Jackson Hole Valentine

by Cindy Kirk

  Cole frowned. “That doesn’t sound like Joy or Ty.”

  “I assume you’re here because Charlie is still struggling.” Meg’s face held lines of strain, her tone as tightly strung as a piano wire.

  “Charlie is still experiencing issues with his sounds and with letter identification,” Ed said. “He’s fallen even further behind where we would expect him to be reading. His classroom teacher reports he’s been acting out during reading time.”

  Meg glanced at Cole then back at Ed. “Because of his parents’ deaths?”

  Ed shook his head. “It’s been going on since the beginning of the year.”

  “He’s doing it to divert attention from his difficulty reading,” Cole murmured.

  After the tiniest hesitation, Ed nodded. “That would be my guess.”

  Cole took a deep breath and asked the question burning a hole in his brain. “Do you think Charlie could be dyslexic?”

  “Dyslexia is a possibility.” Ed cleared his throat. “His school’s reading specialist happened to be in the classroom one day observing the children and noticed Charlie was writing his letters backward.”

  “Doesn’t dyslexia run in families?” Meg looked perplexed. “I know Joy wasn’t dyslexic. I don’t think Ty was, either.”

  “It’s frequently found in families.” Ed tapped his Montblanc pen against the tabletop. “Where dyslexia is identified, up to half of these children have a history of learning difficulties in their family and more than half have a family member who is left-handed.”

  The color faded from Meg’s cheeks. “Charlie is left-handed.”

  “So is Cole,” Ed observed, his Adam’s apple bouncing up and down like a jumping bean.

  “We’re here to talk about Charlie.” Cole’s jaw tightened with annoyance. “What are your recommendations?”

  Ed opened his briefcase and pulled out a thick packet of papers. “I brought with me the participation packet for our reading assistance program as well as some suggestions for some multisensory games you could play with the boy over the holiday break. If you want to sign the agreement now, I can take it back with me and we can get him started when school resumes in January.”

  Cole made no move to pick up the packet lying where Ed had placed it on the table. “Thank you for bringing these out. Meg and I will discuss this and get back to you with our decision.”

  Ed’s lips thinned. He’d obviously expected them to sign on the dotted line. While Cole had little doubt that they would have Charlie participate in the program, this was something he and Meg needed to discuss first.

  “I can’t stress strongly enough the need for early intervention.” Ed fixed his gaze on Cole. “You should know better than most the challenges children face when they get older and can’t read well.”

  “Yes.” Cole gave a bark of laughter that lacked humor. “I’ve experienced how cruel kids can be.”

  Ed flushed. He glanced down at his papers for a long moment then lifted his gaze. “I’ve owed you an apology for a long time. This is probably as good a time as any to say I’m sorry. I look back on what I said to you and, well, I can’t believe I was such—”

  “A jerk,” Cole filled in the blank.

  Meg’s gaze shifted from Cole to Ed, a frown furrowing her brow. “What did you say to him?”

  The blotches on Ed’s neck, just above his shirt collar, deepened to a ruddy red. “Some remark about him reading at a fifth-grade level.”

  “You knew Cole was dyslexic?” Meg’s surprise appeared genuine. If Cole didn’t know better he’d have been convinced. “How did you find out?”

  Cole cast a sideways glance her way. “You told him.”

  “Me?” Meg’s voice trembled with outrage. “I most certainly did not.”

  “That’s what he told me.” Cole may have spoken to Meg but his gaze remained focused on Ed.

  Meg’s eyes flashed green fire. If looks could kill, Ed would already be dead. “Ed?”

  The man went very still for a moment. “I was your father’s student assistant that semester. I overheard you asking your dad for ways to help someone who couldn’t read well.”

  Ed blew out a breath before turning toward Cole. “Meg refused to give him a name, but I knew you were seeing each other and I put two and two together.”

  “How did you know I was seeing him?” Meg asked.

