Jackson Hole Valentine
Cindy Kirk
What happens in close quarters… When Margaret Fisher’s friends are killed in a tragic accident, she suddenly finds herself co-guardian of the couple’s six-year-old son alongside the man who broke her heart in high school: Cole Lassiter! But Meg would do anything – even move into Cole’s house – to be a mother for Charlie.Successful entrepreneur Cole can’t imagine sharing anything with Meg, let alone a son. But as they learn to be good parents to Charlie, the mismatched pair might just find themselves within reach of a love that could last forever…
“Can I count on you to help me?”
“Yes, sir.” Charlie nodded vigorously up and down then slanted a glance at Meg before turning back to Cole. “You can count on both of us.”
“Is that right, Meg?” Cole lifted a sardonic brow. “Can I count on you… this time?”
The words stung as much as if he’d slapped her. Yet, for Charlie’s sake, she managed to keep a smile on her lips.
The nerve of the man. He acted as if it was she who’d let him down all those years ago rather than the other way around.
Snapping the last piece of equipment into place, Meg scrambled to her feet and held out a hand to him. She met his gaze. “Of course you can trust me, Cole. Every bit as much as I can trust you.”
Dear Reader,
When my daughter was small, I worried what would happen to her if her father and I both died before she was grown. Luckily we had some wonderful relatives who agreed to step in and raise her if that happened. I had no doubt they would love her as their own.
In Jackson Hole Valentine, Charlie’s parents are killed in a car accident. But in their will, instead of specifying a couple to take and raise their child, they name two single friends! On the surface that decision makes no sense. As Margaret says, it’s as if they handed over custody of their precious son to a divorced couple!
Thankfully, in this book set in beautiful Jackson Hole, not only do Meg and Cole get their happy ending (thanks to being brought back together by the provisions in the will) but little Charlie gets his, as well.
I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Happy reading!
Cindy Kirk
About the Author
CINDY KIRK has loved to read for as long as she can remember. In first grade she received an award for reading one hundred books. Growing up, summers were her favorite time of year. Nothing beat going to the library, then coming home and curling up in front of the window air conditioner with a good book. Often the novels she read would spur ideas, and she’d make up her own story (always with a happy ending). When she’d go to bed at night, instead of counting sheep, she’d make up more stories in her head. Since selling her first story to Mills & Boon in 1999, Cindy has been forced to juggle her love of reading with her passion for creating stories of her own… but she doesn’t mind. Writing for Mills & Boon
Cherish
is a dream come true. She only hopes you have as much fun reading her books as she has writing them!
Cindy invites you to visit her website at www.cindykirk.com.
Jackson Hole Valentine
Cindy Kirk
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
To my fabulous critique partner and friend,
author Renee Ryan. This one’s for you!
Chapter One
Margaret Fisher glanced around the attorney’s waiting room, her heart fluttering like a hummingbird on steroids. Too nervous to concentrate on the magazine in her lap, she took a couple of deep breaths and let her gaze linger on her surroundings.
The random-width plank floor made from exotic woods added visual appeal while the muted tan-colored walls provided the perfect foil for the “artwork” in the room. Like many businesses in Jackson Hole, the designer had carried the cowboy theme a bit too far for her liking. Ryan Harcourt’s rodeo awards were featured prominently on the wall and a well-oiled saddle sat on display in one corner.
Despite Ryan having graduated from a prestigious east coast law school, there was not a diploma in sight. Margaret assumed there would be one in his office. It didn’t surprise her to see him focus on his roots in the outer waiting area. In Jackson Hole, the majority of his clients would relate better to his rodeo background than to his Ivy League education.
The young attorney—and former champion bull rider—was well-known to Margaret. He’d been a classmate of hers at Jackson Hole High School as well as a close friend of Margaret’s boyfriend, Cole Lassiter. Not boyfriend, she corrected herself. Cole was simply the jerk who acted as if he loved her, took her virginity and then unceremoniously dumped her, all without taking her on a single date.
It had been years since she’d seen Cole. She’d half expected their paths to cross at the funeral. After all, growing up, he and Joy had been next-door neighbors. Margaret had also heard he stopped in to see Joy and Ty whenever he was in town. But then, Cole hadn’t bothered to come to her parents’ funeral so it hadn’t surprised her when he didn’t show. Respect didn’t seem to be a word in his vocabulary.
“Charlie, would you like to play with these?” Lexi Delacourt, the social worker seated to Margaret’s right, opened the large colorful bag and let the child she’d brought with her peer inside.
Margaret smiled as the boy’s eyes brightened, and she pushed aside the old memories. There were more important things to think about today. Cole was the past. Today was about her future. Just like it had been when she’d sat in the attorney’s office on her seventeenth birthday. That day she’d been with her seven siblings. The normal laughter and joking that always occurred when they were all in the same room had been noticeably absent.
It was understandable, of course. They’d been stressed and grieving. Anxious about what was going to happen to them now that their parents had died. She wondered if Charlie had that same sick feeling in the pit of his stomach she’d had back then.
She cast a sideways glance at the little boy who was now lining up plastic dinosaurs on the rough-hewn top of the wooden trunk coffee table. The six-year-old was the son of Margaret’s childhood friend, Joy, and her husband, Ty.
Now they were both gone, killed in an accident only weeks before Christmas near Brown’s Curve on Route 22. The same stretch of Jackson Hole roadway where her folks had died.
It’s not fair.
Tears stung the back of Margaret’s eyes. Though she hadn’t seen as much of her friend as she’d have liked since leaving Wyoming fifteen years ago, thanks to the internet and cell phones, she and Joy had remained close confidantes and friends.
Without warning, Charlie jumped up from the brown-and-white cowhide sofa, his boots making a loud thud on the floor.
“I’m gonna look at the fish,” he announced to Lexi when she cast him a questioning look.
He crossed the room looking adorable in his blue chambray shirt, jeans and cowboy boots. He’d been wearing something similar in the picture Joy had emailed Margaret last summer, the one taken at the Lil’ Buckeroo Rodeo in Pinedale.
Charlie had been a much-loved child. Her friend had embraced motherhood and Ty had doted on his son. Both wanted more children, but for some reason Joy had been unable to get pregnant again. They’d been trying since Charlie turned two and this past year had started expensive fertility treatments.
Margaret could understand why her friends had wanted more children. She’d fallen under Charlie’s sweet spell when she’d returned to Jackson Hole last Christmas for the christening of her brother’s twin babies. She’d been thrilled for Travis and at the same time envious of the way his life had so happily fallen into place. Before leaving town she’d stopped and spent time with Joy and her family.
When it came time for her to leave, Charlie had wrapped his arms around her and given her a kiss. Looping an arm around his waist, Margaret had teased Joy that she was taking him with her. But, as always, she’d left Wyoming alone, single seat on the aisle.
“They’re ginormous.” Charlie whirled around, his eyes wide with awe.
“Super big,” Margaret agreed then sighed when he turned back to the aquarium. She’d once hoped to have a husband to love and a child just like Charlie to cherish. But she was already in her early thirties and that dream was looking less likely with each passing year.
As a physical therapist who dealt primarily with stroke patients, Margaret didn’t have much opportunity to meet eligible men at work. And she’d never been one for the bar scene. To complicate matters, most of her friends were married. Of course, she reminded herself, if she’d been willing to exchange vows with a man she liked and respected but wasn’t madly in love with, she’d be married, too.
But last year, after much soul-searching, she broke it off with her fiancé. She hadn’t regretted her decision. Okay, maybe a couple of times on dark, lonely nights when she remembered how good he’d been to her and feared she’d simply been expecting too much. After all, they’d gotten along well and had fun when they were together. Did “madly in love” really have to be part of the equation?
She’d wondered.
Then she’d run into him and his new girlfriend a couple of weeks ago. The way they looked at each other told her she’d been right to call off the wedding. Not only for her sake but for his. Everyone deserved to be loved with such passion.
“Me an’ my dad used to go fishing,” Charlie said, gazing at the tank. “Mommy would sometimes come, too. But Daddy had to put the worm on the hook for her.”
“That was nice of him.” Lexi said. “You had a nice daddy.”
