Taking Charge (23 page)

“I’m not sure. I haven’t seen them advertised
anywhere lately,” Sarah remarked.

“Who is Special Guest?” Henrik asked.

“They’re an awesome band, Henrik. They did all the
classics…you know, ZZ Top, The Rolling Stones, a bit of country…”
Robyn explained.

“Robyn sung with them once,” Sarah informed them.

“I did not!”

“She did. She was fifteen and drunk, and she grabbed
the mic and belted out a Bon Jovi number. It was truly terrible,”
Sarah told the group.

“Don’t even think about denying it, Robyn. Bob and I
were there,” Pam announced, coming over to the Jacuzzi and
collecting empty bottles.

“God! Who needs family?” Robyn remarked.

“You did when I was cleaning up your puke the next
day,” Pam added.

“Oh man, this is so embarrassing!”

“So…the party’s good and all, but what we need in the
town is a proper celebration, like an engagement or something,”
Brad blurted out, looking straight at Robyn.

She bristled immediately and pulled her ponytail
forward. Why on Earth had he said that?

“Can’t see that happening. Too many singletons on the
team,” Wade called from the sun lounger he was laying on.

“How about you and Sarah, Mick? Isn’t it time you
made an honest woman out of her? I mean, you’ve been dating like
forever,” Robyn continued, hurriedly swigging back some beer.

“Robyn, don’t,” Sarah begged, her eyes welling up
with tears she was trying to blink back.

“Yeah, sure, one day we’ll do it, won’t we?” Mickey
said, patting Sarah affectionately on the leg like she was a pet
dog.

“Will we?” Sarah asked harshly, turning to look at
him.

“Yeah, I mean, you drag me past the jewelers so
often, I’m bound to give in one day, aren’t I?” Mickey
continued.

“Give in,” Sarah remarked.

“I don’t think Mickey meant it like it sounded,” Cole
said.

“Oh, don’t you? Well, how did you mean it, Mickey?
Because ‘giving in’ sounds like relenting to pressure. Is that how
you see our relationship? A pressure? Something you put up with to
keep me quiet?” Sarah questioned, standing up and looking down at
her boyfriend.

“Shit, this is my fault. Forget I said anything,”
Brad said rapidly.

“Sorry, Robyn, I’m going to go. I don’t want to spend
another minute with him right now,” Sarah said, hoisting herself
over the side of the Jacuzzi.

“Sarah, don’t go. Mickey, come on, don’t let her go,”
Brad encouraged him.

“I don’t know what I’ve done wrong. Is it that time
of the month?” Mickey asked, reaching across for another beer.

“Man, you are an idiot,” Brad remarked, and he leapt
out of the tub and hurried after Sarah.

“I’m with Brad, you’re a tool,” Robyn said, scowling
at him.

“Cole, the doorbell rang and there are more guests. I
invited them in,” Pam announced, smiling at him.

Cole looked up to greet the guests and immediately
his expression darkened. A woman with long, dark hair stared over
at him, tears in her eyes, one hand held protectively on her
stomach. Robyn knew instinctively who this woman was and her chest
tightened. The woman was perfectly presented, her hair coiled
neatly onto her shoulders, and she was wearing make-up and a pink
blouse. She looked so girly, so not like Robyn.

“Cole,” the woman said weakly.

“What are you doing here?” he questioned, standing up
and getting out of the tub.

“You won’t return my calls or my messages.”

“I told you and I told Bryn I never wanted to see
either of you again. How much clearer do you need me to be?”

“Is this Veronica?” Robyn checked, getting out of the
Jacuzzi to join him.

“Yeah, Robyn. This is Veronica.” He flung his hand in
Veronica’s direction.

It was at that moment that a middle-aged man, wearing
an expensive-looking business suit, stepped out of the veranda
doors and onto the decking.

Robyn’s heart rose up into her mouth and she bit down
on her tongue as their eyes met.

“Hello, Robyn,” he greeted with a warm smile.

“Hi, Clive,” she replied.

“You didn’t call, I was worried,” Clive said.

With Cole’s robe wrapped over her bikini, Robyn
busied herself making a pot of coffee. She’d had five or more beers
and she couldn’t be speaking to him drunk. She wanted to say the
right things and she wanted to remember saying them.

