by Zoe York
She swallowed and turned away from Benji and Garth, toward the man she’d foolishly rushed to rescue.
Cole stood a dozen or so feet away, a pumpkin shoved under one arm, his phone wedged between shoulder and ear and glittery streamers draped over one arm.
Their gazes locked, and she froze.
He looked good. Really good.
A stocking cap was pulled low on his head. He’d shaven recently. The plaid shirt was in fall colors, maroon, orange and green. She wanted to bury her face in his shoulder, breathe him in and forget. But she couldn’t.
He wasn’t getting married tonight.
“Go on, Scarlett, give him a piece of your mind,” Jessica called out.
Scarlett glanced over her shoulder and caught sight of all the people who’d gathered around her.
The whole town was there.
And she had no idea what was going on.
“Garth, take over,” Cole said, his voice carrying in the stillness of the afternoon. Cole closed the distance between them and took her hand. Their gazes locked, and she couldn’t read him, didn’t know what was going on. “Come with me.”
Scarlett wanted out of the spotlight more than she wanted answers in that moment. She allowed him to lead her through the open barn doors and into the little bridal prep room. He flipped the sign to Do Not Disturb and shut everyone else out.
She dropped his hand and paced across the small room to the other side, her knees shaking.
Cole wasn’t getting married today. So what was going on? And why did everyone but her know about it? Because it was something that would hurt her?
“Scarlett?” Cole whispered her name.
“What the hell is going on?” She turned to face him, her anger coming back hotter now that she was with him.
“You weren’t supposed to be here yet.” He smiled, but it was weak and faded fast. He’d placed the pumpkin and the streamers on the floor.
“I wasn’t—what?”
“Sit, please?” He gestured at the sofa.
“I think I’ll stand.” If she sat, she might not be able to make her legs work, and if his words hurt, she wanted to be physically capable of making a hasty retreat.
“Okay.” He brushed his hands down his chest. Flecks of glitter fell onto the floor while he gathered his words for whatever he had to say to her. “Scarlett? I fucked up.”
She didn’t respond to that statement. She didn’t have enough information to know how he meant it, so she kept staring at him staring at her.
“When I came here, I didn’t think I was going to stay long. I’ve never belonged anywhere. Or with anyone. Then you happened, and I started to think, maybe I found my place?” He took a step toward her. “When Allie showed back up I panicked. How could someone like me belong in a place as good as this? What had I ever done to deserve that? You? Why should I get to be happy? I lost it, and I said stupid shit I wish I could take back. By the time I pulled my head out of my ass you were gone. And then the paper ran that stupid announcement without double checking if it was still correct. I’m sorry.”
“The paper? It was…?”
“The Humes bought the announcement months ago. It was set up so far back and I didn’t know about it. None of us did until it ran. Baby, I’m sorry.”
The yet unshed tears Scarlett had been resisting prickled the back of her eyes all over again.
The only person who saw Cole as less deserving was him. He was kind and compassionate. He’d pitched in and helped with mums and floats, kittens and puppies, without hesitation. She wished he could see himself through her eyes. Maybe then he’d understand why he belonged here.
“I thought about going to Colorado and begging you to forgive me, but that would have been selfish. I didn’t want to stand in the way of you doing something for yourself. Your brothers threatened to break my legs if I bothered you. So…I decided to do this.” He spread his hands.
Scarlett opened and closed her mouth.
This was all too much at once.
“This is supposed to be a second homecoming with Halloween rolled in.” He took a step closer, then another one. “The girls were supposed to keep you for another hour then I was going to come get you.”
“You aren’t getting married?” She held up her hand, needing to make triply certain she understood this point.
“No. I did have to spend time with her this week while we separated our lives, but it’s done.”
“And the ring? The sapphire she showed me?”
“It’s her family heirloom.”
“You weren’t going to marry her today?” Scarlett still couldn’t wrap her head around any of this.
“I’m not marrying Allie today or any day. She does want to apologize to you if you’re willing to hear her out. Neither of us acted right.” Cole was almost on top of her now.
“Oh—Jesus.” Scarlett dropped her hands and swayed on her feet.
“Sit?” Cole took her hand in his.
“That sounds like a good idea.” She tottered toward the sofa and sat, her knees giving way at the last moment.
“Scarlett?” Cole continued to grip her hand in his.
“I was coming up here to tell you getting married was a mistake, you know that?” She tipped her chin up and looked at him.
“I do now.” He lifted a hand and stroked her cheek.
“Why didn’t you call me?” she asked.
“Your cousins were pretty clear I wasn’t allowed to do that. And then I decided what we needed to say should be in person.”
“Oh, God.” Her drunk message. She covered her face with her free hand and groaned.
“Cole?” Her slurred, drunken voice began to play. “Fuck you. Fuck you and this break. It’s cowardly, and you know it. You want to break up with me? Then do it. I shouldn’t have fallen for you. That’s on me. But you? You should have treated me better. Fuck. You.”
She could hear all that hurt in her voice. The only reason Cole had struck so deep was because she loved him, head over heels.
