by Cindy Kirk
“I meant, Margaret,” Cole returned easily.
Ryan’s eyes held a curious gleam and Margaret got the feeling he knew there was more to the story than a simple verbal faux pas.
“You’re looking well,” Cole said to her when the silence lengthened.
Other than the crutches and the brace on his right knee, she supposed she could say the same about him. His hair was a little longer now, brushing his collar in a stylish cut. The hand-tailored dark suit he wore emphasized broad shoulders and lean hips. Surprisingly, he’d foregone a tie and left his gray shirt unbuttoned at the neck.
While she grudgingly admitted he looked…attractive…she had no use for him or for the words that came so easy to his tongue. Margaret lifted her chin. “Your friend appears to be too much of a gentleman to tell you—but this is a private business meeting.”
She could have cheered when her tone came out cool with just the slightest amount of indifference.
Cole’s brows pulled together and he shot Ryan a puzzled glance. “You told me this was the time you’d set aside to go over Ty and Janae’s will.”
Margaret narrowed her gaze and focused on Cole. “You must really be doing badly if you came all this way just to see if they left you anything.”
For a second she regretted speaking so frankly. Being brash wasn’t her style. Then she recalled how Cole had treated her and she decided she was being too kind.
“I’m doing quite well, not that it’s any of your concern.” Cole’s expression darkened. He turned to Ryan. “What the hell is going on here?”
A look of guilt crossed the attorney’s face and the gaze he shot her was filled with apology.
Margaret had always been intuitive. The unique gift that had failed her only once before was now telling her that something was about to go wrong. Dreadfully wrong.
“Ryan?” Margaret choked out the attorney’s name, finding breathing suddenly difficult.
“Neither of you have the complete picture, not yet.” Ryan gestured for Cole to take a seat then exhaled a harsh breath. “That’s the way Ty and Janae wanted it.”
Then this wasn’t a chance meeting, but something orchestrated from the grave by Margaret’s oldest and dearest friend. Oh, Janae, what have you done?
“I think I’d better sit down.” With lips pressed tightly together, Cole moved carefully across the slippery wood floor and eased himself into the only empty chair in the room, the one next to hers.
Though a big part of her life revolved around physical rehabilitation, she didn’t comment on his unsteady gait or ask about his injury. Quite simply she didn’t care. She couldn’t care. Not about him. Or his gimpy leg.
The only thing she wanted to know was why he was at this meeting…and how soon he’d be leaving.
Chapter Two
“I’m sure you’re wondering why you’re both here today.” Ryan leaned forward across the desktop, his gaze shifting from Cole to Meg.
Cole decided the comment must have been directed toward Meg, because he knew exactly why he was here. Over Labor Day, Ty and Janae had told him they were finally getting around to making a will. When Janae said she’d love him to raise Charlie if anything happened to them, something in her eyes had confirmed his long-held suspicions.
Of course, he’d said yes. He’d been a part of Charlie’s life since the boy was born. The only way Cole would let anyone else raise the child was over his dead body.
He glanced at Meg. Her eyes were focused on Ryan, her head held high. Just like the girl he remembered, she projected an air of supreme confidence. She’d always had high expectations of herself…and others. When she discovered he didn’t measure up, she’d turned on him.
Cole clenched his teeth. The funny thing was, right now that memory hurt more than his leg.
The attorney steepled his fingers beneath his chin. If he noticed the tension in the room, it didn’t show. “I’m not sure you know this, but Janae and Ty came to my office last month and made changes to their will.”
The comment didn’t concern Cole other than he felt happy they’d followed through on what they’d discussed with him. He wished Ryan would get to the point, so he could pick up Charlie and get out of here. While he’d been prepared to see Meg at the funeral, running into her today had thrown him.
Damn Ryan for not giving him a heads-up. Then Cole realized the attorney couldn’t have known it would be an issue for him to see her again. The only people who knew he and Meg had once been involved were Janae and Cole’s brother, Cade.
