Taking Charge

by Mandy Baggot

  “I love you, okay? There, I’ve said it,” Robyn blurted out, putting her thumb to her mouth and chewing on her nail. Her eyes were fixed on his face, waiting for his reaction, whatever it was going to be. She saw him swallow, the lump at his throat bobbing down and then slowly rising up again.

  “I should have told Brad the whole truth tonight. I should have told him I’m in love with you and I should have told him we’re getting married,” Robyn carried on, determination in her tone.

  Cole shook his head.

  “Look at me,” Robyn ordered, her hand lifting his head up to meet her eyes.

  “Don’t Robyn, please,” he begged.

  “Don’t Robyn, please? What’s that supposed to mean? I tell you that I love you and you don’t want me to? We’re meant to be getting married!”

  “We are getting married,” he assured her.

  “Then what’s the problem?” Robyn questioned, looking at him with confusion in her expression.

  “Listen, it’s late, I’m tired, maybe we should just turn in,” Cole suggested, glancing at his watch.

  “Oh my God. I just tell you that I love you and all you want to do is eat or sleep! What’s going on here?”

  She kicked her shoe against the baseboard and looked at him for some sort of explanation.

  He took a deep breath and finally met her eyes with his. In one quick move, he took her face in his hands and brought it to his, kissing her hard, shocking the air from her and moving his body close. Robyn wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him toward her, kissing him back, wanting more and more of him.

  She slipped one hand up under his t-shirt, touching his abdomen and then tracing a line down to the waistband of his jeans. He ended the kiss and stepped back like he’d been poked by a cattle prod.

  “Did I do something wrong? Is it still that bruise Brad gave you? Because if it is then you maybe ought to see the doctor,” Robyn said, watching him as he ran his hands through his hair.

  He grabbed hold of her hands and took them in his, softly massaging her fingers.

  “I love you, Robyn. I’ve loved you since before I asked you to marry me,” he admitted.

  “It feels scary to say it, doesn’t it?” Robyn asked, smiling at him.

  “It isn’t that. I’m not scared by that, at all,” Cole said, shaking his head.

  “Then what is it?”

  “I want you, Robyn, you know…I want you…and that’s wrong after all you’ve been through, and I shouldn’t be thinking like that yet, I know that. We’re waiting and that’s cool, it really is but…well I said it and there it is,” Cole told her, folding his arms across his chest.

  “Right,” Robyn said with a matter of fact nod.

  “I’m sorry,” Cole told her.

  “Yeah, me too, because that wasn’t who I thought you were,” Robyn said.

  “I don’t know what to say,” Cole said with a shrug.

  “I don’t want you to say anything. I want you to take me upstairs and we’ll figure this whole thing out together. Because that’s what people who are getting married should do,” Robyn told him.

  “I shouldn’t have said anything,”

  “Do you actually know how hot you look without your shirt on? Do you know how many times I’ve miscounted jars of pickles in the stockroom because I’m thinking about you with no shirt on? Believe me, you don’t have enough fingers to count it. I don’t know if I’m ready or not, but I’m not going to shatter into a million pieces if you touch me,” Robyn said.

  “I’m not that guy, Robyn, I don’t want to do anything you’re not ready for, but I love you so much and…” Cole began.

  “Shh…just stop talking,” she said, taking the first step up the stairs.

  She took her t-shirt off and threw it on the floor. She pulled off her socks, hopping on one foot as she made her way over to the bed. She’d run up the stairs and she’d heard him follow her. Another second and he’d be in the room. How did that make her feel? Soon she’d find out.

  He paused outside the door and took a breath. Was this really what she wanted? Or was she reacting to what he’d said? Maybe she hadn’t really meant it. Perhaps she was waiting to see if he would do the right thing. What was the right thing in this situation? He put his hand on the doorknob.

  “I own about ten sets of matching lingerie, all bought by Clive, but I didn’t bring any of them. So, this is it…this is me,” Robyn said as Cole stepped into the bedroom.

