Kitabı oku: «The Cop», sayfa 3
Chapter Four
“You may kiss your bride,” the minister said, and J.J. planted a good one on her.
When the new couple was introduced to the congregation, the entire assembly rose and burst into thunderous applause. There was a packed house. Since this was Mary Beth’s second marriage, she and J.J. had originally planned an intimate wedding with only family and a few friends, but because most of the town felt a party to their courtship, they didn’t want to leave out anyone and risk hurt feelings. They had solved the problem by posting a notice in the newspaper.
Kelly had slipped into a vacant seat at the end of the front pew, planning to wheel Cole out the side door when the ceremony was over. She grinned when her plans went awry. Dixie, one of the bridesmaids, grabbed Cole’s chair and pushed him down the aisle behind the bride and groom and the other two pairs of attendants.
While the guests left for the reception at the VFW hall—the only place in town big enough to handle the crowd—the wedding party assembled back in the church for picture taking. Cole wanted no part of it, but his family insisted that he stay. He endured about fifteen minutes of posing, then signaled for Kelly.
“Tired?” she asked as she wheeled him outside.
“Not particularly. I’m just not much on saying cheese for a camera.”
“Your being there meant a lot to your family.”
He nodded.
As soon as they were in her car, she pulled out of the parking lot and turned left. After a block or two, Cole said, “Isn’t the motel in the other direction?”
She nodded.
“Where are you headed?”
“To the reception. I’m hungry. I want one of Buck’s shrimp puffs and a piece of wedding cake.”
“Who is Buck?” Cole asked.
“You haven’t met him yet? He’s Mary Beth’s assistant at the tearoom. He and her staff are in charge of catering.”
“Why don’t you drop me off at the inn, and then you can go on and enjoy yourself.”
“Mmm,” Kelly said as if she were actually considering it. “No, I don’t think so. I’d rather have a date.”
“A date? This is more like a kidnapping than a date. And I imagine that you could do better than me.”
“Not really. The pickings are pretty slim around Naconiche.”
“I can’t believe that men aren’t lined up outside your door.”
She laughed. “They are. But they usually have sinus infections or prostate problems.”
SOMEBODY HAD REALLY fixed up the place, Cole thought as he looked around the old hall. Blue tablecloths and Christmas arrangements decorated the vintage bingo tables, and potted trees and shrubs strung with lights lined the walls. A small band was setting up in the corner.
“Looks nice,” Cole said as he pushed his walker beside Kelly.
“Yes. Florence did a good job.”
“Florence?”
“Florence Russo, Dixie’s mother-in-law. She’s a retired decorator who moved here from Dallas. She helps out part-time at the Twilight Inn.”
“I can’t believe that little Dixie Anderson is grown and married,” Cole said.
“And has six kids.”
“God, I’m getting old. Last time I remember her, she and Ellen and Mary Beth were high school cheerleaders.”
“You haven’t spent much time in Naconiche, have you?”
“Only a holiday here and there. And those were quick trips in and out to see the family. I joined the Houston Police Department the week after I graduated from college.”
As they moved toward a table, Cole was waylaid by a mob of people, several of them buddies from school days. Most of them had beer bellies and a few were bald or getting that way fast. They looked like their daddies. Everybody seemed glad to see him, and nobody paid much attention to his moccasins. Except Bull Bickham. He and Bull had played football together when he was in high school.
“Wish I could trade shoes with you,” Bull said. “These new ones I got on are hell on my bunion. I would’ve taken them back to the store ’cept my wife wouldn’t let me wear my brogans.”
Gradually he and Kelly made their way to one of the reserved tables. Flagging, he was more than ready to sit down when he got there. He’d insisted on using his walker instead of the wheelchair, and bedamned if he’d admit that Kelly was right when she’d argued against it.
“How about something cold to drink?” Kelly asked.
“I wouldn’t mind some of that,” he said, nodding toward the champagne fountain.
“Sorry. You’ll have to drink with the teetotalers. Be right back.”
He watched her go, enjoying the swing of her hips as she walked away.
“Leave it to you to grab the best-looking woman in town.”
Cole glanced up and grinned at his youngest brother, Sam, the only one in the family taller than he was. “You got it. So hands off. How did you sneak away?”
“I didn’t sneak. The rest of the family will be along in a minute. You okay?”
“Fine. How’s rangering these days?”
Sam Bass Outlaw was a member of the elite Texas Rangers. He’d wanted to be one since he was a kid, and after a determined rise through the highway patrol, he’d made the cut two years before and was chosen to fill the only opening the Rangers had vacant in a while.