“I should have been better to you. I’m sorry, baby. I’m sorry I made you cry. I’m so damn sorry. I wasn’t looking to find a home or a place to belong when I came here, but then there you were and it was like…it all clicked into place. You told me you fall fast, but…I’m the one who went and fell in love with you. I screwed that up. I screwed us up.”
She stared at the top of his knit hat. He had her hand in both of his, chin tucked almost to his chest, as though he were afraid to look at her. As if he didn’t know she was already madly in love with him.
Why else would she have braved lifelong embarrassment to break up his nonexistent wedding?
“Baby?” Cole lifted his chin and stared at her, the intensity of his gaze stealing her breath. “When I look at you I believe in love. I didn’t before you, but now I do. And if you’ll let me, I want to make it up to you. All of this. Give us another chance, please?”
* * *
* * *
Cole’s lungs were going to burst from holding his breath. He’d had his apology planned out. The girls were going to scatter; he’d go to the house, beg her forgiveness with his grand speech then grovel until she accepted him back. Her showing up had thrown it all out of whack. He couldn’t be certain he’d said everything he meant to or if he’d gone off track somewhere.
Scarlett continued to stare at him, her eyes wide, full of so much emotion he could drown in them.
She’d said she’d fallen for him, but he’d interpreted those words to their true meaning.
She loved him.
And he loved her.
He could feel it. The chemistry had changed. It wasn’t something he felt when she was around. No, now he had that Scarlett tingle all the time, even when she was hundreds of miles away.
Cole loved Scarlett.
It was unexpected and sudden, but it was also right.
But just because he’d accepted that as truth and chosen to leap into this didn’t mean she would, too. He’
d abused her trust and hurt her. When she’d come storming toward him he’d seen a woman on the warpath of righteous fury. And he deserved that.
“Why the party? Why are you doing this?” she asked instead of responding to his plea for forgiveness.
“I wanted to do something. You missed homecoming and the fall festival wasn’t going to happen, so I figured—I booked the barn. Why not use it? The rest came together pretty quick.” He squeezed her hand. “I guess…I’ve never belonged anywhere the way I belong here. I wanted to do something for you and this town.”
“Everyone knows?” Her voice was high now, eyes wide.
“Yes.” He winced.
“Ingrid and the girls?”
“Yes.”
“My cousins?”
“I told them my idea first.”
“How did you do all of this?”
“Bunny. When Garth and Benji said they’d go along with it I got together with her.” He slid a little closer. Even the experience of putting this together had shown him he had a place to belong. Everyone had pitched in from donating candy to showing up to help decorate. “You don’t have to forgive me. You don’t have to be with me. If you never speak to me again, I get it. I won’t like it, but I get it. I guess that’s what learning how to love is about.”
Scarlett lifted her free hand to her face, covering her mouth. The tears brimming in her eyes were going to break his control. He’d get down on the floor and beg her to…he wasn’t sure yet.
They stared at each other for a moment.
A fat tear rolled down her cheek.
“Oh, baby, please don’t. Please?” He reached out and brushed his thumb across her skin, smearing the wetness.
Scarlett pitched forward, wrapping her arms around him. For the first time since he’d walked out there he felt air rush back into his lungs. He pulled her onto his lap and clutched her to him, breathing in her hair, feeling her body shudder against his. She cupped his face in both hands and kissed him. She tasted of cherry lip balm and salty tears. His heart squeezed, wanting to believe this kiss, clinging to him was forgiveness, but he needed to hear her say it.
Cole pulled back, smoothing Scarlett’s wild hair off her face and put a little distance between them.
“Does that mean I’m forgiven? Even a little?” He knew he’d have work to do still, but this was a start.
“Yes. God, yes.” She tightened her grip around his shoulders.
He grinned. She hadn’t told him she loved him back, but he’d take it. Time would bring them back on track and this time he’d earn that love. They’d fallen into it so fast and deep he hadn’t realized what he had until it was gone. Now he knew, and he didn’t plan on giving up anytime soon.
Cole sat up and wrapped his arms around her. She grinned back, the pain gone and in its place was the beautiful woman who’d stolen his heart. He leaned in and kissed her, savoring her warmth, the way her nails dug into his skin, the way her breathing hitched. Everything about her was precious and his.
“I was coming here to stop your wedding,” she said against his mouth.
“You said that.” He bumped her nose with his. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to hurt you even more.”
“I had this whole, give me back my man, spiel if I got the nerve up.”
“You can try it out on me now, if you like?”
Scarlett chuckled then leaned in and pressed her lips to his. He eased back, sinking into the cushions and bringing her with him. He slid his hand down to her knee, caressing the bare skin.
“Does this mean we get to have make-up sex?” Her voice dropped to a husky note.
“I have a lot to make up for.”
“No, you don’t. That’s what forgiveness is about, Cole. We messed up. We know that. We do better going forward. No holding this over each other, okay? I can’t do that. And now that I think about it, I feel like holding onto this idea making up is like keeping score. I don’t want to keep score with you. I just want to be with you. Okay?”
“I don’t deserve you.” His heart ached at her pureness, the way she was good through and through.
