Cole's Christmas Wish (11 page)

“That’s crazy that you know that stuff,” Cole said, just in
case his brother had noticed something. “For the record, though, I don’t have a
tell.”

“Does he?” Rachel asked Dylan.

“He does,” Dylan confirmed. “But you have to watch closely, or
you’ll miss—”

“Rachel!” Haley half screeched as she exited the office. Good
timing on her part. Glaring at her brothers as she approached, she said, “Nice
job, guys, letting me know she was here.”

The two women greeted each other, taking turns giving and
accepting compliments, and chatting about this and that. While they did their
thing, Cole glowered at Dylan, hoping he got the message. He didn’t think he had
a tell, but if he did, he’d prefer his brother—considering the current
circumstances—keep those details secret.

Dylan leaned against the back counter and stretched his legs
out in front of him. Giving a paused, pointed look at Rachel, he blinked rapidly
as if something were stuck in his eye and then returned his gaze to Cole.
“Tell,” he mouthed.

Cole shook his head and glowered harder, if that were possible.
People blinked constantly, for a variety of reasons that had nothing to do with
subterfuge. Now, thanks to his know-it-all brother, Cole would wonder about
every one of Rachel’s blinks.

Just what he needed on top of everything else.

The women talked for a few more minutes—planning a day and a
time for Haley to drop by for those clothes she wanted so much—before Cole and
Rachel were able to make their escape. Outside, Cole filled his lungs with air
and exhaled loudly.

“I don’t want to shop,” he said. “Feel up to putting that off
for tomorrow?”

“I thought you were in a hurry?”

“I’m set with gifts through Wednesday, remember? As long as I
have the rest by then, I’m good. Also,” he said, thinking quickly, “I’m not
exactly sure what else I want to get. Maybe we can come up with some more ideas
today, make the actual shopping less tedious.”

Rachel tipped her head back and laughed. It was, Cole
reflected, a beautiful sound. “Uh-huh. What happened to ‘this is special
shopping, and it’s Christmas, and I’m so, so excited’?”

“I did not say ‘so, so.’” Following his instincts, Cole grabbed
Rachel’s hand. “Play with me today. Let’s do something fun. For old time’s
sake.”

“Wh-what did you have in mind?” she stammered.

“I was thinking...sledding. If you’re up for it, of
course.”

“Oh, I’m up for it.” Clichéd, maybe, but he’d have sworn her
eyes sparkled just a little brighter at the prospect. “I’m assuming you have a
couple of sleds lying around somewhere?”

“Of course I do.” Another thought occurred. “Or...we could go
snow-tubing—”

“Tubing?” Now, her voice held the same sparkle her eyes did.
Both enchanted him. “Yes, let’s do that. I haven’t gone winter tubing in
forever. Probably,” she mused, “since the last time I went with you. That would
have been...your senior year of high school, my junior year.”

“I remember,” he said softly. And oh, did he ever. That was the
winter he’d first seen Rachel as an actual female, and not just one of his
favorite buddies. “You stopped being a tomboy that year.”

“I stopped
pretending
to be a
tomboy that year,” she corrected him. “Impressing the boys became critically
more important than annoying my parents.”

“You were already impressive,” he said quietly. “Never doubt
that.”

She blinked once. Twice. Out of nervousness or surprise, Cole
guessed, which proved his point about blinking. He hoped for surprise. He didn’t
like the idea of making her nervous.

“You’re being sweet and sentimental.” Lifting her cup to her
lips, she swallowed a gulp of her coffee. Cold by now, probably. “So...tubing?
Or are we back to shopping?”

“Shopping tomorrow,” Cole said firmly. “Today is about
fun.”

True, yes. But Cole also wanted to finish their conversation
from Foster’s the other night, and he figured having a little fun together first
would help ease the way.

And hell, the distraction would be good. It might even be
enough to wipe what Lola had said out of Rachel’s mind. He wasn’t ready to come
clean with her just yet. Not until he understood all of the reason she’d
disappeared on him after his accident...and why it had taken her so damn long to
return, with or without an invitation.

Yup. He had questions. Perhaps, before the day ended, he’d have
some answers.

* * *

Exhilaration quickened Rachel’s pulse as she jumped on
the snow tube and started downhill. Cole had promised fun, and for the past
several hours, he had delivered. This was exactly what she’d needed after her
draining, confusing and depressing as-all-get-out weekend.

