Snowy Encounters (11 page)

She shrugged and swallowed hard.

Cole shoved a hand through his hair before
dropping to his knees beside her. “I love you.”

She bit the inside of her cheek from
returning the words. “My life is in the city. That’s my home now. I
have a great job, a great apartment—”

He gripped her chin and kissed her—hard,
punishing. Arousal whipped through her alongside the hurt whirling
in her chest. “You won’t have me there.”

Maddy batted at his wrist and moved to stand
up. She’d always want him, love him no matter what, but she
couldn’t stay here. The turmoil she’d gone through after their
miscarriage and the pain of their divorce rushed at her. “I don’t
have anything here besides my parents.”

Shock and hurt blazed from his deep blue
eyes. “This is home.”

Like a knife wound to her heart, she
staggered backwards. “It’s not my home. The town folk don’t like me
as you can see last night. My home is in the city.”

His jaw clenched in anger. “With your
glamorous job and big city clients, you mean.”

She nodded. “It’s what I want. I can’t stay
here.”

“Maddy….” He reached out towards her, just as
his phone rang. With a frustrated grunt, Cole dug into his pocket
and pulled out his cell. “What?” he barked. His eyes closed for a
second as if in irritation. She watched as he pressed the end
button and shoved the device back in his pockets. “We need to talk
about this. There’s an issue at Tall Oaks and I need to meet my dad
and brother for Christmas. Let’s just go down to the lodge.”

“I’m not going with you.” She wanted more
time with him, but if he had to choose between her and the town and
his father, then she didn’t want to do that to him. Everyone loved
Cole. And she’d only stand in his way. Glancing around, she knew if
she’d stayed, she probably would not have allowed him to open
another business and the town needed what he could do to help.

Cole frowned and finally slipped on his coat.
“I’ll be back.”

“I won’t be here.”

His gaze jerked up. “We need to talk.”

She shook her head.

He dug his fingers through his hair again.
“Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be back in half and hour.” He pivoted to
leave.

“I’m serious. I won’t be here, Cole.”

A fierce growl passed his lips. “You can’t
tell me that last night meant nothing.”

Maddy shrugged. She could only think to use
his lodge as an excuse. “You can call it a moment of insanity
between us. I never meant to stay here. And your lodge needs you. I
can’t fight that.”

“This isn’t about the lodge.”

Drawing in a painful deep breath, she slowly
let it out. “If I told you to choose, me or Five Oaks, what do you
say?”

His eyes widened before they narrowed to
slits. He stalked off.

Sobs racked her chest, but she picked up her
dress.

She prayed she’d made the right choice.

Chapter Nineteen

Cole leaned over his desk and shoved his hand
through his hair. His brother was rambling on and on about the
mishaps around town lately and for once in his life, he didn’t give
a rat’s ass what was going on. He had bigger problems. Maddy
leaving.

After he’d returned to
Limestone, she’d disappeared. He’d found a note on the table by the
couch. Only two words.
I’m sorry.
And that was it. He pounded the mahogany surface
in frustration. He’d told her he’d loved her and she was just like
his mother. Just slipping into town, messing with his father’s mind
then running off again. His heart tightened.
But Maddy is different. She’s not like that.
She doesn’t care that you’re wealthy.
Maybe that was the problem. His conscious
continued to war with each other.

He didn’t know what to
believe anymore. His father’s appearance Christmas Eve had probably
thrown them for a surprise. Brad Sr. was cynical, and Maddy was
sensitive to his father’s accusations, but maybe it’d been his
fault for believing his father in the first place. The town had
blamed Maddy for their divorce, but she had to see that she
belonged here with him no matter what. He’d played every card he
had. He wanted to share with her his pride and joy, but she didn’t
understand. What did a guy have to do? After she’d asked her last
question, anger stabbed him in the gut. He couldn’t believe
her.
The lodge or her?

Was she expecting him to let go of his life,
his business, his family and move to the city with her?

Cole dropped his face into his hands.

“What’s your deal?”

He glared at his brother. “What do you want?
Why are you here?”

Brad Jr. grinned. “Is it Maddy? Did she leave
you already?”