  “I—I had this crush on you,” Ed said. “I was aware of everything you did.”

  Cole listened to Meg chew Ed out with only half an ear, stunned by the realization that he’d blamed her all these years for something she hadn’t done.

  The thought of how wrong he’d been was still running through his head when they walked Ed to the door, promising to get back to him with a decision after the first of the year.

  Cole pushed the heavy front door shut behind him, then turned to face Meg. “I thought it was you who’d told Ed my secret.”

  “That’s why you dumped me.” Her eyes widened as she made the connection. “You believed I’d broken your confidence.”

  “Ed told me the two of you had laughed about me being so stupid. He said that’s why you didn’t want anyone to know that we were dating.”

  “That man is lucky he isn’t standing in front of me right now,” Meg sputtered. “I’d never have done something so despicable. Never.”

  “I know that now.” Cole moved from the foyer to the window in the great room, feeling restless, his thoughts as tangled as the swirling snow.

  Cole fought against the cold invading his body, the aloneness invading his soul. Then Meg wrapped her arms around his waist from behind and rested her head against his back.

  “I wish you’d have come to me,” she whispered in a low tone. “Given me a chance to explain, instead of believing the worst.”

  He heard the pain in her voice and the disappointment.

  “I was seventeen. Even if you’d explained, I don’t know that I’d have believed you.” Cole turned to face her, reassured when she kept her arms around him. “You were brilliant.”

  Meg gave a strangled laugh. “Hardly.”

  “You were to me.” He traced the gentle curve of her jaw with one finger. “And so beautiful.”

  Cole stared at her for a long moment. “I couldn’t believe anyone like you could love someone like me. Ed’s comments just solidified that belief in my head.”

  “Oh, Cole.” Tears filled Meg’s eyes and she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m so sorry. So very, very sorry.”

  “I’m sorry, too,” he said. “I wish I’d handled things differently. I made a decision about your character based on my teenage-boy insecurities.”

  “It’s okay.” She expelled a shaky breath. “We’ve been given a second chance. That’s more than most people get.”

  Cole realized with a sense of amazement that it was true. She could hold his distrust against him but she didn’t. Meg was a beautiful woman, inside and out.

  “We’ll be more open and honest with each other this time. We’ll listen and share and there’ll be no more secrets.” Meg gave a tearful laugh. “We know how destructive those can be. No, this time we’ll be starting over with a clean slate.”

  This was his opportunity, his chance to tell her about Joy and him. Would she forgive him? And more importantly, would she forgive Joy?

  Women were funny about their friends. Even today, Meg had alluded to how much her friendship with Joy had meant. No, there was no point in bringing up that Joy had slept with him. Not until he knew for certain that Charlie was his son.

  “I can’t believe we’re snowed in on Christmas Eve.” Meg turned back from the window. For as far as she’d been able to see, a thick blanket of white covered the ground.

  “It’s Jackson Hole in the winter.” Cole looked up from the whiteboard where Charlie was writing simple three-letter “sight” words in different-colored markers, and held up one hand. “Good job, cowboy. Punch it.”

  Meg shifted her gaze just in time to see Charlie
bump Cole’s fist with a force that would have done a boxer proud.

  “I did it, Aunt Meg.” Charlie flashed a brilliant smile and pointed to the whiteboard. “That says ‘dog.’”

  “Yes, it does.” Meg’s heart swelled in her chest until it felt as if it would burst. She wasn’t sure who she was most proud of—Cole or Charlie.

  When Cole had told Ed they’d get back to him about the reading assistance program, she’d feared that like Ty and Joy he would opt out of the extra assistance. Perhaps he didn’t want Charlie labeled. Perhaps he didn’t want to commit to the time and effort in the evenings. After all, she knew how much time he’d been spending on the phone with his corporate staff.

  Then, after Ed left, she’d asked Cole about it. No more of this wondering or speculating. Honesty was now at the heart of their relationship.

