His for the Taking

Eleven



His eyes narrowing on the numbers of each house, Cole tensed as he drove up Maddie’s shady street for the second time. Her East Austin neighborhood was working-class but decent. Two little girls wearing helmets, big T-shirts and pigtails rode their bikes on the sidewalk. A couple of boys about Noah’s age threw a football back and forth to each other.

At least there were kids for Noah to play with.

Probably Cole should have called before coming, but he’d been too rushed. He wasn’t happy about having left Juan in charge of the well again, but seeing Maddie sooner rather than later had taken precedence over his business concerns. Noah’s future was at stake.

The two-bedroom houses were a scramble of crumbling fixer-uppers and newly gentrified dwellings. Guilt swamped him as he realized she and Noah had probably struggled to survive in far less pleasant neighborhoods before she’d been able to afford even this. If only he’d taken her calls or read her letters when she’d tried to contact him…but he couldn’t change the past. All he could do was the right thing now, and he would do it.

A silver SUV with heavily tinted windows and an aluminum canoe on the rooftop luggage rack swung in front of him and parked in front of a charming white house with a wide front porch. He read the numbers and realized it was Maddie’s house.

Damn, he thought as a tall man with broad shoulders, enviable posture and thick, disheveled blond hair jumped out of the SUV and raced up her sidewalk.

Greg? If so, Cole’s timing was lousy.

Cole parked on the opposite side of the street and watched a slender, dark-haired boy throw open the door and grin. Rocking back on his bare feet, Noah eagerly grabbed Greg’s hand and tugged him inside.

The sight of his son welcoming another man filled Cole with longing, causing his mood to worsen. Nor did his mood improve as he sat outside for another ten minutes studying her sparkling windowpanes and counting, and then recounting, her roses.

Her bright red porch swing made it easy to imagine her sitting outside while Noah played on a nice afternoon. A white picket fence enclosed the backyard. Obviously, she’d made sure Noah had a safe place to play when she couldn’t watch him out front, more evidence of her determination to give her son a better childhood than she’d known.

Impatience began to gnaw at him. What the hell was Greg doing inside Maddie’s house for so long?

Just when Cole was about to get out of his truck and stomp up the sidewalk and pound on her door, it opened. Maddie, who wore a tight red T-shirt, white shorts and high, strappy sandals, stepped outside clasping Noah’s hand. Greg shut the door and then quickly followed behind them.

Cole willed her to glance his way, but she was concentrating too intently on whatever Noah was saying. When she finally saw Cole, she froze.

A wellspring of desire tinged with anger swept through him. Her gorgeous violet-blue eyes framed by thick inky spikes captivated him. She was so lovely, he ached. Somehow he forced himself to wave casually.

Maddie gripped Noah’s hand and all but dragged the poor boy to Greg’s SUV.

Greg unlocked the doors and everybody climbed inside. When the SUV lurched away from the curb, Cole shifted into Drive and followed.

His mobile phone pinged almost immediately.

Hell, she’d texted him.

On way to Town Lake. Will call u when we get home. Don’t follow!

Since he didn’t text when he was behind the wheel, he called her back. When her phone went to voice mail, his only option was to leave a message.

“Sorry I didn’t call first.” Feeling jealous as hell, he hung up.

What was wrong with him? He felt as out of control as a wildly infatuated teenager.

He should go to a hotel, check in, chill, wait for her call. He should call Juan and check in with a few of his engineers.

Since he wasn’t feeling all that rational, he stayed glued to Greg’s tail.

The threesome parked near the water. From a distance, Cole watched Greg and Maddie unload the canoe and carry it down to the lake while Noah tagged along happily. To get the life jackets, paddles, thermos and cooler, the three of them trooped back and forth, making several trips. Once or twice Maddie glanced toward Cole and flushed angrily.

While they loaded the canoe, Noah knelt on the limestone bank and sifted through the rocks, stuffing his pockets until they bulged. As a kid, Cole had been equally fascinated by rocks and had spent hours looking for fossils and arrowheads. In college he’d taken several geology courses, a study that had proved useful when he’d gone into the oil and gas business.

He didn’t even know his son, but already the boy reminded him of himself.

There was a wide gravel jogging trail along the water’s edge, so Cole followed the canoe on foot as far as he could. They didn’t stay out long, maybe because Noah’s constant squirming caused the canoe to rock back and forth precariously. Not that Greg seemed the least bit put out when forced to return to shore. No, he was a gem, patiently reloading the canoe and repacking the gear into the vehicle. Once they were safely on land and the canoe was on the roof of his SUV, Greg bought birdseed so Noah could feed pigeons. When Noah spilled the first bag chasing the birds, Greg bought another. Growing bored with the pigeons before he was halfway into the second bag, Noah threw the seed down, causing a mad flutter of wings as the gray flock converged on the bag. Pointing at a playground not too far away, the boy raced to it.

