Animal Prints: Sweet Small Town Contemporary Romance (Michigan Moonlight Book 1) (32 page)

“Except alcohol,” Lexy added, putting a slice of cheesecake in front of her sister, “but we decided it was too early in the day for that.”
 

“Thanks.” Absentmindedly, Colette picked up a fork and poked at the cheesecake. Without eating anything, she laid the fork back down.

“I’ve never seen you not able to eat cake. That bastard.” Lexy jabbed her fork in the air at an imaginary Ian. “I’m so mad at him. I could…”
 

“Lex, you’re not helping.” Jade gave Lexy a warning look before taking Colette’s hands. “I know you liked him, honey, and I know it hurts.” Colette managed to meet her mother’s eyes. “I wish I could say you’ll get over it quickly, but I know you. The most beautiful thing about you is that you love deeply. I don’t want that to change because of this.”

The first tear of the morning spilled down her cheek. “I guess I have to find something to love other than men. Men suck.” Her cell phone on the counter rang and Lexy jumped up to grab it.

“It’s him.” She held the phone out so Colette could see the caller ID. “Do you want me to talk to him? I’ve got plenty to say to the jackass.” She brandished the phone like a weapon.

“No, just let it go to voicemail. I can’t talk to him now.” Colette took the phone from her sister and shoved it in her pocket.
 

“You’re never going to talk to him again, right?” Lexy demanded.

“I don’t want to, but he’s got to pick up his car and things.”

“Have it towed. He deserves that the…” Lexy spouted a string of curses under her breath until Jade waved her out of the room.

“You could come stay with your father and me for a few days,” Jade suggested, “then you won’t have to see him.”

“No. Sorry, Mom, I want to be alone. I’m going to Grand Island for a few days.” Colette studied her mother’s expression. “You’re not mad at him.”

Jade shook her head. “I’m more disappointed in him. I thought he was a good man and I was sure he loved you.”

“Me, too.”

By noon, Colette slammed the hatch on her Jeep Patriot and was ready to head for Grand Island. She admitted to herself that she was running away, but she didn’t give a damn. If she wanted to hide and sulk, that was her right.
 

Chapter Nineteen

Ian got off the commuter plane from Chicago to Traverse City, wondering how the hell he was going to get to the farm to get his car and other stuff. He could rent one, but then he’d have two vehicles. Colette wasn’t answering his calls, not that he expected her to come get him. He’d called three times on Sunday and once already this morning. Nothing.
 

He walked out of the tiny terminal and looked around in the bright sunlight. Not even a taxi service. Shit. His army buddy in Boyne was on vacation with his family this week. The only other people he could call were all connected to Colette. He scanned through his contacts, hitting send when he came to Nate’s number. Worth a shot. A half hour later Nate pulled up to the curb.

“Thanks, I didn’t know who else to call.” Ian settled into the passenger seat.
 

“Adrien filled me in, and since he’s convinced by your story, I guess I am.”

“Glad someone’s on my side.”

“I wouldn’t go that far. We’ll still kick your ass if this doesn’t come out right in the end.” Nate delivered the threat with a smile. “Besides, picking you up got me out of school early.”

“Shit, sorry. I wasn’t thinking that you’d be at work.”

“We’re just getting the buildings ready now anyway. No students for another month.”
 

Ian waited until they were on what passed for a highway before asking about Colette. “Will Colette be home?”

“Nope.”

“She’s at the clinic?”

“Not exactly.”

“Is she all right?” Ian twisted in his seat to look at Nate.

“You’re putting me in a spot here. I’m not supposed to tell you where she is. Lexy will kill me. However, if you guess correctly, I have no control over that.”

Disgusted, Ian declared, “You should have been a lawyer.”
 

“Maybe. Adrien cleared me to tell and Jack seems okay with it, but the women, you know. They’re in circle-the-wagons mode.”

“I’m surprised about Jack. If I were Colette’s dad, I’d be pissed that someone messed with my little girl.”

“He’s a pragmatic man. Remember how Jack thought you looked familiar?”

“Yeah, ‘cause I look like my dad did in the WWII photo.”

“Jack got to thinking about it and remembered some of the story. His dad and your dad were best friends who fought over a woman. He said it was his father’s biggest regret in life that he’d lost such a good friend. Guess that explains your father’s attitude toward the family.”

“Yeah, I’ll tell you the whole story sometime, as I just learned it myself. Right now, I need to find Colette though. If she’s not at the farm or the clinic, is she out doing farm visits?”

“No.”

“Is she in Petoskey or the immediate vicinity?”

“No.”

“Gone away?” Ian asked and Nate inclined his head in assent. “Grand Island?”
 

“Bingo. Left yesterday. You won’t make the last ferry to the island today so you’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”

“No good. I have to see her today.”

“Thought you might say that.” Nate pulled a business card from a slot in the dashboard. “Private charter.” He handed the card to Ian. “Cost you forty bucks. They’ll take you straight to the cottage so you can grovel and propose.”

