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“No.”
“All right.”
“I better go check.” She marched to the entry and opened the door without delay. When she opened it, a couple of squeals filled the air.
“Mommy, we missed you,” said a boy, about five or six, with eyes that he definitely got from his mother.
“They changed their minds about sleeping over at my place,” said a male voice behind them. “They don’t like the smell of fresh paint on the walls.”
“It stank, Mommy,” the other boy said, giving her a hug.
Two boys. When she mentioning having kids, he never dwelled on it much. He’d made a point not to study the frames or the pictures hanging on her wall leading up to the second floor, not to read much into them. Now curiosity made him take the last step to emerge from the background and make his presence known. “Hi,” he said, looking at the other adult male in the entryway.
Her ex was a few inches shorter than Cole, with round, kind eyes and a slim frame. “Hi?” He squinted. “Are you Nikki’s friend?”
Nikki, next to him, tilted her head, pointing at him. “Yes,” she said quickly, her voice edgy. “Of course. Cole is a good friend. Meet my ex-husband Luke. And these are my children, David and Henry.”
The boys turned to him. About the same height, one had a more modern haircut than the other. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Cole,” they said in unison.
They. Two identical twin boys, like him and Keith.
“Nice to meet you all,” Cole said, his stomach turning like he’d eaten bad gas station food.
Nikki exchanged a couple of pleasantries with her ex, but her words barely registered. His heart beat staccato, blood thrumming in his ears. The man who talked to her had been strong enough to marry her, to have kids with her—even if he made the colossal mistake of leaving her? What man in his right mind would divorce a caring, loyal, warm woman like Nikki?
I would. A chili sensation rolled down his spine. He wouldn’t commit to her, to begin with, and her two lovely boys… Cole took an intake of breath. He could never be a father figure or even a stepfather for them, because he hadn’t saved his brother. A pair of twin boys would be a daily reminder he’d failed Keith, and could fail them also. Hell, even his father, his blood, had a hard time connecting with him.
“I’ll get going,” Luke said. “See you around.” He gave Cole a glance, then turned away from them.
Nikki closed the door, and her two boys jumped up and down, excited.
“Mom, can I show your friend my toys?” one of them shouted.
Nikki cleared her throat, a guarded expression washing over her face. “David, I’m not sure—”
Damn it. He peered at the boy’s eyes and a suffocating sensation pierced him. Get out, a voice inside him pleaded. Get out while you can. Clearing his throat, he stepped forward. His feet should feel light and resolute, but his weight seemed to have doubled as he steered away from the lovely trio. “I’m sorry, but I have to go. I just remembered I need to—”
“Go,” Nikki said, gesturing at him. She lifted her chin, and even though her expression was neutral, the pulse at the base of her throat visibly jumped. “You’re a very busy man. I’d hate to keep you.”
His gaze darted between her and the boys, then returned to her. He flashed her what he hoped was an apologetic smile, the one a weak man hid behind. He used that smile like a last-minute shelter from a raging thunderstorm. But he couldn’t hurt her and those kids by staying and being friendly.
By pretending that this could be the start of something more serious.
His heart squeezed in his chest, and he left without looking back. He chastised himself with every step he took toward his car, but didn’t dare turn around and go back to her. Best to hurt her now than later.
* * *
“Your father called,” Brian said, as soon as Cole walked into his office. “He must have gotten that email about another location for Great Escapes you sent overnight.”
“Ah. Okay. I’ll talk to him.”
Cole tossed his briefcase on the table and removed his jacket. He had a busy day ahead, so why not get the inconvenient phone call out of the way? His father would hate the change, as he did with most suggestions Cole threw at him. However, he had given Nikki his word and made a deal—and it’d keep him honest to tell the board he was looking into different sites.
“Hi. You called me, Dad?” He could have laughed at the “dad” reference. Father seemed too distant, even if it suited their relationship better. And calling him by his first name would make the man more upset.
“Yes. What impulsive idea is this to consider other sites? You presented the plan to the board of investors. A lucrative idea which we all agreed on.”
“I’m not changing sites right now, I just wanted you and the board to know I’ll search for other places to make sure we aren’t overlooking a potentially better deal. After I relocated here, I noticed our ground crew disregarded some good options.”
