In My Father's Shadow

by JL Paul

  Except, of course, for Ally.

  She’d ignored him totally the entire day and it was making him a bit anxious. And, damn, she looked beautiful. Her dress fit her fantastically and it seemed to make her eyes shine. Her hair looked awesome hanging down her back and made him want to run his fingers through it.

  He finally spotted her, sitting alone at a table with a guy – a guy he didn’t know. He tensed, his hands instinctively curling into fists.

  “What’s the matter, Cole?” Stephanie asked.

  “Do you know that guy sitting with Ally?” he asked. RJ and Jamie whipped around to see what Cole meant.

  “Oh,” said Stephanie, smiling. “That’s my cousin, Greg. He asked me about her earlier. He’s wanted to talk to her all night.” She frowned as Cole’s eyes darkened. “Don’t worry. Greg is a nice guy.”

  “He’d better be,” Jamie muttered, sipping from his cup.

  “I think we should go introduce ourselves,” RJ smirked. “Let this Greg know that we’re keeping an eye on things.”

  “Leave them alone,” Cole ordered. He turned to the bartender and asked for another drink.

  ***

  Ally was actually enjoying her conversation with Greg. He was a nice guy and they had so much in common. They were both athletic and he loved baseball and football as much as she did. They were engaged in a debate over who would win the Super Bowl when Stephanie came over and interrupted.

  “I’m sorry you two,” Stephanie said with a sweet smile. “But, Greg, I need your help.” She turned to Ally and gave her an apologetic look. She extended her hand. “I’m Stephanie, by the way. I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced all day.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Ally smiled, shaking her hand.

  “What do you need help with?” Greg asked.

  “Cole and his friends have been drinking,” she said worriedly. “They drank a lot. I think they’re pretty drunk. My mom and Nate have left already but I don’t want the rest of them to get in trouble. I have RJ’s keys but I need help getting them to the car.”

  Sighing deeply, Ally got up and grabbed her crutches. “Where are they?”

  “They went outside to have a cigarette,” Stephanie explained. “Jamie threw up in the parking lot.”

  Ally hobbled past them and made her way quickly outside, Stephanie and Greg behind her. She found RJ and Cole hovering near Jamie who was hunched over a trash bin.

  “Jamie,” Ally called softly. All three boys looked up at her. “Let me take you home.”

  “No way, Ally,” Jamie said, goofy grin on his face. “We’re staying at Cole’s tonight.”

  Her heart twinged. They always invited her, even when they stayed the night somewhere. She bit back the hurt and lifted her chin. “Then let me take you to Cole’s. All of you.”

  Cole leaned back against the building, a little unsteady on his feet, and smirked. “Look here, guys. The princess has come to save us from our reckless behavior.”

  “Leave her alone, man,” Jamie defended, words slurring, swaying on his feet as he pointed at Cole. “She really likes you man and you’ve not talked to her in forever. I think you hurt her feelings.”

  Ally closed her eyes and took a deep breath, wishing a hole would open up and swallow her. “Shut up, Jamie.” She opened her eyes to find Cole looking at her curiously. She ignored him and tugged on RJ’s sleeve. “RJ, hon, come on and get in the car. I’ll drive you guys to Cole’s.”

  Cole pushed away from the wall and loomed over Ally, swaying slightly. “You can’t drive with your ankle like that.”

  “I don’t use my left leg to drive, Einstein,” she snapped.

  Stephanie stepped smoothly between them. “I’ll drive. Ally, can you come? I’m not too familiar with the area.”

  She glared at Cole. “Sure.” She hobbled to Jamie and fussed over him before herding him and RJ into the car. She turned to say goodbye to Greg but found Cole standing behind her instead. “Please get in the car, Cole.”

  He leaned down close to her face. She could smell beer and other unidentifiable alcoholic smells on his breath. “We’ll talk later.”

  She sighed and nodded as he finally hopped in behind RJ.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Nate and Stacy had taken off for a few days for a short honeymoon before the tour was scheduled to resume. They’d promised to be home Wednesday night so they could have their first ever family Thanksgiving at home.

