Meant to Be (RightMatch.com Trilogy) (16 page)

As they sat at a circular table Spence had reserved, Beth asked about the others’ luck. Dana, dressed in a beautiful silk pantsuit of shimmery gray, said, “I made a killing at poker.” She winked at Joe. “He lost his shirt.”

Spence smiled. “Annie won a thousand dollars at craps. I can’t believe it.” She wore a clingy, deep pumpkin dress and her lovely hair fell in waves to her waist.

Beth recounted her winnings at the slot machine, omitting their sexy byplay. After they ordered wine and two soda waters, Beth scanned the interior of the bar. “Oh, look. A piano.” She leaned into Cole. “You know, I’ve never heard you play a musical instrument.” Though he had sung to Ellie and, sometimes, a few bars to her.

“Man, that’s a crying shame. He’s a prodigy at the piano.” This from Joe. “I remember when he was five, Dad started giving him lessons. In a few months, he’d outshone his own father, the music teacher.”

“Innate ability
they called it.” Spence shook his head. “I think a comparison to Mozart was voiced.”

“They’re exaggerating, Beth.” She could tell from the pleased expression on his face there was truth to their comments. “But I am good.”

“And modest,” Dana added.

“Play for me, Cole.”

Rolling his eyes, he quipped, “Save me from demanding women.” But he kissed her on the mouth, stood, and crossed to the bar. She guessed he was asking the bartender about using the piano. The guy nodded and Cole headed to it. He began with a very familiar tune.

“Jesus, is he corny.” The mockery from Spence was laced with pride. “Using his namesake.”

“Hush,” Beth said. “‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin’
is one of my favorites.”

He played powerfully and with flourishes to the familiar melody. Then he began to sing—and stared over at their table, his eyes locked on hers. Beth felt her whole body soften, go liquid with tenderness and a paradoxical rush of pure lust.

She took the message to heart: the man had the woman inside him and nothing was going to change that. With each line, each verse, Beth’s eyes started to sting, then fill, then course down her cheeks. She vaguely acknowledged the rousting round of clapping and the fact some patrons had leapt to their feet. When Cole returned to the table, the big lump in her throat made it impossible for her to speak.

“So how did you… Oh, my God, are you crying?”

She could only nod.

“Hell!” He pulled her close. “That was supposed to make you happy.”

She could finally mumble, “It does,” and drew back to look up at him.

“Yeah?” He tipped her chin. “Then marry me!”

o0o

When Beth pulled away from him, bolted out of the chair and strode out of the bar, Cole started to go after her. Annie held him back. “Does she have a key to the room?”

“Yes. Let go, Annie. I have to see to her.”

“Give her a few minutes.” She glanced at Dana for confirmation.

“I agree. Geez, you guys haven’t learned yet that sometimes women just want to be left alone with our feelings? To work them out in our time frame?”

Both Joe and Spence held up their hands, arrest style. “We’ve learned!” they said simultaneously.

Bereft, Cole plunked down onto a chair. “God, it just came out. I saw her crying over my song and I…” he shrugged “I hope I didn’t blow it.”

Annie and Dana exchanged another glance.

Cole asked, “What?”

“It’s hard to believe after singing that song to her, you could ever blow anything again.”

“No, but she’ll probably blow—”

“Can it Joe!” Cole barked. “This isn’t funny.”

Joe sipped his beer, but mirth danced in his eyes.

Dana added, “She just needs time, Cole. Especially because you asked her in front of your family. You know she’s just getting comfortable with us.”

“And it wasn’t the most romantic proposal,” Spence added.

“Oh,” Annie said dreamily. “I don’t know. I thought it was perfect. You were swept away with the mood. Sometimes spontaneous things are the best.”

“Huh,” Spence commented, “I’ll remember that the next time I surprise you or the kids and you get mad at me.”

The fact that Spence took her hand and kissed it diluted the threat.

They made Cole wait a half hour, then he scurried out of the bar and strode to the elevator. It took a fucking eternity to ascend the twenty floors but finally he reached their room. When he opened the door, he found her standing by the window, silhouetted by the light coming in from the open drapes. He hesitated, drew in a deep breath and prayed silently,
Please don’t let us take steps backward.

From the doorway, he called out, “I’m here. I don’t want to scare you.”

