But when she got there, joining a few of the other families, there was no sign of Cole.
And when Josh appeared, showered and toting his gear, she turned to Trevor. “Okay.” They piled Josh’s gear into his Mercedes SUV.
“So, that law degree worked out for you?” she said as he closed the hatch.
He shrugged. “Company car.” Right. One more reason the small-town girl never measured up for him. Because a high-powered attorney needed a high-powered wife. Not a small-town nobody.
Josh climbed into the back seat, a little too quiet. He picked up the remote to the overhead video screen.
Megan pursed her lips as she slid into the front. “We’re staying at the Bear Creek Resort.”
“Fun place.” He glanced in the rearview mirror. “It was great to see you play, Josh.”
“Thanks.” He was scrolling through the shows available. But he looked at her when she turned back, and she could see him blinking back his confusion. Underneath his polite reply, he was wondering the same thing she was. Why had Trevor shown up and not Cole?
They pulled into the hotel lot and Megan gathered her bag. “Thanks for the lift.”
Josh unbuckled, looked at Trevor. “Are you staying?”
“I don’t think he can stay,” Megan answered.
“We have a team party,” Josh said.
Oh, no. The party. And she’d signed them up to bring the pizzas. With Cole. She unbuckled her seat belt. “Yeah. We need to hustle.”
“I should get going. Maybe I can come watch you again some time. Or visit.”
Josh looked away and it squeezed her heart. How did she cause the entire day to go so wrong?
Megan slipped out of the SUV and walked to the back hatch. “Glad you made it.”
She glanced back at Trevor. Saw his Adam’s apple bob and when he blinked back moisture in his eyes, it nearly gutted her. She had to say something.
“Actually, do you—do you want to come to the team party? I could use some help grabbing the pizzas.”
“Sure. I’d be happy to. If that’s okay with Josh.”
Josh nodded, climbed back into the vehicle.
It wasn’t until Trevor steered the Mercedes out of the parking lot and onto the main drive that she finally glimpsed Cole’s Jeep sitting in the hotel parking lot. She tugged out her phone to check for a message. Nothing. And she couldn’t stop the fear that had begun unraveling her entire day.
Chapter 14
It had probably been too much to hope that the game had been delayed and that he’d have made it to Megan in time. Cole had glanced at his GPS. Three miles to go to get to the Xcel arena. When he’d heard the interviewer’s plane would be late, he’d thought of bailing then—only to learn from the receptionist that the traffic on 35E and surrounding routes were backed up due to several accidents.
There was no way he’d have made it to the game on time.
The Federal Building on Third Avenue had been nearly empty. Not surprising for a Saturday. It reminded him of the older buildings at Fort Benning. Slightly stale, with the ostentatious design of decades past.
And then, Richard Watkins had arrived straight from the airport. A lean man with dark hair and the bearing of a soldier. His gray-green eyes had taken in everything, and Cole immediately felt a kinship with the man. They’d sat down in an empty conference room.
“I know you’re in a bit of a rush due to my flight delay,” he’d said. “So, here’s what I can tell you. You’d be perfect for the job. A high level of skill and integrity. David’s talked a lot about you and you’re exactly the kind of person we’re looking to hire.” He’d flipped through the pages of Cole’s application. Asked about his time in the Army. “If you’re heading to DC to visit David, why don’t you stop in at our headquarters? I can give you a tour and we can discuss the position more.”
It made complete sense. Exactly what he’d been hoping and planning for. What he’d committed to with David. Instead, the words spilled out. “No. Thank you, but I can’t accept the position.”
The man leaned back in his chair, nodded, and pulled a business card from his suit pocket. “Here. Take this. In case you change your mind.”
Cole had shoved the card into his back pocket and shook the man’s hand. “I appreciate your time, but I have somewhere I need to be.”
He bypassed the elevator and took the stairs two at a time, blasting through the stairwell door into the lobby. “Don’t forget your phone,” the receptionist had called to him and held out his phone. “Security said you left it at the metal detector.”