Groveling was his number one plan, but propose? He didn’t think he’d be that lucky. Besides, he didn’t have a ring. “No ring, I can’t propose. Jade offered me Colette’s grandmother’s ring, but if the women are upset with me, I can’t get it.”

“Can’t fix that for you. I’ve done what I can.”

“Thanks for your help so far.”

“I didn’t help you. I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Nate grinned.
 

Colette hung her kayak on the rack in the boathouse. She’d spent the afternoon paddling around the island. Now she was hungry and sore, but only marginally happier than earlier. The beautiful day and physical activity should have restored her good humor, but she wasn’t looking forward to another night alone in the cottage.
 

Tomorrow she’d head home, get back to work, see her family. Hopefully, Ian would have picked up his car and belongings from the farm by the time she got home. Because she was sure she didn’t want to see him again. Ever. Pretty sure. Although Adrien’s explanation made her think—she slammed the lid of a storage box closed. It didn’t matter. It was over.
 

The noise of a boat engine reverberated off the cliff along with Romeo’s wild barking. She stepped to the entrance of the boathouse, calling for the dog. Then, she saw him. Ian strode across the rocky shore toward Romeo, who immediately turned traitor and ran to be petted. She held firm where she was. She wasn’t going to run to him and capitulate like the dog.

“If you’re here, she must be close by,” Ian said to the greyhound, scratching his ears.
 

“I’m here.” She crossed her arms in front of her and leaned against the building, wishing he didn’t look quite so kind.
 

“You didn’t answer my calls.”

“Probably because I didn’t want to talk to you. I thought I made that clear the other night. I should have known you’d show up here.” She batted away a black fly. “The pests get bad this time of night.” She eyed him pointedly. “I’m going in.”

“Can I come in?”

“No, but I will call a friend of mine with a boat to take you back to the mainland.” She flipped open her phone, looked at the display and slammed it shut. “No service. I should let the bugs eat you,” she huffed out a sigh, “but I won’t. I wouldn’t do that to a stray. I won’t do it to you.”

“Thanks, I…” he looked lost, like a homeless animal.

“Stop. Since the only way off the island is gone,” she pointed to the receding boat, “and the bugs will devour you, I don’t have much choice.” She cocked her head to the side and leveled him with a look. “You knew that. Which is why you came this time of day.”
 

“Colette, I have so much I need…”

She waved a staying hand at him. “I didn’t say I wanted to talk to you, but I’ll give you a place to sleep for the night.” As she headed up the path to the cottage, he was right on her heels. He didn’t try to touch her, but she could feel his presence. Once they were inside, she gestured up the steps. “You can have the room you had before. If you want something to eat, help yourself.” She turned in the direction of her bedroom to escape from him. All she wanted was to get there and close the door so she could collapse. All day long, she’d staved off the tears, but seeing him she couldn’t much longer.

“Colette, please, don’t do this. I have to explain. You can shut me out after that if you want to, but you have to listen.”

“Have to?” Colette squinted hard to make the tears disappear before facing him. “Why do I have to do anything for you, Mr. Kroft?”

He reached his hands out toward her. “There’s a long list of reasons, starting with ‘
I love you’
and ending with ‘so I don’t become a bitter, dried up old man like my father’.”

“Sounds like those are all your problems to deal with.” Colette tried to keep a hard edge to her voice.

His outstretched arms fell. “You don’t love me? You said you did.”

“‘Loved’ would be the correct term.” Colette shivered in the cooling air. “Loved what I thought you were.” Going to the fireplace, she gathered some kindling to light the logs she’d laid earlier. Ian followed her and stood over her.

“You can’t shut love off like that. I know you. Your heart’s way too big.”

“You’re right. I can’t, but that’s my problem.” She struck a match, holding its burning end to the paper and sticks. “I don’t want to love you and I can’t trust you.” When the kindling caught fire, she blew out the match. “That’s your favorite thing to say, isn’t it? ‘Trust me’ and I eventually did. Joke’s on me.” She tried to smile, but her lips wouldn’t do what her heart couldn’t.

“Not funny.”
 

“No, it’s not.” She fussed with the little flame until a larger log caught. “Why’d you come?”

“Best case scenario, I convince you to marry me. We go back to the farm and get started having that pack of kids. Live happily ever after with kids, animals, and family trooping through the house constantly.”

“Hmm.” She straightened and drilled him with a look. “Worst case?”

“I get to explain why I did what I did. I leave on the nine o’clock ferry tomorrow morning and never see you again. I spend the rest of my life regretting that you slipped away from me and all because of my father.”

She kept her gaze steady on him. “We’ll start with the worst case. Adrien explained some things to me, but I should hear it from you.” Colette sat down on the sofa to listen while Ian paced the room and began his narrative from the day they met until the fundraiser when his father showed up. Everything he said tracked with Adrien’s story until they got to the part about Ian’s father. She didn’t interrupt him, but she couldn’t wipe the surprised look off her face when he talked of the complicated relationships between their families so many years ago.

“Where’s your father now?” She shouldn’t care, but the older man was tired and distraught when he’d left her place on Saturday night.