Greg and Maddie gave chase and then sat on a nearby bench so they could watch Noah, who was now climbing the colorful equipment. Noah swung, climbed poles, clambered up rope ladders and slid down the slides. When he fell off a swinging bridge and bumped his head, Greg ran over and picked him up. Long after Noah had dried his tears, he was content to hang on to Greg’s broad shoulders and watch the other children play.

Hell. Unable to watch Greg with his son any longer, Cole pivoted and strode back to his truck. Climbing inside, he yanked the door shut and jammed his key into the ignition. Gunning the engine, he roared out of the park and headed toward Sixth Street in search of a bar.

Dealing with Noah in the abstract had been easier than seeing him with Greg and realizing that the kid had had six years to form attachments to other people. Illogically, Cole felt angry at Maddie for not telling him and then angry at himself all over again for not being there for her and Noah when she’d first reached out to him.

Six years. Six damn years he’d missed. Would he ever be able to make up for that? One thing was for sure—he wasn’t about to give up the years he had left with his son.

Inside the first shadowy pub he found, he ordered a double scotch on the rocks, which arrived before he remembered the vow he’d made not to drink after he’d pulled himself out of his guilt/funk over Lizzie. Sliding the glass angrily aside, he signaled the waiter and asked him to replace the drink with tonic water and a twist of lime. He knocked that back with abandon even though what he really craved was the kick of the double scotch.

* * *

Maddie called him while he was having dinner alone. The hotel restaurant’s terrace had a view of Town Lake and the sparkling lights of downtown. If he grew bored with that view, there was a friendly blonde in a red sundress who was also alone, sitting at the table next to his, who kept smiling at him.

“I asked you not to follow me,” Maddie said.

“Did you tell him about me?” Cole asked.

“I was going to, but I couldn’t think clearly with Noah around and you watching us. Plus, Greg had a bad day at school, and I need him to babysit for me during my fundraiser.”

“We need to talk—soon.”

“This is a difficult week for me. The fundraiser is important to the shelter’s survival.”

He worried that she was just making excuses. “After seeing Noah with Greg I realize how much I’ve missed. I don’t want to miss any more. The sooner we get married, the better.”

“Look…”

“What about lunch? Tomorrow?”

“Can’t. I’m already booked.”

“With Greg?”

“If you must know, yes. I didn’t know you and I would reconnect or that you’d find out about Noah when I made the date.”

“Later, then?”

“I’ve got a completely full schedule at work tomorrow…and the fundraiser is tomorrow evening. We’re always understaffed, and Casey, my coworker, has a doctor’s appointment tomorrow.”

“I’m not taking no for an answer.” He said goodbye.

After he hung up, he wondered what he could do to change her mind about his proposal.

* * *

If Nita Stark was a big talker and temperamental as all get-out, she was also a huge donor and the keynote speaker at the fundraiser, so Maddie didn’t dare rush their call even though she needed to get off the phone.

When she finally managed to hang up, it was already ten minutes past noon. She was thirsty and needed to touch up her lipstick and her hair before she led the tour that she gave every two weeks. It was a way to inform the community about the mission of My Sister’s House. After that, she had to meet Greg. Feeling rushed, she grabbed her purse off its hook and raced out of her office, her high heels clicking on the polished tile floor.

Even before she reached the door at the end of the hall, where George, her favorite young volunteer, scanned the area with fierce, earnest eyes while he stood guard for her, she heard exuberant laughter erupting from the room that was used for tours, church services on Sundays and other meetings.

Strange, she thought. Then George pushed the door open and she saw Cole.

“Okay, everybody, she’s here,” George announced to the clump of women who were gaily laughing at something Cole had said.

“This is Miss Gray. She’s going to conduct your tour today,” George said.

Cole clapped.

“Sorry I’m late,” Maddie began, feeling flustered as she tapped her lectern with her pen while Cole’s amused green gaze drilled into her.

Damn him. She’d told him she didn’t have time to talk today.

Usually her tour groups were dominated by staid, upper-middle-class matrons who were considering volunteering. Today the women were more focused on Cole than her.

When Cole gave Maddie another slow, insolent grin, she ignored him and began her talk about the shelter. Because he was such an unnerving presence, Maddie spoke fast, too fast, forgetting entire topics she should have mentioned.

Cole, who must have researched My Sister’s House on its webpage, asked lots of questions.

“I always thought that places like this just enable dope addicts and prostitutes,” he murmured drily.

Smiling tightly, she gave a quick reply. “Anybody who stays in our shelters must agree to drug testing. We are associated with all the best agencies in the city. They can help our clients get jobs, get clean and get their lives back on track. We are not enablers.”

