Anything but Love

by Celya Bowers

  She leaned back in the uncomfortable chair. “A little misinformation never hurt anyone. I did have an abortion. That part wasn’t a lie.”

  “Yeah, but he wasn’t the father and you know that. You just made a horrible situation worse. When Cole gets wind of what you’ve done, you can kiss that anchor gig good-bye, and this time Herb isn’t going to save your ass.”

  She waved away Jason’s remark. “Cole’s not going to know that I lied, ’cause I’m not going to tell him. He thinks he has life all wrapped into this neat little ball since he’s back here. Let’s see if the good doctor will be so loving if she thinks Cole is responsible for a child’s death. Think about it: Her life’s work is getting people pregnant. It would be like a slap to her ego. She couldn’t be with someone who killed a child.” She grinned at her sheer brilliance in concocting the ultimate plan. The look on Jason’s face told her he didn’t share her enthusiasm.

  “Holly, you’ve lost it. First of all, he didn’t kill the baby. You did. Second, he wasn’t even the damn father! Why don’t you just give up this stupid idea, do the interview tomorrow, and get out of Arlington before you do something insane and lose your job and what little credibility you have left?”

  “Too late for that,” Holly said ruefully. “The game has already started and I’m going to finish it. Cole agreed to meet me later to discuss the whole abortion thing.”

  “And that’s going to prove what?”

  Holly hated having to explain every little detail, but knew Jason wasn’t going to let up until he was privy to her plan. “Once Cole and I are together, he’ll realize how much he misses being with me. We were good together.”

  “Holly, you cost that man a seven-figure book deal and he was ostracized by the publishing industry for a year. Now you sit there calm as you please, professing how good you two were? He hates you and has a restraining order against you. I’m sorry, Holly, you know you’re my girl, but here’s where I draw the line.”

  “Jason, you still have to help with the story.”

  “Yes, I do, because I do value my job. Holly, I know you want Cole back, but honey, Cole has moved on. You should too.”

  * * *

  Meeting Holly to discuss anything was always a bad idea. Today had been different. Cole had hoped their meeting would be quick and to the point, but it was with Holly. And she did everything in her own time.

  She had threatened to tell Kendall about the abortion if he didn’t take her back. She’d finally taken complete leave of all her senses, he’d thought. After all she’d done to him, why would she think there was any circumstance that would make him go back to her? It was completely insane.

  After challenging her to make good her threat, he’d stormed out of the hotel restaurant and headed to his mother’s house. He had another mess to fix.

  Taylor met him at the front door. “Hey, Dad. Gram is cooking a roast, mashed potatoes, and broccoli.” He followed Cole further inside the house after he closed the door. “She made my favorite, chocolate cake, for dessert.” He smiled proudly at his father. “I helped her make it.” Taylor fell onto the couch and turned on the TV.

  Cole loved seeing Taylor’s wide grin. It was worth everything he had to endure. “That’s good, son. I need to talk to you.” He sat down on the couch.

  Taylor looked at Cole and saw the serious look on his face. He turned off the TV and faced him. “What’s up? Are you going to propose to Kendall?”

  “No, not yet, anyway. I need to talk to you about your mother,” Cole said, rubbing his hands together. “She wants to sue me for custody, claiming that I coerced you to come to Texas. Now, you’re sixteen and can make your own decision. If you want to go back to New York, I won’t stand in your way.”

  “Dad, what are you asking me?”

  “I know we’re just getting to know each other, Taylor, and I don’t want you dragged into a nasty court battle. She’s doing this to get back at me for you coming here. I’m asking you if you want to stay here. If you want to return, I won’t contest the lawsuit. If you do want to stay, I’m going to have a legal battle on my hands. You need to be aware of what’s happening. When the press gets wind of this, they will descend on you like locusts.”

  “So this is all about Mom,” Taylor said in a cold voice. “She wants me back because it’s cool if you’re a single woman raising your child. She doesn’t really want me. I hardly saw her the last few months I was there. She was always going to rehearse for the Broadway play she was in, or something.”

  “Taylor, I know your mother loves you in her way,” Cole said, hoping to take some of his son’s hurt away.

