Page 80 of The Cowboy's Surprise Return

As Cole approached, he saw how age had crept up on Roy Wylder over the past five years. Small changes, from the slight stoop of his once square shoulders, to the hesitancy as he braced for what could be a nasty confrontation.

Cole didn’t have anger left for this. It had burned out a long time ago. So, for his father’s sake, maybe it was time to mend this fence. Or just knock it down and burn the remains, since being ignored by his dad since Christmas hadn’t felt awesome.

Okay, so there might be a tad bit of anger left.

“I was hoping to catch you,” Roy said stiffly. “There are some things I’d like to discuss.”

“Dad,” Cole warned. His father had made himself very clear about how Cole had let him down by not protecting April all those years ago. Roy, an old cowboy, had believed Cole should have done a better job of protecting her, his woman, a member of the Wylder family. But Cole’s father had lethimdown during what had been a mounting crisis, and that was so much worse.

“No,” he said sternly. “I know I said some awful things. I sent you away from this town, your family. Trust me that the women in my life have made it abundantly clear how I was in the wrong. The only thing keeping me from making it right has been my stupid cowboy pride.”

“Mom?” Cole asked, knowing Maria hadn’t been happy about the way the confrontation had gone down, or Cole's subsequent self-imposed exile. His parents had always displayed a united front, and it seemed weird that she might lay into Roy over her displeasure. “I didn’t mean for things between me and April to come between you.”

“I appreciate that, but a man makes his own mistakes. You don’t get to take credit for mine.”

That was kind of what April had been saying, too. And a lot of mistakes had been made that night five years ago.

“Sophia and April also had some thoughts on the matter.” His father’s tone suggested they’d definitely shared their opinions and not held back. The realization brought a slight smile to Cole’s face. His father echoed it with a ghostly smile of his own before growing serious again. “I know now that what you did was for her, and that you made an enormous sacrifice. You’re a good man, Cole. And it might sound odd given how I’ve behaved, but I am proud of you.”

Roy’s lips twisted and he inhaled sharply, as though trying to tuck his emotions back into place. “I’m sorry, son.” He cleared his throat. “I should’ve come looking for you. Should’ve called. Probably should’ve listened, too, as you knew her best.”

Cole tried to mask his amused expression. Listening wasn’t one of his father’s best traits.

“That’s basically my life, though,” Roy continued, his shoulders relaxing. “Seems like I tended to take the left path whenever I should’ve taken the right.”

“I kind of like having been born, though,” Cole said, letting the man off the hook ever so slightly by suggesting he hadn’t completely messed up everything. Most things, but not quite all of it.

The corner of his father’s mouth hinted at another smile. “It’s good to have you home. I’m sorry you aren’t staying longer so we can patch things up proper-like.”

“What? I’m not leaving.”

“You’re not following Jackie?”

“No.” How many times did he have to have this conversation?

Then again, maybe his family gave him more credit when it came to love than he deserved, and it was more about that than him mending fences.

“Oh. I thought that puppy from Brant was a going-away gift.”

“Puppy?”

His father froze. “It was just talk.”

Talk that suggested Cole had been accepted back into the family fold by the middle Wylder brother.

“You’ll have to stop in for supper sometime if you’re sticking around,” his father said.

Cole nodded, even though his brain was suddenly screaming “no” to staying on the ranch. He needed to be with Jackie. No matter what. Even if that meant leaving the acceptance he was finally finding. Because even though it was what he’d wanted for the past five years, it paled in comparison to having Jackie.

* * *

“You need to come with me. I have something to show you.”

“What?” Jackie stood in her apartment doorway, staring at Cole.

He was here. In San Antonio. And he had something to show her.

No hello. No kiss. Just a command. So typical of the Cole Wylder she’d grown up with.

---