Read Online Jackson Hole Valentine by Cindy Kirk - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Cindy Kirk
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river.
Still, when it came time for the brace to go back on his knee, Cole wasn’t sorry that it was Meg’s competent hands that helped him put it on and held out a steadying hand as he rose to his feet.
“That was fun, Aunt Meg.” Charlie leaned in close. “Can I help again?”
“Absolutely,” she said.
Cole glanced at Charlie’s beaming face. He thought of all he’d learned tonight about his son. And all that Charlie had learned about him. That never would have happened if they’d been watching a basketball game.
“Thank you,” he said to Meg when Charlie ran to the bathroom.
“For helping you up?”
“No,” he said. “For making the evening…nice.”
A look of shock flickered in her eyes before she shrugged. “It was important to me that he had a good first night here.”
“Well, I appreciate it,” he said, surprised by the admiration flowing through his veins. Cole didn’t want to have these feelings for her, didn’t want to feel the bar between them lower by even the slightest inch.
But he told himself there was no need to worry. He’d let down his guard once before with her and had gotten burned. He wouldn’t be making that mistake again.
Chapter Six
T he ringing of her cell phone woke Meg from a sound sleep. She fumbled with the bedcovers, reaching blindly for the phone charging on the bedside stand.
“Margaret.”
“Zac?” Meg jerked upright, instantly wide-awake at hearing her brother’s voice. “What time is it?”
“Two.”
“Two o’clock in the morning?” She squeaked, tightening her fingers around the phone. “Is something wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong.” He chuckled. “Can’t a guy call his sister to see how she’s doing without it being some problem?”
But not in the middle of the night.
The words never made it to Meg’s lips. Zac called so rarely that she’d gladly take his calls no matter what the time of the day or night. She smiled into the phone. “It’s good to hear your voice, bro.”
“I heard that you’re back in Jackson, playing house with some guy. True? Or false?”
Sheesh. She’d just moved in today. “Did Trav tell you that?”
“I haven’t spoken with him,” Zac said in a tone that gave nothing away. “Is it true? Are you shacking up?”
“You tell me your secrets and I’ll tell you mine.” Meg wasn’t sure why she was toying with him. She certainly didn’t want him thinking she and Cole meant anything to each other.
“What do you want to know?” he asked, sounding amused.
“Where you are would be a good place to start.”
“Wichita.”
“Kansas?” Meg couldn’t hide her surprise. Her youngest brother had always been more of a big-city guy.
“I met a girl,” he said.
A girl. With his dark hair and gray eyes, Zac attracted women in droves. “Is it serious?”
“More complicated than serious.”
“Will you be staying in Wichita?”
“I can work anywhere,” he said, not really answering her question. Meg had never been sure what her brother did for a living, other than it involved welding.
“Enough about me.” His tone made it clear he’d tolerate no more questions. “Let’s talk about you.”
“What do you want to know?”
“I hear you’ve got a kid now.”
“Your sources are correct.” With one hand, Meg propped some pillows behind her and settled back against the fluffy softness. “You remember my friend Joy? Well, she and her husband were killed on that same stretch of road where Mom and Dad died. Their wish was that Cole Lassiter and I would share joint custody of their son, Charlie. He’s six.”
“Since you three are together, I take it you agreed.”
“He’s a child, Zac.” Meg found herself softening her tone, just thinking of the boy. “He needs me.”
“Raising a kid is a big commitment,” he said in a subdued tone. “A lot of people would walk away.”
“Who, Zac? Who would do that? Not me. Certainly not you.”
Growing up, her youngest brother—now
Still, when it came time for the brace to go back on his knee, Cole wasn’t sorry that it was Meg’s competent hands that helped him put it on and held out a steadying hand as he rose to his feet.
“That was fun, Aunt Meg.” Charlie leaned in close. “Can I help again?”
“Absolutely,” she said.
Cole glanced at Charlie’s beaming face. He thought of all he’d learned tonight about his son. And all that Charlie had learned about him. That never would have happened if they’d been watching a basketball game.
“Thank you,” he said to Meg when Charlie ran to the bathroom.
“For helping you up?”
“No,” he said. “For making the evening…nice.”
A look of shock flickered in her eyes before she shrugged. “It was important to me that he had a good first night here.”
“Well, I appreciate it,” he said, surprised by the admiration flowing through his veins. Cole didn’t want to have these feelings for her, didn’t want to feel the bar between them lower by even the slightest inch.
But he told himself there was no need to worry. He’d let down his guard once before with her and had gotten burned. He wouldn’t be making that mistake again.
Chapter Six
T he ringing of her cell phone woke Meg from a sound sleep. She fumbled with the bedcovers, reaching blindly for the phone charging on the bedside stand.
“Margaret.”
“Zac?” Meg jerked upright, instantly wide-awake at hearing her brother’s voice. “What time is it?”
“Two.”
“Two o’clock in the morning?” She squeaked, tightening her fingers around the phone. “Is something wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong.” He chuckled. “Can’t a guy call his sister to see how she’s doing without it being some problem?”
But not in the middle of the night.
The words never made it to Meg’s lips. Zac called so rarely that she’d gladly take his calls no matter what the time of the day or night. She smiled into the phone. “It’s good to hear your voice, bro.”
“I heard that you’re back in Jackson, playing house with some guy. True? Or false?”
Sheesh. She’d just moved in today. “Did Trav tell you that?”
“I haven’t spoken with him,” Zac said in a tone that gave nothing away. “Is it true? Are you shacking up?”
“You tell me your secrets and I’ll tell you mine.” Meg wasn’t sure why she was toying with him. She certainly didn’t want him thinking she and Cole meant anything to each other.
“What do you want to know?” he asked, sounding amused.
“Where you are would be a good place to start.”
“Wichita.”
“Kansas?” Meg couldn’t hide her surprise. Her youngest brother had always been more of a big-city guy.
“I met a girl,” he said.
A girl. With his dark hair and gray eyes, Zac attracted women in droves. “Is it serious?”
“More complicated than serious.”
“Will you be staying in Wichita?”
“I can work anywhere,” he said, not really answering her question. Meg had never been sure what her brother did for a living, other than it involved welding.
“Enough about me.” His tone made it clear he’d tolerate no more questions. “Let’s talk about you.”
“What do you want to know?”
“I hear you’ve got a kid now.”
“Your sources are correct.” With one hand, Meg propped some pillows behind her and settled back against the fluffy softness. “You remember my friend Joy? Well, she and her husband were killed on that same stretch of road where Mom and Dad died. Their wish was that Cole Lassiter and I would share joint custody of their son, Charlie. He’s six.”
“Since you three are together, I take it you agreed.”
“He’s a child, Zac.” Meg found herself softening her tone, just thinking of the boy. “He needs me.”
“Raising a kid is a big commitment,” he said in a subdued tone. “A lot of people would walk away.”
“Who, Zac? Who would do that? Not me. Certainly not you.”
Growing up, her youngest brother—now
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