CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Annie had thought that Cole’s arrival would calm the nerves fluttering in her stomach, but that hadn’t been the case. If anything, they were worse.
Not because of anything Cole had done, but because her family was acting… weird.
Julian had started drinking already and appeared to be determined to make sure he rang in the new year thoroughly sloshed. That made her nervous because sober Julian could be unpredictable. Drunk Julian? That was never good.
And then there was her dad. Usually, when he was present at a family gathering, he was present. He didn’t pull his phone out or appear distracted. But that evening, his phone hadn’t moved from his hand, and he kept looking at it.
Even Elizabeth was on edge and kept glancing at her husband with a frown.
Only Benji appeared to be his normal self. Unfortunately, his normal that day included taking jabs at Julian for drinking too much.
It seemed it was only a matter of time before Julian jabbed back. But where Benji was jabbing with a metaphorical finger, when Julian finally snapped, he’d use a verbal sword.
She had already been worried enough about this evening when she’d thought everyone would behave and be normal. Now her worries were skyrocketing, and she was sure that the whole evening was going to explode with volcanic fury.
If that happened, Cole would undoubtedly bail, and she wouldn’t blame him.
As she waited for Cole to appear, Annie’s thoughts ended up going to her Bible study lesson for that week.
They had been studying the women of the Bible, and so far, the ones they’d read about had each put their trust in God despite being in difficult circumstances.
She thought of Queen Esther and how she’d put her life on the line to do the right thing. And how Rahab had helped the spies at the risk of her own life.
She had to admit that her relationship with Cole had been the hardest thing to entrust to God, especially once they’d gotten more serious. She’d never mentioned it to anyone, but part of her feared that at the end of the day, her dad would wield more power than God.
Realistically, she knew that wasn’t true. However, when it came to her life, it felt like she moved at the whims of her father more than according to what God had planned.
But as she sat there, hands clenched in her lap, the verse in Psalm 56 that they’d been given to memorize during their first lesson about Esther came to mind.
Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God, I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?
She kept reciting the verse, changing the last part to What can my father do to me?
“Cole!” Benji exclaimed as he jumped to his feet and hurried over to where Cole had entered the library, having been shown there by one of the household staff.
Cole grinned as he gave the teen a quick hug. “How’s it going, buddy?”
“Great!” Benji said. “I watched your game earlier, and you were on fire .”
“It was a good game,” Cole agreed.
“Must be nice to get paid so well for tossing balls around,” Julian drawled from where he was sprawled in his chair, another drink cupped in his hands.
Annie felt sick to her stomach as the unraveling she’d feared began. Getting to her feet, she hurried to where Cole stood.
As she neared him, Cole held out his arm, sliding it around her and drawing her close. He bent his head and whispered, “Relax, love. I’m here for you. Nothing your family does will scare me off.”
Tears pricked Annie’s eyes as she wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his chest. Some of the anxiety and worry she was experiencing melted away.
“Julian, if you can’t be polite to our guest, you can take your dinner in your room,” her dad said.
“Want to hide me like you hide Annie?” Julian challenged. “It hasn’t worked before. Why would it work now?”
“Why don’t we go sit down?” Elizabeth suggested, obviously trying to stop things from escalating.
Annie and Cole followed her dad and Elizabeth into the dining room. Benji fell into step beside Cole, while Julian ambled along behind them.
As they moved into the dining room, Cole’s hand found the small of her back, a steady presence that anchored her amid the strange undercurrents swirling through her family.
“Everything okay?” he murmured, pulling out her chair.
“I’m not sure,” she whispered back. “Something’s off.”
The formal dining room gleamed with candlelight, the table set with fine china and crystal that reflected the flames in dancing patterns. The aromas coming from the kitchen let Annie know that once again their cook had outdone herself. Normally, her stomach would have growled in anticipation. But that night, her appetite had vanished.
Elizabeth directed each of them where to sit, with her and Annie’s dad at each end of the oval table. Annie sat to her dad’s left, with Cole beside her. Julian was opposite her, next to Benji.
Once they were all seated, the servers brought in their first course.
Annie relaxed a little more when Julian seemed willing to hold his tongue, even though he had one of the servers bring him another drink. The momentary lull in confrontation would undoubtedly not last long.
