by Megan Bryce
But Christ, the man was just asking for Cole’s fist in his belly.
Cole shook his head and twisted his chair around to look out the window. He propped his boots up on the sill, laced his hands behind his head, and told himself in no uncertain terms that he wouldn’t lay a finger on Harwood.
Sure, the man deserved it.
Sure, it had been a long time since Cole had had the pleasure of being in a fight.
Cole would just have to console himself with the thought that with Harwood it wouldn’t be a real fight. One tap and the man would go down, of that Cole had no doubt.
He swiveled back around, wishing Maggie really would drive out to help with his paperwork. Wearing her short skirt that liked to ride up, wearing those man-eater shoes that made him want to go down.
He sighed, knowing he wouldn’t see her again until the weekend. Knowing it was going to be a long, long week.
On Friday, Tanner stripped his tie off, grabbed the first bottle he came to, and went out to the pool. He’d spent the week meeting with bankers, listening to complaints and fears about Maggie and Cole.
If Tanner had known how often he would have to hear about Cole Montgomery, he might have rethought getting into the fray.
And so far, it had turned out to be worth squat.
Everyone was happy to tell him how to talk them up to Cole and Maggie, to offer investment opportunities they’d heard of to them. But not to Tanner.
Even Jackson Harwood got a sour face when he showed up.
Not Tanner’s fault that Harwood was an asshole. Not his fault that Jackson ended up giving Maggie a one-year moratorium.
Tanner kicked off his shoes, dragged a chair into the shade, and tipped the bottle up. He grimaced when he tasted it.
What he wouldn’t give for a Blanton’s. A Booker’s. Anything but this swill.
But swill was all he could afford. And he really couldn’t even afford that.
What was a man without money, without connections, without a job?
A man who couldn’t give his wife any children?
He closed his eyes against the ache in his chest. He was a failure. A failure in the most basic sense of the word.
He’d failed himself. He’d failed the person he loved most in the world.
She should leave him, find someone else. Anyone else.
But she wouldn’t.
Ginny would never leave him. Never.
He should leave her, give her a chance to find happiness with someone else.
He just…couldn’t.
Couldn’t give up the only thing he had left in his life. Couldn’t give up the only reason he opened his eyes in the morning.
Tanner wasn’t even sure she’d let him leave. She was sweet and loving but she had a stubborn streak a mile wide.
Those Caldwell girls. Always got what they wanted.
God help her, she wanted him.
He didn’t know why. All he knew was he needed to make something work. Needed to give her just one thing that made her loving him worth it. To pay back what she’d given him. Her love. Her trust. Her faith in him.
Tanner sighed and picked up the bottle one more time.
Because he knew what he needed to do
And he didn’t think he could do it.
An hour outside of Dallas, Cole called up Maggie and offered dinner.
“Dinner? When will you be in?”
“Give me an hour and a half. I left early but I’m hitting traffic.”
He glanced at the stack of manila folders he’d dropped in a box before he left. “I brought some work home with me; you can help.”
Maggie said, “That’s cruel but fair.”
He smiled. “Just trying to keep things even.”
He took the time to shower before heading to Maggie’s but the housekeeper was still the one to open the door. To stare at him while fingering her cross. Still the one to tell him to wait by the pool.
Cole couldn’t help but smile at the woman, and then he nodded and walked around to the back. Too excited to get Maggie in his hands again to really care about the slight.
They’d spent the week calling each other. Maggie keeping him updated on the new terms she was signing; Cole just calling to hear her voice, the stupidest reason making him reach for the phone.
When Cole rounded the back of the house, he found Tanner slumped in a chair. Cole stopped, briefly wondering if the housekeeper had done this on purpose, then grabbed the nearest chair and dragged it over.
Tanner opened one eye to peer at Cole. He moaned, pushing himself up a little, and said, “I’m not ready yet.”
Cole sat. “Okay.”
“Monday. I’ll do it Monday.”
Cole laced his fingers, rested them on his belly, and stretched out his legs. He said, “Tanner, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Tanner grabbed the bottle resting at his feet, tipping it to his lips, shaking it when nothing came out. He dropped the bottle back to the ground, sliding back down in his seat. He said, “Just give me one more weekend.”
Cole watched and wondered if his father had ever seen the results of his destruction. Because it wasn’t pretty.
There was no telling if Tanner would have ended like this anyway. No telling if this was Cole’s doing, if this mess of a man should be laid at Cole’s feet.
Cole liked to think a man had a choice, that a man could be more than just what happened to him. But he wasn’t so sure.
When push came to shove, Cole had been what he’d been raised to be.
When push came to shove, maybe Tanner here was just being what he was raised to be.
Cole looked away finally, leaving Tanner his one last weekend. They sat in silence until Maggie walked out the back door. She glanced between the two of them, at the bottle on the ground.
Cole rose, taking a long look at her short summery dress. He looked down at her white sandals. “New shoes?”
