Page 23 of Second Chance Wedding
“Don’t let Ben leave, and if he does, call me immediately,” Ana said. “If he finishes before I get back, have him put together that new display.”
“You got it.”
“We’ll be close by in the bar,” he said to Sasha.
Ana grabbed her phone from the desk behind the checkout counter and carried it with her as she rounded the area.
Cole waited, turning to follow her out of the store and into the hotel lobby. “Nice place you have.”
“Thanks. It’s been years in the making.”
They walked side by side past the restaurant toward the separate bar area.
“Back there,” he said, indicating the empty table along the wall away from the other patrons. It was early yet and the bar mostly empty. “Sit down, Ana.”
He held her chair and waited for her.
A long moment stretched before she acquiesced and settled into the seat. He started to sit opposite her but at the last second chose to sit beside her instead. She stiffened and shifted away as though to get up and move to the other side until he placed his hand gently over her forearm. “Stay, please.”
She deflated, like the fight went out of her, and the tension faded in an instant.
“Cole, if this is about our…history, I’m sorry. Okay? I hurt you, and I shouldn’t have shut you out like that, but it was hard for me, too.”
“I don’t want to talk about the breakup,” he said, feeling his body tense even more at her words. Hard for her, too? Was she overseas in a combat zone getting dumped?
Yeah, she owed him answers, but right now the past wasn’t important. Her safety was. “I asked you here because I want to talk about Ben.”
“What about him? Did he give youthatmuch trouble today?”
“Ana,” he said, her name holding a wealth of emotion he held in check. “I need to know if you have safety plan in place.”
“A…what?”
Cole stared into her soft green eyes, watching as confusion turned to awareness and then brokenness.
He fought his own anger that he even felt the need to have this conversation, but her response took the air from his lungs.
“Are you kidding me right now?” She whispered the words. Gasped them. Like her voice didn’t work properly. “I do notneeda safety plan because of my son.”
“I think you do,” he said just as softly. “Look, Ana, I’m not trying to freak you out or upset you, but I’m concerned.”
“Don’t be.”
She tried to stand, and he grasped her arm again. “Just hear me out. If I’m wrong I’m wrong but— Stay.”
She glared at him, eyes darkening with the sparkle of tears she hurried to blink away. Her jaw set in a mulish line, and he took her lack of motion as a sign to continue.
“I’m concerned,” he said again. “Ana, I hope you’re right and I’m wrong.”
“Youare.”
“Then you can listen to what I have to say and then ignore it. But at least be honest and admit that if you saw someone struggling and knew you could help, you’d do the same.”
That seemed to register, and she stayed silent for a long moment.
“Say whatever it is you want to say and let me get back to work,” she said finally.
“What do you want to drink?”
