“Anyway,” he continued, emerging with a surge protector cord in hand, “her health got better after high school and she was able to attend college on a full scholarship. Then one of her brothers went to jail and her dad got sick. Her mother tried to talk her into quitting college and moving home to serve as a live-in cook and maidservant, despite Tasha’s own health issues. She refused and was forbidden to come home after that, even on holidays. She didn’t mind too much since her family’s idea of celebrating a holiday was drinking too much and getting into a brawl.”
“How on earth did she turn out so well coming from that background?”
He shrugged. “We always joked about it being a recessive gene. She didn’t think she was better than her family,” he clarified, “but they led a life that didn’t interest her, and they couldn’t accept her for being different.”
That statement seemed to Stevie to even more strongly reinforce her feeling that Cole and Natasha had connected over their similar family issues, though Cole had been spared the alcoholic parents and criminal brothers.
“Anyway, Natasha and I got married not long after college graduation. It seemed like the right move at the time for both of us.”
“Your father didn’t approve.” That wasn’t a guess, of course, since Jim had made it clear enough.
“No. Our relationship, which was already strained by my choice to study computer science rather than car mechanics, has been even more distant since. I entered grad school and Tasha got a desk job processing insurance claims. We had almost six years together. Her health was stable enough for the first few years that we were encouraged to start planning a future. We talked about maybe adopting a child—but then, five years ago, she caught pneumonia. She was never able to recover fully, and it was too much for her weak heart to take.”
She searched his face. Though he wore no particular expression, his eyes looked dark and clouded. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
He nodded and plugged in another piece of equipment.
She leaned down to brush a light kiss against his cheek. “Thank you for sharing that with me. And now I should probably start dinner.”
He pushed himself to his feet and brushed off his hands. “Why don’t we go out tonight? We’ve been working so hard today there’s no need for either of us to cook. How about Italian?”
“That sounds perfect. Just let me freshen up and I’ll be ready to go.”
Minutes later, when she smoothed her hair in front of her bathroom mirror, she saw how tired she looked. No doubt her sharp-eyed husband had noticed. He would feed her and bring her home and make sure she rested.
She had no doubt Cole was very fond of her. Why couldn’t that be enough for her?
Her hand fell slowly to her side as the answer hit with a jolt. Despite all her resolutions against fairy tales and unrealistic expectations, her foolish heart had led her into trouble again. She’d fallen head over heels in love—perhaps really in love for the first time in her life—with a man who was fully deserving of her heart. And yet, still
a man who couldn’t give her what she’d always longed for.
Chapter Ten
The wedding for Tess and Scott was beautiful, the party afterward noisy and fun. Scott’s six-year-old twin nieces served as flower girls. They dashed around the grounds of Scott’s parents’ lovely home after the ceremony, twirling in their pretty yellow dresses splashed with red poppies and tied with long red sashes. Tess’s small family mingled easily with Scott’s larger one, everyone looking happy to be there to celebrate.
There’d been quite a bit of teasing at the reception about Tess’s two pregnant bridesmaids. Jenny was already almost as big as Stevie. Wearing floating knee-length dresses and carrying poppy bouquets, they’d smiled and perhaps sniffled a bit as their friend had exchanged vows with her love.
“You should sit down,” Cole suggested as the warm June afternoon wore on. “You’re starting to look a little strained.”
Acknowledging the logic in his advice, she found a seat at one of the yellow-draped tables set up beneath a fluttering canopy. “I have a touch of a headache,” she admitted in a low voice. “It’s not bad, just a little annoying. I guess it’s from the heat.”
He frowned in concern. “Do you want to leave?”
“Not just yet.” She looked around the milling, laughing crowd who seemed in no hurry to break up the party. Scott and Tess were obviously having just as much fun, neither of them looking impatient to cut their special event short. “Soon.”
“Let me get you something cold to drink, then.”
She smiled up at him. “Thank you, Cole.”
“He’s certainly attentive this afternoon,” Jenny commented, sinking gratefully into a chair close to Stevie’s.
Realizing she’d been rubbing her temple, Stevie dropped her hand and nodded. “Yes. Not quite to Gavin’s levels of hovering, but I’d say I’m being well cared for.”
Jenny laughed ruefully. “I made the mistake of mentioning last night that my back hurt a little and Gavin asked if we needed to call his EMT buddy to take me to the hospital. I swear, if he doesn’t have a nervous breakdown before this baby gets here, it will be a miracle.”
Stevie laughed. “It’s probably only going to get worse after your daughter arrives. I can’t stop giggling when I think about Gavin with a daughter.”
Her hand resting affectionately on her swollen middle, Jenny made a face, though a smile lit her eyes. “He’s been in a daze ever since we found out it’s a girl. Our poor daughter is going to have a cop dad who’ll scare off all the boys who even look at her. I’m sure I’ll do my share of refereeing between them in about fourteen years, though something tells me Gavin and his daughter are going to adore each other despite the inevitable clashes.”