His for the Taking - By Ann Major Page 0,30
one, I’ll know for sure that you want nothing to do with Noah—or me—ever again. I understand why you would feel that way, and I promise, you don’t need to worry that I’ll hound you any further. If I don’t hear from you in two weeks, I will consider you free of all obligations toward our son and me, and I’ll go on with my life.
Cole sank back in his chair and buried his face in his hands as he remembered how coldly he’d rejected her over the phone, how coldly he’d tossed her letters into his bottom drawer.
Free? She’d really believed he would knowingly cast his son aside! How could she have ever believed that of him?
But…he had signed for the letters. And he hadn’t answered her. Was it really fair to blame her for drawing that conclusion when he’d drawn his own hellish conclusions about her?
How had she raised their son alone? With no money? While struggling to educate herself?
Worst of all, what had Noah done without because of his father’s blind arrogance? At the very least, Noah had never known he had a father who would have cared about him.
Cole knew too well how such a revelation could tear up lives. His own father had had a secret son by his first love, Marilyn. That son was his older brother, Adam. Neither Marilyn nor his dad had known she was pregnant when they’d broken up. By the time she’d found out, his father had been in the military overseas. When she’d finally located him, he’d already married Cole’s mother. Although his father hadn’t openly claimed Adam, he’d assumed full responsibility and had secretly supported Marilyn and Adam. He’d even gone to see them as often as he could. It wasn’t until Cole’s dad was gray-faced on his deathbed that he’d confessed everything to Cole and had begged him to go and see Adam in West Texas.
“I always felt I had to protect your mother from knowing about Marilyn and Adam. You know how she is, so fine and proper…and so unyielding and self-righteous. For her sake, I never told you about your brother. I want you to go to him now. Try…to be a brother to him. And please ask your mother to forgive me.”
Cole had asked her, all right, but his mother was still very bitter about Adam. Against her wishes, Cole had taken Adam into the family business as his father had wished. They’d even become close, considering they hadn’t grown up together and still didn’t totally trust each other.
Cole’s hand dug into his scalp as recriminating emotions tore at him.
Damn it, you thought you were protecting your marriage and Lizzie when you refused to take Maddie’s calls or read her letters.
No, you were a selfish, arrogant coward…just like your father.
That’s not true! Dad did the best he could.
What is your own arrogance compared to Maddie running off with Turner?
Forget Turner. Forget what she did. You have a son—Noah. He has to come first.
Eight
Cole got up and turned off the light. Unable to face returning to the bed where Maddie slept when he didn’t know if her warmth and sweetness were real, he remained in his dark office and shut his eyes.
What was the truth?
Were the people in Yella right about her after all?
Unsavory as the subject was, Cole had to dig the whole story out of her. Why the hell had she run away with Turner? Why did she turn white and look scared every time his name was mentioned? Had her mother lied?
Not that the answers to any of those questions mattered nearly as much as Noah.
What the hell was he going to do? How would he ever make up for six lost years?
Cole must have fallen asleep because he jumped when he heard a soft footfall in the den. When a woman’s slim hand pushed the door ajar, and the narrow beam of a tiny flashlight fell on his dangling keys, he froze.
Where the hell had she gotten a flashlight?
Swiftly, Maddie, who was swathed in white from head to toe, entered the office and knelt beside the drawer. She’d been as silent as a ghost until she found the drawer open…and empty. Then she let out a strangled scream.
He snapped on the lamp beside him with a hard jerk of his wrist. “Looking for these?”
When he held up her letters, her slanting eyes widened. Then she dropped her flashlight and it rolled under his desk.
“Give them to me,” she whispered, her exotic