Chapter 19
COLE
Cole Bartow had just been given the greatest gift of his entire life. It was a phone call, coming from his nephew, handing Cole the freedom he hadn’t dared to hope for in years.
“You turned yourself in?” he had asked in disbelief.
“I did,” his nephew had answered. “It was the right thing to do.” There was a pause before the kid said, “What you did for me? Thank you.”
“You weren’t supposed to know about it,” Cole said.
“Well, it wasn’t too hard to figure out.
You disappear. The police start asking me where you are, and suddenly they aren’t interested in me anymore.
You gave up so much to give me the time I needed to figure out who I wanted to be.
I know you did it intentionally. So… I’m returning the favor the only way I really can.
I guess that means taking responsibility for my own stupid actions. ”
The conversation had sent Cole over the moon.
He felt hope and joy for the first time in so long.
His brain immediately started planning for a future he had already given up on.
And the first person he thought of when he started planning his future was Kat, the little lost kitten from his most recent job.
He’d been a day away from her when he got the news, and so he’d driven for twelve hours straight to get back to her, not even bothering to stop for the night.
He napped at rest stops rather than getting a motel room.
He ate at gas stations rather than stopping at a restaurant.
He couldn’t waste one minute on his way back to her.
When he reached the little town where they had met, he stopped into a flower shop and bought a bouquet for her, making sure all the colors of her guest cabins were represented.
He also bought her a bottle of champagne, hoping she might choose to celebrate his return rather than hate him for leaving.
It was wishful thinking, he realized, but he hadn’t even dared to dream his nephew would actually sacrifice himself to set Cole free.
Suddenly, dreaming didn’t seem like such a bad idea anymore.
On his way to the ranch, he couldn’t stop grinning.
He couldn’t wait to see her. Somewhere, deep down, he knew he might be counting his chickens before they were hatched.
She might hate him, and she would have every right to.
There was just as much chance that she would scream at him the second he pulled up and tell him to get off her property.
And maybe he would deserve it, but for her, he had to try anyway.
By the time he pulled into the ranch, his heart was already pounding.
He parked and stepped out of his truck, but Kat was already running toward him.
Her face was unreadable, all scrunched up with either joy, misery, rage, or some combination of all three.
He couldn’t really tell. When she reached him, she answered his question by shoving him hard.
The flowers flew from his hands and landed on the dirt beside him.
“How could you?” she screamed at him. “We agreed to talk it over in the morning. We agreed, and you just left!”
“Listen—” he began, but she wouldn’t let him go on.
“Do you have any idea what I’ve been through?
No, you don’t! Because all you left was a stupid note with barely any explanation at all.
And no matter what happened from that point on, you couldn’t be there to tell me everything was going to be OK.
” Her eyes began to water, and Cole squinted down at her, wondering what on earth she was talking about.
“I was only gone for six weeks,” he said.
“Only six weeks?” she echoed bitterly. “Only six weeks? And how was I supposed to know you would only be gone six weeks? As far as I knew, it was forever.” She had an excellent point there, he had to admit.
“I didn’t know either,” he admitted. “And I get why you’re angry.
I really, really do. Believe me. But I was hoping…
” He paused and bent down to pick up the fallen bouquet.
“I was hoping you might let me explain at least. After I’ve told you everything, you can punch me in the face if you want, and I’ll walk away from you forever. But if you want me to stay, I’ll stay.”
She stepped back, folded her arms, and glared at him, refusing to even look at the flowers he’d brought her. “How long will you stay?” she asked.
“As long as you want me around,” he answered, and he hoped she could hear his sincerity in that answer.
“Fine.” She dropped her arms and started back toward her personal cabin. Cole could sense she was starting to calm down a bit, and he started to hope things might not go as badly as they could, all things considered. “Go ahead and sit down,” she said.
“Can I put these in a vase?” he asked, gesturing to the bouquet he’d brought.
“I’ll do it.” She snatched the flowers away from him and carried them to the kitchen. He could see her laying the flowers down and pulling a vase out of a cupboard from his chair. The fact that she wasn’t throwing them directly into the trash gave him one more reason to hope.
“First, you deserve an explanation for why I left when I did,” he told her.
“The police had come looking for me, and you covered for me, which was so much more than I could have or would have ever asked for. But there was a chance they would come back, and I didn’t want you to be implicated.
The only solution was to leave, though it nearly killed me to do so. ”
She brought the flowers over and set them on the table before sitting across from him.
“And you couldn’t share anything with me.
Why?” She sounded like somebody’s overwrought mother, he thought, and the thought made him smile.
That voice, though harsh, came from a place of love, and he knew that. She was frustrated because she cared.
“Because if you knew, then you couldn’t claim ignorance. But everything’s changed now, and I can tell you what happened.”
“I’m listening.” She sat back and folded her arms. It pained him to see her distrust, but at least she was listening. He couldn’t ask for more than that.
“I have a nephew, my sister’s kid. Josh is his name. I’ve known him since he was a baby.” He smiled at the fond memories he still had of that cute little face. “He’s a good kid, but he messed up.”
“Messed up?” she asked, leaning in now. Her arms were no longer crossed, and Cole took that as a good sign.
“Made a mistake. Our father’s ranch was in trouble, and Josh had gotten some bad advice about how to get the money we needed to save it.
He made the wrong choice, and since I was officially in charge of the books, the police assumed it was me.
Rather than correct them, I took the heat and fled.
We had a merry chase around the country for years, and I told myself I was only sacrificing something I never really wanted in the first place—settling down—so that his life wouldn’t be destroyed.
