His for the Taking - By Ann Major Page 0,54

her head. “I’m afraid everything’s happened too fast. I should have prepared him. I think you’d better go,” she whispered. “He and I need some time, just the two of us, to work this out. I’ll call you.”

“No. We’ve got to tell him who I am—now.”

“Not this morning!”

“The sooner we tell him the less confused he’ll be.”

“You never stop.”

“Not when I know what has to be done.” He turned and walked down the hall after Noah.

“Cole—no!” By the time she caught him, he was already inside Noah’s room.

“I know how you feel,” he was saying to their son, “because this is all happening so fast.”

“I—I don’t understand,” Noah said sulkily.

“I’m here because I’m your father. I know it’s a shock because I just learned that fact myself.”

When Noah’s huge eyes glanced at her for confirmation, she nodded.

“I want to take care of you and your mother. I want to marry your mother. I want us to be a family.”

When Noah stared at him, Maddie wondered what was going on in his head.

“You could have waited,” she said when Cole came back out of Noah’s room.

“No. I couldn’t. I’ve already lost six years, and so has he. I want to go to bed with you every night knowing he’s in the house and to wake up beside you every morning like we did today.”

At the memory of how sweet he’d been last night and this morning, she let out a long sigh. In spite of his pushing so hard, a part of her wanted those things, too.

“So, I’ve made a little progress?”

“Maybe a little,” she admitted.

“Good.” Cole pulled her into his arms and gave her a quick kiss. “Go see Noah in case he’s more upset than he seemed,” he whispered. “I’ll see myself out.”

Noah, however, was dressed and ready for school. He’d taken the news in stride and was willing to talk to Cole when he called later that night. And because he was, her own objections and doubts lessened.

Maybe Cole was right. Maybe their marriage could work.

Fifteen

One long week later, Cole checked his watch as he rushed up Maddie’s sidewalk. He’d made it. It was 5:30 on the dot. He’d even managed to buy her a long-stemmed yellow rose from a homeless vendor on a busy street corner.

As soon as he’d completed his well, Cole had jumped in his truck and driven straight back to Austin.

Not that he was sure he’d find Maddie home yet. The traffic had been so bad on the south side of the city, it seemed very likely she’d be stuck somewhere. But before he was halfway up her sidewalk, her front door opened and she ran toward him.

God, she was beautiful in her sexy blue sundress. When he swept her into his arms, her brilliant smile warmed him as nothing else could. He caught the sweet fragrance of gardenias before he crushed her close.

“My well came in.”

“Congratulations!”

“How’d your week go?” he murmured, handing her the rose that was a little worse for wear due to the Texas heat.

Taking the golden blossom, she clung to him. “I missed you,” she admitted huskily. “Craving you is beginning to feel like an addiction.”

He sighed. “I’m just as hooked as you are.”

Even though they’d spoken over the phone, being away from her hadn’t been easy. She’d tentatively accepted his proposal, and they were trying to figure out how to share their lives. For some reason she was determined that he shouldn’t cut himself off from everybody in Yella because of her, and she’d offered to come back to Yella to face both the gossips and her demons.

“You’ve been through enough there,” he’d said.

“We need to give your community a chance to accept me now,” she’d said bravely.

“I don’t care whether they do or not.”

“But I do—not only for your sake, but for Noah’s. Your mother lives in Yella. It would be nice if Noah had at least one grandmother.”

Because of Maddie’s insistence, Cole had already told friends and family the truth about their relationship and the truth about Noah’s paternity. They had understood his being infatuated with her in the past and getting her pregnant, but they didn’t approve of him being seriously involved with her again. Everybody except Adam warned him to stay away from her.

Not wanting to think about other people’s prejudices, Cole pushed a long strand of black hair back from Maddie’s face. “Where’s Noah?”

“At Tristan’s. Watching a movie. Which means we have a little time alone. He’ll be home soon, but then they’re doing