He heard a strangled sound. When he crossed to her, stood behind her, he saw her shoulders were shaking. Damn it. “I know, I know. I scared the shit out of you down in the bar. I’m sorry.”

Finally, she calmed. It was then that he turned her around. The tears were gone and there was a smile on her face. She’d been laughing? What the hell?

“Beth, I don’t understand. I thought you were upset. Dana lit into me for my half-assed proposal.”

“I’m not upset. I was so overcome with emotion, I didn’t know what I’d do. Thanks for giving me some time to collect my thoughts.”

Score one for Annie.

Okay,
now
what did he do? “And?”

“Did you mean it? Or was it just a knee-jerk reaction?”

“I meant every word of the song.”

Again, a smile from her.

“Yes, I meant the proposal. It just popped out of my mouth,
a la
pop the question, but I meant it.” Hell, why was he joking and rambling?

“I see.”

He jammed his hands in his pants pockets and rocked back on his heels. “Do you, um, have a response?”

“I’m afraid so.”

Oh, shit, he
had
made a mess of things.

“I’m going to have to say yes, Cole.”

“It was too soon, I get it. It’s okay if you don’t want a commitment now. Just let’s keep seeing each other.”

A giggle escaped her. “Cole, I said yes.”

“Oh! My God, you did? Oh, Jesus.” He picked her up and swung her around. Held her tightly. “Oh, God. Thank you. Thank you.”

“I love you,” she whispered softly.

“I love you, too.”

Still holding on to her, he dragged her to the bed. Disrobed himself and her and set her down on the mattress. They made sweet, tender, wonderful love.

And later on, Joey’s off-color innuendo came true, too.

Chapter 11

Beth ducked out of the way of a tiny ghost, a scary witch and the president of the United States as she made her way from her parked car to the front of Cole’s apartment building. He’d asked her to come to Rockland to take Ellie trick-or-treating with him. Since Ava had thrown a party for Mariel’s little friends that afternoon, Beth had been able to get here by five o’clock and still enjoy her granddaughter’s Halloween celebration.

Besides, she was incapable of saying no to Cole these days. More than a week had passed since he’d asked her to marry him. They’d shared the news with the other two couples the next morning but decided to keep their plans among the six of them for a while. For one thing, they wanted to savor their commitment to each other. And the jury was still out on how Ava and maybe even Cole’s dad would react. Rick had initially advised Cole not to contact her again.

Cole answered the door after one ring, with Ellie in tow. The sight of them made Beth burst into laughter. “You two look adorable.”

“Shiver me timbers, lassie, I do love hearin’ that.”

She rolled her eyes. Ellie reached out and Beth took her in her arms. Beth said, “Hello, matey.”

As if she knew the term, Ellie laughed. “Me, pi-rae.”

“Well, she almost got it right.” Beth tugged on Ellie’s red vest. “You are so cute.”

Kissing Beth on the cheek, Cole drew her into the apartment.

Once inside, she studied them more closely. Both wore oversized, white shirts—Cole’s partly unbuttoned, revealing great chest hair—with matching red vests. He’d found tiny black pants for Ellie and his were skintight. “Did you borrow those pants from one of your sisters-in-law? And the earring?”

“Bite your tongue or I’ll make you walk the plank.”

Beth smiled. “Great idea for the boots.” He’d tucked dark material into Ellie’s shoes and his, pulled it up and bloused it.

“I bought the hats.” Reaching out to the table, he donned an eye patch. “She won’t wear hers.”

“Where did you find one that small?”

“I ordered it online. Where I also found this.”

He stepped away from the sofa and Beth saw an outfit laid over the back of it. She picked up the peasant blouse—it was her size. A full skirt of gold and red was beneath it. Jewelry completed the outfit. She looked up to see warmth on his face. “Don’t tell me. I’m the pirate’s wench.”

“That you are. Now change into the costume.”

She was about to object and say she was too old for this game, but then she remembered how much she’d loved dressing up with her kids. And how the thought of doing it again was…fun. So as she fingered the gold lamé, the earrings and bangle bracelets, she said, “Why the hell not?” and shed her clothes. She was going to let herself enjoy Halloween with the man and child she loved to pieces.

Their first stop was at Cole’s parents’ house. His mom came to the door dressed as a devil. His dad stood behind her, wearing the garb of an angel. Ellison smiled at them. “Oh, my, don’t you make a great trio? Rick, get the camera.”