She, Cole, and Benji kept up most of the conversation, with Elizabeth participating just enough so that no one could claim she wasn’t a good hostess. But even though she was interacting with them, her stepmom’s attention kept flitting to her husband, frowning each time he pulled out his phone.
Her dad seemed on edge, his usual commanding presence fractured by whatever was occupying his thoughts.
“Is everything alright?” Annie finally asked during a lull in the conversation, unable to bear the strange tension any longer.
“Of course,” her father replied too quickly. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
“It’s New Year’s Eve, darling,” Elizabeth said with a smile that seemed forced. “Everyone’s just… reflective.”
Annie wasn’t convinced. She glanced at Cole, who seemed unusually quiet as well. His eyes met hers briefly before darting away, focusing intently on cutting the perfectly cooked prime rib on his plate.
“Right,” Julian slurred slightly, raising his wineglass. “Reflective. That’s exactly what I’m doing. Reflecting on another year of family secrets.”
“Julian,” their father warned, his voice sharp.
“What?” Julian challenged, leaning forward. “Are we pretending everything’s normal for Cole’s benefit? Because I think he deserves to know what he’s getting into with this family.”
Annie felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment. “Julian, please—”
“It’s fine,” Cole interrupted smoothly. “Every family has its complications.”
Julian laughed, the sound hollow. “Complications. That’s one way to put it.”
“Perhaps we should change the subject,” Elizabeth suggested diplomatically. “Cole, you grew up in Serenity, right? What was that like?”
Cole accepted the lifeline, launching into stories about growing up in a large, blended family. Annie watched as he skillfully navigated the conversation, drawing Benji out about school, asking Elizabeth about her charity work, even managing to elicit a grudging comment from Julian about his latest business venture.
Her father remained largely silent, though Annie caught him studying Cole with an intensity that made her nervous. When his phone buzzed again, he excused himself from the table.
“Sorry,” he murmured. “I need to take this.”
As he left the room, Annie exchanged a glance with Elizabeth, whose pronounced frown confirmed her own suspicions. Something was definitely going on.
“So, Cole,” Julian said, holding his glass out for the server to refill yet again, “has my father threatened your career yet? That’s his go-to move, you know.”
“Julian!” Annie hissed.
Cole set down his fork carefully. “Your father and I have had our disagreements, but we’re working toward understanding each other.”
Julian snorted. “That’s diplomatic. Tell me, do you actually believe he’s going to let you and Annie have a normal relationship? That he won’t try to control every aspect of it, like he does everything else?”
Elizabeth cleared her throat. “Perhaps we should save these discussions for another time.”
“Why?” Julian challenged, swirling his wine. “Because it’s uncomfortable? Because it exposes the truth about how this family operates?” He leaned toward Cole. “You seem like a decent guy. I just think you should know what you’re signing up for.”
Julian’s words caused Annie’s stomach to clench because they were a reflection of what she’d wondered at times. Would Cole decide it was too much effort and hassle to be with her?
If that happened, she would hardly blame him. If she could easily walk away from her father’s control, she would have.
Annie’s heart skipped a beat when Cole’s hand found hers under the table. He laced his fingers in hers and gave them a gentle squeeze, as if to reassure her that he would not be driven away that easily.
Glancing over at him, Annie saw that Cole had remained composed, his expression thoughtful rather than defensive.
“I appreciate your concern,” Cole said evenly. “But Annie and I are figuring this out together.”
Julian studied him for a moment, something like grudging respect flickering in his eyes. “Good luck with that.”
The tension in the room eased slightly as the servers cleared their plates and brought in dessert—an elaborate chocolate creation that under normal circumstances would have delighted Annie. Now, she merely pushed it around on her plate, her appetite gone.
When her father returned, his face was drawn, his eyes troubled. He took his seat at the head of the table but didn’t touch his dessert.
“Dad?” Benji ventured. “Is everything okay?”
Her dad’s gaze moved around the table, lingering on Annie for a moment before settling on Cole. There was an unspoken communication between them that Annie couldn’t decipher.
“Just some business matters,” her father said finally. “Nothing that can’t wait until tomorrow.”
Elizabeth studied her husband. “Duncan, perhaps—”
“Not now,” he interrupted gently, giving her a small smile. “Let’s try to enjoy the rest of our evening.”
Annie felt Cole’s hand tense in hers. The strange undercurrent between him and her father made her uneasy. Did Cole know something she didn’t?
