Snowy Encounters by Clarissa Yip

the town and
his father, then she didn’t want to do that to him. Everyone loved
Cole. And she’d only stand in his way. Glancing around, she knew if
she’d stayed, she probably would not have allowed him to open
another business and the town needed what he could do to help.
    Cole frowned and finally slipped on his coat.
“I’ll be back.”
    “I won’t be here.”
    His gaze jerked up. “We need to talk.”
    She shook her head.
    He dug his fingers through his hair again.
“Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be back in half and hour.” He pivoted to
leave.
    “I’m serious. I won’t be here, Cole.”
    A fierce growl passed his lips. “You can’t
tell me that last night meant nothing.”
    Maddy shrugged. She could only think to use
his lodge as an excuse. “You can call it a moment of insanity
between us. I never meant to stay here. And your lodge needs you. I
can’t fight that.”
    “This isn’t about the lodge.”
    Drawing in a painful deep breath, she slowly
let it out. “If I told you to choose, me or Five Oaks, what do you
say?”
    His eyes widened before they narrowed to
slits. He stalked off.
    Sobs racked her chest, but she picked up her
dress.
    She prayed she’d made the right choice.
     
     
     

Chapter Nineteen
     
    Cole leaned over his desk and shoved his hand
through his hair. His brother was rambling on and on about the
mishaps around town lately and for once in his life, he didn’t give
a rat’s ass what was going on. He had bigger problems. Maddy
leaving.
    After he’d returned to
Limestone, she’d disappeared. He’d found a note on the table by the
couch. Only two words. I’m sorry. And that was it. He pounded the mahogany surface
in frustration. He’d told her he’d loved her and she was just like
his mother. Just slipping into town, messing with his father’s mind
then running off again. His heart tightened. But Maddy is different. She’s not like that. She doesn’t care that you’re wealthy. Maybe that was the problem. His conscious
continued to war with each other.
    He didn’t know what to
believe anymore. His father’s appearance Christmas Eve had probably
thrown them for a surprise. Brad Sr. was cynical, and Maddy was
sensitive to his father’s accusations, but maybe it’d been his
fault for believing his father in the first place. The town had
blamed Maddy for their divorce, but she had to see that she
belonged here with him no matter what. He’d played every card he
had. He wanted to share with her his pride and joy, but she didn’t
understand. What did a guy have to do? After she’d asked her last
question, anger stabbed him in the gut. He couldn’t believe
her. The lodge or her?
    Was she expecting him to let go of his life,
his business, his family and move to the city with her?
    Cole dropped his face into his hands.
    “What’s your deal?”
    He glared at his brother. “What do you want?
Why are you here?”
    Brad Jr. grinned. “Is it Maddy? Did she leave
you already?”
    Cole ignored his brother and turned on the
computer instead. He needed to work, get set up for the grand
opening, keep his mind off Maddy. She’d chosen. Five Oaks still
wasn’t good enough. He was back to where he’d started before she’d
returned home.
    Maybe he’d meet someone else, get married,
have a few kids, someone who’d appreciate all he’d done for the
town to secure the future. His thoughts stopped.
    They hadn’t used protection when they’d made
love.
    He surged out of his seat
and headed to the door. They may have made a baby yesterday. Maybe that will make her stay.
    “Where are you going?” Brad asked. Cole
continued down the hall to the lobby.
    Brad trailed behind. “Don’t you want to hear
what else happened at the reception?”
    Hope flared in his chest. A child. Maddy
wouldn’t leave him if she were pregnant. He was grasping at straws,
but he didn’t care. He didn’t know how else to deter her from
leaving.
    “Cole, man. I know Maddy is probably driving
you crazy,