  Taylor swiped the tears. “Well, I happen to think her way sucks. I’m not going back. Even if you don’t want me here, I’m not going back to New York. I’ll stay here with Gram.”

  “Taylor, I want you with here. I love you, no matter where you are. Your happiness is the most important thing to me.”

  “Even more than Kendall’s?”

  “Yes, even more than Kendall’s. You will always come first.” Cole sighed. He hated Gabriella for all the hurt she’d caused Taylor. Cole should sue her for that alone. “No matter where you are, what you do, I will always love you.”

  “I love you, Dad.” Taylor hugged his father suddenly. “I’m so glad I came here. I don’t want to go back.”

  “You won’t have to,” Cole reassured his son. He returned the tight embrace, not wanting the moment to end. “I had to know where you stood on the matter.” Cole straightened and looked deep in son’s eyes. “I needed to know you were ready to face the wrath of your mother.”

  Taylor wiped his face again. “I’m ready.”

  * * *

  Cole hoped this was a good idea. He walked to Kendall’s house and knocked on the door. Hopefully, she was alone. He really needed to talk, and he knew she’d be brutally honest.

  The door opened and his heart swelled. Kendall wasn’t alone, she was carrying a sleeping Dylan in her arms. She smiled at him and motioned him inside.

  “I was just going to put him to bed,” she whispered. “Jami and Keerya went out for the evening.” She started for the stairs.

  Cole followed her silently, then stopped in his tracks as the words sank in. “You’re babysitting?” he asked a little too loudly. Dylan stirred in her arms, but Kendall lulled him back to sleep.

  “Lower your voice,” she hissed. “It’s not that unusual, Cole. I’ve babysat my nieces and nephews over the years.” She stepped on the first stair. “I’ll be right back.”

  “Catch me letting you do this alone.” Cole wasn’t about to miss the sight of Kendall in such a domestic setting. It might be his only chance after he told her of Holly’s threat.

  Kendall blew him a kiss and continued to Dylan’s room. Cole followed and watched in silence. Kendall changed the tyke into Spongebob Squarepants pajamas and eased him into bed, all without waking him. She turned on the intercom system and turned off the lights, but left on a tiny nightlight. She waved Cole outside and then she closed the door.

  “I was reading him a story and he fell asleep.” She grabbed Cole’s hand and started downstairs. “I’m glad you came by. I missed you.”

  Was this the same woman who couldn’t stand the sight of him just a few short months ago? She was nurturing and holding his hand. He could get used to this woman.

  “Hey, we don’t have to go downstairs, do we?”

  Kendall looked at him with the look. The look that said that she wanted what he wanted, but it wasn’t going to happen. “Yes, we do. I have to talk to you about something.”

  Cole sighed. Nope, he wasn’t getting any anytime soon. “I have to talk to you as well.”

  “Oh, sounds interesting.”

  “I hope you still feel that way when I’m finished,” Cole said, regretting the conversation already.

  They reached the couch in silence. Kendall offered him a glass of wine, but he refused it. He needed a clear head, and wine would only make him want Kenda
ll more.

  Kendall turned on the intercom mounted on the wall. “You know, when I bought this place, I never thought I’d have a use for the intercom other than playing Mozart throughout the house. Now I use it whenever Dylan takes a nap.” She smiled in amazement. “Hard to believe they’ve only been living here a month.”

  Had it only been four weeks since Jami moved in with Kendall? It was something both women had needed. Kendall had reached out to someone who really needed her help, and Jami had found she had someone to lean on. “Yeah, it seems like it was only yesterday. Wasn’t that the last time we had sex?”

  She laughed. “Oh, you’re such a man.” She moved closer to him, snuggling up next to him. “What did you want to talk about?”

  “What did you want to talk about?”

  Kendall looked at him. “Yours sounds a lot worse than mine, so you go first.”

  Cole didn’t want to bring Holly into the room, but he had to tell Kendall what was going on. “Okay, you might as well know the whole truth. I never thought any of this would happen, and I surely don’t intend for it to play out at Briarwood or InfaCare.”