Having Lexi overseeing Charlie’s case felt almost like having a family member involved. When the attractive social worker with the sleek brown bob had introduced herself, she’d mentioned she was a good friend of Margaret’s older brother, Travis, a local ob-gyn.
Margaret knew Travis and his wife, Mary Karen, had a group of close-knit friends. Like Lexi, all were married with children. Margaret sighed. Sometimes it felt as if everyone had the life she wanted… except her.
“Have you seen the will?” Lexi asked in a low tone, leaning over the arm of her chair.
Margaret shook her head. “But I have a good idea what’s in it.”
At the funeral, when Ryan asked her to come to his office for the reading, she hadn’t been surprised by the request. Last year, when one of their high school classmates had died of cancer, Joy had broached the subject of Margaret raising Charlie if anything should happen to her and Ty. She’d been flattered but wondered why Joy wouldn’t want her child raised by family.
Joy had informed her she’d already approached her parents. Apparently they’d stammered and offered a whole litany of excuses—they’d retired to Florida because of Larry’s health, the gated community they’d just settled into didn’t allow children, it would be best for Charlie to remain in familiar surroundings…
Margaret’s heart had ached for her friend. All these years Joy had been right. She’d always insisted that her parents really had only one child—her brother—and that she wasn’t that important to them.
Ty’s own family situation wasn’t much better. He’d been estranged from them for years. They’d sent a small plant for the memorial service.
“Charlie, honey, don’t press so hard against the glass,” Lexi called out to the boy but made no move to get up.
With an older child and a busy toddler at home, this was probably the only chance the social worker had to rest. Margaret stifled a smile and rose to her feet. She crossed the room, her heels clicking loudly on the hardwood. Normally she favored more comfortable clothing than the silver-blue suit and certainly more sensible footwear than high heels. But this had seemed an appropriate day to forgo comfort for something more stylish and businesslike.
She crouched down beside the boy, who had his nose pressed against the aquarium glass. “Which one do you like best?”
“The yellow one.” Charlie pointed to a large silver angelfish with a blanket of gold over the head and back.
“It’s very pretty.” Margaret resisted the urge to brush the tousle of chocolate-brown hair back from his face. “Do you remember me, Charlie? I’m Margaret. I was a friend of your mom.”
The boy turned to face her, his eyes a deep, dark blue. “Pastor says my mommy and daddy are with Jesus in heaven.”
Margaret took a deep breath and blinked back tears. The sermon at the funeral had been comforting, but it was still hard to accept that it had been her childhood friend lying in one of the two caskets at the front of the church. Heart-breaking to realize she and Joy would never laugh over the phone or Tweet pithy one-liners to each other.
Still, she believed the pastor when he’d said Joy and Ty were in a better place. Her friend had such a quirky sense of humor that Margaret had no doubt that at this very moment she was livening up the heavenly throng with Ty cheering her on.
“Do you think they’re coming back for me?” he asked in a small voice.
“I’m afraid not,” Margaret said softly. She cursed her honesty when his eyes filled with tears and his bottom lip began to tremble. “But I know they’re still watching over you. And that they love you very much.”
“I want my mommy.” The boy’s arms stiffened at his sides and his hands clenched into tiny fists. “Bring her here. Now.”
Her heart rose to her throat. If only I could bring her back. And Ty, too.
Like a whirlwind sweeping across the plains, as quickly as Charlie’s anger flared, it disappeared and he began to cry.
Margaret wrapped her arms around him, murmuring soothing words and holding him tight. After several heartbeats he quit struggling. After several more she felt him relax in her arms.
From her own experience, she knew a little about what he’d be going through in the weeks and months ahead. She vowed to make this transition as easy as possible for him.
With his soft curls still pressed against her cheek, Margaret heard the attorney’s office door open. But she couldn’t move a muscle. The child had his arms around her, holding her as tight as a drowning sailor would grasp a life preserver.
“Margaret.” Ryan moved to her side and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Lexi will take good care of him while we talk.”
“Charlie, I have something really cool to show you.” The social worker peeled the boy from Margaret’s arms. “The office down the hall has some gigantic fish.”
“Bigger than those?” Charlie pointed to the aquarium, his tears like little crystals on his long lashes.
“Oh, my goodness, yes. Way bigger.” Lexi held out her hand. “Come with me and we’ll go see them.”
The little boy hesitated, glancing at Margaret.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Margaret assured him. “I’ll be here when you get back.”
After a long moment, Charlie put his fingers in the social worker’s hand. “I wanna see the fishes.”
Lexi smiled at Margaret and gave the attorney a wink. “We won’t be long.”
Margaret watched them leave. Her heart warmed when Charlie returned her wave.
“I’m glad you could make it.” Ryan gestured toward his office then stepped aside to let her pass. “We’re waiting for one more but there’s some preliminary stuff we can get started on.”
Margaret smiled, finding it strangely refreshing to hear an attorney use the word stuff. She took a seat in front of his desk, wondering who it was Ryan was expecting. It hadn’t crossed her mind that anyone else would show up for the reading. “Did Joy’s parents change their minds and decide to stay in town a little while longer?”
“Nothing like that.” The attorney took a seat in the cowhide-and-leather swivel desk chair and offered her an easy smile.
Despite being thrown to the ground and stomped on by bulls weighing close to two thousand pounds, Ryan looked no worse for wear. His face was unscarred and his hair as dark and thick as it had been in school. He was a cute guy but Ryan had never made her heart skip a beat.
Back then, people who didn’t know him well had always confused him with Cole. Both had dark hair and slender, athletic builds. But Ryan’s eyes were a silvery-gray while Cole’s eyes were as blue as the ocean.
In her young, stupid days, Margaret had been convinced she could drown in Cole’s eyes. She resisted the urge to gag.
Ryan shifted in his seat and glanced at his watch. Tiny lines furrowed his brow.
If Margaret didn’t know better, she’d say he was worried. But that didn’t make sense. What did he have to be concerned about? Unless he thought she was having second thoughts about raising Charlie. Could he be afraid she was going to bail on the boy?
Margaret leaned forward and rested both hands on the edge of the desk. “Joy and I talked last year about her and Ty’s wishes, should anything happen to them. I’m fully aware that she wanted me to—”
The outer office door jingled.
Ryan’s head jerked toward the sound.
Margaret paused and sat back.
Before she could say another word, Ryan leaped from his seat and rounded the desk. “I’ll get it.”
But he didn’t have time to reach the door before it swung open. Turning in her seat to gawk at the new arrival seemed a little gauche, so Margaret waited for the visitor to stroll into view.
“It’s good to see you,” Ryan said.
“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting long.”
Margaret froze. The man’s voice sounded all too familiar. She shivered as the sexy voice continued. “DFW got snowed in and all the flights backed up.”
She didn’t need to turn in her chair to know who Ryan had so warmly welcomed. Even after all these years, she recognized his voice. It was the same sexy rumble that had whispered sweet nothings in her ear when she’d been sixteen. The same husky voice that had shook with emotion when he’d pronounced her his sweetheart and given her a silver heart-shaped locket for Valentine’s Day. The same voice that she hadn’t heard again after they’d made love in the backseat of his old Chevy.
She dug her nails into her palms.
“You’re lucky you didn’t make it in yesterday morning. We had a jet go off the runway,” Ryan rattled on. “Typical November weather.”
“Anyone who grew up in this region should know better than to fly in the day of any event, especially at this time of year.” Margaret turned in her seat, unable to sit still a moment longer. “Unless it was your intent all along to miss the funeral.”
She had only a second to brace herself before Cole fixed his brilliant blue eyes on her, and to be startled at the sight of him on crutches.
“You remember Margaret Fisher.” Ryan gestured to her with a broad sweep of a hand. “She went to high school with us.”
It didn’t surprise Margaret that Ryan would feel the need to clarify. After all, it wasn’t as if they’d run in the same social circle back then. Ryan and Cole had been popular, while she’d been studious, shy and completely forgettable. A part of her had wondered if he’d ever mentioned his involvement with her to his friends. Apparently not.
Cole’s expression gave nothing away. “Of course, I remember Meg.”