He hadn’t even taken the time to listen to the messages. All he could think about was getting to the arena. To Megan and Josh.
He’d pulled into the arena parking, wedged his Jeep into a narrow spot against a pillar, and raced inside.
The electricity of the crowds buzzed through the gates when Cole entered. He glanced at his ticket and headed through the arena doors. The entire crowd was standing on their feet, the sound raucous, less than five seconds left on the board.
He spotted Josh’s number. He was skating toward the goal, two defenders racing in on him. And just like he’d taught him, Josh waited for them to lock in, commit to it, then he feigned, brought the puck through to his backhand. Tight. Perfect execution. And with one well-timed slap, it flew under the goalie’s pads. The cheering of the crowd nearly drowned out the final buzzer. Josh threw his hands into the air, his teammates rushing him.
Cole found Megan in the crowd, a dark-haired man standing next to her, shouting, with his arms stretched overhead. And he turned to Megan, threw his arms around her, and lifted her off her feet. And when he set her down, he left his arm around her a moment too long.
What in the world?
His throat went dry, his fists balled. The guy was wearing a jersey with Josh’s number, and Cole did the quick math.
Trevor. Josh’s dad. At the game. In his seat. Except maybe it wasn’t his seat—not really. Her words pierced him. I’d always hoped for redemption—hoped he’d come for us. Even prayed for it.
He couldn’t watch a moment longer. Cole crumpled the ticket and walked away.
Don’t jump to conclusions. He repeated the words to himself a half dozen times while he drove back to the hotel to wait for Megan. There had to be a plausible reason.
From his hotel window, he watched the parking lot as each family returned. And, finally, Darek, Ivy, Joy, and Tiger. But no Megan. No Josh.
He tried calling Megan. It went to voicemail.
He texted Darek, who sent a prompt reply.
She said they’d get a ride back. Is everything okay? Missed you at the game.
A ride back. He didn’t want to know. A Chevy and a Mercedes pulled into the lot, taking two of the last spaces.
Cole’s heart nearly stopped when Josh jumped out the back door of the Mercedes.
Moments later, Megan had stepped out of the passenger side and…Trevor from the driver’s side.
What—?
Then as they’d stood at the back and talked, he’d watched his hopes die. They’d all climbed back into the Mercedes. Driven away.
And now, twenty minutes later, Cole paced his room, took some deep breaths, and watched out the window. Waited another five minutes until the Mercedes returned to the lot and Megan hopped out carrying a stack of pizzas.
The party. How could he have forgotten the party?
He ran down the stairwell to the lobby and approached the information desk. “I’m looking for Megan Carter, with the Deep Haven Huskies team. We’re supposed to have a room reserved for a party.”
“Sure, let me look that up.” She punched the keys on her keyboard. “Okay, it looks like they’re in our Sunrise conference room. If you head down this hall here, it’s the second room on the right.”
“Thank you.”
Cole stepped away, turned down the hall
“Hey, I heard you asking for Megan.”
Cole turned. The guy from the arena. T
revor. Oh, yeah, Cole wanted to tear him apart. From his shiny leather shoes to the smug smile on his face.
Trevor stepped in front of him. “You must be Megan’s friend she mentioned.”
Cole gave a noncommittal shrug. He didn’t owe this guy anything.
“You don’t belong here. This is my time with my family.”
“They aren’t your family.” Cole ground his jaw.
“Yeah? I’m pretty sure Josh’s birth certificate says otherwise. He doesn’t need you and neither does Megan.”
The anger broke loose and Cole couldn’t stop himself. He reached out, shoved Trevor against the glass windows, his voice a low growl. “How dare you—”
“Cole—stop!”
Cole turned, his fists still full of Trevor’s jacket collar. Megan was standing with her eyes wide, Josh right next to her, his mouth open. “Let him go.” She stepped closer, her eyes bright with moisture. “Let him go.”