When he’d first seen Meg his breath had caught in his throat. She was even more beautiful than she’d been in high school. Despite knowing he was playing with fire, Cole couldn’t resist slanting another glance in her direction.
The beauty, which had showed such promise at sixteen, had been fulfilled. The red in her hair had deepened to a rich auburn, the vibrant color a perfect foil for her creamy complexion. From what he could see, her curves were still there, only more womanly than girlish. Her legs were as he remembered: long, slender and sexy as hell.
Ryan cleared his throat and Cole realized he’d been staring like a lovesick seventeen-year-old. Which he wasn’t. Not seventeen. Certainly not lovesick.
“What k-kind of changes did they make?” Margaret asked.
Cole heard the uncertainty in her tone. Obviously Janae or Ty had promised her something. Though he couldn’t imagine there would be much of anything left. The infertility treatments they’d been undergoing had taken all of their savings and then some.
Cole shifted position, hoping to take some pressure off his knee. The surgeon had warned him that if he flew so soon after surgery he was asking for trouble. Dr. Jones had been right. Even the extra leg room in first class hadn’t helped.
He thought of the bottle of pain pills in his luggage with a twinge of regret but then realized even if they were in his pocket right now, he wouldn’t take them. A man had to be alert to care for an active six-year-old.
“The change affects the custody of Charlie.” Ryan cast an apologetic look in his direction.
In his direction.
Cole went hot, then cold. He told himself Janae wouldn’t have cut him out of Charlie’s life. And Ty, he’d talked about wanting his son to have a male role model if anything should happen to him.
None of this was making any sense. Not Janae and Ty making changes to their will that would cause Ryan to look at him apologetically. Not Meg being here. And certainly not the feeling which suddenly gripped him and whispered his life was about to be turned upside down.
“What kind of change?” Meg asked, her tone as tightly strung as a guitar string.
“This was a difficult decision for them,” Ryan said. “Not made lightly.”
“Quit talking around it, Ryan.” Cole pinned his friend with his gaze. “Give it to me straight.”
A look of gratitude filled Meg’s eyes for the briefest of seconds before her lids lowered.
Cole scowled. He didn’t want her gratitude. Didn’t want anything except her gone.
Ryan stared down at the paper on the desk then looked up. “You’re not going to like this—”
“Ryan,” Cole growled, his patience depleted.
“Instead of giving sole custody to either one of you—” Ryan spoke quickly “—Janae and Ty decided it would be best if you shared custody.”
Meg gasped.
Cole swore he could hear her heart pounding. Or was that his? Regardless, he must have misunderstood. He cleared his throat. “If who shared custody?”
Ryan met his gaze. “You and Margaret.”
“That’s absurd.” Meg’s green eyes flashed, showing a bit of the spirit he remembered.
“Ryan.” Cole gripped the sides of his chair until his knuckles turned white. “There is no me and Margaret.”
“Their will is very specific on the matter.” The attorney rose to his feet and smiled. “Now that we’ve got that out of the way, can I get either one of you a soda or a bottle of water before we go
through the particulars?”
Margaret fought the urge to laugh hysterically. Her entire world had been turned upside down and Ryan wanted to give her a bottle of water?
“Forget the water,” she muttered. “Give me a scotch.”
She wasn’t sure where the words came from. When she drank—which was rarely—she preferred wine over hard liquor.
Cole’s hand dropped to massage his leg. “Make mine a double.”
Ryan’s eyes widened before he chuckled and reached inside a small refrigerator. “Three bottles of water coming right up.”
Share custody with Cole? Was that really what the attorney had said?
Margaret closed her eyes. She had to be dreaming. Other than a nightmare, there could be no other explanation. But when she opened her eyes, Ryan was pushing a cold plastic bottle into her hand and Cole Lassiter still sat beside her.
“Read it again, Ry.” Cole unscrewed the cap on his bottle. “Ty and Janae asked me if I’d raise Charlie if anything should happen to them. That was Labor Day weekend. Not even three months ago. They didn’t mention one word about sharing custody with her.”
