ability to commit, or his back-and-forth thoughts and
feelings regarding her departure after his accident. Neither topic was up for
public debate. They were issues for he and Rachel alone to discuss.
And they would, one way or another. Doing so was an integral
part of his plan, just as important as discerning her feelings and determining
if they could have the future he envisioned. But he had to proceed slowly,
carefully. And he had to start somewhere.
Not one member of his family interrupted him as he spoke. He
supposed they were balancing his words with what they knew about him, about
Rachel. By the time he finished, his throat felt parched and heat had gathered
on the back of his neck. He loved his family. He’d relied on them throughout the
worst moments of his life. He trusted them.
But damn if this didn’t feel as if he’d just stripped naked in
front of them. Difficult, yes. Also, though, humbling and far too revealing for
his peace of his mind.
“That’s everything,” Cole said to break the silence. Rather
than their earlier amusement, his family now appeared disconcerted—if not
downright shocked—by all he’d had to say. Well, that was fair. He’d dodged their
questions regarding Rachel for years, and now, seemingly out of the blue, he’d
made his feelings plain and had asked for their
help. In one fell swoop, even.
“Let me ascertain I understand you,” said Cole’s father, his
expression stern and serious. “You love Rachel, Rachel is here with another man,
she now believes you’re in love with a local gal, and along with all of that,
you’ve elicited Rachel’s agreement to assist you in convincing this other
woman—a woman who doesn’t exist, I might add—into accepting a marriage
proposal?” He paused, drew in a breath. “Is that about right?”
When his dad looked at him in just that way, Cole felt about
five years old. Still, he managed to keep his voice calm and collected when he
said, “Yes. That’s right.”
“Okay, then.” Paul’s steady brown eyes never left Cole’s.
“That’s quite the plan you’ve arrived at here. It’s creative, if nothing else.”
He paused again, as if considering the dilemma. “I’m assuming you’ve already
thought through other possibilities?”
“Well, of course he has, Paul,” Margaret Foster inserted. “Cole
never does anything without thinking every possible option through. You know
that as well as I do.”
“Now, Margaret, our son is asking us to lie to a woman we all
like,” his dad said in that patient, authoritative way of his. “I think a few
questions are in order before we agree.”
“I am not in favor of lying to anyone, particularly to Rachel,”
Reid said, his words clipped and distinct. “Really, what were you thinking? You
want to have a relationship with this woman, right? Why would you head down that
path by misleading her?”
“Oh, stop. We don’t have to lie to Rachel.” Haley wrinkled her
nose at Reid. “Weren’t you listening? She isn’t supposed to ask about the
girlfriend, and even if she does, all we have to say is, ‘No comment. Cole asked
us not to discuss this subject.’ Which he did. So, no lies necessary. Geez, pay
attention.”
“Avoiding the truth is still a lie, Haley,” Reid said, as set
in his ways as ever. “You adore Rachel, consider her a friend, and you’re okay
with deceiving her? You truly don’t see a problem with doing so?”
“Rachel is my friend,” Haley said
quietly but with conviction. “And if the end result is my friend and my brother
being happy together, then yes, I’m okay with this. I’ve always thought they’d
make a terrific couple.” Narrowing her eyes, Haley pointed at Reid. “You have,
too, for that matter. You’ve said so! Stop being such a...a...stick in the
mud.”
“Yes,” Reid said drily, “being an honest person equates to
being a stick in the mud.” Giving up on their sister, Reid shoved his fingers
through his short, cropped hair and
feelings regarding her departure after his accident. Neither topic was up for
public debate. They were issues for he and Rachel alone to discuss.
And they would, one way or another. Doing so was an integral
part of his plan, just as important as discerning her feelings and determining
if they could have the future he envisioned. But he had to proceed slowly,
carefully. And he had to start somewhere.
Not one member of his family interrupted him as he spoke. He
supposed they were balancing his words with what they knew about him, about
Rachel. By the time he finished, his throat felt parched and heat had gathered
on the back of his neck. He loved his family. He’d relied on them throughout the
worst moments of his life. He trusted them.
But damn if this didn’t feel as if he’d just stripped naked in
front of them. Difficult, yes. Also, though, humbling and far too revealing for
his peace of his mind.
“That’s everything,” Cole said to break the silence. Rather
than their earlier amusement, his family now appeared disconcerted—if not
downright shocked—by all he’d had to say. Well, that was fair. He’d dodged their
questions regarding Rachel for years, and now, seemingly out of the blue, he’d
made his feelings plain and had asked for their
help. In one fell swoop, even.
“Let me ascertain I understand you,” said Cole’s father, his
expression stern and serious. “You love Rachel, Rachel is here with another man,
she now believes you’re in love with a local gal, and along with all of that,
you’ve elicited Rachel’s agreement to assist you in convincing this other
woman—a woman who doesn’t exist, I might add—into accepting a marriage
proposal?” He paused, drew in a breath. “Is that about right?”
When his dad looked at him in just that way, Cole felt about
five years old. Still, he managed to keep his voice calm and collected when he
said, “Yes. That’s right.”
“Okay, then.” Paul’s steady brown eyes never left Cole’s.
“That’s quite the plan you’ve arrived at here. It’s creative, if nothing else.”
He paused again, as if considering the dilemma. “I’m assuming you’ve already
thought through other possibilities?”
“Well, of course he has, Paul,” Margaret Foster inserted. “Cole
never does anything without thinking every possible option through. You know
that as well as I do.”
“Now, Margaret, our son is asking us to lie to a woman we all
like,” his dad said in that patient, authoritative way of his. “I think a few
questions are in order before we agree.”
“I am not in favor of lying to anyone, particularly to Rachel,”
Reid said, his words clipped and distinct. “Really, what were you thinking? You
want to have a relationship with this woman, right? Why would you head down that
path by misleading her?”
“Oh, stop. We don’t have to lie to Rachel.” Haley wrinkled her
nose at Reid. “Weren’t you listening? She isn’t supposed to ask about the
girlfriend, and even if she does, all we have to say is, ‘No comment. Cole asked
us not to discuss this subject.’ Which he did. So, no lies necessary. Geez, pay
attention.”
“Avoiding the truth is still a lie, Haley,” Reid said, as set
in his ways as ever. “You adore Rachel, consider her a friend, and you’re okay
with deceiving her? You truly don’t see a problem with doing so?”
“Rachel is my friend,” Haley said
quietly but with conviction. “And if the end result is my friend and my brother
being happy together, then yes, I’m okay with this. I’ve always thought they’d
make a terrific couple.” Narrowing her eyes, Haley pointed at Reid. “You have,
too, for that matter. You’ve said so! Stop being such a...a...stick in the
mud.”
“Yes,” Reid said drily, “being an honest person equates to
being a stick in the mud.” Giving up on their sister, Reid shoved his fingers
through his short, cropped hair and
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