Cole in My Stocking

by Jessi Gage

  Oh yeah. I had to give Chief Glenmore my statement. It should have seemed like a hassle with everything else I had to do today: file a claim on Dad’s insurance, talk to Max about how the fire affected my handling the estate, replace my belongings, catch Heather up on all that had happened. But it would give me a chance to see Cole, so I made a mental note to get around to it sooner rather than later.

  Cole stood up and set something heavy on the bedside table. “Put this on as soon as you get out of the shower. It’s loaded. Safety’s on.” I looked down to see a black-handled .45 nestled into a suede side holster. “Don’t open any windows or doors. I’m going to arm the alarm for ‘at home.’”

  “Okay. Have a good day.”

  He bent and kissed me on the mouth. His lips were soft as they nipped at mine tenderly. “You too. Love you.”

  He straightened and strode from the room, leaving me stunned. Last night driving home from Bernice’s, he’d implied he loved me. Now he’d come right out and said it. And he hadn’t waited around for me to say it back.

  He expected me to go back to sleep after that? I tried but couldn’t. My pulse was racing with happy nerves. Cole loved me. Cole loved me. Cole loved me.

  I was loved. By a man I completely trusted. As I stepped through the glass door into his travertine-tiled shower, it occurred to me I’d never been able to say that with confidence before.

  As if I didn’t have enough to worry about right now, I worried about the problems being in a relationship with Cole presented. The message on Dad’s garage said it all. I wasn’t welcome here. I couldn’t imagine staying in Newburgh any longer than it would take to wrap up Dad’s estate. Not only was my life in Philly, but I’d come to appreciate the conveniences and excitement of living in a city. I’d go nuts in this tiny town. What would Cole and I do when it was time for me to go back? Have a long-distance relationship, the dreaded LDR?

  It didn’t bode well for our relationship that living several hundred miles apart was the least of our challenges. What would we do when Cole was ready to take things to a more intimate level? What if I couldn’t let him get close? What if he made a move and I freaked and hurt his feelings while embarrassing myself? Maybe I’d be doing us both a favor by putting an end to something that could only go off the rails.

  Unfortunately, I wasn’t strong enough to step back from Cole. I’d come to rely on him. I cared deeply for him. Maybe too deeply, considering how short a time we’d been together. Stepping back would hurt too much. It would hurt both of us. Not to mention, I had a feeling if I tried to step back, he’d fight for me, which frankly gave me a thrill.

  Massaging my scalp with his all-in-one body wash, I figured the only thing I could do was see how this all played out and hope we’d survive whatever fallout was bound to come our way when it ended.

  After rinsing and wringing out my hair, I stepped from the shower and dried off. I’d seen Cole’s master bathroom last night, but I’d been too tired and relieved at being forgiven to take it all in. Most of the rest of the house was clean and attractive but outdated. Not the bathroom. Cole must have redone it in the last five years, because it was a sleek, modern oasis.

  Not only was his shower to die for, with its adjustable shower head and waterproof satellite radio set into the wall, but he had a jetted garden tub that I was determined to soak in as soon as I could buy some scented candles and bubble bath. A granite countertop with Jack-and-Jill sinks lined one wall. The faucets and basins looked like something out of a Better Homes and Gardens magazine. Masculine toiletries made a neat line along the basin to the left, and a thick, royal blue hand towel and face cloth hung on the towel rack. In contrast, the basin on the right was bare except for the toothbrush and deodorant I’d bought last night. That half of the bathroom looked like it was just waiting for someone to take up residence.

  Cole’s bedroom was the same way. Finger combing my hair, I strolled from the master bath directly into his palatial bedroom. Had there ever been a manlier man’s room? The comforter on the bed was solid navy. The curtains were a navy and forest-green tartan. The carpet was dark taupe. The furniture was solid and functional. Like the right half of the bathroom, one bedside table stood empty except for a lamp, like it was waiting for someone to move in and put all their clutter in the drawer and set their clock and Chap-Stick on the polished oak surface. The other table held a lamp, a clock, a Robert Ludlum paperback with a library sticker on the spine, and a box of tissues. Beside the end table was a trash can. Full of tissues. I snickered like a fifteen year old, guessing all those wadded up tissues weren’t because Cole had a cold.