“I’ve been busy,” she answered stiffly.

“Too busy for a phone conversation? Come on, Robyn, I
was worried. I was imagining all sorts of things.”

“Like what? No planes have come down, no skinny
British girls have been murdered that I know of. I can look after
myself. What are you doing here?” she asked, turning to face
him.

“I wanted to see you. How’s your father?”

“I wish you hadn’t said that.”

“What?”

“He’s doing okay. He’s having the bypass soon, as
long as he steers clear of Dunkin’ Donuts,” Robyn informed him.

“Good, I’m glad,” he replied.

“So what are you doing here and how did you find
me?”

“I went to the roadhouse. A woman there told me where
you were staying. This isn’t your aunt’s house, is it? I mean, this
isn’t a ranch house, this must be worth…” Clive began.

“A million at least, probably more. What are you
doing here?” Robyn repeated as the coffee pot began to sputter to
life.

Clive took a deep breath and held it in until his
chest had expanded to full capacity. He looked older and more tired
than she remembered. There seemed to be more lines around his eyes,
but perhaps they had been there before and she just hadn’t noticed.
He looked jaded and weary, but maybe that was just the jetlag.

“Carolyn’s pregnant,” he announced, the breath
leaving his chest in one quick rush, the words following.

“Wow,” Robyn replied.

She didn’t know what else to say. What was protocol
for finding out your married lover’s wife was pregnant?

“Obviously, it was completely unplanned. I mean, you
know what it’s like. I have to keep up appearances in that
department but…” Clive started, shifting on the kitchen bar stool
Robyn had sat him on.

“You want to end things,” Robyn guessed.

“No! No, Robyn—not that. I just…well…things will be
difficult for a while. She’ll expect me to be there more, at the
start at least, so…”

“I’m not coming back to England,” Robyn
announced.

She didn’t know where the statement had come from but
it was out and passed her lips before she knew it.

“What do you mean?” Clive asked, a puzzled look on
his face.

“Dad needs me here. Even after the operation, he’s
not going to be able to run the roadhouse or manage the ice hockey
team,” she continued.

She picked up the coffee pot and rapidly filled two
mugs.

“But what about your aunt? Surely she can help. I
mean, how long are you planning on staying? We said a month maybe.
How long do you need?” Clive wanted to know.

“I need forever,” Robyn responded, passing him a mug
and watching his expression.

“Cole, look at me,” Veronica urged him.

They sat in the living room while the party carried
on outside. Cole was still in his trunks and water was dripping
onto the cream carpet. He didn’t care. That was the very least of
his worries.

“I can’t,” he responded, not raising his head.

“We need to talk about this. Bryn and I are worried
about your mom,” Veronica continued.

“Did he send you here? He made you fly in that
condition?” Cole asked, lifting his head and gesturing to her
pregnant swell.

“It was my idea to come. I know you, Cole. I know how
hurt you are and I know what we did was unforgiveable, but we need
to do something to straighten it out for your mom’s sake,” Veronica
told him.

“You don’t know me,” Cole stated brutally.

“I know you care about your mom. And so does Bryn,
and she’s not doing so good right now.”

“I only left a few days ago. She’s fine.”

“She wouldn’t want you to worry. She knows you need
to focus on your new job,” Veronica said.

“What do you want me to say, Veronica? What do you
expect me to do?” Cole asked her.

“She wants the family together for Thanksgiving.”

“I hope you’re kidding me,” he said, standing up.

“She would never tell you herself, but that’s what
she wants. She wants you, Bryn, me, and your Uncle Derek around the
table together as a family,” Veronica continued.

“Yeah? Well, that’s not happening.”

“Bryn said you would be like this but I didn’t
believe him. I know you have a soft soul, Cole. The way you used to
talk about your father, how you cried for him…he wouldn’t want this
division in the family. You know that,” Veronica said

“That’s enough,” Cole warned.

“Don’t shut Bryn out Cole. You’re brothers.”

“We were.”

“You can’t help who you fall in love with.”

“Believe me, I know that.”

“Then find it in your heart to forgive him, even if
you can’t forgive me. After all, he saved you once,” Veronica said,
tears pricking her eyes.

