Her face brightened.
“Your momma needs some time for recovery,” his father said. “You’ve got things handled over there?”
He glanced over at Eva.Not really.“I’ve got it.”
“Good. Your mom wanted that festival to be our best one yet. Stubborn woman keeps talking about it, even while they were wheeling her away. It’s all on you, kid, the holidays, everything. I’m definitely staying here with your momma until way after Thanksgiving.”
“Do what you have to do,” Cole said. He was so happy that he’d agree to anything. “Is West coming back?”
He noticed Eva’s breath catch as she waited for the answer too.
“He hasn’t mentioned it.”
“Can I talk to him?” Cole asked.
His father sighed and called out to West. “Hey, come talk to your brother.”
West took the phone. “I’m sorry for ditching you like that, but you can see that I had no choice.”
“Right.” Cole could concedethat. “When are you getting back here?”
“Soon, soon. I need to go to Nashville first. An emergency just came up.”
“Are you kidding me?” Cole was blown away at what West was foisting on him.
“I’m sorry. Remember how I said that I’d pay you?”
“I did and I don’t want it.”
“Well, you might as well get something out of it.” West sighed. “Look, tell Eva I’ll be back by Thanksgiving.”
That was five days away. “You tell her.”
West had already hung up on him. Cold fury filled Cole as he turned to West’s fiancée. She seemed stunned. How much had she heard from the other side? Her hand slid from his. “He’s not coming?”
He felt miserable as the messenger. She didn’t have to shoot him—he was ready to shoot himself. “West will be here for Thanksgiving…”
Her lips pressed together. “Well,” she managed tightly, “he’s going to miss out.” Her eyes watered.
Was she going to cry? Cole was desperate to make this up to her. “Definitely… he’ll miss the pony races and–and the turkey ones.”
“The turkey ones?” Sudden excitement lit up her face. “We’re doing the races?”
“Yeah, and the piglets and whatever other thing you want to race, and you know what? I’m going to build you a pumpkin catapult.”
“Really?” She stood, her legs trembling with giddiness. “These kids are going to love this festival!”
They’d better. Cole had just signed his life away. “And you’d better pick out my pansiest pretty boy outfit in your possession,” he said, “because I’m wearing it.”
Why not?
The grin that took over her face made all the coming discomfort worth it. She wrapped him in an embrace so tight, it almost rivalled what she’d done to him in that tickle war. “This will be the best Thanksgiving ever!” she cried. “Thank you! Thank you! Cole, you don’t know how much this means to me. You’re really the best!”
Was he? Because he was kind of feeling like a jerk right now, especially when his gaze drew to her lips and he was tempted to finish what they’d started with that wrestling match.
His momma had raised him better than that. And even better? She was alive. Alive!
His hands ran down Eva’s back before he released her. “Let’s eat that dinner we made, huh? It’s getting cold.”