Do you take this rebel - By Sherryl Woods Page 0,52

you won’t go wrong.”

Unfortunately, it was too late for that advice to do Cassie any good at all.

The discovery that his father knew the truth and had chosen to hide it had been the final bitter blow on the worst night of Cole’s entire life. After driving aimlessly for most of the night, he took off for Silicon Valley and a round of business meetings he’d been postponing for months. He left word on his father’s answering machine that that’s where he’d be until further notice.

He’d expected the change of scenery to give him some perspective. He’d also hoped that the steady lineup of strategy meetings and technology discussions would keep him focused on work. He didn’t want to think about Jake or Cassie or his father. The wound was still too raw.

Unfortunately, he’d never been much good at avoiding tough decisions. Facing things squarely and dealing with them was the way he conducted business.

He managed to prolong his stay in California for a month, but Cassie was never far from his thoughts. Was his father right? Would she bolt with Jake now that the truth was out? She was certainly terrified enough to try. His only consolation was that the world wasn’t big enough to swallow her up so completely that he couldn’t find her again. Few people vanished without a trace, and Cassie wasn’t clever enough or rich enough to be one of them.

Of course, she had been clever enough to keep his son away from him for nine long years. He’d missed Jake’s birth, his first step, his first word. Things that he could never get back. The lack of memories weighed on him. Eventually the prospect of missing so much as a minute more of his son’s life had him reaching for the phone, something he should have done days or even weeks earlier.

When Cassie picked up on the first ring, he breathed a sigh of relief. “You’re there,” he said.

“Where else would I be?”

She sounded resigned.

“I wasn’t sure you’d stick around.”

“Running would have been pointless,” she said, all but admitting she’d considered it. “Besides, my mother and Karen need me here.”

“And that’s the only reason you stayed?”

She remained silent so long he thought she might not answer.

“No,” she said at last. “We have to deal with this for Jake’s sake.”

“I’m glad you realize that.”

“I’ve always had my son’s best interests at heart.”

Cole barely bit back a sharp retort. “Now’s not the time to debate that,” he said. “I’ll be home in a few days. We’ll talk then.”

He hung up without waiting for her reply. He’d discovered two things by making that call—one reassuring, one disconcerting. He now knew that Cassie would be waiting when he returned to Winding River. And, God help him, he also knew just how much that mattered to him.

When Cole drove into Winding River a few days later, his mind was made up at last. He’d lost the first nine years of his son’s life. He didn’t intend to lose the next nine or any thereafter. This wasn’t about revenge or even justice. It was about a father forming a bond with his son, a bond he’d been denied up until now.

He arrived on Cassie’s doorstep prepared to start the custody fight to end all custody fights.

She greeted him with pale cheeks and frightened eyes, then stepped onto the porch and closed the door securely behind her. He couldn’t help noticing that she had lost weight she could hardly spare in the month he’d been gone. Even so, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever known, and his heart lurched into the familiar rhythm of desire.

“What are you going to do?” she asked straight-out, not even trying to mask her fear.

One look into her eyes and his determination faltered. He knew he couldn’t do what he’d planned. He couldn’t take her son—their son—away from her. Whatever else he thought of her, she’d been a good mother and Jake loved her. Separating them would be a hollow victory.

Besides, there was no denying that even after all that had happened, he wanted her. Bitterness wasn’t quite enough to bury lust. The heat of anger felt awfully damn close to the heat of passion.

“Marry me,” he said before he could stop himself.

Clearly taken by surprise, she blinked hard, then shook her head. “No, not if this is just some way for you to claim your son.”

“You don’t have a choice,” he said mildly.

“Of course I do.”

“If you don’t marry me, I’ll fight you