If that wasn’t cause to feel off-kilter, he didn’t know what was.
Leaning on the side of his truck, he paused and drew in a deep breath, sweat forming on his brow. He didn’t often get scared.
Perhaps he’d made one life-altering decision too many, too soon. Agreeing to train Blake Nolan’s pony was a commitment. Another tie to the ranch and reason for him to give up a job he loved in exchange for a future filled with uncertainties.
He didn’t know if he loved Vi or she him. He felt all tangled up inside, confused one minute and confident the next.
His cell phone rang. He’d been expecting Cara to call, inquiring about the burros, but the ring tone identified the caller as Vi.
“How goes it?” He started to say “sweetie” but something held him back.
“Great. Taking a moment to rest. Mom and Dad just left.”
“I thought their flight wasn’t until four.”
She moaned. “They’ve decided to stay another few days.”
“Okay.” Cole wasn’t sure how to respond. “Did they say why?”
“Nothing specific. I suspect they want to meet your mom.”
“My mom?” Dead silence followed. “Vi?”
He held his phone away, noted the screen showed an open connection and returned the device to his ear. “You there?”
She cleared her throat. “I think I just said something I shouldn’t have.”
“What’s going on?”
“Josh was supposed to call you. Your mom’s coming for a visit.”
“When?”
“Day after tomorrow.”
Anger and frustration pushed at Cole from all sides. He fought the smothering sensation.
“This isn’t unexpected,” Vi said reasonably. “She has mentioned it before.”
“I didn’t think it would be this soon.” Or that his mother would really return to Mustang Valley, a place that held only bad memories for her. “I’ll call you later, after I talk to Josh.”
“Cole...”
“Don’t worry.”
A short while ago he’d spotted Josh’s truck parked behind the horse stables. His brother was probably in the apartment, packing boxes. He and Cara had finally found a small house in town to rent, one they could afford on their budget.
Cole climbed the stairs to the apartment landing. Pulling out his phone, he dialed.
“I’m outside,” he said, when Josh picked up.
A moment later, the door swung open. “You don’t knock anymore?”
“What’s this about Mom coming for a visit?”
“Nice to see you, too.”
Cole ignored the sarcasm and entered the apartment. “You should have told me before saying yes.”
“I didn’t say yes or no. She called to say when she’d be arriving. Plane ticket bought. Room at the inn reserved. End of discussion.”
Cole started to say more but was cut short. “Hi, Uncle Cole.” Nathan bounded over to greet him, brandishing a sheet of paper. “I coloring.”
“That’s nice.” He glanced around, noting the half-full boxes, rolls of bubble wrap and packing tape. “Where’s Kimberly?”
“Napping,” Josh said. “Which this young man should be doing, too.”
“I not tired, Daddy.”
Josh sent Cole a look. “Which means the packing is going slow.”
Nathan returned to the dining table, where a pile of crayons lay scattered. He climbed onto the chair with a booster seat and resumed creating his masterpiece, oblivious to everything else.
Cole pushed aside several boxes that were blocking the couch and sat, propping his forearms on his knees. “I really wish you’d told me about Mom coming before Vi did.”
“She called right after I hung up from Mom. It slipped out.”
“Right.”
“What’s the big deal? So Mom wants to visit the kids and meet Violet. Did you think she’d wait after you told her?”
“Believe me, that’s not the reason she’s coming.”
“Maybe she’s ready to make amends.” Josh knelt, closed a box and sealed it with packing tape. “We have.”
Cole broke into harsh laughter. “You’re kidding.”
“Okay, then why do you think she’s coming?”
“To convince me, if not both of us, to return to California.”
Josh contemplated Cole’s answer for a moment. “You might be right.”
“I am right. Up until Dad died, we were coming home every few weeks. With you and Cara moving into a house and Vi and me having a baby, that’s changed.”
“Yeah.” Josh looked guilty. “I probably shouldn’t have told her I’m thinking of proposing to Cara.”
“Congratulations, man. But, yeah, you should have waited.” Cole let his head drop into his hand. “This is not going to be easy. Vi’s parents are staying on so they can meet Mom.”
“It gets worse.”
Cole lifted his head, dreading what was next.
“Cara mentioned Mom’s visit to Raquel, and now she wants to throw a big party.”
“Is she crazy?”
“Evidently so.”
For any other family, this would be a fun event. For any other family, the hostess wouldn’t have cheated with the guest of honor’s husband and had a son with him while he was still married.
* * *
“NERVOUS?” VIOLET CAME up behind Cole, placed her hands on his shoulders and squeezed.
“Naw.”
She could feel the tension flowing through him and knotting his muscles. “Liar.”
“I’m not nervous.” He cranked his head sideways to look at her, a glint in his dreamy blue eyes. “I’m scared.”
“She’s your mother, for crying out loud.”
“We’re going to have this same conversation tomorrow, after you’ve met her and seen her in action. You’ll change your opinion.”