“Sure you do.” Scarlett gripped his shoulder and shifted until she straddled his lap.
He wanted to remember this moment for the rest of his life. Her hair was down and what she would call messy. She’d probably run her hands through it all day doing a hundred tasks. The sundress clung to her curves, one strap falling off her shoulder.
“Scarlett Lively, are you trying to seduce me?” He reached up and tugged the strap all the way off then bent to kiss her. No bra strap, which meant she was wearing that sexy strapless thing with the lace.
“Do or do not, right?” she muttered and ran her fingers under his cap.
“There’s a whole barn of people out there,” he whispered against her neck.
“I can be quiet. Can you?”
“I want to take my time with you and do this right. I have to help with the kick off in—”
“Cole, stop being responsible and make up with me.” She was smiling that twinkle back in her golden brown eyes so warm with lust and deeper emotions. Her hands slid down his chest all the way to his jeans.
“I can’t tell you no.”
Not that he wanted to. Besides, they were going to have to put on costumes. They were going to get a little more undressed than they had to.
She tabbed open his jeans, and he made quick work of his buttons.
“Oh, Cole,” she whispered and pushed his shirt aside to stare at the stitches.
“They don’t hurt much.” He grabbed handfuls of her dress and hauled it over her head.
Sure enough, all Scarlett wore underneath was a white, lacy strapless bra and cotton underwear.
“God, I missed you,” he muttered.
“I missed you, too.” She eased his jeans and boxers down to his thighs.
He grasped his dick and squeezed, willing himself to calm down. Scarlett dug the condom out of his wallet and he rolled it on while she slid her panties off.
“We have to be very quiet,” he whispered, offering her a hand as she straddled him once more.
“Very quiet,” she agreed.
He guided his cock to her core, never breaking eye contact with her. She shifted her hips, rubbing against him, teasing him with her warmth.
“Quiet and quick,” she whispered.
The party could handle itself. The others would see to it.
Scarlett pressed down and he slid inside of her, groaning as her pussy squeezed him. Her eyes finally closed. He leaned forward and bent his head, kissing the swell of one breast then the other. He dipped his fingers into the cups, toying with her nipples. She gasped and moved, working his cock with her body.
He’d missed this, the feel of her, how she gave herself into the passion. Everything she did was with her whole heart, and from now on he’d be worthy of that. He’d love her and care for her, hopefully forever if she’d let him, but right now was fine, too. The rest they could sort out in time.
“God, baby, you feel so good.” He squeezed his eyes shut. He hadn’t been prepared for this, not really. “Are you close?”
“Almost,” she whispered.
He bent his head to her breast and sucked a nipple into his mouth. As she thrust down on him, he gently bit the aroused flesh. Her body shuddered, muscles going tight. The muscles in her pussy spasmed. He thrust up and lost himself as she milked his cock.
They flopped on the couch, her wrapped around him as though she were never going to let go. He was okay with that.
Neither of them spoke, but it was an easy silence. The music from the barn and the sound of people grew louder the closer to five it got.
“I guess I have to share you now,” she muttered after a few moments.
“Not if you don’t want to.” He slid his hand up her back.
“I want to see the party you threw me.” Scarlett sat up, wearing nothing but her beautiful smile. “Too bad I don’t have a costume.”
“Oh, but you do.” He eased up, hugging her to him for a quick kiss.
“I do?”
“I was supposed to bring it to you when I made my apology.”
“What am I dressing up as?”
“Dorothy. Had to come up with something that would allow one of us to keep our eyes on Pip. He’s an escape artist.”
“And you?”
“I’m the Tin Man. Benji is the Scarecrow and Garth will be the Cowardly Lion.”
“I can’t believe you talked them into this.” She shook her head.
A knock at the door had them both freezing.
“Cole?” someone called out.
“I’ll be out in a minute, Cal,” he replied.
Scarlett buried her head against his shoulder and giggled. He pinched her bottom, not hard, but it got her moving. They separated and got their underwear on, then he pulled the two rented costumes out from the closet where he’d hung them earlier. The shoes were all Kasima and Ingrid. Instead of heels they’d glittered up some flats that wouldn’t sink into the earth.
They helped each other dress, doing up buttons and zippers. It was a simple act, and yet he felt the intimacy he’d missed ebbing between them once more. He’d messed up, but she was giving him another chance.
“How do I look?” Scarlett stood back and held out the blue gingham skirts.
“Beautiful.” He privately wished he could whisk them both away. But this was her party, and he did want her to see how everyone had come together for the both of them.
“Let’s go get Pip.”
They left the bridal room and entered the barn. Food was being dished out from casseroles and tins provided by the townsfolk. Sitting on its own table was a four tier cake featuring the barn on top with a yellow brick road leading up to its doors.
Everyone wanted to stop Scarlett and say hello or comment about her trip. By the time they made it to the house where he’d left Pip the sun had begun to set. He hadn’t spotted Cal again, but figured his brother would find him, eventually.
“How did you convince Garth and Benji to let you do a trunk or treat up here?” Scarlett led him toward the line of cars.
“That was Bunny. There wasn’t any asking.” He chuckled.