  Refusing to conjure a mental image of Cole naked and sated on his bed, reaching for the tissue box, I got dressed in my new Wal-Mart clothes, fastened Cole’s charm bracelet around my wrist, and got to work.

  The best part of my morning, besides Cole telling me he loved me, was my phone call with Heather. Between Christmas with Cole’s family and the fire, I had a lot to catch her up on. Her concern and support traveled right through the phone and lodged itself in my heart. It would be nice to get home and curl up on her couch with a hot cocoa and tell her all about my trip, and about Cole. But doing so would mean Cole would be hundreds of miles away. A pang of sadness jolted me out of my fantasy homecoming.

  After talking to Heather, I got back into the rhythm of phone calls, emails, and organizing my calendar. Cole provided a nice distraction when he drove me to the Newburgh police station around ten thirty. Though he was in uniform, he’d come home in his truck instead of his cruiser, probably remembering my aversion to police cars. I couldn’t get used to his thoughtfulness. It was too strange having someone be so concerned about my comfort. Too wonderful.

  The meeting with Chief Glenmore was surprisingly non-traumatic. Newburgh PD looked exactly like I remembered it. Some of the staff were even the same as last time I was in that building. But with Cole’s hand constantly surrounding mine, I never went back to that night in my head. Maybe I’d made more progress since that night than I’d given myself credit for.

  Afterwards, Cole let me into his house with a peck on my cheek and said, “You’ve got a lunch date coming in half an hour. I can’t vouch for her sanity, but she’ll keep you safe. See you at home for dinner, ’kay?”

  “Who’s my date?” I asked as he jogged down the stairs to his truck.

  “I don’t want to ruin the surprise,” he said from the open driver’s side door, “but I can guarantee you’ll have a good time.” He closed the door and put on his new Oakleys. A lift of his chin was his goodbye. God, my boyfriend was cool.

  Over the next half hour, I’d thought about who Cole might know who would want to take me to lunch. I couldn’t come up with anybody. Besides him, there was literally no one in Newburgh I cared to socialize with. And I was pretty sure there was no one in Newburgh who wanted to spend their afternoon with me. I trusted Cole, but that didn’t stop my stomach from churning with nervous anticipation.

  At 12:05 the doorbell rang. I peeked through the peephole to find a blond bombshell in a fitted down coat blinking blue eyes at me. I’d seen this woman once before. This was State Trooper Stacey Esponito, aka Offer Busty. Cole was sending me out with the woman who had led the charge to have Tooley fired from Newburgh PD and who helped bring down my attackers.

  She also happened to be his ex-girlfriend. God help me.

  Chapter 18

  “Uh, hello,” I said upon disarming Cole’s security system and answering the door.

  “I’m Stacey,” said the woman on the doorstep. “Cole told you I was coming? I hope?” She was half a foot taller than me with blond hair pulled back in a ponytail and the perfect amount of naturally wavy fringe framing her face. Her makeup was subtle and enhanced her model-perfect features. Just like on that night she’d met me and Cole on the side of the road to help change my flat tire, I found her beauty intimidating, but the way she bit her lower lip nervously endeared her to me.

 
“He did. And I know who you are.” I told my lips to smile, but the expression felt strained. “Would you like to come in while I run up to get my purse?”

  “Okay.”

  I stood to the side to let her in. “There’s still coffee in the pot if you want some, but it’s a couple hours old.”

  “That’s okay. Did Cole tell you I was taking you out for lunch?”

  I shifted on my feet, uncomfortable. Did she intend to pay for my lunch or just take me out somewhere and we would pay our own way? Feeling out a new acquaintance was always so touch-and-go. “Yeah.”

  We stared at each other. Did she feel as uncomfortable as I did? Did Cole think we were going to hit it off and be best buds?

  “I thought I’d take you to the mall in Salem too. I’m sure you have a lot of things to replace, and the sales are going to be awesome today.” She had a more Bostonian flavor to her accent than Cole did, telling me she must be from Mass, like my mom had been.