“Good to hear. What percentage of your clients do you save? Surely, it’s quite small.”

It was infinitesimal; still, it was a start.

“Not nearly as many as we’d like,” she was forced to admit. Annoyed, she glanced at her watch. “But since I seem to be running a little late, I can’t take any more questions until I finish the tour!”

He laughed.

Furious, she raced through her tour while the women remained distracted by Cole. By the time Maddie had completed her talk, she was breathless with outrage.

Ignoring him, she said goodbye to the ladies before handing them off to George. Then she stormed down the hall to her office. Racing to catch up with her, Cole stepped inside the tiny room before she could slam the door on him.

“I’m at work here. I don’t have time to play games,” Maddie said.

“Who’s playing games?” He pulled a check out of his pocket. “Your talk inspired me to write My Sister’s House a sizable check.”

When she saw the truly generous amount, she grew so hot under her collar she was sure she’d burst a blood vessel. “You don’t care about My Sister’s House.”

“I care about you. And Noah.”

“I’ll have you know you can’t just buy your way into my office because you want to bully me.”

“I beg to differ.”

“I think you’re contemptible.”

“Take the check. I’m sure you, as the director, can’t afford to turn down a donation that large,” he murmured as he placed the check in her trembling palm and folded her rigid fingers over it finger by finger. “Just as I’m sure you wouldn’t want me to inform your board that you wouldn’t make time for such a generous donor.”

She pressed her lips together and took a deep breath. “I will have my board send you a letter formally thanking you.”

“I’m sure you will, but I’d prefer a personal thank-you.”

“Okay! Thank you.” Straightening his check, she slid it into her top drawer. “You’ve had your fun. Now, would you please go?”

“No. I intend to meet Greg—and Noah—before I leave town. Greg’s due here soon, I believe?” He looked at his watch. “Oh, dear, is he late?”

She kicked her desk, wishing it were him.

Grinning, he sat down to wait.

When he refused to budge no matter how hard she glared at him, she sank down into her own chair in weary defeat. In the tense silence that ensued, time dragged and her green walls felt as if they were pressing in on her.

“Okay,” he said in a terse tone several minutes later. “You’re short on time, so let’s not waste it by sulking. I’m here for one thing—to convince you to agree to marry me.”

“This is the twenty-first century. You can’t force me into a shotgun marriage six years after the fact.”

“We have a son. Giving him my name is valid enough reason for me.”

“I don’t want to involve him in our messy relationship.”

“It wouldn’t be like that.”

“Really? You expect me to believe that after your caveman tactics today? You think because you’re a Coleman and I was born a nobody, you can bulldoze over me? You have zero respect for me or my job.”

“I attended a public tour. The website made it clear anybody could attend.”

“You know what I mean.”

“If you think I’m going to sit on the sidelines and let another man father my son, even if that man is a paragon, you don’t know me very well. Noah’s mine, and I intend to make sure everybody knows it. I’ll fight you—until you agree.”

She stared at him. His green eyes were as brilliant and stubborn as Noah’s. She studied his black hair with its widow’s peak and couldn’t ignore his striking resemblance to her darling, if tenacious, little boy.

Cole was so handsome. Even now when she was at loggerheads with him, his virile male presence filled the space of her tiny office in an overpowering way that made her desire him. If she quit fighting him, could a marriage between them work? They did both want what was best for their son.

Sensing that he’d scored on some level, he reached across her desk and caught her fingers in his. Even that was enough to make her sizzle. When she felt her cheeks flush, she tried to will herself to tear her hand from his, but couldn’t. So she shut her eyes and counted to ten before she reopened them and met his gaze—and felt the same overwhelming need to hold on to his hand. She’d been alone so long, fighting for Noah and herself without much help. It hadn’t been easy.

“I was jealous during the tour,” she whispered. “Of you and those women.”

“Were you really?”

“Ridiculously so,” she admitted in a raw whisper. “And I hate feeling that way…because that’s how I felt a lot of the time when I was growing up. You had all those girlfriends from good families chasing you, and I was so low in your eyes, you didn’t know I was alive.”

He smiled sheepishly and his hand tightened around hers.

“Sorry,” he whispered. “I was a beast today. So much was at stake I felt I had to come.”

At his sincere tone, she looked at him in confusion, every bit as dazzled by his dark good looks as the five women had been. Oh—she was hopeless. What did he really feel for her? “Do you really think our marriage could work long-term?”

“If we both work at it.” In his eyes, all she saw was tenderness and compassion mixed with a profound, burning need.

“I feel like I’ve built something solid at My Sister’s House,” she said.

“I was very impressed by your tour.”