  Meg had almost started crying when he’d said this was an important decision they needed to make together. It was then she knew that they’d truly turned a corner in their relationship.

  Charlie glanced up, a bright blue marker in his hand. “How is Santa going to find our house with all the snow?”

  The day after Lexi’s party, she and Cole had planned to take Charlie over to her brother’s house in the afternoon so they could shop for “Santa” gifts. Charlie’s illness had derailed those plans.

  “Good question, Charlie,” Cole said. “I have no doubt Santa will eventually make an appearance, but I doubt it will be tonight.”

  Charlie’s face scrunched up and tears filled his eyes. “There won’t be any presents?”

  “Just because Santa is delayed doesn’t mean the three of us can’t give each other gifts,” Meg said. “When I was a little girl, my brothers and sisters and I used to make presents for each other in addition to getting gifts from Santa.”

  “What did you make these gifts out of?” Cole asked.

  Charlie cocked his head, tears clinging to his long lashes, listening for her reply.

  “Just items we had around the house.” Meg forced enthusiasm into her voice.

  “That sounds like a lot of fun,” Cole echoed, jumping in to help her sell the idea to the little boy.

  “What would you make?” Charlie asked, still skeptical.

  “We’d draw pictures or make paper dolls or—”

  “Paper dolls?” The look of disgust on the boy’s face made Meg smile.

  “You and Uncle Cole may not want to make dolls for each other,” Meg said, trying not to smile, “but you could make one for me. There are all sorts of things we can make.”

  “I’m in,” Cole said. “How ’bout you, Charlie?”

  The little boy thought for a moment then nodded. “Okay. But I don’t want no doll.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  That night, after presents had been exchanged and Cole had finished reading The Night Before Christmas in front of the fire, he and Meg found themselves alone on the sofa. His arm rested comfortably around her shoulders and a Kenny G Christmas CD played softly in the background.

  The ficus tree had been decorated with red and green chains made out of construction paper, interspersed with handmade ropes of popcorn and cranberries.

  The gifts they’d opened earlier in the evening lay on the coffee table before them.

  “We probably should have taken Charlie’s presents up to his room,” Cole said. “He’s not going to be happy when he wakes up in the morning and discovers he left them behind.”

  “I’ll bring them up with me when I go to bed.” Meg’s gaze dropped to the picture book Cole had made him. It sat next to the stuffed sock dog Meg had sewn, complete with button eyes and a yarn tail.

  “When he saw the dog,” Cole said, “he was as excited as if you’d given him a real puppy.”

  “I think it would be good for him to have a dog,” Meg said.

  “I agree.”

  “You do?”

  Cole nodded. “Ever since you did that get-acquainted exercise the first night we were together and we discovered we’re all dog lovers, I’ve been thinking a puppy would be good for Charlie.”

  Meg hesitated. “There’d be some logistical stuff we’d need to figure out. Like would the puppy stay at one of our places all the time or would it go back and forth with Charlie between your house and mine?”

  “I was thinking it’d be nice if the puppy and Charlie only had one home to go to.” Cole’s eyes looked black in the dim light.

  Meg’s heart skipped a beat. Was he saying what she thought he was saying?

  But she didn’t have a chance to ask, because all of a sudden his lips were on hers and nothing else mattered except her and him and the closeness.

  When Meg left his bed at two o’clock Christmas morning, Cole realized how much she’d become a part of his life. She’d brought a richness, a fullness to his existence that he hadn’t even known he’d been missing.

  He didn’t want her in his life on a temporary basis, he wanted her there permanently. Filling his nights and days with warmth and joy. Being a mother to Charlie and a wife to him.

  I love her.

  The realization came as no surprise. From the moment he’d seen Margaret Mary Fisher in that crowded school hallway, he’d known she was the one for him. And regardless of what the DNA tests might show, Charlie was his son. No, their son.