  She was shaking and she didn’t know what to do with herself. How did you make yourself look alluring in a white non-wired bra that had seen better days and plain cotton panties? She wanted to look alluring but she didn’t know where to start. She looked up at him, trying to figure out what he was thinking as he gazed back at her.

  She watched him remove his t-shirt and she swallowed, taking in his toned physique. He was so hot. There wasn’t a better word for it, he was just hot, hot as Hell.

  He sat down next to her on the bed and she took hold of his hand. She placed it onto the strap of her bra and took her hand away.

  Cole put his thumb underneath the strap and slowly lowered it down toward her elbow. She took a breath in and closed her eyes as his thumb traced a line over the top of her breast, before moving over to the other strap. He eased it down her arm and teased the fabric over and off her breasts. She felt him unclasp the hook at her back and then he discarded the bra on the floor.

  She opened her eyes to look at him and he caught her mouth with his and pushed her down onto the bed.

  “Just hold me and touch me and tell me you love me,” Robyn begged him as she ran her hands over his shoulders and down his arms.

  “I love you Robyn…I love you,” Cole said and his lips crashed against hers again.

  Chapter Thirty-six

  Robyn let the water run over her face as she showered. Last night had been so different from everything she’d got used to in her life. Cole had touched her and held her like no other man had and although they hadn’t gone the whole way, what they’d done together had been perfect.

  She ran a hand through her hair and it was then she remembered the other events of the night before. The knuckles on her right hand were bruised and sore, and her shoulder ached from the jarring when her hand had connected with Brad’s jaw. She hadn’t known what else to do. Nothing she said to him seemed to sink in. She didn’t want to lose his friendship, but the way things were going, she wasn’t sure how long it would last.

  The shower door opened and Robyn swung round. And there he was, her fiancé, absolutely naked and gorgeous. She bit her lip and looked at him, all the way down as he did the same to her.

  He stepped into the shower and kissed her on the mouth, pulling her toward him.

  “You smell so good,” he said, running his hand down her back.

  “Exfoliation, you know, the one you’re always borrowing,” Robyn replied with a smile as he kissed her neck.

  “You should have woken me up,” Cole said, stepping under the showerhead and circling his arms around her.

  “You were asleep and I needed to find the Advil.”

  “How’s your hand?”

  “Hurting. Listen, I’m going to the roadhouse this morning and then to the hospital. Dad was going down at seven, he won’t be done until at least two,” Robyn informed him.

  “D’you want me to meet you there? I could get out of work,” Cole offered.

  “No, you need to work. Your mom would kill me if she thought I was making you skip work. And if you’re planning to keep me in gherkins and beer and treat me to nights at the Old Country Buffet, we need to keep the dollars rolling in,” Robyn reminded him.

  The phone rang.

  “We should get it, it might be the hospital. I’ll go,” Robyn said, opening the shower door.

  “Hello,” Robyn answered, wrapping a towel around her and holding the phone against her ear with her shoulder.

  “Oh, Robyn, it’s me,” Pam said soberly.

 
“Pam? What’s happened? Is it Dad? Oh God, it’s Dad, isn’t it? I gave the hospital my number, why didn’t they call me?” Robyn exclaimed, panicking.

  “It isn’t the hospital, honey, it’s Brad. He turned up here drunk last night and…” Pam started.

  “And you’re calling me why?” Robyn asked.

  “Because he wouldn’t stop talking about you. We made him about two gallons of coffee, but it didn’t help. In the end, Bob took him down in the basement to sweat it out playing hockey,” Pam continued.

  “I still don’t know why you’re calling me. Didn’t he tell you I hit him?”

  “What?”

  “He’s being an ass.”

  “Robyn, he’s upset. He’s behaving like he behaved when Michelle left him for Randy Dennis. Could you talk to him?”

  “No.”

  “Robyn, you didn’t see him after Michelle left, he was a wreck. He almost lost his place on the force and he was out of control. I don’t want that to happen again.”

