He tried to find something that would make his momma happy. “She’s got some great ideas for your pumpkin festival.”
His mother made pleased sounds. “She’s a keeper. You hear that, West? Eva is turning things around for our pumpkin festival.”
“Great,” West muttered in a bored voice.
Cole ground his teeth.
“You better be careful, West,” his momma chided him. “You’re gonna leave her so long in Cole’s care, he’s going to take her off your hands.”
Uh oh! His momma wasn’t supposed to be so sharp after her surgery. Cole shifted.
“Momma,” West complained. “I’m not leaving your side until I see you eating a full meal again.”
Their momma let out a scandalized breath. “West! I’ve got your father to take care of me. You need to show that girl you value her or you’re going to lose her. A man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”
“I will… when you’re better.”
“Here’s some free advice, boys,” his momma sounded stern. “This is for the both of you. You’ve got to fight for what you want… if it’s really worth it. If it’s not, then you’ve got to move on. You’ve got me?”
“Yes, ma’am.” And West didn’t sound like he was taking that to heart at all.
“Cole?” she asked. “You going to do that?”
“Uh.” He hesitated. Was he willing to fight for what he wanted? The question was… what was that? His mind went back to Eva sleeping peacefully on the couch. Cole quickly changed the subject before he became a bigger liar than West. “How are you feeling, Momma?”
“Alive,” she said. “My heart is beating and–and I feel really good right now, actually, a little lightheaded after my rehab. They’re watching me closely, even walked me through the hall, but…” she lowered her voice, “I need to tell you something, Cole. I can’t explain it. I feel like I’m living on borrowed time, but…”
“Momma,” West said. “You’re just tired. You’ve been through so much. You need your rest. Lay down and I’ll take care of things.”
“You are too good to me, but let me say my piece, love. Cole, listen to me. It’s just that I’ve come to a realization that we can’t leave for tomorrow what we need to do today. Do you hear what I’m saying, Cole? West? Cherish the ones you love!”
“What do you think I’m doing?” West asked with a laugh.
“Honey… sometimes I wonder if you’re doing this on purpose. I’m talking about Eva.”
“No worries, Momma. We have an understanding.”
Cole didn’t answer. Both of their words burned through him. Eva needed his help, and he’d been doing a lousy job of rescuing her from his brutish brother. Things were going to change.
He listened to West coddle their momma, followed by the commotion of his oldest brother, Hudson, entering the room with his wife Mimi. “Uh uh,” West called out to them as they greeted him brightly. “Don’t think about it. She was just getting ready to go down.”
“West! I’m fine,” she argued cheerfully. “I want to see my boys. Cole, I love you,” she sang into the phone. “I’ll see you soon.”
Cole hung up, his heart skipping dully. He walked back into the kitchen and set the phone back into its cradle. He looked out through the window into the black November night and noticed that the motion detector lights had been set off.
He didn’t see an animal in sight.
Eva’s True Crime show was screaming bloody murder in the other room.
Cole rushed to turn off the noise and gathered up his blanket to set up camp next to the couch where she slept.
Chapter Twenty-One
“Eva! Eva!”
She twisted around, seeing West’s kids run for her. “Charlie! Pip!” she cried out.
They shouted out in excitement. The Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice Festival was every bit as magical as she’d imagined. The kids hopped over orange pumpkins glistening over the dark soil.