Page 112 of Cole

I’d only heard the abbreviated version of what had happened after we’d left the shipyard last night. Cole had been locked up in an FBI interrogation room since last night, giving his statement and answering their endless questions. The FBI. What was my life right now? I’d longed for some excitement in my humdrum, predictable life, and I’d sure gotten it.

There was a commotion in the hall, and Rosie stepped back into the room and quickly slid the door closed.

“Cole’s coming,” she announced, looking worriedly at my mother. My mom drew herself up to her entire height, placed a hand on her sternum, trying to compose herself, and nodded.

A knock sounded at the door, and it opened. Cole had clearly not been home to change. He was covered in dried dirt, and had smears of blood on his skin. He looked rough as hell. A demon escaped from the underworld. A gasp escaped my mom as I immediately climbed out of the raised bed and threw myself into his arms. He embraced me tightly as I clung to him. Tears dripped down my cheeks.

“Hey, didn’t you get the update that everything was ok?” His gravelly voice was the best thing I’d ever heard. It meant he was real and here, finally.

“I did, but I didn’t believe it until now,” I breathed against his chest.

My mother cleared her throat, uncomfortable with the display of affection.

“So, we, uh, finally meet, Mr. Bailey,” she said awkwardly.

“Call me Cole, Mrs. Lancaster. You’re going to be seeing a lot of me,” Cole said, not looking at my mother when he spoke, still focusing solely on me.

“I understand you’ve had a spot of legal trouble—” my mom started.

“Which is all resolved. I am entirely out of the woods, legally speaking, and don’t plan on going back into them. From now on, all the Harbor Hounds’ involvement with illegal activities will cease. From now on, we’re a social club that provides protection services, security details, and runs bars and the best damn auto shops in the state.”

He stepped back from me and looked at my mom. She seemed to shrink under his unyielding attention.

Cole fixed my mother with a curious look. “You can tell your rich friends to come and talk to your son-in-law in person if they’ve got a problem with that.”

“Oh, my!” my mother gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth. She looked shocked but not upset, strangely. “I-I don’t know what to say⁠—”

“You don’t have to say anything,” Cole started, and then paused when my mother’s hand landed on his arm.

“No, I do. Isabelle tells me that you were the only one looking out for her, and that you stopped Grant when he…” she trailed off, her face paling.

“That’s right, I did, and I will be looking out for her, always. You don’t need to worry about that anymore.” He looked at me. “From now on, she has me. Rest assured.”

My mom laid her fingertips against her mouth and looked at Cole with dewy eyes. I didn’t know whether she judged him worthy, and I no longer cared.

In my eyes, there was no substitute.

He turned to me, looking me up and down. “You all better, Goldilocks? I’m taking you home.”

“Yes, please,” I simply said.

“Um, I should mention that your father is taking some time away from the house, so he won’t be home.”

“I’m not taking her to your home, I’m taking her to mine. She can give you the address if she wants.”

“Did dad move out?” I asked my mom.

She nodded slowly. Rosie wrapped an arm around my mom. She looked so slight there, for a moment, without my dad’s overbearing presence bullying her into silence.

“I-I asked him to,” she said, raising her chin.

“She told him to,” Rosie corrected, with something approaching pride.

I smiled. The first genuine smile I’d given my mom in a long, long time.

“I’m glad. Maybe we’ll come over for dinner then, in that case, sometime soon.”

“Finn came over last night for dinner. He’s going to help out the gardener and help me look after the place. It’s so big, and there’s only so much I can do.”