Page 103 of Cole

Annie’s eyes held his through the screen. “And what about your career? Dad’s influence?”

“I just have to hope that he won’t follow through. But if he does, I’ll try my best to fight it.” Cole’s jaw tightened. “I won’t be bullied out of the game I love. Or away from the woman I love.”

The words hung between them, unexpected but undeniable. Cole hadn’t planned to say it like this—over a video call, in the middle of discussing security arrangements—but he couldn’t take it back. Didn’t want to.

Annie’s breath caught audibly. “Cole…”

“I’m in love with you, Annie. I should have told you before everything fell apart. Maybe if I had, it wouldn’t have taken us this long to figure out that we want to fight for us.”

Tears welled in her eyes. “I love you too. That’s why I couldn’t just accept that our relationship was over.”

Cole wished desperately that he could reach through the screen and touch her, wipe away the tears now sliding down her cheeks.

But he wouldn’t be able to do that for awhile yet. He needed to look at his schedule to see when he could plan a trip to Serenity to see her again.

It felt like it would be the hardest thing in the world to wait to hold her in his arms again. But the thing he had to keep in mind was that itwouldhappen, even if it wasn’t right away.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Christmas dinner was a tense affair for Annie. There was always some level of tension because Julian was present, and his relationship with their dad was never uncomplicated.

Annie wasn’t sure if there would ever come a time when they’d put aside their differences. After everything that had happened with her and Cole, she had a better understanding of why Julian had tension with their dad.

She’d hoped to have time to talk to her dad about Cole again, but he hadn’t arrived until late the previous day. Annie had decided not to push for a conversation with him on the holiday, but she hoped that they’d have a chance the next day.

Since the conversation she and Cole had had, they’d talked every day. He’d sat out the one game he’d been benched, and then he’d come back with a vengeance.

They’d squeaked out a win in the game he’d sat out. But once Cole was back on the court, the team had again taken control of the game and come away with a resounding win.

There was a game that night, and Annie had every intention of watching it with Benji.

“Have you been in contact with Cole Halverson, Annalisa?” her dad asked just as they were starting the dessert course of their elaborate Christmas meal.

Annie had hoped he wouldn’t bring Cole up, but she wasn’t surprised when he did. Plus, she suspected that he knew they’d been in communication. He paid her phone bill, after all. She made a mental note to look into getting herself her own phone and plan.

“Yes,” she said, not even trying to hide the fact.

“There’s been another threat against you.”

“Duncan,” Elizabeth said. “Do we have to discuss this now?”

“We do,” her dad said firmly, though the look he gave his wife was gentle. “I’m leaving again in the morning, and I want to make her aware of this.”

“What’s the threat?” Annie asked.

“The attacker says they’re going to release all the information about who you are,” he revealed.

“Maybe it’s time,” Annie said. “Maybe you should be the one to release that information. Take the wind out of this person’s sails, so to speak.”

Her dad, unsurprisingly, didn’t agree. “It will bring the crazies out.”

“I don’t understand,” Annie said. “You’re not the only rich person in the world. How do the others keep their family safe?”

“The richest rarely parade their children out in public. In fact, you’ll find very little about them in the news or on social media.”

“I’m not wanting to parade out in public.”

“Except that’s what will happen if you insist on being in Cole’s life.”

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