“Away. Locked up in prison. If you want to know more, you’ll have to ask my brother. He’s been keeping tabs on everything. When he gets released, Philip will tell me.”
In a dark and serious tone I’ve never heard him use before, Cole tells me, “And the first thing you’re going to do is tell me. Got it?”
“Yes, sir.” It actually makes me happy to hear him say that.
Abruptly, Cole stands up, holds out his hand and announces, “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. Ready for dinner?”
I nod and follow him back up to the townhouse. After he deposits the beach chairs safely back in his garage, he leads me back to the kitchen. He pulls out the marinating steaks and once he’s inspected them thoroughly, he deems them ready for grilling.
He points to the gas grill sitting on the porch just a few feet away. “Can you go get that fired up while I get dinner ready?”
I look at the grill, and then look back at Cole, raising my eyebrows. Does he seriously think I’m going to go anywhere near that fireball?
“Oh, yeah. Stove. Hot. Bad. I forgot,” he laughs. “You stay here and start the salad. I got this.” He hands me a large wooden bowl and a cutting board, grabs the steak, and heads out towards the grill.
Rummaging through his refrigerator, I find all the necessary ingredients – cherry tomatoes, romaine lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, olives, and feta. Eventually, after I’ve opened up every single cabinet door, I find some olive oil and red wine vinegar. Cole wasn’t kidding when he said he liked to cook. He’s got everything necessary for a five star meal right here in his kitchen.
I steal the occasional glance at Cole through the sliding glass door as I work. Again, I am reminded of how tall he is. His messy blonde hair ruffles with the ever-present coastal breeze. He catches me staring and what do I do? I wave at him. Seriously. I am such a dork.
He motions for me to join him as he removes the steaks from the grill. I grab the salad and make my way to the balcony. It’s nearly eight o’clock and the sun has almost fully set. Cole turns off the house lights and flicks on a set of Christmas lights that are hanging from the ledge above us, creating a beautifully romantic scene.
I can barely concentrate on dinner as a salty ocean mist gently caresses my skin and a chorus of crashing waves and singing seagulls serenade us.
“Do you like the lights?” he asks.
“Mm-hmm,” I hum. “You surprise me.”
“Juliette helped me hang them. She thought they would be a nice touch.”
“Tell her she was right.”
Cole carves and serves the steak while I fill our plates with salad. Once dinner is served and we’ve each taken our first few bites, I have to compliment him on his cooking. He wasn’t lying when he said he could cook.
“I’m so glad you’re enjoying it. You know, I’ve been thinking,” Cole begins.
I interrupt. “There you go – working without tools again.”
“Ha, ha – very funny,” he chides. “I was thinking that I’d like to read your books,” he tells me.
I nearly spit out my food. “No way. I forbid you,” I tell him. “I couldn’t look at you again if I knew you read them. There’s some really racy things in there I’d rather you not read.”
“Number one – I can’t imagine anything in either one of those books being more racy than some of the things you said to me in Hawaii.”
Holy shit, I can’t believe he just said that. I must be as red as those tomatoes right now.
“And two – you can’t forbid me to do anything. But if you really want to know how to get what you want,” he leans in closely, “just ask nicely and you can get anything you want from me.”
It is almost impossible to stop myself from crawling across the table, curling into his lap, and licking his face.
“Good to know,” I smile.
“There’s one other thing I was wondering about. That crazy guy who attacked you locked up behind bars, right?”
“For now.”
“Then why are you constantly looking over your shoulder? He has no idea where you are or what you’re doing, but even if he did, he’s locked up.”
This is the part that’s hard to explain to someone who’s never been stalked or attacked. “Dangerous people are like cockroaches. For each one you see, there are countless others hiding in the shadows, just waiting for the right opportunity to...” I drift off, unable to finish my thought.
Cole reaches across and takes my small hand in his. “I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, me too. You have to understand that when you came walking back into my world, all those memories of Hawaii came rushing back. Both the good and the ugly. I guess I’ve been a little . . . I don’t know . . . conflicted . . . about seeing you again.” I sit back in my chair taking a deep cleansing breath.