Cole jerked a thumb in her direction.
“Well, when they asked me, they never said you’d be in the picture,” Margaret retorted, even as her heart sank. If Cole was telling the truth, his conversation with Janae had been much more recent than hers.
“Children, stop right now. I want us all to take a deep breath.” By the smile tugging at his lips, Ryan appeared more amused than troubled by their reactions. “There are terms and conditions to being appointed Charlie’s guardians. Terms you will need to carefully consider.”
Margaret didn’t need to consider anything. The little boy who’d sobbed in her arms needed her. Not to mention she’d promised Janae and Ty she’d take care of him. And, unlike the man sitting beside her, her word meant something.
Ryan took a sip of his water then gestured for her to do the same.
Although Margaret wasn’t particularly thirsty, she brought the bottle to her lips and let the cool liquid run down her throat. To her surprise, she felt herself relax. This would be okay. Janae had been her friend. She wouldn’t have put Margaret in a bad position.
Cole placed his water on the desk, a look of steely determination in his eyes. “I want to hear the terms, then I want a copy of the will for my attorneys to go over.”
“Oh, my attorneys,” Margaret said in a mocking tone. “If that was an attempt to impress me—or perhaps even scare me—let me tell you right now, it didn’t work.”
His gaze met hers and for a second she recalled what it felt like to drown in those eyes.
“I run a business so I have attorneys.” Cole’s expression darkened. “Trust me, I couldn’t care less if I impress you or not.”
Trust him? Margaret would sooner trust a weasel. But trust him or not, if Cole had an attorney, she’d best get one, too. But while she knew several lawyers in Nebraska, they didn’t deal with custody issues. Hadn’t Lexi said her husband, Nick, was a family-law attorney? “I’d like a copy also. For my attorney to review.”
Cole pressed his lips together and shifted positions.
“I’ll get the papers run off for you,” Ryan said, suddenly all business. “Now about the terms…”
Margaret reached into her bag and retrieved a small notepad and pen. As Ryan read, she took notes. Her horror grew with each additional stipulation. By the time the attorney finished, Margaret was ready to forget the glass of scotch. She needed a whole bottle.
“Let me get this straight.” Margaret spoke slowly and distinctly in an attempt to calm her nerves. “We have to remain in Jackson Hole until the end of the school year?”
Ryan nodded. “Ty and Janae didn’t want Charlie to face any more changes than necessary, at least not initially.”
“But my job and my apartment are in Omaha.” While Margaret had eventually hoped to one day move back to Jackson Hole, the reality was her life was in Nebraska. She could look for another position in Jackson Hole, but she still had four months left on her lease. No way could she incur the expense of moving and pay double rent.
“My company headquarters are based out of Austin, but I’ll relocate to Jackson Hole immediately.” Though Cole spoke to Ryan, he slanted a glance in Margaret’s direction. “No problem.”
Margaret could feel Charlie slipping away and for a second she felt powerless. Then she remembered something her dad used to say—can’t was a word people used when they were unwilling to make sacrifices. Well, that wasn’t her. She straightened in her seat. “I’ll make it work.”
A look of surprise skittered across Cole’s face so quickly she wondered if she’d only imagined it. Nah, he was surprised. He apparently thought she’d roll over and play dead. Well, he’d soon realize she wasn’t that same shy sixteen-year-old whose heart he’d walked over and discarded like yesterday’s trash.
“What happens after the school year ends?” Margaret asked.
“You’re free to relocate back to Nebraska or Texas.” Ryan took another sip of water. “But you’ll continue to share custody. You’d have to make arrangements that will work for you and Charlie.”
“I don’t understand why they did this.” Cole’s mouth twisted. “Putting Charlie in the middle of a tug-of-war between the two of us couldn’t be what they wanted for him.”
Margaret was glad he’d brought it up. She’d been thinking the same thing. It was as if Janae and Ty had handed custody of their precious son to a divorced couple.
