Cole loved downtown Royal, but especially when there was a party. The Labor Day celebration, with its food vendors, hay rides and carnival games, was a favorite. It heralded the end of the brutal Texas summer and the start of what he hoped would be a beautiful fall. But first, he and the team had to track down Rich. They had to make him pay for his litany of crimes—Jason’s murder, stealing Will’s identity, and siphoning off millions of dollars from Will’s company and the Texas Cattleman’s Club. If he was sent away for all of that, everything would be right with Cole’s world. Well, almost everything. Dani coming back into town had turned a few things upside down, namely his ability to think about anything else.
He strolled through the main block, which had been closed off to traffic. He was willing to admit to himself that he was hoping to run into Dani; he just wasn’t prepared to say it out loud. She’d consumed his thoughts since the other night, and not just because clothes had come off and she’d left him as sexually frustrated as he’d ever been. Six years had numbed him to the memory of what Dani did to him. She made him feel alive. She might have a terrible attitude 50 percent of the time, but he knew that wasn’t what was in her heart. Her exterior was nut-hard, but on the inside, Dani Moore was as soft and tender as could be.
He’d seen that caring side after his accident six years ago, when he was still a Texas Ranger. He’d narrowly survived colliding with a guardrail during a high-speed pursuit. Cole had been carried off in a stretcher with broken bones, lacerations and contusions. After his more urgent injuries had been tended to and he was finally stable, the doctors ordered an MRI. That was when they’d discovered the tumor, an inoperable glioma, square in the middle of his brain.
Luckily, Cole had sent Dani home to get some sleep, so only his brother Sam had been there when he got the news. She wasn’t there to hear the words no one ever wanted to hear, especially not from an oncologist. They couldn’t remove it. Radiation was unlikely to make a difference. It was likely going to be the thing that killed him, but there was no way to know how long he had. Could be days, weeks, months, years or decades. Plenty of people walked around not even knowing they had one, the doctor had said, which had been of zero comfort to Cole.
Cole swore Sam to secrecy, although Sam had begged him to talk to Dani about it. He knew that Cole had been getting ready to ask Dani to marry him. He’d bought a ring. He’d been about to ask her to build a future with him.
Cole wouldn’t hear any of it. That doctor had signed his death warrant. He’d already seen what worry did to Dani. Hell, every time he went out on a call or worked on an investigation, she was a ball of stress. She always hugged him and kissed him fiercely when he made it home safe. Cole understood why. Dani’s dad had been in law enforcement and he’d died in the line of duty. She’d had to watch the way her mother fell apart afterward, drinking and aiming all kinds of verbal abuse at Dani. Emancipated at seventeen, Dani eventually ended up with her aunt Dot in Royal. Dani’s toughness came from loss. Cole would not let that happen again.
So he’d done the only thing he could think to do. As soon as he was back at home, he’d broken it off. Oh, the anger and fury unleashed that day was brutal. But Cole had taken it. Yes, she’d spent countless hours with him in the hospital, and yes, they’d been together for three years. He’d had to lie and tell her that none of that mattered anymore. He didn’t love her. Those were the words that had been the hardest to say.
Of course, Dani had refused to believe him. She’d flat out called him a liar. She’d thrown things at the wall—pillows and books and magazines. So he’d had to double down on his fabrication and tell her there was another woman. That was the beginning of the end. She’d become impossibly quiet. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and she’d called him a cheating bastard. He hated to hurt her that way, but it was the only way to cut things off for good.
Three days later, Dani left for New York. By all accounts from the other night, she’d done well for herself. His plan had worked perfectly. Except he was still waiting for the day this stupid tumor might take his life. And he’d never bargained on Dani ever returning to Royal.
The late-morning sun beat down on Cole’s back as he continued his survey of town for Dani. When he rounded the corner near Miss Mac’s Pie Shack, he nearly ran square into Vaughn McCoy and Abigail Stewart. They both were grinning ear to ear, Vaughn’s service dog, Ruby, between them.
“How are you two doing today?” Cole asked.
Abigail smiled even wider, a feat Cole did not think was possible. She pulled Vaughn closer and gazed up into his face. “We’re perfect. Absolutely perfect.”
Vaughn took Abigail’s left hand and presented it to Cole. “Newlyweds, to be exact.” The ring sparkled in the sun as she wagged her fingers.
