Ultimate Romance Collection. Rebecca Winters
watched as she placed the potted plant on a small table not far from the Christmas tree. It was hard to believe it was a week before Christmas, but in New York it was hard to forget the season. There seemed to be a Santa on every corner and all the light posts were decorated with wreaths.
“So, what do you think?” she asked, turning to stand beside the plant he’d given her.
His focus was on her when he said, “I wish I could have seen you pregnant.”
“Where did that come from?” she asked, smiling.
“You asked what I thought and those were my thoughts while seeing you standing there, knowing my son is in the kitchen sitting at the table.”
“Coloring.”
He chuckled. “Yes, coloring.”
She didn’t say anything for a minute. “While pregnant, I looked like a blimp.”
He crossed the floor to stop in front of her. He cupped her chin in his hand. “I bet you looked beautiful.” He leaned down and brushed his lips across hers.
Then, as if she needed time to compose herself, she said, “The biscuits are about ready to come out the oven.”
She hurried to the kitchen.
* * *
A couple hours later, Bristol stood in front of her easel. The sound of her son’s laughter could be heard all the way upstairs, letting her know he was enjoying another day of Coop’s company.
Her thoughts shifted back to breakfast. Laramie had been glad to see his father and had talked a mile a minute. Just like yesterday, after breakfast Coop had volunteered to help clean up the kitchen. Although she’d told him his help wasn’t needed, he’d given it anyway. And she would inwardly admit there had been something comfortable about him helping with kitchen chores.
Her thoughts shifted to the poinsettia he’d given her. It was big and beautiful and looked like it belonged right in the spot she’d placed it. It had been so thoughtful of him to bring it for her, and it made her feel special, although she wished it didn’t. The only other man who’d given her flowers had been her father. He had arrived at their first meeting with flowers and had given her flowers on her birthday ever since. Even after his death the flowers were delivered. They were always a beautiful bouquet and the card always said, “You are forever loved, Dad.”
She wiped the tears from her eyes that always sprang up when she thought of her father and the little time they’d had together. But he was still making a positive impact on her life. The same way she believed Coop would make a positive impact on Laramie’s life. He was spending time with their son and that meant a lot. Laramie would miss Coop when he left but he would look forward to his father’s return.
If he returned...
She drew in a sharp breath as fear gripped her. She didn’t want to think of the risk Coop took whenever he left on a covert operation, but she couldn’t push it from her mind. Although he’d told her little about his work, he had explained to her in Paris that most of his missions were classified and couldn’t be discussed. She wondered how families of navy SEALs dealt with not knowing from one day to the next the whereabouts of their loved ones and when they would return.
The sound of her cell phone snapped her out of her reverie. She grabbed it off the table and smiled when she saw the caller was Dionne. “Hi, what’s up?”
“Just calling to check on you. Are you and my godson okay?”
Bristol smiled. “We’re fine. Just getting used to having a male presence around.” She thought of how Coop had looked, standing on her doorstep that morning wearing a Stetson, jeans, suede jacket and boots. You could take the man out of Texas but you couldn’t take Texas out of the man.
“A hot male presence, right?”
She thought about what had taken place in her bed last night and hot was just one adjective she could use. Other descriptions definitely came to mind but since Dionne had said hot... “Um, you can’t imagine just how hot.”
“Oui! Tell me!”
Bristol laughed. “No details for now. I need to prepare Laramie’s lunch.”
“Okay, but you will tell me later.”
“Yes, later.”
“You sound happy, Bristol.”
Did she? “It’s the holidays. Of course I sound happy.”
“Usually you’re not cheerful this time of year. Those memories of your aunt...”
Yes, there would always be memories of her aunt, who’d died over the holidays. “I know. At least I was here when it happened.”
“Yes, I was there, too. I got to meet her. She was so nice.”
“She was super.”
They talked about other things while Dionne brought Bristol up to date on her family and the other friends Bristol had left behind in Paris. “Bristol?”
“Yes?”
“Have you decided what you’re going to do?”
Bristol frowned. “About what?”
“Your fake marriage. We went to a lot of trouble to make it seem real.”
Bristol didn’t say anything at first. She and Coop still hadn’t decided how to proceed. “A fake divorce makes sense then, doesn’t it? But then why waste money undoing something that wasn’t real anyway?”
“Is that what he wants? To undo it?”
“I don’t know what he wants. It only came up once. We need to talk about it again and make a decision,” she said. “Everyone here thinks I was a widow and then out of the clear blue sky my husband reappears. It placed him in an awkward situation since he had no idea everyone thought we were married until I told him.”
“Why not make it a real marriage under the pretense of renewing your vows?”
“Because there is no love between us.”
Bristol knew what Dionne was going to say before she’d even said it. “There is love, Bristol, at least on your part. You loved him after Paris. Remember, I’m the one who told you he had died. I saw what that did to you and the grief you endured. You loved him too much. That much love doesn’t just go away. There’s no way you don’t still love him.”
Bristol opened her mouth to say that wasn’t true, that she didn’t still love Coop, but she couldn’t lie to Dionne. “It doesn’t matter. I intend to fall out of love with him.”
“Why?”
Bristol drew in a deep breath. “You just said the reason. You saw the way I handled the news of his death and the grief I suffered as a result. I couldn’t risk going through something like that a second time. I can’t and I won’t.”
For the second night in a row Coop stood aside while Bristol tucked their son into bed. Today had been a full day of activities. After breakfast he’d stretched out on the floor and helped Laramie put Lego blocks together. Then after lunch he had bundled his son up in his boots and coat and they’d walked to the park.
Bristol had invited Coop to stay for dinner and now he couldn’t help wondering if she would invite him to stay the night. She really hadn’t invited him last night, but their need for each other had pretty much made the decision for them.
There was a strong possibility she might send him packing after they had the little talk he intended for them to have. It was time he forced her hand on a few things.
“Laramie wants to tell you good-night.”
Bristol’s