“Meg?” Ryan lifted a brow. “I don’t know that I’ve ever heard anyone call her that before.”
That’s because no one else ever had, only Cole.
“I meant, Margaret,” Cole returned easily.
Ryan’s eyes held a curious gleam and Margaret got the feeling he knew there was more to the story than a simple verbal faux pas.
“You’re looking well,” Cole said to her when the silence lengthened.
Other than the crutches and the brace on his right knee, she supposed she could say the same about him. His hair was a little longer now, brushing his collar in a stylish cut. The hand-tailored dark suit he wore emphasized broad shoulders and lean hips. Surprisingly, he’d foregone a tie and left his gray shirt unbuttoned at the neck.
While she grudgingly admitted that he looked… attractive… she had no use for him or for the words that came so easy to his tongue. Margaret lifted her chin. “Your friend appears to be too much of a gentleman to tell you—but this is a private business meeting.”
She could have cheered when her tone came out cool with just the slightest amount of indifference.
Cole’s brows pulled together and he shot Ryan a puzzled glance. “You told me this was the time you’d set aside to go over Ty and Joy’s will.”
Margaret narrowed her gaze and focused on Cole. “You must really be doing badly if you came all this way just to see if they left you anything.”
For a second she regretted speaking so frankly. Being brash wasn’t her style. Then she recalled how Cole had treated her and she decided she was being too kind.
“I’m doing quite well, not that it’s any of your concern.” Cole’s expression darkened. He turned to Ryan. “What the hell is going on here?”
A look of guilt crossed the attorney’s face and the gaze he shot her was filled with apology.
Margaret had always been intuitive. The unique gift that had failed her only once before was now telling her that something was about to go wrong. Dreadfully wrong.
“Ryan?” Margaret choked out the attorney’s name, finding breathing suddenly difficult.
“Neither of you have the complete picture, not yet.” Ryan gestured for Cole to take a seat then exhaled a harsh breath. “That’s the way Ty and Joy wanted it.”
Then this wasn’t a chance meeting, but something orchestrated from the grave by Margaret’s oldest and dearest friend. Oh, Joy, what have you done?
“I think I’d better sit down.” With lips pressed tightly together, Cole moved carefully across the slippery wood floor and eased himself into the only empty chair in the room, the one next to hers.
Though a big part of her life revolved around physical rehabilitation, she didn’t comment on his unsteady gait or ask about his injury. Quite simply she didn’t care. She couldn’t care. Not about him. Or his gimpy leg.
The only thing she wanted to know was why he was at this meeting… and how soon he’d be leaving.
Chapter Two
“I’m sure you’re wondering why you’re both here today.” Ryan leaned forward across the desktop, his gaze shifting from Cole to Meg.
Cole decided the comment must have been directed toward Meg, because he knew exactly why he was here. Over Labor Day, Ty and Joy had told him they were finally getting around to making a will. When Joy said she’d love him to raise Charlie if anything happened to them, something in her eyes had confirmed his long-held suspicions.
Of course, he’d said yes. He’d been a part of Charlie’s life since the boy was born. The only way Cole would let anyone else raise the child was over his dead body.
He glanced at Meg. Her eyes were focused on Ryan, her head held high. Just like the girl he remembered, she projected an air of supreme confidence. She’d always had high expectations of herself… and others. When she discovered he didn’t measure up, she’d turned on him.
Cole clenched his teeth. The funny thing was, right now that memory hurt more than his leg.
The attorney steepled his fingers beneath his chin. If he noticed the tension in the room, it didn’t show. “I’m not sure you know this, but Joy and Ty came to my office last month and made some changes to their will.”
The comment didn’t concern Cole other than he felt happy they’d followed through on what they’d discussed with him. He wished Ryan would get to the point, so he could pick up Charlie and get out of here. While he’d been prepared to see Meg at the funeral, running into her today had thrown him.
Damn Ryan for not giving him a heads-up. Then Cole realized the attorney couldn’t have known it would be an issue for him to see her again. The only people who knew he and Meg had once been involved were Joy and Cole’s brother, Cade.
When he’d first seen Meg his breath had caught in his throat. She was even more beautiful than she’d been in high school. Despite knowing he was playing with fire, Cole couldn’t resist slanting another glance in her direction.
The beauty, which had showed such promise at sixteen, had been fulfilled. The red in her hair had deepened to a rich auburn, the vibrant color a perfect foil for her creamy complexion. From what he could see, her curves were still there, only more womanly than girlish. Her legs were as he remembered: long, slender and sexy as hell.
Ryan cleared his throat and Cole realized he’d been staring like a lovesick seventeen-year-old. Which he wasn’t. Not seventeen. Certainly not lovesick.
“What k-kind of changes did they make?” Margaret asked.
Cole heard the uncertainty in her tone. Obviously Joy or Ty had promised her something. Though he couldn’t imagine there would be much of anything left. The infertility treatments they’d been undergoing had taken all of their savings and then some.
Cole shifted position, hoping to take some pressure off his knee. The surgeon had warned him that if he flew so soon after surgery he was asking for trouble. Dr. Jones had been right. Even the extra leg room in first class hadn’t helped.
He thought of the bottle of pain pills in his luggage with a twinge of regret but then realized even if they were in his pocket right now, he wouldn’t take them. A man had to be alert to care for an active six-year-old.
“The change affects the custody of Charlie.” Ryan cast an apologetic look in his direction.
In his direction.
Cole went hot, then cold. He told himself Joy wouldn’t have cut him out of Charlie’s life. And Ty, he’d talked about wanting his son to have a male role model if anything should happen to him.
None of this was making any sense. Not Joy and Ty making changes to their will that would cause Ryan to look at him apologetically. Not Meg being here. And certainly not the feeling which suddenly gripped him and whispered his life was about to be turned upside down.
“What kind of change?” Meg asked, her tone as tightly strung as a guitar string.
“This was a difficult decision for them,” Ryan said. “Not made lightly.”
“Quit talking around it, Ryan.” Cole pinned his friend with his gaze. “Give it to me straight.”
A look of gratitude filled Meg’s eyes for the briefest of seconds before her lids lowered.
Cole scowled. He didn’t want her gratitude. Didn’t want anything except her gone.
Ryan stared down at the paper on the desk then looked up. “You’re not going to like this—”
“Ryan,” Cole growled, his patience depleted.
“Instead of giving sole custody to either one of you—” Ryan spoke quickly “—Joy and Ty decided that it would be best if you shared custody.”
Meg gasped.
Cole swore he could hear her heart pounding. Or was that his? Regardless, he must have misunderstood. He cleared his throat. “If who shared custody?”
Ryan met his gaze. “You and Margaret.”
“That’s absurd.” Meg’s green eyes flashed, showing a bit of the spirit he remembered.
“Ryan.” Cole gripped the sides of his chair until his knuckles turned white. “There is no me and Margaret.”
“Their will is very specific on that matter.” The attorney rose to his feet and smiled. “Now that we’ve got that out of the way, can I get either one of you a soda or a bottle of water before we go through the specifics?”
Margaret fought the urge to laugh hysterically. Her entire world had been turned upside down and Ryan wanted to give her a bottle of water?
“Forget the water,” she muttered. “Give me a scotch.”
She wasn’t sure where the words came from. When she drank—which was rarely—she preferred wine over hard liquor.
Cole’s hand dropped to massage his leg. “Make mine a double.”
Ryan’s eyes widened before he chuckled and reached inside a small refrigerator. “Three bottles of water coming right up.”
Share custody with Cole? Was that really what the attorney had said?
Margaret closed her eyes. She had to be dreaming. Other than a nightmare, there could be no other explanation. But when she opened her eyes, Ryan was pushing a cold plastic bottle into her hand and Cole Lassiter still sat beside her.
“Read it again, Ry.” Cole unscrewed the cap on his bottle. “Ty and Joy asked me if I’d raise Charlie if anything should happen to them. That was Labor Day weekend. Not even three months ago. They didn’t mention one word about sharing custody with her.”
Cole jerked a thumb in her direction.
