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“Uh—this is—Cole. He brought me home. Cole, this is my baby brother, Kurt.”
Cole smiles at Kurt. “Nice to meet you Kurt, or can I call you Captain?”
“Captain, will do Private.” And Kurt salutes him.
Cole grins and salutes him back.
“Why don’t you take Taylor back over to the house and Cole and I will be right over, okay?”
“All right—maybe Grandma will let us have a piece of cake now.”
“I want cake,” Taylor pipes up.
I kneel next to him. “Well, you better go get some, before it’s all gone.” Taylor nods, holding out his fist for me and I bump it. I walk the boys out of the house and watch them cross the grass to the neighbors, aka ‘my parents’, house until they get inside.
I feel Cole standing behind me and back him up into the house. My breath comes out ragged now that my brother and nephew are gone. I press my hands into my sides that have started to ache. I feel like I’m coming apart again. Me being a nervous wreck is happening way too frequently. I walk over to my old recliner and sink down into it.
“Are you going to freak out on me?” My voice is panicked because I don’t think I can handle an argument with Cole on top of a confrontation with my parents.
I glance up at Cole, who’s shaking his head, a slight smile on his face. “A heads up you live next door to your parents would have been nice.”
“I know.” My voice is barely above a whisper. “I meant too but, I got distracted.” I feel the tears in my eyes and try to push them back.
Cole comes over and stands in front of me. “Come here,” he says, reaching for me. I crush myself against him and start to sob.
“Shh, Cookie I’m not mad. Are you ready to go over?” He smooths back my hair, kissing my forehead.
“I’m so scared, Cole. What if they don’t like you? What if they make me choose? I choose you, but I don’t know how I will live without my family.”
“Kate, look at me. If your family truly loves you, they won’t make you choose. They may not like the choices you’ve made and they may not like me, but they won’t give you up.”
“What about you and your dad? He made you choose,” I sob.
“He didn’t make me chose him or you. He only made me pick the company or you. He’ll still be there judging my every move and voicing his complaints, trust me. We haven’t gotten rid of him.”
“Okay,” I say, still a sobbing mess. I sure hope on all things Elvis that he’s right.
The knots in my stomach tighten and my heart is thumping so hard I think it may explode out of my chest at any moment. I’m a dead man—well woman—walking. At least that’s what it feels like the closer Cole and I get to my parents’ house. Cole squeezes my hand for reassurance, and I try to smile.
When we get to the porch steps, I stop. I’m about to tell my family I met a man and four days later married him. They’re going to think I’m crazy—actually thinking about it makes me feel a bit crazy. Oh sheesh, I’m going to hyperventilate. I take a deep breath, but it doesn’t seem to help. I peer up at Cole, who gives me a Cheshire grin, then pushes me up against the house. He tangles his hands in my hair, crushing his lips to mine. His tongue licks at the seam of my mouth, wanting in, but I’m too tense.
“Kate.” Cole takes my lower lip between his teeth, pulling gently at it as his hand comes around, cupping my face, pulling at my chin with his thumb. My mouth parts and he covers his lips with mine, his tongue slipping in, and I’m gone. Taken away into the bliss that is Cole.
When he releases me, my breathing is ragged and heavy, but I feel better. I love and hate that he has that effect on me.
“Better?” Cole asks, pushing my hair behind my ears.
“Much better.” And I manage a smile this time.
We make our way up the three steps and I knock on the door as I open it. “Hello, is anyone home?”
The house opens into the living room. “We’re all in the kitchen, Katie,” my grandma Alice yells in her eighty-year-old, shaky voice.
I grab Cole’s hand and we walk through the small hall that leads into the kitchen. When we turn the corner, I’m showered with streamers of confetti and everyone shouts, “surprise!” and my nephews blow noise makers.
I stare at my family, dumbfounded. I rake my hand through my hair, blowing out a breath.
Laura comes up, crushing me in a hug. “It’s all okay,” she whispers in my ear. She releases me and then hugs Cole. He looks at me confused, and I just shake my head with the same look.