  I felt my shoulders get tight. I didn’t really want to spend several hours out and about with a near total stranger. On the other hand, I did need to replace several outfits. I’d only bought enough at Wal-Mart to get me through today, since I’d been in a hurry to get back and apologize to Cole. But I’d had my hopes set on going shopping with him tonight.

  Stacey must have sensed my unease. She smiled warmly. “I’m sorry. This is probably completely out of the blue.” She rolled her eyes in a self-deprecating way that made me want to like her. “Let’s start over, okay? I’m Stacey. I’m a friend of Cole’s and I heard what happened last night. I wanted to take you out so you could forget about all the paperwork and stress for a bit. I also knew your father, and I wanted to say how sorry I am for your loss. How are you doing?” Her forehead scrunched up, like she was worried she was making a bad impression.

  I found myself relaxing at the honesty in her demeanor. She was a nice woman reaching out to someone who had been through some hard times. I didn’t have to be intimidated by how beautiful she was or the fact she’d dated Cole. My smile came from the inside as I said, “I’m doing good. Thanks. And thank you for thinking of me today. That’s really nice.” Cole had told me she was married. She was probably taking time away from her husband to hang out with me. “I really appreciate it.”

  “It’s no problem. Really,” she said, seeming to relax too. “We’ll have fun.”

  I left her in the entryway to grab my purse from Cole’s room. It occurred to me I didn’t have a key to lock the front door when I left. Sitting on his bed, I called him.

  “Hey, hon,” he answered. My tummy fluttered with pleasure at how easily the endearment came to him. “Your lunch date there yet?”

  “She just got here. If I’d known you were sending me out with Officer Busty, I would have told you no way.”

  “That’s why I let it be a surprise.” There was a smile in his voice. “You two will have fun.”

  “That’s what she said. Guess I’m outnumbered. I’m going to have fun today whether I like it or not.”

  He huffed a laugh.

  “We’re about to head out, but I don’t have a key. How will I lock up?”

  “Oh, I forgot. Stacey’s going to give you her key.”

  Crickets might as well have chirped in the ensuing silence. I mean, I knew the two of them had dated, but I thought that had been a long time ago. I wanted to ask what she was doing with a key, but couldn’t figure out how to do that and not sound like a jealous bitch.

  “Hon? You there?”

  I cleared my throat. “Yeah. Um, okay. I’ll ask Stacey for a key.”

  “Don’t let Stace do anything crazy, yeah?”

  “I’ll try.”

  “And wear my piece, okay? Stace will have one on her too, but I’ll feel better knowing you can defend yourself if need be.”

  I wasn’t sure being armed around an ex-girlfriend with a key to my boyfriend’s place was such a good idea, but I agreed. I already had the .45 strapped on under my sweater. He’d told me to keep it on me whenever he wasn’t around, and based on his warning that the thieves were still out there, I’d decided to listen.

  I signed off with Cole and returned to the living room to find Stacey watching me with a sly grin. “I noticed you turned right at the top of the stairs.”

  I blinked, unsure why the direction I’d gone was significant.

  “Cole’s bedroom is to the right,” she clarified. “And his amazing, gorgeous, paradise of a bathroom. The guest room and his den are to the left.”

  My cheeks heated as I pulled my coat out of the closet. Both because she seemed to be drawing the wrong conclusion about Cole and my sleeping arrangements and because she knew his house well enough to suggest she’d slept over before.

  She wasn’t done. “It’s an awesome master suite, isn’t it? Like the coziest, most welcoming hotel room. The rest of the house is nice, but that master suite is insane.” She nudged my elbow while I wrapped Bernice’s scarf around my neck. “I swear, it’s like he laid a trap for a wife and just waited for her to come in and decide she never wants to leave.”

  I felt my eyes get big. Had this house lured her once upon a time? Or was she talking about me?