“Well, when they asked me, they never said you’d be in the picture,” Margaret retorted, even as her heart sank. If Cole was telling the truth, his conversation with Joy had been much more recent than hers.
“Children, stop right now. I want us all to take a deep breath.” By the smile tugging at his lips, Ryan appeared more amused than troubled by their reactions. “There are some terms and conditions to being appointed Charlie’s guardians. Terms you will need to carefully consider.”
Margaret didn’t need to consider anything. The little boy who’d sobbed in her arms needed her. Not to mention she’d promised Joy and Ty she’d take care of him. And, unlike the man sitting beside her, her word meant something.
Ryan took a sip of his water then gestured for her to do the same.
Although Margaret wasn’t particularly thirsty, she brought the bottle to her lips and let the cool liquid run down her throat. To her surprise, she felt herself relax. This would be okay. Joy had been her friend. She wouldn’t have put Margaret in a bad position.
Cole placed his water on the desk, a look of steely determination in his eyes. “I want to hear the terms, then I want a copy of the will for my attorneys to go over.”
“Oh, my attorneys,” Margaret said in a mocking tone. “If that was an attempt to impress me—or perhaps even scare me—let me tell you right now, it didn’t work.”
His gaze met hers and for a second she recalled what it felt like to drown in those eyes.
“I run a business so I have attorneys.” Cole’s expression darkened. “Trust me, I couldn’t care less if I impress you or not.”
Trust him? Margaret would sooner trust a weasel. But trust him or not, if Cole had an attorney, she’d best get one, too. But while she knew several lawyers in Nebraska, they didn’t deal with custody issues. Hadn’t Lexi said her husband, Nick, was a family-law attorney? “I’d like a copy also. For my attorney to review.”
Cole pressed his lips together and shifted positions.
“I’ll get the papers run off for you,” Ryan said, suddenly all business. “Now about the terms…”
Margaret reached into her bag and retrieved a small notepad and pen. As Ryan read, she took notes. Her horror grew with each additional stipulation. By the time the attorney finished, Margaret was ready to forget the glass of scotch. She needed a whole bottle.
“Let me get this straight.” Margaret spoke slowly and distinctly in an attempt to calm her nerves. “We have to remain in Jackson Hole until the end of the school year?”
Ryan nodded. “Ty and Joy didn’t want Charlie to face any more changes than necessary, at least not initially.”
“But my job and my apartment are in Omaha.” While Margaret had eventually hoped to one day move back to Jackson Hole, the reality was her life was in Nebraska. She could look for another position in Jackson Hole, but she still had four months left on her lease. No way could she incur the expense of moving and pay double rent.
“My company headquarters are based out of Austin, but I’ll relocate to Jackson Hole immediately.” Though Cole spoke to Ryan, he slanted a glance in Margaret’s direction. “No problem.”
Margaret could feel Charlie slipping away and for a second she felt powerless. Then she remembered something her dad used to say—can’t was a word people used when they were unwilling to make sacrifices. Well, that wasn’t her. She straightened in her seat. “I’ll make it work.”
A look of surprise skittered across Cole’s face so quickly she wondered if she’d only imagined it. Nah, he was surprised. He apparently thought she’d roll over and play dead. Well, he’d soon realize that she wasn’t that same shy sixteen-year-old whose heart he’d walked over and discarded like yesterday’s trash.
“What happens after the school year ends?” Margaret asked.
“You’re free to relocate back to Nebraska or Texas.” Ryan took another sip of water. “But you’ll continue to share custody. You’d have to make arrangements that will work for you and Charlie.”
“I don’t understand why they did this.” Cole’s mouth twisted. “Putting Charlie in the middle of a tug-of-war between the two of us couldn’t be what they wanted for him.”
Margaret was glad he’d brought it up. She’d been thinking the same thing. It was as if Joy and Ty had handed custody of their precious son to a divorced couple.
“They knew you both well enough to know you wouldn’t let that happen,” Ryan said, his expression suddenly serious. “They believed you would always put Charlie’s welfare and happiness first.”
Margaret stared down at her hands, praying she’d prove worthy of her friend’s faith in her.
“That said,” Ryan continued, “if either of you leaves Jackson Hole for more than a week at a time during this initial period, the other will be granted sole custody of Charlie.”
Seven days wasn’t a lot of time to quit her job, pack up her apartment and find a place to live in Jackson Hole. It was the last part that would be the hardest. In the ten years she’d been looking to come back, rent in the area had soared. And most landlords were demanding two months of rent as a deposit.
Margaret had money in savings but it wouldn’t last long, especially if she had to pay an attorney. Once her money ran out, there would be no one to help. The only sibling with any disposable income was her older brother, Travis. Still, with five young children and a new house in the mountains, he had his own responsibilities.
“If you’re not going to be able to do it,” Cole said in a low tone, “it’d be best to back out now.”
“That little boy needs a mother.” Margaret met his gaze, her voice strong and sincere. “I’m not going to let him down.”
Shortly after the copies had been made and another appointment scheduled for later in the week, the three made their way to the outer office.
Ryan was showing Cole his saddle when the door opened.
“Uncle Cole.” Charlie’s eyes lit up and before anyone could stop him, the little boy barreled across the room and slammed into him.
Cole felt the knee give way at the same moment Meg’s arm slipped around him, giving him much-needed stability and a good strong jolt of déjà vu.
The light floral scent of her perfume, the feel of her body next to his… took him back to a time when she was his whole world. His body prickled with awareness.
Meg smiled down at the boy, seemingly unaffected. “Whoa, partner. Your uncle Cole just had knee surgery. Go gentle on him.”
“I didn’t mean to hurt him.” Charlie turned to Cole. “Did I hurt you?”
Cole’s heart melted and he shook his head.
A tiny frown worried Meg’s brow. He could tell she found Charlie’s exuberant greeting disturbing. Obviously she hadn’t realized how close Charlie was to him. His smile widened.
“Honey,” Lexi prompted, stepping forward and resting a hand on Charlie’s shoulder. “Didn’t you have some pictures you wanted to share?”
“I have one for you and one for you.” Charlie pointed to Cole then to Meg.
“Hey, what about me?” Ryan asked in a teasing tone.
“Nope.” Charlie’s head shook back and forth. “None for you.”
Ryan chuckled. “The story of my life.”
Everyone laughed and Charlie looked up at Lexi. “Where are my pictures?”
“Right here, buckaroo.” Lexi opened a large drawing pad and pulled out about ten different sheets of paper, with an assortment of pictures done in crayon.
Charlie slowly perused each one, his brows pulled together in thought.
“Thanks for catching me,” Cole said in a low tone meant for Meg’s ears only. Just because he wanted nothing to do with her didn’t mean he couldn’t be civil.
“If you’d gone down, you’d have taken Charlie with you,” she responded in a matter-of-fact tone. “Couldn’t have that.”
Cole searched her cool green eyes. Though her expression gave nothing away, he had the distinct feeling she was angry with him. Which made absolutely no sense. If either of them had a reason to be bitter over their breakup all those years ago, it was him.
“This one is for you.” Charlie shoved a picture into Cole’s hand.
He glanced at the paper. Two stick figures, one big, one little, were standing by a bright blue lake under a huge yellow sun, fishing.
“I know this place.” Cole smiled. “It’s the lake where we spent the day together last summer.”
“Yep.” The little boy rocked back on his boot heels in a gesture reminiscent of Ty. “That’s you and me.”
Cole tightened his grip on the picture; the first Charlie had ever given him. It meant a lot to know the excursion had been a special memory, not only for him, but for Charlie, as well.
“Thanks, buddy.” Cole tousled the child’s dark hair. “I’ll put this up in my hotel room.”
“If you have a ‘frigerator, you could put it there,” the boy said with an eagerness that touched Cole’s heart. “That’s where my mommy puts all my pictures.”
Cole exchanged a glance with Meg. Or maybe it was a wordless plea. It was getting close to the time Charlie had to leave and he wanted the encounter to end on as upbeat a note as possible. In a second he could see Charlie realizing that his mommy would no longer be putting up his pictures.
Meg seemed to understand, because she stepped forward.
“And what do you have for me?” She crouched down so she was at eye level with the boy.