It feels so good to clear the air with Cole. The last thing I want is for him to think I’ve been playing games with him this entire time. Now he knows it all – why I’m not ready for a relationship and why I’m better off living a quiet life at home.
“Can I ask you a question?” he asks solemnly.
I brace myself. “Sure.”
“When you talk about your trip to Hawaii, would I be the good or the ugly?”
I smile. “The good.” I can feel the heat rushing into my cheeks again. “Definitely the good.”
Once dinner is over, we switch over to coffee with just a shot (or two) of Jameson and move our little private party to the patio. Cole starts a small fire in the fire pit as I relax on one of his lounge chairs.
He leans over the fire, jostling the kindling until it hums and crackles, creating a soft glow of heat and light. Honestly, the way the firelight catches his hair, throwing flashes of sandy blonde and whiskey honey around, it’s just . . . not fair.
He stands and turns toward me, catching me staring dreamily at him. “I’m really glad we met,” he admits.
A sudden jolt of crisp night air shoots through me and I shiver. “I am, too.”
Cole asks if I’m cold.
“A little,” I admit.
“I have just the thing.” He rushes into the townhouse and returns quickly with big Red Hawks jacket. “Come over here and put this on. It’ll keep you warm.”
I slip my arms into the sleeves and drape it around myself. Cole wraps his big arms around me and rubs my back vigorously, trying to warm me up. I lean into him and lay my cheek against his broad, firm chest.
“Warming up?” he asks.
“Getting there,” I mumble.
One final squeeze and he releases me, stepping back and admiring how I look in his jacket. He smirks at the sight of me. It’s absolutely huge on me, but it’s warm, it’s cozy, and it smells like him. He may never get this back.
We sit back down and talk for hours.
“How about your parents? Are they still together?”
He smiles. “They are. And they’re great. You would love them. My mom’s name is Diane and she’s the manager of a small bank in my hometown town. My dad, Jack, works for the water company. He’s an environmental engineer.”
“Wait – are you telling me your parents’ names are Jack and Diane?”
He shrugs. “Not just that, they started dating the year that stupid ass song was released.”
“That’s hysterical. I hope I get to meet them some day.”
I tell him what it was like growing up in Long Island and he tells me what it was like growing up an only child. There were times as a child that I wished Philip would disappear, leaving me an only child, but as I’ve grown older, I’ve come to love and cherish my big brother. I couldn’t imagine life without him.
“So, tell me about your last boyfriend. Is it another sad story?”
I shake my head. “No, not really. His name was Trent. It all turned out for the best. He’s much happier now,” I grin before finishing the last part. “And so am I.”
“Really? How did it end?”
“He was sucked int
o the Bermuda Triangle.”
Cole just shakes his head. “Good to know.”
We begin to quiet down for the first time all evening. I gaze up to the sky and it’s so crystal clear, I swear I can see thousands of stars. It’s nothing like the dimmed washed-out view from the city.
I notice Cole glance down at his watch and I lazily ask what time it is. “Almost two-thirty,” he answers.
I jump up from the lounge chair. “Oh, my God! I’m so sorry. You have a game tomorrow. I mean today. I shouldn’t have kept you up so late.”
“Don’t worry, Houdini – I only need a few hours sleep. I don’t have to be at the field until noon.” He reaches over and moves a stray hair behind my ear. My skin tingles pleasantly at his touch. “I’m driving you home.”
“No, you don’t have to. I’m fine. Really.”
“It wasn’t a question.”
CHAPTER 8
AT SEVEN A.M. SHARP, MY ALARM WAKES ME FROM A SOUND SLEEP. I have no problem getting out of bed today, despite the fact that I’ve only slept for a few hours. Cole has a home game today and I know without a doubt that he’s going to appear at TitleWave at exactly eight o’clock.