  She sat up straight. “Okay, now you’ve got my attention. What’s going on with you?”

  He took a deep breath and told her the sordid details. He hated having to rehash any of it, but he had to. He finished the story, and waited for a reaction, expecting her to tell him to leave her house. She surprised him.

  “So what’s the next step? You can’t let her think she’ll get away with something like this. I have half a mind to cancel the interview tomorrow and let her stew in her own juices.”

  Cole cleared his throat, too afraid to believe what Kendall just said. “You’re not pissed?”

  “Of course I’m upset, but not at you. Cole, you have a past just like I have a past. We can’t do anything about it but learn from our mistakes.”

  He rubbed her arm gently. “I hope you still feel that way after my next news.”

  She twisted in his arms. “You have more good news?” she asked sarcastically.

  He leaned down and kissed her, letting his hands roam over her body, easing her onto his lap. “Smart ass,” he murmured against her lips.

  She ended the kiss, but didn’t move from his lap, thank goodness. “You were saying?”

  “My ex’s lawyer called Charlie today.” He wanted to lead into it slowly.

  “I know, Charlie told me,” Kendall said softly.

  Cole wasn’t sure who to be mad at, Kendall or Charlie. “My attorney broke a confidence and told you my business?”

  “Oh, will you calm down. You know he is my big brother, besides being your best friend. He knew you were going to tell me anyway, and he wanted me to know what I was getting into. What does Taylor say? Poor thing, he’s been through the wringer.”

  He just couldn’t get used to the caring Kendall. “Yes, he has. He says he wants to stay with me, so I’m sure Gabriella is going to continue with the lawsuit. Even if she does drop it, it will still get in the media. Are you ready for that? I’m sure you’re going to come up, and my donation to your hospital.”

  Kendall rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. “If you think I’m going to let a little thing like some Broadway actress try to bully me or my man, you must be nuts. We’ve got the best attorney in North America on our side.”

  Cole almost choked on the emotions lodged in his throat. “I’m your man?”

  “Yes. You think I sit in just any man’s lap? You think I’d risk exposure for just anyone? Cole, I’m willing to risk it all for you. I love you.”

  Cole had doubted she’d ever actually admit it. “Baby, I love you, too. I’ve loved you since the minute I laid eyes on you.” He kissed her long and hard. He tried to inhale her mouth and tasted her tears. “Kendall, what’s wrong?”

  She shook her head and zoomed back in for another kiss. Cole moved out of the line of her swollen lips. “No, baby. Not until you tell me what’s wrong. You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting to say those words to you. Now that I’ve said them, I can’t take them back. I won’t take them back.”

  Her tears were running full force now. She placed a hand on either side of his face and kissed him. “There’s nothing wrong, Cole. In fact, everything is finally all right.” She kissed him again and rose from his lap. She held out a hand. “Come on.”

  “You don’t mean…” He stood carefully, hoping his erection wasn’t too noticeable.

  “Only if you promise to be quiet.” She led him upstairs and into her bedroom. She turned on the intercom and sat on the bed and began undressing. “If you wake Dylan, you have to put him back to sleep.”

  Cole slipped out of his clothes in record time. “You’ve got a deal.” As he got into bed and drew Kendall into his arms, he remembered she had something to tell him, but as he kissed her, the thought flowed out of his mind. He had a much more pressing need to make love to the woman he loved.

  CHAPTER 29

  Friday morning, Jami prepared her son for the day. She’d hoped he would cooperate that morning since they were running behind schedule. She grabbed her purse and begged her son to get a move on. “Come on, baby. We’re going to be late.”

  Dylan was dressed in shorts, a T-shirt, and sandals. “Where’s Aunt Doll? We eat together.”

  Jami looked down the hall to the master bedroom’s closed door. Kendall was still asleep. It was near seven o’clock in the morning, and she was still not awake. “She’s sleeping. We’ll see her later.” Jami headed down the stairs. “Maybe we can stop at McDonald’s to get some breakfast. How’s that sound?” She waited for her son’s response, but she didn’t get one.