“He shouldn’t be here.” Cole released Trevor, straightened his own jacket.
Trevor squared himself off. “This? This is the guy you’re allowing around my son?”
Darek stepped out into the hallway, with Ivy tucked behind him. “Is everything okay out here?”
Trevor leveled a look at Cole, then at Megan.
Yeah, well, the joke’s on you, creep. Cole stepped back, let Megan have her space to tell the guy exactly what she thought of him.
Except, she turned to Cole. Her voice held a steel he’d never heard before. “You need to go.”
“What?”
“You need to go.”
Josh blinked, his eyes reddened.
Nice. Cole turned away. He wanted to destroy something.
And that was it. He didn’t say another word. Just walked away. Straight to his room and began shoving everything into his duffel bag. Including his ridiculous jersey. What had he been thinking?
A knock at the door jolted him moments later and he opened it, expecting Darek.
Megan stood there, alone, her eyes wet with tears.
“I—I had to, Cole.” She tried to step toward him, but he put out his hand. Backed away. The more distance the better.
“No.” Bitterness clipped his words. “No, you didn’t. Why did I have to leave?”
“Because you were making things worse!”
“Worse? Excuse me—he started it. Why is he even here?”
“I was trying to fix it—I had to let him come.”
“Maybe you should stop trying to fix things—because you just destroyed everything.”
She flinched at the words. “Cole?”
“I saw you with him. I saw you at the game with Trevor.” And sheesh, he knew he sounded unreasonable, but frankly, it was Rebecca all over again. “But I knew everything would be okay. I trusted you.”
What a fool he was.
“You gave up my spot to him. After you told me he’d never take my place.” He zipped up his duffel. “And then you left me—”
“You didn’t show up. You—you broke your promise.”
“You talk a lot about promises—which promise is this? To come back to Deep Haven?”
“No. The one to be in our lives. To be here for us.”
“I tried to be here—I couldn’t help it. But maybe it’s a good thing. I got to see who you really are now.”
“I should have known better. I’m sorry I ever relied on you.”
“I’m sorry I ever came back to Deep Haven.”
She wiped tears from her eyes. “You didn’t even show up to get the pizzas for Josh’s party. And you were here. Do you know what that did to him?”
“You’re the one that roped me into helping you with this. If I’d have known you had your own contingency plan, I would have stayed at the interview.” He took another step back and wasn’t sure he cared that the door was open, their argument streaming out into the hallway. “Is that why you encouraged me to stay for my interview? So you could explore your other options?” He shook his head.
Her mouth gaped, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself. “I saw how he looked at you. I should have known—you tried to tell me how much you hoped to make your relationship with him work.” His voice turned ragged. “Clearly, I was too dense to listen to what you were saying.”
Her voice trembled. “No, Cole. I want you. How can you say that? Why can’t we talk this through?”
“Because, Becca, I have nothing else to say to you.”
Megan’s hand covered her mouth, she hiccupped, shook her head. Her lips moved, but nothing came from them. She looked…shattered.
He might actually be ill.
He walked back to the doorway, put his hand on the door. “You need to go.”
She hadn’t walked inside and now he just closed the door.
Just closed it on her protest, on her open mouth. On her wrecked expression, her hazel eyes spilling over with tears.
Closed the future, the family, the home.
Closed it all. He pressed his hand over the door. And refused to open it even as her words filtered through the door.
“I love you, Cole.”
Whatever. He’d been there before. And he should know better.
He sat back on the bed, the noise in his head roaring like a C-130.
His phone rang. David. The man who’d seen him through the worst of his divorce. The man who’d put in a good word for him with Richard Watkins. The man who’d warned him.
“Now’s not a great time.”
“Interview went that badly?” David laughed. “My flight just landed. Wanted to check in.”
Cole said nothing. Couldn’t say anything.
“Cole?”
“Yeah. I’m here.” He swallowed, his voice ragged.
“What’s going on?”