  The house was empty when Ally and Stephanie managed to get the boys back. Ally used her key to unlock the door as Stephanie encouraged them inside. Ally called her mom and told her where she was, explaining what had happened and that she was going to stay the night to make sure they were okay. Liz expressed her concerns but Ally assured her things were fine –she was just going to babysit and that Liz didn’t have to worry about anything inappropriate happening. Liz consented and Ally thanked her lucky stars that she had such a wonderful relationship with her mother. She hung up and ambled to the kitchen.

  They were gathered around the table, eating chips and popcorn and drinking even more beer. Stephanie had joined them, all her anxiety apparently gone, and was trying to teach them some game involving a deck of cards and a set of dice.

  Ally rolled her eyes as she watched them from the doorway. She hated drinking and knew that Nate, Mark, and Richie would be upset if they could see their sons now. She was tempted to call their dads – except, of course, for Nate – and tell them what was going on. But she didn’t. They were still her friends. She just couldn’t understand how they could drink more when Jamie had already been sick once. She wanted to march into the kitchen and grab the cans of beer on the counter, dump them out and demand that they all go to bed but she decided not to do it. They were having a great time with Stephanie and her stupid game so Ally just spun around and started for the stairs. She was done with them all. If they wanted to drink themselves stupid then let them. Stephanie could clean up after them.

  She hopped up the steps and entered Cole’s room. She grabbed a t-shirt from his dresser and hopped across the hall to the guest room she’d used so frequently in the past that Nate had dubbed it ‘Ally’s’. She ripped off her dress and hobbled into the bathroom to wash her face. She fought valiantly at the tears that threatened to spill as she made it back to the bed and turned off the lights. She snuggled down in the blankets as the first drops trickled down her cheeks.

  A light knock on the door made her sit up and brush hastily at her face. She snapped on the little light next to the bed. “Come in,” she called.

  Stephanie walked warily in, nervous smile on her face. “Are you okay, Ally?”

  Ally’s heart sank. Of course it wasn’t Cole. What would he want? “I’m fine, Stephanie, thanks.”

  Stephanie took a few cautious steps inside and closed the door. “It’s Cole you like, isn’t it? Not my cousin Greg.”

  Ally turned her head, lips trembling. “It doesn’t matter. Whatever was between us is obviously over now.”

  “Why?” Stephanie asked, sitting at the foot of the bed. “Why do you say that?”

  Ally shrugged and ducked her head. She folded and unfolded her hands on top of the blankets. “He’s ignored me for the past three weeks and then tonight, he didn’t talk to me at all. He spent all night with…” she sniffed. “He spent all night with you.”

  Stephanie grabbed Ally’s hands and squeezed. “I can assure you Cole thinks of me as a potential sister, and that’s all. We spent last night talking and getting to know each other but in a strictly platonic way. I can see Cole and me becoming friends, but nothing more. I promise you that.”

  Ally nodded and pulled her hands away from the other girl to rub her tired face. “I’m sorry, Stephanie, really. I just don’t know what to think.”

  “Well what I think,” Stephanie said, anger in her voice. “Is that he should be here talking to you. I know he’s not happy about something; I tried to get him to talk about it last night.”

 
Ally opened her mouth to speak but the door flew open and she was interrupted.

  “You okay, Al?” Cole asked from the doorway.

  She glared dangerously at him as Stephanie stood from the bed and made for the door. “I’ll let you two talk,” she said and hurried from the room.

  Cole shut the door and walked over to the bed. “Are you okay?” he asked again.

  “Fine. Now get out and leave me alone.”

  “You know I can’t do that, Al,” he said as he sat down next to her.

  “Yes you can! You’ve done a fine job of it the past three weeks.” The tears were burning her eyes and she prayed he’d leave before any of them fell. She did not want him to see how badly he’d hurt her.

  He reached out and cupped her cheek but she pulled away. “I’m sorry, Al. I guess I freaked out again.”