  She turned around, hoping and praying her son hadn’t gone into Kendall’s room. He had a bad habit of just walking into her room without knocking. Jami ran back upstairs and that was exactly where she found him, inside Kendall’s bedroom and standing near the bed. But Kendall wasn’t alone. Cole lay next to her. They were huddled together on one side of the bed.

  “Mommy, Aunt Doll is sleeping.” He looked at Jami with big eyes. “How come she’s not up?”

  Jami hoped she could get her son out of the room before Kendall or Cole awoke. “Shh, baby. Aunt Doll is probably tired. Let’s let her sleep.” Please God, don’t let her find us in her bedroom.

  “Jami?” Kendall’s very sleepy and startled voice stopped her in her tracks. “Jami?”

  “I’m sorry, Kendall. I had no idea,” Jami babbled. “It’s just that Dylan was looking for you.” She expected to be fired and homeless in the next thirty minutes.

  “It’s all right, Jami,” Kendall said in an amused voice. “You should see your face right now.” She glanced at the bedside clock. “Tell Max I’ll be in around ten.” She turned over and snuggled closer to Cole, effectively dismissing her.

  Jami grabbed her son and they left the room. She still couldn’t get used to the new Kendall. Jami had noticed the changes in her boss’s emotional makeup. There was a time when Kendall wouldn’t have allowed anyone to catch her in an embarrassing situation, such as being in bed with Cole. But she had just laughed it off. Jami realized her boss was really in love. She wanted that same kind of love.

  * * *

  Cole’s eyes opened at the sound of the bedroom door closing. Kendall was still lying beside him, trying to feel him up. So who had been in the room? He moved closer to her, giving her better access to his body. “Was that Jami?”

  Kendall looked up at him. “Yes.” She kissed him. “Dylan was looking for me.”

  Cole tried to gauge her reaction. He knew how much she valued her privacy. “I’m sorry, Kendall. I should have gone home last night, but you wore me out. I was too tired to move.”

  She was still caressing him. Gentle strokes, hard strokes, but she was working magic and his erection grew at each touch. “Hmm, it doesn’t feel like you’re tired now. You feel hard.”

  “I’m hard anytime I’m within two feet of you,” Cole admitted. “Now, how about easing
my discomfort, baby.” He kissed her, easing her body on top of his.

  “All you had to do was ask, Cole,” she said.

  The look on her face brought back the incredible memories of the night before. They’d admitted they loved each other and he had confessed everything and Kendall hadn’t sent him packing. Then he remembered. Kendall had mentioned she also had news, but he’d forgotten. Damn. He was acting just like her ass of an ex-husband, James. He watched in despair as Kendall straddled his body. She was right where he needed her, but what was a brother supposed to do? He had to show her he wasn’t just about good sex. He took a deep breath, placed his hands on her slim hips and pushed her away from his erection. “Baby, last night you said you had something you wanted to talk about.”

  Kendall stared at him. “You want to talk about James now?” She nodded to his very erect body part.

  “Yes, I want to talk about it now. Last night you listened to me talk about my problems, now it’s my turn.” He eased her off his body. “We’re going to talk, and if there’s time before you have to be at the hospital, we’ll resume our other conversation.”

  She blew out a tired breath. “A man wanting to talk instead of having sex? What are the odds?” She smiled. “I guess that says something about you, huh? All right, James and I had lunch yesterday.”

  “Really?” He feigned ignorance.

  “Oh, stop. I know Max snitched. Anyway, we went to one of my favorite vegetarian restaurants in Arlington. I guess he was trying to show me how much he’d changed.”

  “They have a vegetarian restaurant here? Wow!”

  Kendall playfully hit him. “You know, you could support my lifestyle a little bit. Anyway, James always had a bad habit of lying to me. Eventually I always found out the truth and he was busted. He’d told me the reason he’d returned was because his mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer, but that was a lie.”

  Cole could read the writing on the wall. “And you called him on it.”

  “Yeah. And to make matters worse, all through lunch, I wanted a cheeseburger. Me. I’ve been a lacto-ovo-vegetarian for the last ten years of my life, and I was craving red meat.”