Page 143 of Cole

Plus, he needed her to know that she was important to him, and that there was no reason to hide how she felt from him. He loved her and there was nothing she could reveal about herself that would change that.

CHAPTER THIRTY

When Cole found out that Annie hadn’t been staying at the main house, he made the decision to spend the night at his parents’ place. He’d walked Annie to her home, then he’d headed to see his parents.

The decision might not have made sense to the others because the last time he was in Serenity, he’d stayed there. However, he’d had two very good reasons for his decision this time. One, he didn’t want Annie to be worried about missing out on something if he was at the mansion and she wasn’t.

The second reason was that he wanted to see his parents. He needed to tell them about Annie and just how important she’d become to him. They had an inkling after the afternoon they’d all spent at the rink on New Years Day, but he needed to tell them how much he loved her and how he envisioned their future.

Cole had spoken to Duncan briefly before he’d left the main house to ask for his permission to give his parents more details about Annie and her family. Though he’d thought Duncan might balk, the man had given him permission with the understanding that for the time being, it went no further than his parents.

Something told Cole that he’d acquiesced so easily because he’d done a background check on everyone in the Halverson family.

Over the past several weeks, Cole had come to understand Duncan much better, and he knew that the man’s decisions regarding security were based on Duncan’s love for his family. Understanding that made it a little easier to accept the man’s heavy-handed approach to security, especially because it meant the woman Cole loved would also be safe.

His parents had been shocked to find him on their doorstep, but after being assured that there was nothing wrong, they’d welcomed him with open arms.

Because it was late already, they didn’t talk too long. Just long enough for Cole to tell them more about Annie and how serious he was about her.

For the second time that night, they were shocked, but they’d both said that they really liked her and felt she’d be a good fit within the family—enormous wealth, notwithstanding.

The next morning, Cole had a quick breakfast with them, then drove over to the estate.

Annie was in the breakfast room with everyone else when he arrived. She greeted him with a smile as she got to her feet.

He took her in his arms for a quick kiss before accepting a cup of coffee from Elizabeth.

“What are your plans for today?” Duncan asked from his place at the head of the table.

Cole glanced at Annie, then said, “I believe we’re going to church this morning.”

“Can I come with you?” Benji asked.

“Of course,” Cole said. “I know you want to see Amelia.”

Cole chuckled as Benji’s cheeks flushed. “I like going to church, not just to see Amelia, you know.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Cole told him.

“Are Dawn and Andrew going with you?” Duncan asked.

“Yes,” Annie said. “Andrew doesn’t always go, but Dawn said he’d be accompanying us this morning, too.”

“Good. I’d rather both be with you for the next little while.”

With that settled, they finished their breakfast, then prepared to leave. Cole was a bit surprised when Annie invited Angela and Kiara along, but less surprised when they declined. They’d probably met enough new people for a while.

They had to wait for Dawn and Andrew to bring their car around. Jude had insisted that he and Annie take one of the secure SUVs, so Cole left his rental and drove the vehicle Jude gave him the keys to.

Once at the church, Cole was greeted with enthusiasm by his family, who were all surprised by his presence.

“Why didn’t you let us know you were coming?” Jay asked after giving him a hug.

“It was kind of a last minute thing,” Cole said. “And I was coming mainly for Annie.”

Jay chuckled. “Passed over for your love. I get it.”

“We’re happy to have you here, regardless,” Gareth said as he clapped him on the back.

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