“Can’t complain,” Sam said.
“I’ve never known you to do anything else,” a tall, leggy brunette said as she strode up to them.
“Hey, Ding-a-ling,” Cole said, falling into his pet name for his sister.
“Hey, Big Buzzer,” Belle said as she leaned down to peck him on the cheek. “You doing okay?”
“Fine. Have I told you that you’re looking gorgeous today—for an FBI agent?”
She grinned. “Thanks. I like your shoes.”
Cole laughed. As the baby sister of four rambunctious brothers, she’d learned early on how to give as good as she got. Belle would tangle with a wildcat—and win.
Kelly returned with her hands full and managing to juggle an extra plate on her arm.
“Let me get that for you,” Sam said, relieving her of the refreshments she carried.
“Thanks. You must be Sam.”
“I am,” Sam said with a smooth smile. “And you’re…?”
“With me,” Cole said. He introduced Kelly to his brother and sister, and then the rest of the family arrived, including the bride and groom, and the party went into full swing.
Some time later, Cole watched as Sam led Kelly around the dance floor. He felt a twinge of envy. Hell, he felt more than a twinge when he saw his brother’s arm around her waist. Cole wanted to rip off that arm and beat him with it. Crazy feeling.
“I like your doctor,” Belle said.
“She’s not my doctor.”
“Coulda fooled me. You’re looking at her like you could eat her with a spoon.”
“I mean she’s not my doctor. She’s not treating me. Kelly’s just a…friend.”
“Uh-huh,” Belle said, as if she didn’t believe a word of it.
“We only met a few days ago.” Had it only been a few days? Seemed longer. But then the days stretched interminably since he’d been shot. “How do you like Colorado?”
“I love it. I’m looking forward to some skiing soon. You’ll have to come visit.”
“I don’t imagine that I’d be too swift on skis.”
“You’re not going to be out of commission forever,” Belle said. “It will take a while, but you’ll heal. When are you planning to go back to work?”
He shrugged. “I have no plans. How long are you going to be in town?”
“Not long. I could only get away for a weekend. Wish I could stay longer, but I’m flying out of Dallas tomorrow evening.”
“Now that you’re in a field office, are you enjoying your work?”
Belle hesitated for a moment, then said, “Sure.”
Cole cocked an eyebrow at her. He knew his little sister like a book. From the time she could toddle, she’d always come to him with her problems. And he’d been able to help her with most of them—everything from thumping Sam for burying her Barbie to wiping her tears over missing a word on a spelling test. “What’s wrong?”
She sighed. “Cole, have you wondered if you became a cop because law enforcement was a family tradition or if it was really what you wanted?”
“Nope. It’s always been what I wanted. I think that Kojac and Dirty Harry may have pushed me toward homicide, but I always wanted to be a cop. Are you having second thoughts, Ding?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe sometimes. But I’ve worked so long and so hard to get where I am, I’m not ready to chuck it all yet.” She smiled, leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I’m so happy to see you doing well, Big Buzzer. The last time I saw you, I was worried. You looked pretty awful.”
“The last time you saw me, I was in ICU.”
“With about a hundred tubes coming out of you or going in. Pale is not your best color. I donated blood for you.”
“Is that why I’ve been growing boobs?”
Belle laughed and swatted his arm. “I wish you could come dance with me.”
“I do, too, darlin’. I do, too.”
KELLY HAD ALWAYS loved weddings and all the rituals involved, so she had a wonderful time, oohing when the newlyweds cut the cake and aahing when J.J. took Mary Beth onto the floor for their first dance. Kelly had done a fair amount of dancing herself—with every man in the Outlaw family, except Cole, and with several of her patients.
“Looks as if you found another eligible Outlaw,” her friend Carrie said when they met at the champagne fountain.
“Sam’s too young for me, so you must mean Cole,” Kelly said. “I don’t imagine a romance between us. He’s like a bird with a broken wing right now, but when he’s healed, he’ll fly away.”
“Maybe not. It would be nice having you as a sister-in-law. Free medical care and all that.”
Kelly laughed. “I think a good insurance policy would be a better bet. I don’t see Cole as the marrying kind—and certainly not to someone like me.”
“What do you mean ‘someone like’ you?”
“As my former fiancé put it—someone who smells like a hospital and can’t sit through an entire movie without an emergency. He said marrying me would be like committing bigamy, since I’m already married to my job.”
“What a turkey.”