“Actually,” Cole said, setting down his napkin, “I was hoping we might have that talk sooner rather than later, sir.”
Her dad nodded slowly. “After dessert, then. In my office.”
Julian laughed under his breath. “The inner sanctum. You must have made quite an impression, Halverson.”
Annie glanced between her father and Cole, anxiety building in her chest. “I’d like to be part of that conversation.”
“Actually, Annalisa,” her father began. “I’d rather have this conversation with just Cole, then the three of us can meet tomorrow.”
“But, Dad—”
Her dad lifted a hand, cutting off her protests.
“It’s okay, Annie,” Cole said. “It needs to happen this way. Everything will be okay.”
Annie stared at him, wondering if he saw the fear in her gaze, or if he could hear the thundering of her heart as her anxiety spiked.
She wanted to demand that she be allowed to attend the meeting. But with both of them effectively cutting her off, the fight went out of her.
“This doesn’t have to do with the two of you,” her father said. “This is a conversation I need to have with Cole about something else.”
“Are you going to threaten him some more?” Julian asked with a dark laugh. “Apparently the first threats weren’t good enough because here he is. Still with Annie.”
“It’s okay,” Cole interjected, his voice calm. “I was expecting this.”
“Were you?” Julian drawled. “Then you’re smarter than you look.”
“Julian, that’s enough,” Elizabeth said firmly. “Perhaps you should retire for the evening.”
Julian looked like he might argue, but apparently something in Elizabeth’s expression made him think better of it. He stood, slightly unsteady on his feet. “Fine. I know when I’m not wanted. Happy New Year, everyone. May it be less secretive than the last.”
After he left, an uncomfortable silence settled over the table until Benji launched into a story about his latest science project. Annie tried to focus, but her mind kept circling back to her father’s request to speak with Cole alone.
The remainder of the dessert course passed in awkward silence, broken only by Benji’s valiant attempts to restart the conversation. When the plates were finally cleared, her father stood.
“Shall we, Cole?” he said, gesturing toward the hallway.
Cole got to his feet, then turned to Annie. He placed his hand on her chin, tipping her face up to his. The smile he gave her reached his eyes as he said, “I love you. Everything is going to be fine.”
After giving her a light kiss, he left the room with her father, leaving a heavy silence in his wake. Annie stared at the empty doorway, feeling even more unsettled.
“What’s going on?” Annie asked, turning to Elizabeth. “Dad’s been acting strange all evening, and now this private meeting with Cole…”
Elizabeth’s carefully composed expression wavered. “I’m not entirely sure, dear. Your father received some… information today that he needed to verify.”
“Information about what?” Annie pressed, her anxiety mounting. “About Cole?”
“No, not about Cole.” The smile she gave Annie was probably meant to reassure her, but it fell well short of that. “Just trust your father on this. He’ll explain everything when the time is right.”
“That’s what he always says,” Annie muttered, placing her crumpled cloth napkin on the table. “And meanwhile, I’m left in the dark about things that directly affect my life.”
Benji cleared his throat. “Maybe we should go to the media room. We could watch the New Year’s Eve celebrations in Times Square until Dad and Cole are done talking.”
Annie wasn’t in the mood for celebration, but sitting there stewing wouldn’t help either. “Fine,” she sighed, pushing back from the table.
As they moved toward the media room, Annie couldn’t shake the feeling that something monumental was happening behind the closed door of her father’s office. The urge to press her ear against it was almost overwhelming, but she resisted. Whatever was going on, Cole had seemed prepared for it, which meant he knew something she didn’t.
That realization stung more than she expected. She didn’t like that he was keeping something from her. But since she’d kept quite a bit from him, it was giving her a taste of how he might have felt.
In the media room, Benji turned on the enormous television, where crowds of revelers filled Times Square. The festive atmosphere felt jarring against Annie’s churning emotions.
“He really does love you,” Elizabeth said quietly, settling beside Annie on the plush sofa. “Cole, I mean. It’s written all over his face when he looks at you.”
“I know,” Annie replied, drawing her knees up to her chest and tucking the hem of the full skirt of the dress she’d chosen to wear that evening under her toes. “But if Dad tries to drive him away again…”
“I don’t think that’s what’s happening,” Elizabeth assured her. “This feels… different.”
Annie studied her stepmother’s face, searching for clues. “You know something.”
Elizabeth hesitated. “I know your father received a call that upset him. That’s all I can say with certainty.”