I like the idea of having breakfast with him before he goes off to work. I actually miss having someone to share a meal with. Brie is almost always too busy and Cait’s not much of a morning person. It will be nice.
I take a long hot shower and blow dry my hair with my round brush, creating soft waves that rest on my shoulder and cascade down my back.
I grab my usual work attire and for the first time, I actually understand what Cait’s been saying about looking parochial. The long khaki shorts and T-shirt just don’t feel right today.
Rifling through my drawer, I find a pair of white short-shorts. I pull them out and toss them on my bed. Now, what should I wear with them? When we ordered work shirts, I opted for a handful of unisex T-shirts. It seemed like the sensible thing at the time. Now I’m wishing I had at least gotten one tank top or form-fitting tee.
I cross my fingers that I will be forgiven and sneak into Cait’s room as she sleeps. I know she’s got plenty, I just hope I can find a clean one.
Silent as a church mouse, I tiptoe into her room and peek into her closet. I swiftly swipe a tiny tee with a deep V and steal out before she wakes.
Tossing on a little lip-gloss, I check myself in the mirror and I’m very happy with what I see. I’m starting to feel alive again. And deep down inside, I know it’s all because of Cole. He’s awoken something inside of me that I haven’t felt in a very long time.
I have no choice but to ask my brother for a ride to work since Cole insisted on driving me home a few hours ago. Lucky for me, Philip arrives quickly in his unmarked cruiser and escorts me to the boardwalk.
As I climb into the car, I brace myself for the inquisition that’s about to begin. He’s going to want to know exactly where I was, who I was with, and why I wasn’t able to drive myself home. If he hadn’t become a cop, he’d make a heck of an investigative journalist.
“I was at a friend’s house,” I explain. “And before you ask, no – you don’t know him.”
He says nothing, but I can see him holding back, literally biting back his words. You can slice the silence with a knife. Eventually, Philip breaks the awkward silence. “Who was it?” he demands to know. “And just for the record, this isn’t a request.”
“Like I said, he’s just a friend. There’s nothing to get all worked up about.”
“A new friend? Someone I haven’t met?”
Knowing full well that he’s not going to like my answer, I admit, “No, you haven’t met him.”
“Well, I don’t like it. You can’t be too careful, you know.”
“You have nothing to worry about. Cole’s not going to hurt me.”
“You can’t possibly know that,” he argues. “Does this Cole guy have a last name?”
I know why he’s asking. He wants to run a background search. “Of course he does,” I answer.
“Well?”
“I’ll ask him and let you know what he says.” I hop out, leaving him sitting there, speechless. “Thanks for the ride!” I call out as I make my way up the boardwalk.
When I arrive at work, Brie takes one look at me, tosses down the rag she’s wiping the machines with, and makes a beeline straight towards me. “Oh, Kenny – you look beautiful. I haven’t seen you look this good since . . . well, it’s been a long time. Did anything happen last night?” Her eyes narrow in on my face.
“Yes and no,” I tell her. “We . . . talked.”
“Oh?” she smirks. “About anything in particular?”
“About nothing. About everything.” I take a deep breath, “I told him who Kensington Layne is. He knows about Paul, too.”
“Good. I’m glad you got that out of the way.” Brie pulls me in for a big hug. “I’m so glad you confided in him. I like having him around. He’s a nice guy. He could be your unofficial body guard when we go out.” She checks her watch. “He’ll be here for breakfast soon. Are you going to sit down and eat, too?”
I nod.
Brie brings me over to the pastry counter and shows off all the new treats brought in from Rush in Asbury. There’s a delectable array of all sorts of pastries: apple strudels, blueberry scones, orange cranberry muffins, and banana walnut bread. Cole’s cousin, Juliette, seems to have outdone herself. I choose a flaky crumb cake with streusel topping and ask Brie for an iced caramel macchiato.
Just as I turn to find a good spot to sit and wait, I am stopped by the brick wall that is Cole McGuire who just happens to be standing right behind me.
