at me. “I’m going to figure out how to make vet school work.”

“I know you will.”

“That would have made my mom proud.”

“Would have?” I ask.

“She died in a car accident four years ago.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“Your mom passed away when you were really young, right?” Cora asks her.

CeCe looks a bit taken aback.

“That’s my bad. I let that slip last night over bad late-night TV and shitty pizza,” I admit.

* * *

CeCe left nothing out when she told Cora about William Center, Chloe, and the child she had. They cried—hell, I cried—and then they FaceTimed Chloe, at Cora’s request. It was another beautiful healing moment.

We all watched the Jags game and ate takeout. Then they went to bed, and Marks and I went back to work, digging.

---