“Oh, wow. Congratulations! When did this happen?”
“Just now,” Abigail said. “We got Judge Miller to perform the ceremony in our backyard.” She smoothed her hand over her protruding belly. “We wanted to get it done before this little one decides to make his or her presence known.”
Cole wasn’t the envious type, but he could feel the jealousy rising up inside him. Vaughn and Abigail had the life he’d always wanted, the one he’d once thought was a done deal for Dani and him. Why did some people get their happy ending while others didn’t? He didn’t know the answer.
He shook Vaughn’s hand. “Well done. I’m very happy for you both.”
“When are you going to get around to settling down? Or are the Sullivan boys all committed to being bachelors for life?” Abigail asked.
It would’ve taken Cole an hour to give the real answer. Instead, he laughed. “If you ask my mother, we’re all running on borrowed time. She wants grandchildren yesterday.”
“Good to see you, Cole. I’d better get my bride down to the diner. She’s already reminded me a dozen times how hungry she is,” Vaughn said.
Abigail shrugged adorably. “I’m dying for pancakes and bacon.”
Cole clapped Vaughn on the shoulder. “You heard her. Get to it.”
Just as the happy couple walked away, Cole spotted Dani across the street. Unless his eyes were playing tricks on him, she was with two small boys. The street was packed now, and he had to wind his way through the crowd, past folks saying hello or wanting to talk to him.
I’m so sorry. I’m supposed to be meeting someone.
Yeah, hi. I’ll see you later?
Dani and the two boys were turning and walking away from him. He had to hurry. Or maybe just lunge for Dani. Without thinking, he reached past several people and grabbed her arm. The crowd parted and she whirled around.
“Cole? What in the world?” She tore off her sunglasses and nearly pierced his very being with her blazing brown eyes.
His heart was about to pound its way out of his chest. “I’m sorry. I just...” You just what? Saw her and thought you’d wrap your hand around her? “I wanted to say hello.”
“Oh, well, hi.” Dani looked down at the two boys who were right at her hips. One was clutching the skirt of her light blue sundress, the other holding on to her hand.
“Can we talk? Over here?” With a nod, he suggested a bench in front of the Royal Diner.
She pursed her lips tightly. “We said all we needed to say the other night.”
He should’ve known he’d have to put some elbow grease into this. “It’s a hot day. Probably not a bad idea to sit and take a break.”
“I’m fine. Really.”
He pointed down at one of the two boys. “I think he could use some time out of the sun. His cheeks are pretty pink.”
Horror crossed Dani’s face and she leaned down to check on the boy. “Are you okay, honey?”
He nodded. “Just hot. And thirsty.”
“Fine, Cole. But just for a minute.” She took the boys’ hands and led them over to the bench. They both climbed up and sat, swinging their legs. Dani pulled a bottle of water from her bag and offered it to them.
“Who’s this you have with you?” Cole asked.
She hesitated for a moment. “These are my sons. Cameron and Colin.”
Her what? Cole nearly had to pick his jaw up off the sidewalk He was as confused as could be right now. Dani had painted herself as a single woman without a care in the world aside from her career. One would have thought the topic of having two children might have come up while they’d talked the other night. Was this why she’d glossed over part of her time in New York? And if so, what was she hiding? He crouched down in front of the boys, knowing he had to play it cool. Dani had little patience for him right now. “Hi, guys. I’m Cole. Now which one of you is Cameron and which one is Colin?”
The boy in the red-and-white-striped shirt thrust his hand up into the air. “I’m Cameron.”
“So you must be Colin.”
In a blue-and-white-striped shirt, Colin seemed more reticent than his brother. He nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Cole peered up at Dani, who was beaming at the boys. “I guess there were a few things we didn’t have a chance to talk about the other night.”
She cleared her throat. “A few things.”
Cole straightened to his full height. Dani was flat-out stunning today, but he couldn’t allow himself to be distracted by the way she looked in that sundress with the skinny straps, all glowing skin and luscious lips. “How old are the boys?”
She took a step away from her sons. “Uh. Four. About to turn five.”
Cole turned and looked at them again, doing the math in his head. Like most brothers, they were horsing around, poking and prodding each other. Cole was no expert, but they looked ready to go to school. He wasn’t buying the idea that they were four, but he couldn’t ask them in front of their mom. “You putting them in kindergarten this year?”
