Page 47 of Caught Up In You (The Monroes 2)

On a sigh, she moved her hands to her lap and tipped her head to the side. “How’s your back and shoulder feeling now?”

Slowly he eased into a sitting position, surprised how he wasn’t groaning or praying for strength. He rolled his shoulders and expected that familiar pain to radiate down his back, but it didn’t.

“I’m still sore, but that intense pain isn’t there anymore.” He continued to move with caution, but he was so damn glad to be moving this well at all, he couldn’t stop working out those sore muscles. “How the hell did you do that?”

Cora felt for the bottles at her side and placed them back in her bag. “It’s what I was trained for.”

“You were also trained as an accountant,” he reminded her.

“Don’t remind me. I get bored just thinking of how my life could be right now.”

Braxton reached for her busy hands and took the bottles from her, setting them on the floor by her side. “I know my opinion doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, but I want you to know how amazed I am by you. Every single day you show me something new about the world you live in.”

A world he was sinking deeper into.

“I’m sorry you’re hurting,” he told her, tipping her chin up when she tried to hide her face. “I’m sorry people in your life don’t see the special person you are. Tell me you don’t believe that you are flawed. Please, tell me you know how valuable you are to everyone whose life you enter.”

Cora opened her mouth, then closed it and shook her head. Heidi had curled up next to Cora, but as soon as Cora shifted her body, the dog immediately jumped to her feet. Cora patted her head, calming down the obedient dog, who went back to a curled-up position by the sofa.

“I don’t want to talk about this,” she told him, feeling around her for the bottles and quickly shoving them back in her bag.

Braxton glanced at the clock, shocked to see an hour had passed. Dark clouds gathered outside, making the evening seem darker than what it really should be at this time of day. He didn’t know what Cora’s plans were now that she was done, but he wasn’t in any hurry to see her go and he definitely wasn’t letting her out of here while all this turmoil surrounded them.

Leaving her to battle her issues alone wasn’t an option. She’d come here to help him, he damn well would see that she was comforted, too. Her comfort would just be of the emotional variety, but still just as important.

Steady rain started beating against the windows on the side of the house. Braxton loved this lazy type of weather and he had a feeling Cora never took time to appreciate the simple things in life. Whatever she came from was a world of rushed, fast-paced living and trying to fit inside a perfect box.

Braxton wanted to be the one to obliterate that box.

“Is Sophie coming back to get you?” he asked.

Cora felt for the sofa and eased up onto the cushion beside him. “I told her I’d call her when we were done.”

Perfect.

“I’m going to take your hand and you’re going to trust me.”

Tipping her head to the side, her hair falling over her shoulder, Cora pursed her lips. “Is that a request or demand?”

Braxton stood, took her hands in his, and pulled her to her feet, ignoring the ache in his muscles. Her abrupt movement caught her off balance and she tumbled against his chest. The pain in his back was worth enduring. Having Cora plastered to his front definitely kept his mind off his injury.

When she made no move to step back, he gripped her shoulders and slid his cheek over her silky hair for just a moment before he took her hand and cautiously moved toward the entryway.

“What are we doing?” she asked as he led her from the room. “Do I need Heidi?”

“You don’t need her, but she’s always welcome to come.”

“You’re heading toward the door.” She reached down and took Heidi’s collar. “It’s raining.”

He chuckled as he opened the front door. “It’s getting ready to storm and we’re going to enjoy it.”

“By doing what?” she repeated.

Braxton moved to the porch and steered her to the left. “By doing nothing.”

Gently guiding her to the swing, Braxton held it still as she took a seat. He snapped his fingers until Heidi came to him and he gestured for her to have a seat at enough of a distance to avoid getting hit by the swaying swing.

“There,” he sighed, taking a seat beside her. “We’ll listen to the rain.”

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