“Luckily I realized that in time to cancel the wedding invitations. But I think he was right. Not many men can handle the demands of a doctor’s life—except maybe another doctor.”
“Or a cop,” Carrie said.
“I can’t believe we’re having this conversation,” Kelly said. “Trust me, there is absolutely no chance of a relationship between Cole and me. None. Zip. Nada.”
Carrie grinned. “But you will have to admit he’s a hunk.”
“Really? I hadn’t noticed.”
“Li-ar,” Carrie singsonged.
Kelly only smiled, and they parted company.
Oh, she’d noticed Cole Younger was a hunk. Every female hormone in her body was on red alert. She glanced toward him and found him watching her.
He winked.
Good Lord, could he read her mind?
She quickly turned back to the champagne fountain, grabbed a glass, and held it under a spigot. Her hand shook.
What was the matter with her? She chugalugged the wine and hurried to the ladies’ room.
WHEN SHE CAME OUT of the ladies’ room, Kelly saw that the party was still going strong, but Cole wasn’t. He looked tired. She slipped out to her car and got his wheelchair.
Once back at the table she tapped him on the shoulder. “How about I waltz you out of here, big guy?”
“Are you going to insist on leading?” Cole asked.
“Naturally. And get a move on. My coach is about to turn into a pumpkin.”
“Need any help?” Sam asked.
“Not a bit,” Cole replied, standing and slipping into the chair.
“You can bring the walker,” Kelly said.
“I’ll take it,” Belle said. “You go dance with Sally Easy again,” she told her youngest brother.
“Easly. Sally Easly.”
“Could have fooled me,” Belle said. “She’s been drooling all over you for an hour or more.”
“Get off his case, Ding,” Cole said. “Can the kid help it if he’s irresistible?”
Belle looked Sam up and down. “Irresistible? Him? I don’t get it.” She hooked the folded walker over her arm and led the way around the edge of the crowd.
Kelly helped Cole into her car, then she and Belle stowed the chair and walker in the back.
“Is he going to be okay, Dr. Kelly?” Belle asked quietly.
“Cole? He’s going to be fine. It’s just going to take some time and a lot of work.”
Before they left, Belle stuck her head in the window and gave Cole a peck on the cheek. “I want to spend some time with you before I leave, Big Buzzer.”
“Come by for breakfast in the morning,” he told her. “I’ll make the coffee. You bring the breakfast.”
“You’re on.”
As they drove away, Cole ripped off his tie, unbuttoned his shirt collar and leaned back against the headrest. “Thanks for rescuing me. I was ready to get out of there. I feel like I’ve been chewed up, spit out and stepped on.”
“I noticed you were looking a little tired. And my feet are killing me. I haven’t danced so much in years.”
“Are you bragging or complaining?”
“My feet are complaining. I don’t spend much time in high heels.”
“Me, either.”
Kelly chuckled. “I doubt if you could find any in your size. Aren’t you glad now that you went to the wedding and the reception?”
Cole smiled. “Yeah. Yeah, I am. But I’m worn out.”
They arrived at the Twilight Inn a few moments later, and she wheeled him inside to his apartment.
When he stood to move to his recliner, Kelly helped him off with his coat. She started to unbutton his shirt, and when Cole put his hands on her hips to steady himself, something strange happened to her breathing. A woozy feeling washed over her, her heartbeat accelerated and her fingers fumbled the buttons. She caught herself, palms against his chest. “Sorry, I must visited that fountain once too often.”
“How much champagne did you have?”
“Only a couple of glasses.” Kelly knew it wasn’t the wine causing her reactions; it was the intimate contact. She was doing fine until he touched her.
Cole’s fingers tightened on her hips, and she glanced up. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. His eyes were almost black, and she could feel the pounding of his heart against her fingers.
Trying to ignore the sexual awareness that steamed like an overheated radiator, she quickly disposed of the shirt and unbuckled his belt. When she reached for his fly zipper, his hand covered hers. “I’ll do that later.”
“Don’t be silly. You’re exhausted, and I don’t mind helping.”
“Darlin’, I may too tuckered to pucker, but some parts of me don’t seem to have gotten the message.”
Automatically she glanced down and didn’t know whether to laugh or blush. “Well, at least you know everything is in working order.”
“Yeah, there’s that. But the timing is lousy.”
“I could come back later.” Had she really said that? She couldn’t believe she’d said that. What had gotten into her?
She didn’t have time to bemoan her gaffe any longer because Cole seemed to have gotten a second wind. His arms went around her, and he pulled her into a kiss that blew her away, stole her breath and set her reeling. His mouth was greedy, and her response was just as hungry. She plastered herself against him and savored every sensual moment.
