Meant to Be (RightMatch.com Trilogy) (9 page)

“Whatever you say.”

After Cole sent the material to Joe’s work address, his brother stood. “Bring Beth to Mom’s birthday party at our house Sunday.”

“I don’t know, maybe it’s too soon.”

Joe arched a brow. “You want this shit done on your stalker?”

“Blackmail?”

Joe grinned. “Nah, it’d be good for you. For her. Get the ball rolling more.”

“Yeah, well, I’m afraid to roll it too fast. Things snowball.”

“Come on, kid. Take a risk.”

“Maybe.”

After Joe left, Cole stared at the information on Ernesto Street, thinking about the site. Three really good people—him and Spence and Dana—had manipulated RightMatch to trick their dates. What would happen when someone nefarious set out to do the same thing?

He didn’t miss the irony. Now he was being plagued by a person doing a similar thing to what he had. Had things come full circle?

Chapter 6

“Wow! This is beautiful.”

Cole held Beth’s hand as they approached Joey’s home. “It’s something.”

“How long have they been married?”

“Six months. They started construction on this place right away and they moved in about five weeks ago.”

The one-story ranch sprawled across part of two acres of land in a suburb of Rockland. It was set up in a U shape, with two different wings and a pool in between. Beth said, “It’s so treed and spacious. I’m shocked we’re only ten minutes from the expressway.”

Leaning over, Cole kissed Beth’s cheek. “Ready?”

She sighed heavily. “Yep.”

“Thanks for coming to Mom’s party. I hope my family doesn’t overwhelm you.”

“I’ll be fine.” She hoped. In truth, she was worried about seeing the group again after their disastrous meeting at the pizza place. They were so tight-knit that they knew the difficulties she and Cole had getting together. And how tenuous their relationship was. Though she and Cole didn’t talk about their issues all the time, they were both walking on eggshells. She calmed herself with the knowledge that his brothers and their wives' relationships hadn’t come easily either. She wondered briefly if any did.

The garage was open and the door leading to the house swung back as soon as they exited the van. Four kids rushed out, raced to them and practically leveled Cole as they hugged him fiercely. That brought a genuine smile to Beth’s face.

“Uncle Cole, we’re so glad to see you.” This from a beautiful blond-haired beauty of about eight.

“You, too, half-pint.”

Two other girls squeezed in and then a boy, Annie and Spence’s oldest, shook hands with him. Cole frowned and said, “What’s this?” and hugged the kid, who didn’t seem to mind.

When Cole stepped back, he tugged Beth to him. “Guys, I want you to meet a friend of mine. Beth Montgomery.” Though they may have seen Beth at the pizza parlor, they hadn’t formally met her.

Hope said, “A
girl
friend.”

Alex poked her. “Don’t be such a dweeb.”

“What?” Hope turned huge hazel eyes on Beth. “Aren’t you Uncle Cole’s girlfriend?”

For the time being.
Damn it, she hated those thoughts. So she said emphatically, “Yes, I am.”

Cole squeezed her waist.

The kids led the way into the house, and Beth’s heart started to beat at a clip. She was bombarded by memories of his comments about his family…

Mom and Dad are so important to me.
What if they didn’t like her? Didn’t like their age difference?

My brothers are my best friends. They and their wives are your age.
Would that be a good thing?

Truthfully, you gotta impress my sisters-in-law. If they don’t like you, we’re history.
He’d been joking, but Beth had taken the comment to heart.

At first glance, Beth could tell that everything in the new home was handicap accessible. No steps leading inside. Two hallways shot off the entryway in opposite directions. One went to the kitchen. “Where does that hallway go?”

“To Ruth and Jeremy’s wing. Remember I told you Joe and Dana built the house with an in-law dwelling so Ruth, her friend and business partner, could be nearby to help Dana with the baby when the time comes.”

“I forgot. And Ruth’s husband doesn’t mind?”

“He doesn’t seem to. They both consider us all family, I guess.”

Once they reached the kitchen, Beth was bombarded by sights and sounds. Dana was at a sink, lowered to her height for the chair, while a long-haired woman worked at a standard-height sink next to her. The entire kitchen was set up for handicapped and non-handicapped people. “This is so cool.”

“Dana always hated how her necessities were a pain for Joe because he’s so big. He had to bend and twist to do things at the lowered level. So this was their answer.”

