Chapter 31
THIRTY-ONE
cheyenne
I checked my phone for the hundredth time, agonized to see it had only been ten minutes since I’d last looked.
“Will you stop?” Blair said, taking a tray of spring rolls from the oven. “It’s not even nine yet, and already I can tell you want to go home. You’ve got hours until midnight.”
“I can’t believe you talked me into this.”
“Into what?” she asked, grabbing her kitchen tongs to transfer the rolls to a platter. “Leaving your house? Putting on lipstick? Trading your I-give-up sweatpants for a gold sequin miniskirt?”
“All of it.” I looked down at my outfit. “But especially the miniskirt.”
She laughed. “You look fucking hot, and every guy in here is trying to work up the nerve to approach you. You need to stop hiding out in the kitchen.”
“Give me a break. Most of the guys in here I’ve known since I was born. They’re all Griffin’s friends.”
“Not true,” she argued. “I specifically invited some new people tonight to make the party more interesting. See that guy talking to Beckett by the window?”
I looked over and saw who she meant. “Yeah.”
“Well, he’s been staring at you since he got here.”
Self-conscious, I touched my hair. “Who is he?”
“His name is Zachary Simon. He’s a lawyer, new in town. Just moved from Mason City.”
“How’d you meet him?”
“He’s a regular at the bakery every morning. He said he had no plans tonight because he doesn’t know many people in town, so I invited him. You should go introduce yourself.”
“Blair! He could be a serial killer or something. You don’t even know this guy.”
“I’m not saying you should go out to the alley with him, I’m just trying to get you out of my way here.” She moved around me to grab her oven mitt. “And it wouldn’t kill you to have a conversation with someone new.”
“It’s no use,” I said with a sigh. “I’m not over Cole. I don’t know if I ever will be.”
Blair gave me a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry.”
“Still no word on whether he’ll show up tonight?”
She shook her head. “Griffin didn’t say much about their conversation. Just that Cole said he still loves you and he’s trying to work through some stuff. He might come tonight, he might not.”
“Yeah. That’s what Griffin told me too.” A lump jumped into my throat, and I tried to wash it away with champagne.
“He was annoyingly tight-lipped about it all. But I guess you can’t fault him—Cole’s been his bestie for what, almost thirty years? They’re loyal to each other.”
“I know.”
Blair finally stopped bustling around and faced me. “Look. You’re here, you’ve got a nice glass of champagne, you look like a million bucks, just go say hi to the new guy, okay? For me. Do it now. Beckett just walked away from him, and he’s all alone. I feel bad.”
I sighed again. “Fine. For you. But I’m warning you now, I don’t think I’m going to make it to midnight. I miss my couch and my sweatpants already, and if Cole shows up, I might embarrass myself by crying in my bubbly.”
She gave me a shove in the direction of the window. “Go.”
Pressing my lips together, I walked casually over toward the new guy, who gave me a friendly smile as I approached.
He was really very handsome, with wavy dark hair, warm brown eyes, and an athletic build.
But I didn’t care. In a way, it would have been much easier if my pulse had started to race when I got close to him, but it didn’t.
In fact, he wore too much cologne, and the first instinct I had was to sneeze.
Thankfully, I held it off.
“Hi,” I said, holding out my hand. “I’m Cheyenne.”
“Zachary,” he said, closing his hand around mine. “You’re Blair’s friend. She told me about you.”
“She talks a lot,” I said, shooting Blair a murderous look over my shoulder. “I hear you’re new in town.”
“Yes. Only been here about a month. But I like it.”
“What brought you to Bellamy Creek?”
“My job. I’m an attorney for . . .”
But I completely lost track of what he was saying because suddenly I saw Cole appear at the top of the stairs. I might have gasped, because Zachary broke off mid-sentence and looked at me a little funny. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I said, anything but. “Sorry. What were you saying?”
He started up again about whatever it was he did, but I didn’t hear a word of it because Cole and I had locked eyes, and he was headed my way. The look on his face told me he was not happy to see me talking to some other guy.
Well, tough!
He hadn’t so much as called me in a week! I’d thought seeing him would make me cry, but seeing him like this—jealous and possessive, all fists clenched and chest puffed out—just made me mad.
Even if it was kind of hot.
I moved a little closer to Zachary and laughed as if he’d said something funny, which totally confused him.
Cole reached us, his jaw tight. “Cheyenne.”
“Cole.” My heart was banging hard against my ribs.
“Can I talk to you for a moment?”