“No. One more year of preschool. They’re not quite ready yet.”
“I see.” He took another glance at them. Their coloring was just like his own. Hair color? Remarkably similar. It was even thick like his, not fine like most young children’s. “Your relationship with Taylor Blake must’ve been a lot more serious than you let on.”
“I don’t really want to talk about it, Cole.”
If he wasn’t standing in the middle of a packed sidewalk, Cole would ask Dani all sorts of questions. He might even ask for a paternity test. But he had to be glad that she wasn’t kicking him in the shins right now or calling him names. After the other night, he did not think a calm conversation with Dani would be possible, but here they were. He was prepared to do anything to preserve the peace.
But were these boys his? Was it possible that Dani had been pregnant when she packed up and left for New York? They’d had no contact whatsoever, except for a letter Dani sent six months after she left, asking if he wanted to talk. Unable to open that door and wanting to protect her, he hadn’t responded.
He looked at the boys again. There was a feeling deep in his gut that was saying they could be his. Even if that might not be the case, he had to have the chance to get to know them better. They were one half a woman he still cared for very much.
He crouched down one more time. “Do you boys like horses?”
Colin, the quieter of the two, jumped right off the bench, nearly knocking Cole back onto his butt. “I do.”
Cameron nodded eagerly. “I do, too. Do you have horses?”
“I do. I have longhorns, too. I even have chickens and goats.”
“Do you have a real farm, Mr. Cole?” Cameron asked. It was incredibly adorable how polite these two boys were. Dani had done a good job.
“It’s a ranch. A big one. Would you like to come see it some time? Maybe tomorrow?”
Dani stepped forward and placed her hand on Cole’s shoulder, digging her fingertips into his skin. If she thought it would dissuade him, she was sorely mistaken. Her touch made his pulse quicken and filled his head with ideas of taking off the dress she was wearing today. “Surely you’re busy, Mr. Cole.”
He shook his head. “Nope. Not at all. I always have time for some aspiring young ranchers.”
“Can we, Mommy? Can we?” Colin was jumping up and down, tugging on Dani’s hand.
Cameron got off the bench and joined in. “We never got to see horses in New York.”
“We did when we went to Central Park,” Dani countered. She was so good at digging in her heels.
“That’s not the same. We couldn’t ride those horses.” Cameron turned to Cole. “Can we ride your horses?”
“A few of them you can.” Cole had to disguise his smile. The boys were doing his arguing for him.
Dani dropped her shoulders and sighed. “It’ll have to be Thursday. I need to be at the restaurant tomorrow, and I have plans with Megan on Wednesday.”
Cameron and Colin began jumping up and down again, squealing with delight.
“What time do you want us?” Dani asked.
I want you any time I can get you. Again, Cole’s mind flashed to the other night and how amazing it felt to touch her velvety bare skin. “Nine? Before it gets too hot? We can have lunch. Hungry cowboys need their food.”
She rolled her eyes and shook her head.
“What?” Cole asked.
“I’m just trying to figure out how you’re so good at talking me into things I don’t want to do.”
“You don’t want your boys to have a fun morning enjoying some of the finest things Royal, Texas, has to offer?”
The smile that spread across her face held a familiar edge. It was as if she was whispering, Damn you, Cole Sullivan. Good God, how he’d missed that sight. “No. You’re right. It’ll be fun.”
He reached out and grasped her elbow, trailing his fingers down the underside of her arm. “I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”
She cocked both eyebrows. “I have two young boys to keep an eye on, Mr. Cole. May I present a prime example of how much supervision they need?” Dani pointed down the sidewalk. The boys had found an older man with a dog several storefronts away. They were gleefully petting it, oblivious to how far they’d wandered.
“I was talking about ice cream. I was thinking we could go out for some after lunch.”
Dani pressed a finger, hard, right in the center of his chest. “Don’t push your luck.”
Cole put his sunglasses back on, feeling as happy as he’d felt in a long time. “I won’t need luck. The minute I mention ice cream to those two boys, it’ll be all over.”
Dani just shook her head and hitched her purse onto her shoulder. “Boys, we should go now,” she called.
“Oh, and bring your swimsuits Thursday. I have a slide at my pool.”
Dani cast him an incredibly hot look of disapproval. “You’re terrible.”
“I try.”