Violet gave his shoulders a last squeeze and sat down. They were at her kitchen table having coffee, bagels and fruit, Violet’s attempt at a halfway nutritious and filling breakfast.
More like brunch, she thought, glancing at the clock on the microwave. They’d slept in. Not surprising, considering how late they’d stayed up the night before.
“You love her. You have to love her.” Violet smeared cream cheese on a bagel half. She was often at odds with her own parents, but deep down, she loved them dearly.
“I do. Mom may not have made the right decisions when it came to handling her life, or Josh’s and mine, and she can hold a grudge like nobody’s business. But she did her best to give us a good home and raise us right.”
“From what I’ve seen, she succeeded.”
“The wounds my dad inflicted were just too much for her. She couldn’t, or wouldn’t, recover. It’s the reason she never met someone new. She doesn’t trust men.”
“She is coming here. That says something.”
“Or she has a personal agenda.”
Violet knew from talking to Cole over the past two days that he questioned his mother’s motives.
“Dos Estrellas has changed you and Josh.” Violet downed her prenatal vitamins with a glass of milk. “It might change her, too.”
“This place isn’t magic.”
“I disagree.” She pressed a hand to her tummy, reveling in the tiny bulge.
“Pardon me if I don’t hold my breath.”
“Oh, Cole. It’s going to be fine.”
“My mom, Raquel and Gabe in the same room can’t possibly be fine.”
“Don’t forget my parents.”
He groaned. “This party is going to be a disaster.”
“Or, the best thing to ever happen to our families. It might clear the air.�
��
“Yeah, kind of like an explosion does.”
She laughed, and it dispelled the small case of nerves she hadn’t admitted to having. Whatever the day brought, she felt good about her and Cole.
Okay, relatively good. Violet feared she was living a fantasy, one that would come to an end eventually. But she lived it with her eyes wide open.
“Did I keep you up last night?” he asked. “I was pretty restless.”
“No.” It was her turn to lie. His constant tossing and turning had disturbed her, though she’d tried hard not to let him know. He already had enough on his plate, and she refused to add to it.
Cole had spent the past two nights with her. He didn’t assume and would wait until she suggested he stay. She liked that. It showed he respected her. Neither did he initiate sex, leaving that to her, as well. Aware they were getting more deeply involved, with no real plan for their future, she still reached for him the moment they were in bed together.
The sex—no, the lovemaking—was wonderful. Satisfying and exciting. The intimacy was ten times better. If not for Cole’s wanderlust, they’d be perfectly suited to one other.
“Have you decided to take on Blake Nolan as a client?” Given the history, Violet had been quite surprised when Cole mentioned the arrangement.
“Yes. For now. Reese insisted she didn’t mind. And it’s only for thirty days.”
One client, one month, a modest fee. Hardly enough to make Cole want to give up rodeoing for horse training.
“When are the Nolans bringing their pony to Dos Estrellas?”
“Tuesday.”
“And you’re certain you can train him?”
He gave her a pointed look. “I can train a pony.”
“Will you ride him?”
“If I have to. Welshes are bigger than Shetlands.”
His confidence was appealing and it was warranted. Cole was good at what he did, though a child’s mount was hardly a true test of his abilities. The therapy program horses, like Mama, were something else entirely.
Violet hadn’t asked if he’d spoken to Cara about referrals from her long list of people who’d adopted mustangs. Vi didn’t want to appear pushy.
“What time are we supposed to be at Josh and Cara’s?” She rubbed her foot along Cole’s calf beneath the table. He’d dressed in his jeans. No shirt. She wore only a robe.
“One. That’ll give us an hour before the party starts to introduce you and Cara to Mom, for her to shower Josh’s kids with presents, and for Josh and me to assess the situation. Come up with an alternate plan if necessary.”
“Alternate plan?”
“If Mom appears to be gunning for a fight.”
“With Raquel?”
“With any of us.”
Violet stood and carted dirty dishes to the sink. “I still think you’re wrong.”
“All I can say is you don’t know my mother.”
What if he was right? No one wanted a scene between Miranda Dempsey and Raquel. Especially not in front of all the guests. In addition to the McGraws, Cara’s parents, from Mesa, would be coming, as well.
Violet was sure that Raquel would behave herself. The past was the past and, with August gone, there was no reason to continue feuding. At the very least, she’d be civil. She wouldn’t be hosting a dinner party otherwise.
Miranda, however, was an unknown entity. Violet couldn’t help but think she’d be reasonable. Possibly, her sons had exaggerated. Did someone really hold a grudge for twenty-five years?
“I can’t wait to meet your family,” Violet said over the running water. She was rinsing while Cole loaded the dishwater. “Your mother. Grandparents. Your cousin Quinn if he comes.”
Cole leaned in and kissed her cheek. “They’re going to love you.”
Do you? she wanted to ask, but refrained. That wasn’t a fair question, not until she was convinced of her own feelings for him.