Her pulse raced and her belly vibrated—
Kelly went still. Her belly vibrated again.
“Sorry,” she said, pushing away. “My pager.”
“Ignore it.” He reached for her mouth.
“Can’t. I’m not on call. It must be an emergency. I have to go. And you need to rest.”
He cocked one dark eyebrow. “Darlin’, right now rest is the last thing on my mind.” He sighed and loosened his arms. “Call me later.”
Chapter Five
Kelly charged in the back door of the hospital and collided with Warren Iverson. “Sorry,” she said and tried to step around him.
He blocked her path. “Careful, Dr. Martin. You could have injured someone. Have you been drinking?”
She wanted to clobber him. He knew very well she’d toasted the bride and groom—and had a second glass of champagne. He’d been at the reception taking notes.
“Excuse me, I have an emergency.” She pushed past him and hurried for the nurses’ station. Let the old goat stand there and sputter. She didn’t care.
The news on her elderly patient, Mrs. Phelps, was not good.
After Kelly checked her, she said to the nurse, “I think you should call her niece immediately.” Mrs. Phelps’s only relative was a niece in Shreveport. “And her pastor.”
Kelly elevated the frail woman’s bed to make breathing easier, smoothed damp gray tendrils back from her forehead with a cool cloth and sat holding her hand until someone from the church came to stay with her. Dammit, this was a perfect example of the town’s need for hospice care. She felt totally inadequate. Nothing in medical school had really prepared her for having to say goodbye to her patients. Oh, there was the usual admonition about staying objective and emotionally detached, but she’d never been able to do it. She cared too much.
But could anyone care too much?
She said a silent prayer and slipped quietly from the room.
When Kelly got home, she took a long bath and put on soft knit lounging pants and a top. She heated a can of chicken noodle soup, but she ate only a bite or two.
Restless, she turned on the TV, then turned it off.
Neither Rocky nor Pierre seemed in the mood to cuddle. They had retreated to their hidey-holes.
Pacing didn’t help. She wanted to scream or weep or…something. But she didn’t dare start crying or she might not stop. She hugged herself and shivered. She desperately needed—
“To hell with this!”
She grabbed her keys and hurried to her car. The car headed toward the Twilight Inn on autopilot.
When she arrived, Kelly hesitated before she knocked on the apartment door. He probably wasn’t even there. With all his family in town, he was probably visiting with them or—
The door opened.
Cole smiled when he saw her. “I thought I heard someone drive up. I’m glad it was you. Come in.”
She strode past him and stood stiffly in the middle of the room. Only a table lamp by his recliner was on, and a paperback book lay opened and facedown on the chair seat. She nervously smoothed her wild hair. “I look like a witch.”
“You look like an angel. Maybe a little wild-eyed. What’s wrong?”
She took a deep breath. “I need—I need—”
“What do you need?” he asked softly.
“I need to be held.”
He opened his arms wide, and she flew into them.
Being enclosed in his warmth and strength felt heavenly, and her head fit perfectly against his shoulder. Tension eased as she melted against his chest. Even the walker rails between them didn’t bother her…at first.
Then she gradually realized what those rails meant. “I’m sorry,” she said, pushing away. “You don’t need to be holding me up.”
“Sure I do.”
“No. You don’t.”
“Then let’s move to the couch, and I can do a better job of it.”
Kelly didn’t argue. She was too forlorn to argue. Mindful of his injuries, she cuddled against him on the couch, and he held her. More tension eased, and she allowed herself to free-fall into the comfort and security he provided. He held her for the longest time and didn’t say a word. And the longer he held her, and the more she savored the solace of his arms, the more she realized how desperately she had needed this for years—someone to lean on now and then.
She was a strong woman. She’d had to be to make it as a doctor, but even the strongest person needed TLC once in a while.
“Want to talk about it?” Cole asked quietly.
Kelly shook her head. “Not now.” She burrowed closer. “This feels so good.”
“Glad to oblige.” He rubbed his chin against the top of her head. “Your hair is so soft. I thought it would feel different.” He sifted strands through his fingers.
“It’s like kinky kitten fur,” she mumbled against his chest.
He chuckled and she felt the rumble against her cheek. “It’s like a blazing fire. I love your hair.”
“You should try to brush it in the mornings.”
“Be glad to give it a try.” He nuzzled her forehead.
