“Whatever you want. Start a business. Buy a house. Buy a bar. Whatever you’ve always wanted.”
He thought of how that money could change not only his life, but also his kids and Angel’s. He thought of all the medical bills that had been piling up, and all the care that Melissa would continue to need. He felt like he was being tempted by the devil himself. This was insane. Things like this just didn’t happen. He laughed, “Hell, if I even tried to take that to the bank, they’d call the cops, thinking I’d stolen it or something. I’d probably end up in jail for my trouble.”
She smiled, and nodded toward the check. “I know the president of the bank it’s drawn on, personally. Take it there. Open a new account with it. I’ll call, and tell him you’re coming. Better yet, I’ll go with you to make sure there are no problems. Come on, we can go right now.”
“Just hold your horses. I didn’t even say I’d take it, yet.”
She knew she had him then. He’d said ‘yet’. She smiled. “You need another drink.”
He nodded. “I’m gonna need more than one, darlin’.”
Chapter Nineteen
Cole walked into the house. It was mid-morning. The place was quiet. Mandy had cleared her stuff out the day she’d signed the papers, but Cole had stayed away, choosing instead to stay at the clubhouse.
He sat down at the dining room table, tossing the bank paperwork down on the table. They landed next to the divorce decree that he’d gotten from his attorney last week. He’d finally agreed to take the money Shannon had offered him. It took her some doing, but she’d finally won out. She had met with him several times over the last week, arranging for him to meet with a financial advisor that she knew, to help him with the money. He’d been amazed at how easily he’d been transformed into a millionaire. Of course, Uncle Sam was going to take a big chunk, but he still had enough left to make a real change in his life.
He hadn’t told a soul about it yet. He had some decisions to make first. He knew he wanted Angel back, that was a given, but he didn’t want her to make that decision based on his net worth. He needed to know she loved him, and was willing to accept him for who and what he was.
He had delayed his trip out there when all this stuff had happened. And he hadn’t called Angel again, either. He wasn’t sure what to say, how to convince her that he loved her, that he deserved her.
His cell phone rang.
Pulling it out of his pocket, he looked at the caller ID. Natalie. He frowned, and took the call. “Hello.”
“Cole?”
“Yeah. Natalie?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
He could hear a lot of background noise, and someone making an announcement on an intercom. He thought he heard Flight 420 now boarding at gate 15. “Natalie, where are you?”
“At the airport.”
“Airport? Where are you going? Is everything okay? Are the kids and Angel with you?” A million questions raced through his brain.
“I’m by myself. And I’m not going anywhere. I’ve already arrived.”
“Arrived where?”
“San Jose.”
“What?” Cole asked, stunned.
“I came to see you. Can you pick me up?”
He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You’re here?”
“Yes, Cole. I’m here.”
“What airline?” he asked. When she told him, he said he’d pick her up in front of arrivals in fifteen minutes. He disconnected, and stared at the wall. Was this good or bad? Was she here to help him get Angel back? Or was she here to tell him to give up?
Grabbing the keys to his old pickup truck, he headed out the door to find out.
Fifteen minutes later, he was moving through the line of cars all waiting to meet someone in the arrivals area. He finally spotted Natalie standing near the curb with her suitcase, and pulled his truck over. Jumping out, he came around the front of his truck. He stopped in front of her, wanting to give her a hug, but not sure how she felt about him.
Cole didn’t have to wonder for long.
Natalie grabbed him up in a tight hug.
They broke apart, and he picked up her suitcase, and opened the passenger door for her. She climbed inside, and he tossed her bag in the truck bed, and walked around, and climbed in.
A cop was blowing his whistle at him, telling him to move along.