“A threat?” Annie’s stomach dropped. “About me? About us?”
“No, I don’t think it’s anything like that.” Elizabeth’s eyes flickered toward the doorway. “Just be patient, Annie. Some things take time to process.”
On the screen, the hosts were interviewing celebrities, their laughter and excitement a stark contrast to the tension thrumming through Annie’s body. It was probably a rerun from earlier because New York City was three hours ahead of them.
She checked her watch—barely ten o’clock. Still two hours until it was midnight there in Serenity, and who knew how long the mysterious meeting would last.
“I think I need some air,” she announced, standing abruptly.
“It’s freezing outside,” Benji pointed out.
“I’ll bundle up,” Annie replied, already moving toward the door. “I just need to clear my head.”
Going through the kitchen, she called for Nyla where she lay next to the breakfast nook. The dog had been banished to her dog bed there while they ate.
Nyla quickly came to her side, and the two of them made their way to the mudroom, where Annie pulled on her boots and long wool coat. She wrapped her scarf around her neck, then picked up her knit cap and mitts from the bench that ran along one wall.
Crisp, cold air took her breath away as Annie stepped onto the back porch. She pulled her scarf up over her mouth and nose and tugged on the mitts and knit cap.
When she stepped off the back porch, Nyla followed, sticking close to her side. Annie shoved her hands into the deep pockets of her coat as she headed away from the main house.
She didn’t know where she was going, but she just had to get away from what felt like a train wreck. She should have known better than to have had such high hopes for the evening.
Had it just been Julian’s antics, she could have taken it in stride. But her dad’s actions had really unsettled her.
It had definitely not been the New Year’s Eve that she’d hoped it would be. Her and Cole’s first as a couple.
Stars glittered overhead as Annie followed the road that wound through the snow-covered grounds. The security lights cast long shadows across the pristine white surface, and her boots crunched rhythmically with each step.
The cold numbed Annie’s cheeks, but she welcomed the sensation. It gave her something tangible to focus on beyond the anxiety churning inside her.
What could be so important that her father needed to speak with Cole alone? And why did Cole seem to know what it was about when she didn’t?
She’d thought they were past the secrets between them. That’s what had hurt most about their brief separation—the realization that she’d been hiding parts of herself, and the fear that doing so had damaged something precious.
“What do you think, Nyla?” she murmured. The dog tilted her head, ears perked attentively. “Am I overreacting?”
The dog nudged her hand in response, and Annie smiled despite her anxiety. At least Nyla’s loyalty was uncomplicated.
Almost without conscious decision, Annie’s feet had carried her toward her own cabin. The lights she’d left on glowed warmly through the windows, beckoning her home. She paused at the edge of the clearing, gazing at the cozy structure. Her sanctuary. The one place where she felt truly herself.
“Maybe I should just wait there,” she murmured to Nyla. “Let them come to me when they’re ready to share the secret they’re keeping.”
But even as the thought formed, Annie knew she couldn’t hide away. Whatever was happening, she needed to face it head-on. Running had never been her style, even when her father’s overprotectiveness made her want to scream.
With a sigh, she turned back in the direction of the main house, but she didn’t rush. Annie kept her gaze on the ground as she and Nyla moved slowly along the winding path.
As she retraced her steps, Annie found herself praying, the words forming silently in her mind. Lord, whatever’s happening in there, please let it be something we can work through. Don’t let it separate us again.
“Annie!”
Jerking her head up, she came to a stop when she saw Cole standing several yards in front of her. He was bundled up and stood with his hands in his pockets, watching her.
When he held his arms out, all the angst she’d been stirring up during her walk vanished, and she hurried forward and flung herself into his arms.
Without hesitation, they closed around her, holding her tight. They stood there for a minute, then Cole stepped back, taking hold of her hands.
“I was worried about you.”
“I’m okay. I just needed some air,” she replied. As she looked at him, she could see that Cole’s expression was strange—a mixture of shock, concern, and something else she couldn’t quite identify. “What’s wrong? What did Dad say to you?”
Cole tightened his hold on her mittened hands. “We need to talk. Your father is waiting for us in his office.”
“Cole, you’re scaring me.” Annie searched his face. “Just tell me what’s going on.”
He took a deep breath, his eyes never leaving hers. “Annie, we think the investigators have found Angelica.”