The nuzzling became kisses, and slowly the kisses became caresses. She hadn’t worn a bra, and soon she wasn’t wearing a top. She ought to stop this, she thought, but his touch consoled such a deep ache that it mesmerized her, and she just couldn’t stop.
When he stroked her breasts and drew them into his mouth, she lost it, and all thought of stopping ended. She gave herself over to glorious sensation.
Piece by piece their clothes landed in heaps on the floor as they fondled and kissed and explored. He whispered praises for her body, and she basked in the praise; he kissed her deeply, groaned his desire, and she soared.
“I want you,” he said.
“I want you, too.”
“I’m not sure I can. My hip, my—”
Her lips stopped the words. “Let the doctor handle it. Lie back.”
She knelt, straddling his hips, and leaned over to kiss him as she slowly slipped herself onto him.
“Oh, darlin’,” he groaned. “Take it easy.”
“Am I hurting you?”
“Not hardly. But I want this to last.” He drew her down to take a nipple into his mouth and suck hard.
It sent her through the roof.
“Forget lasting,” she said as she moved up and down in a frantic pace.
They both climaxed powerfully and quickly. Backs bowed, release shuddered their bodies and drew gasps and groans.
Still kneeling with him inside, she snuggled against him, her head on his shoulder. He hugged her tightly, and she savored the last throbs of their passion.
“If this kills me,” he said, “just tell everybody that I died happy.”
Kelly laughed. “I don’t think you’re in danger of dying.”
“Then just throw a blanket over me and wake me in the morning.”
“Cold?”
“No, but I might be when the lather wears off. We don’t have any clothes on.”
“Sure we do,” she said, rubbing her foot along his leg. “We have our socks on.”
He chuckled and kissed her forehead. “You are some kind of woman.”
“What kind is that?”
“The good kind. I’ve had a hard-on for you since the first time I saw you.”
“Really?”
“Yep. You’ve been on my mind a lot.”
Smiling smugly, she twirled damp strands of chest hair around her finger. She’d never thought of herself as the object of anyone’s sexual fantasies.
Reluctant to move she stayed there until the chill became uncomfortable. Finally she rose, snagged her clothes and went to the bathroom.
She’d barely had time to dress when Cole tapped on the door. He’d pulled on sweatpants.
“Your cell phone is ringing.”
Kelly knew what the message would be before she answered, and she was right. “I have to go,” she told Cole.
“Emergency?”
“Not exactly. One of my patients just died.”
“I’m sorry.” He pulled her into his arms.
“Me, too. She was a sweet old lady, but there was nothing I could do except let her go.”
“That must hurt.” He kissed her forehead.
Kelly nodded. “Being here with you helped, but I—I feel awkward about it now. I want you to know that I don’t ordinarily hop into bed with men I barely know. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I hopped into bed with anybody.”
He smiled. “Glad I was handy when you decided to hop. I was afraid that I was a mercy case.”
“Not hardly.” This time she smiled. “Thanks.”
“I don’t think thanks are necessary under the circumstances. I wish you didn’t have to go.”
“It’s a doctor’s life.” She allowed herself only a brief kiss, then left.
COLE PUSHED BACK in his recliner and closed his eyes. He felt on top of the world and totally wrung out at the same time. Dr. Kelly Martin was one hell of a woman—everything he’d fantasized and more. If he’d met her before he’d been hurt, he would have gone after her with a vengeance. But now…
Hell, he couldn’t even button his shirt without breaking into a sweat. Or make love to her the way he wanted. Even if he hadn’t been lousy at relationships, she was way beyond his reach. A woman like her didn’t need to be saddled with a cripple.
Earlier she’d been hurting, and he’d been handy. He wasn’t about to complain, but he wasn’t going to make anything more of it, either. Damn, she’d felt good. Too good.
It suddenly struck him that they hadn’t used any protection. He hadn’t even thought about it at the time. He slapped his head. What had he been thinking?
That was the problem. He hadn’t been thinking. And he certainly didn’t have any condoms in his duffel bag. Needing any hadn’t even crossed his mind. Holy cripes!
But Kelly was a doctor. She knew how to protect herself from pregnancy. She was probably on the pill or something. And he didn’t have any dread diseases. God knows he’d been checked enough. He’d have to ask her about protection if there was ever a repeat performance.
Not that he figured there would be one. If he had her pegged right—and he was an excellent judge of character—tomorrow she’d be sorry about what had happened between them, embarrassed and apologetic.
And that would be the end of it.
THEY HADN’T USED any protection!
It didn’t dawn on Kelly until she was lying in bed that night. She jackknifed up. Holy cow! What an idiot she was. Where were her brains?