“This one.” Charlie brandished another picture with a flourish. “I ‘membered you like flowers.”
That much hadn’t changed, Cole thought. When they’d been together, Meg had loved all kinds of flowers. He wondered if daisies were still her favorite.
“You’ve got a great memory. And you’re right. I do love flowers.” Meg opened her arms to the boy. “Let me give you a ‘thank you’ hug.”
Charlie went easily into Meg’s arms, nestling his head against her shoulder.
Cole’s heart gave a ping. He’d been feeling pretty good about the boy’s greeting. And the picture, well, fishing was just the kind of thing a boy did with a dad.
But what he was witnessing now brought back memories of how his mother had been before his dad died and she’d turned man-crazy. She used to brush his hair back from his face and kiss his forehead, like Meg was doing to Charlie now. Would Charlie miss having a mother?
Cole shoved the thought aside. Certainly it would be ideal if he were married so Charlie could have both a mother and a father, but being single didn’t mean he couldn’t be a good parent to the boy.
“Do I get to go home with you and Uncle Cole?” Charlie slipped from Meg’s arms and his gaze shifted from her to Cole. “My pajamas and Mickey Mouse toothbrush are in the car.”
Ryan shot the social worker a questioning look.
Lexi smiled apologetically. “I wasn’t sure how things would work today, so I packed his bag.”
“It’ll be a few days before we have all the arrangements made,” Ryan said, his gaze darting to the boy.
“No worries. Ever since—” The social worker paused and appeared to be carefully considering her words. “For the past week Charlie has been staying with Derek and Rachel Rossi under emergency foster care.”
Meg’s brows pulled together. “The names sound awfully familiar.”
Cole nodded. “I was thinking the same thing.”
“Derek is a former major league pitcher,” Ryan explained. “He’s now an expert sports commentator. So you’ve probably seen him on TV or at least heard his name. He and his wife, Rachel, live part of the year in Jackson Hole.”
“And both of them are friends of your brother Travis and his wife,” Lexi added, glancing at Meg. “Rachel has done emergency foster care for years. Charlie has really enjoyed staying at their house.”
“I like it there,” Charlie agreed. “But I’d rather be with you.”
Cole would have liked it better if the boy had been looking only at him when he’d expressed the sentiment. Instead his hope-filled eyes definitely included Meg.
“Soon,” Meg said with a reassuring smile.
“We’ll be together before you know it,” Cole promised.
“It was nice meeting you both.” Lexi smiled. “But we should hit the road. I need to get Charlie back to the house. Rachel mentioned something about letting the kids make homemade pizza tonight and—”
“She told me if I came back I could put on the pepperoni.” Charlie grabbed Lexi’s hand and tugged on it. “We better hurry.”
Thankfully, because Charlie was so eager to leave, there were no lingering goodbyes. In a matter of seconds the social worker and the little boy were out the door and down the hall.
Cole assumed Lexi planned it that way, to make it easier on Charlie. Still, it was hard seeing the child disappear from view, knowing he was going to a stranger’s home.
Soon, Cole reassured himself. Soon, Charlie would be his. And when that happened he would never let him go.
Chapter Three
“It’s good we came when we did.” Ryan glanced around the bar. Dressed like Cole in a flannel shirt, jeans and cowboy boots, the successful attorney appeared ready to kick back and relax. “A couple of hours, we’d be lucky to find a place to stand, much less a table.”
By the time Cole had reached his late twenties, he’d grown tired of the bar scene. But Wally’s Place, a popular Jackson sports bar, had it all: pool, darts, karaoke and, according to Ryan, the best burgers in town.
There was a basket of peanuts on every table and if the rough floor was any indication, tossing the empty shells down was not only acceptable behavior, but encouraged. Their waitress was pretty and more than a little flirtatious, but Cole wasn’t interested. He had more important things on his mind tonight.
“What do you think the odds are she’ll walk away?” Cole took a bite of his burger then washed it down with club soda.
“I don’t know Margaret well.” Ryan took a sip of his Guinness. “In fact, I had to have someone at the funeral point her out to me.”
“I feel badly about missing the service,” Cole said. Margaret’s zinger had hit its target and stuck. “I did everything I could to get here.”
“We were supposed to get a dusting.” Ryan chuckled. “Instead it was a monster storm. But that’s the way this winter has been. Of course, I don’t think the weather is any different than it was when you lived here.”
A sharp pain shot through Cole’s leg. He winced and took another sip of club soda. The way his leg was hurting, he knew he’d have to ice it and pop some pain pills once he got to his hotel room, making alcohol off-limits.
“Of course, give it five minutes and it will change,” Ryan said with a good-natured chuckle.
Cole couldn’t believe they were discussing the changeable Jackson Hole climate when there were more important issues on the table. He forced a casual tone. “So what do you think of Margaret?”
“‘Wow’ was the first word that came to my mind, followed quickly by ‘hot.’” Ryan shook his head, a tiny smile playing at the corners of his lips. “I can’t believe I didn’t notice her back in high school.”
Cole experienced a twinge of something that felt an awful lot like jealousy—but couldn’t have been—at the look in his friend’s eyes.
“There were a hundred and fifty kids in our class,” Cole reminded him. “She wasn’t part of our group.”
“But you knew her.” Ryan returned the smiles of the two young women in tight blue jeans walking past their table, before leveling his gaze back on Cole. “Meg? Isn’t that what you called her?”
It had been a slip. He’d been so startled to see her he hadn’t been thinking straight. “We may have talked a couple times.”
Actually, he and Meg had done a lot more than talk. Until he’d discovered that he couldn’t trust her. In a heartbeat she’d gone from being his whole world to being out of his life for good. “What of it?”
“Just that you’d know better than me if she’ll back down.” Ryan cracked open a peanut and tossed the shell to the floor, all the while keeping his gaze focused on Cole. “What do you think? Will she walk away?”
Cole sat back in his seat. He pushed the basket of peanuts closer to Ryan, no longer hungry. “Not a chance in hell.”
Two days later, Meg pulled up to the house Cole had rented just outside of Wilson. According to Ryan, Cole had gotten the mountain home fully furnished at a “great deal.”
She turned off the ignition of her rental car and took a moment to survey the large two-story stone-and-log structure. Cole must have done well for himself over the years. The “great deals” she’d been looking at in Jackson Hole were a tenth this size, barely inhabitable and a fortune to rent.
Her brother and sister-in-law had told her she and Charlie were welcome to stay with them. It was a generous offer, but Meg worried Charlie would get swallowed up in the chaos of five children under the age of seven. Still, it might be her only option if—
A light tap on the car window pulled Meg from her reverie.
Ryan stood outside the car, wearing a ski cap and parka. Coupled with his jeans and waterproof hiker boots, he looked more like a college-age ski bum than a successful Jackson Hole attorney. He clapped his gloved hands together as if trying to keep warm, his breath clearly visible in the frigid air.
Meg smiled. Last night Jackson Hole had been blessed with more snow. The ski resort operators were cheering, and having a thick blanket of the white stuff on the ground made her feel like she was truly home.
Ryan motioned with one hand for her to get out of the car.
Slipping her fur-trimmed hood up, Meg pushed the door open and cautiously stepped out. The road to the mountain home had held a hint of a glaze and she wanted to be certain of her footing.
She glanced around but the attorney appeared to be alone.
“You didn’t bring Charlie with you?” She couldn’t keep the disappointment from her tone.
“We can talk inside.” Ryan took her arm as they approached the house, giving her additional stability on the slick sidewalk. “It’s freezing out here.”
“Wuss,” Meg teased until a blast of extra-frigid air hit her face. She picked up her pace and this time it was Ryan’s turn to laugh.
“I was looking forward to seeing Charlie.” Meg had thought about him often the past couple of days. She’d even considered having Travis invite Rachel and Derek over. In the end she’d decided against the plan, not wanting to do anything that might jeopardize her chance for custody.
“I thought it’d be best if the boy wasn’t around when we hashed out the details.” Ryan tightened his grip on her arm as they navigated the steps to the front porch.
“You didn’t want him traumatized by the yelling and screaming?” Meg said with a wry smile.