“They knew you both well enough to know you wouldn’t let that happen,” Ryan said, his expression suddenly serious. “They believed you would always put Charlie’s welfare and happiness first.”
Margaret stared down at her hands, praying she’d prove worthy of her friend’s faith in her.
“That said,” Ryan continued, “if either of you leaves Jackson Hole for more than a week at a time during this initial period, the other will be granted sole custody of Charlie.”
Seven days wasn’t a lot of time to quit her job, pack up her apartment and find a place to live in Jackson Hole. It was the last part that would be the hardest. In the ten years she’d been looking to come back, rent in the area had soared. And most landlords were demanding two months of rent as a deposit.
Margaret had money in savings but it wouldn’t last long, especially if she had to pay an attorney. Once her money ran out, there would be no one to help. The only sibling with any disposable income was her older brother, Travis. Still, with five young children and a new house in the mountains, he had his own responsibilities.
“If you’re not going to be able to do it,” Cole said in a low tone, “it’d be best to back out now.”
“That little boy needs a mother.” Margaret met his gaze, her voice strong and sincere. “I’m not going to let him down.”
Shortly after the copies had been made and another appointment scheduled for later in the week, the three made their way to the outer office.
Ryan was showing Cole his saddle when the door opened.
“Uncle Cole.” Charlie’s eyes lit up and before anyone could stop him, the little boy barreled across the room and slammed into him.
Cole felt the knee give way at the same moment Meg’s arm slipped around him, giving him much-needed stability and a good strong jolt of déjà vu.
The light floral scent of her perfume, the feel of her body next to his…took him back to a time when she was his whole world. His body prickled with awareness.
Meg smiled down at the boy, seemingly unaffected. “Whoa, partner. Your uncle Cole just had knee surgery. Go gentle on him.”
“I didn’t mean to hurt him.” Charlie turned to Cole. “Did I hurt you?”
Cole’s heart melted and he shook his head.
A tiny frown worried Meg’s brow. He could tell she found Charlie’s exuberant greeting disturbing. Obviously she hadn’t realized how close Charlie was to him. His smile widened.
“Honey,
” Lexi prompted, stepping forward and resting a hand on Charlie’s shoulder. “Didn’t you have pictures you wanted to share?”
“I have one for you and one for you.” Charlie pointed to Cole then to Meg.
“Hey, what about me?” Ryan asked in a teasing tone.
“Nope.” Charlie’s head shook back and forth. “None for you.”
Ryan chuckled. “The story of my life.”
Everyone laughed and Charlie looked up at Lexi. “Where are my pictures?”
“Right here, buckaroo.” Lexi opened a large drawing pad and pulled out about ten different sheets of paper, with an assortment of pictures done in crayon.
Charlie slowly perused each one, his brows pulled together in thought.
“Thanks for catching me,” Cole said in a low tone meant for Meg’s ears only. Just because he wanted nothing to do with her didn’t mean he couldn’t be civil.
“If you’d gone down, you’d have taken Charlie with you,” she responded in a matter-of-fact tone. “Couldn’t have that.”
Cole searched her cool green eyes. Though her expression gave nothing away, he had the distinct feeling she was angry with him. Which made absolutely no sense. If either of them had a reason to be bitter over their breakup all those years ago, it was him.
“This one is for you.” Charlie shoved a picture into Cole’s hand.
He glanced at the paper. Two stick figures, one big, one little, were standing by a bright blue lake under a huge yellow sun, fishing.
“I know this place.” Cole smiled. “It’s the lake where we spent the day together last summer.”
“Yep.” The little boy rocked back on his boot heels in a gesture reminiscent of Ty. “That’s you and me.”
Cole tightened his grip on the picture; the first Charlie had ever given him. It meant a lot to know the excursion had been a special memory, not only for him, but for Charlie, as well.
“Thanks, buddy.” Cole tousled the child’s dark hair. “I’ll put this up in my hotel room.”
“If you have a ’frigerator, you could put it there,” the boy said with an eagerness that touched Cole’s heart. “That’s where my mommy puts all my pictures.”