Wind and speed watered her eyes, burned her cheeks. A gurgle of
breathless laughter escaped when the tube bounced and swerved, picked up
momentum and raced down the hill even faster. She felt like a kid again, like
the teenagers she and Cole had reminisced about earlier. Which, naturally,
brought to mind his comment.

He’d said,
“You were already impressive.
Never doubt that.”

And didn’t that just make her stomach twirl? She blinked hard
to clear her vision and told herself it was due to the wind, the speed, and not
to the fact that back then, her teenage self hadn’t yet lost her chance with
Cole. Hope still existed, shiny and new.

She came to a halt at the bottom of the hill and yanked herself
to the present. Standing, she shielded her eyes from the glare of the sun and
watched Cole take the trip she just had. This was the last of their snow-tubing
fun for the day. Would they ever come here again, just the two of them? She
doubted it.

After all, at this time in a year—assuming that the facts
presented before her were actually facts—Cole could very well be a married man.
He’d play in the snow with another woman, and a few more years down the road,
his children. Heck, he might bring his family to this very spot.

That was fine. Well, it wasn’t fine
now,
but if necessary Rachel would adjust and grow into the idea. At
some point, surely. Until then, she’d pretend she was fine. That was one thing,
thanks to her parents, she’d had plenty of practice with.

Cole’s inner tube swerved and slid down the remainder of the
hill, and she had her smile ready when he approached. “You were right,” she
said. “This was a great way to spend the day.”

“Yeah? Good. That’s real good.” He pulled off his gloves and
tweaked her nose. A simple touch, barely more than a brush of his fingertips
against her skin, but her heart picked up an extra beat. “I don’t know about
you, but I’m starving. We sort of skipped right by lunch. Feel like grabbing a
bite, or do you and Andrew have plans for dinner?”

Tell him now,
her inner voice
urged. She opened her mouth but couldn’t find the words. Later, then. She’d
explain the situation regarding Andrew over dinner, or tomorrow, or—again, if
the presented facts were reality—after she’d returned to New York. From a
distance, where she wouldn’t have to see the pity in Cole’s eyes. She absolutely
wouldn’t be able to handle pity.

“Um, no. We didn’t make plans for tonight.” That was the honest
to God truth. “He’s likely buried in work at the moment, so I’m free.” Also
true.

Besides being hungry, she could use the opportunity to ask Cole
a few of the questions she hadn’t been able to earlier. Silly, she knew, but
Lola’s certainty that he didn’t have a girlfriend had given Rachel hope. For
what, exactly, she wasn’t sure, because it couldn’t be what she’d originally
thought. Mary
had
to be real.

Why would Cole make up a woman? Hadn’t Margaret Foster just
about glowed with pleasure over her son’s relationship status? She had. And
hadn’t Dylan agreed with Cole’s explanation about keeping the relationship a
secret? That was a yes, as well.

But something was off. And Rachel intended to find out what
that something was. Because if she hadn’t lost her mind, then the crazy might
not be so crazy. The crazy might be real. And then—

“Where to?” Cole asked. “Foster’s again?”

“How about your place instead?” she asked. “It will be quieter
there, more relaxed. We can stop by the store and pick up supplies. I’ll even
cook.” Then, testing out her idea, as crazy as it was, she said, “Oh, wow. I’m
an idiot. You probably have plans with Mary. I can cook for her, too, if you’re
ready for us to meet.”

“Nice try, Rachel, but not yet,” he said easily enough. The
muscle in his jaw twitched, so slight she would’ve missed it if she hadn’t been
staring at his lips. “She’s busy tonight.”

“That’s too bad. I guess you two probably spent most of the
weekend together, right?”

“I worked most of the weekend.” Cole put his gloves on again.
“But yes, men typically spend their weekends with their girlfriends.”

And that was not an answer. Not really. Trying another tack,
Rachel said, “How is she liking the gifts so far? You haven’t mentioned how your
plan is working. I’m curious.”

“So far so good. Based on her reactions to the gifts, I’d guess
she likes them just fine.”

And another non-answer type of answer. “A few details would be
nice,” she prodded. “What has been her favorite so far?”

“Uh...her favorite?” he asked.