  Stacey laughed, no trace of her nervousness remaining. “Come on. I’m starving. You like Applebee’s? I am dying for that spicy rice and shrimp dish they’ve got on the menu right now. Oh, and this is for you.” She held out a key. “It’s been taking up real estate on my keychain forever, and I’ve never even used it. It’s always been a just-in-case-of-emergency key. It’s about time it goes to someone who actually lives here.”

  So she’d never outright lived with Cole. That made me feel marginally better.

  I closed my hand around the key as it sank in that I was living with my boyfriend. That sounded so adult, so intimate. So right.

  * * * *

  I did a turn in the mirror and smiled. The bright overhead lights of Macy’s dressing room made my hair shine and brought out the coral in the lipstick I’d picked out during the make-over party Stacey and I had shared at the Bare Escentuals cosmetics counter. I had on a pair of dark skinny jeans, a royal blue cowl-neck sweater that hugged my hips and a pair of flats with a bow on the toe. The outfit made me feel covered but sexy and playful. It was definitely not work-appropriate. But it was highly Cole appropriate. I added it to the “keep” pile.

  Another armload of clothes got slung over the door. “You have to try these Levis,” Stacey said. “With your figure, they’ll look uh-ma-zing. I brought you a four and a six. And the peach shirt on top will look so hot with that lipstick you bought. What about heels? You want me to find you something that’ll make you sashay for your bay-bay?”

  Despite our rocky start, Stacey and I had hit it off. At lunch, we’d bonded over talking about our jobs. We both worked with women who had suffered abuse. Usually, by the time I got to them, any legal processes had come to an end. Stacey worked at the other end, sometimes literally dragging them out of the abusive situation. I’d worried she might bring up her work on the case that had grown to involve me and those other women the motorcycle gang had hurt, but she never did, which had made me like her even more.

  I pulled the fresh stack of clothes over the door and said, “Thanks on the jeans. No thanks on the heels. These flats and the boots we found on the clearance rack will do me until I go home.”

  No response meant she’d already left, probably headed straight for the heels.

  Wriggling into the Levis, it occurred to me I hadn’t had this much fun picking out clothes since high school. I’d always loved shopping, and I still did, but since moving to Philly, I’d approached it with a critical eye. Did this outfit draw too much attention to my breasts? Was that outfit professional enough? Did it say, you can trust me with all your problems without saying, I think I’m better than you? Shopping for clothes had become a challenge to excel at rather than a feminine joy.

  Stacey made it fun agai
n. I’d found enough casual but stylish separates to keep me clothed for my stay. And knowing I had a hot boyfriend to dress for, I gravitated toward outfits that clung a little tighter and revealed just a tad more than I would otherwise feel comfortable with.

  Stacey’s discoveries added a new pair of jeans and two more tops to the keep pile. While I stripped to redress in my Wal-Mart outfit, a pair of patent leather heels with a delicate ankle strap slid under the door, announcing Stacey’s return.

  “Hello? What am I going to wear these with? It’s winter in New England, not Oscar season in L.A.” I nudged them back with my bare foot.

  “Do you like them or not?” she said. We were having a footsie war shoving the shoes back and forth.

  “That’s not the point. I can’t afford to buy anything frivolous.” I had a feeling my keep pile would put me well over whatever amount Dad’s homeowner insurance might reimburse me for the clothing I’d lost.

  “Killjoy. Just try them on. This too.” She flung a garment over the top of the door.

  I pulled it down and held it in front of myself in the mirror. I immediately fell in love. It was a sleeveless V-neck dress in navy blue satin with a floral accent winding its way up one shoulder. Not only was the dress Cole’s favorite color, if his home décor was anything to go by, but its ruched draping and knee-length hem appeased my modest side. I didn’t know how much it was, and I didn’t have anyplace to wear it, but I wanted it.

  “Be honest. You love it.”

  “You’re the devil.” I peeked at the price tag. The sale price was a little more than the Oakleys I’d bought for Cole, which wasn’t bad for a dress of this quality, but out of my price range nevertheless. “I can’t afford it.”

  “That’s not the point.” I heard the smile in her voice as she echoed back my words. “Just try it on. And let me see when you’re done. The shoes too.”