Then again, perhaps she was sure and simply afraid he didn’t love her in return. After one failed relationship, she was hesitant to venture out on that limb alone.
After they’d cleaned the kitchen, Cole threw on his shirt and helped Vi make the bed and tidy the room. He hadn’t brought a change of clothes with him. She contemplated emptying a drawer for him and suggesting he bring clothes and toiletries with him.
Next week, she decided. Once their parents left.
Cole left the bedroom while Violet dressed, and when she emerged a few minutes later, she found him sitting at the kitchen table reading one of her silly gossip magazines.
She paused to study him as she’d done before. He looked so cute and quite at home. Closing her eyes, she tried to imagine him holding their baby. The picture came more easily than she might have anticipated.
Diamond Girl disrupted the peaceful scene when she sauntered in from the living room, meowing loudly. Stripes followed cautiously, as usual.
“What’s up?” Cole asked the cat, setting down the magazine.
Diamond Girl brushed up against his leg. While Violet watched from her hidden post around the corner, he got up, located the kitty chow in the pantry and filled the empty bowl on the floor next to the fridge. Diamond Girl ate as if she was starving. Which she wasn’t.
“Good cat.” He scratched her head. Stripes refused to come out from under the table.
Violet fell a little harder for Cole. When she could speak without an emotional quiver in her voice, she entered the kitchen, not letting on that she’d seen him.
“You don’t have to stick around,” she said. “I’m sure you have things to do.”
“Uh, yeah.” He stood there, his gaze reflecting his appreciation.
She’d traded in her robe for a full-length sundress that was too nice for lounging around the house and too casual for wearing outside. Truthfully, she’d wanted to impress Cole without going overboard. She also liked the dress because it flattered her figure even with her thickening middle.
“You look nice,” he said.
“Thanks.” He’d seen her naked many times now, yet her cheeks heated at his praise.
Violet didn’t often feel pretty, not in her line of work. Denny used to compliment her on her outfits when they went out, picking her up and swinging her around in circles. He’d never had the chance to see her waist thicken and her breasts swell.
After the second miscarriage, he’d stopped picking her up and swinging her around. After the third, he’d stopped touching her altogether.
In his defense, he’d stayed by her side without any talk of leaving. When the marriage disintegrated, she was the one who’d faced reality for the both of them and moved out.
Cole smiled, his gaze still glued to her. “I suppose I should hit the road.”
He didn’t appear eager to leave. She wasn’t eager for him to go, either.
“If you want to stay, we could ride together.”
“I need to shower and change.”
“Sure. Of course.” How could she have forgotten?
“Come early. We’ll walk up to the apartment together.”
“Don’t you want to visit with your mom first? It’s been a while since you’ve seen her.”
“No.”
“Cole!”
“I’d rather wait for you.”
I’d rather stay in Mustang Valley, be with you forever.
She heard his voice in her head. Or was it in her heart? Definitely not out loud, here in this kitchen.
“I don’t want to interfere,” she protested.
He moved closer, pinning her with his intense stare as only he could. “Interfere. Please. I’m begging.”
She thought he might kiss her. Find a way to slip her out of the sundress she’d taken such care to put on. It would be easy to wrap her arms aro
und his neck and mold her body to his, but reservations prevented her. As attentive as he’d been, as obvious as he’d made his interest in her, he hadn’t said what she needed to hear.
Perhaps that was the reason she chose not to offer him an empty drawer.
She’d given in often, including that first night in the Poco Dinero Bar. Granted, it had felt right then and didn’t exactly feel wrong now. Yet she sighed and stepped out of his reach.
“Josh is probably leaving now to pick your mom up at the airport, and my folks will be here soon.”
“I could bring you home later.”
“Let’s see how it goes.”
“Okay.”
She could sense him shutting down in response to her subtle dismissal. So much for living the fantasy. The mood had definitely altered, and Violet was the one responsible.
“I’ll meet you at the ranch house about twelve forty-five,” she said, and brushed his hair from his face. She wasn’t that ready to let go.
“Sounds good.”
At the door, he kissed her goodbye, and she felt the hesitancy in his touch.
Watching through her living room window as he drove away, she wondered if she’d been wrong to abruptly apply the brakes.
Pressing a hand to her stomach, she thought no. She and Cole were walking a fine line. He knew her expectations; she’d been clear about them from the start. The decision to meet them or not was his.
She hoped he didn’t disappoint her.
Chapter Twelve
With seven people present and thirty-odd packing boxes pushed into corners, Josh and Cara’s small apartment was incredibly crowded. Along with the four usual occupants, Cole and his mother were there. And Vi, of course.
She was in the kitchen, helping Cara fix cold drinks for everyone and a bottle for baby Kimberly. Cole tried to keep his eyes off Vi and would succeed in averting his gaze, only to return it the next moment.
Must be the outfit. She’d mentioned choosing the sundress to hide her tummy, probably not realizing how much it flattered the view from behind.
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