“I’m already talking to someone.” I glanced at Zachary, who looked annoyed and baffled in equal measure, not that I blamed him.
“I can see that.”
Zachary held out his hand. “Zachary Simon.”
Cole hesitated before taking it. “We’ve met before. I’m Cole Mitchell. I pitch for the Bulldogs.”
“Ah.” After a very brief handshake, Zachary nodded.
“You two know each other?” I asked.
“He plays for the Mavs,” Cole said, his icy blue eyes trained on Zachary.
Oh, Jesus. Fucking old man baseball.
“Not anymore,” Zachary said with a laugh. “I moved to Bellamy Creek, so I’m hoping there might be a spot on the Bulldog roster next season.”
“We’ll see.” Cole looked at me. “Cheyenne, please. Can we talk?”
“Go ahead,” Zachary said graciously, moving toward the couches. “Nice meeting you both.”
I faced Cole. “What do you want?”
“Lots of things.” His eyes, softer now, traveled over me from head to foot. “But you’re so beautiful, I can’t think straight.”
My walls crumbled a little, but I was determined to stand tall, just like he was. “Thank you.”
He struggled for words. “I miss you. Mariah misses you.”
At the mention of his daughter, I softened further. “I miss her too. How is she? Does she love her new dog?”
“Yes. But she’s been pretty miserable without seeing you. And so have I.”
“Guess that’s the theme this Christmas,” I said, taking a sip of champagne. The glass trembled in my fingers.
“I know, and it’s my fault.” Then he glanced around. “And I have a lot of things I want to say to you, but this doesn’t feel like the right place.”
Hope was rising in my heart, but I refused to let it come to the surface. I’d missed him too, but missing each other wasn’t enough. “What’s the right place?”
“Will you leave with me?”
“Now?”
He nodded, taking my hand. “Please.”
“It’s New Year’s Eve, Cole. I’m at a party,” I said, as if I gave a shit about any of it.
“I know, and I’m sorry. This wasn’t the plan. I just”—he glanced toward Zachary Simon—“saw you talking to that guy and fucking hated it.”
I pulled my hand back. “No. That’s not good enough.”
“Huh?”
“Missing me isn’t enough. Getting jealous isn’t enough.”
His expression turned angry. “What will be enough? I’m fucking trying here, Cheyenne. Why won’t you listen?”
“I am listening, Cole. But what I’m hearing is nothing new, nothing that reassures me you’re ready to deal with your issues.”
“And what will prove that?”
“I don’t know,” I said, the tears finally spilling over. “But not this.”
Without another word, I left him standing there, set my glass on the kitchen counter and went to grab my coat from the bedroom. When I came back out, he was waiting for me in the hallway.
“Please don’t go,” he said, his expression tortured. “Let me try again.”
“Don’t make this difficult, Cole.” I buttoned up my coat, my eyes blurry with tears. “It will embarrass us both.”
“Everything okay?” Blair appeared behind him.
“Everything is fine,” I said. “I’m just getting my coat on. I’m taking off.”
Cole took me by the shoulders and spoke quietly but ferociously. “Listen to me. I love you. I want a life with you, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to have it. Somehow I’ll find a way to prove it to you.”
At that moment, I desperately wanted to melt into his arms and tell him it would be okay, but I knew that wasn’t the answer. If I did, nothing would ever change. “I hope so, Cole.”
He took his arms off me, and I shouldered past him, heading for the door, already digging my keys from my coat pocket. Blair trailed me all the way down the steps to the door.
“Cheyenne, wait!”
I turned to face her. “I’m leaving, Blair, I have to.”
“I know.” She threw her arms around me and held me tight. “It’s going to be okay.”
Crying openly, I hugged her back.
“Blair?” Griffin called from the top of the steps. “The oven timer is going off.”
She released me. “I better go. I’m sorry if any of this is my fault. Maybe I shouldn’t have made you come over.”
“It’s not your fault. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” Then I pushed the door open and slipped into the icy night air, the tears freezing on my cheeks.
I hurried down the street, jumped into my car, and drove home. Thankful my mother was out with friends, I went straight upstairs, put my pajamas on, and got into bed, wondering for the millionth time why I couldn’t just give up on Cole Mitchell.
But then I pictured those blue eyes, and felt his arms around me, and remembered his words tonight.
I love you. I want a life with you, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to have it. Somehow I’ll find a way to prove it to you.
I crossed my fingers and hugged my pillow close, desperately hoping he wouldn’t give up.
I wouldn’t either.