“I’m not anticipating any of that.” Ryan reached around her to press the doorbell. “You and Cole are rational adults who want only what’s best for Charlie. Having you two at each other’s throats would only increase the child’s stress.”
Meg had to grudgingly agree. Although the image of being at Cole’s throat did hold a certain appeal.
Meg pressed her hand against her thigh as the wind whipped at her wool skirt. Thankfully she had tights and boots on today as well as a heavy sweater. “I’ve been looking for an apartment.”
Ryan’s finger jabbed the doorbell again before casting a curious glance her way. “How’s that going?”
“Could be better.” Meg wrapped her arms around herself for extra warmth. “Even the dumps are expensive.”
The attorney punched the doorbell and chuckled. “Welcome to Jackson Hole.”
A brisk breeze slapped Meg in the face. She shivered. “Are you sure Cole is home?”
“I called him on my way here. His knee has really been hurting him.” A frown furrowed Ryan’s brow. “I hope he didn’t fall.”
Remembering Cole’s unsteady gait and his determination to push his limits back in Ryan’s office made losing his balance a definite possibility. Meg’s heart picked up speed. “Since he knew we were coming, perhaps he left the door unlocked.”
She grasped the ornate door handle with her gloved hand and pushed. It opened easily. A flood of escaping warmth washed over them. She hurried inside with Ryan on her heels.
“Cole, are you okay?” Ryan called out, slipping off his cap and stuffing it into the pocket of his coat.
“Just moving a little slow this morning.” Cole hobbled into view on his crutches, the brace on his right knee. He’d ditched the suit he’d been wearing the last time she’d seen him for running pants and a blue long-sleeved cotton shirt.
Meg let out the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. She told herself her racing heart didn’t have a thing to do with him. It was simply that as a rehabilitation professional she saw the signs of a man in considerable pain and facing a long road to recovery.
Slipping off her parka, she placed it in Ryan’s outstretched hand before refocusing on Cole. “Have you been doing your exercises?”
“Exercises?” Ryan scoffed. “The guy can barely get around.”
“It’s important that he starts strengthening his quads right away.” Although Margaret now spent her time working primarily with stroke patients, her first job had been at a sports-medicine clinic.
Cole’s chin lifted in a defiant tilt. “It’s been a busy week.”
“I’ll take that as a no.” Margaret’s experienced gaze took in everything from the way Cole was standing to the lines of strain around his eyes. “Do you have a CPM machine?”
“What’s that?” Ryan asked Margaret, closing the closet door and picking up the briefcase he’d set on the marble floor.
“Hey, I’m right here,” Cole said a bit gruffly. “If you have anything to ask about my rehabilitation, ask me. Why ask her?”
“Because she’s the professional,” Ryan said.
When Margaret saw the blank look on Cole’s face she realized that he had no clue what she did to earn a living, any more than she knew how he could afford a place as expensive as this one.
“I’m a physical therapist,” she said. “I’ve worked with my share of sports injuries. I’m guessing you had an ACL reconstruction. The surgery was somewhere between five and seven days ago—”
“Five.” Cole exhaled a breath. “Right before I left to come here.”
“And the doctor let you fly?” Margaret didn’t even try to keep the surprise from her voice. Most patients were told not to get on a plane for the first two weeks.
“I didn’t see another option,” Cole said. “I heard the news about Joy and Ty right after I’d gotten out of surgery. I wanted to be here for the funeral. Pay my respects.”
His eyes met hers and something unexpected passed between them. She saw her own pain reflected in his and for the first time she realized they shared a common sorrow. In that horrific crash on Route 22, both had lost dear friends.
“I understand,” Margaret said softly. Recent surgery wouldn’t have kept her away, either. “But I’m sure the doctor emphasized that the first week is the most difficult and a critical time for—”
“He said a lot of things.” Cole maneuvered himself into a nearby chair and gestured for them to take a seat. “But we’re here today to talk about Charlie and his needs, not mine.”
Margaret stepped into the large family room, instantly taking note of the hardwood floor and the number of rugs scattered throughout the room.
Safety hazards. She frowned. If he was her patient, the rugs would all come up until he was steadier on his feet. But he wasn’t her patient, so she kept her mouth shut. She contented herself with admiring the rest of the house before taking a seat on a burgundy leather sofa.
From what she could see, the kitchen off to her right held granite countertops and pewter-colored appliances. Over to her left was a study with French doors, and straight ahead a large stone fireplace with shelves of books on both sides.
Despite being a large home, the place had a surprisingly homey feel. It was easy for Margaret to see Charlie playing with his plastic dinosaurs in front of a roaring fire or running up and down the staircase. Or God forbid, sliding down the banister.
But for Cole and his limitations, this home had to be a nightmare.
“How are you managing the stairs?” The question popped out of Meg’s mouth before she could stop it.
“I’m not.” Cole repositioned his leg on the ottoman by picking it up and moving it with both hands. “Thankfully everything Charlie and I will need is on this level.”
“You’re not driving yet.” It was a comment, not a question.
“I’ve found a good car service,” Cole said. “Very responsive.”
She wondered if he planned to use the car service to transport Charlie to school. Had he even begun to consider any of the dozens of things that had to be done to keep a household running? Duties and tasks which required two fully functioning legs? “I can’t imagine how you’ll manage—”
“How’s the apartment hunting coming?” he asked, cutting her off.
“It’s coming.” Margaret straightened in her seat and smoothed her plaid skirt with the palm of one hand. “I expect to find a place any day now.”
He smiled and it was as if the sun had broken through the clouds. “If anyone will try to make this work it will be you.”
A compliment? From Cole? Startled, Margaret wasn’t sure how to respond.
Thankfully Ryan stepped into the conversational void.
“We can get into those specifics in a bit.” The attorney lifted his briefcase onto the log-and-glass coffee table. “I’d first like to know what your respective attorneys had to say about the enforceability of the joint-custody stipulation in the will.”
“Way to jump right in there, Ry.” Cole shifted his gaze from Margaret to the attorney. “Before we get started, would either of you like a cup of coffee? Of course, you’ll have to get it yourself.”
Margaret started to say no but then the deep, rich aroma hit her nostrils. “It smells delicious.”
“It’s one of our signature blends,” Cole said. “Umakkamecrazy.”
Margaret’s brows slammed together. “I do what?”
Ryan laughed heartily. “How appropriate.”
She cocked her head, feeling as if she’d come late to a party and everyone knew the joke except her. “I don’t understand.”
“Cole owns Hill of Beans,” Ryan explained.
Margaret was familiar with the chain of coffeehouses. There was even one in Omaha, not far from her apartment. She shifted her gaze to Cole. “Is that what you do? Have a franchise in Austin?”
“Something like that,” Cole said.
“Actually, he owns the whole company,” Ryan said. “Tell her your success story. Local boy makes good and all that.”
Cole shot Ryan a warning gaze. “I’m not a trick pony that will perform on command.”
“Duly noted,” Ryan said, appearing not at all repentant. “Tell her anyway. It’ll be a good way to update her on what’s been going on with you since high school.”
Cole knew his friend too well. Ryan was like a dog with a bone. He wouldn’t move on until he got his way. Cole shifted his gaze to Meg.
“I earned a degree in entrepreneurship from the University of Texas then opened my first coffee shop shortly after graduation,” he said matter-of-factly. “We now have forty franchises in seven states.”
“But not one in Wyoming,” Ryan interjected.
A smile played at the corners of Cole’s lips. “Not yet.”
Meg’s heart dropped. Instead of finding the rags-to-riches story inspiring, all she felt was depressed. And scared. No wonder Cole had attorneys at his disposal and could afford to rent a house like this without batting an eye.
“I think I will take you up on your offer,” Ryan said to Cole. “I’d love some coffee.”
When the attorney made no move to get up, Meg rose to her feet. “I’ll get it.”
Cole leaned back in his overstuffed chair like a sovereign on his throne. A rich king who could have anything he wanted… including a little boy who needed a mother.
A little boy who needs me.
The fact that after all these years it took only one look from Cole’s baby blues to make her heart skip a beat made Meg even angrier. At herself. At the situation. At him.