I almost trip over my own feet trying to back away. My eyes drink in his long-limbed body before I can stop myself. When they eventually travel upward, Cole is staring at me with this knowing, cocky little grin on his lips. His very, very kissable lips.
“I didn’t expect to see you at all today,” he smiles. “I thought you’d still be sound asleep in bed.”
Looking into his endless blue eyes, I feel the butterflies in my stomach go wild. He is really handsome, but I’d known this from the moment I first met him in Hawaii. This is different. I’ve learned a lot about Cole in the last few days. And now as I look at him, I am filled with delight. The kind of joy you feel when you realize something special about another person and he goes from being attractive to downright kick-you-in-the-gut good-looking.
I dig deep and push aside those feelings. I like Cole and I want him to like me. But for now, I’m just going to enjoy his company. “Well, I’m full of surprises. Why don’t you join me for breakfast?” I ask.
His eyes grow wide. “Go grab our table. I’ll be right there.”
I find our favorite spot empty, just waiting for us. I pull off a small piece of crumb cake and take an experimental bite. It’s so good, I can’t help but close my eyes and savor the flaky goodness. “Mmm,” I moan.
When I open my eyes, I find Cole standing stock still in front of me, staring. He’s biting his bottom lip and shaking his head. “Don’t do that again,” he warns.
I raise my eyebrows and grin sheepishly.
Before I can answer, he barks, “I mean it.”
Ha. I like to see that I can get under his skin, too. This might be more fun than I had thought.
Cole sets his things down, takes a seat next to me, and settles in. “So, I had a really great time last night.” He takes a taste of his iced tea and smiles.
“Yeah? Me, too. It was nice,” I agree.
“Nice, huh?” he huffs. “I think we’ll have to try to do better than that.”
“What’s wrong with nice?” I tease. “Nice is . . . nice.”
Cole slides his legs under mine, lifting them up and off the ground. I make no attempt to move away. It’s nice having a connection with someone again.
“Speaking of which, you look very nice this morning.” Cole smiles and adjusts his sunglasses. The sun is still rising, reflecting its radiant light acros
s the ocean and onto the boardwalk where we sit. “Do you have a hot date later or something?”
I grin. “I do,” I tease. “I didn’t bring it up last night, but there’s this special guy I’ve been seeing for a while now. I’m hoping to see him tonight.”
Cole’s smile quickly fades and he pulls his leg away from me. “Oh,” he says glumly. “Well, I hope he’s a good guy.”
“He’s the best. He stole my heart the minute I first saw him. My whole life changed that day. I would do absolutely anything for him.”
“I know the feeling.” Cole picks up the paper and pretends to glance through it, but I can tell that what I’m saying bothers him.
It pains me to see him like this, so I explain. “I can’t wait for him to learn how to walk and talk, though. All he does right now is sleep, eat, and poop.”
He puts the paper down and grins. “I see. And who would this little man be who seems to have stolen your heart?”
“My brother’s son Connor. I can’t wait to buy him his first Matchbox car and take him to his first soccer game.”
“Ahem – soccer? Really? What’s wrong with baseball?” Cole teases.
“I actually know this baseball player and he’s had a rather difficult go of it over the years. It’s really a very sad, sad story.” I pretend to wipe a tear from my eye. “He can’t even date and play baseball at the same time. Tragic. I would never want that for my little man.”
“Well at least he would get to travel to exotic places and meet beautiful women.” His leg finds its way back underneath mine. I’m so glad I shaved my legs this morning.
“True. I wonder what that baseball player is doing later tonight.”
“I can’t speak for all baseball players, but I can tell you that I’ll be on the field until close to eleven o’clock tonight,” he explains.
“Eleven o’clock?” I blurt out. “But you have to be at the field by twelve. That’s eleven hours. The game’s only like what – three hours? What do you do the rest of the time?”
“We warm up and practice for about an hour, then we unwind in the clubhouse until we have to be on the field. Some guys like to listen to music, play cards, or video games. Do you want to know what I like to do?”
Another Chance at Love (Another Series Book 1) Page 11