“New to you.”
“I like the other ones.”
She smiled then. “I know.”
Cole smiled back and grabbed her hand. He glanced at Tanner, nodding. Tanner lifted a finger in return, watching them with suddenly clear eyes.
When they turned the corner of the house, Maggie said, “What was that?”
“I don’t know. What’s up with him?”
Maggie stilled, her hand going limp in his. “What do you mean?”
“I mean he’s got an empty bottle at his feet, looks like he’ll be heading for another as soon as he can, and telling me he needs one more weekend.”
Maggie glanced behind her even though Tanner was out of sight.
“I don’t know what the weekend’s about.”
“And the bottle?”
She turned forward. “It’s Friday. My guess it’s been a bad week.”
“He ever have a good week?”
Maggie raised an eyebrow at him. “You mean since you bankrupted his family?”
“Don’t try and make me feel sorry for him, Maggie.”
“Of course not, Cole. How could I?”
He stopped, dropping her hand. “I’ve already said I’m sorry for what I did.”
She cocked her head. “You said it to me.”
“Yeah.”
“Not to Tanner.”
Yeah, he’d liked Maggie before he hurt her.
Tanner wasn’t the same at all. The thought of apologizing to Tanner left a bad taste in Cole’s mouth and he turned to stare toward the back of the house.
He said, “If I went back there and said the words, would it change anything about what happened?”
Maggie was silent. Cole turned around to find her looking unfocused at the back of the house herself. She said, “Maybe not. I was sorry before I fired him, after. It didn’t change anything.”
Cole took a step toward her, lifting her hand. “As much as I’d like to, I don’t think you can compare what you did with what I did. You were trying to save your company.”
�
��And you were trying to do…”
He admitted, “I wasn’t trying to do anything, I was just reacting. You can’t tell me that’s not worse.”
“Are you trying to one-up me again?”
“Trying? Baby, you’ll never be as bad as me.”
Maggie said, “Call me baby again. Please.”
“Now you’re begging?”
When she smiled that little smile that made the hairs stand up on the back of his neck, he murmured, “Maybe later. When I’m in a position to like getting kicked in the balls.”
Maggie started walking toward her car and Cole tugged her toward his truck. She let him and said, “Is there such a position?”
“I’m willing to find out.”
Cole yanked open the truck door and Maggie said, “What did you say to him?”
Cole hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “Back there?”
When she nodded, he said, “We just sat.”
“Without talking?”
Cole shrugged, helping her inside. “We’re men. We can do that.”
When Maggie was settled, he leaned in. Her lips curved in invitation and he leaned closer.
He whispered, “I’m not going to kiss you.”
She tilted her head and whispered back. “You’re not? Because you’re sending that signal.”
“Oh, I want to. I’m just not going to do it.”
“Because?”
“Because it’s been a long week, I’m hungry, and if I start kissing you right now we’re never going to get dinner.”
She leaned into him. “You’d like to think so.”
“But I want you to know that after dinner will be a different story.”
“So you’re just warning me?”
Cole nuzzled her ear, inhaling deeply. “Preparing you.”
He felt her shoulders shake with silent laughter, felt her fingernail jab into his chest to push him away. Maggie was smiling when he pulled back from her.
She said, “Don’t worry. I’ll be prepared.”
He shut the door, careful that the skirt of her dress was inside, and walked around the back of the truck to adjust himself before climbing in.
He started the engine and said, “I hope you’re hungry.”
“Are you going to stuff me with food again?”
“Yep. Slow-cooked brisket, ribs, chicken if you must, and pecan cobbler.”
She groaned. “It’s a good thing you aren’t here during the week. I’d have to buy all new clothes.”
He looked down at the loose, flowing dress and said, “It’d take a while to fill that one out.”
“I’m really getting the impression you know nothing about women’s clothing. This is how it’s supposed to fit.”
“All loose like that?”
She laughed. “Yes.”
“Like a good stiff breeze is going to flip the skirt up?”
“Oh, yes.”
He shook his head. “I had no idea clothing could be so diabolical.”
“You’ve been working with your roughnecks for too long.”
He could not argue with that. There was a certain something lacking in a room full of men. Maybe it was mystery. With women there was always this feeling that there was more going on in a conversation than what was just being said.
Or maybe it was just this woman.
He showed her the contents of his work box before throwing it into the backseat.
She shook her head at him and he leaned in close, putting his hand on her thigh. He said quietly into her ear, “Was that predictable?”
She ran her hand down his forearm, stopping his hand from wandering any higher, and said in a throaty whisper, “So predictable.”
He grinned and pulled back. “Guess I’ll just have to try a little harder.”
And chuckled when she said, “I would really prefer it if you didn’t.”
Megan BryceSome Like It Ruthless
Seven
Maggie drove to Cole’s in the morning. At a decent hour.
Cole had driven her home late last night, stuffed full of brisket and ribs. And cobbler.
God, the cobbler.