“You were right. I can’t believe you were right.” Shoot. He blinked back the moisture that slicked his eyes. “About Megan.” He glanced at the closed door. I love you, Cole. “Hey, man, I need to go. I’ll catch you another time. I’ve got to get out of here.”
“Whoa. No way. I’m not letting you drop that and leave.” Cole could imagine David waiting at his airport gate, his blond hair grown out into unruly waves and his gray eyes taking in everything around him. No one would suspect the towering man had nearly bled out after a roadside bomb had mangled their vehicle. “Are you still in Minneapolis?”
“Yeah.”
“I just landed in Chicago on my way to DC tonight after some training in Seattle. I can be to Minneapolis in…” Cole heard a rustling noise through the phone. “It looks like there’s a flight to Minneapolis in an hour. I can be there in a little over three hours.”
“No. I…I’m okay.” Hardly, but he’d managed to figure out his life last time, and this hadn’t gone nearly as far. At least he hadn’t proposed. Hadn’t gotten married. Maybe this was a last-minute divine rescue. Although it didn’t feel like it. Still. Keep moving. Cole tugged the business card from his pocket. “How about I meet you in DC tonight? I need somewhere to clear my head.”
“Sure. I have a car at Dulles. Go to Arrival Door Five and call me when you’re ready.”
Cole grabbed his bag. The sooner he got on the road, the better. By the looks of it, Megan had her return ride covered by Mr. Mercedes.
“Got it.”
“Hey—Cole, you okay? Really?”
No. Nothing would be okay until he’d put Deep Haven in his rearview mirror once and for all.
Megan swiped back a tear and scrubbed a rust stain from the sink. How could Cole possibly accuse her—her—of being unfaithful? Wouldn’t even let her explain. Because all she could think of when she saw him in the hall with Trevor was custody battle.
Trevor knew the law. And he’d threatened to take her to court. She just couldn’t risk it. Her house was crazy clean after two days of frenzied, anger-laced scrubbing. It would be ready for whoever decided to buy the house.
She was moving out, as soon as she could find a place.
She did
n’t need Cole Barrett. Not as her landlord, not as her business assistant, and definitely not as her husband, let alone Josh’s father. She’d always known happy endings were for someone else. Her entire business model was based on it. Well, she’d put her life back together before and she’d do it again. Alone.
She turned on the water to rinse the rust and it bounced off the bottom of the sink and sprayed her face.
Whatever. Grabbing a towel, she wiped her face. Stared at her reflection in the mirror. Aw, she looked like a wreck.
Again. Not unlike when Cole had left her the last time. She didn’t even know where he was. He’d checked out and left them behind like forgotten baggage on the curb. Left her to beg a ride off Darek and Ivy.
She dropped the towel, bent, and scooped up Puck, burying her face in the cat’s soft fur.
Calm down. She’d been fine before Cole had landed back in her life. And she and Josh would be just fine now.
“Can we make pancakes?” Josh slid onto a stool at the kitchen peninsula.
She put down the cat and washed her hands. “Sure, hon, but you can’t be late for school.”
She turned on the burner and began heating the pan. “Are we making them super-sized today?”
“Yes, please.”
She pulled out the mix, haphazardly dumping the powder into a bowl before adding water.
She still had to find somewhere to move in to. If only she hadn’t turned down the Huestons. And how in the world would she pull off two weddings at once?
Josh padded over to the window in his bare feet. “Do you know where Cole is? Has he come back?”
Megan poured batter into the pan. “I don’t know. Are you all packed up for school? I put your lunch in your backpack.” She went back to scrubbing the sink.
“He still hasn’t called?”
“No.” The rust stain was almost gone. Just one tiny smudge she couldn’t seem to get rid of.
Josh hadn’t stopped asking about Cole since they’d said their brief goodbye to Trevor after the team party. Yeah, some party. After she’d politely declined Trevor’s request for a date and climbed onto the hotel bed with Josh. Had tucked him into her arms while he cried, ripping out so many pieces of her heart.
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