Asking for Trouble (12 page)

“I’ll help.” Grabbing the playpen, Cole folded it with a few, deft twists and carried it outside. Fifteen minutes later, the van was packed.

A surprising lump formed in his throat as he picked up his nephew and gave him a hug. “See you around, kid.”

“Unka, Unka.” He patted his face and laughed.

“Thanks again, Cole.” Andee pecked his cheek then took her son. “You’re the best.”

“Sure. Anytime.” As the word slipped out, he was amazed to realize he truly meant it. “Maybe I’ll stop by sometime and take him riding. He enjoyed it.”

“Whenever you want, just say the word.” Her voice was soft, her eyes bright.

Davis slapped his shoulder. “Come to dinner later this week. We’d love to have you.”

Cole stood in the doorway while they crossed the yard. When Tucker ambled over and leaned against his leg, he stroked the dog’s head. A minute later, the flashing beams from the van’s headlights disappeared into the night.

“Back to normal, right boy? That’s good. It’s what we both wanted.”

The dog’s answer was a huge yawn before he dropped onto the porch. Turning, Cole went inside. The room looked empty with no toys scattered about—colorless. The way his heart felt without Miranda.

He might as well get used to it. This was the life he’d chosen.

****

With a grunt and a shove, Cole slid the third bear onto the truck and stepped back. The trio stared down at him as the driver fastened the straps securing them in place. He never liked watching his creations being carted away, but the look in the momma bear’s eyes was almost accusing.

“Lord, I need a break.”

When the truck disappeared down the drive, he went inside, threw food and camping gear into a pack, left a heaping bowl of dog chow on the porch for Tucker, then headed to the stable. After saddling Chief and lashing the pack on behind, he took off at a gallop. The wind was blowing the grass in waves, and he clamped his hat down tighter as he headed toward the distant hills. He’d reach them before nightfall if he rode hard, and that was fine by him. After a week without Miranda—without Jackson—he needed something to work off his frustration. The sheer loneliness was eating at his soul.

He’d never felt this way before. His own company with an occasional night out for variety had always suited him just fine. After Miranda walked out the first time, he’d been unhappy, but this spirit sucking realization that the most important part of his life was gone for good had only been a niggling at the back of his mind. It wasn’t just the woman he missed, either. For the past week, he’d found himself staring at the empty spot where the highchair had stood while he plowed through a steak and baked potato, barely able to choke down the food.

When the phone in his pocket chirped, his heart leaped.
Miranda.
Reining Chief to a stop, he pulled it out and glanced at the display. Hollowness filled his chest. Of course it wasn’t Miranda. But the number looked vaguely familiar…

“Hello.”

“Cole?” a breathy female voice drawled. “I’m in town for a few days and was hopin’ we could get together. It was sooo much fun the last time.”

His brows beetled across his forehead. Was he supposed to know this woman by her cheery, deep South twang? “Um, I’m not at home right now.”

“Well, darn. What about tomorrow night?”

Something clicked. Dark hair, dark eyes, and a curving figure enhanced by cat ears and a tail. He’d run into the woman at the Rusty Nail Saloon on Halloween, spent a couple of enjoyable hours flirting, but in the end had made an excuse about an early appointment and gone home alone. What the hell was her name?

“Lisa?”

“Liza. Don’t tease and pretend you don’t remember. I refuse to believe it.”

“Sure, I remember.”

“I called, but you must not have gotten my messages.”

There had been a half-dozen. “Uh, my phone has issues with message retrieval sometimes.”

“You should get a new one. About tomorrow, is seven o’clock good for you? We could have drinks and dinner then maybe check out the moon from the balcony of the bed and breakfast where I’m staying…”

Say yes, idiot.
The woman was sexy and confident and surely knew how to please a man. If he wanted to get over Miranda, he needed to start someplace, and there were worse places to start than with Lisa...or Liza...or whatever.

“You know I’d love to, but I’m on my way out of town. It’ll be several days before I get back.”

“Really? What horrible timin’! Maybe we can hook up the next time I’m in town.”

“Sure, next time. Nice talking to you again, Liza.”

