Cole's Christmas Wish

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.

Chapter Four

The second Cole returned to work that afternoon, he phoned his mother. With Rachel’s agreement in place, bringing his family into the picture became even more crucial. Fortunately, getting the entire Foster clan together on short notice hadn’t proved difficult. One small hint regarding his current personal dilemma had sufficed.

In no time at all, his mother had arranged a late dinner at Foster’s Pub and Grill, set for after the evening rush had ended. When Margaret Foster summoned her family, they came. No questions asked. Short of a local or national emergency, anyway.

Dinner had progressed smoothly enough, as Cole had kept the conversation firmly in the casual zone. Once the plates had been cleared and dessert served, unable to ignore the questioning glances from his mother and father any longer, he cleared his throat and dived in.

“So,” he said, “Rachel’s in town. She arrived yesterday.”

“Is that so?” Margaret asked with a small smile. “And how is Rachel?”

“Good. She’s...good.” Dang. This was going to be harder than he’d thought. “She brought a man with her. His name is Andrew and—” Cole cleared his throat again. “She mentioned that he might be thinking of proposing. I’m...ah...not too keen on that idea, actually.”

“Is that so?” his mom said again. “Why would that be?”

Five pairs of eyes regarded him curiously. A few of the gazes held amusement, as if they already knew Cole’s answer. Hell. Maybe they did.

“She barely knows him, for one thing.”

“Uh-huh. Any other reason?”

He was going to have to say it. He’d known that coming in, but that didn’t make the prospect any easier to choke down. “I’m in love with her,” he half growled. “That’s why.”

No one spoke for all of ten seconds. Then, “Is that so?” asked Cole’s father, Paul, repeating his wife’s words in an amused tone. “Can’t say that’s headlining news, son. We’ve known your feelings for Rachel for quite a while.”

Cole shook his head in mild exasperation, not really surprised. When had he ever been able to keep anything from his family? Not very often, and never for very long. “Well, in that case, maybe the rest of this will go easier.”

“The rest of what?” asked Reid, the eldest sibling. He, Cole knew, would be the hardest to convince. Reid followed the rules, all of them, whether the rules made a lick of sense or not.

“The rest of what I have to tell you.” At this point, Cole paused and sized up his family. He figured his best shot resided in Haley. His sister was a romantic, so convincing her shouldn’t be overly difficult. Even better, getting her on board would be a two-for-one deal, as Dylan—the middle brother—tended to side with Haley in most matters.

This was important. For decisions that required the entire family’s input, the Fosters followed the majority-vote-wins concept. Haley plus Dylan plus Cole was half of the battle won. Then, he’d only need to pull over his mother or father. It would likely be his mother, but with Paul Foster, you never could say for sure.

“It’s like this,” Cole said, focusing on Haley. “I believe that Rachel might have...similar feelings for me. I can’t let her marry another man without finding out if I’m right. But Rachel is stubborn and...well, to counteract that, I did something. And now I need help to see it through.”

Cole continued on, explaining what had occurred at the Beanery, and then earlier that day at the picnic. Haley’s mouth softened into a gooey smile the longer he talked, which was a positive sign, while Reid’s hardened into an uncompromising frown, which wasn’t. Though, Cole hadn’t expected anything else from his never-color-outside-of-the-lines big brother.

What he didn’t say, or even broach upon, was his lingering concerns over Rachel’s ability to commit, or his back-and-forth thoughts and feelings regarding her departure after his accident. Neither topic was up for public debate. They were issues for he and Rachel alone to discuss.

And they would, one way or another. Doing so was an integral part of his plan, just as important as discerning her feelings and determining if they could have the future he envisioned. But he had to proceed slowly, carefully. And he had to start somewhere.

Not one member of his family interrupted him as he spoke. He supposed they were balancing his words with what they knew about him, about Rachel. By the time he finished, his throat felt parched and heat had gathered on the back of his neck. He loved his family. He’d relied on them throughout the worst moments of his life. He trusted them.

But damn if this didn’t feel as if he’d just stripped naked in front of them. Difficult, yes. Also, though, humbling and far too revealing for his peace of his mind.