goodness sakes.
“He can’t go. I may be carrying his child. Your grandchild.”
“She’s lying” Cole yelled as her father’s rifle was once again aimed at Cole’s gut. Kate held her place. Maybe she shouldn’t have said that, but neither of them was acting like they were supposed to and she was desperate.
“You said nothing happened,” her father challenged.
“Nothing did,” Cole answered.
“Well, unless there’s something you know that I don’t, babies don’t get made unless something damn well happens.”
“She’s lying so you’ll force me to marry her.” Cole shifted his focus to Kate, his body rigid. “Is that what you want? A man you tricked into marrying you? A man you’re so ashamed of you can’t let him court you outright? A man who isn’t sticking around for any reason?”
Kate closed her eyes, trying to block out the feelings those words brought. She was running out of time to make things right.
Her father’s voice caused her to open them again. “So help me, if you got her with child and you skip out, Cole Turner, you’ll prove you’re no better than your old man.”
Kate screamed as Cole drew his gun in a lightning-fast response to her father’s taunt.
“I ought to shoot you for what you’re thinking, old man. She’s not carrying my child. I didn’t take advantage of her and I’m not going to be forced into marrying her.”
Both men were now aiming their weapons at each other. She knew the only thing that had prevented them from firing at one another was her standing between them.
“Stop, both of you.” She flung out her arms, the blanket dropping to the ground. She hadn’t expected Cole to fight against making her his wife. She thought only her father stood in their way. But she’d learned today a lot more was blocking their path to a life together than she’d imagined.
Maybe he was right. Maybe she had been ashamed of him. It hadn’t even crossed her mind to invite him home. To make her father accept him. And she’d never thought of having to leave Three Bridges to have Cole. She’d thought Three Bridges would be a safe haven for him, someplace they could settle.
Tears pooled in her eyes. She’d made a mess of everything. She’d tried to trap Cole into marriage and her father into agreeing to it, and all she’d gotten for her trouble was a broken heart and the knowledge that she’d failed on all counts.
“Put down your guns. I’m going home. Nothing happened but a swim.” She could barely see through her tears, but she didn’t dare move until they both lowered their weapons.
“Not like that, you aren’t. You ain’t decent. Put your clothes on,” her father snapped. “And you,” he motioned to Cole with the rifle, “turn around and get out of here before my temper snaps.”
“I ain’t running on your say so, Will Flanders.” Cole stood there, legs splayed apart, gun at the ready, back straight.
Feeling the exhaustion of defeat, Kate took one step toward the pile of her clothes and the air rang with the release of a bullet.
Instantly, Cole’s strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her hard to his side. Together, they dropped to the ground. He rolled her under him in one fluid motion, pinning her. Her father was down, too, and both men were aiming their guns at the trail, waiting.
“Who the hell is that?” Her father huffed.
“Don’t know,” Cole said, but the tone of his voice said he might.
“What are you doing on top of my daughter?” her father ground out, but his eyes never left the trail.
“Protecting her—which should be obvious, Flanders,” Cole retorted.
“What’s obvious is…..”
“Stop it. Someone is shooting at us,” Kate hissed out the words, hoping some sense would make its way into the men’s thick skulls.
Another shot came in, not finding a target.
“He’s holed up by that pine tree, I’ll wager.” Cole’s hard body was pressed to hers. He felt hot, solid, and all male.
Here she
“He can’t go. I may be carrying his child. Your grandchild.”
“She’s lying” Cole yelled as her father’s rifle was once again aimed at Cole’s gut. Kate held her place. Maybe she shouldn’t have said that, but neither of them was acting like they were supposed to and she was desperate.
“You said nothing happened,” her father challenged.
“Nothing did,” Cole answered.
“Well, unless there’s something you know that I don’t, babies don’t get made unless something damn well happens.”
“She’s lying so you’ll force me to marry her.” Cole shifted his focus to Kate, his body rigid. “Is that what you want? A man you tricked into marrying you? A man you’re so ashamed of you can’t let him court you outright? A man who isn’t sticking around for any reason?”
Kate closed her eyes, trying to block out the feelings those words brought. She was running out of time to make things right.
Her father’s voice caused her to open them again. “So help me, if you got her with child and you skip out, Cole Turner, you’ll prove you’re no better than your old man.”
Kate screamed as Cole drew his gun in a lightning-fast response to her father’s taunt.
“I ought to shoot you for what you’re thinking, old man. She’s not carrying my child. I didn’t take advantage of her and I’m not going to be forced into marrying her.”
Both men were now aiming their weapons at each other. She knew the only thing that had prevented them from firing at one another was her standing between them.
“Stop, both of you.” She flung out her arms, the blanket dropping to the ground. She hadn’t expected Cole to fight against making her his wife. She thought only her father stood in their way. But she’d learned today a lot more was blocking their path to a life together than she’d imagined.
Maybe he was right. Maybe she had been ashamed of him. It hadn’t even crossed her mind to invite him home. To make her father accept him. And she’d never thought of having to leave Three Bridges to have Cole. She’d thought Three Bridges would be a safe haven for him, someplace they could settle.
Tears pooled in her eyes. She’d made a mess of everything. She’d tried to trap Cole into marriage and her father into agreeing to it, and all she’d gotten for her trouble was a broken heart and the knowledge that she’d failed on all counts.
“Put down your guns. I’m going home. Nothing happened but a swim.” She could barely see through her tears, but she didn’t dare move until they both lowered their weapons.
“Not like that, you aren’t. You ain’t decent. Put your clothes on,” her father snapped. “And you,” he motioned to Cole with the rifle, “turn around and get out of here before my temper snaps.”
“I ain’t running on your say so, Will Flanders.” Cole stood there, legs splayed apart, gun at the ready, back straight.
Feeling the exhaustion of defeat, Kate took one step toward the pile of her clothes and the air rang with the release of a bullet.
Instantly, Cole’s strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her hard to his side. Together, they dropped to the ground. He rolled her under him in one fluid motion, pinning her. Her father was down, too, and both men were aiming their guns at the trail, waiting.
“Who the hell is that?” Her father huffed.
“Don’t know,” Cole said, but the tone of his voice said he might.
“What are you doing on top of my daughter?” her father ground out, but his eyes never left the trail.
“Protecting her—which should be obvious, Flanders,” Cole retorted.
“What’s obvious is…..”
“Stop it. Someone is shooting at us,” Kate hissed out the words, hoping some sense would make its way into the men’s thick skulls.
Another shot came in, not finding a target.
“He’s holed up by that pine tree, I’ll wager.” Cole’s hard body was pressed to hers. He felt hot, solid, and all male.
Here she
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