Page 83 of Second Chance Wedding
“Nothing bad happened,” Ben said.
“Maybe not, Ben, but you put yourself at risk. You could have disappeared, and we might’ve never found you. Is that something you want to put your mom through?”
Ben’s lips trembled, and he swiped a hand under his nose again.
“No. I’m sorry I keep screwing up. God, mom’s really going to be pissed if you tell her.”
“When,” he corrected, not budging because he knew to keep it a secret meant it coming back to bite him later. “And you’ve got that right. She is.”
Ben’s stunt was not going to help Ana’s mood on any level. Neither was bringing Ben here tonight. And Cole would have to tell herthatpart of the story, too. And hope she’d forgive him.
“It wasn’t your fault I snuck out. I’ll tell her it was me. That I-I wanted to see friends.”
“No, we are not lying about what went down tonight. Ben, your mom needs to know how you feel. She needs to know that you’re struggling so she can help you or get you help. Someone you feel secure enough to talk to about your biological dad.”
“A lot of my friends go to therapy. Mom’s…mentioned therapy before because of the Taylors and stuff.”
“So maybe it’s time to let her arrange it for you. But until you decide, we have to come clean on what went down tonight. No matter how much it’s gonna hurt. Tonight is on both of us, and now— We have to deal with the fallout.”
* * *
Ana got home from New York City much later than she’d expected Sunday evening due to a storm system delaying flights. After dancing the night away in a club belonging to one of Rhys’s megarich friends—so security could keep a close watch on Quinley and have backup should there be trouble—they’d slept in the following morning and then received the weather news.
While Quinley dozed off her champagne hangover during the flight back, Ana had used the time to go over every single conversation from her weekend away. The one with Quinley in the hotel room after the fitting, the texts she’d exchanged with Cole. All of them.
She blamed the drink and the music and fun she’d had for why she’d sent Cole that picture. At least, she tried to. But if she were honest—and she was working hard to be more honest with herself rather than bury her head in the sand—those weren’t the only reasons why.
Honesty meant accepting that a part of her wanted Cole’s attention, even though she was so far away. Because while Cole had seen her the night of the hotel opening gala looking sophisticated and businesslike, and at the Marine ball in something “suitable”, he hadn’t seen her as a woman out on the town ready for fun and—she’d wanted him to.
But why?
Why send the picture unless Quinley was right, and she needed to admit something tangible was happening between them?
She’d left her child with Cole, for pity’s sake. That said it all, didn’t it? That level of trust…of knowing Cole would do whatever was required to keep Ben safe…
But it was more than that. She’d wanted Cole to see her as he used to?
To know that smiling, fun, carefree girl sometimes still existed, and she wasn’t all rules and work and the chaos of her life?
As she drove home from the airport, her pulse picked up speed when she thought of the picture Cole had sent to her of his military days.
She’d choked on her drink when the photo had come through her phone. While all the men in the photo were handsome in their own way, ripped and muscular and in prime physical shape, Cole had stood out from the pack. At least to her.
Even thinking of him now sent a shiver through her and created a pleasant flush that had nothing to do with alcohol.
And everything to do with the man. He was gorgeous but also smart, kind, caring, tender. The list of qualities seemed endless, topped by his ability to get under her skin and annoy her.
And that whole primal claiming thing? Saying she was his? Why had she liked that so much? She prided herself on being independent and strong and capable. But knowing he wanted her in that way… It just did something, said something.
Finally she made the turn down the road leading to her small home, and she gasped when she saw the twinkling lights now outlining her roof and gabled porch. She pulled in and parked, unable to keep the smile off her face as she got out.
“Do you like it?” Ben asked hurrying toward her from the little walkway that led around the house to the back deck.
“I love it! Ben, you did all of this?”
“Me and Cole. We fixed some other things too. The broken shutter and the trim piece by the door. Lots of stuff. Come see what else we did in the back.”
Cole appeared behind Ben, looking tall and strong and just as sexy as he was whenever that picture had been taken, though he wore a thick hoodie to combat the November wind blowing in off the Atlantic and Cape Fear River.