  “Well I’m tired of you freaking out and leaving me high and dry, wondering what’s going on.” Tears dripped from her eyes and she wiped them away angrily.

  He cupped her face with both hands. “Don’t cry, Ally, please.”

  She sniffed and looked at him, at a total loss as to where to go. “Cole,” she said hoarsely. “We either do this or we don’t. No more halfway. I can’t take it.”

  He nodded, swaying a little as his eyes searched her face frantically. “I agree.”

  “So what is it?” she whispered, body trembling.

  He kissed her softly and rested his forehead against hers. “I say we do it, Al. I know you’re not a coward and I’m tired of being one.”

  She closed her eyes and tried to smile but she wasn’t able to muster one. “Maybe we should talk about this tomorrow.”

  “I’m not drunk, Al,” he stated. “Yeah, a little buzzed, but not drunk. I know what I’m doing.”

  She bit her lip and looked into his muddy brown eyes. She put her hand behind his neck and pulled him down. She kissed him, her eyes fluttering shut and her heart swelling. His hands tangled in her hair and once again, that heat warmed her entire body and she reluctantly moved her hands to his chest and gently shoved him back, her chest heaving.

  “You’re killing me, Al,” he said, breathing heavily.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, biting her lip.

  He kissed her again. “That’s not what I meant.”

  “Then what did you mean?” she asked, her heart ready to crack. “Is this why you stopped talking to me? Because of the night of the dance?”

  He smiled feebly and shifted so they were both lying on their sides. “Sort of. Things got out of hand quickly that night, didn’t they?”

  She nodded, fighting a smile. “Yes.”

  He took a deep breath and released it, making her wince as the smell of alcohol lingered near her face. “I panicked, Al. I didn’t know how to handle that, you know? I mean, you were my best friend and then all of a sudden we’re making out, getting close to things that I didn’t think either one of us was ready for. Do you understand?”

  She sighed and let her head fall to his chest. “Yes. More than you know.”

  “Well, I didn’t handle it well, I know,” he said, pausing to kiss her forehead. “I’m really sorry, Al. I just thought I needed some time to figure out what to do. And I hurt you in the process. I’m so sorry about that.”

  “I wish you would have just talked to me about it, Cole,” she said, her heart twisting in her chest. “I was feeling the same way and I wasn’t sure what to do, either. Maybe we could have worked it out together.”

  “Maybe we can still work it out together,” he said, clumsily pushing her hair behind her ear.

  “Do you still want to?” she asked, keeping the desperation out of her voice.

  “Of course I do,” he said with a grin. “I didn’t want to end things, princess.”

  “Don’t call me that,” she said without much menace. She snuggled closer to his chest and he tightened his hold on her.

  “I still want us to be together,” he said. “I’ll try harder, okay?”

  “Me, too,” she said.

  He chuckled. “You didn’t do anything, Al. This one is on me.” He yawned and held her closer. “We just need to relax, right? Let things happen. But as far as the sex thing – that’s something we should wait on for a bit. That’s a really big step and I’m afraid that if we do it…”

  “That it could ruin our friendship?” she finished, burying her face in his chest. “I know, Cole. I’ve thought the same thing. And I think you’re right about that.”

  He stroked her hair tenderly. “I should go and let you rest. We can talk more about this in the morning.”

  “No,” she protested, jerking her head up. “Stay with me tonight. Please.”

  He studied her pleading face. “Okay,” he said, tossing the blankets off of them and sliding off the bed. He offered her a hand and helped her with her crutches. He seemed a bit steadier on his feet and she hoped maybe he’d sobered up some. She was afraid maybe everything he’d said was under the influence and he wouldn’t remember anything in the morning. “But we’ll stay in my room. The door locks and no one will bother us.”

  They crossed the hall, the shrieks of laughter from the kitchen drifting all the way up the stairs. They entered his room and he shut the door and locked it before turning to her and kissing the top of her head.

  “I’m going to go change in the bathroom. Why don’t you get in bed and get comfortable.”

