her
cheek with his other hand. “What is it, Charley?”
“I’ve missed you.”
Cole squeezed his eyes shut reflexively as
pain shot through him. Charley was limp, her breathing regular. “I’ve missed
you, too, baby,” he whispered. “You’ll never know how much. And as hard as it
will be to wait, I’ll give you all the time you need to trust me again. I won’t
push you.” He leaned over and brushed her lips with his. “I love you, Charley.”
Chapter Five
Charley’s eyes popped open and then slammed
shut again as the bright sunlight hit them. A groan escaped her dry lips. She
felt like she’d been in a car wreck. And the dreams she’d had. Her eyelids flew
up again. Dreams. Cole. Oh, God. “Frannie!” Panic tinged her voice and she hit
the floor running. “Frannie!”
Her cousin was sprawled on the couch,
snoring. “Frannie!” She grabbed her by the shirt and shook.
“What!” Frannie sat up so rapidly that
toilet paper and soap sailed across the room.
“Was Cole here last night? Oh, God.” She
shook her again. “This is all your fault! I never should have listened to you!”
“Just give me a sec, here, okay?” She
swatted Charley’s hands away and screwed her face up in thought. “No, he wasn’t
here. But you did talk to him on the phone. At least, I think that’s who you
were talking to. I have this vague memory of you telling him he was a pig.”
“Oh, God.” Charley slid down the side of
the couch and landed on the floor with a thump. “That’s bad enough. The rest
must have been a dream, thank heavens. I’ll never touch wine again as long as I
live. My head is killing me.”
Frannie swung her legs off the couch. “Take
some aspirin, and drink lots of fluids. Man, I’m stiff. I don’t think I moved
all night. What time is it?”
Charley pointed at the clock. “After nine.”
“Then I’m out of here. I have to run home
and take a shower.” Her gaze swept over Charley. “You look like roadkill. Why
don’t you go back to bed?”
“I think I will.” She climbed to her feet.
“You’re absolutely sure Cole wasn’t here last night?”
“Think about it. Why would he have been
here?”
“I guess you’re right. But it sure seemed
real.”
“What time are you coming in to work?”
“Probably a few hours earlier than normal.
Since I didn’t work last night, there are things I need to do.”
“Okay, take it easy and I’ll see you
later.”
“Bye.” She winced when the door slammed.
Time to find those aspirin. With her mind still on the dream, she poured a
glass of orange juice and carried it into the bathroom. He had been so gentle,
so caring. He had been the Cole she remembered and loved. Which just proved
that it really had been a dream. She’d certainly seen no signs of that Cole
since he’d returned, and it was a good thing she hadn’t. It was hard enough to
be around him now, but it was better than putting up with a caring front when
she knew he couldn’t care less. She couldn’t bear that.
Stripping out of her wrinkled clothing,
Charley climbed back into bed and pulled the blankets up. Sleep was long in
coming, but just before she drifted off, she raised one hand to her mouth,
fingers tracing her lips. The kiss had felt so real.
* * * * *
The pickup gave a final hiccup and then
died as Charley parked it behind the Red Dog. She really was going to have to
do something about the truck. It was getting worse every day. Frannie’s yellow
VW Bug was parked beside Cole’s Jaguar. Good. That meant she wouldn’t have to
be alone with him. Gathering her nerve, she went through the back door and
paused, trying to decide what to do. Frannie saved her the trouble. Her cousin
popped out of the room next to her office and motioned.
“Come look! This is so great!”
Charley stepped into the room, stopped and
gaped. She couldn’t believe it was the same room she’d just left yesterday. A
huge “L” shaped desk took up almost two sides of the
cheek with his other hand. “What is it, Charley?”
“I’ve missed you.”
Cole squeezed his eyes shut reflexively as
pain shot through him. Charley was limp, her breathing regular. “I’ve missed
you, too, baby,” he whispered. “You’ll never know how much. And as hard as it
will be to wait, I’ll give you all the time you need to trust me again. I won’t
push you.” He leaned over and brushed her lips with his. “I love you, Charley.”
Chapter Five
Charley’s eyes popped open and then slammed
shut again as the bright sunlight hit them. A groan escaped her dry lips. She
felt like she’d been in a car wreck. And the dreams she’d had. Her eyelids flew
up again. Dreams. Cole. Oh, God. “Frannie!” Panic tinged her voice and she hit
the floor running. “Frannie!”
Her cousin was sprawled on the couch,
snoring. “Frannie!” She grabbed her by the shirt and shook.
“What!” Frannie sat up so rapidly that
toilet paper and soap sailed across the room.
“Was Cole here last night? Oh, God.” She
shook her again. “This is all your fault! I never should have listened to you!”
“Just give me a sec, here, okay?” She
swatted Charley’s hands away and screwed her face up in thought. “No, he wasn’t
here. But you did talk to him on the phone. At least, I think that’s who you
were talking to. I have this vague memory of you telling him he was a pig.”
“Oh, God.” Charley slid down the side of
the couch and landed on the floor with a thump. “That’s bad enough. The rest
must have been a dream, thank heavens. I’ll never touch wine again as long as I
live. My head is killing me.”
Frannie swung her legs off the couch. “Take
some aspirin, and drink lots of fluids. Man, I’m stiff. I don’t think I moved
all night. What time is it?”
Charley pointed at the clock. “After nine.”
“Then I’m out of here. I have to run home
and take a shower.” Her gaze swept over Charley. “You look like roadkill. Why
don’t you go back to bed?”
“I think I will.” She climbed to her feet.
“You’re absolutely sure Cole wasn’t here last night?”
“Think about it. Why would he have been
here?”
“I guess you’re right. But it sure seemed
real.”
“What time are you coming in to work?”
“Probably a few hours earlier than normal.
Since I didn’t work last night, there are things I need to do.”
“Okay, take it easy and I’ll see you
later.”
“Bye.” She winced when the door slammed.
Time to find those aspirin. With her mind still on the dream, she poured a
glass of orange juice and carried it into the bathroom. He had been so gentle,
so caring. He had been the Cole she remembered and loved. Which just proved
that it really had been a dream. She’d certainly seen no signs of that Cole
since he’d returned, and it was a good thing she hadn’t. It was hard enough to
be around him now, but it was better than putting up with a caring front when
she knew he couldn’t care less. She couldn’t bear that.
Stripping out of her wrinkled clothing,
Charley climbed back into bed and pulled the blankets up. Sleep was long in
coming, but just before she drifted off, she raised one hand to her mouth,
fingers tracing her lips. The kiss had felt so real.
* * * * *
The pickup gave a final hiccup and then
died as Charley parked it behind the Red Dog. She really was going to have to
do something about the truck. It was getting worse every day. Frannie’s yellow
VW Bug was parked beside Cole’s Jaguar. Good. That meant she wouldn’t have to
be alone with him. Gathering her nerve, she went through the back door and
paused, trying to decide what to do. Frannie saved her the trouble. Her cousin
popped out of the room next to her office and motioned.
“Come look! This is so great!”
Charley stepped into the room, stopped and
gaped. She couldn’t believe it was the same room she’d just left yesterday. A
huge “L” shaped desk took up almost two sides of the
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