“Cole!” she shouted, flabbergasted. “It’s not a big deal! I totally got it–got it handled!”
He was right!
“I just need to change my number,” she said. “You know people. They’re all talk.”
This stalker was trying to figure out where she was. That’s why she couldn’t go on TalkieTalk. It would give away that she was at Harvest Ranch. “Does West know?”
“No!” She pushed her sandwich aside, no longer able to pretend that she was eating it through her sudden anxiety. “And he’s not going to know because you aren’t telling him. He has too much on his plate right now.”
“Too much to keep you safe?” That was ridiculous. This was a good opening for him to make her see reason. “You won’t tell him because you’re afraid that he’ll be too protective, or you won’t tell him because you think he won’t care?”
She flinched. “That’s a horrible thing to say.”
But true… and usually truth was horrible to hear. “I’m sorry, but you’re clever, you’re sweet, you’re–you’re stunningly beautiful.” Her eyes widened. He ignored that. “It seems that you’re with the one person who can’t see that.”
“Oh.” She snorted like he was being incredibly silly. “He does!”
“Does he? That guy is constantly on the phone, and you’re telling me that he can’t answer your texts?”
She paled. He winced, feeling his guilt scrape against his stomach. This wasn’t how he was supposed to do it, was it? He was supposed to get her to come to that conclusion on her own, not sound like a jealous suitor.
And was he?
“Cole?” Her eyes were bright and he could see that she was holding back tears. “Do you just not want me in your family?”
“No!” Why would she take it that way?
“Well, then why have you been trying to push me out since day one?”
“I…” He was at a loss for words. “I have no problem with you being a part of our family… if you marriedanyother brother of mine, I’d be fine with it.”
She broke into a laugh. “You’re the only other guy in your family who’s single.”
“What?” He shifted, battling his conflicting emotions. “This isn’t about me. I’m not trying to break you up so I can get with you. We had to get back from that swamp somehow, and I don’t feel guilty about holding you close to me for three hours.”
Her chin snapped up at the surprising gaffe. Why did he say that aloud?
“Even if West was a better man,” he said, “it just kills me that he thinks that he can treat you like garbage.”
Her lips twisted. “This has nothing to do with me… it’s about you and West, isn’t it? You know what, Cole? I’m going to fix your relationship with your brother.”
He gaped at her.
How had she gotten that out of what he’d said?
The landline rang, startling him upright. He’d often wondered why his parents still had one. Normally, it was just their nosy neighbors wanting to know how his momma was, but this time he was desperate for the distraction from this disturbing conversation. He picked it up. “Honey, Cole! I’m so glad that I caught you.” He recognized his momma’s voice immediately. He straightened. “Momma? You okay?”
“Yes… yes…” She didn’t sound okay. She sounded like she did when she was trying to keep back her tears. “It’s only that we just got a call. We have a heart donor.”
His stomach roiled. “You’re kidding?”
There must’ve been something in his voice that got Eva’s attention because she wandered over with wide eyes.
“Listen, I need you to take care of things while I’m gone,” she said. “West just took me and your daddy to Charleston on his private jet.”
“Yes, yes, of course.”
He tried to steady himself. His momma was getting a heart. That should be a reason to rejoice, and still he could barely catch his breath from the fear that gripped him.