“Thank you,” he called out when she reached the doorway to the kitchen.
“No thanks necessary.” She turned and shot him an imperious gaze. “I don’t want to see you fall and have to pick up the pieces.”
Pick up the pieces. Like he was some loser who couldn’t pull his own weight.
Cole fumed as Meg disappeared into the kitchen, her boots clicking on the hardwood.
He resisted the urge to call her back, to tell her to keep her hands off his coffee. But that would be childish, so Cole kept his mouth shut and spent the next few minutes listening to Ryan discuss current ski conditions. Not that Cole would be out on the slopes anytime soon.
Still, it beat worrying about how he was going to care for Charlie and wondering what he’d done to make Meg so bitter.
She returned moments later with a tray holding a carafe of coffee and three mugs. It didn’t surprise him that she’d remembered to bring the cream and sugar. She’d excelled at anything she’d set her mind to do. Unlike him, who’d struggled through life for years.
When she bent to place the tray on the coffee table, he reluctantly admitted that the plaid skirt and green sweater suited her coloring. He even liked the way she’d pulled her hair to one side with a large tortoiseshell barrette.
Cole glanced down at his shirt and running pants. Ryan had told him the meeting today would be casual. Either Meg hadn’t received the message or she’d decided to dress up anyway.
Ignoring his gaze, she filled a cup with the steaming brew then handed it to him, her fingers accidentally brushing against his.
A spark of electricity traveled up Cole’s arm. His gaze shot to hers to see if she’d felt it, too. But she’d already turned away to fill Ryan’s cup.
By the time she sat down, Cole’s leg had begun to throb and all he wanted was to get through the discussion and ice his knee.
“My attorneys say the will is well crafted and completely enforceable.” Cole shifted his gaze to Meg. “I assume that’s what you discovered, as well.”
“Unfortunately yes.” Meg’s lips pressed together for several heartbeats. “I still can’t understand what Joy and Ty were thinking, but it is what it is.”
“Which means we’ll have to come to a consensus on how to split custody,” Cole said. “For now at least.”
“For now?” Meg asked.
Cole took a sip of coffee. “Until I discover a way to obtain sole custody.”
“I don’t understand.” Meg placed her cup down with a clatter. “Even your attorneys said the terms of the document are completely enforceable.”
“I crafted it carefully,” Ryan said in a defensive tone. “There is no way around the stipulations.”
“Perhaps.” Cole raised the mug to his lips. “But I learned long ago that everything is not always as it appears. Given time I will find a way to obtain sole custody. I feel it’s in Charlie’s best interest to have a single stable home… and I can assure you that home will be with me.”
Chapter Four
By the look of shock on Ryan’s face, Meg knew the attorney was as stunned as she was by Cole’s bold assertion.
“I have to tell you, buddy. I have real concerns about your ability to care for a kid right now.” Ryan spoke before she had a chance to respond.
Her spirits rose at the look of shock on Cole’s face. Apparently he’d finally remembered the stipulation that gave the attorney the ability to declare either of them unfit.
“If I discover that I need help,” Cole said, “I’ll hire a live-in nanny to help me until I’m able to care for him by myself.”
“You’d bring another new person into Charlie’s life?” Ryan’s tone made it clear what he thought of the idea.
Meg sipped her coffee, waiting to see where the conversation would lead.
“You have a better suggestion? One that doesn’t involve—”Cole’s gaze shifted briefly to Meg “—giving her sole custody?”
Her. As if she didn’t have a name. But Meg was too interested in how Ryan would respond to interrupt.
“As a matter of fact, I do.” The attorney leaned back in his chair, a smug smile on his face.
“Are you planning to share that suggestion with us?” Cole spoke in a slightly mocking tone.
“Meg moves in with you,” Ryan said. “In exchange for free room and board she helps you care for Charlie and does therapy on your knee.”
Had Ryan really suggested she and Cole live together? Meg bolted upright in her seat. “No way.”
“Absolutely not,” Cole echoed.
She exchanged a glance with Cole. She’d never thought this day would come. They finally agreed on something.
“I don’t know what happened between the two of you back in high school—”
“Let it go, Ry—” Cole growled.
“—and frankly I don’t care.” A tiny muscle in Ryan’s jaw jumped. “That little boy survived a crash that killed both of his parents. Creating the best possible environment for him to get through this difficult time should take priority over your personal feelings toward each other.”
“The house is big enough,” Cole murmured as if he was actually considering having her move in with him.
Meg’s heart pounded in her ears. She couldn’t imagine spending one night in the same house as Cole, much less days or, gulp, weeks.
“I have a place to stay.” She spoke quickly, the words tumbling out one after the other as her panic grew. “Charlie can stay with me until—” Meg gestured with one hand toward Cole “—he recovers.”
“No.” Cole shook his head and his jaw jutted out. “Not happening.”
Their momentary truce had taken a sharp detour south.
“Meg.” This time it was her turn to be on the receiving end of the attorney’s unyielding gaze. “You said you hadn’t found an apartment yet. I got the distinct impression money was a major factor.”
“Travis and Mary Karen told me I could move in with them.” She forced some enthusiasm into her voice. It wasn’t easy.
Meg knew if she moved into her brother and sister-in-law’s home, Charlie would have an unending supply of playmates. But would he be swallowed up in the chaos? Would she be able to get to know him? To help him heal? Still, to move in with Cole…
She shivered.
“I know Travis and Mary Karen,” Ryan said slowly, appearing to choose his words carefully. “They’re great people and wonderful parents. But they have five children under the age of seven. Do you really think that’s the best environment for Charlie right now?”
Meg had been prepared to argue until he asked the very question that had been troubling her. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to say no. She settled for a shrug.
“I’m not suggesting that the two of you live together permanently,” Ryan began.
“Thank God,” Cole said.
“Just give it a couple months.” The attorney fixed his gaze on Cole. “By then you’ll each be in a position to care for Charlie on your own or—”
Ryan paused to take a sip of coffee.
“Or?” Meg prompted.
“Or you’ll have killed each other.”
The bistro on Scott Lane was crowded with playhouse patrons enjoying post-performance chocolate and espresso while listening to live jazz.
Thankfully, Jackson Hole embraced casual, so Meg didn’t feel out of place in her jeans and sweater.
“Are you absolutely sure this is what you want to do?” Travis’s eyes were dark with concern.
When her brother had asked her to run into town with him to have some dessert and coffee as a thank-you for the fabulous meal she’d prepared for his family, Meg had immediately agreed.
Since she’d arrived in Jackson last week, she and Travis hadn’t had much alone time. His wife must have sensed this, because she’d insisted she wanted to stay home and encouraged Travis to take his sister out.
Meg had been excited, thinking how good it would be to have some one-on-one time with her brother. She’d never considered he might want to revisit her decision to move in with Cole.
“Mary Karen and I would love to have you and Charlie stay with us.” Travis’s hazel eyes—so like her own—shone with sincerity. “We don’t want you to live with Cole because you feel you don’t have other options. Because you do. Have other options, I mean.”
Meg let her gaze linger on his handsome face. Though his sandy-colored hair was much lighter than hers and he’d inherited a tendency to freckle that she’d somehow managed to escape, their features proclaimed them as brother and sister. It wasn’t until Meg had returned to Jackson Hole that she’d realized just how much she missed him.
He was only a year older than her, and when their parents had passed away, it had been the two of them—working as a team—who’d kept the family together.
“Margaret,” he said when she didn’t answer, pushing his chipotle chocolate pudding to the side and covering her hand with his. “I don’t know what happened between you and Cole back in high school but I do know that he hurt you.”
“That was a long time ago.” Meg took a dainty bite of the French macaroon, preferring to focus on the delicious morsel rather than on the past.
Travis’s eyes burned with a protective fire. “Are you saying you’ve settled things with him?”
Meg didn’t want to lie to her brother, but if she said no, she already knew what would happen. He’d insist she stay with him.