” He smiled a sad smile. “I only realized I was wrong about what I wanted the day I met you. For the first time in years, I wanted to stay. I wanted it more than anything, but I couldn’t have it without putting you in danger.
It nearly killed me to leave you. I hope you know that. ”
“I know now.” Her cheeks were turning red, and he couldn’t tell if that was a bad thing or a good thing. Either way, it was downright adorable. “Well, I know it’s probably petty of me, but I’m really glad it wasn’t easy for you.”
He wanted to reach across the table and take her hand, but he still wasn’t sure exactly where he stood. “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I swear.”
A small smile crossed her face, and he almost leapt up at the sight of it. “So you suffered?”
He nodded.
“Good!” Her anger was fading into playfulness, and that was another good sign. “So, why can you suddenly come back now? Aren’t the police still looking for you?”
Now, it was time for the good news. Cole shook his head.
“I told you Josh was a good kid. Apparently, even I didn’t know how good he was.
He felt terrible about the whole thing, thought it was a massive injustice that I was being hunted for his mistake.
He finally came clean to the police. He called and told me yesterday. ”
“Yesterday?” She looked like she didn’t quite believe it but wanted to.
“I came straight here,” he said. “I couldn’t stand to stay away from you for another minute.”
That finally broke whatever dam was holding back all her true feelings. She jumped out of her chair and rounded the table to throw her arms around him. “You mean it? You really mean it? Oh, please let this be true.”
“It’s true,” Cole assured her. “I swear it’s true. That’s why I brought this.” He pulled out the bottle of champagne he’d put into his deep coat pocket and presented it to Kat. “To celebrate.”
Kat was grinning wider than Cole had ever seen her grin. “I want to celebrate with you. I really do.” Her eyes looked to the bottle and back again. “But I can’t have any of that.”
All of a sudden, Cole had the distinct impression that he was missing something important. The look on Kat’s face was expectant, excited, and a little bit scared. He had no idea how to prepare for whatever she was about to say to him. “Why not?”
When she finally answered his question, he came about as close as he’d ever come to actually passing out. “Because I’m pregnant.”
Cole felt his jaw drop, but he could do very little to stop it.
His first thought was to ask her whether the baby was his, but the more he thought about it, the less doubt he had that it had to be.
She wouldn’t have hooked up with someone new so quickly after he left.
He knew her well enough to be confident about that.
“You…” His mouth was too dry for any kind of eloquence at this point.
“You are? You wouldn’t kid me about that, would you? ”
She shook her head. “Of course I wouldn’t. But I don’t want you to worry too much about it either. I’ve decided I can handle being a mother on my own. You don’t have to stick around if it’s overwhelming for you. I mean, I’d like you to, but I have no expectations.”
“Are you kidding?” He shot to his feet to pull her into his arms. Then, he wrapped his arms around her and held her about as tight as he dared without hurting her.
“I meant what I said before. I want to stay for as long as you still want me around. This isn’t going to change that at all.
You do still want me around, right? Please, say yes.
I’ll go crazy if you don’t say yes. If you’re going to be a mother, I want to be the father standing by your side. ”
She wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed him back.
“You’ll be a father regardless of whether or not you stick around.
But it would be a dream come true to have a partner in this.
To tell the truth, I was stressed about the thought of doing it alone.
I mean, I’m going to do this, no matter what.
I’ve already made my decision, but I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. ”
He pulled away from her and looked directly into her eyes.
“You’re an amazing woman, Kat Naylor, but you’ll always be a little lost kitten to me.
I fell in love with you that day in the hardware store.
I never could tell you before because I knew I couldn’t stay forever, no matter how badly I wanted to.
But everything’s changed now. I want to stay with you in this town, on this ranch, with this child.
” He took a moment to lay a hand on her stomach.
Just knowing his own child was growing, cell by cell, within this wonderful woman gave him indescribable joy.
“I couldn’t ask for more than a life with you. ”
When she looked up at him, he saw two different people behind her eyes.
There was that tiger he had gotten to know, that go-getter who never gave up on anything as long as it was still remotely possible.
He also saw the lost kitten he’d first come into contact with that day at the hardware store.
She reminded him of a tiger cub in a way, hissing and swiping and purring all at once.
Everything about her only made him love her more.
Impulsively, he pulled her back into his arms and kissed her mouth.
The passion between them was no small thing.
With her, everything seemed possible. Before he’d come to work on her ranch, he believed his sacrifice was going to dictate the rest of his life.
He could never have a family of his own—it just wouldn’t be fair to them.
For the rest of his life, he would be on the run, moving from place to place, hiding from the world.
He could never stay in one place longer than a month or two, let alone settle down and start a family.
Somehow, though, he’d done just that without meaning to.
“I want to stay with you for the rest of my life,” he said, kissing her forehead and stroking her hair. “Can I? Will you let me live here with you, work here as long as I can, and help to raise my son with you?”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Or daughter?”
He laughed. “Good point. I swear I will never consider this a mistake.” His hand found her stomach again, and then he was hugging her to his chest. “This is the greatest gift I’ve ever been given.
You, my child, this ranch, this town. I never thought I’d deserve it or get to have anything like this life. ”
“Me neither.” She smiled up at him. “So, let’s make the most of it.”
“I love you,” he admitted. “You know that, right? I love you so much.”
“I love you, too,” she said. And hearing those words from her changed his entire world in the best possible way.
Life would never be the same again, and he didn’t want it to.
His old life was a trap. Suddenly, he was free.
He could hardly believe it. The little lost kitten from the hardware store had ripped the chains off him, set him free, and handed him his true destiny in the space of a few months.