“What?”

“He told me what you did after your dad died. He
loves you Cole, and he wants you to be part of this baby’s life. We
both want that,” Veronica insisted.

“You need to leave,” Cole told her.

“You’re doing what? Getting married! You’ve been here
less than a week!” Clive exclaimed, sloshing some of his coffee
onto his trousers.

“Shh! Keep your voice down,” Robyn begged, waving her
arms to try and quiet him.

“What do you think you’re doing, Robyn? This is
madness! You’ve been gone a few days and suddenly you want to leave
everything behind, start living in America, and marry some country
bumpkin you’ve no doubt picked up at some ice hockey match. It’s
ludicrous,” Clive announced.

“I don’t expect you to understand, I’d just like you
to accept it,” Robyn answered calmly.

“Well, I don’t! I don’t accept it!” His voice boomed
as he slammed his cup down on the counter.

“Clive, I really appreciate everything you’ve done
for me. You helped me out when I was in a really dark place, and
I’ll always be grateful, but things have changed,” Robyn attempted
to explain.

“In a few days?”

“Yes. I know how that sounds, but yes.”

“You’re making it sound like you’re cancelling an
unwanted car warranty,” Clive told her.

“This is your chance to try again with Carolyn. A new
baby, a new start for the both of you,” Robyn said.

“I’m not so sure about that.”

“I can’t be what you want me to be,” Robyn stated,
meeting his gaze.

“And exactly what do you think I want you to be,
Robyn?”

“Clive, we eat expensive Thai takeout in the flat and
talk about places we’re never going to go together,” Robyn said
with a sigh.

“I’m always suggesting restaurants and weekends away,
you always say no.”

“I know I do. Because I don’t want to go,” Robyn
admitted.

“We’ve been together over eight years,” Clive
reminded her.

“And I’ve never really been there,” Robyn said
sadly.

“I’m getting married,” Cole told her.

“What?”

“Yeah.”

“But…”

“What, did you think I’d never get over you?”

“No, of course not, but…so soon? I mean you can’t
have…”

“I’ve known her five days,” Cole admitted.

“Five days.”

“Yeah, and I feel like I’ve loved her a lifetime
already,” he said.

“I don’t know what to say.”

“I’m saying I don’t need the family any more. Moving
here was the best thing I’ve ever done. I met Robyn and I have a
great team behind me at Gen-All. I know what’s important now and it
isn’t the past,” Cole said as he ran his hand through his wet
hair.

“Then forget the past and forgive Bryn,” Veronica
suggested.

“It doesn’t quite work like that.”

“Does your mom know you’re planning on getting
married?”

“Not yet.”

“Have you really thought this through?”

“No, I haven’t, and ya know what? That’s why it’s
right.”

“I’ll pay you back everything. All the gifts, all the
money you gave me. I spent some of it on the roadhouse but when we
make a profit I can…” Robyn began.

“I don’t want anything back, Robyn,” Clive replied
soberly.

“I didn’t expect this to happen. I didn’t come here
thinking I wouldn’t go back,” she assured him.

“Are you sure? Really sure staying here is what you
want? Are you certain it isn’t just being back here evoking fond
memories?” Clive asked.

“I’m sure,” Robyn answered with a nod.

Clive nodded in reply and ran his finger around the
rim of his coffee cup.

“I care about you, Robyn.”

The words were loaded with emotion, more than she’d
probably given him credit for.

“I know you do and that used to be enough…but it
isn’t any more.”

“Hey,” Robyn greeted, entering the den.

Clive had left and Henrik and the rest of the team
had taken the party into town. Only Bob, Pam, and the twins
remained, clearing up the garden.

“Hey,” Cole replied.

“The pregnant ex gone?”

“Yeah. How about the married guy?”

“Driving back to the airport as we speak,” Robyn
replied, sitting down next to him.

“Some party, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“Listen Robyn…”

“You don’t have to say anything. It’s okay if you
still feel something for Veronica. I mean…”

“I don’t. I don’t feel anything for her.”

Robyn nodded and chewed on her thumbnail, looking at
him and waiting for whatever was coming next. There was something,
she could tell. He looked anxious and agitated.