The Colorado Fosters

It was a Thursday, but the playground was empty. Too cold and snowy for outdoor recess, apparently. Rachel shielded her eyes and turned in a circle, looking for the woman they were supposed to be meeting. No sign of Cupcake. Shouldn’t she be here by now?

“She isn’t here,” Rachel said, giving heed to the instinct she’d had ever since Cole’s phone call that morning. “She isn’t coming. She was never coming. Isn’t that right, Cole?”

Cole faced her, his expression serious. “No, she isn’t. I used meeting her as an excuse to give us some privacy, without Andrew’s presence.”

“I see.” Rachel counted to ten, slowly. “Why?”

“Because I need your help.”

“My help? What type of help?”

“See? You’re doing it again, making a question out of my statement.”

She tapped her foot once. Twice. And waited.

“It’s like this, Rachel.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. “My mind is set on proposing to this woman I love, on Christmas day. But I’m experiencing some...let’s call them difficulties, in getting her to see our relationship the way I do. I need your help in romancing her, priming her, so to speak, so she’ll say yes.”

“Proposing? As in...marriage?” Rachel whispered, not caring in the least that she’d rephrased his statement as a question. “As in, this Christmas?”

“That’s my goal. And that’s why I can’t, or won’t, tell you her name. I want someone who doesn’t have any preconceived notions about...Cupcake.” He paused, as if weighing his words. The corners of his mouth curved into a tiny grin. “Yep, that’s what I need. Someone who can be objective in their advice, based on what I see in this woman, in what I tell them.”

Rachel swallowed, backed out of his hold. “And you’re afraid that if I know her name, I’ll...what? Somehow learn something about her that will hinder my ability to...help you woo her? By the simple virtue of having her name?”

“Exactly! Why, you might accidentally bump into her at the Beanery, or at Foster’s. If you don’t know her name, you won’t know it’s her, see what I’m getting at? Or you might hear some folks chatting, and if her name came up, you’d be all over that.” His smile widened in smug satisfaction, as if he were extraordinarily pleased with his explanation. “This way, you have to rely on the information I give you, so your viewpoint will be the same as mine.”

“I see.”

“I knew you would.” Cole grabbed Rachel’s hand and squeezed tight. “This woman is special. Every detail needs to be right. Just right. She deserves so much more than she knows, and I want to be the one to give her everything. And more.”

Wow. Just...wow.

“I guess I don’t understand,” Rachel somehow managed to say. “If you love her, and she loves you, why do you need any help? Especially mine?”

Turning away, Cole brushed the snow off the bench and gestured for her to sit. She didn’t. Just kept her mouth shut and waited for him to answer her question.

“She’s had...some problems with a few of her past relationships. And a rocky childhood, I guess you’d say. She has all these barriers because of both.” Cole shifted his gaze away from hers. “I’m afraid if I’m not careful, she’ll bolt. I can’t let that happen, Rach.”

“Oh.” His logic clicked solidly into place with a sickening thud. A tremble passed through her, and then another, before she found the courage to voice the obvious. “Her past sounds a lot like my past, doesn’t it, Cole?”

He nodded.

“So from your perspective, we’re both impatient, complicated women who share similar issues.” Moisture appeared behind Rachel’s eyes, threatening tears. She blinked them away. Fast. “That’s why you want my help in particular, correct? Because you think I’ll somehow have an inside track into how to get around these specific barriers?”

“That and the fact you’re my best friend.”

“Right. Best friend.” Well, at least he was honest. The throbbing in her temples returned. “I... This is a surprise.”

Cole watched her with a speculative gleam. The tense set of his shoulders, his jaw, his very stance declared how important this was to him. “I don’t need an answer right now,” he said. “I know I’m asking a lot, especially since this could potentially steal time you’d planned on having with Andrew. Ask whatever you want, take however long you need.”

Closing her eyes, Rachel tried to rationalize a way she could gracefully decline. She could use the Andrew excuse he’d just given her, but honestly, based on the happenings that morning, she felt fairly sure the majority of Andrew’s vacation would be claimed by work.

She could just say no. Simply state the prospect made her uncomfortable. Oh, God. This was...unthinkable. Her chest tightened with pressure and her throat closed. She so didn’t want to do this, didn’t want to help Cole—a man she’d once hoped would be her man—romance another woman into marrying him.

So, yes, she could say no. Should say no. But she’d left him once before when he’d needed her. Had taken off due to fear and complications and a host of other issues she’d never fully explained. Issues she still didn’t completely understand herself. She’d hurt him. Heck, she’d hurt them...not only what might have been, but their friendship.

No. She wouldn’t do that again. Despite how difficult this might be, she couldn’t turn her back on his plea. In that second, in no more than a single beat of her heart, Rachel gave in and accepted her fate. Fully, this time. Cole Foster and Rachel Merriday were friends. Forever friends.

“Okay, then.” Opening her eyes, she infused cheery and merry into her tone with all of her might. “Let’s see what we can do about getting you engaged. We’ll call it—” she paused, took in a gulp of air to center herself “—my Christmas present to you.”

He came to her then, hugged her so hard that she lost the rest of her breath. “Thank you,” he whispered, the warmth of his body easing into hers. “I couldn’t do this without you.”

Merry freaking Christmas, indeed.

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.