Cole ignored his brother and turned on the
computer instead. He needed to work, get set up for the grand
opening, keep his mind off Maddy. She’d chosen. Five Oaks still
wasn’t good enough. He was back to where he’d started before she’d
returned home.

Maybe he’d meet someone else, get married,
have a few kids, someone who’d appreciate all he’d done for the
town to secure the future. His thoughts stopped.

They hadn’t used protection when they’d made
love.

He surged out of his seat
and headed to the door. They may have made a baby yesterday.
Maybe that will make her stay.

“Where are you going?” Brad asked. Cole
continued down the hall to the lobby.

Brad trailed behind. “Don’t you want to hear
what else happened at the reception?”

Hope flared in his chest. A child. Maddy
wouldn’t leave him if she were pregnant. He was grasping at straws,
but he didn’t care. He didn’t know how else to deter her from
leaving.

“Cole, man. I know Maddy is probably driving
you crazy, but you need to calm down. I don’t think you’ve heard
one word I said since I got here. If Maddy is leaving, then just
let her go. If they won’t stick around then they won’t stick
around.”

Cole stopped and turned around. He jabbed a
finger against his brother’s chest. “Maddy’s not leaving.”

Brad frowned and rubbed the spot he’d poked.
“Rumor is she’s already packed her car. Probably on her way out of
town now.”

Cole cursed. He whipped around and paused as
his gaze locked with Ash Delaney, the town’s animal vet. What the
hell was he doing here? The man never came to the lodge unless
there was a sick animal on the property that needed care. He
watched as Ash waved Karen off, dismissing her with a flick of his
hand and stalked across the lobby, determination and tension
filling the taut lines of his face.

Brad moved up next to Cole, frowned, and
nudged him in the side. “What is he doing here?” he muttered.

Ash stopped short in front of them. His gaze
bounced between the two of them. “Jo Button is missing.”

Brad shrugged. “Check someone’s bed.”

Ash’s features contorted with rage. “Are you
done?”

Annoyed at his brother for his rudeness, Cole
frowned.

Brad took a step back. “Whoa, Delaney. We all
know—”

Ash glared and cut Brad off. “Do your job,
Harmon. She’s not in anyone’s bed but mine, that’s how I know she’s
missing. And while you’re at it, look out of the window
occasionally. An avalanche just rolled down Death’s Peak. There may
be someone caught in it. If you’re lucky, the little red car I saw
made it through before the road got buried, but I’m not sure. So
send someone over there to start digging!”

Cole froze.
Maddy had a red rental and she was leaving
today.
He grabbed Ash’s shoulder, but the
man shook him off. Panic lit through him. “What red
car?”

“Didn’t recognize it. Probably a tourist.”
Ash turned his attention back to Brad, with a fierce glare ready to
battle. Cole yanked him back. He needed to know if it was Maddy.
The other man threw his arm off. “What the hell, Cole?”

“How long ago?” Cole swallowed hard. His
heart pulsed, palms started to sweat.

“About five minutes ago. I came straight up
when I saw it.”

The blood drained from his face. Brad had
told him he’d heard Maddy packing the car and was probably on her
way out of town. What if it was she under the avalanche? How could
he live without her?

Ash said something to him, but he didn’t
hear. With an inward curse, Cole tore through the lodge, colors
around him turned into a blur.

He couldn’t lose her.

Chapter Twenty

Maddy threw her suitcase in the back with an
irritated sigh. She was ready to leave. No point for her to stay
since her parents weren’t home yet. She looked down the street,
taking in the various houses and white covered trees and driveways,
and stopped at Cole’s house, longing and sadness quickly enveloping
her, but she slid into the driver’s seat before she allowed herself
to dwell on anything in regards to Cole Harmon. It was over. And
for the best. As she started the car, the phone rang. The screen
blinked her mother’s cell number. She pressed talk. “Hey, mom.
Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas. What are you doing?”

Maddy blew out a short puff of air. The
tightness in her chest made it hard to breathe. “I’m about to drive
to the airport.”

“You’re leaving? But…I thought…”

She frowned. Guilt punched her in the
stomach. She should stay to spend time with her family, but not
this holiday—maybe never. “I had a lovely run-in with Brad Sr., and
since you’re not home, there’s no point in me staying.”