A shout came from the family room, which sprawled off the kitchen. From here, Beth could see a huge TV, showing a football game. The room was filled couches and chairs occupied by Cole’s family. Dana noticed them first and wheeled over to them. “Hey, hi. I’m Dana. You must be Beth.”

Beth was startled by the woman’s beauty—black hair, gorgeous blue eyes, flawless skin, which glowed with her pregnancy. She sported a six-month-rounded belly.

“Nice to meet you.” Beth shook Dana’s hand.

She and Cole embraced warmly.

Spence’s Annie joined them. She had about the same-sized belly as Dana—a cute but substantial little mound—bringing a smile to Beth’s lips. “Hi, Annie. Look at you two.”

Annie chuckled and squeezed Beth’s arm. “Hi, Beth. I see you noticed this.” She put her hand on her stomach. “And yes, it’s spooky. Dana and I are exactly the same size and due within days of each other.”

“I think it’s great. It must be so much fun to share your pregnancies.”

Beth hadn’t had that camaraderie with anyone. At eighteen, none of her friends could relate to her situation and most of Peter’s colleagues were past having children. It was something Beth had never thought much about.

Annie added, “From all Cole has told us about you,
we
think you’re great.”

Annie meant the words, but she noticed Dana eyeing her more carefully and not conceding unconditional acceptance so fast.

I love Dana. We spend a lot of time together. She puts things in perspective for me.

“Come on in and meet everybody else,” Dana said.

Beth followed Dana to the family room. Joe caught sight of them first. “Hey, look who’s here.” Rolling to his feet from where he lounged on the floor, he crossed to them. Standing, too, the other brother joined him. Spence gave her a warm smile. “Hi, Beth, Glad to see you under better circumstances than at Napoli’s.”

Beth said, “I feel the same.” The three of them were beautiful together—Spence with somewhat long, unruly hair and snapping, navy blue eyes, Joe’s Italian good looks, his surprisingly blue eyes striking in a chiseled face, and Cole, of course, with his cover model appearance. “You don’t really look alike, but you can tell you’re brothers.”

Rick and Ellison stood, too, and introduced themselves. Cole resembled his dad but his mannerisms mirrored his mother’s. Cole leaned into Rick and they embraced.

“Hello, Beth.” Rick Matheson took her hand and held it firmly between his two. In a flash, Beth sensed this man knew everything about her.

Ellison stepped forward and hugged Beth. She whispered, “We’re not as scary as we might seem all together.”

Ruth and Jeremy, who’d been working a puzzle with Joe’s girls, stood and also said hello.

Cole looked around. “Where’s my girl?”

“Sleeping.” Spence shook his head “I had to rock her until she dozed off.”

“Big deal.” He turned to Beth. “Want something?”

She noticed people had cocktails, beer cans. “I’ll have a beer.” She nodded to the TV. “How are the Bills doing?”

“You like football?” Cole’s mother asked.

“Yes, my son played in high school.”

“So did one of mine. Come in here. Dinner’s not for an hour.”

Beth was glad to have something to do.

They’d all settled on couches and were watching the game when Beth heard a noise next to her. She startled, then saw the baby monitor perched on the end table. And heard, “Da Da Da.”

Dana asked, “Jeez, does she ever cry?”

“Not much.” Cole’s voice held pride and affection.

“Because he spoils her.” This from Spence again.

“Just you wait. That bundle of joy in Annie’s belly is gonna wrap you around her little finger.”

Spence, who was sitting with Hope, quipped, “No more than this one does, I’ll tell you.”

Hope grinned broadly. “I can’t wait for the new baby.”

Dana asked, “Did you spoil your kids, Beth?”

She studied Dana and thought about having her first child. She’d been less than half as old as these women. Huh. They may be the same age in years, but Beth realized in their current life situations, they were eons apart. She mumbled a response, but thought,
don’t make trouble, Beth
.

She wouldn’t, damn it. She would
not
create any problems with these lovely people.

o0o

After dinner, Cole put Ellie in a lightweight jacket and set her in the sleek stroller his mom and dad had bought for them. He was about to ask Beth to join them on a walk, but Dana grabbed a coat off the lowered coat rack and said casually, “Mind if I come along?”

