Read Online Cole by Tess Oliver - Free Book Online Page B

chest.
    “Dad, you need to go to a doctor and make sure you’re not getting an ulcer.”
    He waved off my concern. “I wonder who owns that property now.” He laughed. “You’ll never guess who used to own it. In fact, he even tried to start a vineyard.”
    “Nicky King?” I asked.
    “Yes. How did you know?” Dad asked.
    “Nicky King,” Mom said, suddenly looking a little starry-eyed. “He always had the most wonderful British accent. His tight leather pants were rather wonderful too.”
    Dad cast an annoyed brow lift her direction. “I’m sure he still has the accent . . . and the pants, no doubt. I never did hear who bought the property from him.”
    I got up from the chair and kissed Dad’s forehead. “That’s because he never sold it.”
    I walked around the table to give Mom a kiss and allow Dad time to absorb everything.
    Mom turned her cream covered cheek toward me and I kissed her.
    “Kensington Rae, are you telling me you are going out with Nicky King’s son?” It always made me smile when he felt the need to use my middle name. Something told me images of the hoodlum were floating back into his head.
    “Yes I am.”
    He reached for the antacid bottle.
    “Dad, don’t worry. You know how short-lived my relationships are. It probably won’t go past this first date.”

Chapter 11
    Kensington
    Cole turned the truck and headed along the onramp. He’d put on a nice blue shirt and jeans. Even though my dad’s eyes had nearly popped from his skull at the tattoos running along Cole’s neck and forearms, he was quickly calmed by Cole’s affable personality. Cole had my mom blushing like a schoolgirl as well.
    “I guess I should have warned you that the parents were around. But you did good. You’ve got that confidence thing going on, and my dad likes that.”
    “He seems like a cool guy,” Cole said.
    “Yep, if you like the sweater wearing, golf cart driving, one scotch in the evening type, then my dad’s the guy.”
    “See, I could use the same sentence for my dad . . . with a few tweaks, of course. If you like the skin tight leather pants, Lamborghini driving, one scotch in the morning with eggs and the rest throughout the day type, then my dad’s your man.”
    “See, they are almost two peas in a pod. I can’t complain though. My dad’s always been one of my closest friends.”
    “For as little as I saw my dad growing up, we’re really close too.” Cole reached forward and turned up the music. “This truck is kind of noisy when it gets going faster than fifty.”
    We were heading south toward San Diego. “Exactly where are we going?” I asked. “I just threw on this dress and my boots because I wasn’t sure,” I said it casually as if I hadn’t agonized over what to wear for an hour. Suddenly, I was back at sixteen when I’d first started dating, and everything, including the flavor of lip gloss, had to be carefully thought out. Cole had brought that excitement out again, and I hoped it would last. At least for awhile.
    “I can’t tell you yet,” Cole answered. “But I think you’ll like it. Or, at least I hope you will.” He glanced briefly my direction. “And the dress, like the princess dress, is fucking perfect. I have to admit, I’ve been kind of nervous about this date.”
    “Nervous? You? With the way you handled meeting my parents, you must be an impenetrable steel wall when you’re feeling confident.”
    “I wasn’t nervous about meeting your parents. It’s you who I want to impress.”
    He pulled off the freeway. The night sky was just turning from slate gray to black and a light fog had covered Pacific Coast Highway. “Are we heading to the beach?”
    “We are. Is that all right?”
    I looked down at my mostly bare legs. “Might be a little cold, but I guess I’m tough enough to handle it.”
    “Well, we’re going to the beach, but we won’t be directly on the sand. My Uncle Nolan has a place down here. It’s a little bungalow right on the