“I have it, love. Invite them in.”

Cole swept up Ellie and the three of them posed for the photo. Ellie seemed shy, sticking her fingers in her mouth. “She doesn’t recognize you, Mom,” Cole guessed. “She doesn’t quite get the concept of costumes.”

His mom stepped forward. “Ellie, sweetheart, this in Nana and Papa.”

Ellie didn’t seem convinced until his dad began to sing. His voice was as rich and bold as Cole’s. And soon, Ellie began to babble, “Pa, Pa, Pa.”

They spent some time with his parents, who still didn’t know about the engagement, then went on to Annie’s house.

She answered the door dressed up as a witch, with a big rounded belly and holding a tray of candied apples. “Oh, my goodness, these are scary pirates.”

“Pi-raes.”

Annie leaned over and kissed Ellie’s cheek, then Cole’s. She gave Beth a hug, which was sweet. They drank hot chocolate with Annie, and spelled her at door duty for a bit so she could put her feet up, as Spence had taken Hope and Alex out around the neighborhood.

After an hour, the three of them set out to Ava’s, which was about twenty minutes from Spence’s residence. It had gotten dark and the headlights flashed over Cole’s face. But even in the dimness, she could see the mischief there. “I looked up pirate jokes.”

“Of course you did.”

“Okay, if you don’t want to hear them, I’ll save ’em for Joey.”

“Go ahead. I know you’re dying to tell me.” She also knew that he was trying to distract her from what Ava’s reaction might be about their trick-or-treating together.

He stopped at a light. “What’s a horny pirate’s worst nightmare?”

“I have no idea.”

“No booty.” He laughed at himself. “Why does it take so long for a pirate to learn the alphabet?”

“Tell me.”

“Because he spends so much time at C.”

“These are really bad, Cole.”

“Hush, wench. Why is being a pirate addictive?” She didn’t say anything so he answered quickly. “Because once ya lose yer first hand, ya get hooked.”

“Stop,” Beth finally said, but she really didn’t want him to.

He regaled her with funnies, which got progressively more stupid, until they reached Ava’s at about eight o’clock. When she opened the door to them, she burst out laughing.

“Hey, matey,” Beth said, “Got any candy for three starving pirates?

Still smiling, Ava bent down and surprised Beth by picking up Ellie. “If you’re not the cutest pirate I’ve ever seen.”

Ellie caught sight of Mariel on the floor behind Ava and cooed, “Mari, Mari.”

Ava led them inside and set Ellie on the floor next to Mariel. Then she turned her gaze back to them.

Beth headed her off. “Don’t say I look foolish. I feel pretty and fun.”

Cole tugged her close. “You
look
pretty and fun, wench.”

For a moment, Ava watched them, then caught her mother’s eye. “I wasn’t going to criticize. Actually, I was going to say how cute you are together.”

Beth stared at her daughter. But Ava had transferred her gaze to Cole. His eyes were warm and friendly as a meaningful expression was exchanged between them.

“What’s going on here?” Beth asked.

“Oh, nothing,” Ava hedged. “I’m just trying to prove to someone that I do want what’s best for you. Now come in and have some demon water.”

“I think that’s a Native American reference,” Cole corrected but squeezed Ava’s arm as he walked inside.

o0o

Their last stop was Joe and Dana’s home, and by the time they reached the house and Cole got Ellie out of the car, she cuddled into him and was asleep on his shoulder. Cole tried the front door handle, but it was locked, which was odd. And though lights were on inside, no one answered the bell right away. Then, finally, Joey drew it open.

The expression on his brother’s face made Cole’s heart stop. “What’s wrong?”

Gripping the doorknob, Joe swallowed hard. “Dana’s having contractions. She’s not even eight months along, Cole. More than a month to go.”

“Oh, Joey.”

They went inside. Cole crossed into the living room, set Ellie down on a deep-cushioned loveseat and propped pillows up to keep her from falling off. Then he turned back to his brother in time to hear Beth ask, “What did the doctor say?”

“We just have to wait. The contractions are pretty far apart. If they get any stronger or closer together, she has to go into the office. Or the hospital.” He looked at his brother. “I can’t handle it, Cole, if something happens to this kid. Dana would be devastated.”

Cole grabbed Joe’s shoulder. “Don’t jump the gun, here. You have no reason to think things will go wrong with the baby, even if he comes now.”