She snorted. “I was awful, and you were flirting.”

“With you.”

“I feel that I might be throwing it all away if I married you.”

“Nobody’s asking you to quit your job.”

“I used to have this foolish dream of marrying someone who loved me. When I became a single mother, I knew I would have to be more practical. Greg came along, and because of our similar backgrounds, I thought our relationship could work. But you—you and I live in different worlds. You have this huge, legendary ranch, and you own oil fields. You wouldn’t be the least bit interested in me if it weren’t for Noah.”

“Then why did I drive home to Yella when I heard you’d come home?”

“I hate feeling that I wouldn’t contribute to your life in any way other than being Noah’s mother. I would be a burden.”

He leaned across the desk and whispered against her earlobe in his deep, musical baritone, both thrilling her and chilling her. “I want you in my bed. Doesn’t that count?”

He lusted after her the way every man in Yella had wanted her mother.

But for how long? she wondered, remembering how easily he’d let her go. How would he see her when he no longer felt that way? It could happen soon, if the people in his life who mattered to him refused to accept her.

“You want Noah, so you’ll take me, too?”

“If our situations were reversed, and I had him, would you marry me, to be closer to him?”

She would have married the devil to be with Noah.

He pressed her fingers and stared into her eyes. “So, enough of this. What do you say? Will you marry me?”

Before she could answer, she heard quick, determined footsteps outside her door and jerked her hand free a second before Greg burst through the door. The unruly lock of blond hair that usually fell across his brow was as unkempt as ever. Smiling bashfully, he handed her a vase of limp yellow roses.

“I’m afraid I left them in my car all morning in the heat.” His soft brown eyes held genuine regret.

“Why, thank you, Greg,” she said, feeling awkward since Cole was staring holes through her. “There’s someone here….”

When Greg turned to Cole, she lifted the roses to her nose in an attempt to conceal her nervousness. “Mr. Coleman is just leaving after making a donation.”

She glared at Cole frostily, willing him to leave. Greg held out his hand to Cole. “The mission welcomes all donors, large or small. I’m Greg Martin, Miss Gray’s fiancé.”

“John…Coleman. Most people call me Cole.” They shook hands.

“The oilman I’ve been reading about, who owns Coleman’s Landing, who played a hunch and discovered the Devine-Chalk oil play over in Devine County?”

Cole nodded. “The same. More importantly, I’m Noah’s father.”

Maddie’s face flamed with a mixture of guilt and anger even before Greg whirled on her. “Noah’s father?”

“He was just going,” she said.

“Noah’s father?” Greg repeated. “No wonder I had the impression I was interrupting something important.”

“We ran into each other last week in Yella,” Cole said.

“Now I see why you’ve been so tense and uncommunicative this week,” Greg said, glancing at Maddie.

“I—I meant to tell you,” Maddie whispered.

Greg turned to Cole. “Maddie told me you were out of the picture…that you wanted nothing to do with Noah.”

“I didn’t know about him—until she came to Yella last week and we reconnected.”

“Reconnected?” Greg’s soft eyes glanced at Cole before settling on Maddie. “I see,” he murmured at last, after reading her face.

She resented Cole for forcing this on her. The last thing she’d ever wanted to do was to stun Greg like this or to hurt him.

“Greg, it’s too complicated to explain right now, but if you and I don’t leave, we will lose our reservation.”

“We’re not that late. I think I’d like to hear what Mr. Coleman has to say about this complicated matter.”

She placed a hand on Greg’s sleeve. “No….”

“Maddie and I parted in a rather unpleasant way,” Cole began. “I was unaware she was pregnant. When she called to tell me about Noah a year or so later, I was newly married, so I refused her calls…and her letters. Now that I know about Noah, I want to be part of his life full-time.”

“Of course.” Greg’s hurt, thunderstruck tone intensified her guilt.

“While it may complicate things for the three of us, having his father in his life will be wonderful for Noah,” Greg said.

Maddie’s mouth went dry. She resented the way both men seemed to be making all the decisions as if her opinion didn’t matter.

“So—are you free for lunch?” Greg demanded of Cole.

She shook her head. When Cole said he was, she could have kicked him.

“What do you say I bow out, and you take her instead?” Greg said to Cole. His firm tone held a schoolteacher-like edge that she’d never heard before.

“Greg?” she pleaded. “What are you doing?”

“Sounds to me like you and Cole have a lot to work out,” Greg said.

“Let me explain!”

“Don’t worry. If you still need me tonight, I’ll babysit…like I promised.”

Then, just like that, he was gone—seemingly out of her life—and she was alone with Cole, whose green eyes glittered with infuriating triumph.

“I’m glad that’s settled. Now, will you agree to marry me?”