  “You aren’t his mother, Pam, and he’s a grown man. Besides, I said all I had to say to him last night, and he didn’t want to listen because nothing I said was what he wanted to hear.”

  “He said you and Cole are dating.”

  “Yes.”

  “I thought you were just friends, you told me you were just friends.”

  “And now we’re more than that. Why is that so hard for people to get? I can’t run his life for him, I’m struggling to keep mine together right now. I don’t know what to suggest. Call his dad, maybe let him take responsibility for once,” Robyn said as she watched Cole come into the bedroom, toweling himself dry.

  “Robyn, are you sure about Cole? I mean, we’ve all known Brad a long time and he thinks the world of you and…” Pam started.

  “Oh my God! I can’t believe I’m hearing this! I’m going to put the phone down now.”

  “Robyn…”

  “Goodbye,” Robyn said, ending the call.

  She tossed the phone down on the bed and began furiously rubbing at her hair with the towel.

  “You okay?” Cole asked, watching her.

  “I’d be better if people kept their noses out of my business.”

  “That’s what it’s like when you live in a close knit community—that’s what you love about it,” Cole reminded her.

  “I like giving my opinion on other people’s lives; I don’t like it so much when they’re giving me their opinions on mine.”

  “Who was it?”

  “It doesn’t matter. It isn’t important. I need to get going. Old Mrs. Dill is popping in this morning with the new cushion covers. She’s almost ninety, she smokes roll ups, and the last time she came around, she drank half a bottle of gin,” Robyn said, getting dressed.

  Cole laughed and opened the closet door to get out a shirt.

  “Have you done any planning for the wedding?” Robyn asked him.

  He turned to face her.

  “What’s that look for?” Robyn asked.

  “Do you really want me to tell you or do you want a surprise?”

  “You’ve arranged something?”

  “Maybe,” Cole said with a smile.

  “Do you have a preacher?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Can we write our own vows?”

  “Is that what you want?”

  “Don’t you think it would be cool? It’d be better than all that for better or for worse stuff that I don’t really get. We could say something that actually wasn’t written circa the beginning of time—something more relevant,” Robyn suggested.

  “I’d like that,” Cole agreed.

  “Have you booked Special Guest yet?” Robyn asked excitedly.

  “I’m not telling you any more. Go and make coffee,” Cole ordered, throwing a t-shirt at her.

  “Is there any more of that gin going?” Ada Dill questioned later at the roadhouse.

  “I’ll get you some,” Milo said, taking her glass and heading to the bar to refill it.

  “Better make this your last one, Ada, or you’ll be asleep before lunchtime,” Robyn said, smiling at the old lady as she folded menus.

  “I hear that Sarah girl from the estate agents and that mechanic have split up,” Ada said, snatching the glass from Milo’s hand and slurping the gin down.

  “Who told you that?” Robyn inquired.

  “I never reveal my sources,” Ada said with another raspy laugh.

  “Well, I wouldn’t listen to gossip, Ada, not all of it’s true,” Robyn told her.

  “So they haven’t split up?” Ada asked, leaning forward, intrigued.

  “They’re working through some stuff at the moment, that’s all,” Robyn said.

  “That means they’ve split up,” Ada said with a sniff.

  “Okay, what else have you heard?” Robyn asked her.

  “Heard they were reopening your case. What that boy did to you, well, castration would be too good for the likes of him,” Ada said.

  “How do you know all this? I only found out yesterday,” Robyn stated.

  “When you’ve lived as long as me, you get to know a lot of people,” Ada replied.

  “So it seems,” Robyn answered.

  “You got to see the police again?”

  “Tomorrow.”

  “Fancy making you go over it all again after all this time…it isn’t right,” Ada said, shaking her head.

  The telephone rang and Milo hurried to answer it.

  “Eddie’s Roadhouse. Oh hi…yeah, she is…Robyn, it’s Nancy,” Milo said, holding out the phone to her.