Twitch went that muscle, and darn if Rachel didn’t think of
what Dylan had said about Cole having a tell. Was this it? Smiling sweetly—and
hopefully, innocently—she said, “Yes, you know, her favorite, meaning which gift
of those you’ve given her does she like the most?”

“I haven’t asked her that particular question,” Cole said after
a long pause. “But I’ll be sure to when...the correct opportunity presents
itself.”

“Why don’t we call her after dinner and ask her then?”

“You want to talk to her?”

“Sure. Why not?”

“I don’t know if that’s the best idea,” he said. “It might
be...somewhat of an uncomfortable situation, you talking to...Mary.”

No twitch that time. Hmm. “Never hurts to try, does it?” Rachel
spun on her heel without waiting for a response, her mind abuzz with a
thousand-and-one insane possibilities. Wishful thinking? Probably. The Cole she
knew would never—

A snowball smacked her in the center of her back. All thoughts
of Mary fled. Without missing a beat, she knelt down, scraped snow into her
gloved hands and formed a solid-but-not-too-firm ball. Raising her arm, she
stood, spun again...and didn’t see Cole anywhere.

The sneak. He was hiding...somewhere. Waiting for the perfect
moment to take her by surprise. Again. She felt her lips curve into a grin. Yes,
even with her questions, this fell into the most fun day in a long, long while
category.

Squinting against the sun, she turned in a slow circle, looking
for denim-covered legs and a red-and-black coat. Several folks were wearing red,
more wearing jeans, but none of them were Cole. The wind lifted her hair, tossed
it in her eyes. And...slam, another hit. This one on her right arm.

She pivoted, fast. There he was. How had she missed him before?
Rolling her shoulder, she aimed for his chest and let her snowball fly.
Bull’s-eye! His deep, rumbling laugh carried on the wind to her ears, the sound
of it causing her own laughter to ring loud and clear.

He had another snowball ready to go. Bringing one knee up like
a pitcher in a baseball game, he wound his arm in an exaggerated motion...she
dropped to her knees...and the snowball whizzed over her head. She laughed
again, stuck her tongue out at him and crawled across the ground as fast as she
could, taking cover near a small cluster of trees. And, knowing Cole wouldn’t be
able to wait her out, quickly got to work on compiling an arsenal of
snowballs.

As she did, she took in her surroundings, trying to deduce
which direction he would come toward her from. Ah.
There
. Not too far away, on her left, was another grouping of trees.
He’d go around the long way to get there, compile his own arsenal and try
another sneak attack. After their many, many snowball wars when they were kids,
he should know better.

For whatever reason, Rachel had almost always kicked his butt
when they were on opposite teams. Which, she thought with another grin, was
why—once he’d figured that out—he would typically team up with her against his
brothers.

Cole liked winning. He liked winning against his brothers even
more.

Sibling rivalry, she supposed.

A flash of red caught her eye, exactly where she expected he’d
be. Pretending to have her attention focused in the opposite direction, Rachel
angled herself to the right without losing complete view of her left. He might
double back as he got closer.

She shoved two snowballs in each of her jacket pockets,
thankful they were deep enough, and grabbed two more. Hmm. He hadn’t left the
protection of the trees yet. Maybe he was trying to wait her out? A new strategy
for him, but he wouldn’t succeed.

Impatient,
he’d called her...well,
okay, he’d used the word
determined,
but he’d meant
impatient. Rachel let out a soft snicker. She was determined, all
right—determined to sit right here until he got tired of waiting and came for
her.

The seconds ticked by into minutes. How many, she couldn’t
guess, but long enough for the snow to soak through her jeans and freeze her
knees into virtual ice cubes. Repositioning herself into a crouch, she twisted
her upper body to the right and stared at the red parka. The red parka that
hadn’t freaking budged... Oh.

Oh! Why, that rat. He’d almost fooled her. Rachel was
ninety-nine percent positive that the coat she glimpsed was minus one Cole
Foster, left there as a red herring, while he crept up and took her by surprise.
It was, she admitted, an excellent plan.

Moving slowly, and oh-so-carefully, she again twisted her upper
body to the right, expecting to see Cole skulking toward her with a sly grin on
his handsome face. But...no. Drat it all, where was that man? Giving up any
pretense of caution, Rachel pulled herself to a stand, ready to march over to
his coat and holler out her surrender, when a snowball crashed into the left
side of her head.