by Cindy Kirk
“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 Janae and him. Would she forgive him? More importantly, would she forgive Janae?
Women were funny about their friends. Even today, Meg had alluded to how much her friendship with Janae had meant. No, there was no point in bringing up that Janae 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 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 Janae 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 rop
es 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 a certain amount of 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 Janae had once had a brief relationship.
He’d initially decided not to tell her about his involvement with Janae 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 simply 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 little 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. Scared 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?”
“Yes,” Meg said. “But this isn’t—”
“I received the results of the DNA testing on you and Charlie this morning,” Brian continued. “I thought you’d want to know right away.”
DNA testing? What was the man talking about?
“It’s as you suspected all along. Charlie is your son, so that is indeed good news.” Brian’s tone, which had been friendly, suddenly became more businesslike. “I have the papers ready to file for sole custody. I’ll email those for you to sign along with the papers from the lab.”
More static filled the line.
“I’ll be back in touch soon,” Brian said before the line went dead.
Meg stood completely still for the longest time, her—er—Cole’s phone in her hand, processing what she’d heard.
Cole was Charlie’s father, not Ty. How could that be? Janae and Ty had been a couple for almost ten years.
Had Cole donated his sperm to help Janae conceive? But if that were the case, wouldn’t Cole have already known he was Charlie’s biological father? Why would both Cole and Janae have kept that fact a se
cret from her?
Unless…
No. Meg shoved from her mind the image of Janae and Cole with naked limbs entwined.
There had to be a logical explanation for all this. She couldn’t wait for Cole to get home so she could find out what it was....
His good day had taken a nosedive. Cole realized something was wrong the second Meg met him at the door and he saw the look in her eyes. At first he worried that something had happened to Charlie, until the little boy burst around the corner and tackled him.
“Everything okay?” he asked in a low tone over the top of Charlie’s head.
In response she cast a pointed glance at Charlie. “We’ll talk later.”
Cole didn’t want to wait. But it appeared he didn’t have a choice, not with Charlie happily chattering about all the things he’d done while Cole had been in town, and tugging on his hand, asking him to play Lincoln Logs with him.
He placed the sack of learning supplies for Charlie on the side table in the foyer, keeping the smaller sack with him.
“I need to drop something off in my room,” he said to Charlie, “then we’ll play.”
Meg pulled a phone from her pocket. “You might as well take this with you. It’s yours.”
“Sorry ’bout that.” Cole grabbed an identical one from his coat pocket and handed it to her. “I didn’t realize I’d taken yours until Ryan and I were already in Jackson.”
She didn’t smile or make a joke about him stealing her phone. Instead, as they exchanged phones, her gaze kept shifting from him to Charlie.
If Cole didn’t know better, he’d think she suspected… Nah, that was simply his overactive imagination mixed with a large dose of guilt.
Still, as he headed to his bedroom, his sixth sense told him something was wrong and it involved him and Charlie. Surely his attorney wouldn’t have sent something to the house. Cole had made it very clear to Brian that any communication regarding Charlie’s paternity was to be by email or phone only.