  Cole thought of the papers his attorney had prepared, the ones which would petition the courts for sole custody once paternity was established. He thought of the fact that Meg still had no idea that he and Joy had once had a brief relationship.

  He’d initially decided not to tell her about his involvement with Joy if the paternity test came back negative. Now he knew that he had to tell her regardless.

  Meg valued honesty and so did he. She’d been right when she said they’d been given a second chance. A chance he didn’t want to blow.

  Hopefully the roads would open up and he could slip into town to do some quick shopping. Though he could tell she liked the glitter heart he’d made her, he had a more special gift in mind.

  A gift that would show her how much he cared.

  A gift that would pave the way for a declaration of love…and an overdue confession.

  Three days after Christmas, the holiday spirit still filled Meg’s heart. She let her gaze linger on the glittery silver heart on the black construction paper before shifting to the necklace made out of macaroni shells. Both now sat on her dresser. A lump formed in her throat.

  She couldn’t imagine ever receiving two nicer Christmas gifts. Carefully picking them up in one hand, she moved them to the bed then resumed dusting. When she was done, she returned them to what she liked to refer to as their “place of honor.”

  Having them next to where she placed her earrings guaranteed they were the last things she looked at before she went to bed…and the first things she saw every morning.

  Just seeing them made her smile and brought back that warm Christmas glow. That’s why she’d made it clear to Cole that she didn’t want another gift. But he didn’t appear to be taking her seriously. She suspected that’s why, when Ryan had stopped over, he’d jumped at the chance to ride back into Jackson with him. Unless he really was going “stir-crazy” like he’d said.

  Or he might just want to pick up more supplies to use in working with Charlie.

  Meg pressed her lips together, her heart hardening at the thought of Ed and his lies. All she could hope was that experience would be a lesson to her and Cole to always keep the lines of communication open.

  She quickly finished her dusting then returned to the living room, where Charlie had Lincoln Logs scattered from one side of the large room to the other. But instead of happily playing with them as he’d been only minutes before, he lay on the sofa, fast asleep.

  Meg crossed the room and covered him with a cotton throw, brushing a kiss on his cheek. “I love you, Charlie.”

  Love.

  Even though it had been less than a month, Meg realized she’d fallen in love with the lit
tle boy…and with his new daddy.

  Of course, she had a sneaking hunch she’d never quite fallen out of love with Cole Lassiter.

  “I love you, Cole,” she murmured to herself, the words feeling right and true on her tongue.

  Did he return that love? If her intuition was on target, he did. The look in his eyes when his gaze settled on her, the gentleness and passion in his touch all spoke to deep feelings.

  When she’d mentioned last night in passing that the only open jobs for a physical therapist in Jackson Hole were part-time, he’d encouraged her to apply, saying those hours would work perfectly. Between the two of them they could be there before and after school for Charlie.

  While she didn’t want to presume too much, he knew as well as she did how expensive rent was in Jackson Hole. She could never afford to do it on a part-time salary…unless she continued to live with him.

  The yearning that rose inside her both scared and thrilled her. Thrilled her because she couldn’t imagine being anywhere but by his side. And scared her because she loved him and had been hurt by him before.

  Still, her worries were buoyed by the knowledge that she now knew the truth about what had happened all those years ago. All the secrets were out and there should be nothing preventing them from moving on.

  Meg had just finished putting the last Lincoln Log into its canister when she heard a familiar ringtone coming from the kitchen.

  Although she knew she was being foolish, fear sent her heart into overdrive. By the time she scooped up the phone, she was out of breath as if she’d run a long race instead of simply gone from one room into another.

  When Cole had left this morning, she’d resisted the urge to tell him not to go. The roads were snow-packed and icy. Meg knew how treacherous these mountain roads could be....

  “Hello,” she said, her heart pounding in her ears.

  Static filled the air for several seconds before she heard a man’s voice.

  “Cole, this is Brian. We’ve got a lousy connection. Can you hear me?”