The man was evil, pure evil.
And then he’d surprised her by not even trying to get her to his place, not even trying to come inside. He’d helped her down from the truck, had pulled her close and kissed her like they were eighteen again. Wild and crazy and Maggie had had to make sure her clothes were still on when they were done.
And then he’d said, “Night, Empress.”
Hopped in his truck and flicked his fingers at her to go inside.
Evil. Pure evil.
The man just did not like being called predictable.
Cole was waiting for her at the top of his stairs when she rounded the garage. He said, “I was wondering where you were. Been expecting you since four.”
“No, thanks. I can see that is a losing game.”
He watched her walk up the stairs, then wordlessly handed her a cup of coffee nearly white with cream.
He smiled at her and started to lean in and she brought the coffee cup up between them, taking a long, slow sip.
He said, “Mmm. Cranky this morning? Have a rough night last night?”
She showed him her teeth. “Slept like a baby. You?”
“I was a little…hungry.”
“I guess you didn’t get enough cobbler last night.”
Cole said, “No, I didn’t.”
“I got plenty. More than I wanted, actually.”
“Liar. No one ever gets enough cobbler.”
Maybe. She got more than she should want, anyway.
Cole followed her inside and Maggie saw a new recliner sitting next to his large blue one. “What’s this?”
“I got a second chair.” He went and pulled out a game, holding it up. “It’s a two player. We can see who’s better.”
“I’m not going to win, am I?”
“No way in hell.”
Maggie said, “There’s got to be a game you haven’t played before.”
“You need a little more practice and then we’ll find one.” He dug out another game. “This is a co-op game, how ‘bout that?”
“We play on the same team?”
He nodded and she said, “Do you think the game is shaking in its boots?”
“If it knows what’s good for it, it is.”
He put the game in and Maggie looked at the box sitting on his counter. “What about your paperwork?”
He said, “It’s too early for paperwork,” and she laughed at him.
“How do you run an empire?”
“I don’t. It runs me. I have to steal moments when I can.”
She kicked off her flip-flops and climbed into the chair, sitting cross-legged in the wide seat.
Cole looked down at her legs and muttered, “Jeans.”
She smiled at him and he flopped into his chair. “How long are you going to punish me for last night?”
She looked down at her jeans. “Is this a punishment?”
“There’s no skin anywhere. Jeans and a t-shirt? Yeah, that’s a punishment.”
“You complained about my skirt riding up, complained about my skirt flying up.”
“I wouldn’t complain if we were alone when those things happened. Now we’re alone and there’s no skin.”
“And you’re complaining.”
He pointed at her legs. “You do this on purpose.”
“Yes, Cole. I plan my wardrobe around you.”
“You plan your wardrobe around turning every man into a blathering idiot.”
“It’s worked for you, apparently.”
He muttered, “Apparently.” Then he eyed her, sitting in her chair. “Want me to climb over there, show you how to play this game?”
“I think I’ve got it.”
“This is just turning into one great morning. Can’t wait to start that paperwork.”
They played for a few hours, Cole had lunch delivered, and then Maggie star
ted taking papers out of the box. Interested to see what he was bringing home.
First thing she pulled out was an invitation to the club gala.
“You’re a member of the club?”
Cole shrugged, rinsing their plates. “Every once in a while some yahoo tries to make me feel uncomfortable by meeting at the club.”
“And you make them lick your boots?”
He shot a grin over his shoulder. “I wear my dirtiest boots, smear a little more mud on the truck, and run up their tab.”
She laughed. “Are you going tomorrow?”
“No need.”
“I have need.”
He turned around, wiping his hands on the dishtowel hanging over his shoulder. “You want to go?”
She nodded and he said, “Boy, this weekend. I was so excited to come home, maybe get to see you naked, relax after a long week.”
“I would probably wear something fairly skimpy to this.” She waved the invitation in the air.
He turned back around. “Great.”
“I could go with Tanner. He’d like that; I think he misses the club the most.”
“It’s my invitation. Maybe I should go with Tanner.”
Maggie tried to picture it, the two men sitting together not talking the whole time.
She said, “I’ll call him for you,” and Cole shook his head. Maggie could see the smile hovering on his lips.
She walked into the kitchen, leaning against the fridge. She watched him drying dishes, putting them into cupboards. She could see he’d gotten more than just a chair. New dishes in the cupboard, food in the pantry. Cream in the fridge.
Cole said, “I’ll go with you on one condition.”
Maggie took a deep breath, then waved her hand. “Let’s hear it.”
“Wear something below the knee.”
“You’re leaving me a lot of room there.”
He nodded. “I know. Just…below the knee.”
“You’ve really got a thing about knees.”
Cole said, “I’ve really got a thing about above the knees. It’s called being a man.”
Maggie guessed her smile said everything she needed to about that.
Maggie walked back to the box, setting the invitation down beside it. “I’m sure I’ll be able to find something.”
“By tomorrow?”