“Yeah.”

She heard the remorse in her mother’s tone.
“What’s going on? Is Aunt Kate, okay?”

“She’s fine. Home now. Just a little…um…car
accident and a sprained ankle.”

Her mother’s voice didn’t sound convincing.
She was hiding something. “Mom,” she warned.

Her mother gave a nervous chuckle. “She’s
fine, really. I heard how that old fart lit in on you at the party.
The town has been buzzing about how he shouldn’t have made that
scene.”

Maddy closed her eyes and
leaned her head back against the headrest. “It doesn’t matter. I
was the one who left first and wanted the divorce. I’m the one the
town hates, and Cole’s dad is probably right. We’re not good for
each other.”
That’s not true!

“Honey, don’t be so hard on yourself. The
town cares for Cole and is grateful for what he’s done, but they
want him to be happy.”

Maddy scoffed.
It wouldn’t be with me.
His declaration after he’d fallen asleep came to mind. Her
heart ached. The best plan was to go back to her empty apartment
and live the life she’d chosen before she’d ruined everything.
“How’s daddy?”

“He’s good. Did you spend Christmas with
Cole?”

Pain expanded to her throat. “Somewhat.”

“And you’re still leaving?”

Tears clogged her throat and nose. “Mom, I
have to. I can’t stay here.”

“Honey, he loves you.”

Maddy let out a chuckle. Her mother was
always so intuitive about everything. She frowned. “Don’t tell me
you lied about Aunt Kate so you could leave me alone here with
Cole?” She met silence. “Mom?”

“All right, I’m guilty. I wanted you guys
together to see that you both need each other. I want my daughter
and son back. I want grandkids!”

She froze.
Oh my God. I could be pregnant.
She shook her head to herself, but her fingers
fluttered over her stomach. “Our marriage hadn’t worked before. I
can’t fight him or the town. And his father hates me.”

“Who cares about what everyone else thinks?
Has Cole publically scorned you? Told everyone that he hates
you?”

Maddy stayed silent, her mind raced for
excuses. “He has his work and his heroic good boy reputation to
uphold. I can’t fight with that.”

“You know that’s a lie. If he didn’t still
love you, he would have married someone else by now. I know he
loves you. He has to.” The certainty in her mother’s voice opened
another wound around her heart.

The memory of his exit last night stung. “No,
he loves the lodge, his work. He chose. I can’t compete with
that.”

“You’re so stubborn.”

She sighed, frustration withering through
her. She’d had this conversation so many times already. “Mom, you
know why.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. He loves the lodge more
than you, the town hates you and Brad Sr. is a cynical drunk.”

“Mom! He’s not drinking anymore.”

“I don’t care. I’ve never liked that man
anyway. He’s always mean and opinionated.”

“But he has reason to….” Maddy couldn’t
believe the anger in her mother’s tone. She had wanted to remind
her about Brad Sr.’s gold digging wife, but stopped herself. Why
bother? Cole’s father never approved of her from the very
beginning. What difference would it make now if she stayed?

“Why are you defending him?”

“Because….” She trailed off. Why was she
defending a man who hated her?”

“Marriage is between two people. It doesn’t
involve the town or Cole’s father. It’s between you two.”

Maddy didn’t know what to say. She didn’t
hate her ex-father-in-law, didn’t hate the town. More than
anything, the past few days had made her realize how much she’d
missed the place, missed the feeling of home. The time she’d spent
here, she’d never been happier—decorating the lodge, playing with
the tourist’s kids, Cole teasing her, Cole loving her.

Hell, I belong here in Five Oaks.

“Marriage is a compromise and you have to
stick around and work it out.”

Maddy opened her mouth to
retort, but nothing came out.
Compromise.
She thought of the demand
she’d inflicted on him last night.
If I
told you to choose, me or Five Oaks, what do you say?
She groaned. No wonder the town and Brad Sr.
didn’t like her. Cole had his career and so did she, but he’d never
made her choose between anything she’d wanted. Instead of staying
and fighting for Cole, she was trying to take away everything that
made the man she loved.
What have I
done?