  She got in his bed, making sure her left leg, the one with the cast, was against the wall. She didn’t want to bump his shin with it in the middle of the night and cause him any pain.

  He returned, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, and climbed in bed next to her. He turned out the lights and pulled her to his chest. “Comfortable?”

  She nodded and snuggled into him. “It’s perfect.”

  In no time, she dozed in a light sleep while he stared into the darkness, softly stroking her arm. He loved her and he knew it, finally realized it. But they still had things to work out – things to talk about – and he couldn’t start spewing romantic, sappy words of love until he was sure they’d get through all the crap and make it.

  His cell phone chirped and he grabbed it off the table next to his bed, hoping it hadn’t wakened her. “Yeah,” he said quietly.

  “Dude, is Ally with you?” Jamie asked, not quite soberly.

  “Yeah man. She’s sleeping,” Cole chirped back.

  “Take care of her, man. She’s my favorite cousin and my best friend and I love her, dude.”

  “You know I will, James.” Cole smiled in the darkness as he waited for Jamie to chirp him back.

  He didn’t have to wait long. “Dude,” it was RJ this time sounding just as intoxicated as Jamie. “I love her too, man. Don’t mess it up.”

  “I’ll try not to,” Cole said, holding in his laugh.

  “We really do love her,” Jamie cut across RJ.

  “I know,” Cole said, dropping a soft kiss on Ally’s head. “I love her, too.”

  In the dark, Ally smiled.

  ***

  Cole woke the next morning with a slight headache, a weight on his chest, and something tickling his nose. He opened his eyes and found Ally’s hair all over his face. He brushed it away and forced himself not to panic. The events of the previous evening came back to him and he recalled most of the conversation they’d had. He heaved a sigh of relief, knowing he’d kept things under control and maybe partially fixed things with her again. Maybe this time things would work out for the best. Maybe this time he wouldn’t screw things up.

  He looked down at her and listened to her light, even breathing. Yeah, he was done. He’d lost his heart to her a long time ago but it hadn’t really hit him until last night. He tucked her wild hair behind her ear and promised himself that he’d do everything in his power to protect her; to keep her from getting hurt - and most importantly, to keep them together.

  He tried to wiggle out from under her but she lifted her head and opened her sleepy eyes. His heart
melted at her groggy smile. “Where are you going?”

  He kissed her forehead. “To see about getting us some breakfast.”

  She yawned and stretched. “I’ll come with you.”

  He pushed the blankets back and blanched. She was only dressed in her undergarments and one of his t-shirts. “Not like that you won’t.”

  She rolled her eyes and scooted to the end of the bed. “Well, give me some shorts. All I have is the dress I wore to the wedding.”

  He rummaged around in his dresser and produced a pair of drawstring shorts. “Ah, yes,” he said as he handed them to her, an impish gleam in his eyes and a smug smirk on his lips. “Very nice dress it was. Brought out the color of your eyes.”

  She looked at him curiously. “I didn’t think you noticed me at all yesterday.”

  He dropped to his knees before her and yanked her in his arms, kissing her quickly on the mouth. “I noticed everything about you yesterday, princess.” He gave her a wink and jumped to his feet. “Get dressed. I’ll wait for you in the hall.”

  Stephanie was the first one to stumble into the kitchen. She caught Ally wrapped up in Cole’s arms in front of the island where they had various breakfast foods sprawled out.

  She cleared her throat, forcing them apart and causing heat to rush to Ally’s cheeks. She buried her face in his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.

  “Good morning, love birds,” Stephanie said, overly sweet. “Nice to see you’ve reconciled.”

  “Can it Steph,” Cole laughed, holding onto Ally’s waist as she grabbed the crutches leaning against the island. “You guys made quite the mess down here last night.”

  “Sorry,” she said sheepishly. “That’s why I got up this early, to come clean it.”

  He waved her away and moved back to the stove to check on the sausage. He turned off the fire and grabbed a plate from a cabinet. “Me and Al got it.”

  “I see. And started breakfast,” Stephanie flashed a smile in Ally’s direction. “What do you need me to do?”