  Robyn took the phone and put it to her ear.

  “Hello.”

  “Robyn, you need to get yourself to the hospital, honey,” Nancy said in a rush of words.

  “Is it Dad?” Robyn asked as her knees went weak, her heart flying up to her throat.

  “He’s not good.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  He had a list of things to organize, and he was trying to sort through them while keeping an eye on what was going on in his Petri dish. Special Guest was booked, the preacher was booked, and he was being measured for a suit later in the week. What else needed to be done for a wedding no one knew about? Flowers? He didn’t think Robyn did flowers. Leonora. He could decorate Leonora and maybe get some equipment for a turkey shoot for the reception. Hell, maybe they could eat turkey at the reception. They needed to move the carcass out of the freezer soon because it was taking up a third of the ice cream drawer.

  “Do you need any help with anything, Cole?” Maggie asked, appearing at his shoulder and looking down at the list in his hands.

  “Maggie, hi. No, not right now, I’m good,” he answered, putting the list face down on the worktop.

  “Are you organizing some sort of party?” she asked.

  “Yeah, kind of.”

  “Well, if you need any help, my brother works at the party store in town. He could give you a good discount on streamers and balloons and stuff,” she offered.

  “I’m good, thanks.”

  She nodded and headed toward her workstation.

  “Hey, Maggie, hold up,” Cole called.

  She turned around.

  “So, it isn’t a party. It’s a wedding. It’s my wedding, actually. Have you any idea where I can get a great cake from around here?”

  Chapter Thirty-seven

  “Eddie? Can you hear me, sugar? It’s me, it’s Nancy.”

  “Do you think he can hear us?” Robyn asked, peering at his face as if hoping to find the answer.

  “They say so, don’t they, when people are in comas and stuff,” Nancy answered, holding tightly to Eddie’s hand.

  “Shall I sing?” Robyn suggested.

  “H…hell…no,” Eddie croaked and he blinked opened his eyes.

  “He spoke. Did you hear that? He spoke! Eddie, honey, Robyn and me are here,” Nancy said, squeezing his hand tighter.

  “Yeah, I heard. He told me not to sing,” Robyn said happi
ly, looking at her dad.

  “How d’you feel? Do you want some water?” Nancy fussed.

  “No, you know I hate the stuff. What time is it?” Eddie asked, coughing and trying to get his voice back.

  “Just after six. Do you feel any better? You gave us a bit of a scare earlier, Nancy almost asked me to be her bridesmaid,” Robyn joked.

  “Just after six? What you doing here, Buttercup?” Eddie questioned, trying to sit up but just managing to flail.

  “Making sure you’re not going to try and get another slot in the operating room.”

  “But you have a game, against Grand Rapids,” Eddie stated, trying to adjust one of the monitors on his chest.

  “The team do, I’m staying right here. I’ve given Cole my instructions,” Robyn informed him.

  “Are you insane? You’re the manager! You need to be there, ice side. You need to make sure they capitalize on that victory last weekend. Get out of here! Nancy, tell her!” Eddie said, raising his voice and looking uncomfortable.

  “Eddie, stop wriggling about. You’ve just had a long and difficult operation,” Nancy ordered him.

  “She shouldn’t be here fawning over me—she should be with the team. I don’t want you here,” Eddie yelled at her.

  “Eddie, will you lower your voice. Robyn, he doesn’t mean it,” Nancy assured her.

  “Yes, he does,” Robyn said.

  “Yes, I do, so get out of here! Get down to the arena and sort out the team. I’ve got one woman who isn’t going to leave my side, I don’t need two—particularly when one should be filling my shoes at the rink,” Eddie blasted.

  “I’m going,” Robyn said, standing up.

  “I’ll call you, sugar, let you know how he’s doing,” Nancy promised.

  “I’ll be back after the game,” Robyn said, opening the door to leave.

  “You will not, you’ll celebrate the victory, like we always do. Get going!” Eddie barked and then he started to cough.