you’re tired and have an early morning. I’ve used up enough of your time.”
When they got to the door, Cole pulled her into his arms and held her tight to his chest. Her heart did its best impression of the rust bucket, chugging along in some strange rhythm while she breathed in his scent. He pressed a kiss into the top of her head before pulling away.
“Goodnight, princess,” he said and slipped out the door, leaving Lilah staring after him, biting her lip to keep from calling him back.
13
I t had been a series of hard mornings and long days. Cole sat at his table with his head in his hands while his mom ambled out of the kitchen armed with coffee and a smile.
“You’ve looked better,” she said, sliding a travel mug his way.
“I hope so.” Cole took a tentative sip of his coffee in case it was scalding ass hot. “If I look like I feel then I’m sure I look like hell.”
“You work too hard.”
“Nah. No such thing.” July had been a good month, but August was making him work for his money.
“There most definitely is such a thing. One of these days you’ll get old enough to believe it.” Maggie lowered herself into the chair next to Cole with a groan. “Not looking forward to all the bending and twisting today. Not one bit.”
If he could, Cole would get his mom into a better job. One that paid more and came with a chair to plant her butt in all day. Her life had been hard enough dealing with his dad. The last thing she needed was a job that had her cleaning up other people’s messes all day.
“Can I tell you something?” He fidgeted with his coffee and wished he hadn’t said anything the moment the words were out of his mouth.
“Uh-oh. Do I want you to tell me something?”
Cole crossed his arms on the table and looked his mom in the eyes. “I didn’t think you were gonna stay gone. I thought you’d be here a week and then go home.”
Maggie lifted an eyebrow. “You trying to kick me out? Tell me I overstayed my welcome? You ready to have a bedroom again?”
“No, mom.” He shook his head. “I’m really glad you’re here. I wouldn’t wish you back there for any amount of personal space in the world.”
“I think I’m gone for good.” Maggie picked at her fingernails and then flattened her hands on the table and met Cole’s eyes. “Maybe this old dog is finally learning a new trick. You’re never too old to change, I guess.” With that she slapped her hands on the table and scooted her chair back. “We should go,” she said in a tone that meant she was done talking about heavy things. “You ready?”
Cole nodded and stood up, swiped his keys from the counter and locked up behind them. He didn’t say much as they drove into work. His mind was busy going over their conversation. As much as he hated to admit it, he never expected his mom to stay gone. He figured she was too set in her ways to be strong enough to leave that old bastard. The fact that she was still here with him, crowding him out of his bedroom, surprised the hell out of him and made him so happy he didn’t know what to do with it all.
But more than all that was the fact that his mom was in the middle of making a huge, life altering change. She had stepped out from under the asshole’s control and was taking her life into her own hands. And while it had to be hard and scary, she was going to be all the better for it. And if Maggie Bennett could change, then maybe Cole Bennett could, too.
“Is Lilah coming over tonight?” Maggie fiddled with the radio, searching for a decent station.
“Yep. It’s our weekly money meeting.”
Maggie shook her head. “That girl is a financial disaster.”
“I don’t get it,” Cole said as he turned into the parking lot of the business complex his mom cleaned in the mornings. “It’s like she’s never had to think about money once in her whole life. But she’s got even less furniture than I do, eats off chipped plates, and drives a car I wouldn’t wish
When they got to the door, Cole pulled her into his arms and held her tight to his chest. Her heart did its best impression of the rust bucket, chugging along in some strange rhythm while she breathed in his scent. He pressed a kiss into the top of her head before pulling away.
“Goodnight, princess,” he said and slipped out the door, leaving Lilah staring after him, biting her lip to keep from calling him back.
13
I t had been a series of hard mornings and long days. Cole sat at his table with his head in his hands while his mom ambled out of the kitchen armed with coffee and a smile.
“You’ve looked better,” she said, sliding a travel mug his way.
“I hope so.” Cole took a tentative sip of his coffee in case it was scalding ass hot. “If I look like I feel then I’m sure I look like hell.”
“You work too hard.”
“Nah. No such thing.” July had been a good month, but August was making him work for his money.
“There most definitely is such a thing. One of these days you’ll get old enough to believe it.” Maggie lowered herself into the chair next to Cole with a groan. “Not looking forward to all the bending and twisting today. Not one bit.”
If he could, Cole would get his mom into a better job. One that paid more and came with a chair to plant her butt in all day. Her life had been hard enough dealing with his dad. The last thing she needed was a job that had her cleaning up other people’s messes all day.
“Can I tell you something?” He fidgeted with his coffee and wished he hadn’t said anything the moment the words were out of his mouth.
“Uh-oh. Do I want you to tell me something?”
Cole crossed his arms on the table and looked his mom in the eyes. “I didn’t think you were gonna stay gone. I thought you’d be here a week and then go home.”
Maggie lifted an eyebrow. “You trying to kick me out? Tell me I overstayed my welcome? You ready to have a bedroom again?”
“No, mom.” He shook his head. “I’m really glad you’re here. I wouldn’t wish you back there for any amount of personal space in the world.”
“I think I’m gone for good.” Maggie picked at her fingernails and then flattened her hands on the table and met Cole’s eyes. “Maybe this old dog is finally learning a new trick. You’re never too old to change, I guess.” With that she slapped her hands on the table and scooted her chair back. “We should go,” she said in a tone that meant she was done talking about heavy things. “You ready?”
Cole nodded and stood up, swiped his keys from the counter and locked up behind them. He didn’t say much as they drove into work. His mind was busy going over their conversation. As much as he hated to admit it, he never expected his mom to stay gone. He figured she was too set in her ways to be strong enough to leave that old bastard. The fact that she was still here with him, crowding him out of his bedroom, surprised the hell out of him and made him so happy he didn’t know what to do with it all.
But more than all that was the fact that his mom was in the middle of making a huge, life altering change. She had stepped out from under the asshole’s control and was taking her life into her own hands. And while it had to be hard and scary, she was going to be all the better for it. And if Maggie Bennett could change, then maybe Cole Bennett could, too.
“Is Lilah coming over tonight?” Maggie fiddled with the radio, searching for a decent station.
“Yep. It’s our weekly money meeting.”
Maggie shook her head. “That girl is a financial disaster.”
“I don’t get it,” Cole said as he turned into the parking lot of the business complex his mom cleaned in the mornings. “It’s like she’s never had to think about money once in her whole life. But she’s got even less furniture than I do, eats off chipped plates, and drives a car I wouldn’t wish
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