Not that she didn’t love Travis and adore his wife and children, but after spending the past few days in his household, she’d concluded Ryan was right. With one set of six-year-old twin boys, a four-year-old boy and a set of one-year-old twins, her brother’s household was very busy. Okay, to a woman used to living alone, it was chaotic. Which meant it was way too crazy for an only child grieving the death of his parents.
“It was high school, Trav.” Margaret forced a laugh and waved a dismissive hand. “It’d be pretty sad if I was still holding on to something that happened fifteen years ago. We were just kids.”
Travis’s eyes searched hers. “If you’re sure…”
“Have you ever known me to hold a grudge?” Meg kept her tone light, hoping to dispel the clouds of doubt lingering in her brother’s eyes.
The words nearly got caught in her throat but it was worth the effort it took to spit them out when the lines of tension around his eyes eased.
“If he’s anything like he used to be, Cole is a good man.” As if he’d suddenly rediscovered his appetite, Travis dipped his spoon back into the chocolate pudding he’d been ignoring. “I played ball with him back in high school. He was one of the guys who went out of his way to be nice to Chip.”
“Chip” was Christopher Stone, a mentally challenged classmate. He’d been the student assistant for the football and basketball teams during their high school years.
It didn’t surprise Meg that Cole had been nice to Chip. He’d always had a soft spot for the underdog. Was that admiration she was feeling? She pushed the feeling aside.
“Whatever happened to Chip?” Meg hadn’t thought of her former classmate in years.
“He’s a sacker at Hinky Dinky. Appears to enjoy the work.” Travis returned the greeting of a very pregnant young woman and her cowboy husband before returning his attention to Meg. “I want to help you move tomorrow. I have surgery in the morning but I can reschedule my afternoon appointments.”
“I appreciate the offer, Trav, but all I have is a couple of suitcases.” It was true. Even if it wasn’t, Travis had done so much for her already. Not only had he opened his home to her, he’d hooked her up with Lexi’s attorney husband, Nick, who’d given her free legal advice.
Travis took a bite of pudding then set his spoon down. “What about the rest of your things back in Omaha?”
“Even as we speak, friends are boxing up my clothes and personal items to ship to me.” Meg swallowed a sigh. Though it felt good to be “home,” there was much about her life in Omaha that she was going to miss.
“It’s going to be rough on you for a while since you don’t have a paycheck—”
“I also won’t have any rent, utility or food costs,” she reminded him. She didn’t want Travis, or anyone else, feeling sorry for her.
“You’ll need spending money.” Travis reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out an envelope. “Mary Karen and I want you to have this.”
Reluctantly, Meg took the plain white envelope from his outstretched hand. She opened it to find a wad of bills stuffed inside. Even as her heart warmed at her brother’s generosity, Meg pushed the envelope across the table. “I can’t accept this. It’s way too generous. You have your own family—”
“You’re my family, too.” He shoved the envelope back. “I can’t tell you how much it means to have you back in Jackson Hole.”
“Still—”
“Still nothing.” Travis’s jaw set in the determined tilt Meg remembered all too well. “Trust me, Mary Karen and I won’t even miss it. Consider it an early birthday gift.”
Meg rolled her eyes. “We don’t exchange gifts.”
“We’re starting a new tradition,” he said with a straight face.
She had to laugh. She knew her big brother and recognized that this was a fight she wasn’t going to win. “Okay, I’ll take your money. But I’m paying you back.”
“Convince even one of our siblings to come home to Jackson Hole and you’ll have paid me back a thousandfold.”
Meg started to chuckle but stopped when she saw his face.
“I haven’t seen Zac in five years,” Travis said, his voice heavy.
“Me, either.” Meg shook her head. Of all their siblings, Zac had been the most creative. The most headstrong. And next to Travis, the one she missed the most.
While she couldn’t guarantee she’d be able to get one of her brothers and sisters back to Jackson Hole, she’d do her best. Not only for the sake of the man sitting across the table from her, but for her own, as well.
Cole tightened the straps on his knee brace and decided he must have gone crazy. It was the only explanation that made any sense. Why else would he have agreed to let Meg move in?
He slid to the side of the bed and held on to the headboard while pulling himself upright. Catching sight of his reflection in the full-length mirror, he frowned.
While the running pants were comfortable, he felt like he should be going for a jog, rather than entertaining guests.
Not guests, he reminded himself, Meg and Charlie. While Meg might be considered a guest, Charlie was definitely family.
“My son,” Cole whispered the words aloud for the first time, the taste sweet against his tongue.
For the past five years, ever since he’d heard Joy had given birth less than nine months after their fling in Austin, he’d wondered if Charlie was his son.
By the time he’d heard the news, Joy was married to Ty. Still, Cole had contacted her. She’d insisted the baby was her husband’s child, but her words—and the timing—didn’t ring true. When he’d suggested they do a DNA test “just to be sure,” Joy had started to cry.
At that point Cole had let the matter drop. After all, he didn’t know for sure. And, in the eyes of the law, Charlie was considered Ty’s son. Not only that, Ty was a good father and he and Joy were happy together. In the ensuing years, Cole had become a friend to Ty as well as to Joy and a favorite “uncle” to Charlie.
But now everything had changed.
Grabbing his crutches, Cole made his way slowly to the living room to await Charlie and Meg’s arrival. He stifled a groan as he eased into the overstuffed leather chair. The time for making excuses was over. Once Charlie was settled in, he’d start hitting the therapy hard. And he wouldn’t need Meg’s help. No sirree.
He couldn’t believe he and Meg would be living under the same roof. It was like some twisted fairy tale. To think there had been a time when he’d have given anything to have her be the last person he saw at night and the first one when he woke up. That, of course, was before he discovered she couldn’t be trusted.
The ringing of the doorbell saved Cole from revisiting that awful time when he’d learned she’d betrayed him. The melodious chimes had launched into a second refrain by the time he made it to his feet.
He hobbled around the furniture, carefully avoiding the treacherous rugs. Excitement built inside Cole. Having the opportunity to be a father to Charlie was a dream come true.
Still, it had come at a high price.
Too high, Cole thought grimly. Joy and Ty had been like family—closer, really, than his own brother—and he felt their loss to the very core of his being.
He’d made it all the way to the edge of the foyer when the door opened and Meg and Charlie spilled inside, laughing and talking.
“I hope you don’t mind us not waiting.” Meg stomped on the rag rug, sending the snow on her boots flying across the marble floor. Tiny flakes of white ice crystals clung to her hair.
“I was c-c-cold,” Charlie said loudly, whipping off his Denver Broncos ski cap, his hair standing straight up. “I could see my breath and everything. If I’d waited much longer I’d ‘ave froze to death.”
The little boy’s expression was so earnest, Cole swallowed the laughter welling in his throat.
“Couldn’t have that.” Cole gestured to the coat closet off to Meg’s left. “If you’d like to hang up your—”
“I’d better keep mine on.” She slanted a glance at Charlie. “We’ve got some bags. I should bring them in before my car is covered with snow.”
“There’s a garage door opener on the side table,” Cole said. “It’s yours while you’re here.”
A garage door opener. A simple tool, nothing more. Then why did it suddenly feel so… intimate?
If it felt intimate to Meg, she gave no indication. She simply grabbed the control, dropped it into her pocket then turned to Charlie, who was unbuttoning his jacket.
“Leave it on, sweetie,” she said to the boy. “I’m going to need help carrying the bags into the house.”
“I don’t want to carry any dumb old bags,” the boy whined. “I wanna see my room.”
“You can see your room,” Cole answered before Meg could respond, “after you help Aunt Meg.”
Charlie’s face took on a mulish look. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but closed it when Cole shot him a firm glance.
“Okay,” the boy said with a huge sigh.
“Thank you, Charlie,” Meg added. “I appreciate the help.”
“Is there anything I can do?” Cole asked Meg.
“Thanks for offering, but we’ll be able to manage.” For a second her smile was open and friendly. “Look at Charlie’s muscles.”
Beside her, the boy puffed with pride. “I’m real strong. I picked up this big punkin from our garden that even Daddy couldn’t lift.”
The sharp pain of loss sliced through Cole’s heart. As much as he’d wanted to take a bigger role in Charlie’s life, he’d never wanted it to come at Ty’s expense.
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