He clicked the phone off and sighed before urging Chief into an easy lope.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, turning down a night of fun so he could mope instead. Too bad he couldn’t work up any enthusiasm for that sort of pleasure. What he should have done was ask Andee if he could borrow her son for the night. Having Jackson along on the ride would have been entertaining. The boy would love playing in the dirt by the campfire and sleeping under the stars. They could have roasted marshmallows and…

Cole tugged on the reins and eased Chief to a stop. Leaning forward in the saddle, his gaze caressed the hills on the far horizon. They’d drawn him in the past, the anticipation of new discoveries. Now, all he wanted was someone to share the adventure with—maybe more than one somebody.

“I really am a fool.” With a hoot that echoed in the silence around him, he wheeled Chief. He couldn’t wait to rush over to Miranda’s and apologize for being such an idiot. Couldn’t wait to see the expression on her face when he told her he was ready to give her everything she’d always wanted.

With a lightening of his soul and happiness in his heart, he galloped toward Redemption.

****

Miranda picked up the phone, then set it down again. She wouldn’t call. She’d just show up on his doorstep. This was the sort of conversation you had face to face.

What if he isn’t home? Worse, what if he has a date?

It would be her own fault if he did. Wasn’t that exactly what she’d told Cole to do? Hadn’t she said they both needed to move on, to find someone who would make them happy? What a fool she was.

After endless days of sheer misery, she’d finally come to the simple realization that there was no other man on earth who could fill her heart with joy the way Cole did. With or without children in her life, she’d be blessed to have him.

Which was exactly what she intended to tell him. Snatching up her keys and purse, she glanced at her reflection in the mirror over the little entryway table. Her cheeks were pink, and a sparkle lit her eyes. Gone was the pale, unhappy creature who’d looked back at her for the longest week of her life. If she had half a brain in her head, if she hadn’t been so dumb-stubborn, she wouldn’t have wasted the last six months trying to find something she already had.

“Well, no more. I finally wised up!”

With a laugh, she pushed Jezebel out of the way when the cat tried to sneak through the door, locked it behind her, then skipped to the car. If her neighbors were watching, they probably thought she’d completely lost it. Not crazy, just happy, or would be once she told Cole how she felt. She could find a way to live without a baby, but she couldn’t live without him.

Thrumming her fingers against the steering wheel, she drove through town at a speed that would garner a ticket if a cop happened to be around. Slowing slightly, she turned up Piney Wood Lane and accelerated, willing to risk the citation. Her heart beat faster with each bump as she jostled down Cole’s driveway and parked in front of the stable next to his pickup. When she slammed the car door, Tucker rose from his bed on the porch and let out a single woof.

“Hello, boy.” Hurrying across the yard, she climbed the steps and stroked his silky ears before rapping on the door. When no one answered, her jubilation waned. Twisting the knob, she pushed open the unlocked door and poked her head inside.

“Cole?”

Nothing but the sound of the refrigerator humming. His truck was there…

She glanced down at the dog. “Maybe he’s in the back yard.”

Walking through the house, her footsteps echoed in the empty rooms. A glass sat on the kitchen counter, crusted with something that was probably orange juice, and dishes filled the sink. Miranda opened the back door and called out. The twittering of sleepy birds as twilight descended was the only response.

Her shoulders slumped. Cole was gone. Maybe one of his buddies had picked him up for a night out on the town. Easier to imagine him with Chase or one of the Wilson brothers than with a woman who was smart enough to recognize what a special man he was. Not that it would take a girl with brains to appreciate his good looks.

With a moan, she dropped onto one of the patio chairs and cradled her face in her hands. What if she was too late? What if he’d already met someone?

“Miranda?”

Her head rose slowly. Cole stood in the kitchen doorway. He let the screen door slap closed and walked toward her. The glow in his eyes set her heart racing.

“You’re home.”

“I was in the stable wiping down Chief when I heard your car. By the time I got outside, you’d disappeared.”

She rose to her feet and stood in front of him. “I guess I was in a bit of a hurry.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She wanted to touch him, wanted to smooth the lines of tension creasing his cheeks, wanted to stroke the hard, muscled arm that reached for his hat and dropped it onto the table.