Just relax, she told herself. It was unlikely that she would get pregnant from a single encounter—especially since she had some problems that would make conceiving extremely difficult for her in any case.
Still she thought back to her last menses and counted days on her fingers. No, not a fertile period. She breathed easier and dropped down to her pillow.
Tomorrow she’d raid the sample closet and put a few condoms in her purse. Next time, she’d be prepared.
Next time?
Would there be a next time?
Darned right. Cole Outlaw was a virile, desirable man, and she was enormously attracted to him. Why shouldn’t she enjoy herself with him? She wasn’t looking for happily ever after; neither was he. He’d soon be healed and gone back to Houston.
A tiny part of her fleetingly imagined them standing together at the altar where J.J. and Mary Beth had stood that afternoon, but she quickly dismissed it. Kelly doubted that she would ever marry. And Cole didn’t strike her as the kind to settle down in Naconiche with a wife and picket fence.
Rocky jumped onto her bed and rubbed her with his head. She stroked his fur, and he snuggled beside her. Pierre soon joined them.
“Where were you guys when I needed you?”
Rocky purred, but Pierre only yawned.
“WHAT IS THIS?” Cole asked his sister after she’d spooned a mound of glop into his bowl.
“Oatmeal with flaxseed and raisins,” Belle said. “It’s good. I eat it every morning.”
“When I suggested that you bring breakfast, I was hoping for something along the lines of sausage and eggs and Mama’s biscuits.”
“Too much cholesterol. That stuff will kill you. And I brought some soy milk.”
“Soy milk? Sounds disgusting.”
“It’s quite tasty,” Belle said, “and very good for you.” She poured a couple of glugs over the oatmeal.
He stared at the mess in his bowl. Was this a joke or was she serious?
“Eat up, Big Buzzer.” Belle took a bite from her bowl.
She was serious.
He took a bite from his. It was warm and slightly lumpy with a kind of nutty taste. “Not too bad.”
“Told you.”
He dumped a couple of spoonfuls of sugar in it before Belle could stop him and managed to get it all down. He wouldn’t hurt his little sister’s feelings for the world.
They finished their breakfast, such as it was, and settled back with a cup of coffee. Rather Cole had coffee; Belle drank some sort of herbal concoction that reminded him of grass clippings. He could tell there was something she wanted to say, but they talked around it for a while.
Finally Cole said, “Honey, what’s on your mind?”
She stared into her cup for several moments, then ran her finger around its rim as if weighing her thoughts. “I’m seriously considering resigning from the FBI.”
“To do what?”
She didn’t look up. “To raise horses, to write, to paint. To get married.”
“Who’s the guy with the horses?”
She smiled. “Not much gets by you, does it? His name is Matt Carson.”
“Any relation to Kit?”
Belle grinned. “Distant cousins, I think.”
“I thought you loved being an agent.”
“The love affair has cooled. I’ve begun to hate my job. The politics are driving me crazy. On the other hand, I love living on the ranch—”
Cole frowned, then said gruffly, “You’ve already moved in with this yahoo?”
“Don’t get your shorts in a wad, Big Buzzer. I’m not a kid anymore.”
“Sorry.”
“I’ve been living on his ranch for about three months. It’s beautiful, and I love it there. And I love Matt. But he’s not the reason I want to leave the FBI. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time.”
“Then go for it, darlin’. Life’s too short not to do what makes you happy.”
“And what about you?” Belle said. “Does being a cop really make you happy?”
Cole thought for a minute. “I’m not sure that I’d say happy, but it’s what I know and enjoy. I’m a damned good cop. Was a damned good cop. And if I could go back to my job tomorrow, I’d be out of here like a shot.”
“Don’t you think you’ll be able to return to work?”
He shrugged. “The doctor and the therapists seem to think I can, but I don’t know. It’s going to be a long haul, and I’m not willing to ride a desk until I retire. We’ll just have to wait and see.”
Belle squeezed his hand. “You’re going to be fine. I can feel it in my bones.”
“Have you told Mom and Dad about your new plans?”
“I haven’t talked to anybody in the family yet. I wanted to fly it by you first.”
“I say, if you’re really sure about what you want, then go for it. Everybody else will say the same thing.”
Belle hugged him. “You always make me feel better.” She poured him another cup of coffee. “Now tell me about this lovely redhead you’re keeping company with.”
“Nothing to tell.”
She cocked one eyebrow. “You wouldn’t want to be hooked up to a lie detector and repeat that, would you?”
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