They often did this. Walked—well, she rolled—together while pushing Ellie, but he guessed there was more to her accompanying him today. She wanted to talk about Beth. “Sure.”

As they left, he caught sight of Beth across the family room at the computer with Ruth and his mom, showing them The Montgomery Inn website. The three of them seemed to be getting along fine.

When he and Dana reached the sidewalk and headed down the street, Cole tried to take pleasure in the leaves that would change soon and the soft, cool breeze on his skin. Ellie babbled appropriately. Dana rolled silently alongside of him for a while.

Finally, he asked, “What do you think?”

“She’s lovely.”

“You know that’s not what I mean.”

“I think she took to the family well and that we didn’t overpower her.” He loved how Dana never dissembled.

“That’s good, isn’t it?”

“Yep. I know firsthand how…overwhelming you all can be.”

“But?”

Dana stopped and so did Cole. Looking up at him, her expression was so conflicted it made Cole’s gut tighten. This woman felt passionately and always knew her convictions. “She hasn’t held Ellie once since you got here.”

“How could she? Your girls and Spence’s kids monopolize her.”

“Hmm.” Dana started rolling again.

Finally, he conceded and caught up to her. “Okay, I noticed. So did Mom, I could tell. But Beth’s only been around Ellie a few times.”

“I couldn’t wait to get my hands on that beautiful child the first time I saw her.”

Stopping again, Cole asked, “Hold on a sec. What are you saying?”

Dana pivoted the chair. “That she’s purposely distancing herself from Ellie.”

Why was he fighting this? He needed Dana’s perspective. “I guess. I’m worried about it.”

Leaning forward, Dana grabbed his hand. “Look, Cole, I didn’t bring the subject up to worry you. I just want to make sure you’re seeing things clearly.”

A squeal from the stroller, then, “Bir-dy!”

“Oh, my God, she said, birdy without being prompted.”

Dana chuckled as he bent down, kissed Ellie and said, “That’s right sweetheart. Birdy!”

When he looked over at his sister-in-law, he saw she’d placed a hand on her stomach. “I can’t wait for that.”

“What?”

“Hearing Joey the Third’s first word, and what follows.”

His eyebrows raised. “You decided on a name?”

“After Joe Sr. of course. His middle name won’t be DiMaggio, though, and we might call him by that to avoid confusion. Kara and I are shooting for Mikhail, as in Baryshnikov.”

Cole laughed out loud. “I’m so happy for you, Dana. Are you scared?”

“Not anymore. Or as much. I’ll always have reservations. But with the house design, and Ruth and Jeremy living here, I’m feeling more comfortable about having a child. For God’s sake, Jeremy’s a doctor.” She took a bead on him. “Are you, Cole?”

“Am I what?”

“Scared?”

He didn’t need for her to explain the question. And he needed to be honest with this woman and himself. “Yeah, I guess I am. What if Beth can’t ever accept Ellie?”

“Then your relationship will end. But, and I know I sound contradictory to what I said before, give her some time. It hasn’t been that long since Beth met her. This
is
hard to digest. Joey took ten days to decide if we could give our relationship a shot.”

“I know. I’m down with it, I guess.”

“All right, then. Now tell me about this stalker-predator thing on our site.”

Cole began to outline the situation on RightMatch, but his mind was still back on the fact that Beth had paid absolutely no attention to his daughter today. And he couldn’t talk to her about it. That would be like asking someone to say they love you and when they do, it’s meaningless because you begged for the words. If Beth pretended interest in Ellie because of his concern, he’d never know for sure how she felt. He had to let Beth gravitate toward Ellie in her own time.

It was just a bitch to watch!

o0o

Because Cole had stayed overnight in Honey Lake with Beth the night before, while his parents kept Ellie, he’d simply driven her in to Rockland, planning to take her back to her inn after their time at Joey’s. As they drove the half hour through the early twilight, Cole reached over the gear shift and clasped her hand. “I hope you had a good time.”

Beth watched the outline of the trees along the winding road that led to her home. “I did. I love Annie and your mother. They’re so sweet. And that Ruth—what a blessing. She’s almost as excited about Joey’s baby as Dana and Joe are.”

“It’s a miracle, isn’t it, that things worked out between them? And for Dana to have a baby. She told me being a mother was something she never dared hope for before she met Joey.”

“That’s a nice story.”