“I’ve missed you, Miranda, more than I believed possible. In fact, I was just on my way to see you.”

“You were?” She inched forward, felt the heat radiating from his broad chest, inhaled the scent of horse and evening air that clung to him. “I have something to say.”

“I do, too, but ladies first.”

She swallowed. “I’ve been thinking, and do you know what I finally realized?”

With a final step, he closed the gap between them. His arms wrapped around her waist as he gazed down into her eyes. “What?”

“Love really is all that matters. Nothing else. Just love.” She cupped his face in her hands. “I love you more than babies, Cole Matheson. As long as I have you, I don’t need anything else to be happy.”

He pressed her against his chest and held on, rocking back and forth. His voice was rough with emotion when he finally spoke. “Do you know what it means to me, that you’d give up your need for a family for my sake?”

“We’ll still be a family. We have Tucker and Jezebel and Chief, and maybe I’ll get one of those cute little pot-bellied pigs you mentioned a while back.”

He choked on a laugh. “You don’t have to settle for a damn pig. God, Miranda, I’d never ask you to do that. I love you too much.”

“But—”

“No buts.”

He pulled back then swooped in to kiss her. His lips caressed hers with a need, an urgency that set her heart racing. After dropping a final peck on the tip of her nose, he smiled.

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I know I’m a little slow, but I finally realized it isn’t just you I want. It’s the whole package. I want a kid, maybe two or three.” He drew in a long breath to let it out slowly. “This last week without you has been awful, and my brother was the first to point out I’ve been crankier than a bear fresh out of hibernation. But it wasn’t just you I was miserable without. I missed Jackson.”

Wonder wrapped around her heart and squeezed as the meaning of his words sank in. “You did?”

“I did. Hard to believe, but I want one just like him.”

“Oh my God, Cole, do you know what you’re saying?”

“Yep, I’ve thought long and hard about it.” He grinned. “Anyway, we probably don’t have a choice in the matter. Davis might as well be my clone, and you and Andee both have red hair. We’re destined to end up with another little hellion like my nephew...and I can’t wait.”

Joy burst inside her. She clutched his arms with both hands. “You really do mean it? You aren’t just saying what you know I want to hear?”

He stroked her cheek with his finger, then tilted her chin and kissed her again, his lips clinging until she was breathless.

“I’m not. I’ve finally manned up and pulled on my big boy boots. I’m ready to get down to the business of making a baby.”

“Uh, I think we may be missing a step in there somewhere.”

His eyes widened. “Hold that thought.” He sprinted to the house and let the screen door slam shut behind him.

Miranda closed her eyes and savored the breeze on her face, let the tranquility of the evening encircle her in happiness, and a bone deep contentment knowing she and Cole were finally on the same page when it came to their future. He’d never regret his decision—she’d make sure of it.

The door slapped, and his boots thumped. When she opened her eyes, he was kneeling before her with his fist held out. Slowly, he turned it over and opened it. On his palm rested a purple rubber circle with yellow stars stamped into it. Miranda pressed a hand against her mouth to keep from laughing.

“It came off one of Jackson’s toys, and I stuck it in a drawer to keep him from eating it.” Cole took her hand and held it tightly between his. “I love you more than chocolate bars and chainsaws. Will you marry me and make me the happiest man in Texas?”

She nodded. Tears slid down her cheeks as he slipped the ring onto her finger.

“Don’t cry, darlin’. I’ll get you a real one with a big, fat diamond, but this was the best I could do in a pinch.”

“I like this one.” With a tug, she pulled him to his feet, then wrapped her arms around his waist. Tilting her face, she welcomed his kiss.

“I love you, Cole, and I can’t wait to show you how much.”

He lifted her into his arms and carried her toward the house. “More than petunias and pot-bellied pigs?”

Her head fell back against his shoulder as she gazed up at the night sky. “More than all the stars in the heavens.”

“I like the sound of that.”

A word about the author...

Write about what you know. Jannine Gallant has taken this advice to heart, creating characters from small towns and plots that unfold in the great outdoors.