Do you take this rebel - By Sherryl Woods Page 0,38
in good hands.” She reached for Cole’s hand. “And it’s all thanks to you. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”
He bent down and kissed her cheek. “All you need to do for me is get well and live a long and healthy life.”
“I’m going to do my best.” Her gaze locked on Cole’s. “Keep an eye on my girl for me, okay?”
Cole glanced Cassie’s way. “Always,” he said softly.
Trying to ignore the fluttery feeling in the pit of her stomach caused by Cole’s promise, Cassie gave her mother a kiss. “See you in the morning, Mom. I love you.”
Now that the time had come to leave, Jake looked shaken. He edged close to the bad. “I don’t want to go, Grandma.”
She brushed the hair out of his eyes. “I’m going to be just fine,” she reassured him. “Go with your mom and Cole. Get something good to eat and see the sights. This time tomorrow you can come back here and tell me all about them.”
Jake still looked reluctant. Cole squeezed his shoulder. “Come along, son.”
Even though he spoke casually, in a way men spoke to young boys all the time without it meaning a thing, Cassie froze. Hearing him call Jake son, no matter the context, made her tremble. How long? she wondered, exchanging a look with her mother. How long would it be before Cole realized that the boy he was addressing really was his son?
Cole did his best to relieve Cassie’s tension over a quick dinner in a fast-food restaurant. He enumerated all of the surgeon’s qualifications and cited all of the latest cancer recovery statistics. But nothing he said seemed to get through to her. She listened, she nodded, but her fingers continued to shred napkin after napkin until there was a pile of white fluff on the table in front of her.
Finally he reached across the table and placed his hand over hers. “Enough,” he said gently. He glanced pointedly at the normally effusive Jake, who had grown increasingly silent as the meal went on, clearly picking up on her mood.
Cassie’s gaze flew to her son. “Sweetie, are you okay?”
He shook his head. “I’m scared,” he admitted.
“You heard Cole. Grandma’s doctor is the best. She’s going to get well.”
Jake regarded her hopefully. “You believe that?”
“With all my heart,” she said fervently.
“Then how come you’re acting like you’re scared, too?” He pointed to the mound of shredded napkins.
Cassie stared at them, looking vaguely startled. “Oh, dear, I guess my mind was on all sorts of things.”
“What things?” Jake promptly wanted to know.
She forced a grin. “Cabbages and kings.”
“Mom!”
Cole wanted to protest, as well. He’d hoped Jake might get a straight answer out of her. He doubted he could. If it wasn’t her mother that had her looking so worried, then what could it be?
Only after they’d gone to the hotel near the hospital and settled Jake in bed did Cole get a chance to ask. He was pacing the suite’s living room when Cassie finally joined him. He hadn’t been at all sure that she would. He had the oddest feeling that he was the cause of her nervousness, though why that should be he couldn’t imagine. And surely that kiss they’d shared hadn’t rattled her so badly that she was scared to be in the same room with him. It wasn’t as if he was likely to try to ravish her on the eve of her mother’s surgery.
“Jake asleep?”
She nodded.
“How are you?”
“Scared, just like he said.”
“About your mother?”
She shot him a startled look, then glanced away. “Of course,” she said hurriedly. “What else?”
“That’s what I was wondering.” He studied her intently. “You’re not scared of me, are you? Of being here in a hotel room with me overnight?”
A glimmer of a smile passed across her face as she gestured around the suite. “It’s not as if we’re in cramped quarters, Cole. We won’t even be sleeping in the same room.”
“More’s the pity,” he murmured.
She frowned at him. “Why would you say that?”
“Because it’s true.”
“Cole, we can’t go back.”
“Then how about going forward?”
She shook her head without giving the notion a moment’s consideration. That grated on him more than he could say.
“You always were too blasted stubborn for your own good.”
“Then I’m surprised you’d want to bother with me.”
“Unfortunately, you’re still the only woman who’s ever fascinated me.”
“Cole!”
The protest was only halfhearted, which he considered encouraging. “It’s true,” he said, stepping closer until he could lift his hand to her cheek. Her skin was