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He was the man she'd always wanted him to be, the man she could love...
She swung away, afraid he'd read the painful truth in her face, but he clasped her shoulders and turned her toward him.
"Faith? What's the matter?"
"Nothing," she said brightly. She looked up and smiled. "You've been wonderful for Peter."
He nodded. How about for you? he wanted to say. Have I been anything at all for you? But he knew the answer. She'd made it clear. She'd gone from despising him to tolerating him to being grateful to him for the kindness he'd shown the boy and suddenly, with gut-wrenching swiftness, he knew that wouldn't be enough. He didn't want her to be tolerant of him, dammit, or grateful. He wanted-he wanted...
"You said you had something to tell me," Faith said.
"Yeah." Cole took his hands from her shoulders. "Pete wants to join the Cub Scouts."
Faith blinked. "Really?"
"Turns out Billy Cullen-"
"The roller coaster expert," she said, and they both smiled.
"That's the kid. Turns out his old man is the scoutmaster and he's organized some kind of camping trip for the kids. Pete would like to go."
Her face fell. "He never said a word to me."
"Yeah." Cole smiled again. "Well, it's man stuff. You know. Anyway, I spoke with Billy's father-"
"Without discussing it with me first?"
"Don't get your back up, baby. Phil Cullen phoned a couple of days ago and I figured I'd check things out before I said anything to you."
Baby, he'd called her. She told herself she hated it when he did that…but she didn't. This time, the nickname hadn't sounded like a slur, it had sounded softly protective. Please, Faith thought, oh, please, don't let this be happening to me all over again.
"The camp's in the mountains. It has a good reputation. So does Phil Cullen. Seems he takes the kids out every year."
She nodded. "I know. Peter mentioned it before. I asked him if he wanted to join the Pack but he said-
"He said he didn't. Yeah, he told me. Well, I guess things have changed."
What he meant was, Peter wasn't an outcast anymore. Cole had done that for him.
"It looks like something he'd really enjoy, Faith. Cullen's a good guy, experienced with kids and with camping. They'll be gone for two weeks-"
"Two weeks!"
Cole smiled. "A lifetime, I know. But it'll be good for him. There'll be overnight hikes and cookouts. There are lots of activities at the camp and a doctor on the premises, and from what Cullen said, the food isn't half bad."
"Okay." She took a breath. "Peter can go." Cole smiled. "Great. And the timing's perfect." "What do you mean?"
He hesitated. She saw his eyes darken and instinctively, she knew that what was coming was going to change everything.
"You're-you're leaving," she said quietly.
He nodded. "I have to go to New York. There's no way out of it. There are some things on my calendar and..."
He went on talking. Faith nodded in what she thought might be the right places, she smiled politely, but she'd stopped listening. He was leaving, just as she'd hoped he would. He'd bent her to his will, given Peter some of the stability he'd promised, and now he was returning to his own world.
"...in a few months. I'll try, anyway, assuming nothing comes up..."
He'd try. In a few months, he'd try to fly down to see them. Not them. Peter. That was the only reason he'd forced her into this marriage. For Peter's sake. And thank goodness for that. She surely didn't want it any other way.
"Faith? You understand, don't you?"
"Of course." Somehow, she forced her lips to curve in a
smile. "And don't worry about Peter."
Cole blinked. "Why would I? Pete'll do just fine." "You're right. He'll miss you-" "Miss me?"
"When you leave. But I'll explain that you couldn't possibly go on living here, with us. With him. And I'm sure he'll look forward to an occasional visit, whenever you can manage-"
She gasped as Cole clasped her shoulders. "You didn't hear a word I said."
"I did. You said you have to leave, that you'll try and visit us-visit Peter-in a few months-"
"No wonder you've been so obliging for the past half hour." Cole's mouth thinned. "`He's going,' you figured. You could afford to play the gracious lady and be pleasant."
Faith stared at him. "Aren't you? Going, I mean?"
"Oh, yeah, baby. I'm going." His eyes narrowed. "And so are you. That's what I meant about the timing being right. This way, Peter won't miss us while we're gone."
Was he speaking in English? Nothing he said made sense. "Gone where? Cole, I don't understand a word you're saying .
