Page 84 of Second Chance Wedding
Ben charged ahead of her and retraced his steps past Cole along the side of the house, while she took a moment to grab her small suitcase from the backseat.
Before she had time to set it on the ground, Cole was there, his hand sliding over hers in a shiver-inducing touch as he took the suitcase and her laptop bag from her to carry.
She smiled up at his taller form and tilted her head to the side at the welcoming yet wary expression he wore. “Is something wrong?”
Hands full of her baggage, Cole simply lowered his head and stole a kiss like he couldn’t help himself.
She heard a thud as her suitcase hit the gravel at their feet, but then Cole’s hand gently cradled her jaw, his fingers slid into her hair, and she couldn’t stop the little moan that formed.
The man certainly knew how to kiss. One kiss quickly blended into two and then three. Cole stole her breath and her senses and left her weak-kneed and reeling.
“Mom, come on! Hurry up!”
Cole ended the kisses with a soft growl that left her toes curling in her cute designer booties. She stared up at Cole, the rugged planes and angles of his face lit by the glow radiating off the house.
He was so handsome, but there was more to him than his looks. And it was getting harder and harder to remember her reasons for keeping Cole at a distance when he looked at her the way he did. Like he truly forgave her for all the pain she’d caused him.
And when he kissed her… Well, she forgot most everything else as well.
“Ben’s excited to show you our surprise.”
She nodded, still feeling the effects of the kiss like the most potent champagne. “Lead the way.”
Cole set off carrying her stuffed suitcase and computer bag as though they weighed nothing.
She followed more slowly, picking her way along the paving stones behind him. During her pondering on the flight home, Quinley’s comment about the difference between living and existing kept replaying in her head.
That…and the fact that she now recognized the fact that she merely existed. She woke up, worked, took care of Ben and the house, and went to bed to get up and do it all over again. She went through the motions of life, but— If she were totally honest, she felt empty a lot of the time. No,mostof the time. She felt disconnected and lacked joy.
But ever since Cole had reappeared in her life… Could it really be so simple? Could the difference be sharing common plans and dreams, goals—kisses—with someone? Having someone to talk to, act as a sounding board? Having a friend who was more than a friend?
But was friendship what she wanted with Cole? Because the kiss he’d just given her—stolen, though she wasn’t complaining—had left her wanting more. But that would mean??—
Ana gasped as she turned the corner. Not only did the Christmas lights extend all the way around to the back, but Ben and Cole had also added lights to all her ornamental evergreens and the trees that lined the tiny back yard. It looked like a glowing fairytale.
A fire blazed in the pit, and they’d even retrieved her containers of decorations from storage and added her beach-themed holiday pillows and items to the lounge area. And beyond the patio door…their Christmas tree twinkled in the darkened interior of the house.
“Do you like it?” Ben asked. “We didn’t decorate the tree. We just put it up and put lights on it so it’s ready to decorate. I told Cole that’s the part you didn’t like.”
“I do hate fluffing and doing the lights.” She shook her head, laughing softly, unable to keep from smiling as she took in all the details. “It’sbeautiful. I can’t believe you did all of this. I love it. Thank you. Both of you.”
“We wanted to surprise you.”
“You’ve succeeded and then some.”
“Ben…why don’t you take your mom’s stuff inside for her?”
Ana watched as Ben moved to take her bags from Cole, and the two exchanged a look she couldn’t quite make out. For a split-second, Ben looked sad and scared while Cole looked…resigned? “Is something wrong?”
Ben turned and took off toward the patio door like he couldn’t get away fast enough, and Ana’s stomach dropped like a stone. “I know guilt when I see it. Did something happen while I was gone? Did you two do all of this…to make up for whatever it is you’re about to tell me?”
A huff rumbled out of Cole.
“You’ve got good instincts. Come sit down, Ana.”
She moved to the back of the loveseat and braced herself against it. “Cole, what happened? Just tell me.”
Cole ran a hand over his head before propping both on his lean hips as he stared at her.
